How to Unplug and Keep Your Business Going

By
HeadQuest

Unplugging from technology can be a great way to relax and recharge, but it can also be a challenge for small business owners. As a smoke shop owner, it’s important to find a balance between disconnecting and promoting your business. Here are a few tips to help you unplug while still keeping your business visible.

  1. Use social media strategically. Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your business, but it can also be a major time sink. Instead of constantly updating your accounts, use a scheduling app such as Hootsuite, SproutSocial or Meta Business Suite which allows you to schedule content on Facebook and Instagram (posts, Stories, and ads).
  2. Focus on offline marketing. While digital marketing is important, don’t overlook the power of offline marketing. Host events, sponsor charities and nonprofits, and distribute flyers or business cards in your community. These tactics can be effective in reaching new customers and building your brand.
  3. Connect with your customers. Building a personal relationship with your customers is key to promoting your business. Take the time to chat (face to face) with your customers, ask them for feedback, and offer them special deals or discounts. This will not only make them feel valued, but it will also encourage them to return to your shop.
  4. Prioritize self-care. As a small business owner, it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of your business. But it’s important to take care of yourself, too. Make sure to take breaks throughout the day, exercise, and spend time with friends and family. With a well-trained staff, your business is in good hands — so step back and take a break.
  5. Automate your business. Automating your business can save you a lot of time and energy. Invest in software and tools such as Quickbooks, Lightspeed, and Zoho that can help you automate repetitive tasks, such as accounting and inventory management.

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

2026-06-01_20-59-01
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Dr. Chanda Macias
Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.
2026-06-01_20-45-52
By
Matt Weeks
Cards Denied: Smoke Shops, Dispensaries, and the Paradox of Modern Banking
It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.
2026-06-01_20-34-44
By
Karen Maina
Print Lives! Why Flyers and Posters Still Work
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.
2026-06-01_9-58-51
By
Joe Reefer
Cannabis in Sports: Exploring Famous Athletes’ Cannabis Usage
The use of cannabis in professional sports has always been a controversial subject. While some are firm believers that all substances should be banned from professional sports altogether, most people aren’t thinking about cannabis when they’re discussing performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In fact, there have been countless cannabis users in the world of professional sports throughout the years; some of whom are more open about their love for the plant than others.
NC Ban
By
Matt Weeks
Save Hemp, Save the World
North Carolina might save us all. A new state bill may be the industry’s best option to save itself from demise when new federal cannabinoid bans take effect in November. And it could use your support.
Tourism banner
By
Karen Maina
The Quiet Rise of Hemp Agritourism
Hemp is often considered for the things that it is not. It is not intoxicating, it is not illegal, and it is not marijuana. However, now we are seeing a focus back to what it can be. The plant is moving into the level of wine and chocolate and becoming a movement and a culture.
Schedule 3 1
By
Joe Reefer
What Does Schedule III Mean for the Industry?
It’s been several months since President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III within the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). On paper, the recent executive order, entitled “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” is a huge step in the right direction for cannabis smokers across the country.
Sate of 3
By
Matt Weeks
The State of the States
For years, we’ve been told that this industry is the Wild West: a place where the only law amounts to whatever the guy with the gun says. But over the last 12 months, state governments have passed a spate of new regulations that promise to swap the relative lawlessness of poor enforcement of vague rules with real law and order.