There are estimated to be over 600 ski resorts in North America competing for the winter vacation dollar.  When we went in to pick up our season pass at Deer Valley, we were given embroidered hats touting the recognition bestowed by Ski Magazine as “Best Resort in North America” for the 5th consecutive year.  The award has always been prominent on their website, but this year, they are letting us, the loyal customers, bask in the wisdom of our choice as well.

Consumers have long been willing to serve as billboards for brands.  Lacoste takes credit for being the first brand logo sewn on the outside of clothing with their green crocodile.  Calvin Klein is acknowledged as the industry leader who first put his name on the back pocket of our jeans.  Rabid fans line up by the thousands at the opening of new Apple stores to snag one of the limited edition t-shirts given out as part of the grand opening.

The award you receive as a business is validation by outside sources that by spending our money with you, we are making a wise decision.  It gives consumers confidence and helps you stand out from your competitors.  The related publicity can also expose your business to a larger pool of new customers.  

Positive publicity surrounding awards such as the Nobel Peace Prize are credited with keeping alive political dissidents even if it has not succeeded in freeing them.

Have you won an award?  Received industry recognition for your expertise?  Has your business been favorably reviewed in the local newspaper?  On a website such as UrbanSpoon, Open Table, Trip Advisor or Angie’s List?

If so, those reviews, accomodations and certifications need to be prominently displayed EVERYWHERE – in your physical locations if you have them, on your website, your Facebook business page, your LinkedIn page, in your newsletter, even as part of your email signature.

Shameless self-promotion is essential for the success of your small business.  Framed as a “Thank you     for the recognition” you can toot your own horn without overpowering the message that YOU are a great place to do business!

I still remember that first sizzling Ruth’s Chris steak…Dallas, Texas 1984.  When I close my eyes I can still taste it and my reaction to each first bite of a Ruth’s Chris steak hasn’t changed to this day.

Doesn’t matter which Ruth’s Chris.  I’ve eaten at locations in Phoenix, Seattle, Maui, Portland, Bellevue, Salt Lake City, Pasadena, Washington DC, Hong Kong and most recently, Park City.  Many of these were not one time visits and the experience is consistently memorable.

Ruth’s Chris has become our “special occasion” restaurant.  The day I signed the papers to sell Sleep Country USA I threw a party for a small group of close friends and family in the private dining room of the downtown Seattle restaurant.  Many birthdays have been celebrated at a Ruth’s Chris table.  Ask any of my 3 stepsons to pick a restaurant for their birthday or other special event dinner and it’s always their top pick.

When deciding where to hold the dinner in Washington DC to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday the decision process went like this: “What is everyone most likely to order in any restaurant we go to?  Trevor: steak.  Connor: steak.  John: New York steak.”  and so on with the rest of the party.  ”Okay, if we’re all going to order steaks anyway, why take chances?  Let’s just go for the place with great steaks.   That means the dinner will be at Ruth’s Chris.”  The group photo from that night was on our Christmas card.

Even a dinner with friends for “no special reason” becomes special at Ruth’s Chris.  From the fresh from the oven bread to the attentive service of the staff to the wine list with nice selections even in a mid-price range to the signature “sizzling steaks” to the after dinner specialty drinks, the drive for excellence shows.

So how do you become synonymous with your product in a customer’s mind?  It’s really very simple:  Consistently deliver exceptional goods and service.  That’s it.  Of course, I know all too well how difficult it can be to execute that “simple formula” on a day to day basis.  Even more so in a variety of locations.  Yet great companies do so and earn our loyalty to their brands in the process.

There was a quote on a restaurant wall I wrote down years ago that may serve as a good motivating motto for small businesses wanting to become the “Ruth’s Chris” of their product:

“It’s impossible to be 1000% better than every other restaurant (or any other type of business)…so let’s try to be 1% better in 1000 little ways.”

