A salesman with a Gatling gun is tapping the shoulder of the Indian chief. “Chief, can I interest you in this?”
The response, “Go away, can’t you see I’m trying to fight a war.”
Too busy fight the war with bows, arrows, and swords to see the rifle salesman?
If your business activity is like a Hoon burning tires, spinning with smoke and brimstone, but going nowhere, you might as well take some time to work ON your business instead of IN your business. There is always a better way to do what you do today.
A better way to manage your accounts. A better way of selling. A better way of marketing.
The two fundamental principles to successfully work on your business is:
- Regularly and with discipline set a time each week to work On your business
- Set aside one day a week or a half a day each week to work ON your business.
- Work ON: Your Vision
Where there is no clear vision people stumble all over. Switch the spotlight on purpose and vision. Get clear about WHERE you want to go with your business and WHY you want to go there. Be very clear about what outcome you want to see.
Having an easily understood vision ensures an unobstructed way for everyone in your business to follow. Decisions will be made free from confusion and doubt with one common goal that will steer everyone towards the vision.
- Work ON: Systems – repeated ways of doing things
You need to understand how your business makes money. Then systemise your processes. Start trying to work yourself out of a job in specific roles like customer support, website design and development, writing, or any other functions you could hire out.
Focus on repeatable systems or extensible tools that don’t necessarily require a person to work them. Then create training so new people you add to the team can get up and running quickly without you needing to reinvent the wheel and train people every time.
Your business will only be as good as your systems. Efficient, simple systems reduce questions and clutter, paving the way for success.
- Work ON: KPI’s that Grow the Business
You cannot manage or improve what you are not measuring. Create revenue and profit models that will reduce your break-even and create a healthier cash flow for your business by understanding what is driving profit.
Discipline yourself by not spending without a business case for spending: What is this purchase going to buy? What is the return on your investment? How is the profit going to be realised? Invest in your business which will require a sacrifice.
What numbers do I have or should I get to operate my business and project future growth?
- Work ON: People
People can be difficult. There are some keys you must understand for working on people in your business.
- Firstly, some people will not be right for your business no matter what you do.
- Secondly, when you hire someone, it is going to cost you money before they make you money.
- Third, people make mistakes.
You need to spend time developing, managing and motivating your people, as part of working on your business.
The better the systems and procedures you surround them with the higher quality the outcome you should expect.
Setup regular employee reviews, get to know the personal and professional goals of each staff member and ask for their feedback and thoughts at every review meeting. Next, take proactive steps to help them reach their goals and address their professional and personal challenges.
What is the ROI on each employee in my company? Are they an asset or a liability?
5 Work ON: Building an Advisory Team
“Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.” External advice can be more beneficial as what you can think of yourself. Consulting mentors, a specialist strategy advisor, a business coach or even fellow business owners can open your mind to ways to do things better.
Who can I have a mentoring relationship with that has my level of expertise or higher in other fields, and that is as passionate as I am about growing businesses?
Once your business reaches a certain size, it indeed becomes a living entity, and for your business to be highly active, vigorous and growing, it needs a robust business system. At Fortix Our automated enterprise software will keep your business growing!
The heart of Fortix’s business system is created by the combination of technology, business rules and people – and the creation of balance between these three elements. None of these factors can thrive in isolation, and when one is lacking, the whole business is affected.
With our vast knowledge and experience, we pump new life into every part of your business, enabling all vital areas to function at optimal capacity. Our systems help you to manage your customer relationships, leads and sales, communication and workflow, all with one integrated system.
We provide far more than technology; we fuse your growth strategy with your business operations. Together, we can nurture your business so that it can grow – vibrant growth is the natural result of a healthy system!
Give us the opportunity to help you.
