Why Would You Only Half-Bake?

If your business is truly an extension of yourself and a vehicle for expressing creativity, why would you only half bake that cake?
You might not want to give your soul to your boss when you are just a paycheck, that does not mean you should slack off just because you don't own the company, however when you finally take the step into your own venture completely bake that cake!
Even if it is just a side hustle you need to put 100% into that venture and fully bake that cake.  Half baked efforts bring less than stellar results.  Your clients deserve the best and so do you.

Make a Choice

I was in a restaurant the other day to grab a coffee, the menu reminded me of the old Seinfeld episode where Babu has the restaurant that sells Italian food, Chinese food, Greek Food, etc...  Babu tries to sell everything with no success.  This particular restaurant I was in had signs up Ice Cream, The Best BBQ, The Best Fish and Chips and Deli sandwiches.  It was if they could not make up their mind what they wanted to be good at.
I asked how business was and the fellow at the counter said not great, it was in a busy area but they failed to hone in on a market.
Sometimes in business you need to make a choice at what you want to be great at and go for it with all the gusto you have.  This is not to say you can't have many parts to a business, but there are times when a business needs to focus and make a choice.

Your "Company Policy" is killing your business

Lets make this simple.  Who would you rather do business with, the company that makes sure that every interaction you have is simple, easy, painless, positive and memorable OR the company that stifles their staff and employees with policy and procedure for customer satisfaction?
You order a meal in a restaurant and there is a problem, you buy something and it fails to live up to your expectations, you have service done and there is a problem with it after the fact.  How the situation is handled in the very first interaction is what will make or break the customer relationship.  We all have off days, make mistakes, slip up.  It is how you handle it that counts.
Your staff should not have to cite policy and procedure, they should be able to make it right immediately.
I remember in one of my first career jobs over 30 years ago, I was an assistant manager for a national automotive repair and retail company.  My manager told me that when there was a customer complaint I was to take it first and quote policy and gently fight them on making it right.  I would then tell them when they were persistent that they needed to talk to the boss.  He would right away give them what was needed to make them happy and be the hero.  He believed this made people appreciate the satisfaction more because they had to fight for it.
It never made sense to me and when I was given an opportunity to manage the same location when my boss moved on, I did the opposite.  I empowered every member of my staff to make it right on the spot.
I had four years in a row of sales growth over 20% each year, the best at 35.6%.  I learned early on that to be successful in business you needed to make it simple and pleasurable to do business, even when it came to a service most people dread, automotive repair.
Are you making it easy for your customers or killing your business with policy?

There is plenty of room

One of the questions I hear a lot is "what if there is no room for my business?"  If you are willing to go with your passion and present a product or service that wows, there is plenty of room!  There is very little competition at the top of the spectrum.  If you are willing to be the best in your field there is more than enough room.  The world is full of mediocrity but surprisingly short on excellence.  Don't be afraid of competition, if you are passionate there is very little to worry about.

What Happened???

I was in a city I used to live near recently that I do not get to as often as I once did.  I was excited about driving down Lakeshore Drive and planned for days to stop in for a cheeseburger at a restaurant that had the best homemade burgers anywhere.  My mouth was watering for one of these burgers with real shredded cheese and great toppings.  I went in and the place itself looked much the same, just not as busy at lunch time as I remembered.  I ordered my burger with cheese, sauce, onions and the relish, which was a homemade gem.  As soon as I unwrapped my burger I felt my heart sink.  The burger was on a grocery store type bun, not the bakery bun I remembered and the burger was disappointing to say the least.  It resembled a chain burger and no shredded cheese instead a processed cheese slice!
What happened?  I asked the guy cleaning the tables if they had new owners.  He said "no, same guys, they opened up two more shops nearby and had made changes to the menu."
The burger was $2.50 more than a chain burger, yet there was no longer any value to it.  I might as well go to Burger King or McDonald's.  When you have an independent business and a small business you do not have to tow the company line and sell the processed ideas of the corporation.  You have the freedom to be the best and be memorable.  I would be willing to bet that when the owners first started this business they were full of pride and determination to give the customer a burger they would never forget.  What happened?  Complacency? Loss of purpose?  Greed?  I do not know but I do know that this burger is no longer memorable but very forgettable!  Are you remembering your roots and the reasons you started your business in the first place?  If not perhaps it is time to reignite those passions so you can remain memorable.

The times they are a changing....

"This worked when we started our business, so it should work now."  When business slows and sales slump, some business owners and managers start to panic.  They look for quick fixes.  The above quote came from a smart business owner who insisted that what worked in 1982 should work now.  They panic and look for easy solutions rather than creative and effective ones.  Some things still work but many need a new twist at the very least.    Businesses and consumers are smarter, well informed and look for solutions that solve the problem or fill the need.  They don't need the spiel they want the solution.   Bob Dylan had it right, The times they are a changin and you need to adapt or be left behind!