Are You Prepared for Luck?

Contributor post by Caroline and Jose of  Handcrafted Consulting

Surreal Portrait by ElleMoss

The New Year is upon us, and this time of the season we all seem to reflect on what has been, and dream a bit about what is to come. For your business, this often means ways to improve, grow, or prosper. The Roman philosopher Seneca said, in one of our most favorite of quotes, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
Opportunity happens. But the magic is in what you do with that opportunity. By being ready, willing, and able, you can say "YES! Come on in!" when luck comes knocking on your door.

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Business Matters: Making a Wrong a Right: Writing a Challenging Email

Contributor post by Caroline and Jose of Paloma's Nest and Handcrafted Consulting

Print by PoolPony

In our previous post we talked about writing a well-branded email, and how the way you communicate with your customers reflects on your business. Helping out customers usually comes easy- expressing the passion you have for your products, or your eagerness to create a special piece for someone. But what happens when that customer is not a happy one? What if you made a mistake, their package arrived damaged, or your item was just not what they expected? Those emails are a bit more difficult to reply to. Not only can these situations be difficult business decisions, but can be difficult emotionally as well.  Our goal is to navigate these situations with grace, turning a it into a chance for your service to shine.

So let's say it's a Saturday morning, and you’re relaxing over your cup of coffee. You glance at your email, and there it is: a brief note from an upset customer. Your heart stops for a bit as you read about the problem they have with their order. How you respond can be a great opportunity to shine in the area of customer service.

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