Isn’t it refreshing (I’d even say exciting) to go into a business / restaurant / office where they care about the details? Where a potted plant sits in ceramic instead of plastic? Where the floor of a fitness studio gets swept or mopped between workouts? Where the dentist gives you rose tinted glasses to ward off glare? Where meeting rooms are stacked with pens and pads of paper? Little things often move the needle on whether we come back / buy more / comment / reTweet/Gram / recommend.

I found myself at an athletic club recently, a bit perplexed by the clock on the wall that still hadn’t been changed since daylight savings time, a wrapper on the floor – right next to the garbage. The absence of Kleenex (anywhere.) Television sets in multiple corners – all on the same channel. And my favorite – an exclamation point after the gym’s address in the footer (maybe they’re excited about their location?)

Thoughtfulness often appears in the smallest of ways. And some would argue that customers don’t really notice these seemingly minute details because the bigger goal – the service or product itself – should take center stage. But it’s all part of the experience – from what they see on your website, to what they experience in person, to what they view on social media. You’re one brand, not five. And you’re always saying something – whether you put thought into it or not.To think our choices, as business owners, as brands, don’t impact sales, retention, loyalty – is a blind spot.

Sweat the small stuff.

You don’t have to do everything (resources are usually limited and most of us don’t have Wes Anderson-style budgets), but make sure what you DO decide to do is intentional and says what you set out to say.