In order to avoid tension, there are a number of things that you can do to foster a great team.

1. Show respect for the other team members both with the way you act and the way you speak. By treating the other people you work with in a respectful way, you will show them that you value them. When all of the members of a group feel valued and respected, there are less power struggles and everyone is more willing to work together.
2. Make and maintain eye contact when you’re speaking with someone. Eye contact builds relationships. It shows that you respect the person you are talking with, that you respect yourself and that you are comfortable standing behind the things that you’re talking about. By maintaining good eye contact you will be working towards better communication and will show that you are sincere.
3. Focus on finding practical solutions to the challenges that come up along the way. Things are going to go wrong during the process; someone might call out sick or a team member might forget an important step. Rather than placing blame and getting angry your team needs to work together to find a way to overcome the obstacle. By recognizing that problems are going to come up, you can all work together to get past them without placing blame and making demands.
4. Keep an open mind. You aren’t always going to be right. Neither is anyone else on your team. By remaining open to suggestions you might find better ways of getting from where your team is to where your team ought to be.
5. Suspend judgment. When something does go wrong, don’t rush to blame someone for the problem. Instead, take the time and try to understand what happened. That way, your team can come together to find solutions rather than focusing on the element that went wrong.
6. Speak with a calm and even tone. Try to keep your emotions out of your conversations. Avoid sarcasm and verbal attacks as coping mechanisms. By staying level, your group will communicate more effectively, and that means that you’ll get more done.
7. Maintain personal space. Sometimes when you are working in a group you’ll find that you have limited space. You’ll all be crowded around a table. Each person has their own needs for space and it’s important that these needs are respected. Getting too close makes some people uncomfortable and discomfort affects the ability for the team to work together.
8. When you’re gesturing, make sure that you maintain a neutral stance. When you point at someone, it is belittling and will make him or her defensive. Avoid using any gestures that make people uncomfortable. This is particularly important when you are working in a group that has members of different cultural heritages as many gestures have different meaning to different people.
9. Be consistent in what you say and what you do. If you are not consistent and you send mixed messages, you will interfere with the team’s ability to make progress.
10. Be fair. Make it a point to treat everyone fairly and equally. Playing favorites or treating anyone in the group differently creates tension. Tension causes conflict. Conflict gets in the way of getting things done.
11. Listen actively. When someone in the group is talking, make sure that you pay attention to what they are saying. Show interest and answer or ask questions as necessary. Communication is the key to getting things done in the most effective way possible.
12. Be flexible. As time goes on while you’re working on a project, there will be differences of opinion. In the worst possible case, the project might be cast aside altogether. Don’t get so caught up in one role or another that you can’t take on new responsibilities if necessary.
13. Let someone vent if they need to but only for a limited amount of time. When frustrations arise, it’s best to let people get them out rather than keeping them bottled up and having them develop into something much bigger. However, it is important, when someone is venting, that you do not interrupt or allow the situation that has upset them to spread throughout the entire group. If something more needs to be done, acknowledge and address it so that it does not get out of hand.
14. Focus on the positive. When you find that you’re behind on a deadline or that someone unexpectedly cannot attend a meeting, don’t dwell on it – that will only get you further off track. Keep yourself focused on the things that are going right and you’ll be better able to stay focused on your goal.
15. Encourage the people on your team to collaborate. Sometimes a project is best done when two people are working together to get it done. If a couple of the members of your team have an idea that will enable success, encourage them to work together. Likewise, if you are ahead of schedule for finishing your task and someone else is behind, help them out. It will work to everyone’s advantage.
16. Follow through when you make commitments. If you promise to read over the report someone has written make sure that you read the report. Foster an environment within the team that is based on trust and cooperation.
17. When a problem comes up along the way, focus on the behaviors that are causing the problem. It’s important to keep the personal relationships in tact, and therefore it is important to not target the person exhibiting the behavior. Try to get to the root of the problem and you will be better able to solve it rather than to create more tension.
18. Be honest. Nothing undermines a group faster than dishonesty.
19. Treat everyone as an individual. Every person on your team – though you are all working together – still ought to be respected as his or her own self. Each person brings something to the team that the other members don’t and it’s important to recognize that each person does have needs outside of the project.
20. Treat everyone on the team with respect. Just as each person has needs outside of the project each person has a need to be respected. Don’t belittle the other members of your team. Don’t ask people to share more about their lives than they are comfortable sharing. Likewise, ask before you borrow something belonging to your team members.

