Why do you run your business the way you do? How often do you step back and analyze
your own methods? This month, let's examine your systemic processes versus your
systematic processes.
First, have you documented your procedures? Or are you still fighting fires when
they come up - what some experts call Management by Crisis?
If you haven't taken the time to sit down and talk with a mentor or business partner,
it's time to take a day off and do it. A mentor is someone who can provide much-needed
perspective. If you don't have someone like that, go to your local Small Business
Administration (SBA) office, and sign up for free mentorship from a retired executive.
They have seen it all, and can offer suggestions on how you can better manage the
parts that seem out of control, and they can help you grow your business. Their
website is www.sba.gov. They will probably ask to see your business plan. If you
don't have one, they can offer advice in writing up the plan. The goal of the business
plan is to get you thinking about the business as a business, and
not just as a place where you go every day nor as a hobby that took off.
A mastermind is a group of people like you who are in a similar place and get together
to solve similar problems. Each member has their own experiences to share. They
can offer guidance and counsel to the rest of the members. In addition, they are
your balony sniffers. They will hold you accountable to your goals. For example,
if you said your annual goal is to increase profits by 20%, and six months into
the year you are not taking action on things that will increase your conversions,
they'll remind you of your goals. In addition, they'll offer suggestions to attain
your goals.
Sometimes masterminds are people in the same business who help one another.
Other times, it's different. Sometimes masterminds are local, and other times, they're
virtual. You can find masterminds through websites like MeetUp (www.MeetUp.com)
or through Internet forums for your local associations, or other online communities.
Finally, if you have business partners, remember to take time regularly to stay
on the same page. Your goals for the company may be different than theirs, and it
helps to come up with an annual plan together. When you work together, you pull
the sled faster than if you are both pulling in opposite directions.
So now you
know where you want to go. Let's look at how you work day to day. Do you take time
to review your most important tasks for the day? Do you have a plan for dealing
with brush fires? A good book to read is Getting Things Done
by David Allen. If
you've read that one, read the sequel Making It All Work.
And then read them both
again. Read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Dr. Stephen R. Covey and learn
how to identify things as urgent and important. Practice delegation daily. If your
staff manager or floor manager comes to you with a problem, ask her how she would
solve it. And then praise her for taking initiative. Once you free yourself up from
the day-to-day messes, it will allow you to run the business better, faster, and
more effectively.
In the book The E-Myth by Michael Gerber, he teaches about how
to automate your business with processes and procedures. Instead of doing things
the way you always did, test and see what works best. Gerber relates a story about
the best way to greet a person when they enter a business. Try testing your customers and find out if "Hello" or "Hello, how can we help you" or even "Hello, please let
me know when you need some assistance" converts the lookers into the buyers. If
you're selling services, try different responses when answering the phone. Test
your closing remarks. Then write it down, and communicate it out to your employees
so there is consistency.
Create procedures for problems that may occur. Having a
documented process relieves the pressure and anxiety that are inevitable when a
crisis pops up. Sometimes, a customer just wants to vent. We'll do more on this
subject another month.
Now that it's July, halfway through the year, it's time to
refocus your business. What do you want to accomplish in the next six months? Now,
go out and find people who will keep you on track and motivated. Analyze and streamline
your business and document your procedures. Want to know one really great bonus
that comes from documenting procedures? You can take a vacation and things will
run exactly the way you want them to while you're gone.
