Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Who's more important?
Staff or customers? This is definitely a tough question for business owners. Without staff you can't get as much done, without customers there's no point in getting stuff done.
The other day a local tourist destination said to me that their staff was more important than me - the customer. They didn't say it out loud or directly, but rather in actions. The 3 closest parking spots were all reserved for staff, directors. Customers need to park further away. We're obviously not as important in their mind. But without a customer, would they be a destination?
The other day a local tourist destination said to me that their staff was more important than me - the customer. They didn't say it out loud or directly, but rather in actions. The 3 closest parking spots were all reserved for staff, directors. Customers need to park further away. We're obviously not as important in their mind. But without a customer, would they be a destination?
Disappointing Discounts
Yesterday it dawned on me. I've thought about it before, but yesterday I actually felt it - completely frustrated about a sale a local retailer was having. It's there 'we're closing' sale so everything is at amazing discounted prices. Sounds good right? Not if you are me.
I bought a bunch of stuff from that store before Christmas, some as presents, some as not. I didn't shop there because of the deal or because they were closing, but rather because I wanted to support them and I wanted what they were selling. But now I feel slighted.
People that may have never shopped there, nor supported them, are now privy to great deals on the SAME MITTS I bought from them at full pop. How is that fair? Their true shoppers / supporters pay full pop, and the bargain hunter (whom is never loyal) gets the deal? ARGH!
So, trying not to be the one that complains without offering a solution here are some ways that businesses (maybe not this one since they are closing shop) could not frustrate their loyal customers and still move their stock:
1. let regulars know about the sale dates in advance so they can decide if they will shop now or wait until then.
2. give regulars (with proof of recent purchase or something) a larger discount then just walk-ins.
3. have a regulars day.
Next time you're going to have a sale (and it seems like this is the month for them) or discount something, please, PLEASE don't disappoint your loyal regulars.
I bought a bunch of stuff from that store before Christmas, some as presents, some as not. I didn't shop there because of the deal or because they were closing, but rather because I wanted to support them and I wanted what they were selling. But now I feel slighted.
People that may have never shopped there, nor supported them, are now privy to great deals on the SAME MITTS I bought from them at full pop. How is that fair? Their true shoppers / supporters pay full pop, and the bargain hunter (whom is never loyal) gets the deal? ARGH!
So, trying not to be the one that complains without offering a solution here are some ways that businesses (maybe not this one since they are closing shop) could not frustrate their loyal customers and still move their stock:
1. let regulars know about the sale dates in advance so they can decide if they will shop now or wait until then.
2. give regulars (with proof of recent purchase or something) a larger discount then just walk-ins.
3. have a regulars day.
Next time you're going to have a sale (and it seems like this is the month for them) or discount something, please, PLEASE don't disappoint your loyal regulars.
What's your Sign say about you?
I really wish I had a picture of this one, really. But I will try to draw you a mental picture of it. I was driving passed a very busy intersection on the weekend when I saw one of those light up changeable sign boards for a nationally recognized tutoring business. It started with 'does your 3-5 year old know how to read?' so it caught my attention as I have a 5 year old. So I continued to read and was totally shocked at the next line - 'bring them in so we can touch them'.
WOW!
I hoping that they either meant touch them as inspire them to read or 'teach them'. Someone really needed to be checking (AND FIXING) that sign on the way in. I can tell you one thing for sure, I'm in no hurry to take my son in to be 'touched'!
WOW!
I hoping that they either meant touch them as inspire them to read or 'teach them'. Someone really needed to be checking (AND FIXING) that sign on the way in. I can tell you one thing for sure, I'm in no hurry to take my son in to be 'touched'!
Do as I say
Well, over the holidays I had two of our own recommendations for small business owners bite me in the butt. Matt and I talk about have systems in place that don't allow you to miss important steps in business; and we encourage to have a contingency plan in place too. Two times this past fall I got sloppy and now I'm paying for it! So I thought maybe we could all (and mainly me) learn from my mistakes:
1. I accepted a credit card payment from someone I didn't know. I took an imprint of their card which includes the credit card number and their name. But that's all. The card got declined, but the customer walked away with the product. Those of you that have read the book, what should've I have done? I should have wrote down their address, email address and phone number to follow up in case that happened, not to mention to follow up from a customer service point of view. And even better - I should've called in the number right there on the spot instead of waiting until after the event.