When everyone on the team comes together, communicates well and respects the needs of the other members, you will find that more is accomplished than you had previously thought possible.

The reality is simple: if you meet your customers’ needs, they will be loyal. Therefore it is imperative that you tailor your business to fit your customers’ wants and expectations.

The easiest way of accomplishing this is to evaluate your customer. By answering the following seven questions, you will be able to better understand – and therefore meet – your customers’ needs.

What do your customers buy, and when do they buy it?

Do most of your customers buy brewed coffee? If so, do they stop in first thing in the morning on their way to work?

Do they prefer lattes or even tea? Do you see the same people coming in every afternoon for a sweet little pick-me-up?

You need to analyze your sales to see which products your customers buy when. If you see that you have a product that does not typically sell in a given time period, consider running a special. Likewise, you can improve your business dramatically if you run specials during times when business is slow – provided you do everything you can to market the special and make sure that your customers know about it.

What do your customers need from you?

Are your lines too long? Do you have staff members who aren’t aware of certain products that your customers want to know about?

Basically, by answering this question, you can evaluate what your customers need to keep them coming back (or, better yet, to get their friends and colleagues to come in to your shop too).

One way to evaluate your customers’ needs is to consider what you would want if you were on the other side of the counter. A second way is to conduct customer surveys to get direct answers from your customers about what they’re looking for (HINT: add a benefit to the customer filling out the survey such as a coupon for a free drink; if there is a perceived value to filling out the survey, a customer is more likely to take the time).

What are you doing that does not benefit your customers?

Are you running specials that no one takes advantage of? Are you trying to sell products that they don’t need? Look at your inventory: is there something that you carry that you never seem to use?

For example, how many size options do you offer your customers? If you offer coffees in 8oz, 12oz, 16oz, 20oz and 32oz, and your customers typically buy only three of those sizes you should eliminate to two less popular sellers. This will increase your bottom line because you will not buy cups that you don’t need.

Similarly, if your customer base does not buy the t-shirts you are trying to sell them, why go through the expense of buying them and having them printed?

What motivates your customers to buy?

Are your customers coming in and just looking for a caffeine buzz or do they approach their coffee with the passion many enthusiasts have for wine? If your customer wants a great cup of coffee and you are only out to get them the caffeine kick, you’re not going to be meeting their needs.

Do your customers need a little extra incentive to pick up a pastry along with their drink? If so, add a special combo deal.

How frequently do you see your customers?

In a coffee shop, you should see your loyal customers at least once a day during the work week. Try to keep an idea of who you see when. If you know your customers and their habits, you’ll be better able to recognize the times that they don’t come in.

With an awareness of your customers’ patterns, you’ll be better able to see a change – such as a decrease in the frequency of their visits. And, if you notice that change early on, you should make it a point to ask why they aren’t coming in as much. That way, you’ll be able to figure out what your competition is doing that’s winning your customers over.

What are your customers willing to pay more for?

Is it presentation that wins over your customers? Is it exceptional customer service? Is it a better product?

When your business is a coffee shop, you need to understand what makes your customer willing to pay $1.50 for a cup of your coffee rather than paying $0.69 for a cup from the local gas station.

By knowing what makes your customer willing to pay a higher price, you can be sure that you encourage their loyalty by giving it to them every time they come in the door.

What do your customers think should cost less?

This is always a challenge in any business, but it’s important to know which items on your menu don’t meet the value your customer expects. Keep in mind that most people are willing to pay more for a great product that comes to them with great service. If no one is willing to pay $5.00 for a sandwich in your shop, take the time to look around and see what your competitors are offering; common sense tells you that your customers will go elsewhere for a better value.

