Nigerl Botterill: There are no victims on the high street, only volunteers

This comes only weeks after the Government drafted in retail guru Mary Portas to investigate how to fill the number of shops left empty by the recession, with David Cameron seemingly certain that her “no-nonsense approach” will help turn things around,

Yorkshire’s high streets are feeling the pain as much as anywhere else. One in four shops in Rotherham and more than 20 per cent of those in Leeds stand empty. High streets are a part of our national identity and it would be a sad day if the small independent shops that made us “a nation of shopkeepers” are replaced by the internet and out of town megaplexes.

I have worked with thousands of local shops and companies, helping them to make their businesses as successful as possible, but the first thing I always tell them is that as business owners they are responsible their business. Some have accused me of being harsh but it’s easy for the grocery store owner to blame the new Sainsbury’s Express for their demise. Responsibility is a powerful thing. My message to high street store owners is to think differently, get out of the rut, and accept responsibility. There’s no such thing as victims – only volunteers.

If there are not enough customers coming into a shop then it’s the job of the shop’s owner to find a way to make themselves interesting, enticing and relevant to local people. They must market themselves properly.

Our small retailers must find creative ways to retain contact with their customers. Email, text messages and social media are all powerful tools that most have not utilised. Local shop owners can position their business as one of the best by shouting about accreditations, certificates and showing off all the great testimonials from customers. Word of mouth is still a powerful force and creating local ambassadors for a shop can transform its fortunes. But most businesses do nothing in this arena.

And don’t get me started on service. I know some local shops are brilliant but lots aren’t. Too often they’re surly, slow and unwelcoming – and so give away probably their greatest advantage over the big supermarkets.

Earlier this year, I commissioned a nationwide survey in which a majority of people said the high street was a key part of their community and more than 60 per cent said that they were willing to boycott supermarkets to help save their high shops.

The reality, of course, is different but it is obvious that the public do have affection for the high street. Businesses have to tap into that – and if they collaborate and work together, like they have done in Ilkley, then they can make progress.

But we still have a problem. While it is critical for individual retailers to take responsibility for the fate of their business, the fact remains that the Government and local authorities can do much more to promote a fertile environment for the high street to grow and flourish. I speak with hundreds of local businesses every month – many of them high street retailers – and the vast majority are failing to embrace the 21st century basics that have the power to dramatically change their fortunes. The Government could provide more advice and access to the practical steps that help businesses succeed.

There are countless free tools available, especially on the internet, that most retailers are failing to use. The next time the Prime Minister makes a speech on business, he should talk about Google Places, which is free, quick and puts local businesses on the front page of Google every day. It’s been around for over three years yet over 80 per cent of UK businesses are not taking advantage of it. Or he could point out that pay-per-click advertising is a key tool for any high street business in a niche sector. The internet provides great opportunities for high street shops if they can take advantage of them.

I’m a big fan of Mary Portas. She’s an exceptionally talented individual, and what she’ll have to provide is not a one-size-fits-all solution but different ideas in different places.

She cannot do it on her own. Now is the time for retailers to stand up and be counted, to take responsibility, to recognise that the world is changing and to change with it. They must accept that they have a really big say in the future of their shop – and the street that it is on. To pull together, to work with each other and their local community. To think differently and, where necessary, do different things.

There is no such thing as victims. Only volunteers.

* Nigel Botterill is the founder of businesses including theentrepreneur’s Circle and thebestof, a marketing solutions provider working with the best local companies. Go online at www.nigelbotterill.co.uk