Location, Location… Oh, and Taste, too…

There are only three things that matter in the restaurant business – location, location, location.  How many times have you heard that one?  I think the first two “location”s make some sense… but it doesn’t emphasize the fact that if you build an electronics store in the middle of New York City, you can’t get away with selling only VCR’s (who still uses those?).  Similarly, you can’t design a product without being thorough.

One of my roommates attended a presentation with an entrepreneur who developed a device that would send text messages, play music, and other stuff through a special service (why not use a cell phone, right?).  Within 20 minutes of using the device, they had hacked it.  As an inventor, designer, and entrepreneur, you need to be aware of your market and your product’s potential.

The point that I am trying to make is this: if you are willing to settle for mediocre, you will get mediocre returns.  Let me explain (because that one kind of came out of left field).  Imagine you are a web designer.  You can make a site look terrific.  However, once it is up, it can’t be changed because your coding is cryptic.  Similarly, if you opened a stylish new restaurant with poor-tasting food, location stops mattering at that breaking point.  So what are you willing to trade off?  Spend less overhead on a web designer who doesn’t code well, or spend more to get one who will make things usable and recognizable to anyone who may want to edit it (more experience, basically)?

I just made that because I love drawing stick figures.

I believe that creating quality products and services will show the most return.  Your business rides on more than one factor.  Your website is more than a pretty page – it is something visitors, coders, and managers will have to use with ease.  People will have to actually eat the food at your restaurant.  Prepare for the worst by giving your customers/clients the best.