When you have a small business in a small market, like Acadiana, you’re facing challenges today that nobody has faced before you. There is no previous generation to turn to for advice on how to compete with online retailers. Or how to market to your local customers who might live next door but are getting all of their information online. These are essential issues that every small business has to confront.

Aileen’s guests on this edition of Out to Lunch are both helping local small businesses bridge the gap between the brick and mortar world where we live, and the online world where it can feel like everybody else lives.

Megan Blanchard is co-founder and CAO – that’s Chief Administrative Officer – for a company called Digital Product Solutions. Digital Product Solutions specialize in giving small businesses an online presence. They build websites and do social media marketing, at price levels that are affordable for local small businesses.

Zack Wright is Business Development Manager at Towny. Towny is an app. It’s only available at this point in a few select locations across the country –  Indiana, Texas, Arkansas, and here in Acadiana. If you download the Towny app on your phone or tablet you’ll be able to access special deals and products from local business. If you’re a local business, you can get your business onto the Towny app and reach all of those people in your local community who are looking at their phones or tablets for information and deals.

Somebody, somewhere is going to create the new model that combines online and real-world retail. Time will tell if Towny is that solution. If it is, Digital Product Solutions will get the word out.

Photos at Marcello’s Wine Market & Cafe by Lucius Fontenot.