Traveling-Seeing New Opportunities

During the next week I will be traveling with my schoolteacher wife as she begins her well deserved Summer Vacation. Vacations are not normal for me, nor do I expect them.  I was always raised to work hard and focus on that so traveling has never been a top priority.  I am very excited to be taking this trip with my wife for several reasons.  The first and obvious is the time we will spend together, but in addition to that, traveling to new countries can open one’s eyes to new opportunities.  

Seeing how different cultures work, how they shop, and what their marketing messages present is an interesting way to evaluate your own business in your own culture.  As a traveling entrepreneur for the next week I will be seeking out new ideas from a different perspective.  I will see marketing messages from an outsider’s point of view and begin to understand how individuals or businesses not in my industry or target market may view my messages, and hopefully, I’ll be able to develop a new message to these outsiders from the experience of being an outsider myself.  

Other things that I will be paying attention to are the displays stores use to sell their wares, the outdoor signage promoting various businesses, and the pricing strategies for market type businesses.  There are so many variables when traveling abroad to look at from an entrepreneur’s perspective.  Other things to consider while being a vactioner are service levels at airlines, hotels, and restaurants.  As a customer I will use these experiences to determine what customer service activities are effective and which ones are not and apply that knowledge to my own businesses. 

Using your vacations and travel experiences to gain practical  knowledge all while relaxing and enjoying the pool or ocean is a valuable tool toward greater business success.  Discussing service levels, what worked and what didn’t, with travel companions is a real world look at business and a great way to evaluate some of your own business knowledge and practices.  During your Summer Vacations pay attention to what other businesses do whether it is in a different city or a completely different country.  Feel free to post comments on this post about what you learned about business during your Summer Vacation.  We’ll be back with a new Podcast on Wednesday June 10th.  In the meantime…All the Best!

Filed Under Customer Service, General Business | Leave a Comment  | June 1st, 2009