October 2021 Newsletter
FEATURED ARTICLE

The Candyman

by Tim Fulton

This past week I traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to speak to a Vistage group. When I returned my car to the car rental facility, I enjoyed a great customer service experience from the driver of the Enterprise Car Rental airport shuttle. He was very helpful to everyone in the van, answered customers’ questions, and asked each passenger where they were from.
 
It reminded me of a similar experience I had (and wrote about) several years ago. It made such an impression; I decided to share it again this month. Are your customers getting the “Candyman” experience?

This is a true story.
At the end of the ride, I pinched myself to make sure this wasn’t just another business fantasy of mine…

A week ago I was in Detroit, Michigan to speak to a Vistage group on Financial Management. It’s been almost a year now since I retired as a Vistage Chair and began speaking to Vistage groups around the country. I very much enjoy the speaking part. It’s the travel that has been most difficult. Lonely hotel rooms. Driving rental cars to places unknown. And an endless number of shuttle rides.

However, this day was different. I returned my Enterprise rental car at the Detroit airport and jumped on the airport shuttle at the car rental office. I was the only passenger in the van and I took my customary seat in the back of the vehicle. There was no driver on board yet. I saw a name on the placard above the driver’s seat. The sign read, “Your driver today is Candyman”.
I remember thinking that Candyman was a strange name for a driver or any normal human being for that matter. Moments later, the driver leaped into the van with a hop to his step and said, “Good afternoon sir. How are you? I replied, “Fine. Thank you.” I was determined not to engage in casual conversation with anyone as I was just interested in getting home safely that particular day.

After taking his seat and beginning to steer the vehicle forward, the driver asked, “What brings you to Detroit this fine day?” His exuberance was already bothering me. All I wanted was to enjoy a quiet moment during the brief shuttle ride. “Business trip”, I responded to the driver. “Quick trip. Just twenty-four hours in Detroit,” I added.

The next moment will be forged in my memory for the rest of my life.

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS - THE PODCAST
King of Pops started as a conversation between three brothers during an epic trip through Central America. Over the years, that conversation turned into a dream and when the youngest of the three, Steven, was laid off from his corporate job during the Great Recession – that dream became a reality. A few months later, Steven’s brother Nick left his job as a lawyer to become the second employee. The brothers went from layoffs and courtrooms to making people happy.

The first King of Pops sale took place out of a Mexican paleta pushcart on a neighborhood street corner in Atlanta in 2010. Today, King of Pops continues to sell their sweet treats out of pushcarts, but they’ve also expanded into catering, fundraising, and wholesale. Created in response to the pandemic’s impact on business, their Neighborhood Partner program helps folks start their own King of Pops biz in their communities.

Over the past 10 years, the entrepreneurs took advantage of opportunities that led to additional ventures: King of Pups (pops for man’s best friend), King of Crops (a farm for growing ingredients for pops), and Food10 (a regional food distribution company).


VIDEO OF THE MONTH
All It Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes presented by Andy Puddicombe

When was the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? Not texting, talking or even thinking? Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just that: refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day, simply by being mindful and experiencing the present moment. (No need for incense or sitting in uncomfortable positions.)
BOOKS BY TIM FULTON 
-Available on Amazon-
WORDS OF WISDOM
A LITTLE HUMOR
From the late Erma Bombeck
Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

Remember, small business does MATTER.

TIM FULTON
President & CEO
Small Business Matters
(678) 427-9436
www.smallbusinessmattersonline.com

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