Starting a business can be tough and there are many things you need to keep in mind. There are often external factors such as family, children, lifestyle, dreams, aspirations that come into play when making decision on how you run the business.
Though the excitement often ramps up and gives you a sense that everything will come together right away, you must be patient and give the business time to grow. It is like a newborn baby, you get excited about them walking and talking, as soon as they do, you start asking them to be quiet and stay still. It is the same with business, how do you make sure you are prepared (or at least as much as you can before the growth?
If your businesses suddenly sprung from baby to teenager, that type of accelerated growth would be unmanageable. Take the time to prepare your business, focus on systems, procedures, refining your delivery process and managing customer satisfaction. These are key to building a business that customers rave about.
When you rush the process, the customer experience will be forced. No matter how strong your passion is, you will feel exhausted managing the rapid growth. You cannot be tired and out of energy in the most critical, customer facing moment. The engagement of the customer will fall apart. You’ve got to preform and bring the show. That forms the reputation that the brand then becomes known for.
In the example of hospitality, the most important moment is not the food, in the end they can make their own food…They come for the experience. They’ll even forgive the food if it isn’t amazing because the welcoming, friendly and entertaining atmosphere created an experience worth talking about.
The question you need to ask yourself is “Would you buy from you?” When was the last time you phoned your own business? Experience the customer service like a customer. Does every step along the process feel welcoming, engaging and reflect the vision and mission of your brand? This is a great way to test the experience your customers are having with your business and refine your processes.
The key is to be patient, allow your business to grow with stability, remember that maintaining the customer experience should be your core focus. All developments around systems, processes, product, and service should bring this all together.
