Tip 2, Don't Go Looking for a New Customer Base by Tom Shay

Tom Shay is the feature speaker for the 2013 Business Management Workshop in San Antonio at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk, Jan 10-11, 2013. See his tips and more at Profit +Plus Solutions for Small Businesses.

Tom Shay's Tip 2: Don’t go looking for a new customer base

• In a changing economy, there's a temptation to re-position the store’s merchandise; and you perhaps consider dropping some of the more expensive lines of products and stocking only the basics or less expensive items.

• Think about how long you have been in business and the customers you have targeted for all those years. By shifting, you may find that you have instead abandoned your target customer. 

• The image you have developed with your customer took time to achieve, don't throw away years of effort for something that is only going to last months, and then start again to rebuild what was lost.