2. Throughout Kingston I often get asked by clients to buy my book, and if I have a copy on me I give it to them right there and then (don't want to loose the sale, right?). However, sometimes the customer doesn't have exact change on them or we don't have a pen to write down a credit card number, etc. Since I usually know these people I'm not worried as I can follow up with them about payment... if I remember that is. In 2008 we have probably given out 5 books to people and forgot to write down who. It's hard to follow up when you can't remember with who. Trucker readers what should we have done? Write it down right there, or leave ourselves a voicemail if we don't have a pen; have one master record of accounts outstanding; follow up with 48 hours of delivery, and the list goes on.
So, in looking back, what did you miss in 2008 that you'll be sure to fix for 2009?
PS - if you one of the 5, consider this your follow up and please pay up! Thanks.
1. I accepted a credit card payment from someone I didn't know. I took an imprint of their card which includes the credit card number and their name. But that's all. The card got declined, but the customer walked away with the product. Those of you that have read the book, what should've I have done? I should have wrote down their address, email address and phone number to follow up in case that happened, not to mention to follow up from a customer service point of view. And even better - I should've called in the number right there on the spot instead of waiting until after the event.
2. Throughout Kingston I often get asked by clients to buy my book, and if I have a copy on me I give it to them right there and then (don't want to loose the sale, right?). However, sometimes the customer doesn't have exact change on them or we don't have a pen to write down a credit card number, etc. Since I usually know these people I'm not worried as I can follow up with them about payment... if I remember that is. In 2008 we have probably given out 5 books to people and forgot to write down who. It's hard to follow up when you can't remember with who. Trucker readers what should we have done? Write it down right there, or leave ourselves a voicemail if we don't have a pen; have one master record of accounts outstanding; follow up with 48 hours of delivery, and the list goes on.
So, in looking back, what did you miss in 2008 that you'll be sure to fix for 2009?
PS - if you one of the 5, consider this your follow up and please pay up! Thanks.
Be a good driver!
Yesterday I presented a workshop in Barrie Ontario on networking. Driving there and back (and getting lost in the middle) I was on the road for 8 hours. Not a lot of excitement along the way, but one road sign did stick out and made me think about our book. I didn't have my camera and even in today's world of technology I can't seem to track down an image of it to share, but it said "Be a good driver, check your truck daily."
That fits so perfectly with the analogy we use in the book. "Be a good business owner, check your business (inside and out) daily." When was the last time you did a circle check or looked down at your dashboard?
That fits so perfectly with the analogy we use in the book. "Be a good business owner, check your business (inside and out) daily." When was the last time you did a circle check or looked down at your dashboard?
The Birdhouse Challenge in Jasper Indiana
Matt and I presented a full day of workshops in July in Jasper Indiana. Over 50 people were at the conference. One of the sessions was the Birdhouse Challenge where teams are paired off to live the life of an entrepreneur from start to finish, concluding with promoting their product. In the 70 or so times we have done this session, we have never had a team actually make a commercial...until now. So here it is.
How the dashboard came into play this week
Yesterday I submitted my letter of resignation as the Manager of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre. A big step. In doing so, the Dashboard as we discuss in Trucker Management was in full action:
1. Roadmap - a plan to get to where you are headed (I had a business case and had several critics review and challenge it)
2. Logbook - record of where you've been (I looked over my accomplishments over the past 3 years to see if I had completed my original objectives)
3. Fuel Gauge - how long can you operate with the resources you have (I reviewed mine and my families to see if we had the energy and ambition to continue on the same path or move on)
4. Battery Power Gauge - what contingencies are available? (This was really important, what if this plan doesn't work, what will we do?)
5. Trip Meter - how long have you been on this particular journey (When I started the position I thought I would maybe be there 6 months, not 3 years. I enjoyed it for a long time, so I stayed, but when it became 'work' it was time to leave.)
