Brookfield Small Business Profile: Woodbridge Running Company

Business: Woodbridge Running Company

Owner: Chris Dickerson

Website: woodbridgerunningcompany.com

Address: 800 Federal Road (Unit 2) Brookfield, CT 06804

How did you come up with the name?

We opened our first store in Woodbridge and it seemed logical to call it Woodbridge Running Company. When we opened in Brookfield, we wanted to maintain the connection to Woodbridge, but make it clear we are a Brookfield business, so we chose Woodbridge Running Company-Brookfield, to connect both towns.

Why choose that location? Why start a business in this town?

We chose Brookfield due to its central location in Western Connecticut. With Route 25 and Route 7 very close by, it is easy for customers to reach our store from Danbury, Newtown, Bethel, New Fairfield, New Milford, Southbury, Monroe as well as our core customers in Brookfield. We started our business in Brookfield due to the large running population centered in the area and beautiful town roads to run on. We were also attracted to Brookfield because there are many strong high school cross country and track programs in the area.

What is the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faces as a business owner?

We opened our store in Brookfield in 2009, right at the beginning of the recession, so it was difficult at first to get established in such an uncertain economy. Fortunately, we have been growing steadily every year since. The running community in greater Brookfield has been very supportive of our store.

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?

Well, when we have winters with so much snow that we have to close, I sometimes wonder! Overall, though, this is such a great business to be in. We love helping fellow runners and especially new runners! It is satisfying to work with someone who has never run before, but wants to start. Then, when they really get into the sport and you can see their progress, gaining confidence as a runner, but also carrying over to other aspects of their life, that is the best part of what we do.

What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?

We were named Connecticut Magazine’s best running store for the past two years. That is a great acknowledgement of the quality of our staff and the philosophy of our stores. We always strive to do our best for our customers and receiving that award two years in a row is really satisfying.

What’s the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?

There are so many that it is hard to pick just one, our staff is great! They are always thinking about ways to better serve our customers, so I can’t really pick one.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

Fortunately, we really don’t have an issue with that. Runners tend to be pretty laid back and understanding and very supportive of small business. We almost never have issues. Our customers are the best!

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?

Jack Coutts is our manager and he is constantly finding ways to help throughout the community, but the most important thing we do is our We Care 5k on April 26. Jack spearheaded this race and has made it an important fixture in Brookfield. The race raises money to help people in the Brookfield community who need assistance. As runners, we feel fortunate that we can go out and do the exercise we love every day. Many people in our community are not as fortunate so we try to find ways to help them through our love of running.

Related:

We Care 5K in Brookfield Supports Jared Carreras in Fourth Edition

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