Very timely to post this challenge as we enter 2025. It is a good time to look at our businesses.
To me, the first step of any plan for a business (new or existing) is to ORGANIZE. I ascribe to a concept of:
1. When I receive something, mail, email, or text, I do one of three things immediately: throw it out/delete it, place it in an appropriate digital or paper folder for future use, or take immediate action.
This protocol keeps you organized.
2. At the beginning of a year...between Christmas and New Years...I relax and decide WHO I will work with in the coming year and by consequence, WHO I will discontinue working with . I actually created a regression analysis to guide me because we are humans (until we are replaced - LOL) and we make decisions based upon emotions. This is rarely a sound choice and some "self automation" keeps you honest with yourself.
3. Decide how much and which automation you want to utilize. I increasingly find decent sized businesses with broken automations or customer service that is automated and terrible.
I recall fondly, John Travolta's line in Broken Arrow "Ain't technology grand"? Technology is great when it works properly....but it seldom does because developers and programmers do not test sufficiently. They allow the Users to determine through complaints and comments what needs attention.
4. I prioritize the following areas of attention: (they vary from year to year)
- Marketing
- Sales
- Client Loyalty
- Innovation
- Leadership/Management
- Financials
Comments(14)