(Time to read this Blog is about 2 minutes)

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking:

1. My biz quote of the week:
   “When you’re looking for ways to improve your business, life is free research when you’re paying attention!  Have you mastered the art of paying attention?”  
   …Donald Cooper.
2. It’s time for a mid-year business check-up. As we approach the half-way mark for 2021, have you done a check-up on your business?  Are you on track with sales, profitability, staffing, training, product development, customer service commitments, environmental commitments, systems improvement, commitments to your team, inventory management, marketing and promotion?

   Whatever it is that needed to get done in the first six months, did it happen?  If not…why not?  What’s really holding you back and what are you doing to fix it?

   There are only six months and two weeks to go in 2021.  Will you achieve your commitments by the end of the year, or will you end up on December 31^st creating excuses for what didn’t happen?

Now, to this week’s important topic:

Attention To Detail…the ‘small stuff’ makes all the difference!

Years ago, on a trip to New York city, I came across a brick wall on which someone had spray painted in huge letters, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”  But then someone else had come along and added below, “But it’s the small stuff that makes all the difference!” 

Whether your business is large or small, the ‘small stuff’ is important in every part of your operation. ‘Small stuff’ that saves you money, makes you more efficient, helps the environment or makes a connection with customers will grow your bottom line.

Costco is a discounter, but they don’t cut corners.  They pay attention to small details.  Here are a few examples:

1. By changing the jars containing their private label Kirkland Brand cashew nuts from round to square, they’re now able to ship 50% more jars per pallet. By going ‘square’, they’re saving 600 truckloads of shipping cost per year…just on cashews.  This saves money and, of course, saves the environment a little.
2. Their Kirkland Brand bed sheets are stitched with 11 to 12 stitches per inch, compared to the industry standard of 6 to 8, which makes them stronger and more durable.
3. The individual spaces in their parking lot are wider than in any other lot so that folks can load their vehicle without scratching the car next to them.
4. When you order from Costco online, your purchase arrives in a box that’s sealed with paper tape, not plastic. Paper tape makes those cartons easier and less costly to recycle.

You gotta love that attention to detail.

So, what are the ‘details’, the ‘small stuff’ in your business that needs looking at and improving?  How can you be just a bit more efficient, or helpful, or kind, in a way that will make your customers smile and come back, make your team proud…and grow your bottom line?   I’d love to hear from you about ‘small things’ you’ve done that made a difference.  I’m easy to reach at donald@donaldcooper.com.

That’s it for this week…

Stay safe…live brilliantly!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.