Here’s news to help you run your business better, including how to create excellence in customer service, how retail is moving back to Main Street and how to get out of a never-ending conversation at a networking event.

1. Ritz-Carlton co-founder shares principles of stellar customer service — On his way up from cleaning ash trays, Horst Schulze learned that it’s not work you want to create; it’s excellence. He went on to create a leading luxury brand and now teaches others how to lead instead of manage. Listen to or read the interview with Schulze from Harvard Business Review.
2. New IRS mileage rate for 2020 — The standard mileage rate for businesses that operate automobiles dropped to 57.5 cents per mile on January 1, 2020. Get more rates for medical visits, moving, and charitable service.
3. Retail moving back to Main Street — The lure of community is pulling customers back into brick and mortar stores. The newest retail spaces look more like the Main Street that existed before suburban malls and shopping centers dominated the shopping the scene. Learn more about this trend.

4. How to stay focused on your goals — If you’re like a lot of entrepreneurs, shiny object syndrome might be getting in the way of reaching your goals. Here are tips to help you stay focused on specific goals and priorities.
5. Conversation gone on long enough? Learn how to extricate yourself from a never-ending conversation at a networking event by watching this video from Minda Zetlin.

Thank you to our Friday Five sources: Harvard Business Review, Society for Human Resource Management, Fast Company, Inc. and Entrepreneur.

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