However, don’t just jump to lower your price – doing so will likely undercut your profit, not help you to boost it.

Keep in mind that you should reflect on these questions often to make sure that you are aware of what your customers are looking for and whether or not you are providing it.

By meeting your customers’ needs, creating perceived value and by eliminating from your inventory products that your customers don’t want, you will be able to boost your sales – and in so doing, you will also improve your bottom line.

Regardless of the reason for the discussion, you need to approach your employee in a way that doesn’t make them feel threatened or intimidated. Here are 9 guidelines for having a productive conversation with your staff.

Be clear about why you are having the conversation.

When you approach your staff member, let him or her know why. If it’s based on something that you’ve personally witnessed, make sure that he or she knows that (and have the conversation as soon as possible after the incident). If you need to address a concern that has been brought to you by a customer or another staff member, be diplomatic. You shouldn’t bring the other person into the conversation by name, but you do need to indicate that someone else has brought the matter to your attention.

Keep in mind that it is unfair to blind-side your employee. If you are talking to them because there is an issue to address, let that be known right away. Don’t begin the conversation by asking them about last night’s baseball game as a way to break the ice. Many people will be more defensive and less understanding if you appear to be trapping them with the conversation.

Be specific, even if the topic makes you uncomfortable.

There are things that make people uncomfortable when they talk with employees. You may be approaching a staff member who has made racist comments about a customer or you may need to discuss your fear that the staff member has been dishonest.

No matter how uncomfortable you are with the conversation, you need to use specific examples to communicate your point. If you are unable to address the specific concerns, how do you expect the employee to understand what you’re trying to say?

Likewise, if you are approaching a staff member who just doesn’t seem to be working out, bring up the specific things that make you question them. Maybe it’s that they spend more time talking to other staff than customers, or maybe there’s just one part of the job that they just don’t seem to grasp. Regardless of the why, it’s important for you to be specific so that the employee can respond to your concerns.

Describe what you know.

Again, this will need to be as specific as possible. If someone has come to you with a complaint, let the staff person know what’s been said. Share what you need to of what’s been said.

For example, if it’s been brought to your attention that there was an issue with customer service, don’t just indicate that you think the staff member doesn’t interact well with customers. Instead, describe the situation: “Here’s what I understand has happened” and go on to explain what you know.

Ask for the other side of the story.

Don’t assume that you have all of the information about the situation, even if you were there when it happened. You may have missed a comment that provoked your staff or there may be an underlying issue between members of your staff that you’re unaware of.

Make sure that after you’ve talked about the incident you give the employee a chance to let you know what happened from his or her perspective.

Explain the way that you feel about the situation.

More than you are able to make an impact by saying “what you did was wrong,” you will be able to communicate with your employee by letting him or her know how you feel about what happened. If it makes you uncomfortable, say so and then explain why. The same holds true if the situation makes you angry, sad or concerned.

Provide a course of action for the employee to meet your expectations.

It’s important, especially if this is the first time that you are approaching an employee with a specific concern, for you to give the staff member a chance to improve.

Don’t just tell him or her “your attitude needs to improve.” Again, be specific. Give a roadmap for the employee’s improvement. Tell him or her that you expect a better outlook or that they should always try to help the customer. Find out from the staff member what extra help they might need to meet your expectations; you may find that having another staff member mentor the person might help, or that it’s a matter of needing more training.

The important thing about this step is that you are clear about what you’re expecting from the staff member so that they can improve.

Describe the consequences that will arise if the behaviors are not changed.

Just because you want all of the members of your staff to succeed at your business, you need to be clear that their chances to turn themselves around are not unlimited. If you will reduce the employee’s hours during busy times if they can’t match the pace, let him or her know this. If you expect him or her to apologize to a customer or another staff member for something that has happened, explain what will happen if that apology isn’t made.

Provide a timeline in which the changes must be made.

