Yesterday, Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced that it would close all Smith & Hawken stores (read more here).  The fortunate legacy that will live on are the business teachings of Paul Hawken, one of the Smith & Hawken founders.  I read his book, Growing a Business, last year; its relevance and applicability to today’s business world is astounding, despite its publication date of 1987.  Principles have not changed.

Here are some lessons from Hawken’s Growing a Business:

- “Begin at the beginning.” Drill down to what  your company does.  Think ahead but don’t skip ahead.  Lay the foundation, don’t try to put on the roof before the walls go up.  (Sorry for the excessive construction analogies).

- “A problem is an opportunity in drag.” We will always have problems in our businesses.  If we stop having problems, our businesses are no longer learning and are no longer progressing.  When a problem arises, through creativity and innovation, we are able to solve and then build even better companies.

- “We want to do business with companies that back their products and take care of the needs of their customers.” Do right by your clients and they will reward you with coming back and telling their friends.  This is simple.  Why don’t more companies do it then?

- “Don’t live up to a criterion, set it.” If you are the second, the third, or the fortieth business in your industry to do what you do, are you always chasing the competition?  If so, you will always be behind.  Forge your own way.

- “Laughter and good humor are the canaries in the mine of commerce.” If you are not having fun every day in your business, close now.  If you don’t let your customers or clients have fun with you too, they will find someone else to have fun with (and spend money with).

- “There’s no way to instill a positive customer service ethic before you embody a positive employee ethic.” Treat your people like you want them to treat your clients.

All simple right?  Let’s get to it then.

This is the second part of a multi-part series of lessons learned from Inc. Magazine’s GrowCo conference. These lessons have been translated and applied to the interior design industry for relevance.

Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell–listed by Inc. Magazine as one of the 26 most fascinating entrepreneurs in 2005, author of multiple books including Hug Your Customers, and former CEO of family-run clothing stores Mitchells and Richards—argues that we need to relate to our clients and to personalize EVERY encounter. While many argue that clients should be kept at an arm’s length and should be viewed as business associates solely, I disagree and subscribe to Mitchell’s way of business.

1. People do business with people they like. Be likable.
2. Clients are not transactions, they are people. Build relationships.
3. Give people great, personalized service. Your first priority should not be the products, it should be the service and the experience.

I am not a big hugger—literally. However, I do believe that the metaphorical hug is of utmost importance to running a successful business. You must also ensure that you empower your team to “hug” your clients. Hire a great team and treat them like you want them to treat your clients; your clients will feel good about doing business with you and will come back for every project. They will refer you. It seems simple but chances are your competition is not doing a good job. All the more reason to lead the bandwagon.

To see Jack Mitchell on The Today Show, take a look at this video:

We recently had a less than ideal experience with the length of time it took to ship 3 dressers from San Francisco for one of our design firms in Manhattan.  Sadly, our industry is full of these less than ideal experiences; nothing surprises me now.  I am often surprised when I receive normal customer service–I am exceedingly surprised when I receive something out of the ordinary.

Kudos to Jiun Ho for their proactivity in customer service.  I did not expect anything like this but was so pleasantly surprised that I felt compelled to blog.  Below is the letter that I received.  The letter was accompanied by a beautiful box of Mini Mosaics chocolates.

Needless to say, an “I’m Sorry” note and a box of chocolates go a long way with this girl.

Today I was out shopping and came across this old phone.  Seeing it caused me to think about how we sometimes get a little lazy about picking up the phone and giving our business contacts a call.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of email and social networking.  In fact, email might just be one of the best inventions since sliced bread.  But, recently I’ve been realizing how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to have great conversations with GDM members and designers around the country.  There really is nothing better than connecting with people, and a phone call is a great way to do that. 

Hopefully, the designer on the other end of the call learns some helpful information about how our services can help them run their design business more efficiently and profitably.  But I also love the fact that each time I talk to one of our members, or potential members, I come away with new insight and valuable information.  I absolutely love learning about what interior designers around the country are doing!  What projects are they working on, what challenges they are currently facing, how are they setting themselves apart from the competition.  Each time I have the pleasure of talking to an interior designer, I come away energized and excited about our industry and the exciting opportunities for Gibson Design Management to help interior designers grow their business!

