By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

As your business grows, your need for customer service grows with it. No matter what the quality of your product or service, and overall high-quality business requires established, reliable, good practices for interacting with their clientele. Remember, customers expect consistency.

Even before you acquire your first support staff, you need to start considering your customer service policies. Responses to customer demands should be consistent. Here are some ways to maintain consistency when growing your business.

“Professionalism” is the bottom line. In your business’s early stages, formulating consistent policies and ongoing practices may seem daunting Imposing these practices on any staff you may have may seem to pose an even greater challenge.

As your company grows, your brand grows. As you build your brand, remember the importance of consistency in quality control and service speed.

The following strategies might create a more consistent, professional customer service style:

1. Remember the importance of deadlines. No one will do business with you on an ongoing basis if they can’t plan their own schedule due to your unpredictability.
2. Your client’s priorities are your priorities. Your customers have their own bills to pay and expectations to meet. Your unpredictability may interfere with your client’s ability to meet their own obligations. In the early stages of your business relationship, you should get to know your client’s business and gain an understanding of how to accommodate their own schedule, as well as their supply and staffing issues.
3. Consider your website’s analytics and consider the SEO for your website. Search engine optimization has brought predictability and standardization into many industries. The right keywords and SEO practices can help bring your business practices in line with whatever clubs you want to join and those industries that you want to align with.
4. Keep your own business practices reliable and make sure your products meet the standards in your industry.
5. Place customer feedback at the forefront. Your customers help build your brand. Remember their importance in creating the most reliably satisfying product.
6. Keep in touch with technological developments and innovations. Take advantage of any measures to stay in touch with industry standards, including journals, word-of-mouth, and product updates.
7. Understand client schedules and respect them. Your clients may have their own clients, and each may have its own demands. Disrespect for their schedules disrupts the lives of many down the supply chain and is not good for your business or the business of your customers.
8. Please, no drama! Professionals should plan to minimize the unexpected. Business owners should plan for emergencies, keep proper insurance, and avoid excuses when things go wrong. Clients and contractors pay you for things to go right. They do not pay for drama and may expect recompense when a wrench gets thrown into their business plans.

When customers and clients contract with you, they pay for reliability. Veteran Business Owners should plan to keep their business practices consistent. Remember to research best practices in your industry and keep your own practices reliable enough that your clients and suppliers always know they will get what they bargained for.  

 VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

We’ve all heard of “legalese.” It’s famously confusing. But how are we supposed to follow the law when barely understand the letter of it? We all must deal with business contracts, especially in the business world. But slogging through the thick language is enough to send the best of us into a trance.

What do Veteran Business Owners need to know? Let’s start with the basics that might help us wade through the marshland without getting stuck in the mud.

Business owners should understand the concept of offer and acceptance. An offer legally binds us and grants us the right to accept at any time before withdrawal. In fact, the offeror may withdraw at any time before acceptance. Business owners should realize the weight of such terms when dealing with customers and contractors. 

Weasel words abound, so scan any document you sign. Also, here is an important point. Not every contract involves a signature on paper.

Before you sign (or agree to) a contract, look out for these terms, however, worded, before any danger breach:

Offer: Remember that the offer itself carries its own legal weight. The offer in most cases grants the right to accept. Ideally, the offer carries terms precise enough to convey what is expected. Assuming a “meeting of minds” (and yes, that is a term of art), the offer becomes law upon acceptance.

Acceptance: When the offer is accepted, it binds both parties. An outstanding question remains: what are the terms? 

Negotiators need to think of what they are agreeing to. Also, think carefully about how you are supposed to agree to it. sometimes just behaving like you’ve sealed the deal is enough to bind you in court.

Breach: This is a magic word. A contract binds each party. The terms of the contract, however, may get wrangled over in court. Parties should always know what they agreed to. 

Force Majeure: Some legal terms are tough to pin down. Force majeure can encompass any variety of circumstances that make performance impossible. It is a fancy way of saying undue burden. 

Perhaps Hurricane Katrina just struck on the other side of the country, where you get your supplies. Maybe someone in the supply chain got the flu during the Pandemic. The situation will differ on a case-by-case basis, and the burdened party may be excused from performing their part of the deal.

Parties: A contract should make clear the identity of the parties. 

Indemnity, Waiver, Hold Harmless: Each of these terms is a fancy piece of jargon to get someone off the hook. 

First, a contract may indemnify against harm to third parties, assigning liability entirely to one of the contractors. 

Second, a waiver may spell out conditions under which some responsibility under some circumstance.  Occasionally, a contract may even waive liability for a court claim. These clauses may or may not be completely enforceable and should be read carefully.

Third, a contract may hold a party harmless in cases of harm to the other party. Again, these clauses have varying degrees of legality, and their validity should be verified by an attorney.

Now let’s see what happens after a breach:

Arbitration or Mediation: In some cases, parties may agree to pass through a professional who will settle disagreements. They may escape a trial in court, but the resulting decision is considered an enforceable contract.