Just as you need to express to the employee that there are consequences for their actions, you need to give them a clear sense of the timeframe you are giving them to make the change.

If you ask the staff member to improve his or her attitude and have explained that he or she will not have a job if there aren’t changes, you also need to limit the amount of time the employee has to change. Let them know that they have 30 days if that’s the time you’re giving them.

Schedule a follow-up conversation to evaluate progress.

Once you’ve told your employee that they have a limited time to make a change, scheduling a follow-up conversation is a valuable tool to help them achieve that goal. If you’ve given the staff member 30 days to make a change, set a meeting 2 weeks away to go over the progress that’s been made. That way, you can be sure that you are giving the employee every possible opportunity to make progress.

By clearly indicating why the conversation is taking place and making sure that you are not just giving the staff member a lecture, you’ll be able to form a better relationship with your employee.

Communication is imperative for a good supervisor-employee relationship. By being specific about what’s wrong and what can be done to fix it, you’ll be able to monitor progress. By limiting the amount of time your employee has to change a behavior, you will be able to gauge his or her commitment to change. And ultimately, if the behavior cannot be repaired, you will be able to know that you did all that you could before terminating the relationship with that staff member.

When you're hiring for a counter or barista position, make sure that the candidate has a positive outlook and is someone who is honest and reliable. But in order to be sure that your new staffer is going to be able to pick up all the subtleties of working your shop, make sure that they want to learn – to learn about coffee and to learn about customer service.

While it is important to be sure that your staff knows as much as possible about the coffees you serve – where they come from and what characteristics each has – the coffee is only part of the equation.

The other important factor for all of your staff to know is how to provide exceptional customer service.

One element of customer service is the ability to convey your company's message. Make sure that your staff understands the philosophy and the values that you have founded your company on.

The values that you had in mind when you set up your business are the key to defining your target market. By conveying these to your staff, they will be better able to provide the quality, convenience and satisfaction that your customers are looking for.

When you are selling coffee – something that your customers could purchase just about anywhere else – it is important to make sure that your product is excellent. But through exceptional customer service, you can ensure that your customer's experience is above average as well.

When you combine a fantastic product and great customer service, your coffee shop will provide a greater value to your customer.

This value will be enhanced because your product will be more accessible to your customers. Your product will come to them with minimal effort in a timely fashion.

By providing a service to your customers and meeting their expectations, you will build customer loyalty: a satisfied customer is most likely to be a repeat customer.

So, how do you satisfy your customers? One way is to provide the quality of product and service that they expect. Another is to fulfill their need for emotional gratification.

Every customer that comes through your door hopes to get timely service and the expected quality of the item they purchase. By listening to and communicating with your customers, your staff will aid in building relationships with them.

By conveying a positive feeling and using a friendly tone, your staff will develop a relationship with each individual customer. By knowing the customer's name and drink, your staff will ensure that your customers feel welcome in your shop.

This can benefit you further as a shop owner: when you cater to your customer's needs, you will be able to better foresee additional expectations that your customers have. You will also be able to rely on your customers to come to you with compliments and constructive criticisms to help you improve your business.

The role of the customer is vital. By allowing them to tip your staff, your staff will also learn the value of great customer service: the more they put in to pleasing your customers, the better the return they will see in their tips.

In addition, you can continue to motivate your staff to provide the service that you and your customers expect from them. Encourage their loyalty by providing great benefits.

Though the term benefit usually implies health insurance or vacation time (and though both are great incentives for your staff), there are other small ways in which you can reward your staff for a job well done. By saying thank you regularly, your staff will be able to know what they are doing right.

Sometimes though, it helps to say thank you in more tangible ways. Consider tickets to the local movie theater or a gift certificate to a trendy restaurant in town. By rewarding your staff for a job well done, you will encourage them to continue to put in their best efforts.

And that, in turn, will encourage your customers to keep coming back, because the level of service in your coffee shop will be exceptional. And in that, everyone wins.

