If you are anything like the thousands of frustrated and laid-off ejectees from the corporate and commerical sector, you know that now is as good a time as any to consider opening your own small business. Actually, now is better than ever. Why? Well, many people are sitting at home sending out hundreds of resumes a week and engaging in any number of hobby activities while they bide their time and hope the lights don't get turned off. So... what does an enterprising individual do when life gives him lemons? He opens his own lemonade stand, of course!
The key to any small business enterprise is to be passionate about what you decide to do. And passion, like anything else, is fueled by PURPOSE. Don't do anything solely because you think the money will help you get out of debt. Do it because it feels right. And that "feeling right" will propel you to take every risk to keep it going over the years.
Be organized, develop a business plan which allows you to strategically anticipate every phase of your project. Get the help of a consultant with great writing samples who is willing to work for you at an affordable price. Make sure you stay true to yourself, don't pay for something you don't need or commit to more than you can handle.
You can weather the storms of a collapsing economy. If you don't have the budget to pay the high-priced consultants to work on your plan with you, then, think about giving it your best shot and taking your plan to the local small business development center. Your inability to pay high prices for a high priced plan does not have to be a barrier to your entry into the market. Instead, be creative and think of what kinds of deals you can work out with a reasonably priced consultant to get the work done.
Alternatively, start thinking like a small business. Every family member or friend you know is a potential partner, investor or resource. Get the help of a family member or friend and do the business plan yourselves.
After your business plan, you'll be ready to tackle the fun part, FUNDING!
Need help with your small biz's business plan or strategic development strategy?
Better-Biz Consulting Services would love to help! Check out the website at http://www.betterbizservices.com/ AND email us at betterbizservices@yahoo.com
for free quotes.
2.03.2009
Good Customer Service Pays Off
Have you ever experienced the punch in the gut that is bad customer service? Customers have long memories and it only takes one bad experience to turn them against your business forever.
You don't have to be a small business to feel the pinch of a sour reccommendation or thumbs-down from an angry customer. People talk to family members, coworkers, church members and strangers about the experiences they have had with bad customer service. The horrific stories of how your employees handle customers gets passed on and on...this negative publicity could haunt your business for years to come.
Jill Homer of http://www.customerservicepoint.com/ makes a sad point: bad customer service has become all to normal in our society. One could speculate as to why this might be. I suppose there are a number of viable reasons: cities are large, unfriendly, and impersonal places; the values that encourage patience and kindness have been lost amid a sea of performance objectives, sales quotas and a number of other marketplace ideals; and people aren't trained properly to perform adequate customer service tasks. Whatever the reason may be, poor customer service is enough to damage any small business.
Here are three great ways to provide good customer service:
1. Take pride in your product/service and let that pride stand out!
Any customer can tell when an employee that hates their job. They will sabbotage a sale by being rude or unenthusiastic; they will fail to adequately address customer concerns, or worse, complain about the company's defective products or unreliable service - bad staff costs small business thousands of dollars a year.
Screen incoming employees to make sure that their customer service skills are more than just adequate. Company loyalty and pride is worth investing in: instill company values in workers and break down the mission statement and why it is vital to job success.
Teach workers that customer service is a company priority and that bad customer service will not be tolerated. Personnel that are proud of their company's values, products and services will do a better job of conveying those values to any customer.
2. Be open to negotiation.
Customers hate by-the-book companies and the people who represent them. Every situation is not alike. If you have a restaurant, be open to substitutions. If you have a repair shop, offer a discount to repeat customers. Show customers that you appreciate their business by treating them as individuals and dealing with them on a case-by-case basis.
3. Be on time all the time!
Customer perception can be irreperably damaged if they perceive that your business does not stand by its word. Customers rely on businesses to provide services in a timely and efficient manner, anything less is unprofessional.
Don't let your customers down by missing deadlines and showing up late.
Need help with your small biz's customer service or business development strategy? Better-Biz Consulting Services would love to help.
Check out the website at http://www.betterbizservices.com/ AND email us at betterbizservices@yahoo.com for free quotes.
You don't have to be a small business to feel the pinch of a sour reccommendation or thumbs-down from an angry customer. People talk to family members, coworkers, church members and strangers about the experiences they have had with bad customer service. The horrific stories of how your employees handle customers gets passed on and on...this negative publicity could haunt your business for years to come.
Jill Homer of http://www.customerservicepoint.com/ makes a sad point: bad customer service has become all to normal in our society. One could speculate as to why this might be. I suppose there are a number of viable reasons: cities are large, unfriendly, and impersonal places; the values that encourage patience and kindness have been lost amid a sea of performance objectives, sales quotas and a number of other marketplace ideals; and people aren't trained properly to perform adequate customer service tasks. Whatever the reason may be, poor customer service is enough to damage any small business.
Here are three great ways to provide good customer service:
1. Take pride in your product/service and let that pride stand out!
Any customer can tell when an employee that hates their job. They will sabbotage a sale by being rude or unenthusiastic; they will fail to adequately address customer concerns, or worse, complain about the company's defective products or unreliable service - bad staff costs small business thousands of dollars a year.
Screen incoming employees to make sure that their customer service skills are more than just adequate. Company loyalty and pride is worth investing in: instill company values in workers and break down the mission statement and why it is vital to job success.
Teach workers that customer service is a company priority and that bad customer service will not be tolerated. Personnel that are proud of their company's values, products and services will do a better job of conveying those values to any customer.
2. Be open to negotiation.
Customers hate by-the-book companies and the people who represent them. Every situation is not alike. If you have a restaurant, be open to substitutions. If you have a repair shop, offer a discount to repeat customers. Show customers that you appreciate their business by treating them as individuals and dealing with them on a case-by-case basis.
3. Be on time all the time!
Customer perception can be irreperably damaged if they perceive that your business does not stand by its word. Customers rely on businesses to provide services in a timely and efficient manner, anything less is unprofessional.
Don't let your customers down by missing deadlines and showing up late.
Need help with your small biz's customer service or business development strategy? Better-Biz Consulting Services would love to help.
Check out the website at http://www.betterbizservices.com/ AND email us at betterbizservices@yahoo.com for free quotes.
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