Religion and Small Business

Many people wear their religion on their shirtsleeve, so to speak. I'm not sure if they are true believers in some conviction or if it is just marketing hype to try and attract a certain kind of clientele. Let's hope the symbols are there because it is the way they choose to live their life.

Many times I see the outline of a fish in a store window. You know, the one that is a solid bold line that splits and flares apart then extends to the right and crosses at the end to make a fish tail. I believe it means that that person or business represents Christian beliefs. Or you may see the initials of a church on a delivery van or car window or a bumper sticker or some other notification that they are associated with a church or denomination. Some people even wear articles of clothing to distinguish themselves of a certain faith. Again, is all this just a load of bunk or a true manifestation of their faith? I hope it is the latter.

I believe that many (most) faiths have solid principals, that if followed, will help them treat others well. You know, things like respect, common courteousy, being friendly, loyal, honest in you dealings with others, kind, generous, helpful and cheerful. These are just a few attributes that most faiths preach and try to get their congregations to follow. Who wants to shop at a store or have some service provider be grumpy, angry, overly expensive, late to appointments, demeaning, argumentative, etc.

The other day I was in a store and the sales lady must have been having a bad day. I was trying to buy some tile for my bathroom floor. She basically told me I did not know what I wanted and my sense of style was weird. She was very demeaning and made me feel like, well you know. I will never shop at that store again and I will "dis" them to anyone who asks. It was a very unpleasant experience to say the least.

If we small business owners will treat others in a manner that we would want to be treated, all of us will be much happier and our communities will be better places to live. Life is too short to be mean, angry and demeaning. We need to rise above the fray of the everyday knocks in life.

Good luck in your business and make it a great day for everyone.