Ideas
We all have a lot of ideas. But what good are they if we never share them.
These ideas are about you. We have learned a lot over the last decade in this business and we want to share that knowledge with you!
It's okay to be ready to make your pitch, but don't get weird or annoying.
Everything Else...
This statement has been the source of much deserved backlash over the years. People realize that business is at it’s best when it becomes personal to it’s customers and employees. Lately I have been thinking about how business can use this adage to redefine their customer relationships by slightly modifying it. For the customer/employee/owner it is personal, …
“Simple Rules” is about creating simplicity even in complex situations. The book covers a wide range of topics which benefit from rules including science, medicine and business. The authors share how they have helped organizations implement these concepts. According to “Simple Rules” there are 6 types of rules; for example timing and boundary rules. The section on creating …
In our experience marketing for businesses, we have been asked to help bail out a few companies who are struggling to survive or return to their heyday. While there are many lessons you learn, here are the top 3 things these experiences taught us. 1. Know your business model. Without exception, each business who has approached us because …
3 Things We Have Learned from Struggling Businesses Read More »
“The Virgin Way” by Richard Branson is a mostly enjoyable read focusing on Branson’s years of running the Virgin Group of companies. Having started over 400 enterprises in the last 40+ years he offers insight to a wide range of successes and failures. If you are an avid reader of business books most of the ground he …
Fast Company has a great piece on employee engagement. Creating a fulfilling leadership atmosphere is critical to the productivity, engagement and long term happiness of your employees. “Without exception, bosses predominantly concerned about their own needs create the lowest levels of employee engagement. Going forward, having an authentic advocacy for the development and success of …
Have you ever used a product, or even just opened it, and realized that no one on the product team must have used a final version before it hit the market? Have you walked into a store and felt like the shopping flow was confusing or the menu could have been clearer? This can be …
Replying to negative (and positive) feedback on Yelp as the business owner is always a best practice. Many businesses are realizing this and many experts are advising it. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Be truly conciliatory, not passive aggressive. I have seen plenty of business take the latter route. Your …
What is innovation? Webster’s defines it as the introduction of something new. That is the classic definition but it has taken on a new meaning in technology. Wikipedia defines it as ‘the application of better solutions that meet new requirements’. It is easy to confuse innovation with invention. Invention is the creation of a new idea or product, innovation …
I think we need to redefine what a product is in our collective minds. It is very easy to think of a product as physical good that we can hold and interact with. The rules of product development can and should apply to all layers of a business. At the end of the day your …
This is not at all the best way to go about this. Instead of this approach, a simple sign during peak hours near the register communicating a time limit will suffice. This approach is passive aggressive, hoping to influence behavior by taking away a feature. After all, this business is not having an issue with …
A new study shows that music can have a great impact on the experience of people eating at restaurants. Click the button below to read the article over on Discovery.com. Take care that the music you play at your business reflects your concept and the experience you want your customers to have. Music reflects and also …
Last spring I was in the bathroom at a movie theater at 10:13 pm and saw this in the bathroom in plain view. Typically trash negligence is not time stamped, note the 11am time printed on the ticket. 10 hours is too long for trash to stay in one place at your business. A big …
Part 2 of this great NY Times piece. Take note on most of these restaurant owners! Read Part II
Great advice from a restauranteur published in the NY Times on how a staff should act in a service based environment. Part I
The blog will be a place to feature business advice from around the web. We will also be showcasing our own work and philosophy. My personal favorite will be sharing personal stories focused around amazing or subpar service experiences. Stay tuned!