Business Owners Know That Their Customers Are The Key To Their Success

If you have heard the saying “the customer is always right” you are among thousands, if not millions of people who have also heard this phrase. While this may or may not be the case, the customer does have a lot of say and influence in how a company or business performs and its current and potential success. Today, more and more business owners are paying more attention to what their customers say and feel.

Business owners know that their customers are the key to their success. If there are no customers there is no business. Keeping the customers happy keeps the customers returning for future business transactions, which is good for both the customer and business owner. Many business owners authorize customer surveys to be distributed either electronically through email or through the postal service.

Customer satisfaction surveys give the business owner a good idea of what the customer thinks about the services and products. These surveys allow the business owner to ask specific questions about the customer’s most recent experience, a particular product, and the freedom to provide any additional comments that he or she may want to share. This survey system is incredibly useful in keeping a business on target with what its client base is interested in and wants.

What a customer thinks of a particular product or service is vital information to a business. Knowing what the clientele is thinking allows a business owner to get the upper hand on competitors and to provide customers with what they want. The happier the customer is, the happier the business is, so to speak.

Businesses that actively seek out the opinions and thoughts of their customers usually attain loyalty from those customers and clients. Loyalty to a particular brand or business is essential to success. With this loyalty comes free marketing in the form of word of mouth advertising. In most cases, satisfied customers will tell their family and friends about a great new product or a great service provided by a particular business. During these discussions, the customer’s friends and family will consider the item or service then check it out for him or herself later. Word of mouth advertising gives the business more credibility than simple paid advertising.

Any business owner that wants to ensure success for his or her company is wise to consider the thoughts of the customer-base. Listening to the customers’ thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas can help improve business dramatically and thus ensure customer loyalty. New customers help businesses grow, however returning loyal customers make all the difference. It is easy to get a customer for the first time, however it is much more difficult to get the customers to return if they are not satisfied.

3 Reasons Why Most People Fail To Achieve Their Business Goals

New Year's resolutions are launched with good intentions by the tens of millions every December. And somewhere along the way - usually in January - most of them become an afterthought. The mere topic of New Year's resolutions only gets pulled up again in December, when planning (yet again) for the next year.

But a business goal is a horse of a different color.

Because business goals directly tie-in to one's finances - which in turn affects how we live - we pursue them more aggressively. That's the good news.

However in that pursuit lies several pitfalls. Pitfalls that are well hidden from the naked eye. Pitfalls that only reveal themselves once we begin our business goal achievement quest.

What are those pitfalls exactly? Here are three that strike most entrepreneurs at the least favorable moments:

1) You fell for the infamous "You are LIMITLESS" mantra.

Bestselling spiritual/self-help author Wayne Dyer often reminds his followers, "We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

And even though the soul may be free as vast as the universe - we are still confined to an overcoat of skin and bones and gravity. And it is this temporary overcoat that causes very real limitations.

I mean let's face it, there can only be one American Idol in 2008 (or Canadian Idol or whatever Idol for the part of the world you live in). There's one President, one Queen, one gold medalist slalom skier, one winner of the Best Actor on Academy Awards night.

And even though you may deeply yearn, affirm and visualize holding one these positions, you might not ever end up there.

A good friend of mine had an uncle who owned a horse ranch. He was a masterful rider and dreamt of becoming a famous jockey. But at the age of 16 he was almost 6 feet tall. Which is apparently too tall to become a jockey.

We - as human beings - all have limits. Limits caused by financial circumstances, family obligations, time constraints, lack of knowledge, lack of skill, age restrictions, height restrictions, and so on.

The thing is, limitations should never be viewed as stop signs. On the contrary, they allow us to confidently move in directions that work with our natural talents, abilities and lifestyles. Limitations allow us to see how we can improve ourselves.

So acknowledge your limitations. (It's okay!) And if you can't beat 'em, be confident and wise enough to work around 'em.

2) You didn't anticipate the potential problems along the way - or the residuals of success.

As I write this article the jackpot for the New York state lottery is at $115 million dollars. Manhattan office workers file into the deli's during their lunch hour to stand on those lottery lines, and fantasize amongst each other about winning.

From the middle class viewpoint, a big lottery win looks absolutely delicious. But Dr. Steven J. Danish, professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, paints a very different picture.

