Please everyone involved

In order to have success in business you have to please everyone involved in each transaction. Of course the most important person to please is the customer. They are the primary reason you are in business, and they are the reason you will stay in business, so keep them happy.

In addition to keeping the customer happy, you also want to make sure that things are simple, and that you are happy, and anyone else (third party suppliers, etc.) are also happy. If anyone in the equation is unhappy, it will eventually fail. However, if everyone in the equation is happy, you will see a great deal of success. The following are the three areas to focus on:

Customer satisfaction- Your customer satisfaction is derived from a few places.
1. Are you meeting a need? Customers are going to be far more satisfied with your product or service if it is filling a need, meeting a need, solving a problem, simplifying a complication, etc. The best way to find customer satisfaction is by looking at your market and making sure that the thing you offer is meeting a need for your customers.
2. Do you treat them right? When they contact your customer service, when they come in contact with a sales representative, when you meet them face to face, how do they feel? Do they feel valued? If your customer service and sales reps are well trained, knowledgeable, and polite, customers will be happy with your company.
3. Are the products or services you are offering value based? In other words, do they add value to the life of the customer, and come at a reasonable cost? Value is important to customers, and is critical to their satisfaction, or dissatisfaction.

Self-satisfaction- You have to be happy, otherwise, what is the point?
1. Are you passionate about what you do? If the answer is no, find something you can be passionate about. Sometimes it takes getting behind a cause like going green, other times it requires being passionate about the industry, or just having a sincere interest in the customers and making their lives easier.
2. Do you feel like you are making a difference? Is the product or service you offer helping people or helping the world in any way?
3. Are you making enough profits to justify staying in business? You won't be happy if you work hard with little reward. Keeping prices low is important, but making sure you still make money is also important. It has to offer value all around, otherwise no one is going to be satisfied with the outcome.

Third party satisfaction- If you have suppliers, retailers carrying your products, or some other third party, they have to be happy as well.
1. Are they being fairly compensated?
2. Is there life made easier or harder by having you as a customer?