Forum/Choice of Law: Sometimes, the physical location of a court case may influence the outcome of a court case. Other times, controversy arises over the law to be applied case itself.  Lawyers routinely fight over these questions. The law is not the same in any jurisdiction. Similarly, the forum, or physical location, may unduly burden one party. For this reason, parties often spell out these issues beforehand during the formation of the contract.

Liquidated Damages: Contracts may prescribe a preset compensation in case things fall through. These clauses are usually enforceable when reasonable.  However, remember that “reasonable” may be a matter for the courts to decide.

Severability: Sometimes, part of a contract is simply unenforceable. A severability clause ensures that the rest of the contract is still in force.

Each of these terms may be referred to as something else. However, all appear routinely in business, and even in personal transactions. An understanding of the basic principles behind each can term prevent a serious headache for everyone involved.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It was not written by attorneys and should not be considered legal advice.  VAMBOA recommends that you consult your own attorney before entering into any type of legal agreement.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

Choosing the Wrong Metrics of Success

Consider the industry and market. Many businesses are seasonal, especially in the eCommerce field. Short-term measurements may hold limited relevance for long-term success. In addition to sales revenue, important considerations may include customer satisfaction, customer turnover, customer engagement, and the cost of acquiring new clients. Feedback from customers may prove just as useful for long-term growth as raw numbers reflecting factors such as sales revenue.

Remember the bottom line. Metrics such as site views are a good sign, but don’t let your head puff up until you’ve seen the end rewards. Beyond tactics such as “search engine optimization,” businesses should flesh out their intelligence with a multidimensional approach that provides multiple perspectives and can better develop strategies for the future.

Plan for a Reasonable Balance Between Supply and Demand

In the initial excitement of contract negotiation, business owners might overestimate demand for their projects. Wise entrepreneurs take baby steps while wading through the planning phase. The time for a deeper plunge is after a realistic assessment of product demand. Only after meeting demand becomes a challenge in itself should a new business expand its initial investment.

Too much product at the outset complicates a website, adds to maintenance costs, and wastes the original investment.

Work Out Sales Promotion Strategies in the Early Stages

New business owners can also go overboard with their initial advertising. Remember to carefully ponder sales promotions, and tailor them to your company’s goals. Some business managers can dump money into advertising that can misfire, even harming brand image or simply wasting resources.

A tasteless, spammy, or annoying sales promotion does no one favors. Neither do wasteful practices such as carelessly executed free sample campaigns. Remember that ads should take advantage of the right time, place, and style to effectively influence potential clientele.

Prioritize Wise Contract Negotiation

Irrational optimism can doom new companies. Small business owners need to put together contracts with the worst possible outcomes in mind. Human nature tends to assume everything will go smoothly, but the inevitable snags often pop up unexpectedly. Veteran business owners should pour over contracts with a fine-tooth comb with an eye toward the life of a contract rather than the bare minimums and the foreseeable future.

Careless Choice of Advertising Partners

Remember that you have as much of a right to choose your advertisers as they to choose you. Advertisers need to stay relevant, ethical, and lucrative. Advertisements should stay interesting and tasteful. In other words, new business owners should maintain self-respect and not get carried away in the excitement of finally receiving sponsorship.

Consider Effective Customer Contact Strategies

Email lists can provide a free method to reach prospects on demand. Remember to form these lists quickly, efficiently, and ethically. When soliciting contact information, make sure to obtain a full profile of the customer’s interests, goals, and potential. Effective customer contact lists can save a fortune in advertising later.

Conclusion

Ecommerce presents its own set of risks. Without careful contemplation, Veteran Business Owners can go overboard in the wrong direction at the outset, in ways that can quickly deplete resources. The remote nature of the online customer relationship amplifies these. Careful, realistic, and multidimensional feedback and planning can effectively prepare for success in the modern, largely internet-based economy.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt – Senior Staff Writer

Newcomers Should Consider Breadth as well as Depth. In Fact, They Should Emphasize It!

Before broadening your scope, a Veteran Business Owner should develop a name for themselves in a niche field after finding demand for their services. A specific niche in the economy can ensure a minimum stream of income before the business slowly diversifies.

Remember, large online stores can suck the life out of smaller companies.  However, newcomers often have the flexibility to develop a neglected market share that the Goliaths simply don’t bother with.  These stores often miss out on the market for specialists and hobbyists.   These segments can often give entrepreneurs a foot in the door to short-term profits as well as better things to come.

Find the Right Forums

What is the key to finding the right niche? Business owners should find the right place to familiarize themselves with their audience. 

To get their foot in the door, beginning marketers should do two things. First, narrow down your focus as much as possible. Two, make sure you are part of a community of fellow travelers.

Even for eCommerce, brick-and-mortar venues still matter. Perhaps a sports league or school group may break the ice of a frosty reception and lead to promising business relationships.

