What Every Business Needs

There are several factors involved in making your business a success. Determination. Hard work. A good product or service. A flexible plan. A strong business team. The list can be endless. But there is one thing that every business, large or small, absolutely must have in order to exist: customers. If you learn the secret of attracting and keeping new customers you can overcome any obstacle on your path to success.

Terri Bowersock was the student most likely to be thumped on the head with a ruler. She was commonly labeled "dummy" and "stupid" by teachers and peers alike. Because her dyslexia wasn't diagnosed until after graduation, she faked and cheated her way through school. College was not an option. Traditional job hunting was impossible-Terri couldn't even fill out a job application. Terri's mom always knew her daughter was smart and she recognized what most people overlooked. Terri had true grit and enough determination to run her own business. When her mom got her a job operating a small gift shop another thing quickly became obvious. Terri had a knack for bringing in customers.

After 4 years honing her sales skills at the gift shop Terri decided it was time to open her own business. In 1979 twenty-two year old Terri borrowed $2000 from her grandmother, signed a lease (which she couldn't read) and opened her own furniture consignment shop. For the sake of space I will fly over her years of struggling to make ends meet, evictions, setbacks and a host of other challenges. By 1997 Terri's Consign & Design Furnishings had become a $16 million corporation with franchises in several states.

When Terri started her own business she lacked education, maturity, business savvy, and a long-range plan. Consignment shops are a dime a dozen and for every one that opens another fails. So what made the difference for Terri? She instinctively knew the value of constantly bringing in new customers and keeping the old customers faithful. What can you and I learn from Terri's experience? Simply this:

-No matter how well business seems to be going, always assume there are more customers that need your services.
-Find creative ways of marketing and gaining consumer awareness.
-Don't be afraid to try something no one else is doing.
-Always provide better service than your customers expect.
-Make your customers feel like you care about them personally. There is no substitute for personal attention.
-Don't be too proud to hawk your business on the street or from door-to-door if that's what it takes to get people's attention.

If Terri Bowersock could achieve business success in spite of some astounding roadblocks, so can you. I have faith in you!

You can do this, I know you can...email me and let me show you how we can work together to make it happen!