How Do Small Businesses Grow When Local Customers Aren’t Enough?

What happens when local customers alone are not enough to sustain every business in town? In this episode of the Small Business Resiliency Series, Stuart Takehara talks with Dan Lipton, founder of Beach Cities Media, about how small businesses can stay visible, reach new audiences, and adapt when customer spending changes. Dan shares how Beach Cities Media launched as a hospitality-focused publication connecting hotel guests with local businesses, then had to pivot during COVID when travel and hospitality came to a stop. That pivot led to a stronger digital strategy, targeted email marketing, and a broader audience that now includes both visitors and local residents. The conversation also explores the challenges facing hospitality businesses today, including higher labor costs, rising prices, thinner margins, changing consumer habits, and the need to reach people who are actively ready to spend. For small business owners, this episode is a reminder that visibility matters. If local regulars are spending less, businesses need to think bigger, reach smarter, and connect with the customers most likely to act. In This Episode: • How Beach Cities Media started • Why hospitality and tourism matter to local businesses • How COVID forced a major business pivot • Why digital marketing became a new growth channel • How targeted email helps businesses reach the right customers • The rising cost pressures facing restaurants, hotels, and attractions • Why customer experience matters more when prices rise • Why Long Beach businesses need both locals and visitors • How events, conventions, cruises, and tourism support small businesses • Why community involvement creates opportunity Episode Timeline 00:00 Why local customers alone may not be enough 00:58 Introduction to the Small Business Resiliency Series 02:35 Meet Dan Lipton from Beach Cities Media 02:45 How Beach Cities Media began 04:03 From hospitality sales to entrepreneurship 05:00 Building a publication for hotel guests and visitors 06:49 The impact of COVID on hospitality marketing 07:23 How the shutdown affected advertisers 08:26 Why many clients returned after reopening 09:14 How Beach Cities Media pivoted into targeted digital marketing 11:04 Why some businesses did not return after COVID 12:16 Reaching local customers through digital distribution 13:31 What hospitality businesses are facing today 14:08 Higher labor costs and thinner margins 16:00 How businesses are adjusting hours, staffing, and pricing 18:49 Fixed costs, variable costs, and price pressure 19:52 Why service and customer experience must improve 20:52 Advice for hospitality businesses trying to survive 21:41 Why the middle market gets squeezed 22:00 Why Long Beach needs visitors and tourists 24:40 What small businesses should focus on next 26:00 Why community involvement creates new business opportunities 28:33 Why businesses need to reach beyond regular local customers 29:26 How to connect with Beach Cities Media Key Takeaway Local support matters, but it may not be enough by itself. Small businesses need to stay visible to residents, visitors, tourists, conference attendees, hotel guests, and anyone else ready to spend in Long Beach. Visibility creates opportunity, and opportunity creates survival.