Smart Business Practices

Spring is here! Yes, it is a sign of relief to know that we do not have to put our kid's big and heavy jackets on when they go to school or daycare. This time of the year is also a time when everyone is doing Spring cleaning and trying to get rid of their stuff by having a yard sale.

Today I decided to check one of them out. It was on my way home when I spotted a yard sale so I thought I would be a good neighbor and support young entrepreneurship by making a purchase. There was a young lady and her mom that was holding this sale. I was quite impressed by their determination to sell everything they had by the end of the day and make some quick cash on a sunny Spring day. I have found a few books which I thought it will be a great gift for my daughter as she loves books more than she loves food. I asked how much the books cost. 5 books for $2.50 was a bargain in my opinion. I took out a $20 bill from my wallet. That was all I had on me. The woman that was holding the sale told me that she cannot break the $20 therefore she cannot sell me the books. Although there was a store around the corner where she could've changed the big bills, her solution to this was not to make the sale. There is a lot to learn from this incident when it comes to business.

• Be prepared before you set up a business. In this case have enough change from the night before when the banks are open so that you will not turn business away.
• Make it easier for the customer/client and eliminate negative responses from your business vocabulary. In this case make the sale and go get change after for future customers.
• Provide good customer service. In this case the example above also applies.
• Ensure you will teach the younger generation of what good business is. In this case when you turn customers away you will not reach your goal of selling all items on your list.

These examples exist in other businesses as well and therefore we, the consumer feel frustrated. But in the end is the business that will suffer because we will not normally support them and turn to another business that will meet our needs and serve us with integrity. In this case the yard sale is not a sustainable business but how about a business that is? Have you ever been served poorly while trying to make a purchase? What was your reaction? Please share...

Doina Oncel is a Social Media strategist and the founder of Doina's Infinite Solutions and she is also one of the leaders of Entrepreneurial Moms of Toronto.