According to "Windfall not always a blessing, psychologists say,"

"Danish has counseled lottery winners for more than 12 years, and almost all his patients have had serious problems after collecting their winnings. After the initial shock passes, a sense of guilt often arrives, along with the hoards of people asking for money. Giving or leaving money to family -- including mysterious, long-lost relatives -- is often the biggest source of stress, he said."

But this phenomena isn't limited to lottery winners. It happens to entrepreneurs as well.

Yes, your eyes always have to be peeled for the potholes in the road. But you must also consider the problems that come with extreme success.

For example, will you have enough inventory if a positive review of your product generates a flood of 10,000 orders? How will you manage your time fulfilling orders? Do you have a babysitter lined up for business emergencies?

Don't focus on failure. Do create a mindset of preparedness.

3) You focus a lot of energy on past mistakes, instead of learning from them and moving on.

A very dear friend whom I've known for 15 years has been wanting to start his own business for as long as I've known him. Early in our friendship he and his sister-in-law decided to do some kind of venture together. The venture flopped. He lost $4K, while she lost almost nothing.

Over a decade later, he still talks about how much he wants to go into business for himself. But the memory of losing that $4K re-plays itself over and over in his mind. It's the reason why he commutes to a government job every day, instead of taking the plunge and starting his own business.

Sadly enough, he rationalizes his inability to move forward by saying that he'd rather be 100% sure that he's doing the right thing, instead of going in with a half-baked idea.

My outlook as a seasoned entrepreneur is a little different. Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed. The best-laid plans can be thwarted in the blink of an eye. The best you can do is learn from the past (not LIVE in the past) and move on.

Business Hotels In Amsterdam: Your Comfort, Their Business

Amsterdam's promise of diversity and wealth make it an excellent choice for living, education, and most especially, business. Its ideal location in the European continent makes it a popular tourist and business destination, playing host to various flourishing industries. If you are visiting Amsterdam to wheel and deal, your best lodging option is a business hotel in Amsterdam.

Business hotels in Amsterdam are for the businessman on the move. They provide both leisure and business facilities perfect for conferences, meetings, or any kind of business travel. Most business hotels in Amsterdam are designed to please, with your convenience as their primary aim.

Location, Location, Location

Because time is always of the essence in business, the best business hotels in Amsterdam are tucked in central locations. This provides you with more mobility, and you don't end up wasting too much time getting from one place to another. If you are only staying for a day or two in Amsterdam, a business hotel located near the airport is right for you. Because it is not particularly scenic, you don't get sidetracked into doing other things. Moreover, you don't have to put up with city traffic. Instead, you can fly out in a hurry as soon as you get your work done.

A Little Thing Called the Internet

Possibly the most important facility that business hotels in Amsterdam can offer is high speed Internet access. Modern businesses rely heavily on the World Wide Web, so it is a must that you can access the Internet everywhere you go.

Some business hotels in Amsterdam provide Internet connection in specific locations or hot spots, such as the lobby, coffee shops, and business centers. More and more business hotels in Amsterdam, however, are offering Internet connection in every room, giving business travelers like you the freedom of staying in touch with the office, as well as your home, right from the comforts of your own hotel room.

Similarly, if you are holding meetings or conferences in business hotels in Amsterdam, it is essential that the function room or conference room be equipped with a high speed Internet connection. This gives presenters a chance to demonstrate products and show reports, fostering better understanding for the attendees. High speed Internet connection also allows you to conduct video conferences, interactive training workshops, and business seminars.

The Customer Is Always Right

Being a businessman, you know exactly how important it is to take care of your customers so naturally, you would expect to be treated the same way. You expect no less than the best customer service in business hotels in Amsterdam. Any lapses, no matter how seemingly insignificant, have the potential to compromise sensitive deals and necessary negotiations. Speed, efficiency, convenience, and an added bit of comfort make transactions and deals go smoothly.

The best business hotels in Amsterdam do their part in fulfilling all your needs, even going the extra mile to satisfy. Some business hotels in Amsterdam provide transportation through shuttles, private cars, and taxis. Staff in the best business hotels in Amsterdam would iron your shirt, find a special tie, and even buy a pair of socks for you. They would find your lost luggage and fix your hairdryer, if they haven't provided you one already.

After a hard day's work, even the busiest businessman would want to wind down. Take the time to take advantage of the facilities provided by business hotels in Amsterdam. You can get a relaxing massage at the hotel's spa, take a dip at the pool, or grab a drink at the bar. Oh yes, businessmen everywhere will find it makes perfect business sense to stay at business hotels in Amsterdam.