Most of us are aware of the big things that might make a difference in business success. Things like being in the right location, having an adequate advertising budget, and selling a product that people think they need are all good things. However, there are smaller things that some people overlook that can mean the end of a really profitable business. This was something I watched with my very own eyes quite a few years ago.
I worked in a small convenience store that had moderate business success for a few years. It was in a great location, and they got local and well as through-traffic business. I was new to the area, but knew some people that worked there. I was offered a job and thought it might be okay for a while as it was close enough to walk and I wasn’t having much luck anywhere else at the time. It seemed like a decent job that wouldn’t be too hard to handle. What I wasn’t ready for was something that I had never dealt with before in a boss. My new boss was not afraid to speak his mind, even when it offended.
I worked in a small convenience store that had moderate business success for a few years. It was in a great location, and they got local and well as through-traffic business. I was new to the area, but knew some people that worked there. I was offered a job and thought it might be okay for a while as it was close enough to walk and I wasn’t having much luck anywhere else at the time. It seemed like a decent job that wouldn’t be too hard to handle. What I wasn’t ready for was something that I had never dealt with before in a boss. My new boss was not afraid to speak his mind, even when it offended.
What I soon learned was that even though most know the keys to business success, the guy that owned this business did not. As his employees, we learned to ignore his outbursts, but the customers did not or could not. He was not afraid to banter with each customer and give his unbiased and unorthodox opinions. When he upset or offended them, he made no apology and didn’t care. He would often chase them out the door still ranting at them. Surely, this could not be good for business success. He seemed to be the only one that didn’t see that.
He closed down a year later, due to lack of business. A new store moved in and has done quite well in the same spot with the same stuff for close to ten years. The only difference was him. He knew nothing about business success, and perhaps that ones opinions are better left out of business. This man had alienated half of the population in the area, and wondered why his business was on the decline. Other businesses in the area boycotted him. Anyone who wants to own a business can learn from this example. You can have all the right things, but you have to know how to please the customer, even if sometimes this means keeping your ideas to yourself.
