Kathy has this phrase she uses when I've done something wrong. Just one word.

“Seriously?”

I can tell from the intonation just how much trouble I'm in.

And sometimes other people or businesses get the phrase too.

We were in Wilmslow a while back and needed to grab a bite to eat. As our usual place was full we took a look at a new cafe that had just opened up.

It's based in an ex-bank – so looks a little bit forbidding. And the windows are so high up you can't see in without jumping up. A bit of a challenge for a cafe where seeing a full house of happy diners is one of the main ways you can tell if it's any good.

So you'd expect a sensible business to compensate by creating as much visibility as possible elsewhere.

Not a bit of it. Instead of a glass door where you could see in, it was heavily frosted with a fancy logo on it. So no way of taking a peek to see if it was the sort of place you'd like to try out.

Seriously?

And where cafes normally have menus either side of the door so you can see if they do the kind of food you want and if the prices are in the range you're looking for – instead we got more logo and a “now open” sign.

Seriously?

Kathy tried the door, but it seemed like it was jammed shut despite there being people inside. In the end it just became too embarrassing to almost have to force the door to get in so we left.

Seriously?

None of this is rocket science. If you set up a new restaurant you must make it appealing for people to come and try you out. Let them see inside and let them see all the satisfied customers.

Let them see what you have to offer rather than making them ask.

And for heavens sake, make it easy for them to get in the door.

Obvious for a restaurant. What about your business?

How easy is it for your potential clients to try you out? How easy to “see” all your satisfied customers?

How easy to see the menu? To know what they'll get from you without having to embarrass themselves by asking questions?

How easy to find you online and offline and actually get in the door?

It's easy to spot the problems with other people's businesses. But how many are looking at yours and thinking “seriously?”.