You know all that, so why are you not yet accepting credit cards for your small business?  Are the costs associated with traditional credit card terminals holding you back?  The hassle of carrying a “terminal”?  What if I told you the “terminal” is already in your pocket, briefcase or handbag?

With the Square, your smart phone becomes a credit card terminal.  Best part – the plug in to swipe the credit cards is FREE, the app for your iPhone, iPad or Android phone is FREE and there is NO monthly fee or “per transaction” fee – just a competitive 2.75% per card swipe.

Funds are deposited into your account the next day and it’s so easy to get started.  Go on-line and create your account and they will send you the card reader in the mail – did I mention it’s FREE?  If you can’t wait, go to Target or another retailer and buy the card reader for about $10.  Inside the package you will find a code to redeem for $10 when you set up your account – essentially refunding the amount you paid for the reader.

The app is very easy to use.  Enter an amount and description of goods or services purchased.  Swipe the card.  Hand your phone to the customer for an on screen signature and wait for the approval.  At the end of the transaction, you have the option of texting or emailing the receipt to your customer.  It’s fast, easy and very inexpensive – what’s not to love?

Yes, you can set it up to accept tips, calculate and add sales tax, track payments taken by more than one device and many other handy business features.  All for FREE!

I’m a professional speaker and I sell books and cds at the back of the room after a speech using my Square.

Whether you are a hair stylist, massage therapist, chauffeur, private chef, speaker, musician selling cds or performing for a party, a birthday clown, dog walker, house-sitter, window washer, house cleaner, gardener, handyman or any other service provider – you need this tool!

What would it do for your cash flow if when you sent a plumber, appliance repair person or delivery to a home  to not only leave the invoice as is typically done, but accept the credit card payment there on the spot?  No mailing an invoice and waiting for payment.

If you are in the hobby to business stage with your art or crafts, you can use Square to accept credit cards at local arts and crafts shows.

You can also use it to let people make donations to your non-profit or to pay for event attendance to business or civic group meetings.  The possibilities are endless!

You may not think you need to accept credit cards.  You may think how you are doing business now is just fine but I can assure you that you are missing business if you do not accept credit cards.  Customers who don’t do business with you don’t typically tell you why but I know that  it’s a deciding factor for me.

Accepting credit cards is just one more way to look like you are serious about your business.  It also removes an obstacle to doing business with you for consumers.  When it’s free to get started and this inexpensive – why wouldn’t you try it?

Outside the store, she told me her name was Evelyn, she made custom jewelry and gave me her card.

Kudos to her for being bold enough to do so!  Many small business people either are not aware of opportunities and potential customers in non-traditional settings or they are too timid to reach out.

Small Business Essential #1 – Be aware and be bold – not pushy, but always tell people what you do and ask if you may give them your card.

Small Business Essential #2 – Make a good impression.   Part of that is your demeanor and appearance – you always need to be “customer ready “.

Evelyn was just that.  Though appropriately casual doing her grocery shopping,  she still made a positive impression.

SBE #3 – Of course you always need to have business cards and those cards speak volumes about you.

You can get innovative cards from Paper Passionista if you are ready to invest a little in your image.   If you are just getting started or are moving out of the hobby stage, VistaPrint has professional looking cards for FREE.  There is no reason to try to print them yourself or worse – not have them at all.

SBE #4 – A website or Facebook BUSINESS page.  Your internet provider likely offers free templates anyone can use to create a basic webpage.  Facebook business pages are also free and if you get 25 friends to “like” your page quickly,  you get a simple web address you can use.
Mine is: www.facebook.com/SunnyKobeCook

You don’t have to do commerce through the site but people need a way to get to know you.

Include pictures of your work, a brief description of your credentials and services you offer as applicable.  Customer comments always help.  Same with any awards you’ve won as well as local or trade press so be sure to include that information too.

Lastly,  give us more than one way to reach you.  An email address and a phone number are critical.   A physical or snail mail address is not.  Not everyone (including me) likes to call – others prefer to call.  Offering both lets you connect with more prospects.

