On the flip side, customers who are not treated well will tell others about their experiences. Statistically, one dissatisfied customer will tell 10 to 20 people about the incident. One angry customer can cost you hundreds in sales.

There are a few things you can do to prove your store’s value by providing great service and avoiding dissatisfied customers:

1) Provide regular business hours that are posted on your store or website. There is nothing I hate worse than driving to a store and finding it closed with no sign of when they might return.

2) Answer the phone in the first three rings. This proves you take the time to talk to customers. Being polite goes a long way. I love to hear “Thank You” and “Please.”

3) If you ship products, do so in a timely fashion, and use a trusted shipping company. So many companies have lost my business because I have to wait for weeks for products I have purchased.

Good customer service is vital to winning return customers. In the restaurant business, it costs six times more to attract one new customer than it does to keep an old one. Long term customers are also more profitable than new ones. Statistics show that a 5% increase in vegan stores customer retention can boosts that stores profits by 25 to 125%.

The real question is, how can vegan stores possibly be profitable without excellent customer service? Most vegan businesses are small and alternative by nature – and customer service is even more important in these situations. No one likes to be treated like just another sale. With a little time and care, you can ensure that customers will return, and help you grow your business through their support.

Who Could Be Your New Customers?

In 2000, The Vegetarian Resource Group conducted a poll to identify “typical” vegetarian and vegan consumers. Some characteristics that described these individuals were: well-educated, coastal residents, women and health fanatics. These broad terms also, of course, apply to many non-vegans. As a vegan store owner or manager you can use this information to transform your advertising so it attracts a wider customer base.

For example, if you sell vegan protein bars, you can appeal to non-vegan consumers depending on the features of your bar. Consider, how can these individuals benefit from it even though they’re not vegan? Maybe, compared to other bars,  yours has high protein and low calories or sugars. Featuring these product strengths, you can appeal to moms on the go, workaholics, active and sporty individuals or college students – vegan or not.

Increasing the Appeal of your Vegan Store

Once you brainstorm the ways that your products can relate to non-vegans, you can develop a more strategic advertising plan for your vegan store. Maybe you will increase your target market to include health nuts and animal lovers as well as vegans. Whichever spin you decide to take, remember to keep track of sales and customers, and analyze your numbers to see if your new advertising is effective.

What do statistics show? According to a study done by Vegetarian Times in 2008, about 0.5 percent of people in the U.S. are vegan. Although this percentage might not sound significant, it equates to 1 million people. The study also showed that 10 percent of Americans (22.8 million people) eat a “vegetarian-inclined diet.” At some point in time, these individuals have been job seekers, but you just have to know how to target them. Some of them may not be searching for a vegan specific job, but maybe they would be interested in one, if they saw the ad.

What does the online world show? For job seekers who are on the lookout for a vegan business or a vegan store, there are several vegan specific job posting sites and even online vegan classifieds. These databases wouldn’t exist if people didn’t have a use for them, so if you’re looking for an employee for your vegan store, try posting ads on these types of job boards.

Due to the economy, some people have become desperate for a job of any kind. However, even though some job seekers might quickly settle for a job to pay the bills, it doesn’t mean that they have stopped their search. Maybe a vegan or vegetarian job that reflects their lifestyle and ideals is their dream job.

You can rest assured that the vegan and vegetarian job market does exist, but it might take you longer to be matched up with a vegan/vegetarian job seeker. If you want to find an employee who will be passionate about your company’s vegan products or services, you need to target this niche, both online and offline. The Vegan Mainstream Job Board is dedicated to the vegan and vegetarian job market, give it a try.

The Bare Basics

As a vegan entrepreneur, it’s important that every aspect of your business targets the vegan population. This includes your letters, employees, marketing, etc. If you don’t know where to start, check out the free templates that the Business Owner’s Tool Kit has to offer. Here you can find a start-up checklist, employee management forms, a customer satisfaction survey and more. The free customer surveys are a quick and easy way to get feedback, which can be helpful when you’re trying to improve your vegan business.

Additional Funding

Does the financial side of owning a business confuse you? Well, it doesn’t have to, and you can increase your knowledge by taking a the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) free online training programs on small business finance. If you already know you’re going to need a helping hand with the startup of your company, apply for a small business loan with the SBA.

The SBA is a great place to expand your business sense, especially if you’re trying to make your vegan store more profitable too. They have several free online courses on finance and accounting, government contracting, business planning, surviving a slow economy and others.

More Free Online Tools

Depending on what type of tools you need for your vegan business, you might be able to do a simple Google request and find free stuff. If you’re unable to locate anything that suits your search terms, try asking fellow vegans in The Vegan Forum.  Sometimes you can get valuable and free tips when a group of people brainstorm.

There are oodles of free business tools available, so keep in mind that you can always tweak the templates and forms to meet your vegan business needs.

Update Your Store and/or Website
Your place of business should feature the holiday products and services, so put these in the front windows or in the center of the store. If you have an e-commerce vegan store, you need to put your in-season and available products on the main pages. All other products can be allocated to an out-of-season or clearance page.

Post Your Shipping Schedules or Availability
Purchases made during the holidays are time-sensitive, so it will save you a lot of headaches if you post your shipping guarantees clearly in your store or on your website. It’s also wise if you have a customer service in case people have unexpected problems or a list of questions. Last but not least is listing your availability. For example, if you have 100 peppermint candles left, then let people know so they can order now and not be disappointed when you sell out.

Market for the Holidays
Some of the products and services you already offer could be perfect for the holidays. Assess what you’re selling and determine if you can put a holiday spin on it. Maybe offer a special and create gift baskets of selected vegan products or discount a few of your services.

Stay in Touch
Always keep your company’s contact information readily available. When people are buying gifts for others, they might have more questions for you. Sometimes directly talking to potential customers will give you a chance to suggest additional products or up sell them. Also, don’t forget to have your business hours prominently posted.

Preparing your business for the holidays can be challenging, but if you revamp your store and/or website for the occasion and make yourself available to potential customers, you can take your vegan business to the next level. Even if this is your first holiday season, take it as a learning experience for next year.