Weathering the economic storm: LCF Group uses on-line marketing

Weathering the Economic Storm
(In a lengthy stagnant national economy, businesses large and small, as well as individuals and families, are facing the need to change their operations and, sometimes, lifestyles as they struggle to reach the promised land of “economic recovery.” Their dilemma is complicated by mixed signals suggesting “recovery” and “recession.”
The Floyd Press will take a look at how a few local businesses are coping with the depressed economy.
First in the series is the LCF Group, one of Floyd County’s older and most prominent local businesses.
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by Don Johnson

Floyd County’s LCF Group is in the business of buying, developing and selling rural real estate and, according to its marketing motto, “helping people realize their dreams.”
Through the years since its creation as a nursery nearly a half-century ago, the firm has developed a rather unusual way of achieving that goal.
Over those same years, the firm’s management displayed both the willingness and an ability to adapt to meet changing economic and market conditions head-on, a good business skill for the current economy.
For example, according to LCF’s chief operating officer, David Larsen, in response to the need for an alternate crop for soil in their nursery, in 1968, they began growing and selling Christmas trees.
“People thought we were crazy,” Larsen says. “But we were in that business for over 25 years. It wasn’t a fantastic business, but it was a good business.”
One of the most unexpected aspects of LCF Group’s business, however, is the development of a marketing philosophy which, simply stated, includes helping other local businesses succeed.
Why? Because their success spills over onto LCF and, among other things, creates a vibrant and dynamic community that makes the firm’s main product, land, more desirable and valuable, they say.
Larsen explains that they really do believe in their motto to help people realize their dreams. But, he adds, “it comes back to us as people helping us. They’re buying products, buying land, making referrals, and assisting us in ways that are unknown to us at the time, and which often, comes to us as a surprise.”
“On-line marketing is chief to what we do, particularly with our website , which is our free Floyd Directory,” Larsen explains. He adds the site provides free listings to county businesses, and “we’d like to see everyone participate.”
Dee Wallace joins in with, “It has become a very robust site as far as traffic and users are concerned, but I still see a lot of (business) people who aren’t on it – and it’s free.”
Another major part of the firm’s Floyd County marketing effort promoting local businesses is its “Floyd County Virginia” magazine that is distributed in Floyd and surrounding counties in racks and as inserts in several area newspapers.
Gaynell Larsen said she recently was told by the owner of Mickey G’s Bistro and Pizzeria in Floyd the magazine was central to his decision to establish a business in Floyd County. He also reported several regular Sunday customers from Patrick County told him they learned about his business through the publication.
Marketing for itself and the county is a big deal for the LCF Group.
They not only use the internet – they have several websites promoting their various interests and businesses -- but travelling in the area you can also see signs around Floyd and nearby Blue Ridge locations saying simply, “Land for Sale” and with LCF’s telephone number.
In addition, if you drop by their Professional Center in the Village Green in the Town of Floyd, you’ll find people looking through a window viewing streaming video that continually displays to passers-by a wide-range of products, businesses, musicians, activities and just interesting things to see.
If you go inside the Professional Center, you’ll find a variety of products that display the skill of local artisans and craftsmen, a working amateur radio station capable of talking around the globe, literature from a host of local businesses and people anxious to answer your questions.
“We also do a lot of videos, including many that are displayed on U-Tube and elsewhere. We currently have 137 videos on our channel which get 300 to 1,000 views per day, that’s about 100,000 views per year.”
As David Larsen points out, there are a lot of ways to advertise – ads in newspapers and other publications, bulletin boards, signs, and the like. But for businesses in Floyd County, he’s convinced that a web presence is one of the most valuable because it can effectively market products to customers outside of the county.
Floyd businesses can sell effectively outside the county, he says.
“Our Christmas tree business was a good example. Few people in Floyd County bought our trees. But, almost our entire product went out of the county and all of the money came back into the county.
“There are simply not enough people in Floyd to support many businesses,” Larsen explains. “The message to me is, to sell your product, you’ve got to get your product known outside of the county. This is not a unique idea.
“One way to achieve this is to sell products over the internet. This is true for almost any artist and craftsman in Floyd. They’re not going to sell enough crafts in Floyd. They have to have a bigger market than that,” he says.
On-line marketing, he explained, is becoming very important part of a businesses’ visibility. It takes some time, but used in an effective way, it can be valuable. If you don’t have your own site, Larsen encourages local businesses to make use of his free directory.
Readers might also do a search for information on www.lcfarticles.com.

Caption: Dee Wallace, David Larsen and Gaynell Larsen check out a local web site that promotes Floyd County businesses. The LCF Group managers are strong advocates of Floyd County business people helping one another and in using on-line marketing to attract customers and sales from within and beyond Floyd County. Photo by Don Johnson