Beyond The Business Model: 4 Keys To Reinventing Local Business Success

Forbes

a day ago

For Phil Bevis, founder of the Seattle based Arundel Books, expanding beyond the walls of the bookstore is one of his favorite parts of running the business. It's also necessary. 'Today, a business model is good for about six months,' he told Square. 'The most important skill that a business owner can develop is that of adaptation. Being responsive to changes in the market, changes in consumer taste, or changes in customer preferences.'
Today businesses like Bevis's are doing more than ever. For instance, my own local wine bar isn't just open from 4 p.m. to close. It operates as a coffee shop in the morning. Photo by Ashley Armitage
Local businesses everywhere are opening add-on locations, selling online, launching merch lines, and booking customers on Instagram. What used to be a single storefront is now a multi-channel operation.
At Square, we're building tools for this exact kind of complexity, ambition, and evolution. In our 2025 Future of Commerce report, business owners told us they're investing in both brick-and-mortar and digital. We see that in our own data — and hear it daily from business owners who are growing fast and need smarter systems. Here are four hard-won takeaways behind their success.
When Urban Nail Box founder Rachel Dang opened her nail salon in 2017, it was tucked away on a corner with low street traffic. But she didn't let her location impact her discoverability. Rachel Dang met her customers where they were — through her app and on social media, which she integrated directly with Square Appointments.
After opening as a one-woman operation, she's scaled to 34 team members and earns over $1.5 million in annual revenue. 'Square Go makes booking even easier because clients don't even have to go online,' Dang told Square. 'They can just look at their booking history and rebook in three clicks from the app. We'd estimate over 75% of our business is returning clientele, and that's a big reason for our growth.'Today, Dang runs Urban Nail Box and even opened a second business in 2022, Aroom Coffee, which she operates with her family. Pick partners who grow with you
When you're running your business and focused on growth, your partners can either propel you forward or hold you back. 'There are companies that just want a bigger slice of your pie,'said Phil Bevis, owner of Arundel Books. 'Square helps you grow the pie—and then grows with you.'
That's why Bevis accepted a Square Loan.1 'The application process is painless and the repayment terms are intelligently structured. Your payments rise and fall with your cash flow,' he said.
It's a no brainer. Having your cash is critical to keep the lights on — from managing payroll to covering surprise maintenance costs. Adam Karpenske operates Hot Tub Boats, which customers use to cruise in the Bay Area and Seattle. Operating costs can be high, and traditional credit card companies often hold large transactions, which slows down processes for the business overall. 'Those transactions go to the bank and they might hold those funds for two weeks. As an independent business person trying to meet payroll every two weeks, you need your funds going,'he said. Let data drive your decisions
While partners are critical, visibility into daily transactions and sales reports is the foundation to strong business decisions. I often hear owners say data backs up their instincts or keeps their ego in check. 'Our reports give us a way to actually predict business. We know when we're going to be busy and we're not guessing. Which gives us time to do the rest of our jobs,'Steven Edwards, Rental Operations Manager at Hot Tub Boats said.
In the Square Dashboard app, you can see everything about your business in one place and manage essential tasks in real time. 'I'm kind of addicted to the dashboard,'said Claire Randall, CEO at Grand Central Bakery. 'I can compare today's sales to the same day last year, across all 12 cafes.'
If you're operating multiple locations like Randall, a bird's-eye view can help you make daily decisions at different storefronts. It can also shape high-stakes calls, like timing and placing a new location. Use tech to personalize your customer experience
But the more data you have as an owner, the better experience you can give your customers.
For Rachel Dang at Urban Nail Box, the visibility from her tools gives her team a hospitality edge. 'Every nail tech can see our customer profiles. They know if the client booked first available or with them specifically. Prior to the appointment they're able to review their history and get an idea of who they are before they arrive,'she said. As a result, clients that she's worked with when she first started out as a one-women operation continue to come in.
The same goes for the customers at Grand Central Bakery. 'We've been in business for so long that we have customers who grew up with Grand Central and now bring their families. We also have employees who grew up coming here,'said Claire Randall.
Behind every sale is a story. An exchange between our neighbors and our community. 'Square has helped us start new businesses, grow existing ones, create jobs, and invest in our communities. That's what real partnership looks like.'said Phil Bevis .
From growing a loyal customer base to opening new concepts, these business owners are proof that the right tools — and the right partners — can turn ambition into action. Thanks to integrated tools like Square Dashboard, Square Loans1, and Square Go, businesses aren't just managing the day-to-day — owners are planning for the long term.
1 Square, the Square logo, Square Financial Services, Square Capital, and others are trademarks of Block, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Square Financial Services, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Block, Inc.
All loans are issued by Square Financial Services, Inc. Actual fee depends upon payment card processing history, loan amount and other eligibility factors. A minimum payment of 1/18th of the initial loan balance is required every 60 days and full loan repayment is required within 18 months. Loan eligibility is not guaranteed. All loans are subject to credit approval.