The Tale of Two Coffee Shops

This summer in a nearby town a coffee shop opened. Everyone was excited because it was something the town had wanted for a long time. Then it happened. A second coffee shop opened up just a few stores down from the other. There was not enough need for two coffee shops in such a small town. Not only did the second coffee shop hurt the sales of the other, they also hurt themselves because they did not take the time to find out if the need for a coffee shop had already been met. If they had investigated they would have found a larger town nearby did not have a coffee shop.  Market research is essential.

Integrity is Your Best Policy

Zig Ziglar once said, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." This saying still holds true today. Don't try to cheat people out of their money by tricking them into buying your product with false advertising or gimmicks. It may gain you a few dollars in the beginning, but as time goes on you will lose much more. People are more willing to spend money at a business they trust, but if your company has cheated them, good luck getting their business back. Being honest in business doesn't cost a lot of money, and people will remember your company when you them fairly. Honesty is a great marketing tool, it has helped to build many trusted companies.