E. Sue Huff & Associates

Why Small Businesses Fail - Saturday, February 18, 2012

I love The New York Times Small Business Blog “You’re the Boss.” One blogger is Jay Goltz, owner of five small businesses in Chicago. His top ten reasons why small businesses fail in his January 5, 2011 post are worth noting, especially Reason #2, which is: “Owners who cannot get out of their own way.”

Mr. Goltz suggests these owners may have qualities that make it difficult for them to notice mistakes that need fixing, qualities such as stubbornness, fear of conflict, perfectionism, greed, self-righteousness, paranoia, or insecurity. I call this owner blindness.

Some examples, which I’ve come across recently, point to owner blindness when it comes to their customer service staff. And, this is especially true if they are family or friends. My favorite small cafe has a front door that hangs open because it doesn’t have an automatic closer. This wasn’t a problem for patrons when the weather was warmer. Now it has become an unpleasant dining experience and no one seems to step up to fix it. Our florist hired a delivery person who smokes in the van. After a full day of riding in the van, my Valentine’s Day roses smelled like -- you guessed it -- cigarette smoke. And finally, a new bistro near my house offers morning rush hour coffee and pastry take-out. But they don’t have heat sleeves for their coffee cups. The counter person seems confused that customers balk at this inconvenience. Simple problems with simple solutions, if only the blinders were removed.

I imagine small business owners are often overwhelmed with the “big picture” and don’t appreciate what they see as customer complaints about insignificant things. If a customer is willing to give feedback, it pays to investigate the cause of their dissatisfaction. This is where having conscientious and alert support staff can make or break the business plan for success.

Deb Davidson
Associate, E. Sue Huff & Associates

Labels: customer service, FL, Marketing consulting Naples, Motivational speaking nationwide, Public Relations Naples FL, Small business advice, Small Business management consulting Naples FL

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Shop Local this Holiday Season - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

There’s good news for the small business industry. The buzz among some consumers this season is to shop locally. For the second year in a row, a national campaign sponsored by American Express and labeled Small Business Saturday, urged consumers through social media to keep their holiday spending local, at least for one day. This year’s kick-off date was Saturday, November 26.

Using Facebook and Twitter, consumers shared tips on mom and pop restaurants in their neighborhoods, community art center gift shops, and not-yet-trendy areas of town hoping to bring their economies back to life.

I noticed this marketing phenomenon on my own list of Facebook friends. I recently spoke with a couple of them who shared their reasons for keeping the dollars close to home. Maureen, who has spent years working in sales and marketing, has a special place in her heart for small businesses. She decided to explore her own city this year in search of hidden treasures with a handful of friends. Dubbing themselves “The Retro Shoppers,” they found ordinary neighborhoods with extraordinary diners, cafes, shops and farmers markets. The owners and staff welcomed new faces and The Retro Shoppers came away with one-of-a-kind gifts.

“Communities were once centered around their own business districts,” says Robin, one of Maureen’s Retro Shoppers. “Reinventing community life as I remember it as a child seemed like a fun thing to do. Now, shopping locally has become a habit instead of driving to a big shopping mall."

Deb Davidson
Associate, E. Sue Huff & Associates

Labels: FL, Human Resources Coaching, Marketing consulting Naples, Motivational speaking nationwide, Public Relations Naples FL, Small Business management consulting Naples FL, Training nationwide

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