Small Business Gripes and Tips to Attract More Customers

Tweet

Still out on the Cape and feeling pretty inspired at the moment. Feeling inspired for small business. I know that during the winter months things slow way down in places like this but at the moment you can’t soft serve without being in a line that’s almost 30 minutes long. Besides the lines there are a few things that I wanted to cover today to help you small businesses and entrepreneurs capture as much business as possible - or not turn people away. In the last week I’ve seen people leave lines with handfuls of merchandise, be turned away at registers and get turned off by bad customer service and it’s really a shame when most of the business here is based on the tourists and vacationers. These tips will apply to you no matter the size or the industry and it goes from indies to businesses with 25+ employees. If you’re interested, like what I have to say and happen to be an indie or small/micro business then you should definitely come see me speak at the Indie Business Summer Sizzle!!

Indie Business Event Sign Up

1. Get a merchant account! Seriously, regardless the size of your business you should be able to accept plastic in this day and age. Especially in a place like the Cape where there aren’t that many banks or much of an inclination to carry lots of cash out on the beach. If you are having trouble justifying the cost try smaller card readers like Square. The sign up and card reading unit is free and all you pay is a percentage per transactions. There is no reason people should be leaving empty handed after a long wait because of an issue like this. You’re leaving money on the table!

2. Always wear a smile! I know that’s cliche but it’s true. I was in a store where there were only two registers and lots of people waiting to pay. Line signage was poor at best so people just tend to line up behind one another in a crowd - missing the sign that dictated where the start of the line was. The last customer to get to the front, in the non-line, was instructed to go to the back of the right line. She was a little put off naturally and tried to make her case. The cashier, who must have been having a bad day, barked the same set of orders back at the customer. So hostility was met with hostility as the customer threatened to leave without the purchase - and since the cashier, with a terrible attitude, didn’t even try to sympathize lost that customer. All this while the rest of us in line watched. Handled totally inappropriately and even though it didn’t happen to me I probably won’t go there again. I like to support and shop from places that try to create a community and make you feel like you’re appreciated - this was not the case. Lesson here is you don’t know how far bad customer service will go so always treat people kindly, sympathetically, and with a smile - even if you know they are wrong!

3. Have some kind of web presence. Even the worst of websites would be able to provide some basic information about your business, what you offer and your hours of operation/availability. There’s nothing worse then hearing about a place, getting vague instructions, not being able to find out any information because there’s no website or advertisements then get there finally to find out you missed being served by 15 minutes. Now I’m not saying go out and spend on some fancy webpage that has been SEO’d and that you have a daily Adwords budget for. But whether you sell on line or not providing some inclination that your business exists and how to engage your business is critical to capturing new potential clients. If no one knows about you then how do expect to be found? For the online vendor you have to go a bit farther. Having a list of what’s available isn’t enough - you should be providing your web visitors a value even before they buy from you. It might be a blog, a sample, or even a discount for signing up as a first time user. There should be something that sets you a part.

I hope you were able to find some useful tips among all the ranting. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the very small shore town mentality but at what point is too far for ignoring the needs/wants/expectations of your ever evolving customer base? So take a customer service audit of your business - are you providing the means to reach as many potential customers as possible? If not, what might you be able to do to increase that on as small a budget as possible. If you are coming to the Indie Business Summer Sizzle you’ll definitely find out or you can just keep thumbing through the blog here. You can always reach out to me for more one on one help (sorry had to plug myself). - just about to launch a Skype hourly coaching rate for everyone I can’t get in front of because of possible national mountain ranges and the like.

Comments

[a lange sohne replica gucci replica belts]

In our fashionable life, beautiful and lovely appearance are the pursuit of many girls. How can we miss a lange sohne replica or gucci replica belts?

[swiss replica watches]

I really swiss corum watch replica
enjoyed this post. You fake swiss tag heuer watches
describe this topic very well. I really replika omega de ville
enjoy reading your blog and I will definitely bookmark it! Keep up the interesting posts!replica omega constellation

[ugg boots sale]

No matter what type of uggs on sale you are looking for, there is no doubt one available for you. They have come a long way from their days of being in World War I aircrafts. And, thanks to their manufacturer, ugg boots outlet Australia, you can feel good while wearing these shoes while still being in style! You will simply love the options in color, styles, and designs that you have. The whole family will be wearing ugg outlet because they just are so darn cute and comfortable!The ugg boots sale is one of the a lot of accepted types of cossack on the bazaar appropriate now. Anyone who is not accustomed with them should accede bottomward one on! They are appreciably bendable and luxurious. They action an accomplished akin of abundance and a admirable appearance as well. They are actual balmy and cozy. Your anxiety will be in shoe heaven! Let's yield a afterpiece attending at what is accessible in the ugg boots clearance and uggs for cheap see if we can't acquisition something that you will enjoy!

[df]

<h1>cheap designer bags</h1> To force promotion
<h1>cheap designer handbags</h1> Pack bag
<h1>nike shox r4</h1> Different response
<h1>super street</h1> Do not hesitate
<h1>mario shoes</h1> quality
<h1>air max tn</h1> Price satisfaction
<h1>cheap puma shoes</h1> Fashion classic new
<h1>cheap gucci shoes</h1> Popular brands
<h1>gucci shoes cheap</h1> Christmas Maijiu
<h1>louis vuitton handbags outlet</h1> Different respons
<h1>air max 90</h1> most allow you to just pick a favorite