I’ll make the assumption that you’ve heard of a little company called Uber.
You likely know it as a car service.
But, I view it as a massive force of change that’s transforming the entire transportation industry and providing some epic lessons in the process.
“Wait. Seriously? Uber and my studio have something in common.”
Yup. These five lessons truly can change it all.
1. Lesson One: The Customer Is NOT Always Right.
This can be a painful one. After all, we’ve been told forever, that the customer is ALWAYS right. But, what happens when they aren’t? How do you handle the customer that’s broken all the rules and still wants you to make an exception?
The fact is you’re gonna face a time, when you will have to acknowledge your customer isn’t right {and that you can’t curb to their demands out of integrity}, but I’ve got a way to keep the customer happy and your boundaries firm.
2. Supply and Demand Rules the Roads {and Your Studio}.
We all likely know this economic rule. The higher the demand, the lower the supply, the higher the price.
So why don’t we operate under it in our studios?
I’ve got three ways you can implement supply and demand without scaring off your customers {and making sure you can always continue your growth}.
3. You don’t have to be the first person into the market {but you do need to do it best}.
I always used to believe the first time's a charm {and the first one into the market is the winner}. But, I’ve never been the first into my market, although I’ve always become the best.
It only takes one simple thing to bring your studio to it’s best and it all come down to the customer experience you provide.
4. Sometimes your most valuable assets are your biggest competitors.
Community > Competition. Somedays I think this is the most shared post on Instagram, but the one least likely to see people take action on.
I get it, cause I’ve been as afraid of my competitors as anyone else. But, after years of learning to work with them, I’ve come to realize that there are times {assuming you have the right competition} that you and your market can take major leaps forward by banding together {and I’ve got some great ideas how}.
5. Just because you’ve founded the business doesn’t mean you should be the CEO.
This one is the one that hurts a little to write. But, I’ve learned the hard way that there are times you’re meant to lead and times you’re meant to hire the leader. Here’s a few great examples of how to know if you’ve reached that point.
- How Uber has taught lessons to businesses in every industry!
- Why the customer isn’t always right
- What Uber can tell us about the principle of supply and demand
- You don’t need to do it first – but you need to do it best
- Why client experience will always trump everything else
- Why your biggest competitors can be your biggest assets
- Just because you started the business doesn’t mean you should be running it
With grit + gratitude,
Lisé
