Breathtakingly beautiful businesses don’t just ‘happen’. They are designed and built that way through deep respect, care and attention to detail to others.
A couple of weeks ago I had this epiphany when I went to visit a Client I had designed their new cafe in Westfield Helensvale. I hadn’t seen her for 6 months as I had been overseas on my epic walk from London to Jerusalem. I went to see Donna to find out how she and her business were going and see the completed fit out.
I left the meeting with Donna feeling on a high. I was so grateful to have built up relationships with my Clients on mutual care and respect. 6 months ago I was wavering if I should take a sabbatical to be part of pilgrimage for peace. Knowing that I would not be around to see the completion of the fit out of her new cafe kiosk, Donna advised me to bite the bullet and go on this once in a lifetime adventure. Below is the words I posted after the meeting on my LinkedIn account:
Not sure if it’s a coffee high after visiting a Client whom I designed their new cafe kiosk before my 6 month walking sabbatical but feeling super grateful. I visited Donna from Emily’s Cafe at Westfield Helensvale this morning. We had a great chat and I left feeling so grateful for the wonderful Clients, colleagues and suppliers that I have built around me throughout the years. They have become fast friends which makes doing business with them that much more rewarding.
Donna as well as a few other people including Tiffany Kemp encouraged me when I was wavering in my decision to bite the bullet and head off on my adventure overseas walking from London to Jerusalem. Donna encouraged me even though it meant that I wouldn’t be around to keep an eye on her fitout. I am forever grateful to you all – you know who you are.
In the last fortnight after returning from my once in a lifetime journey I have visited old Clients with brand new projects, shopping centres and RDMs and this deep sense of all pervading gratitude has followed me.
Thank you everyone whom I know for your support, belief in me and encouragement over the last few years. It hasn’t gone unnoticed….
Donna also ‘followed me’ on social media as I walked from country to country, sending me words of support and encouragement along the way while she ran her new cafe business.
Client Retention
I was concerned that after 6 months away that I would have to ‘start from scratch’ with my Client base. I shouldn’t have been so concerned. The majority of my Clients have stood by me. Some of those that needed my services and had to go elsewhere while I was away had mixed results in terms of service. Most were quite disappointed and were happy to have me back and the quality, care and respect they have come to expect from me.
Nurturing People
With any business, it’s success I have come to strongly believe is based on people and the care and respect that we nurture in these relationships. I have always said that ‘business is easy’ – you simply need to do the right thing and you will always have great business. What I mean by ‘easy’ is if we focus on doing the best we can do for our Clients, offering them great service, value, communication, care and respect we are guaranteed success. The more we try and do everything we can to help our Clients succeed the more likely they will want to take you along for the ride.
The saying ‘you are only as good as your last job’ I believe is so true. Do everything with passion and purpose and success will follow.
Breathtakingly Beautiful Businesses
Considering how much time we spend working it is so important to create ‘breathtakingly beautiful businesses’. Beautiful businesses that take your breath away don’t just happen. Just like designing a shop, so too designing a breathtakingly beautiful business takes thought and consideration. It isn’t something we do overnight, but takes continual thought and effort.
It is the ‘little things’ , the attention to detail, that help us to create businesses that are truly breathtaking. It is the way we communicate with our Clients, the care we take in the design and the follow ups we make. It is the extra mile we go to ensure that our Clients are duly impressed.
How To Mix Business With Pleasure
I witnessed the way that Donna greeted her customers at the cafe. The way that she genuinely smiled, sincerely asked them how they were as if talking to a close friend to knowing their names and what their regular coffee was to the way the food was presented in the displays. Every little detail was well though out and heartfelt. It was breathtaking to witness her ‘doing business’. It looked more like ‘pleasure’ and it took my breath away!
Opening shop can be a stressful process. By helping to make the process ‘easy’ by being the proverbial duck gliding across the water, where we make things look effortless but under the surface of the water our little feet are paddling like crazy. The easier we can make the experience for our customers to do business with us, no doubt they will return. Businesses become beautiful when we nurture our relationships with our Clients, where we sincerely care and respect them.
Want to have a breathtakingly beautiful experience opening shop – come talk to us.