New Mexico Tea Company sounds like the name of a big business. But it’s really just one shop whose owners think and act big. This article in New Mexico Business Weekly reveals how the mother and son who founded the Albuquerque company two years ago go to great lengths to keep their customers satisfied – and coming back for more.

They give away free glasses of freshly brewed tea, give a free ounce of bulk tea with each issue to monthly newsletter subscribers, give free tea tastings and give lots of relevant information on their website. Notice there are four instances of the word “give” in the previous sentence. That’s “give” as in “tithe,” the principle that “whatever you give away will eventually come back to you.”

Everything the duo does is designed to get another foot in the door. Even those who just come in for the free tea and don’t buy are certain to “give” the shop great word of mouth. I really like how co-owner David Edwards thinks: “A lot of [business] people get so wrapped up in the bottom line, they won’t take the risk and trust the customers to decide for themselves if they want to support the company.” Bingo!

What a great concept. He and his mom do what any successful retailer should –“give” customers something special with each shopping experience. If they like it, they’ll be back for more. If they don’t, they’ll let you know by either telling you or telling their friends. So it’s best to keep trying until you know you’re satisfying the majority.

The owners also are doing all the things a modern, tech-savvy retailer should. Their website has a blog with short, homemade videos about certain brands and products. The site also has information on the shop’s tea tastings and classes, complementary recipes, a Tea Handbook and an RSS feed for those who want automated updates. They’ve also created Facebook and MySpace pages to take advantage of social networking.

It seems like Edwards and his mom are doing just about everything right. And it shows on their bottom line: Revenues leaped from $60,000 their first year in business to $100,000 the second year. Read the article. Learn from their success. I say they’re doing a terrific job, with a capital “tea.”