Thank You, Sochi. You've Tought Us All Some Lessons

MAHWAH, N.J. - Feb. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- With an estimates $1 billion spent on marketing for these Olympic games, it’s Russia’s lack of preparedness that is dominating headlines and social media. Sochi hotels are widely reported to be awash with stray dogs, brown water, bugs, no light bulbs and construction debris.  This is surely not the picture that Olympic organizers want the world to see, but it is what we’re seeing.

Add to this, the terrorist threats, homophobic attacks, and diplomatic tensions, and it’s increasingly clear that Russia has done a poor job of controlling the message they want the world to hear.

There are many lessons here to be learned by business owners.  For starters, before you launch any type of marketing campaign to draw new customers to your business, make sure you’re ready – really, really, ready.  For all of the money you spend on advertising, it’s likely to be the online reviews from customers on sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor and Google that ultimately determine the success of

your business.

Buzz will be created around your business whether you want it or not, so it’s critical that you do everything you can to make sure it’s positive buzz.  Positive buzz can be generated in a number of ways, but the best way to guarantee that buzz around your business will be positive is to deliver consistently exceptional products and services.

Great businesses are rewarded with positive reviews and feedback from critics and customers, while their inferior competitors struggle to find ways to keep customers and win new ones.

As a Small Business Consultant, I see very smart, hard-working and dedicated business owners overlook seemingly glaring flaws in there operations.  One such owner questioned why his customers were going to a competing business around the corner, instead of his business.

One thing I noticed was that my client’s business was not particularly well lit.  In the evening, it was difficult to tell if they were even open.  By swapping out 60 watt bulbs for 120-watt bulbs and removing some decorations and displays from the windows, we made this business stand out and the owner saw an immediate increase in traffic and sales.

Sometimes, it takes a fresh set of eyes with a different perspective to catch the smallest details in your business that can make a critical and enduring improvement.

Brian Turcina is an Accredited Small Business Consultant and Managing Partner of Accellius Private Business Advisory Services.  He can be reached at 201.757.4919 or 888.646.4449 x.1024.