Our small business online advice columnist. By Alice Magos , Online Advice Columnist Dear Alice, My business needs a boost. In short, focus on the fundamentals of customer service. And make very sure your employees and even your suppliers are concentrating on your customers, too. It's a lot easier and more cost-effective to satisfy your existing customer base than to go out and find new prospects.
Differentiation is definitely a survival skill in business.
And the place I'd look to accentuate my uniqueness would be in customer service. Don't get lulled to sleep by success or even just adequate performance. Keep looking for what trends are coming down the road and ways in which you might change to capitalize on those trends. Get online and shop for Aunt Sarah's birthday present. They'll make suggestions, gift-wrap it and even enclose a card with your personal message.