Some brilliant writing from the guy who originally named the "iMac", Ken Segall. He points out some very interesting things about how Apple does business. For instance...

I had the pleasure of working on the “Making Of” video for the Cube, which appeared on apple.com when the store was first opened. That video called out the extraordinary effort that went into procuring the quality components necessary to create this store: the stone flooring from Sicily, the stainless steel surfaces from Tokyo, and the glass staircase and cube structure from Germany.

Apple doesn’t expect a single visitor to the Fifth Avenue Cube to think much about the floor they’re walking on. What they’re trying to do is create an overall feeling — that this is a place where people care about design and quality.

Apple's message to customers is loud and clear. They repeat it often. They want to make products that they would absolutely love to use themselves. They really care about what they build and how it's perceived. So they go to great lengths to make sure their customers perceive it the same way they do.

Are you getting the message across to your customers that you really care about what you're doing? What is your Italian stone and Japanese stainless steel? Do you have a cohesive message you're sending with everything you do?