Everyone Loves a Success Story

At least I do.  This one is typical American, except no success stories are typical.  This one is about a phenomenal lady who started as a secretary in a small company to rise to the first female CEO of a Fortune 50 firm.  Pretty impressive.

Yet we have more, she did it in 23 years. Unfortunately, the article does not dwell much on her early years. The focus is her time as CEO and after, including a couple of runs for political offices.  

These years are are definitely important and one can certainly learn from her years as a CEO and political activity.  Making hard decisions are part of life for a CEO, emphasis on strategy is important, and implementation skills are crucial. 

As I read articles like this, I am more interested in how and who helped any successful individual up a career ladder. More than likely, we cannot do it on our own.  Just be sure to read very last paragraph. 

Still, this is a very interesting profile.  In fact, she is definitely someone to continue watching and to learn from.  

The article is by Dave Gordon. Link to article:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52820298

Customer Service - Makes You or Breaks You

Customer service is a vital component of any business.  It makes or breaks you.  It is the basis of what others say about your business and how your current and future customers view you. 

More small businesses are moving to a self help model.  This makes sense, given the technology in our hands. Technology also allows customer service to operate 24/7.  This is valuable, not everyone is on a 9-5 schedule.  So anyone can access help when it suits their schedule.  

But be aware, a self service model can also lead to incredible frustration.  It is incumbent on the small business owner to make it as easy and logical as possible.  This may require training and a commitment to enhancing the website. 

The following article by Jimmy Rodela offers one model for any small business to ponder. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/small-business/a-beginners-guide-to-customer-self-service/ar-BB16xwAN