If you work from home, consider a post office box if you feel its vital to have a traditional mailing address but don’t put your home address on cards or websites.

SBE #5 – Be sure your voicemail has a professional recording if you are using that number for business.

Also, if its your cellphone,  don’t answer it at the movies,  a casino,  in the restroom or while the kids are screaming.   Better to let it go to voicemail and return the call from a quiet place than to appear unprofessional.

Opportunities are everywhere and all small businesses need to be ready to capitalize on them.  Are you ready?

I’ve had my Sony eReader since late 2007 and I love it.  This Christmas, my husband decided to upgrade my trusty reader to the newest version and visited the Sony Style store in University Village here in Seattle.  While there, he also bought a new laptop for himself, my new reader, a laptop for me, gaming headphones for one of his sons and a few little accessories.

The only item not a hit at Christmas was the laptop for me.  We decided that it was too expensive to keep if it wasn’t the right gift and I personally took it to the store along with the couple of accessories which had been purchased for that laptop.

I won’t go into the whole drama because my saga is not the point and I don’t want to ruin yet another day of my life by reliving the horrors of the Sony Style Store.  In a nutshell, despite the fact that the item had never been unpacked, no components ever removed from the box, no cables unwound – but the 1″ tape on the top of the had been cut.  Yes, I actually looked INSIDE the box – a rare thing when one gets a gift I suppose.

This small piece of tape, neatly sliced resulted in a 15% restocking charge, multiple phone calls to upper management and far too much drama.  So much drama that my husband, a loyal Sony consumer electronics user has forever had his image of the brand tarnished.

In contrast, my husband had the new Apple iPhone 4S for 24 hours and had used it before deciding he’d rather have the Samsung Galaxy IIS Skyrocket I have.  He returned it to the Apple store and got a FULL REFUND with NO HASSLE.

I’m not saying a business should take everything back.  I don’t believe in returning ball gowns that have been worn to a party.  But reasonable – or at least clear- return guidelines are just good business.  Fine print on the back of the sales receipt (sure, you read that, don’t you?) only gives customers the information AFTER they have made a purchase.

Do you have “fine print” or rules in place for your protection?  If so, you need to be clear with customers.  Unhappy customers almost always are the result of  expectations which were not met.   Don’t start off your new year with angry customers who feel you have played “Gotcha” with them.

QR codes are the 2011 version of secret messages and savvy businesses are using them in all sorts of clever ways to communicate with their customers.  You’ve likely seen them all sorts of places but may not have noticed…but you will after reading this!

Here is the QR code I generated to take you to my business page on Facebook.  Use the QR code reader on your smart phone and try it.

So why use a fancy QR code rather than just give you the web address of my Facebook business page?  Have you tried typing in a long address into your smart phone?  Did you end up with typos?  How many times did you scribble down a web address or info you meant to look up later and then never got around to it?

Generate your own with your contact information and print it on the back of your business cards or use it in a large printed format at trade shows.

QR stands for “Quick Response” and it allows you to communicate information to customers and potential customers quickly, easily and accurately!  Here’s the link I used to generate my QR code and yes, it’s FREE and super easy to use!

Other innovative ways I’ve recently seen them used:  A Korean subway platform has a wall mural of grocery items.  Commuters scan their “purchases” and they are delivered to their home.

My husband, John Murphy, just finished a Science Fiction novel , “Mission Veritas” to be published as an ebook.   On the back cover, as well as at the end of several chapters, there is a QR code.  The code takes the reader to “bonus content” not unlike the bonus material provided with most DVDs you purchase.

The codes and bonus content take this from just a SciFi novel to more of a game and engages the reader.

While in Best Buy last week, I was browsing the row of DVDs for sale.  There I noticed a few random DVDs with after-market stickers on the front with QR codes saying “Scan the code, Watch the Trailer”.

Yes, codes essentially are embedded web addresses so whatever is on the page it takes them to is what they see, a video, a photo, a coupon or special offer – whatever you can put on a webpage – you can use a QR code to allow customers to access.

