Small business startups have to juggle so many things before they even take their first steps. When I meet with new clients, I find they are often inundated with information, advice, research and suggestions from anyone and everyone in their orbit – and it’s all entirely overwhelming.
Clients want guidance and advice on how to make sense of it all. They want help to dispel some notions, reinforce others and clarify the rest. I’d like to think we at the Small Business Centre do all we can to bring it all into focus and help in any/every way that we can. That being said, it’s all a lot to consider.
The one element that I often notice that gets lost in the crush, is the truth that you shouldn’t be building your business for you. Because your business is your baby, you’re going to love it more than anyone else. Of course you’d buy from you – but you can’t be your own customer and succeed. You need to build your business for your customers.
Understanding who your ideal customer is, what they value, what’s important to them and what they actually want is an element of business ownership that so many new or small businesses tend to overlook. If you first look at your product, service or offering through your best customer's eyes, and develop your product, distribution, pricing and service with THEM in mind, you’ll not only speak directly to your customers, you’ll differentiate yourself from your competition.
Understanding who your ideal customers are and what they actually want and expect is an element of customer service that will ensure success and longevity as you move forward.
But in order to keep up with the ever changing needs and demands of your clients – this level of customer service and realization has to be something owners need to stay attuned to on an ongoing basis to ensure that you grow and adapt as your clients do as well.
In order for a business to stand out you have to not only acknowledge that not only is customer service not dead (as so many people seem to think), but that it’s never been more important. To actually listen and meet your clients’ needs and build your business using their input, means you get to stand out from your competition who’ve already conceded it’s not important.
You are not building your business for you – but for your ideal clients. You need to look, listen and ask in order to stand out. Customer service isn’t dead – IT’S EVERYTHING!
Let us help you build your best business.
*Shawn is a lifelong Oxford County resident with a strong business ownership and communications background. As the former owner of a long-standing Insurance Brokerage in Woodstock, Shawn is able to provide practical insights into business risk, day-to-operations, staffing and marketing and sales strategies to clients interested in business start-up or growth. Shawn is a strong business coach and mentor who excels at working with clients one-on-one or when facilitating workshops that look to provide entrepreneurs with the necessary skills they need to run a successful business. He believes in building entrepreneurial networks, sharing our collective business knowledge and in finding ways for our clients to work together in Woodstock, Oxford County and beyond.
You can reach out to Shawn by emailing: shawn@thesmallbusinesscentre.ca
www.thesmallbusinesscentre.ca
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