11. What Are Your Tips for Better Customer Service?
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Good customer service is vitally important for small businesses. It gives them a way to differentiate themselves from bigger competitors and carve out their own market niches. What are your tips for better customer service?
Heather says, "If you want to give good service, do not say the word "no". If you do not have what the customer exactly wants, offer alternatives, suggest products you do have, and be generous - if a competitor has the product refer the customer. It will build good will..."
12. What Are Your Tips for Getting Paid?
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Not getting paid for the goods and services you sell can strangle your small business's cash flow and decimate your bottom line. As a small business owner, how do you ensure you get paid?
Chris says, "We run an old-fashioned business and only take cash. The sign says it all: "In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash"."
13. How Do You Deal With Difficult People?
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To be a successful small business owner, you have to be able to manage people. Unfortunately, not everyone is easy to deal with and some customers and staff can be downright difficult. What are your tips for dealing with difficult people?
Bev says, "One of the reason difficult people are difficult is that we let them "get to" us. It's important to pay attention to what triggers you - what kind of behavior irks you, or makes you upset or angry. How do you define "difficult"? The truth is that we all define it differently and what upsets one person, doesn't bother another at all..."
14. What One Piece of Advice Would You Give Anyone Starting a Business?
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Starting a business is one of the most exhilarating things a person can do – or it can be one of the most stressful and disappointing events in a person's life. What one piece of advice would you give anyone starting a business to increase their chances of starting a successful business?
Silver says, "Don't let money get in the way of vision. Ideas and concepts are free. Do the legwork, prep work and homework yourself. Prove to the people around you that you are dedicated and committed and they will want to invest in you, not your business."
