What is the cost of a cup of coffee?

I was standing in line the other day at a local coffee house. I was waiting in a line that was about 8 or 10 people deep. A few feet away were people in a different line. Those in the second line were customers who only wanted a cup of coffee, where those in the line I was in wanted anything else on the menu.


Two things became very clear to me as I was waiting for my morning "fix" of a steaming hot Latte. The first was that the other line was moving much faster than the line I was in. That bit of information is actually not news at all since somehow I always choose the wrong line to stand in. I have an uncanny talent for getting in the slowest line at the movies, checking out at the supermarket, at my bank or any other place where I can stand waiting to give someone my hard earned dollar.

The fact that the other line was moving faster is not the focus of this month's Small Business Talk. The revelation that I had while standing in that slow moving line was that the other line seeming to get better service. I am not saying that the customers in the "regular line," where I was, were not getting good service. My point is the customers in the fast moving "express line" were actually spending less money per transaction than those of us in the regular line, but we had to wait longer. Point being; what kind of a message is being sent by the use of the express line? Could it be that this particular establishment values the small, quick commodity sale over the larger, high value/high profit sale? Is management saying that the $2 coffee customer is more important than the $4 latte or the coffee and muffin or coffee and breakfast sandwich customer? It does not matter what the intended concept was. The result was that a clear message was being sent to those of us in the regular line that we were not special, or at least not as special as the coffee only customer. That violates the number one rule in dealing with the public; that is, all customers are special.

The question for you is, "What mixed messages are you sending in your business? What can you change in your order process, work flow or customer service that would clearly shout that you believe all customers are special?"

So, that was my first revelation that morning.

My second thought was that my mind focuses on too many negative thoughts before I get my much needed caffeine. Or, is it that I need to go back to just ordering coffee in the morning, so I too can use the express line?

If any of this makes any sense to you? Or if you have created solutions to this type of customer service challenge? Then please share it with others.

Please weigh in with your take on this issue and post your comment on my blog. Let's hear from you.

Michael

Middle-Age Entrepreneurship Is On The Rise

Middle-age entrepreneurship is the leading demographic in new business start-ups. "More than 80% of all start-up businesses in the United States are launched by people over 40 years of age," according to research by the Kauffman Foundation, a private entrepreneurship organization.
Over the next 20 years, it is estimated that nearly 80 million baby-boomers are expected to retire. For some, the decision to start a business is a reality of not having the resources to retire in a manner of their choosing. For others, it is the excitement and challenge of finally owning their own business. Either way, this demographic is a huge driving force in the American economy.


Is your business positioned to capitalize on this new wave of entrepreneurs? Do you have products or services that can be utilized by middle-age entrepreneurs? Is this important demographic group included in your marketing mix?


Or are you a candidate yourself for owning your own business? If you do not have a concept or dream for a business you have secretly wanted while you were working for someone else, then franchising may be the best route for you. It has been for me and for thousands of others who have found there is life after your current or last career.


You don't need a higher education degree or specialized knowledge to start a franchised business. The beauty of franchising is that you are provided a proven system. It's your job to use that system to create wealth and a new life for yourself.


I chose an industry that is positioned to greatly benefit from this projected wave of new entrepreneurs. The millions of new business owners will need support services that AIM Mail Centers is uniquely qualified to provide. If you are a baby-boomer who has started your own business, we welcome you as a valued customer. We can help you grow your business.


If you are not sure what type of business is right for you, I will extend an invitation to you to explore our business opportunity as an AIM Mail Center franchisee. Let's talk.


Please weigh in with your take on this issue and post your comments below.

Does It Take A Crisis To Create A Leader?

Moses, Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and even Steve Jobs are acknowledged as great leaders, but only after being tested by turmoil. So the question is; “Do great leaders arise out of the ashes of pending defeat and soar into the sky “faster than a speeding bullet”, or were they great leaders before their call to duty?


History exposes how many superior leaders were initially failures as leaders and in many cases also failures as human beings. Alcoholism, drug use and other human failures are a common occurrence among the list of extraordinary leaders. Ulysses S. Grant, Winston Churchill both come to mind as boozers, yet both are regarded as extraordinary leaders of their times.


That creates a side question of; “Is it OK to be an alcoholic or drug dependent if you are still good at what you do?”


