Keep it shiny and new

People seem to complain about "big box" stores taking over the "mom and pop" stores because of lower prices, more locations, etc... but I feel like that's not always the reason that people start going to these new stores. For example, there is a small "mom and pop" convenience store that just closed down near my place. It coincided with a shiny new liquor store that opened less than a block away across the street. I used to stop at the "mom and pop" store on my walk home from the gym a couple times to buy a bottled drink, but I stopped going there and started going to the brand new shiny liquor store to buy a drink instead. Why you may ask? It's wasn't that their prices were any better. The new liquor store has a better selection, it was bright inside, it looked clean and new, everything in there seemed to be new, and it felt airy and fresh. The "mom and pop" store looked old, you can't tell how long the bottled drinks had actually been in there, some of the food looked rotten, they had piles of junk that looked dirty and old everywhere, nothing was organized correctly, it just looked like a big mish mash of garbage inside. 

I bet a lot of people would agree that they would rather go to the new liquor store instead of the old "mom and pop" store. It's not that the liquor store was a 7-11 or brand name, it is just a random small business, but they keep a nice clean fresh appearance that appeals to their customers. I think this can be used in any medium, not just having to do with stores. It can relate to the look of your business, your image, your ideas... always keep them fresh and new. There will always be someone out there that is waiting for your idea or look to get old and move in with their shiny new approach, so you have to be aware of that. You may be the biggest and best thing on the block now, but you never know when someone new is going to move in the neighborhood and show you up. Remember to always keep it shiny and new! :)