Starting a business can be one of the most exciting, yet stress-inducing things you can do. In all of the chaos of day-to-day tasks, it can be easy to overlook the basic fundamentals of what makes a business a success. However, it is critical to remember the following traits that most successful businesses share:

1. Customer Friendly

A returning customer is 70% more likely to spend more money than a new customer. Good businesses invest in their customers. Customer service, sales, returns and anything that interacts with a customer should deserve extra budget and resources. Technology has allowed business to get more bang for their buck with the advent of the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. Salesforce is the top-rated and most popular CRM however there are plenty of other viable options that may be a better fit for your business. Either way do your due diligence and work on every aspect of how your business interacts with your customer.

A successful business trains its staff to be customer friendly. Ultimately, the success of a business depends on the happiness of its customer, so business leaders should figure out what kind of service the consumer is looking for and strive to meet those expectations every day.The staff should ask for names and use them frequently. The staff should also greet anyone who comes in and be readily available to answer questions. Employees should be personable on the phone as well, and should be given the information they need to address concerns.

2. Involved in the Community

Today’s consumer wants to shop at a business that is aware of the community around them. Being socially responsible doesn’t have to be a huge expense or time commitment, but it should be sincere. The company may have volunteer days or agree to match employee donations to charities. It could also join a civic group or sponsor a local sports team or other events.

3. Be Inclusive

It may not seem like a big deal, but customers will notice if your organization does not go above and beyond for people facing disabilities. Years ago the government introduced the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA. This bill has created a headache for many businesses not interested in adapting to serve the needs of the entire public. However today, it is important to not only meet ADA standards. One example of a service worth investing in is a good closed captioning company to provide closed captioning services for your videos.

4. Cut Unnecessary Expenses

While it can be tempting to rent out a space that is bigger than you need, or to buy up a bunch of advertising, doing this may just be a drain on your profits rather than a real investment into your business. Any marketing or advertising materials should pay for themselves in new customers and increased profits. Never just treat them as a line-item expense. Any other kind of expense, such as a bigger office or hiring more employees, should be made strategically as well.

5. Seek Feedback

The best companies seek feedback, especially complaints or criticism, and make it easy for the consumer to give feedback. This could be through comment cards, online surveys, or through your website. Why is this so important? Without feedback, you could be driving customers away and not even know about it. With feedback, you can continue to improve and even reach out to the upset consumer. Scouring the Internet for reviews on Google or Yelp is also a good idea. Vivint, for example, would query “Vivint Reviews” to see what had been written about it.

6. Offer Value

Discount prices may seem like the way to go, and for some business models it is, but most small businesses have to offer value—not just low price—to attract business. Value comes from quality products, but also from great customer service, a user experience and perhaps an additional service or extra information. These are the things that will set you apart from the competition, not price.

7. Recognize Employees

Finally, good employees are critical to the success of any organization. As such, skip the recognition that feels contrived and give sincere thanks when an employee puts in extra effort. The recognition is best received if it is personal and timely, so go around thanking employees in person often.