Then I noticed something even MORE INTERESTING.  There were a LOT of movies I had never heard of and they were MORE MONEY than the blockbusters but they were the ones with the QR code stickers!  What better way to sell a movie?  I scanned the QR codes and watched trailers right there in the store aisle on my phone and yes, it encouraged me to actually buy a movie I had never heard of and would not have given a second glance to at any price without the intrigue of the QR code.

At lunch at BJ’s restaurant, I noticed the Heinz 57 ketchup bottle had a special label.  The front of the distinctive bottle says “Our turn to serve” and the back explains the program and offers a QR code.  Heinz has partnered with the USO to send digital cards to service members AND when you use the QR code (which takes you to their Facebook page) and “Like” them, they donate .57 to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Start looking more closely as you go about your daily life and you will no doubt begin to notice QR codes lots of places.  Get a QR code reader (free app) on your smart phone and start scanning.  See what other companies – large and small – are doing with these codes and then generate your own.

Sure, some of your customers won’t know what they are, others may not even notice, but to the tech savvy and younger customer, it’s the language of the future and you need to learn to speak the code!

You may be thinking, “so what?” but in fact, as a customer I care about how my purchases are bagged.  I want to be asked if I want paper or plastic.  I don’t want the bags so heavy I can’t lift them or so poorly packed that they flop over from improper weight distribution.  It’s not just groceries I care about.  When I purchase clothing, I want it folded neatly – not wadded up and tossed in a bag.  I don’t want to have to iron a new item to be able to wear it.   Lest you think it’s just me –  this is actually a common complaint topic among my peers.

You may think that’s why I would know about the Bagging Championship but in fact, I only became aware of the competition a week or so ago when I drove by my neighborhood Metropolitan Market on my way home.  There on the reader board was a message which read:

“Andrew Borrachini Is WA State Best Bagger!  Nationals Are Next!”

The Metropolitan Market has 21 “frames” they can use for promotion and 3 of the 21 (roughly 14%) are dedicated to applauding the success of one of their baggers.  It wasn’t just up there for a day either.  I first noticed it more than a week ago, saw it a couple of more times and finally took my camera to capture it.

Did YOUR grocery store even enter a contestant?  

Growing up, my dad always said “I don’t care if you are the garbage collector, just be the best garbage collector you can be.”  As a retired business owner, I can assure you that a company is more successful when everyone, right down to the lowest member on the pay scale, all strive to do their very best.

I not only applaud Andrew for his impressive win and daily dedication to “being the best” in his current position – but I applaud the Metropolitan Market for seeing the value in having a participant in such a competition.  And of course, I stand and applaud their enthusiastic support and praise for a hard working team member.

This emphasis on excellence extends to every area of the store.  The result is a consistently “wow” customer experience and countless  loyal customers – including me.

Are you doing all you can to promote excellence at every level within your organization?  Where do you focus your time and energy?  Do you have contests and recognition awards for each area of your company?  How could your company improve if each team member were to improve even 1%?

My sister had her husband’s social security number in a file in her Blackberry and it made me realize, neither my husband nor I carry the other’s information with us.   We have the information, but in an emergency, it needs to be more immediately accessible.  As soon as I got home, we added important data on each other to cryptically labeled folders in our phones “just in case”.

The other bit of information she had to ask her husband was the password to his phone.  He was able to tell her and she checked for any important messages and contacted the caretakers for his mom so no one would be alarmed when he did not make his daily visit for the next few days.

Is your phone password protected?  What about your computer?  What if you were incapacitated – even for a few days – and someone needed to access your contacts?  You may think, “I’ll just tell someone” but what if you can’t?  What if you are not conscious or are sedated?

Write down your critical information and leave it with a trusted person – whoever is most likely going to be called on your behalf in case of an emergency.  While you’re at it designate that person and provide all phone numbers on an “In Case of Emergency” card in your wallet.

