It Isn’t The Same…

There is a small Italian restaurant in my little town.  The Italian husband and wife have built their brand through attention to detail, consistent service, and authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on pizza.  I know another couple who developed an excellent restaurant (Michelin Star) in an equally small town.  Through attention to detail, excellent service, and amazing French Cuisine they have developed a phenomenal business.  I have yet another good friend who has a small business my town.  He and his wife have built a business offering a unique variety of vintage clothing, artifacts, cards, books, curios and pies (the kind you eat.). Armed with a remarkable depth of superfluous knowledge and “at home” baking skill, they have developed a business through superior service, attention to detail, and a wealth of knowledge delivered with warmth and sincerity.

What I was thinking about was how dependent these businesses are on their founders/owners.  When they are in the store their businesses are every bit the extraordinary businesses built from their imagination and hard work.  It is, however, a core problem of successful small businesses.  How do I scale my business? It is not a problem of scaling the product it is the challenge of scaling themselves.  When they are not running the show, the pizza is just a little divergent, the steak au poivre is cooked ever so differently, the unique product description is just not as interesting. 

What they have built is a relationship that goes beyond the product.  I go to the restaurant because of them and the relationship we have developed.  I go to the store not because I need to buy something but because of the engaging conversation and that newly discovered bit of information.

If you don’t think relationship building is important, think again.  What these owners have scaled is their ability to connect with their customers in a way that goes beyond the product they have developed. It is the relationship that keeps the customer coming back even though they were a little disappointed the last time they came in and the owner was not there--- when the pizza had a little too much cheese, the steak au poivre was just not right, or the curio came in a bag without the history.

Building a business is more than your product…no matter what you do to earn a living or develop a relationship ---- you are the key that unlocks success