I think that one of the great things about a small business is that operations, services, and products CAN be more customized and personal. Many of us try to make our small businesses into “mini” corporations and keep things as standardized as possible. But, we might be missing out on a way to really make our business practices stand out amongst the competition. It might just be that personalized service or special adjustments to products and deliveries that make our home businesses shine.
Now, like anything, we can get so carried away with special orders and customizing our services that it becomes too costly to the business. Special care in terms of time and energy is an expense or a liability in terms of the balance sheet and our labor. BUT, the pay-off can be well worth it in terms of satisfied customers and customer loyalty. We just have to make sure that they are not taking advantage of us and that we are not giving away too much for free or reduced prices. As a matter of fact, some small businesses are so successful because they both provide more customized products and services AND they charge a bit more for it. Many people are more than willing to pay a little more to get exactly what they want and need and to have a personal relationship with the business that provides it.
What can you do with your home business to make it more customized? Are there ways you can modify your products or make adjustments to your service delivery to make it more user-friendly? Are there things personally that you can do to customize things more in your home business (adjust your billing or payment plans, come up with more convenient hours, etc.)? If you are not looking into how you can be flexible and provide more custom products and/or services, you might not be fully maximizing your small home business.
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