July 12, 2025
Near North Bay, Ontario

“We might be paddling back if the wind doesn’t pick up.” 

(Can’t read the full email – click here for the online version.)

It’s that time of year. The sun rises early, moves high in sky and takes its sweet time to set. Those with the means leave for the cottage on the lake and sit out on their docks and decks, enjoying their beverage of choice as the sun descends in the north-west in a big ball of flame.

The wind drops and the water becomes like glass, mirroring the shoreline and the odd cloud. A loon’s plaintive cry echoes in the distance.

Summer in Canada. For a few short weeks there is no better place to be on the planet. 

Warm weather but not excessively hot. Cool, but not cold fresh water abounds, to plunge in or recreate upon. At night the air temperature drops enough to make it unnecessary to use air conditioning.

If this was Sweden, all work would come to a halt as everyone heads to the lakes or ocean beaches. Here, work does seem to stall, and the pace of life can almost resemble that of central America.

We were lulled into taking the sailboat out. The breeze seemed steady and reliable. Alas, as we reached the main part of the lake, hidden from the house by one of the big islands, the wind died and we barely moved.

We didn’t really mind. With the long days, we wouldn’t have minded if we were stranded for a few hours, enjoying sun and water.

Fortunately for the sake of my aging parents’ sanity, enough wind arrived to allow us to return to port with ample time to help with supper’s preparation.

As much as we enjoy this leisurely pace, as a business owner, you cannot allow yourself to be lulled into a stupor when it comes to customer service.

Case in point recently: 

My father was having difficulty with accessing his email on the old MacIntosh he operates. He asked me to help.

Unfortunately, I could not ascertain the problem. His regular “computer guy” was not available either, having taken off for his vacation. 

We then called two other places. Both had great reviews but one closed at 3:00 pm. Since we were reluctant to leave the lake midday, we thought the second place which posted a later closing time might work better.

The person we spoke to at this second business, however, could not give an answer to whether or not they could solve our problem. We were told a tech person would call us back.

By 2:00 o’clock and no reply from this tech person, we elected to drive into town and use the company that closed by 3:00. Upon arrival, I was relieved to see that not only did they sell and repair Apple products but they seemed genuinely appreciative of our business while demonstrating a professional and competent demeanor.

Later that day, I noticed that the second computer store had called back, but not until after 4:00 pm. This was 5-6 hours after we had reached out to them. Their slowness in reply likely cost them a sale. 

Not just a sale, however. But also a potential customer – for life.

Remember, you should not be thinking transactionally. Do not approach customers and clients with the intention and goal of making just a sale.

Think instead of getting a sale to engage, create and keep a customer – for life. One that will buy from you, over and over again. One who refers. One who champions your business, products and services.

If you’d like to learn how to do that then I recommend you take advantage our free and low-cost DIY training. Click here to get started. 

Until next week, 

Stay healthy and focus on profit! 

 - Hugh 
The “Profit Accelerator” Expert

P.S: Most business owners and consultants, do not have clear ideas on how and where to find improvements in the businesses they manage or advise. That’s why we created Profit Acceleration Simulator^TM . This free tool shows you the exact impact you can affect on your bottom-line via improvements in key strategic areas. Check it out here: (https://streetsmartsmba.pro/simulator)

★ BECOME A HIGHLY PAID BUSINESS COACH WITH #1 COACHING PLATFORM ★
I am looking for individuals to help handle the exploding global demand for business
coaching services. I’m willing to train [at my expense] the right individual with a
passion for wanting to help small business owners become successful.
NO travel - work from home. $225,000 first year income. If you or someone you
know is interested, click here and an 8-minute video will explain it all.