Back to the original question; “Does it take a crisis to create a leader?” Are there great leaders that were not born of conflict?


This is a classic debate between nature vs. nurture.


Please weigh in on this one. Let’s hear from you.

Link to a Small Business Pod Cast

I have been following http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smallbiztrends recently and have found some really timely topics on small business.  Check it out for yourself.

I Trust You Today...But Will I Trust You Tomorrow?

So the Prius has a mind of its own and accelerates out of control. Yesterday my blog was highjacked and redirected all visitors to other sites because of a widget I downloaded from Google. Case in point...both failures were delivered by up to now World Class companies. Toyota earned more accolades for quality than any other car company and Google wrote the book on how to build a global quality company. We consumers trusted both companies above all others in their respective areas of expertise. Trusted that is until we experienced a failure.


Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not equating sticking accelerators that have caused death and destruction to my malware issue. The damage to life and limb from faulty cars is extremely serious. What I would like to discuss is how quickly reputations can change. How instantly Toyota’s seventy years of brand building is wiped out. How two days ago I was singing the praises for Google and today I say how did they let that happen to me? Or another example; how Enron was marked as an evil empire when in reality it was a handful of greedy executives whose bad deeds branded tens of thousands of valued employees and the entire company.


When companies we trust let us down the public’s reaction is usually swift and widespread. We refuse to do business with them. We make them pay for their sins by withholding our dollars. Retribution is meant to be catastrophic and final. Make them pay.


When we lose trust in a company we are done, but when we lose trust in an individual we generally give that person a second chance. In fact, we have built much of our societal values around giving people a second chance. Learn from your mistakes, right?

So, why are we not as forgiving to companies when they make a mistake? What is your opinion? Please post a comment.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

One origin of this question is obviously from the Chicago tune which bemoans the fact that most of us are rushing around too fast and furious to stop and “smell the roses”. So what does that mean to those of us in small business? As I type this question I notice that it is 1:36 AM on a Saturday night. My guess is that I am far from being alone in this activity. Most of us in small business fit one or both of the following descriptions.

A. I have so much on my plate that I seem to work around the clock.


B. I am so passionate about my business that I can’t get enough of it.

Either way, we tend to work more hours than those who “have a real job” {BTW: That phrase really bugs me!} So, if you and I are working at all hours of the day and night...how important is it be able to meet your customer’s needs beyond the normal business hours?


Remember the phrase “Bankers hours”? Yes, there was a time when banks were only open from 10:00AM to 5:00PM and not on Saturdays. Not only are banks now open on Saturday, but are inside of supermarkets with long hours or are available to you 24/7 online. Consumers have responded to the added hours and ease of access in a major way.


Jim Collins in his important book, Good to Great, shares the story about a building supply firm that created a way for their key customers to access road repair materials after hours. The around the clock access to road repair materials was a major differentiator and helped the firm outpace competitors.


What are some of the steps you can take to give your customers what they want...when they want it?


Or, as a consumer what products or services do you wish you had access to on your time schedule?


Let’s hear from you. Please post a comment.

Do the clothes make the man, or does the man make the clothes?

I am a Business Coach to a team of marketing students in their senior year at one of our State Universities. The students are working on several projects contracted by various private enterprises. While preparing the students for a first meeting with their respective clients the issue of appropriate dress came into play.

I was quite surprised when there rose a general uproar in the classroom at the mention of coats and ties for the men and the women should “dress like ladies”. Even after discussions centered a round first impressions...

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression"    Will Rogers

and, showing respect for the client/professionalism/competent image and a whole host of other reasons why the students needed to depart from their flip flop and holey jeans look when visiting the offices of the organizations that had hired them; there was still a lack of understanding why? They were saying; “What does how I look like have to do with the job I am about to perform? In other words; Isn’t it about the content?” This statement is coming from a generation that has been raised to embrace diversity and individual uniqueness, both admirable traits. And they are right about the fact the “content is king”.

So here is the question. Is it the old school approach of “Dress for Success” and “When in Rome do as the Romans do?” Or, is it as the students believe; “It does not matter what I wear, what is important is if I deliver the goods or not?”

Let’s hear from you on this issue. Which approach do you use in your business?

BTW: For you old schoolers:

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”    Mark Twain