Tag Archives: customers

The Most Expensive Seats in a Restaurant Are the Empty Ones for Owners.

Published on May 13, 2013

Empty seats are never good for a restaurant.  You don’t make money unless people are sitting in them ordering food and drinks and enjoying themselves. But imagine if you had empty seats because you allowed customers to walk out the door without being seated. Let me explain.  My husband and I went to a small neighborhood Mexican [...]

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The Social Media Dilemma: Managing the Business Benefits vs. Personal Risks

Published on May 9, 2013

By now, if you don’t understand the huge impact social media is having on our society today, then you must be living under a rock.  For millions of Americans, social media is a prevalent part of their personal and professional lives.  And many small businesses are learning to expertly leverage social media as an effective [...]

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Rein in Your Email Use for Greater Results.

Published on April 15, 2013

Emails — can’t live with them and can’t live without them. Email is the primary form of business communication today. On average, we spend about 28 percent of our work day managing emails and the majority of them are unnecessary. The typical worker gets approximately 147 emails per day. (I get far more than that!) Of those emails, 48 percent get deleted which takes about 3.2 seconds each — that’s four minutes a day — 20 minutes a week of basically wasted time.

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Put Instagram to Work in Your Small Business

Published on April 13, 2013

Another social media platform is taking the marketing world by storm. Instagram. Launched less than three years ago, the company has amassed a cult-like following of over 100 million users. Major brands are embracing the site as a smart addition to their marketing strategy. According to Simply Measured, 54 percent of the top brands are active on the social sharing application. The most active include: MTV, Starbucks, Burberry, Nike, Gucci, Tiffany & Co, Audi, and GE.

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Even the Girl Scouts are Going Mobile. Is Your Small Biz Keeping Pace?

Published on March 28, 2013

Craving a box of Thin Mints but you don’t have any cash? Not to worry. The Girl Scout ringing your doorbell most likely is prepared to take your credit card via a mobile payment system.

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Small Business Retailers Prepare for Online Business Growth

Published on February 19, 2013

Online commerce is becoming a bigger and bigger piece of the pie for retailers of all sizes. A recent survey of Chief Financial Officers at retailers across the country by the professional services firm BDO USA, found nearly nearly three-quarters expect e-commerce sales to increase by 6.9 percent this year.

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Want to Know What Your Customers are Thinking? Ask Them.

Published on February 9, 2013

Wouldn’t it be nice to know why your customers choose you over a competitor? Yes I realize you probably think you already know the answer. They choose you because you’re the best. After all, business owners must be confident about their product or service so we often lull ourselves into a content state of complacency.

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When Employees Talk, Customer’s Listen and You Might Not Like What They Hear

Published on January 31, 2013

One of the biggest assets a business can have is talented, loyal employees who understand the importance of customer service. I beam with pride when someone compliments one of my team members. It confirms what I already know: I’m fortunate to have the best and the brightest working with me.
As business owners, we place trust in our employees that they will represent the company well in all public interactions. But have you ever thought about what could happen when a customer overhears your employees talking to each other. Do you know what they are saying? Your customers do and they are listening.

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Not All Sales Are Good Sales

Published on January 28, 2013

It’s true. Not all sales are good sales. Sometimes you need to walk away or even fire a client. To build a sustainable company, there are times when less is more, and you should recognize those times.
Too frequently, small business owners lower their prices with the hope of generating more business.

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Don’t Compete on Price!

Published on January 12, 2013

One of the biggest mistakes new business owners often make is not charging enough for their services. Sometimes it’s because they don’t understand their cost structure, and sometimes it’s because they are so desperate for the business that they’re afraid to charge more. Regardless of the reason, charging too little is not a good idea. It will not bring you more business and it may actually drive business away.

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