Business 101: Details, Details...

In business school, you are taught to see the big picture and not sweat the details.

But when you own your own business, life revolves around the details. How many times have you walked past a restaurant or shop and noticed the dirty windows or dead plants. Makes you wonder what else has been neglected or overlooked.

Or you are looking at the cookies offered for sale and notice one is slightly burned. Or it is the last one left... Must be some reason nobody wanted it, right?

It may border on OCD, but you have to teach yourself to notice the little things... and fix them before they are noticed by someone else. Like...

• The dirty windows or fingerprints on the front door
• The signs facing all the same way in the case
• The cookie that fell off the shelf
• The grease mark on the box
• The one petit four that is bigger or smaller than the rest
• The full trash can or the straw wrapper on the floor
• The piping bag under the table
• The clutter on the table where your cake is being decorated
• The dirty dishes in the sink

I could go on and on...

But you only get one chance to make a first impression and you never know when that might be.

It does not matter that 999 cookies are beautiful and only one is misshaped. Not to the person who only sees that one cookie.

So, keep your eye on the big picture, but pay attention to the details, too.