Small business needs to change the way they do business. And it doesn’t have to be a big change. Being willing to open up your mind beyond “the way we’ve always done things” could be all it takes for a new idea to occur that could seriously grow your business.

Take, for example, this article I found on Twitter. Most people think that to start a restaurant, you have to have a full-out, brick-and-mortar building, but as this article states; with a little creative thinking, these people are opting for a truck instead of a building. The part that resonated with me was, “Take the restaurant TO the people.”

It made me think about one of my clients, Samurai Sam’s (@CinciSams) because that’s exactly what he does. Now there’s still a brick-and-mortar restaurant (in Blue Ash), but in the course of our work with him, he wanted us to highlight one of his regular services: the mobile lunch. Similar to catering, Samurai Sam’s goes to an area business complex and sets up his catering trays in the lobby. For $5, anyone in the building or outside the building, can some over and get lunch, not just the “customer” company. He’s taking his business TO his customers.

To this point, the only people who would know he’s there would be people in that building and maybe people they told. We’re now using social networking techniques, such as Facebook and Twitter, to increase awareness which will, in turn, increase his business. And by offering to do this all over the city, he has essentially opened up satellite restaurants all over town without having to invest in other storefronts at enormous expense.

See: a little creativity, a new twist on “the way we’ve always done catering”, and Samurai Sam’s has not only expanded their market like not otherwise possible, but is still taking it to the people.

Call to Action: So what is something you wish you could do differently? Is there something in your business that could use a fresh outlook? Have you already made some transformations in your business? I’d love to hear about them. Leave a comment below and tell me about it.

Growing unemployment, financial upheaval, socialism on the rise. Isn’t it interesting how grown people are given to panic? The United States’ economy seems to be in a death spiral, or at least that is how some people seem to project it. I guess I’ve always been a “glass is half full” kind of guy.

Unemployment is at 8 percent and could be growing. When I look at the United States today, I see that we still have over 90% of the workforce gainfully employed. I see jobs still being created, even when others are being lost. The election cycle brought us a promise of change. The biggest thing we face is a change of perspective. We need to stop believing and start achieving. We need to decide that we are going to make a difference in our sphere of influence.

For some people, this will mean a change in their career. For others, perhaps a change in direction. We can be sure that nothing will be as easy as the last few years have been. Our businesses need to establish a new connection with our customers. We need to hear them better and we need to serve them better. If we don’t, our competition will. It’s a well-established idea that it is much harder to get a new customer than to keep an existing one, but many of us don’t even know why we lose them. In this new economy, we need to make the hard choices. We need to ask the hard questions. But I believe that those who are willing to do this, will reap the long lasting loyalty of those they serve.

This has to start from the top and be carried throughout the organization. It’s a culture that is already instilled in some companies, but only the ones that embrace it will survive. You need to pull out your old customer lists, grab a cup of coffee and get on the phone. Or better yet, set up a customer service blog that let’s your customers know you’re doing business differently these days! Set up some hard question polls and ask your customers, old and current, to give you frank answers. Then let them know you have heard them!

Life is changing in the US, but the last time this happened, those who changed and adapted not only survived, but thrived! Make the change, decide today to embrace the customer and together learn how much you need each other.

Feast or Famine, it’s up to you!