Are You Working Hard… on the Right Things?

On Monday I was down at the National Craft Butchers AGM and had the chance to catch up with a few members of the Impact Retail Success Club.

As always, the conversations quickly turned to business.

One member had recently posted a video promoting his café. I'd seen it and asked if he minded me sharing a bit of feedback. In the video, he described it as "the cheapest in town."

I knew exactly what he meant. He was trying to tell customers they offered great value.

But words matter.

Calling yourself the cheapest can unintentionally change how people see your business. It nudges people towards thinking "cheap" rather than "quality."

The thing is, the café and butcher's shop are one business. They sit side by side, connected, with the café serving the same quality meat and produce the butchery is known for. They've built a reputation for quality, so I'd hate to see one phrase accidentally position the café as simply "cheap" rather than somewhere serving great food at great value.

A phrase like "fantastic value" says almost exactly the same thing without devaluing everything else you've worked so hard to build.

That conversation got me thinking.

One of the qualities that's always served me well in business is sheer determination. I turn up. I execute. I keep going. Day after day.

But determination on its own isn't enough.

You can work relentlessly... on the wrong things.

Every display you build, every social media post you publish, every promotion you run and every word you choose is shaping how customers see your business.

You're positioning your shop, whether you mean to or not.

So here's the question:

Are you just getting things done, or are you getting the right things done?

That little conversation lasted no more than a couple of minutes, but it's often those small shifts in thinking that have the biggest impact on a business.

S0, here's a challenge for this week.

Take a walk around your business as if you're seeing it for the first time. Look at your signage, your displays, your social media, your pricing and the words you use.

Ask yourself one simple question:

What position am I creating in my customers' minds?

Sometimes the smallest change makes the biggest difference.

Have a great week,

Mark