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In my estate, there is a cake-making company doing booming business. Having been around for a while, its clientele have increased. The company has opened new branches in nearby estates to make delivery to their many customers more efficient.
A lady who was trying out business last year decided to settle on cake-making. She opened a bakery in our estate not far from the rival. Curiosity led me to find out why she was competing so directly and viciously with a fellow lady.
“There is space for everyone in Kenya,” she said. Of course, that is true but I waited for a better answer.
“Her cakes have no variety. And, you know, she has taken her customers for granted. I know the different touch I will give my cakes and I don’t have to necessarily eat into her customer base,” she explained before answering her phone in the most pleasant voice to take a customer’s orders.
These two ladies show what you should or shouldn’t do when it comes to a successful and enduring business. And here is what I picked from this scenario:
1. Offer value: Never take your customers for granted. Some people think customers will always be there and their loyalty unshaken. As you do business, keep creativity at its peak. Innovate and strive to make the customers feel special. Lady One, having been a monopoly, had forgotten this core pillar of business. Lady Two got an opening.
2. Study the market: What is popular with customers? What is available? How can you provide a better service than the existing businesses? So as you research, take a notebook and write down everything you won’t do once you start your business and also what you need to improve on based on your observation. Note the pricing and see how you can slightly lower yours as a start-up must have something enticing to gain interest.
3. Be competitive: A small supermarket in my estate reduced the price of dispensed milk by Sh5 on the day it was opened and they were overwhelmed by the number of customers. The old supermarket was forced, as a result, to also lower the price. But, in essence, the new one had captured some of its customers.
4. Listen to potential customers: If you want to start a restaurant, for example, sample the meals at the various eateries where you want to start yours. Listen to customers and what they talk about when it comes to food. Are they complaining about quality or quantity? Note that down.
5. Do your research: Check the general ambience of the place and cleanliness. If it disgusts you as a customer to see cockroaches flying all over the place, ensure that in your eatery there is regular fumigation; that your customers will feel they are eating clean food.
6. Want it: Do not start a business because ‘everyone else is doing it’. You must be passionate about something to give it your best shot. Therefore, if you are going into hair dressing, learn everything there is to know about this particular business. Indeed, if you don’t understand the business, your workers can gang up against you and really mess you up.
7. Get professional advice: Service and quality are key. Even the décor of your outlet should be done by a professional to give it the seriousness it deserves and hence attract more customers. You must invest initially to reap better as the business picks momentum.
Bear in mind that there will always be competition and some ruthless rivals hoping to edge you out of business. In such a case, your relationship with customers and quality of service will keep you solid.
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