So pick up that phone, hopefully you have a slightly newer model!                                                                                 

• Check in with clients you’ve worked with in the past and see how they are doing; how is their new kitchen working for them?  
• Check in with industry professionals to find out about new design trends or promotions.
• Call potential clients and tell them about something you know they’ll love (maybe those new renderings you can now provide, thanks to your GDM CAD Services team!)

The point is, take some time to connect with people.  It really doesn’t take much time, and you will learn so much.  You will come away from it remembering why you are an interior designer and why you love what you do!

Great blog post today from Small Business Trends today about growing your service business.  While many of these are not new ideas, it’s important to consistently drill them into your thinking.  Plus, if we know them, why aren’t we actually doing them?

No doubt, the economic climate for small business owners is tense and tight these days. That guaranteed income from yesterday is a hit or miss crap shoot today. On top of that, every time you turn around there is a new competitor springing up in your area, vying for the customers you worked so hard to acquire.

How can you stay above water when it seems all external forces are working against you?

Now is not the time for business as usual. It’s time to get creative and think outside-of-the-box for ways to increase profit. It’s always a good idea to tweak the services you offer to keep them fresh and competitive.

Read more at Small Business Trends’ blog…

Thanks to Matt Rodela for keeping this in the forefront of our minds.

Day Eleven of our 12 Day Countdown – Suggestions for things you can do this month to prepare for a fabulous 2009!  Attract Affluent Clients…but how, you ask?  I know just the perfect place for you to learn about this secret to success as an interior designer. 

Design Success University states, “You’re A Talented Interior Designer…Are You Enjoying The Success You Deserve?”  Chief Vision Officer, Gail Doby believes “interior design success depends on your ability to attract affluent clients.”

DSU Membership Programs 

We’re Here For You!

“We’ve been in your shoes and we know how challenging this business can be, especially if you are working alone or in a small office. With Gail’s 20+ years in high-end residential and commercial design specializing in multi-million dollar new construction and renovation projects, and Erin’s fresh perspective as a recent graduate from design school, we understand how there are days that feel overwhelming, and we want to help you with practical and creative strategies delivered with cutting-edge classes and 24/7 access to fit your busy lifestyle.”

Learn More…

We can all learn a thing or two from the Zappos model.  They are one of the most talked about companies today because they do things right.  What do I mean by right?  I mean that they take care of their customers and they take care of their employees.  As a result, people talk about them…lots of people.  Just a couple of examples:

- A woman called Zappos because her mother died and had a few unopened Zappos shoes boxes.  The daughter called Zappos and they immediately said that they would be happy to take the shoes back and would arrange for the pick up.  At this point, we are all thinking that this is standard, good customer service.  However, a week later the daughter received a bouquet of flowers with a note that read “We’re so sorry for your loss – the Zappos team”.  The daughter turned out to be an influential blogger and this story was widely circulated (as I’m circulating it here).

Lesson:  Let your employees go above and beyond to do what is right.  Don’t just provide client service, provide exceptional client service and people will talk about it.

- Zappos now pays its employees $2500 to quit.  If, after an extensive training program, anyone feels that they cannot provide the level of service expected, they are offered $2500 in addition to the time worked to quit.  The company used to pay $250, then $1000, and now $2500.  I would surmise that Zappos easily makes back this money several times over by not only having employees that really want to be there but by also showing their customers that they have policies that put the customers first.

Lesson: Follow the word of mouth marketing mantra: Make your company remarkable and people were remark on it.  Stories like these make people even more likely to become clients because they like what you stand for.

Read more about Zappos in a recent AdWeek interview with Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh.

Day Three of our 12 Day Countdown – Suggestions for things you can do this month to prepare for a fabulous 2009!  Recently, I came across a great article at WomenEntrepreneur.com written by Lesley Spencer Pyle, founder and president of the HBWM.com Inc. Network.  “Ask Customers What Your Business Needs: Find out what’s holding your company back by conducting a customer survey.”  Why not take advantage of a little quiet time this month and conduct a survey with your clients. 

Lesley writes, “With the economy forcing many businesses and individuals to cut back, now is a great time to look for ways to improve. Every business has areas that need improvement, but what stops a good company from becoming a great company is that the latter identifies those areas and moves to improve them. This is essential for healthy growth.”

Read More…