6. Air Vents - rejuvenation and refreshment (A need for this was at the core of the decision.)
7. Most importantly CB / Dispatch - assistance. Running any type of business, and especially starting something new takes a team (even a proprietorship). So this decision includes friends and my family's support and encouragement.
I am excited to see where this new road will take me!
1. Roadmap - a plan to get to where you are headed (I had a business case and had several critics review and challenge it)
2. Logbook - record of where you've been (I looked over my accomplishments over the past 3 years to see if I had completed my original objectives)
3. Fuel Gauge - how long can you operate with the resources you have (I reviewed mine and my families to see if we had the energy and ambition to continue on the same path or move on)
4. Battery Power Gauge - what contingencies are available? (This was really important, what if this plan doesn't work, what will we do?)
5. Trip Meter - how long have you been on this particular journey (When I started the position I thought I would maybe be there 6 months, not 3 years. I enjoyed it for a long time, so I stayed, but when it became 'work' it was time to leave.)
6. Air Vents - rejuvenation and refreshment (A need for this was at the core of the decision.)
7. Most importantly CB / Dispatch - assistance. Running any type of business, and especially starting something new takes a team (even a proprietorship). So this decision includes friends and my family's support and encouragement.
I am excited to see where this new road will take me!
Always look close to home
During our world tour this past year, Matt and I have traveled all over North America and even some in Europe. At these events our average book sales ratio is 1:6. Lately we have been doing more training and speaking events closer to home (one because our family have said so and two because people have started asking for it) and suddenly our sales ratio is 1:4 and sometimes even better.
So even though the travelling is fun and exciting and sometimes can be easier (I know strange but true), it's important for every business to look close to home. What opportunities lie right in your backyard that you haven't seen yet?
So with that said... here's some information on our upcoming Kingston workshop.
Thu, Mar 27, 2008
8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
$60 (includes snacks, 2 training sessions, autographed copy of Trucker Management)
A Day in the Life Contingency Planning for your Small Business
In this interactive seminar, participants roleplay a full day of operations in a small business, brainstorming actions and reactions as everything that can go wrong does. By the end of the seminar, participants will be well equipped to transfer the lessons learned back to their own businesses, ensuring they have all of the necessary contingency plans in place to avoid costly disruptions. Useful tools that participants can immediately implement in their businesses will be provided as take-away resources.
Assembling Success
Do you have what it takes to lead your team to victory? Successful organizations depend on quick-thinking leaders, an ability to recognize strengths and weaknesses of team members, and plans that allocate resources for maximum efficiency. This fun and fast-paced session has teams competing to design and execute an assembly line, and get quality products to market more quickly than the others while facing unique challenges associated with the abilities of each team member. The lessons illustrated by this exercise can easily be transferred to any type of business or organization. Team leaders will have their decision-making and communication abilities tested in a hectic environment how will you measure up?
To register contact us at:
613-546-0222, info@truckermanagement.com
So even though the travelling is fun and exciting and sometimes can be easier (I know strange but true), it's important for every business to look close to home. What opportunities lie right in your backyard that you haven't seen yet?
So with that said... here's some information on our upcoming Kingston workshop.
Thu, Mar 27, 2008
8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
$60 (includes snacks, 2 training sessions, autographed copy of Trucker Management)
A Day in the Life Contingency Planning for your Small Business
In this interactive seminar, participants roleplay a full day of operations in a small business, brainstorming actions and reactions as everything that can go wrong does. By the end of the seminar, participants will be well equipped to transfer the lessons learned back to their own businesses, ensuring they have all of the necessary contingency plans in place to avoid costly disruptions. Useful tools that participants can immediately implement in their businesses will be provided as take-away resources.
Assembling Success
Do you have what it takes to lead your team to victory? Successful organizations depend on quick-thinking leaders, an ability to recognize strengths and weaknesses of team members, and plans that allocate resources for maximum efficiency. This fun and fast-paced session has teams competing to design and execute an assembly line, and get quality products to market more quickly than the others while facing unique challenges associated with the abilities of each team member. The lessons illustrated by this exercise can easily be transferred to any type of business or organization. Team leaders will have their decision-making and communication abilities tested in a hectic environment how will you measure up?
