Joe D’Ambrose

It’s a long weekend for Columbus Day, and I’m in Baltimore with my parents, visiting my sister and her husband. In times of leisure, sometimes my brain starts ticking even more than when I’m overwhelmed with “stuff” to do at school. Senior year. Only a few months until graduation in May, and then many more rich business undertakings and whatnot as I move on through my 20’s.

Reading Fast Company as I try to get comfortable on this air mattress, I’m reading about Web 2.0 businesses, the advantages of good product design, and about media conferences taking place around the country. I found some good advice I want to jot down from an AT&T Small Business advertisement:

• Respect your customer’s time. When a customer can’t be helped immediately, tell them why and commit to a time to respond to their needs.
• Stand behind your product, even if it falls apart. Lifetime guarantees create lifelong customers who will return to your company and spread the good word to friends.
• Go the extra mile to give your clients the service they deserve. If you go out of your way to improve your clients’ experience, they’ll go out of their way to improve your sales.
• Remember the first rule of business. Don’t say “No” to your customer, instead work harder to provide the service your customers desire and chalk costs up to an investment in your company’s future.

Thanks for the advice, AT&T. I’m going to keep these tips in mind as I continue to service Normal Kings clients as well as Expedient Laundry customers.

Lastly, I wanted to comment on two great examples of entrepreneurship I witnessed today:

• Happy Feet: At a downtown festival, we passed by a bright orange booth with two friendly individuals inside. They were selling a delightfully simple product; therapeutic glycerin filled massaging insoles for your shoes. Supposedly these things increase circulation and massage your feet as you walk, helping sore knees, hips, etc. I cannot personally attest to the effectiveness of the product, but my mother is trying them out and seems to enjoy them so far. I was impressed with the simplicity of the product and the idea. You can learn more about the product as well as distribution opportunities at www.happyfeet.net.
• Robert McClintock: I was inspired by this entrepreneur/artist the first time I visited Baltimore, and once again was very impressed/inspired today as I walked through his gallery. Mr. McClintock takes photographs around various places in Baltimore (as well as Washington, D.C. and New York), and brings them into Photoshop to perform his signature smudging on the photos. They come out beautiful, and he prints them up on various platforms (card stock, pulled fabric, poster board). People are blown away by the beauty of this artwork and they can’t help but purchase their favorite scenes. Check out his artwork at http://www.robertmcclintock.com/.

I’m off to bed. More to come in a few days!