Remember the importance of finding the right clients early on. These clients may provide crucial positive feedback and referrals to help your business grow.

Use the Internet to its Full Potential

Social media often provides fertile ground for new connections. Unfortunately for marketers, some people simply aren’t that active on social media. 

However, remember that the online world is full of workarounds. Some business owners simply may not use social media extensively. In such a case, the best option really is to get your start setting up social media accounts specifically for your business. 

Remember, the first customers often have the most to offer the business, in terms of feedback, referrals, and repeat patronage. The initial cultivation of these initial relationships can lead to the growth of your new social media sites.

Additionally, some of your best potential customers may avoid social media. Such clients may turn up on special interest and hobby sites. New business owners may benefit from engagement on these specialty sites. Never spam, of course, but developing relationships with fellow travelers could mean big business later. Here, the new business owner’s depth of engagement with that special interest may come in handy. 

Develop Your Company in Phases

Starting a new business occurs step by step.  In the initial excitement, the grandest ambitions may distract even the most level-headed entrepreneur. However, no one gains from pouring resources into lofty goals before establishing a proper foundation.

Remember the value of initial marketing efforts. These measures set the stage for planning the scope of the enterprise, as well as the necessary operations procedures that may become the everyday life of the business.

The subsequent phases could refine the company’s style of professionalism after its personality has been established. Here is the time to refine the culture and aesthetics to reflect the life of the company after it has already begun. 

Prioritize

On a related note, while it’s true that the devil may be in the details, the perfectionist in us may lose sight of the “here-and-now” issues that really matter. Minor tweaks in website design matter less than, for example, procuring those crucial initial contracts and finding the right supply chains.

For example, changing the font on a website shouldn’t take too much time when bigger work needs to be done. An office in its first few months can do with less than perfect décor. Sometimes, the best plan is to delay the little things, perhaps even until more specified expertise becomes available.

Summary 

Basically, new business owners should put first things first. A good business plan should come before a snazzy website, and an involved client base should precede expansion into unknown territory. The early stages of a business are an easy place to lose focus and shift in the wrong direction. These wayward shifts can waste time, and money, and in some cases even destroy the enterprise.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

Remember the Importance of Standing Out from the Crowd

A distinctive online presence can attract new prospects. A flashy website should never occupy too much time or too many resources. However, always remember that first impressions are very important and matter. The sloppy online presentation does not do Veteran Business Owners any favors.

White Backgrounds are a Cross-Industry Staple for a Reason.

White backgrounds lend clarity, elegance, and professionalism. For this reason, eCommerce sites rarely deviate from this standard. Such a background creates the perfect backdrop for memorable, distinctive content. 

Web designers should take full advantage of the “blank slate” provided by a white background. In other words, remember to keep plenty of white space around any content you choose to highlight. Plenty of white space prevents clutter and draws attention to the important parts of your presentation.

The Layout Should Spark “Friendships” with Possible Customers.

Websites should introduce your customers to the enterprise’s personality. Angles may include the company’s values, the company’s history, and the company’s inspiration.

Strategies may include photos, biographies, and videos. Essentially, business owners should make their brand relatable. The personality of your business should be the first thing prospective customers think of when considering their buying needs.  The idea is to tell your story and keep your audience and customers engaged.

Finally, badges and awards signaling special recognition should be prominently displayed.

Make those Photos Top-Notch or even Professional.

Photos can provide a link between a prospect’s world and that of your company. Owners should place great care in making them not only good but spellbinding if possible.

Due to legal restrictions, beware of stock photos or unlicensed material. Good websites keep the pictorial content original. For example, some businesses produce their own pictures, and others hire professional photographers. The investment can really pay off.

Keep Your Website Dynamic: Add a Blog Section.

A blog section can make a site more interesting by providing information relevant to your industry. Frequent updates can hold the interest of regular customers. Thusly, Veteran Business Owners can show off their expertise and qualifications. In this way, a business owner can impress readers with their ability to meet customers’ needs.

Use the Website to Spread the Word. Promotions and Special Deals Matter.

One strategy is to “wow” potential customers with special deals. Consider any bonus inventory in your lot that may supply a catchy new sales campaign. A prominent display on your home page can distinguish you from other merchants.

Similarly, remember that small things count. A small gift or even a “thank you” at the end can go a long way in establishing goodwill between yourself and the customer. 

Conclusion

From the smallest gestures to the most outrageous deals, the content of your website should take center stage. The aesthetics should primarily function to highlight that content. 

Obviously, your operations should come first even for a web-based business. Simplicity is key, but a wisely put-together site can complement effective operations and draw new customers into your spell. 

Veteran Business Owners should always keep their priorities straight. A website should integrate with your everyday activities. No one needs distracting bells and whistles, but customers can sense your competence with a first impression that effectively and professionally displays what you have to offer. 

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/