Posts Tagged business
Do Small Businesses Offer the Best Customer Service?
Everyone is familiar with the phrase “customer service.” We all have an idea of what good customer service entails, and we have all experienced our share of bad customer service in the past. Most business owners realize that customer service (or lack thereof) can either make or break their business; therefore, business owners are now focusing their efforts on building policies and practices that give their customers the best service possible.
Small businesses have an edge over large businesses because of the relationships they are able to build with their customers. According to the Small Business Success Index, an ongoing study conducted by Network Solutions, LLC, and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, “Customer service is an area where small businesses feel that they excel.” While most large businesses have customer bases that number into the thousands and beyond, small businesses usually have only a fraction of that. This gives small businesses an advantage when it comes to serving their customers and building customer loyalty. Since large businesses have such a high number of customers, they are often unable to cater to each customer’s individual needs. While it isn’t always possible, small businesses are more likely to be able to “bend” to meet their customers’ demands during special situations without compromising their business’s well being. Customers who frequent small businesses and receive this type of treatment are more likely to feel that their patronage is appreciated. They also feel confident that should any problems arise, the situation will be handed swiftly and respectfully. This combination results in lasting customer loyalty.
Small businesses can’t always offer the cheapest prices or the largest product selection. What they can offer, however, is unparalleled customer service. We would like to hear your thoughts on small businesses and their customer service. Do you notice a difference in customer service between small businesses and their larger counterparts? Do you prefer one over the other because of this reason? As a business owner, what have you done to ensure that your customers receive the best treatment?
*The Small Business Success Index, an ongoing measurement of the overall health of U.S. small businesses, was commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. To take the survey yourself, click here.
3 comments April 8, 2009
Noteworthy Business Quotes
I was taking a break and reading some famous business quotes today. I found many of them to be quite inspirational (or at least, entertaining), so I thought I’d pass them along to you.
Here are some great words to live by:
“Surviving a failure gives you more self-confidence. Failures are great learning tools, but they must be kept to a minimum.” – Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric
“Whenever there is a hard job to be done I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure to find an easy way of doing it.” – Walter Chrysler, Chrysler Corporation Founder
“You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.” – Brian Tracy, Motivational Coach and Author
Add comment April 1, 2009
Free Online Business Tools
Did you know that you can have your Web site analyzed, create online surveys to send to your customers and research keywords − all online, all for free? The following article, written by MySolutionSpot™ member Sian Simon, provides a list of complimentary online business tools that you can use to enhance your businesss: http://www.mysolutionspot.com/online-marketing/free-online-resources-for-business-1231/
Add comment March 23, 2009
Remember, It’s Your Job to Make Consumers Remember You
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Consumers have short attention spans; they are fed so much information every day. Therefore, it’s your job to remind them that your business exists and is worth visiting and revisiting. You can achieve this by using direct mail.
There are many forms of direct mail. Here are some you can try:
Promotional Postcards
If you are in business to sell something, whether it’s a service or a business, you should provide special promotions from time to time. Of course, you must advertise your special promotions in advance. Promotional postcards are quite effective when used to announce upcoming savings. While they may be classified as junk mail, the mere fact that they do not have envelopes helps them get noticed. You should send out promotional postcards to area consumers, as well as previous customers, prior to each sale.
Email Newsletters
A good customer retention strategy is to distribute newsletters via email. Email newsletters provide your customers with information about new products or services, upcoming special offers and other worthy updates. Of course, you will need some sort of customer database in order to send these newsletters. You can recruit subscribers by featuring in-store signup, as well as online signup if you have a business Web site.
Reminders
It’s pretty self-explanatory. Reminders are mailers that help consumers remember your business. Reminders aren’t necessarily used to announce any kind of savings. Rather, much like email newsletters, they are used to enhance customer retention. Reminders are particularly valuable to service-oriented businesses that require periodic visits, like eye-doctors, mechanics and dentists.
