Megastores aren’t going anywhere, but amongst smaller companies, loyal followers mean everything. Where a small business can’t compete on sheer price or volume, they can triumph with quality.

Make one thing really well: This whole food truck mania is not about the pleasures of diesel fumes and plastic forks. It’s about young cooks who make brilliant pizza, or serious ice cream, or bizarrely original tacos. Every chef needs a signature dish that is all hers or his, a lure to the restaurant, a mouthful of nothing-else-like-it that diners dream of days later.

John Kessler wrote that as part of his plea to the new school restaurant scene in Atlanta. This isn't a novel concept, but it needs to be reiterated time and again. Focus, focus, focus.

Sure, it applies to restaurants. The best ones have decidedly small menus — a few things that all makes sense and are all very good. But it also holds true for any brand. Because branding is all about how the customer perceives you, you want to make it easy for them to figure out exactly what that means.

Megastores aren't going anywhere, but amongst smaller companies, loyal followers mean everything. Where a small business can't compete on sheer price or volume, they can triumph with quality.

Do one thing. And do it better than anyone else.

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