bizthreads.net: Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

We’ve been talking about customer service and “wowing” the customer. Part of providing great customer service is in managing customer expectations.

That’s what makes franchises like McDonalds so popular over “mom and pop” fast-food restaurants: customers have a sense of expectation when they walk in. It doesn't matter if you're eating a burger in Nevada or Norway, you've got a general idea about what to get.

If you operate that mom and pop restaurant — or any business — you need to address those expectations head on. And, if you can, use your USP to help set you apart.

Here’s an example: if the competition is selling computers that ship in a week and you can offer a turnaround time of overnight delivery, you need to put that in your USP. Of course, if you have to charge more to ship overnight, consider managing your customer’s expectations by telling them that it costs more. Otherwise, they may feel dissatsified if they do not understand the differentiation.

Not sure what a USP is or how it can help? Check out this link: Don't Run With the Herd

I have a confession to make: about a week before I go to the dentist, I begin flossing daily. I brush extra hard. I drink a glass of milk each day. I swear off all sweets.

Then, after the dentist, what happens? I’m back to my old less-than-perfect routine: No flossing, too many sweets.

If my dentist really wanted to make sure I flossed more often and ate less candy, she’d schedule appointments closer together. That way, instead of going to the dentist every 6 months, I’d go every 3 months. Net Result? I’d double my flossing and halve my candy intake!

That’s what this blog is about: a middle-of-the-quarter reminder for your business plan. Your business plan is the roadmap of your business to lead you from start-up to success. Take a moment to check to see if you are on track. If you are, great! If not, spend a few minutes to think of a way to get you back on track. It’s easier to make a course correction in the middle of the trip instead of at the very end!

In my opinion, Harvey Mackay is one of the leading business and management educators of our time.

I would recommend all of his books to every working person. But I think Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive is my favorite. I own a copy and try to read it once a year… or more frequently. Each time I am rewarded with great ideas that simply make dollars and sense.

Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive provides absolutely invaluable material to every person in business on topics dealing with sales, negotiating, marketing, customer service, and nearly every other business topic you can imagine. Before I became an entrepreneur I used ideas in his book in the corporate world. Since I struck out on my own, I keep a well-thumbed copy of his book nearby and turn to it again and again.

If you have one book to read this quarter (and most of us are too pressed for time to manage even that!) buy this book and read it:

Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

Ever notice that good customer service isn’t nearly as memorable as bad customer service?

When you get together with your friends on the weekend and the topic of your recent shopping experiences come up, what do you talk about?

Is it… “The clerk at the store was really polite”?
Or… “The staff was rude and overcharged me”?

Very likely, the second one. After all, as consumers we expect that our satisfaction is the baseline. Anything below satisfactory is noteworthy in how bad it is.

Then, on Monday we return to our business and what happens? We strive to only achieve the baseline of satisfaction in our customers. I think we should strive to exceed expectations! We should try to surprise our customers! Here's an article about the danger of satisfying customers:

Why Good Service Isn't Good Enough

January has just passed. I don't know about you, but I like the beginning of the year because it gives me a chance to make new beginnings. I love New Year's Resolutions. I don't always stick to them but it is fun to set a goal and do what you can to strive for it.

And after January is done, February is the time for Resolution Renewals! Because, if you're like most people (and I think that you are!) you fudged a little on your resolutions around the end of January. (I did, too).

In business, we all start out with great excitement and anticipation of where the road could lead us. And often, the first few months are fuelled by exactly that: excitement. Then the bills start coming in and it's time to get down to “brass tacks” and do the work. The best thing to do is have a strong foundation, with a business plan. You'll find literally dozens of Business Plan Samples to help you ensure that you'll have a sound direction to take your business beyond the honeymoon period.

When you put the words “business” and “plan” together in a sentence, people fall asleep in droves!

Small businesses often avoid doing business plans. And many small businesses fail. Is there a correlation? I think so.

Business plans are avoided because they are considered to be long, boring documents that are too time-consuming to put together and too dry to read once they're written. Moreover, small businesses are run by entrepreneurs who are fuelled by passion… and when was the last time you heard of someone passionately writing a business plan?

Business plans don't have to be time consuming or boring. In fact, they can be downright fun. Don't believe me? Check out these business plans, to help you put one together.

Welcome to The Small Business Daily Buzz. This blog will help you do more business.

If you're an entrepreneur, you know it's not just about making money. Yes, that's an important aspect of doing business but it's not the only one. Let's consider all of the other great things about the entrepreneurial life: you're your own boss, you set your own hours, you don't have anyone looking over your shoulder, you don't have to fight traffic each day, you're doing something you love and believe in. There are a million reasons why millions of people become entrepreneurs.

Yes, there's a downside, too. You're the person at the top making decisions. You're also often the person pushing the broom after all the other employees have gone home at the end of the night. You still have to deal with customers who are not always a pleasure to deal with. But at the end of the day (a very long day!) you wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world!

My name is Buzz and I own a small business, too. In this blog, I'm going to talk about the life of the entrepreneur and the life of your business and together we'll help you do more business!