To register contact us at:
613-546-0222, info@truckermanagement.com
Meet the Meanie
Those of you that have known me a few years have probably heard this crazy idea I had a back in 2004. The idea is that instead of fearing and loathing your competitors, embrace them, in fact, invite them for lunch or coffee. I believe in this concept so much that I developed a set of lunch sessions called 'Meet the Meanie' for different tourism operators.
It worked like a charm, especially for the museum industry. Each museum was struggling to promote themselves on such a limited budget. Collaboratively, they realized their budget for advertising was much greater and they could stretch it further. So they developed a joint brochure, ad campaign and a visit multiple museums passport type activity. It worked to increase the pie and not just the piece of pie, therefore everyone's pieces increased.
In the tech industry I have seen several competitors get together to post joint job ads. Two different ways that meeting your meanie can be effective.
Have you met your meanie? More importantly, have you thought of ways to work with your meanie, instead of fearing them?
It worked like a charm, especially for the museum industry. Each museum was struggling to promote themselves on such a limited budget. Collaboratively, they realized their budget for advertising was much greater and they could stretch it further. So they developed a joint brochure, ad campaign and a visit multiple museums passport type activity. It worked to increase the pie and not just the piece of pie, therefore everyone's pieces increased.
In the tech industry I have seen several competitors get together to post joint job ads. Two different ways that meeting your meanie can be effective.
Have you met your meanie? More importantly, have you thought of ways to work with your meanie, instead of fearing them?
The Power of Performance
In many businesses, as the year nears an end, it's performance review time. Review of the team, the business and you the owner. I just recently finished performance reviews for my staff and although I have done several of these over the years, I actually think I got more out of giving them than I ever did on the receiving end.
As I took time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses (opportunities right?) of each person, I would analyze where those weaknesses derived from. Was it their actions that contributed to lack of results, or did it actually come down to mis-communication or mis-expectation on my part? More often than not, as I seriously thought this through I realized that it was that the full objective of the tasks wasn't disseminated down or that the bar that they would be measured against wasn't clear. I was often expecting them to be adaptable and resilient and remain on task, but in many cases I didn't provide the tools to do so.
The power of the performance review comes in the delivery sometimes not just in the receiving end. So make sure to take the time to do a thorough review, for your staff but also for your own learning.
As I took time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses (opportunities right?) of each person, I would analyze where those weaknesses derived from. Was it their actions that contributed to lack of results, or did it actually come down to mis-communication or mis-expectation on my part? More often than not, as I seriously thought this through I realized that it was that the full objective of the tasks wasn't disseminated down or that the bar that they would be measured against wasn't clear. I was often expecting them to be adaptable and resilient and remain on task, but in many cases I didn't provide the tools to do so.
The power of the performance review comes in the delivery sometimes not just in the receiving end. So make sure to take the time to do a thorough review, for your staff but also for your own learning.
Aye! We're in Scotland!
We arrived in Glasgow this morning for our whirlwind tour. It was a pretty smooth trip but I almost felt inclined (or inspired maybe) to give a copy of Trucker Management to the parents sitting in front of us that had a screaming 2 year old with them. Some of you maybe wondering how parents could benefit from a small business book? Contingency Planning 101! I got the impression that they thought their little girl would sleep the whole way since it was the red-eye flight, so they didn't pack any toys, books or very many snacks (as far as I could tell anyway because I never saw any). My experience as a parent of a 3 1/2 year old has taught me, hope for the best but plan for the worst. Snacks, diapers, toys, music, movies, bribes, a grandma to help. Pack anything and everything you possible can fit in a carry-on for your sake and the sake of the other passengers! I'm not sure who is worse off, the parents that can now nap with their very tired 2 year old, or us embarking on a new leg of the world tour!
Over the next 4 days we will be doing 4 small business events. It should be a busy week so keep visiting our blog for stories and pictures. On the weekend we head to Ireland for more training. The world tour is in full motion now!
