Tightrope: Now, more than ever, focus on service

— -- Hi, Gladys:I am currently laid off and would like to start a business. Trying to think of a good business to get into is not easy, especially with this bad economy. Several months ago I thought about starting a legal transcribing service. I got off to a good start because my sister, who is a lawyer, gave me my first contract. She also got one of her lawyer friends give me some work. But after a few months I had problems keeping my focus. What do you suggest I do in this recession to make a living? —Debbie

First, I would suggest you get a medical check-up to make certain that your inability to focus is not a medical problem.

Starting a business is about making a living. To make a business work, you need to create a plan of action and follow it. You'll need to focus on providing the best service. And, now more than ever you'll need to focus on making certain that you and your staff show the utmost respect for both your customers and their money.

Starting a business today is nothing like it was in the past. Today we live in a global economy. You can make a living in your neighborhood or on the other side of the globe. You can physically leave your home and go to a workplace or you can stay home and sit behind your computer and make a living. The choices are yours. However, it is important to find your niche. No matter how hard times get, goods and services are always going to be needed. This means the smart entrepreneur will always make a living.

Yes, the banks and the auto industry have suffered. But, as I know from my uncle, who stays glued to television news, Wal-Mart and McDonald's are doing relatively well.

The other day I went to the theater to see the latest Tyler Perry movie, Madea Goes to Jail, and I could barely find a seat; the place was packed. So, folks are spending in the areas of their interest.

This recession has made more people, including me, take a hard look not only at how much money they spend but also where they spend their hard-earned dollars. There's a strong possibility consumers will emerge from this with a new value system.

For instance, every morning after leaving the gym, I used to go to a coffee shop and spend $6. On the surface that doesn't look like much. But when you add it up, six days a week, at the end of a year, I had spent $1,872. That's a lot of money to spend on a beverage.

One day at the coffee shop I watched the manager insult the customer ahead of me, who also came in daily. I contacted the corporate office about the incident, and they responded by sending me three coupons for free coffee, suggesting that I past one of them on to the customer who had the problem.

When I called them back to discuss the situation further, they wouldn't return my call. The question I had to ask myself was, "Do I really want to give a company $1,800 a year if they won't take the time to train their employees on how to treat customers?"

Now, I no longer go to that store. I bought a reasonably priced latte and espresso machine, and I make my own.

I realize there are many people who are suffering because they lost a job and cannot care for themselves and their families as they used to. They are cutting back because they are forced to. And there are others who are cutting back to stay on the safe side financially.

All of us, no matter our circumstances, are tired of spending their money with businesses large and small who are loaded with people who take your money and don't even look at you, or say, "Thank You." Or worse, businesses that insult you.

In a nutshell: If you can't focus on your business, you will have big problems as we move into this new economy.

More and more of us are insisting on respect for ourselves and our money. And businesses of all sizes are being held to a higher standard. We as entrepreneurs have to take more responsibility for our actions and those of our employees. Business owners cannot afford to be unfocused.

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.