Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your firm, or the effort required to squeeze any up-tick in performance? Are inadequate policies and procedures a root cause? To find out, take this simple self assessment to see if this may be inhibiting real growth at your company.
Q. Can you take an extended vacation without the company falling apart?
A. If you answered "no" then you have a job and not a business. A business must have a system of standard operating procedures to ensure the work gets done correctly, even in your absence.
Q. Can your company handle a ramp-up in sales and production?
A. Hidden inefficiencies are often revealed when sales and production increase. If low turns on accounts receivable and inventory, long sales or production cycles starve your cash flow, then something is wrong. Your policies and procedures should document cycle times for your critical operating metrics.
Q. Can you effectively add more people to your organization?
A. Hiring people is simple compared to ensuring they know what to do and have the resources to accomplish their job. Policies and procedures provide the framework for a management system to oversee new employees and communicate who does what by when.
Q. Does opening a new branch office, plant or facility create havoc?
A. Expanding your operations to new locations will test the limits of your policies and procedures. Did you know that franchises are four times more likely to survive than a start-up primarily because they have a well defined operations manual? Are you running your business like franchises run theirs?
Q. Is your family happy with your work life?ȍA. If your business demands too many hours, too much stress, and too little quality time with your family and friends, then you should do something about it. A well defined system of standard operating procedures can allow you take a vacation without worry, increase sales with ease, add people to fill demand, and open new offices without trouble. Then your family will be the happiest on the block.
About The Author
Chris Anderson is co-author of policies and procedures manual products, assisting in the layout, process design and implementation of the information. He is currently the Managing Director of Bizmanualz, Inc. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University.
mail to:chris@bizmanualz.com
Visit: chris@bizmanualz.com
weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..Every new business owner knows that a business plan is... Read More
You know you need a business plan. You probably realize... Read More
Ask a small business owner about their strategic plan and... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics is excellent fit... Read More
If you own a mobile car wash business or auto... Read More
As a business owner, you've likely created a hurricane plan... Read More
What gets measured gets done.How do you keep your business... Read More
Do you work in or own a business that's affected... Read More
To Grow (Catapult) Your Business That's Why.When it's in your... Read More
As fast as you can say business disaster, your business... Read More
Strategic planning is vital while starting a new business or... Read More
A significant advantage of some business ideas is that the... Read More
Where would your business be without a proper plan? A... Read More
Does your overall business strategy include the recruitment of college... Read More
Some analysts credit [Larry] Ellison with anticipating the consolidation in... Read More
Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing... Read More
When in doubt, cut that out! Yeah, yea, doubting Thomas... Read More
When looking at Akron carefully one cannot help but notice... Read More
No "meme" isn't a typo and Got Milk, the more... Read More
If you are a manufacturer wanting to use your business... Read More
We all agree Strategic Planning is a critical part of... Read More
How important is a vision statement to your company or... Read More
Here is an abstract thought on studying nature and the... Read More
There is so much small business information available today that... Read More
Growth through acquisition should not be considered an option reserved... Read More
whole house cleaning Park Ridge ..Mobile auto detailing equipment becomes very inexpensive around March each... Read More
"Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas."That's... Read More
Growth through acquisition should not be considered an option reserved... Read More
Every business experiences slower periods. For some, they sell more... Read More
In 1997, David Steele was making the transition from a... Read More
"I don't need a business plan."Neither did Alice in Wonderland."Would... Read More
Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing... Read More
Strategic planning and consulting is the strategy roadmap to manage... Read More
Succession planning requires the owner of a small or medium-sized... Read More
Would you like to jumpstart your online or offline business... Read More
Remember Chux? The disposable diaper that took the market by... Read More
How often does your company make a quantum leap forward?... Read More
A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals,... Read More
Many companies are reluctant to dive into outsourcing ocean because... Read More
You have heard that there is extra money on the... Read More
For many consumers and producers, MSP is an acronym for... Read More
Many cities have home pages on the Internet. Many of... Read More
Many of Ohio's downtown areas are in need of upgrading... Read More
David E. Gumpert, author of Burn Your Business Plan, often... Read More
Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it's not... Read More
There is a story, about a business owner who wasn't... Read More
Remember reading "Alice in Wonderland?"She asks the Cheshire Cat, "which... Read More
ACTION PLANNING: Action Planning is a process to develop strategies... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains fits multiple services market niche and healthcare... Read More
Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly... Read More
Strategic Planning |