Jill Nelson is the founder and CEO of Ruby^® Receptionists, which recently reached its 15-year anniversary. Jill shared lessons learned and more in a blog post to mark the occasion. Below is an excerpt from the original article.

I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing customers and employees who brought us to this milestone! To celebrate our anniversary, I’m sharing a few pivotal lessons I have learned during each of these wonderful years.

Whether you’re running a business, prepping to launch a startup, or dreaming of an entrepreneurial future, I hope these reflections help you on your journey!

2003 / Great service really does win business.

When I started Ruby, I truly believed we would help small businesses by taking an essential task—answering and handling phone calls—off their plates. I had been a receptionist in a former career, and I thought being friendly, listening, and doing whatever we could to provide a positive phone experience was simply table stakes for a business.