You've worked well to get your business up and running, and you're ready to begin marketing to help it to grow. You owe it to yourself to make sure that you do it the right way. One way to ensure that is to be certain that your logo fits your vision.

Whether you are designing your own logo or paying to have it designed for you, the following five pointers are sure to help to take you in the right direction.

1. Your logo should represent your company in a unique but honest way. If you are in the security business, it just doesn't make sense to have a logo that somehow makes references to furniture or vegetables. Likewise, you want to be sure that your logo is not too similar to those of your close competitors. When designing your logo, you want to be sure that it conveys something about your business: both what you do, and what makes you well-suited to do it. You are unique and so is your business. Marketing should be about capitalizing on what makes you different, those elements that make your business better than your competitors. A well-designed logo will serve to set you apart, and give your customer a sense of who you are.
2. Your logo should be simple, avoiding unnecessary detail. Many companies have found that their logo is most easily recognized when it's kept simple. A few bold lines will prove to be more recognizable than many more fine lines. By keeping your letters in a strong font, they will be more easily read. And the added advantage of using a simple logo? It will put you closer to a logo that works as well in a small format as it does in an extra-large one.
3. Your logo should work as well in black and white as it does in color. If your logo is designed to work well in black and white, it will invariably work well in other single color printing. By examining your logo in black and white, you'll have an idea whether or not you have kept only necessary details. The added advantage of checking your logo in black and white? Single color printing is less expensive than traditional four-color printing for logos. And, you will also be able to change the color some depending on the product you will be printing your logo on – lighter logos for dark projects, dark logos for lighter ones.
4. Your logo should work well in a variety of sizes. Your logo will represent you in a number of different mediums. Whether your logo will be used on business cards, letterhead or a billboard, you'll still want it to look fantastic. Be sure to look at your logo in as many sizes as possible to make sure that it will work – even if you don't intend to use it on a billboard, wouldn't you feel better knowing that you could?
5. Your logo should be aesthetically balanced. Your logo should be designed in such a way that no one element takes away from any of the other components. Symmetry, color placement, and shape all have an impact on the way that the viewer sees the logo. Just as a balanced photograph or painting looks better when the proportions are well-balanced, so will your logo.

By following these simple pointers, your logo will serve you and your marketing campaigns well.

The hiring process begins when you realize that you have a position to fill. So does your chance to screen the candidates.

Before you place your ad in the Help Wanted section, take the time to sit down and plan it out. Know exactly what position or positions you are trying to fill, and have a good idea of what candidates you are trying to attract to fill it. By taking the time to plan your advertisement, you will be able to make sure that your ad does everything you need it to.

A great ad will be structured as an opportunity – a chance to be a part of a great team or the first steps along a path to achievement.

Whether you are looking to hire a new manager or a dishwasher, your ad should include a detailed job description. Though you will be showing the position as an opportunity, it is important to be clear about what the job responsibilities are.

And, a great ad should also provide your first chance to see whether the candidate will be able to follow directions: include in the ad a specific time frame for applicants to call for more information.

If you have asked applicants to call between 11am and 3pm on specific days, you will know when the calls come in whether or not the candidate is able to follow simple instructions. If the phone starts ringing at eight in the morning with people asking about the job, though they may be eager they may not be your best bet for filling the position.

However, during the hours that you have set aside, you should be prepared to ask questions as well as answer them. Listen to the person calling, answer some job related questions, but also be prepared to guide the conversation.

One way of taking the lead on the call is to ask some or all of the following questions:

• Are you looking for part-time or full-time work?
• Are you a morning person or a night person?
• Do you participate in a lot of activities that have you in a bit of a set schedule?
• Do you have reliable transportation?

If the answers given are in line with what you are looking for, schedule a time for the candidate to come in to fill out an application for the job. This will be your second opportunity to screen the prospective employees.

