$20 for a litre of orange juice.
At my daughter’s 6th birthday party venue.
“Do we at least get an open bar?” I asked my wife, staring at the invoice.
We didn’t.
But here’s what we did get:
Fresh food. Not the processed garbage most kids’ venues serve because “kids don’t know the difference anyway.”
Real staff who actually engaged with the children. Not teenagers on their phones counting minutes until shift end.
When we ran over time, they didn’t charge us extra. They weren’t watching the clock like prison guards.
Parents pulled us aside: “This is the best kids’ party we’ve been to.”
And Sophia? She was glowing.
Here’s what kills me about most businesses:
They think they’re being “smart” by cutting corners where customers “won’t notice.”
Cheaper ingredients.
Minimal staff training.
Rigid policies.
Processed everything.
“It’s just a kids’ party – serve them nuggets and call it a day.”
Meanwhile, they’re wondering why they have to keep cutting corners to compete.
This venue did the opposite.
Every place their competitors cut corners to save 10%, these guys invested to be 10% better.
Their competitors serve frozen nuggets? They made fresh food.
Their competitors hire whoever shows up? They hired people who actually like children.
Their competitors nickle-and-dime on overages? They let the joy continue.
And yes, they charge $20 for orange juice.
But nobody complained.
Because when you’re not secretly disappointed by cut corners, and enjoy the experience – you don’t mind paying full price.
Most SMEs are in a death spiral:
Cut quality to reduce costs → Customers feel the cheapness → Have to reduce prices to compete → Cut more quality to maintain margins → Repeat until dead.
This venue runs the opposite spiral:
Invest in quality → Customers feel valued → Happy to pay premium → More resources to invest in quality → Become the only choice that matters.
So ask yourself:
Where are you cutting corners thinking customers won’t notice?
They notice.
They always notice.
They just don’t tell you.
They tell everyone else.
And take their business elsewhere
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P.S. I’m not the “systems,” “finance,” or “fix your processes” guy.
I help you fall in love with your business again—Because it finally gives you the life you want today
While setting you up to exit on your terms tomorrow.
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