Pastrami sandwiches, pickles, coleslaw, and kugel provided by the #1 rated deli in Brooklyn. Now that sounds like my kind of professional event. Frank, one of the three managers of Mill Basin Deli, and his lawyer drove three and a half hours to Binghamton University to talk to students about the dynamics of a small business in today’s economy.

With each topic Frank spoke about, he had an entertaining example to support his point. He spoke about marketing strategy, customer relationships, health and fire regulations, business culture, and employee retention. One quote Frank said stood out to me. He said, “when you make one customer happy they tell 2 people, but when you make one customer angry they tell 20.” Therefore, it’s always crucial to have satisfied customers. This in turn builds your business’ reputation and establishes a long-term customer relationship. Frank also emphasized the importance of the Internet in expansion. The deli can now take orders online and deliver all over the US. Furthermore, customers can sign up to receive updates and new specials.

Mill Basin Deli is family owned and has been around for 36 years. It started off small with a modest 30 person dining area. Now, it’s grown to seat approximately 120 people. How did this modest family business manage to maintain, retain, and expand? They did this through quality and keeping customers happy.

To visit simply go to http://www.millbasindeli.com/.