Do you notice how some people seem to run business with great ease, while for others it is an eternal struggle?
As CEO of Pola Cosmetics those 16 years were sometimes effortless and easy but often extremely tiring and challenging.
As I look back on what made for the challenges and exhaustion it was generally people and sometimes, difficult market conditions. It was not about the product quality.
Today’s retail market conditions I feel present a whole new test for business owners.
Firstly, no matter what market we are in, there is a huge amount of competition. Secondly, consumers have an incredible array of product choices, not just within specific sectors but across sectors. Consumers also have an extraordinary appetite for consuming and are extremely demanding about value for money.
Add to this hikes in the housing market, rising interest rates, an uncertain economic environment, concerns about where our country is going and it all adds up to consumer caution. It all means that product and service quality have to be excellent.
There is also another factor that must be impacting on retail business, the fact that we are all so busy!
I have yet to understand why we all seem so much busier than ever before, but it seems to be a fact of life today, that despite all the amazing developments that have lead to easier communication and connection between people and businesses, we are still out of control busy.
This brings me to the inevitable conclusion that ease of purchase is high on the list of success.
Equally in a business-to-business world ease of doing business has to be a pre-requisite for success.
So can business be effortless and easy?
The answer is yes, if your product or service is of the highest quality, if your delivery system to your consumer is painless and if you as a business can be trusted to deliver consistently.
At griffin+row we know we have a really high quality product that actually delivers real benefit and yes, we are pursuing the best system to deliver to a large customer base around the country.
We know we are not there yet but we do know we need to keep moving in the direction of making life better and easier for our customers.
Marcia Griffin’s latest book, High Heeled Success (pictured left), is a frank account of building a business from a solitary sales person to a multi-million dollar business with 4,700 sales consultants around Australia and New Zealand. Contact Marcia to purchase. Marcia’s latest venture is skin care company griffin+row.