It's the typical hype cycle.

A new product or service is introduced.
It grows exponentially to take over an industry.
Everyone loves it.
Accordingly, they all can't stop talking about it.
It goes viral and the media picks up on it.
It gets bigger.
Then people find that it will not solve ALL their problems.
They begin to talk it down because it's 'in' to talk it down.
The media picks up on it again, whips around 180° and begins to tear it down.
Then at some point, it all levels/evens out.

Starbucks is at this point now — they rode the hype roller coaster over the past number of years. But I still love them. Why?

They fit perfectly into my business model. I run a 21st century business:

I have a home office where I coach.
I have a professional office in Stamford where I meet clients, hold workshops, and coach.
I'm regularly on the road to travel, meet new people, network, and bump into friends and colleagues.

Starbucks is perfect for #3. I have a special place to stop off and hook into my email and network (free wi-fi). Their products are consistent from store to store, so I always get my Venti Zen Green Tea (with only one teabag) for $2.07 (a deal). Their staff is always polite, engaging, and sometimes even fun to interact with. I meet clients in-person to go over their strategy for 2011 instead of dragging them down to my office. And I write my daily blog (as I am doing right now).

What does this mean to you? Well . . . Starbucks is a business entity that I love. In 2011, how can you position your business to make your clients LOVE you? Think about it:

Do you deliver a consistent customer experience where you make your client feel comfortable? Do you develop a 'safe space' where they can grow, relax, expand, and grow their business or career?
Do you provide a flexibility to allow them to personalize their experience?
Do you offer various locations (physical and virtual) to allow them to use your products and services?
Do you try new ideas, new products, new services?
Do you have a loyalty/membership program to reward and retain your best customers?
Do you have an upsell area to get your clients to buy more stuff?
Do you partner with related industries to grow your business?

You might not like Starbucks and that's fine. That's not what this post is about (it's how I love Starbucks). But you can't argue that they have a compelling model that scared market leaders like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts to mimic a lot of their offerings.

This year, what ideas can you steal from Starbucks and make them your own?