It's all about the customers

It's interesting to see how vastly different companies share the same underlying goal -- customer satisfaction -- and how they go about achieving it.

For an executive running the New York Stock Exchange, that means ensuring companies and traders alike are satisfied with the market.

For a small dog groomer on Anna Maria Island, it means ensuring wealthy pet owners are happy with their pup's new hairdo.

The two operations couldn't be father apart on the business spectrum, yet during interviews with both sides this week, it's amazing how many of the same objectives they shared. The bottom line: for either business to succeed, they first had to ensure the customers were happy -- whether it be canines or investors..

You can read about both operations in the Bradenton Herald or at Bradenton.com starting Saturday with my small business profile of AMI Beach Doggies, a dog grooming boutique in Bradenton Beach.

My exclusive interview with former Stock Exchange President Bill Johnston is slated to appear Monday in the business section and also on our website. The Johnston story is the first in a scattered series of Q&As we're putting together with prominent business executives who have retired to the Bradenton area.

In what ways do you cater to your customers? Would your business succeed without them? And do you think those same techniques would work for a dog groomer or Wall Street executive? Please share you ideas in the comments section below.

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