For each applicant that comes in to fill out an application, take an inventory of the following:

• Did the person come in on time or a few minutes before the set time? If he or she arrived late, it may be an indication that timeliness and adhering to a schedule is a problem.
• Was he or she prepared? Did the person bring a pen for filling out the application? Was he or she able to provide all the information that was requested on your form? If the candidates know that they are coming in to fill out an application, they should be able to provide details about previous employment and references.
• How was the person dressed when they came in? Keep in mind that they are trying to leave a good impression at this point. Someone who comes in looking ragged may have trouble conforming to a professional appearance.
• Was the person comfortable making good eye contact during your conversation? This can indicate the person's self-confidence.
• Was the candidate articulate? This is extremely important if the position involves interaction with your customers.

By following this guideline, you will have multiple points of reference for each candidate well-before the interview is scheduled. That way, you'll be sure that each person you are interviewing is someone you are sure that you would be interested in hiring.

You've put a lot of time into planning just the right menu – from the right sizes and prices for your specialty drinks, to the supplier of your beans, to the right desserts, you've thought it all out.

You made long lists of pastries and desserts that you want to offer. You've figured out which brand and what flavors of syrups that you'll be using to create your specialty drinks. You've asked your family and friends and business partners what they think you should include. You've spent time looking at where your prospective customers already go for lunch.

And you didn't stop there! You've chosen all the best items to compliment your beverage options. You've selected foods that are easy to prepare, to serve and to eat. You've made sure that the items you'll be adding can be prepared in advance and that there will be enough demand that little – if any – goes to waste.

And after all of that work, which wasn't easy, you went to see how your competitors had priced similar items – not because you want to undercut their prices, but because you want to be sure that your prices are in line with what your customers could purchase elsewhere.

But how do you make sure that your customers will know what you have? How do you ensure that the items that catch their eyes the most are the ones that will bring you the most revenue?

The simple answer is a well-designed menu.

A menu should be hung where it will be easily seen and read. Also, you should have your in-house menu designed professionally.

A professional design will help to ensure the following:

• Your menu will be easy to read.
• Your menu will be designed with colors and fonts that are easy for your customers to see and understand.
• Your menu will include pictures and graphics (including your logo) that are well done and compliment the listed items.
• Your menu will not only list the items but will also provide brief descriptions so that a customer who is unfamiliar with the name of a product will still be able to know what they are getting.

A professional design will also help the ensure that your customers are provided with a well-organized menu. In order to provide clear organization, your should be sure that your menu contains distinguishable categories such as coffee, tea, specialty drinks, breakfast, lunch, and pastries.

Though you want to be sure that you are making your customers aware of your products, you also want to keep them from feeling overwhelmed. Therefore, limit your descriptions to information that is relevant.

For example, which of the following is more clear:

• Cappuccino: Espresso with steamed and foamed milk; or
• Cappuccino: One or more shots of espresso pulled by our barista. Your choice of skim, 2% or whole milk steamed in such a way as to create a dense foam which is then poured into the cup.

While both are descriptive of the item, the more brief description is of a greater advantage to your customers. Why? Because if it is not what they want, they will be able to quickly move on to the next item on your menu.

Similarly, it is important to not list every item on your menu. That way, you can have a greater focus on the important items – like your specialty drinks and breakfast items – that will appeal to more of your customers. It also allows you to focus less on the items that fewer customers will be interested in such as all of the flavoring syrups you have available.

Another advantage? You will be better able to focus on your more popular and (ideally) more expensive items. That is sure to help you to boost your bottom line – which was likely the purpose of the menu to begin with.

Of course, another way in which you can boost your sales is to compliment your in-house menu with an easy to pick up carry out menu. If you have used a professional designer to lay out your menu, you should also consider using them to design your carry out menu.

This way, you will be sure that your to go menu will contain all of the following elements:

• Your company logo;
• Your physical store address, phone number and other contact information such as email addresses and your web site;
• A map showing how to get to your store;
• Business hours;
• A listing of your most popular items with enticing descriptions and prices; and
• A coupon – something to encourage the customer to return.

By investing in your menu, you will better be able to communicate with your customers. And good communication will make them return time and time again.