My grandparents on my mother's side emigrated to the US at the turn of the 20th Century to live out a dream. Santo Teodoro was born March 23, 1871, in Solarino, Syracusa, Sicily, and Rosa Morelli was born August 4, 1876, also in Solarino.
They came to the US with nothing; entered Ellis Island with the stamp of peasants. Eventually, after a 
stretch in Scranton, PA, they found themselves in New Britain, CT, a middle-class manufacturing city rich in Italians and Polish immigrants. Neither grandparent spoke English but living on Church Street, a mostly Italian neighborhood, they were able to acclimate themselves. They lived in a three-flat with their growing family. My grandfather Santo worked in a factory; Rosa started a small Italian market.
I have told this story before, but not only did Rosa not speak English, she knew nothing of business, sales or marketing. But she knew how to work hard, how to cook and how to treat customers well.
The picture below left is my grandmother Rosa and my mother in front of the store that she opened on the street level of their home. The store was a huge success, with lines out the door at breakfast and lunch. What contributed to this immigrant woman's success, at a time when women were not often in the workforce and they seldom ran their own businesses?
Rosa understood who her customers were--factory workers who spent long, grimy hours to support themselves and their families. Their needs were simple: respect and dignity for those who spoke little English that was always broken if they spoke it at all; fair prices; good, hearty meatball or sausage sandwiches, hot and large; Hood ice cream or pastries for dessert; and canned goods for the home.
The store wasn't fancy and it was small but the heart of the woman behind the counter was large. Written IOUs were welcome; pay when you can. Every transaction was based on trust.
Word of mouth built the business to a degree that my grandmother eventually dabbled in real estate, buying several additional homes in New Britain and providing the three oldest grandchildren, all males, a substantial inheritance of $3000 each when she died in 1962. With mine, I paid cash for a brand new Chevelle SS 396, with all the extras.
So why was this woman so successful? She didn't know about or care about business schools. She didn't have a clue about strategic planning, sales strategies or integrated marketing.
Instead, she focused on building relationships based on respect, trust and credibility. She learned about her customers and their families, and communicated her understanding of their needs by providing food they liked and could afford.
Are there lessons for us to learn today? I think so. What does Rosa's story and the other millions of stories of immigrants who came here and built successful businesses teach us? Is business too complex in today's world, or are business basics fundamental and are we getting away from those basics?
P.S. Seth has an interesting take on creating customer happiness entitled The Joy/cash curve.
