This blog post will most likely end up being a spirited, impulsive rant  aimed at firing up small business owners.  So, I apologize in advance if the read is rocky.

 Last night, I had the privilege of attending the inaugural event for the India Chamber of Commerce.  If you want to see impressive ambition, keep tabs on this group.  They put there money where their mouth is and I was blown away by their passion, respect for others and quiet pride.  Also in attendance was Governor Tim Pawlenty and the First Lady. 

 So, the event kicked off with three slides being projected on two large screens.  Each slide was a photo from the rear of a man and a woman in India on motorcycles.  The men all had helmets on and the women did not.  We were then asked, "what do you see"?   After some jokes, the presenter said he saw a business opportunity to make helmets for women in India.

Last night inspired the following notions for me:

1.) Business is moving 10 times faster than it has ever moved.  This is important to remember because this is good for small, nimble companies and we should be using this to our advantage.  Conversely, it is mission critical that entrepreneurs keep up with the times.  

2.) Customer understanding is not the same as understanding consumer surveys. I think it was Henry Ford that reflected back and wondered what the survey results would have been in regard if he has asked the questions about how citizens of the time would have wanted to improve transportation. His speculation was they would have asked for faster horses and buggies.  Surveys are not enough, understanding the customer, better than they understand themselves is your mission.  Know what your customers are not saying is more importnat than what they are saying.

3.) Your best customers might not be in the United States and you don't need a huge ad budget to reach them. Many wonder if the the whole internet thing and social media is a fad, and they couldn't be further from the truth.  Your next best English speaking client might only be a mouse click away in India.

I will close out this post with, change is happening all around us the small business owners.  This is an unprecedented time for those in sales and marketing the services for small business.  You must keep the 3 marketing concepts at the top of your mind if you want you business to thrive.

Focus To Grow is a marketing strategy and sales execution consulting firm that works exclusively with small companies to accelerate sales growth.  Learn more at www.focustogrow.com.