I remember the first time I entered a Target store: shock and awe, baby. Shock and awe.  Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I was used to Wal-Mart.  Dudes with mullets, screaming babies, dirty floors, long lines, messy shelves, and cheap products.

Entering a Target for the first time made it okay for me to boycott Wal-Mart forever.  Target was so…CLEAN.  And so…PRETTY.  Yes, they’re a big box store that sells crap that’s going to break in six months, but I FEEL like it’s going to last longer.  Because hey, there’s aisle after aisle of eye candy.  And well-stocked shelves. And products available at reasonable prices for a limited time.

What can we learn from Target?

Little things can be big things. A clean, open working space doesn’t cost much to maintain, but can cause a big boost in client (er, ‘guest’) perception of your company.

Improve on what’s out there, if only by a slim margin. Target isn’t 1,000 times better than Wal-mart, and you don’t have to be 1,000 times better than your competitor to nab more business.  Just improve on the status quo.  This could be a handwritten note to your project manager after finishing a freelance job or a quick phone call instead of an e-mail when handling customer service.  Nothing revolutionary, just an improvement; win the world over in baby steps.

And uh, get rid of that mullet. Or you’ll be branded a Wal-mart shopper for life.