Small Business Lessons from the Apprentice 2

The debut of The Apprentice 2 on Thursday night set the first challenge. Launch a new toy product for Mattel. You might ask, "What small business lesson can be learn from this episode?" Teams were allowed focus groups and a one-day turn around on building a working toy prototype. Not possible for a small business with limited resources and cash. True. But there was a lesson. When Pamela, the leader of the men's team Mosaic, first entered the offices of Mattel, she instructed all the men to do one thing. Take off their ties. Pamela's keen sense of observation saw that no men at Mattel wore ties and all of team Mosaic with ties looked like bankers.

Small Business Lesson: Be like your client. Always be aware of your client's tastes, behavior and culture. Make sure your business is in alignment with your customers on all fronts.