If you run a small business there may be more information you need to document in order for someone to help out in the event of an emergency.  Give it some thought.  What would someone need to know in order if you were unexpectedly out of commission for a day?  A week?  Longer?

Make an “emergency contingency plan”.  It’s fine to store it in your computer so you can update it regularly – and you should update it regularly.  Just be sure your trusted person can access the computer and knows where to look for the information in case of emergency.  That includes a key to your office and/or home as well as any password required to access the file.

You may be feeling just fine and think you will never need an emergency plan.  I hope that’s true.  But just remember, my brother-in-law didn’t think Saturday morning he was going to need one.  Nor did the 21 year old son of a neighbor.

But is that really true?  Even with regular contact via telephones, emails and Skype you are likely missing important details.  If you manage others, there are often problems employees – even managers – are reluctant to bring up.  Whether they fear looking incompetent or simply don’t realize there is a better way to do something, problems that may be costing you money – and business – are not being addressed.  As someone who ran a business with multiple locations I can attest there was no substitute for being there.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal pointed out the benefits – and importance – of “being there”.

If you have other “work from home” suppliers, you can learn a lot about the way they work from an in person visit.  The next time you have something for your webmaster, graphic artist, copy writer or freelance bookkeeper – take it in person!  Let them know you will be dropping it by so you can chat about it for a few minutes.  Take a latte’ or tea so there is a friendly feeling to the meeting.  Then pay attention!

Engage in conversation about the challenges of working from home and ask how they have solved some of the problems you’ve experienced.  You not only may pick up a tip or two to make your work from home life easier, but you may gain insights to improve your working relationship with this vendor.

Your purpose is not to change the way your vendors work, but rather to be on the lookout for ways you can provide information on your projects  to improve the outcome either in quality, time or cost savings.

The same is true for visiting customers.  Deliver the next order personally.  Stop by with holiday cookies and ask for a tour.  The face time will make you more memorable to your customer and could put you in a position to see an opportunity for additional business.

Grab your calendar – paper or electronic – and schedule a day next week to spend “on the road”.   Take around some treats to let everyone you work with know how grateful you are for their hard work or their business.   The occasional face-to-face contact will enhance and improve your working relationships.

Funny how some moments are seared in your memory…I had called around and gotten prices on a quantity of balloons before placing an order with the now defunct business.   When I called to place the order,  I specified a red, white and blue mix rather than assorted colors.  I didn’t think there was anything unusual about my order.  The balloons arrived and we used them.

Then the invoice arrived…the price was several times what I had been quoted so I called, assuming a simple mistake which would be corrected.  No, I was told that because I wanted only red, white and blue (and we all know how RARE that particular color mix is!) it was more expensive.

No, I wasn’t told of the higher price when I ordered the specific colors and, having often seen packets of this exact color combination for sale everywhere including discount stores, I didn’t expect there to be a surcharge for this mix.

My position was basically met with a big, “Too bad, that’s the price”.  I then added that in fact, I would pay this invoice but that perhaps they might want to reconsider given that this was only the first of many stores I was planning to open and someone would be providing balloons for all of those future locations as well.  That was met with the same “Too bad, that’s the price” type attitude.

I did pay the invoice.  I did open more stores…7 more that same year, 35 over the next few years and I did buy red, white and blue balloons for every opening – never from this particular vendor.

I often have wondered what the owner of that balloon store thought as he heard all those radio and television ads.  Did he ever kick himself for not working with me to find middle ground?  I didn’t relish the thought of having to again shop for the same item (this is before the advent of internet shopping).  I had a lot of balls in the air in those days and vendors who worked with me were rewarded with many years of loyal business.

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish in your pricing structure?  Back in 1991, not all businesses were as cost conscious as I was, but today, most businesses are more mindful of spending.  Where it’s necessary for you to make a profit, it’s also necessary for you to build value and relationships so you can be in business going forward.  Let’s call this “The lesson of the balloon store that WAS.”