Over the next 4 days we will be doing 4 small business events. It should be a busy week so keep visiting our blog for stories and pictures. On the weekend we head to Ireland for more training. The world tour is in full motion now!
Over planning can be Overkill
We always talk about (and even write about in Trucker Management) that planning, from business planning to contingency planning, is key to small business success - and it is. At the same time however, there comes a time when enough is enough and it's time to stop planning and start doing.
A Junior Chamber chapter this year experienced how over planning can be overkill. JCI provides tools and templates for the individual chapter to complete a yearly business plan. The challenge is that the organization has a pretty diverse mission and a vague target market (only defined by age). In one city, the JC's may look like a business networking association, in another a community club and in another a social group. The other challenge is that the Board of Directors completely changes over every year, so the plan starts from scratch every year. Every chapter struggles with trying to be everything to everyone. So, this chapter we're talking about, spent many months planning who they were, who their target market was and what programming would occur. Then when the President had to leave half way through the year, the new board had to go back into planning mode before the first plan was complete. For 7 months the chapter was planning what it would be doing for the year, even though the year was almost over.
In September, the chapter realized enough is enough and that the planning phase had actually deterred members from attending and joining. So in September they DID something, not just talked about it. The talk on the town the last few weeks had much and improved.
A good quote to sum this up is:
Ready. Fire. Aim.
is better than
Ready. Aim. Aim. Aim. Aim. Aim...
A Junior Chamber chapter this year experienced how over planning can be overkill. JCI provides tools and templates for the individual chapter to complete a yearly business plan. The challenge is that the organization has a pretty diverse mission and a vague target market (only defined by age). In one city, the JC's may look like a business networking association, in another a community club and in another a social group. The other challenge is that the Board of Directors completely changes over every year, so the plan starts from scratch every year. Every chapter struggles with trying to be everything to everyone. So, this chapter we're talking about, spent many months planning who they were, who their target market was and what programming would occur. Then when the President had to leave half way through the year, the new board had to go back into planning mode before the first plan was complete. For 7 months the chapter was planning what it would be doing for the year, even though the year was almost over.
In September, the chapter realized enough is enough and that the planning phase had actually deterred members from attending and joining. So in September they DID something, not just talked about it. The talk on the town the last few weeks had much and improved.
A good quote to sum this up is:
Ready. Fire. Aim.
is better than
Ready. Aim. Aim. Aim. Aim. Aim...
Hotel California Complex
So our International readers may not get this, but the Canadian readers sure will. The Eagles had a successful song called Hotel California. The last line is 'You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave!'. Last week in Atantla I had that exact experience, and it made me think that first impressions are not the only important thing - last impressions are equally important.
As I was trying to check out of the hotel (which otherwise was exceptional), the line-up was out the door and the staff all seemed very panicked with the large crowds. Checking out took over 1/2 hr - which is the last contact I had with them and leaves a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth when I mention their name to anyone.
Then again, at the airport our flight experienced a 1 hour delay in the airport and then another hour and half delay once we boarded. Now, we can't exactly blame them for the weather (although some people tried), but there were still things they could have done better so that I wasn't so frustrated:
As I was trying to check out of the hotel (which otherwise was exceptional), the line-up was out the door and the staff all seemed very panicked with the large crowds. Checking out took over 1/2 hr - which is the last contact I had with them and leaves a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth when I mention their name to anyone.
Then again, at the airport our flight experienced a 1 hour delay in the airport and then another hour and half delay once we boarded. Now, we can't exactly blame them for the weather (although some people tried), but there were still things they could have done better so that I wasn't so frustrated:
- more frequent updates on the situation
- food & beverage service
- de-board until ready for departure
- music or movies
Maybe the Hotel California complex is part of their tourism strategy, but I don't know if it's a good one. Lasting impressions are a combination of first and LAST impressions. What impression are you leaving your customers with?
The Quiet Try-It Method
Twice in the last month I've come across 2 businesses using the 'quiet try-it' method of launching their business. Now, coming from a marketing background, I'm used to the 'go big or go home' approach with big grand openings and big media announcements. So at first I wasn't totally into the idea of the quiet approach, but I'm always up for something new, and was happily surprised.
