Say what you do then..do what you say!

Just read a Facebook post written by a friend who complained about going to a small business today that had the hours on the door stating they were open and they were closed.  This infuriates me for two reasons...1) I am a small business owner and we are all trying to survive against big business and 2) I am a marketing firm.  This is so wrong on so many levels.  Say what you are going to do and then do it!  Why is this so difficult?  A big reason why small businesses fail is follow through and poor customer service.  Here are some facts;  People want to shop at small businesses, at least according to this article http://biznik.com/articles/gallup-polls-say-americans-prefer-small-businesses-to-big-business-3-to-1 ...
But you can't expect them to be faithful and loyal if you don't do what you say you will do.  When I opened my business, I first hired a small business person to
help me with furniture, they showed up late a few times, didn't show at all a
couple other times so guess what.. off to a big company I went.  But my first
try was with a small business.

If you're a real estate agent and you tell a client the showing is at 2:00, be there at 1:45.  If you're a florist and your shop opens at 10:00 , then open at 10:00.  Plan for emergencies, have a stand by to open your business if your sick ( do small business owners get sick?).  If you own a small mom-and-pop hardware store and you have a rude sales person at the front and your located a block away from a big name store, you're probably not going to stay in business very long.  I believe that Americans truly want to help other Americans, really I do believe that. We want small business to survive and thrive, we want our neighbor to achieve the American Dream but please, small business owners, make it easy.

So if your sign on the door says "Open Monday through Friday 9-5" then be there to open at 9:00 AM sharp and stay there right up until 5:00.

Basically, offer 100% and give 150% and people will not only use your business but they will tell others and isn't that how we thrive as small business owners?

So to my friend who went out of her way to offer her money to a small business, thank you from a small business owner and don't give up, there are still many of us who "Say what we do and do what we say."

Until next time....


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