Growing Social Capital

1. One of my best friend's dads owns a popular restaurant in the town over from us. It was not always his main occupation. In fact, he worked on Wall Street for some time and made a great deal of money. He retired and bought this restaurant, which is now where he works. It is called Val's Tavern. It is like many other taverns, serving pizza, wings, burgers, and has a large bar. However, everyone in the surrounding towns knows about Val's because of how well run it is. I shot my buddy a text and asked if his dad had any advice about a business venture like mine. He told me a couple of things that I found super important. The first thing he told me was that as an owner of a restaurant, you have to be super friendly with your customers. He said when you own a small local business, it is important to have loyal customers who you know will always support and recommend you. I have been to Val's several times and he was not lying. He is super friendly with everyone, getting to know them so that they want to come back and spend more of their money. The second thing he told me was that you need trustworthy employees. He said when you are the owner of mainly a cash business, it is important to have employees that you can trust won't steal or take anything from you without permission. I thought this advice was very helpful. I hope to be able to use it in the near future. 
2. My mom works for an interior design firm, so she knows a lot about customer service. Initially, she ran her own custom window treatments business. She was her own boss for many years, and she dealt with many different people. She said that in a business like interior design, you have to know exactly what your client wants. It is not like food where if you mess up and order, the customer can just send it back and get another one. If you were to screw up in the interior design business, you are most likely causing either your firm or your client to lose a lot of money. Home appliances are not cheap, especially in today's day and age. Therefore, there is very little room for error or mistakes in my mom's business, which is what she kept telling me in our conversation. After talking to her, I realized that it does not matter what industry you are in, you must try 110% to satisfy your customer's wants and needs. Whether you are cooking food for an average joe in a breakfast joint, or designing a very wealthy person's home, it is crucial to give it your all and satisfy your customers. 
3. One of my dad's best friends that he works with had a very similar business venture to mine. He worked in New York with my father for many years. However, he saw an opportunity that he believed he could not pass up. He moved to Nebraska, what many would call a "fly-over state". He opened up a pizza parlor, and imported his ingredients from New York. The best water flows in New York. Therefore, the best dough can be made there, making the best pizza. He knew that pizza in Nebraska could not be that special. Is there even pizza in Nebraska? Moral of the story is that he opened his pizza place in Nebraska and is killing it. he is doing very well for himself and the people of Nebraska could not be happier. They are getting New York styled pizza halfway across the country. He told me that importing and exporting goods is not easy. You deal with many people throughout the process. He said it is important to stay patient, stay trustworthy, and never burn your bridges.