I have been very busy trying to finish a couple projects so it's been difficult to focus on writing but this morning I read such a great article about the man that runs "Tods" the Italian shoes that have been around for such a long time. I'll include the link to the article because there is an important lesson to be learned from it for all small businesses and that is cheap is not always the best way to proceed in business. Sometimes staying with the quality of the product or service you've sold in the market place is far more important than always finding cheaper ways to do things.
Diego Della Valle A Shoemaker's Story who took over the business of producing the Tods shoes from his father, tells a charming story of how important it has been to him to keep production in Italy. It has become part of his branding and unlike other companies who have sought to reduce costs by going elsewhere where production costs are less expensive, he believes that part of what he is selling is the fact that production remains in Italy, thus preserving the quality that has been part of why his customers pay the premium for these shoes.
In this story are business lessons we can all learn from...that the success we are working towards has more factors than just our bottom line. We must not forget how we started and the people and ideas that inspired us along the way. These are the things that become part of the story we sell that our customers and clients buy and if they can connect with the 'heart' of the business we have a great opportunity to join with them in developing a business partnership based on common values.
Something to remember is not everyone is our customer and that is ok. But we need to really know ourselves and the ideas and values we are representing so that our message is consistent - no matter whether it's on a website, tweet, any social media or paper advertising.
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