There is an old phrase that says,”a picture is worth a thousand words.” I often wonder what a smile is worth in comparison? Can we put a price tag on a smile and a good attitude? Ironically, in business we can. A simple smile can mean repeated customers, higher customer satisfaction, better revenue and business longevity.

I remember nearly three years ago when I was getting my first business cards printed up, I went into a local copy shop and was met with a smile that would turn into a business relationship and a friendship. River Oaks Kwik Kopy has been providing copying and printing services for over 25 years. There services are affordable and efficient. They are also an authorized FedEx shipping center.

Why have they been so successful for so long? I believe it has a lot to do with the owner and the people that work there. Imtiyaaz Bangee, the owner, always greets every customer with a smile and by name if they are repeat customers. He has a family approach to doing business and views his business as a service to the community. He treats his customers and business associates with kindness.

They also work hard at River Oaks Kwik Kopy. Their kindness and work ethic has translated into years of consistent business. Imtiyaaz has received several awards over the years for his service to the community and in the industry. Even when we conducted this interview, it was 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon an he still had several hours of work left.

LM: What drives you?
IB: The ability to pay bills and get involved and keep myself busy. When I was in college, there was an engineer professor giving us a talk, he said,”life is like ice…if you put it on the street it will just melt, but if you put in water you make ice water, if you put it in milk, you make ice cream. Life is like that, it is all about what you choose to do with it.”

LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?
IB: Family motivation. My father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather all worked for themselves. My great grandfather owned a rice mill and my grand father and father were in merchandising.

LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?
IB: College, I have a degree in mathematics.

LM: How did you get started?
IB: Sometimes a chance arises. The previous owner of this business wanted to move to L.A. and sale his share of the business, so we bought it back in the early 80s. I have also lived in different countries. I lived in Burma, Thailand, India, and Pakistan and I learned different trades and how to deal with different types of people. My mother always said,”if your tongue is sweet, your town is sweet,” which translates to mean if you are nice to people, they will be nice to you. The prophet Muhammad said,”smiling to people is a cheap charity, but the impact is huge.” This is my approach to business.

LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?
IB: Because the original owner was leaving, it was a big opportunity.

LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?
IB: Do not argue, you can not argue with customers, whether they are right or wrong. We are a more personalized, people oriented business and because of that our customers return. We are blessed to help our associates, and they are with us as long as we are in business. Our business is to help to pay bills for our landlord, our families, and our associates’ families. We think our small business is important to society.

LM: What has been your biggest success?
IB: We are in a good environment. We have repeated customers and our valued associates, that is our success.

LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?
IB: Increasing taxes and costs for maintaining a business.

LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
IB: Go get an education and join corporate America.

LM: How have you been able to maintain in business for over 25 years?
IB: The blessings, we cannot deny that. Do not try to overspend, don’t spread yourself too thin.

LM: Is there anything else you want to tell our readers?
IB: God bless our whole world.