The majority of businesses slowly started opening again around the 10th of January after the holiday break although many had skeleton staff until after Australia Day - with the exception of Queen slanders who have been simply washed away. So what are you doing about your New Year? Are you doing any strategic planning to make sure you are sustainable in 2011? Resolutions don't cut it. Affirmations and positive thinking don't either although a positive outlook certainly attracts more clients and business opportunities than a negative one.
The anecdotal evidence is that 80% of small business owners don't prepare a business plan and even less actually run their business from a plan. And if you do, you almost certainly concentrate on your strengths and opportunities and gloss over your threats and weaknesses because the plan is largely focused on convincing the bank you are a good risk. Did you actually stop and think about risk? But that's another story.
If your goals, resolutions etc are going to work they need to start with looking critically at right where you are now. You need to identify exactly what you really do, then where things could go wrong and how well you are managing these.
So you are analyzing, then planning, then taking action. Sad but true - nothing happens without you take action, so set a deadline for each action, make someone responsible for making it happen then check this is all done on time. And you do need to keep checking as time passes to make sure things are still being done they way you want them to be done and deadlines are being met.
In my business I started the New Year with an internal audit and a full review of my management system as well as auditing the marketing plan that I developed at the end of last year.
How much have I really put in place and how much needs to be integrated into my day to day systems? Have I met my deadlines? Are there areas where I waste time and money? Sadly I know that there are but I want to critically look at these because I would rather use that time and money better.
Are you doing this? Do you review your business at least annually?
The thing that I REALLY like about having a certified system is that it forces me to review with skilled outside eyes looking at my business critically every year. This happens in June for me so my midsummer check is just that - an extra check to keep me on target.
Are you even aware of what your risks are? I was talking to a cleaning company manager this morning about what happens when cleaners forget to lock or to set the alarms in a business when they leave late at night? This seriously upsets clients! And loses clients! But how do they prevent it?
Human error and attitude are possibly some of the biggest threats you have in your business and one of the big things you get when you put in a management system with the tools to change the culture in your business to one where staff are more switched on and caring about risk reduction and customer satisfaction.
Just remember nothing happens without you take action,
· So set a deadline for each action.
The anecdotal evidence is that 80% of small business owners don't prepare a business plan and even less actually run their business from a plan. And if you do, you almost certainly concentrate on your strengths and opportunities and gloss over your threats and weaknesses because the plan is largely focused on convincing the bank you are a good risk. Did you actually stop and think about risk? But that's another story.
If your goals, resolutions etc are going to work they need to start with looking critically at right where you are now. You need to identify exactly what you really do, then where things could go wrong and how well you are managing these.
So you are analyzing, then planning, then taking action. Sad but true - nothing happens without you take action, so set a deadline for each action, make someone responsible for making it happen then check this is all done on time. And you do need to keep checking as time passes to make sure things are still being done they way you want them to be done and deadlines are being met.
In my business I started the New Year with an internal audit and a full review of my management system as well as auditing the marketing plan that I developed at the end of last year.
How much have I really put in place and how much needs to be integrated into my day to day systems? Have I met my deadlines? Are there areas where I waste time and money? Sadly I know that there are but I want to critically look at these because I would rather use that time and money better.
Are you doing this? Do you review your business at least annually?
The thing that I REALLY like about having a certified system is that it forces me to review with skilled outside eyes looking at my business critically every year. This happens in June for me so my midsummer check is just that - an extra check to keep me on target.
Are you even aware of what your risks are? I was talking to a cleaning company manager this morning about what happens when cleaners forget to lock or to set the alarms in a business when they leave late at night? This seriously upsets clients! And loses clients! But how do they prevent it?
Human error and attitude are possibly some of the biggest threats you have in your business and one of the big things you get when you put in a management system with the tools to change the culture in your business to one where staff are more switched on and caring about risk reduction and customer satisfaction.
Just remember nothing happens without you take action,
· So set a deadline for each action.
· Make someone responsible for making it happen.
· Then check this is all done on time.
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