"If people around you will not hear you, fall down before them and beg their forgiveness, for in truth you are to blame." Dostoyevsky Are you open for business? Think so? What image does your store project? It is bright, cherry, well lighted, and saying “stop in”? Or is your place dark with dirty windows, poor lighting, and faded, out of date displays? Take a walk across the street and look at your business- what do you see? Do you see an image of success? Do you see an image of “come on in?” Or do you see a store that looks closed? If you don’t beam with pride as you peer at your creation, it is time to spruce it up and snag more customers. As business owners, we get so busy with the daily demands we may not see how we look to others. We just assume the world knows how great we are. And when we discover otherwise, it may be too late to stop the flowing of red ink. Running out of money is not the only reason so many small businesses fail; lousy appearance and lack of information can do you in. A case in point-on a recent Saturday morning my wife and I stopped at a newly opened coffee shop in our area –great place, well-decorated, appealing menu, reasonable prices, and an attentive staff. The only problem--too few customers. And as this is a new business, chewing up dollars, I imagine the owner is anxious. I know I would be, if my employees outnumbered my customers. And no wonder, from the street the place looks closed. Oh yes, there is a small hand written sign tucked in the corner with the word” open”- but try reading it from 20 feet. This coffee shop is not unusual. Many new business owners sabotage their efforts by hiding their business under the biblical “bushel basket.” If you think promotion is handing out business cards, small signs in the window, and running one ad announcing to the world you have arrived-prepare for a lonely winter. Let me tell you about the other extreme-some have complained it is too much, but the guy is still in business- a small pizza parlor with signs and posters everywhere –including two neon “open” window signs that are impossible to miss. You will never miss his daily specials. He uses easels, posters, flyers and a delivery truck plastered with ad copy. While I think he has gone a bit overboard, he took a defunct pizza parlor that had twice failed and roped in the traffic, my guess is, he is not afraid to tell the neighborhood he is in business. If you are thinking about opening a business, yes, you need money, you need a product or service, you need facilities, and you need a customer base- and you need a way to promote your baby- the simpler times of hanging your shingle out are gone. How you reach those souls that have money to spend with you requires an understanding of merchandising and publicity. And while your new business can’t afford to sponsor the nightly news or take a full page ad every week, you can turn on the lights and use signs that say “we are open- come on in!” It all comes down to common sense, you don’t go to your best friend’s wedding in sweats- so don’t let your business ask you customers to visit a slop shop. Appearance, yes appearance –the image you project can well be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Unless you don’t need sales and profits, make your store or office a place that puts out a big –very big welcome mat. How? Clean windows, attractive displays, colorful posters, an uncluttered look, lots of lighting, and no distractions such as the local rock station entertaining your employees. Your business is a serious endeavor, so be serious about it. Pay attention to the messages you send out to your customers. What do your customers want? Nothing complicated, they want to buy with confidence in a pleasant environment, feel they are treated honestly, and that you and your employees respect them – anything less will send them to your nearest rival. Copyright 2003 Dr. Paul E Adams, Professor Emeritus Business Administration Ramapo College of New Jersey Author “ Fail Proof Your Business: Beat the Odds and be Successful.” Available Amazon.Com. If you have questions or comments- contact me: drfailproof@earthlink.net