The first business was a very unique service offering in Kingston, a hair salon catering only to children. The quiet approach for them actually worked to drum up interest in this 'secret' new business with an invite only event. It got people murmuring about it all over town. And when the moment was right she then did a big grand opening.
The second business was a restuarant - a world where everything that can go wrong during a grand opening - DOES! By using the quiet method it gave them menu feedback, an opportunity to work out the kinks in the kitchen and create some revenue before the official launch.
This is like a pre-opening circle check, not just of the premise but of the actually service as well. Well Done!
The first business was a very unique service offering in Kingston, a hair salon catering only to children. The quiet approach for them actually worked to drum up interest in this 'secret' new business with an invite only event. It got people murmuring about it all over town. And when the moment was right she then did a big grand opening.
The second business was a restuarant - a world where everything that can go wrong during a grand opening - DOES! By using the quiet method it gave them menu feedback, an opportunity to work out the kinks in the kitchen and create some revenue before the official launch.
This is like a pre-opening circle check, not just of the premise but of the actually service as well. Well Done!
Battery Power - your small business contingencies
One of the things that smart entrepreneurs will do is create and constantly monitor their "back-up" systems. Just like a trucker has their battery as a back-up to potentially keep their cab heated and emergency lights on if they have a breakdown on a deserted piece of highway, small business owners need to have their own contingencies in place for when they have a "breakdown".
The other day I experienced a properly charged "battery" in action. The automatic ticket printing machine in the municipal parking garage I was entering was not working. At the peak of morning traffic on a busy downtown intersection, this could have been a messy situation with people unable to enter the lot and clear the street. However, the battery was fully charged, and the situation was handled without problem. The staff person in the booth simply handed me a handwritten ticket with the time of my entrance on it, and when I left much later in the day, the new staff person processed this ticket without hesitation or trouble. Pretty impressive for a municpal government operation!
Is your small business battery charged up just as well?
The other day I experienced a properly charged "battery" in action. The automatic ticket printing machine in the municipal parking garage I was entering was not working. At the peak of morning traffic on a busy downtown intersection, this could have been a messy situation with people unable to enter the lot and clear the street. However, the battery was fully charged, and the situation was handled without problem. The staff person in the booth simply handed me a handwritten ticket with the time of my entrance on it, and when I left much later in the day, the new staff person processed this ticket without hesitation or trouble. Pretty impressive for a municpal government operation!
Is your small business battery charged up just as well?
Being "Exceptional" for free
In Trucker Management, we talk about the difference between simply doing the "basics" in your business, or being "exceptional". I ran across a couple of examples of businesses being exceptional recently, which show how you can do so without it costing your business any more money.
Firstly, 21 Degrees, the company who services my furnace and air conditioning unit in my house, have a great way of answering the phone. Instead of the expected "21 Degrees, can I help you?", they answer with something along the lines of "It's a great day here at 21 Degrees. How can I make you smile today?" Something that costs absolutely no more than employees giving the "standard" greeting, but so much more effective. Every time I call them, it makes me smile just hearing them say that.
Secondly, the Waring House is a restaurant, conference centre and cookery school in Prince Edward County, west of Kingston. They are in a rural area and so have a septic bed with which they need to be careful of what waste ends up in there. In the washrooms, instead of a harshly worded warning in bold letters about what NOT to put down the toilet, instead there is a nicely decorated sign that says something like "Welcome to the country! The Waring House is serviced by a septic bed which means that only the one-ply biodegradable toilet paper provided and natural waste can pass through the toilet. Please ensure all other materials are discarded in the trash can." Instead of a stern warning, you receive a welcome, and an explanation.
What ways can you find in your business to be "exceptional", without costing any more money than being "basic" costs?
Firstly, 21 Degrees, the company who services my furnace and air conditioning unit in my house, have a great way of answering the phone. Instead of the expected "21 Degrees, can I help you?", they answer with something along the lines of "It's a great day here at 21 Degrees. How can I make you smile today?" Something that costs absolutely no more than employees giving the "standard" greeting, but so much more effective. Every time I call them, it makes me smile just hearing them say that.
