Displaying items by tag: Business advice

As a business owner, you're bound to get that really unpleasant email once in a while. Perhaps it’s a disgruntled employee, a discontent business partner or an unreasonable client. This can be very challenging to reply to. Very much so if the email contains unreasonable demands, claims that (in your view) are untrue, accusations and other unpleasantries. The one thing I can tell you about this is: Never reply to an email, tweet or other types of online communication when you’re emotional.

Drinking coffee is more than just inducing caffeine into your system. It’s so much more: Socially, historically, culturally.

People all over the world meet over a cup of coffee to socialize. And we’ve done it for centuries. In Norway, it’s impolite not to offer a visitor a cup of coffee. No matter if the visit was a wanted one or not ;) Coffee is a social mediator, something which makes the conversation run smoother and keeps you awake if it draws out…

That’s why I always say that coffee shop owners are not in the coffee business. They’re in the business of creating good times for people. They’re in the business of creating a mood. Oftentimes they’re the people who start the day for people. Or meet them in their busiest time of day. Or when they need to relax and get their mind off something.

If you’re a coffee shop owner, consider this fact again: You are not in the coffee business. And when you realize it’s true: Make your customers appreciate the fact that you know it.

In 2004, a small company I'd been an integral part of on a daily basis, went bankrupt. It was a tough decision to throw in the towel. At first, I felt like it was five years spent in vain. Five years of planning, running and fighting for a business - and now it was all a waste.