It seems like more and more businesses and small businesses are popping up everywhere! It’s amazing because many of us come from families that encouraged us to attend college so we could get “good jobs.” The focus was always education and it’s relation to living a comfortable lifestyle and/or money.
I’m proud that many of my peers have been able to create a lifestyle and income stream from providing services to benefit others. Therefore, I’m very pleased that I can search Facebook and find someone that offers the services I need. Having a business comes with a certain level of responsibility and accountability. Sadly, What I’m beginning to realize is the bigger the business the less likely they consider the customer. Being a business owner you have to continually make sure you are effectively communicating your outcomes and deliverables, explaining to your customers/clients in a clear and concise way your prices, rules, regulations, and turn around time, etc.
Examples; If you own a bar or club and you have a deal with a promoter to increase your number of customers, you are obligated to pay that person or group of promoters a percentage of that night’s entry fee, reservation and bottle service and maybe even securing food or drink sponsorship. If you don’t carry out that obligation you are now a bad business owner!
If you own a boutique or clothing store and your hours are from 10am-8pm, Monday through Friday, YET- when I show up on a Tuesday at 4pm and no one’s there, guess what that makes you? You guessed correctly, It’s bad business! If your business is selling a product and you’re constantly hounding your potential customers with emails and text messages asking them if they are still considering purchasing items – that turns into bad business. What’s wrong with letting someone come to you when they have found what they need? If in fact, they actually really need any of your products to begin with!
When you are labeled as a bad business owner you should never question why an individual no longer supports your business. Just make a decision to learn what you did wrong, fix it and treat your new customers with a new-found respect of learning from your errors. However, it seems that most bad business owners don’t understand that concept. They actually haven’t figured out what they’ve done wrong or they truly believe it’s the customers fault. I think more small businesses should perform customer surveys. They are actually very helpful. You have to think about if the roles were reversed and you were the customer instead of the business owner. How would you want to be treated? Is it ethically sound? Is your time important?
As a customer, when considering giving your business to a small business owner that you may or may not know personally it’s important that you consider people’s time and effort. Don’t assume that someone’s going to work for you for free. If they’re advertising a business or service, they are expecting to be paid (unless told otherwise). If and when you are inquiring about a price for a service and you don’t agree with the price point, then don’t order the service. It’s that simple. Making snide comments about the price is unnecessary and more than likely won’t decrease the asking price. Many small businesses are providing the lowest prices that they can possibly offer.
Respect the business just as the business should be respecting the customer or potential customer. If you want your business supported then be a business that’s worthy of support! Be timely, be professional, be accurate, provide customer service, and do what you agreed upon.
Editor: Ariel S. Jones
Photo credit: Google