Secondly, the Waring House is a restaurant, conference centre and cookery school in Prince Edward County, west of Kingston. They are in a rural area and so have a septic bed with which they need to be careful of what waste ends up in there. In the washrooms, instead of a harshly worded warning in bold letters about what NOT to put down the toilet, instead there is a nicely decorated sign that says something like "Welcome to the country! The Waring House is serviced by a septic bed which means that only the one-ply biodegradable toilet paper provided and natural waste can pass through the toilet. Please ensure all other materials are discarded in the trash can." Instead of a stern warning, you receive a welcome, and an explanation.
What ways can you find in your business to be "exceptional", without costing any more money than being "basic" costs?
Ok, so the book is behind schedule...
Well this will probably come to less of a shock for most of you than it did for Matty and I - but our book is a little behind schedule. We are now looking at a June launch instead of May. So if you're one of city tour organizers, please consider some June dates instead.
Moments like this remind us that no matter how much you plan, no matter how many hours you put in, and no matter what business you're in - things change. A small business' business plan is always evolving from the moment it is written, and always make sure to have those contigency plans included!
We'll keep you posted.
Moments like this remind us that no matter how much you plan, no matter how many hours you put in, and no matter what business you're in - things change. A small business' business plan is always evolving from the moment it is written, and always make sure to have those contigency plans included!
We'll keep you posted.
The Subway Stations in Toronto - definitely not exceptional!
Matt and I ventured to Toronto on Friday for an e-Publishing workshop and couldn't help but do a circle check everywhere we went - including the subway station. For you Torontonians, you have probably become so accustomed to it that you don't even notice the physical surroundings, but for an outsider like me, it was barely 'comfortable' let alone 'exceptional'. In our book, Trucker Management, we talk about the difference between a business that makes it comfortable for their customers vs a business that makes it exceptional. So back to my day, the reality and what it could have been better.
When I got into the subway, as a newbie, I had no idea where to start. Did I need to find the appropriate subway station or do they all meet in the same place? There were some maps around on the walls that helped me, but there was only one person working in the booth and the line-up was at least 15 people long. I saw a machine marked "tokens", so I put the money in and out popped a token. The only problem was, I didn't know what to do with the token. Did I still need to wait in the line and give it to the person? Or did this token work in the drop spots in the turnstiles? I was also still apprehensive about putting my money in, entering, and then realizing I was in the wrong spot with no way out. Everyone around me was going so fast. I didn't see a smile or a person that looked approachable for support. So on I went. When I got to the platform (I was at Union Station) there were two sides, with two trains going different directions. Thank goodness one of them was the Yonge Train and where I was going to was on Yonge. If not, I may have ended up on some other adventure I guess. At the end of the journey, I arrived in one piece - and fairly quickly too.
So how could the TTC have made my journey exceptional? Here's some ideas:
When I got into the subway, as a newbie, I had no idea where to start. Did I need to find the appropriate subway station or do they all meet in the same place? There were some maps around on the walls that helped me, but there was only one person working in the booth and the line-up was at least 15 people long. I saw a machine marked "tokens", so I put the money in and out popped a token. The only problem was, I didn't know what to do with the token. Did I still need to wait in the line and give it to the person? Or did this token work in the drop spots in the turnstiles? I was also still apprehensive about putting my money in, entering, and then realizing I was in the wrong spot with no way out. Everyone around me was going so fast. I didn't see a smile or a person that looked approachable for support. So on I went. When I got to the platform (I was at Union Station) there were two sides, with two trains going different directions. Thank goodness one of them was the Yonge Train and where I was going to was on Yonge. If not, I may have ended up on some other adventure I guess. At the end of the journey, I arrived in one piece - and fairly quickly too.
So how could the TTC have made my journey exceptional? Here's some ideas:
- a big sign that says 'New to the TTC: here's some tips'
- having ambassadors in the crowd seeking out and helping 'newbies' like me
- providing better signage like 'you are here'
- audio messages reviewing the steps of using the TTC
- and maybe even more proactive and having information available on the train so that I could have read it ahead of time and being organized and prepared on arrival
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