Lisa Weston of Organise-to-Win Ltd, a business process consultancy, shares some insight into how you make your business a success in 2014.
According to government figures, 20% of start-up companies will fail in their first 12 months whilst 50% will exist for just three years. So why do so many small businesses fail?
According to Michael E Gerber, author of ‘E-Myth Revisited – Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It,’ it’s because business owners understand the ‘technical’ work of a business but not how that business needs to do that technical work to succeed. Unfortunately being an expert in the technicalities of a business does not necessarily qualify you to run a business carrying out that work!
In the early days, ad hoc activities that have evolved in response to customer demands often suffice but, as companies grow and more staff are employed, processes need to be specifically designed (and communicated!) to underpin a company’s growth.
The same goes for more mature companies too. Times change and, to remain efficient, company processes should be reviewed at least as often as your company targets, especially if you are seeing frequent errors or delays in a particular area.
In a world where it is becoming easier and quicker to replicate products and services, organisations also need to stand out from the crowd in the way they do business. This not only means the way that companies interact with their customers but how they partner with their suppliers to strengthen their foothold in their specific market.
Larger blue chip companies have been doing what they call ‘Process Improvement’ and ‘Customer & Supplier Integration’ for many years and there’s no reason why smaller organisations shouldn’t be following their lead and reaping the benefits too.
Business Process Improvement and Integration projects can range from quick wins to long term transformational programmes and if your business has fewer than 250 employees you may be eligible for match-funding to finance the changes required to fuel your business’ growth.
Need help separating busyness from business?
Lisa Weston at ORGANISE-TO-WIN LIMITED is offering a limited number of FREE MINI BUSINESS PROCESS REVIEWS with no obligation to businesses in the Manchester and Lancashire area.
If you’re the Director/Owner of a local business with three or more employees, simply email your company contact details to [email protected] explaining why your company needs help separating busyness from business by 13th February 2014. In addition, you can visit www.organise-to-win.co.uk for inspiration and a host of organising tips, as well as joining their conversation on Twitter by following @OrganiseToWin.