Whichever type(s) of direct mail you choose to utilize, you should always provide some reference to your local search listing. By mentioning the URL to your business listing, you can provide consumers with additional information about your business without taking up a lot of space.
2 comments March 19, 2009
Create Win-Win Situations with Contracts
Over at Small Business Trends™, Diane Helbig recently posted an article that explores the reasons small business owners should consider implementing contracts into their business procedures. “Death by Contract—Or Lack Thereof” discusses the ways in which setting up a contract can help a business and its clients get the most out of their relationships. Helbig also illustrates the benefits of setting up a contract between a business and its employees. It’s a good read for all business owners, but owners of small businesses that provide a service to their clients should especially take a look.
For more information on how client and employee contracts can help your business, visit MySolutionSpot™ and browse our selection of articles on business operations and procedures.
Add comment March 12, 2009
5 Signs Your Business Needs to Make Some Changes
- Your target market prefers your competitor.
- It’s been a while since you’ve tried a new marketing strategy.
- Consumers who have heard of your business have no idea where you are located or how to contact you.
- Your sales are declining.
- You haven’t made any changes since you’ve started your business.
Add comment March 3, 2009
How the U.S. Census Bureau Can Help You Build a Strong Business
Starting a business is a huge undertaking. Therefore, it is important to properly prepare for the obstacles that may occur. If you do not have the finances available to hire a market research firm, try doing some of your own investigation. The U.S. Census Bureau Web site provides valuable demographic data, such population distributions, birth rates and income levels. You may view the featured information by state, city and even neighborhood. The information you find on the U.S. Census Bureau Web site can help you determine your level of competition, business opportunities, market share and ideal site location.
Add comment March 2, 2009
A Little Positive Thinking Goes a Long Way
In tough times, it is good to remind yourself that things could be worse. The following article, written by Rhonda Adam, explains how small business owners can improve their business simply by showing a little appreciation: http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2009-02-06-all-you-need-is-love_N.htm
Add comment February 6, 2009
It’s Time to Appreciate What You Have
Millions of Americans are unemployed right now, and unemployment funds are depleting quickly – too quickly, in fact.
It has been reported that the unemployment funds in at least 10 states are running dry and will fully deplete by the first half of this year. Missouri, for instance, is seeking to borrow as much as $260 million from the federal government to replenish its unemployment fund, which will most likely vanish by next week.
So what happens if your state follows suit? If Missouri is granted a federal bailout, unemployment recipients will continue to receive the same payments. The state’s businesses, however, may be forced to pay some hefty taxes and fees. Therefore, if you are a business owner, you may not appreciate such a plan.
The moral of this entry is to remain positive. Things will get better, but there may be a lot more lows before the highs re-emerge.
Add comment February 4, 2009
Does Your Home Page Appropriately Represent Your Business?
So you’ve built a Web site, and it’s been live for a while now. So why hasn’t your business experienced any boost in sales? There are several factors that can contribute to unsatisfactory results. One of these factors is the quality of your home page.
Have you looked at your home page lately? Not as the owner of the site, but as a potential customer. If you haven’t, it’s time to take a look.
The following questions will help you evaluate your content:
- Does your home page clearly demonstrate what product or service you offer?
- Does your home page look clean and uncluttered?
- Does your home page display the important information about your business without requiring your visitors to scroll down?
- Does your home page display a well-organized menu to help your visitors smoothly navigate through your site?
- Does your home page display your logo?
If you’ve answered yes to all of the above, then you’re on a good path. Some experts also suggest putting a navigation menu and/or your business address and phone number in the footer of each page, including on your home page.
Remember, your home page is the first thing people will see on your Web site, so it will define their first impression of your business. Therefore, make sure you take the time to create a professional page that will appropriately represent your business.
To find more tips on getting the most out of your business Web site, go to www.MySolutionSpot.com.
Add comment October 10, 2008
