Capable Content
As 'they' say in the fitness world - it is motivation that gets you started, but it is habit that keeps you going. You may have the motivation to start up a business - often through inspiration, need, or desire and this often leads to the start up of a business in a flurry.
Florist
However, at the end of the day - it is not why or how you start in business, it is how you mean to continue in it that will determine the outcome. We all hear the ongoing drums being beaten about how we have to juggle so many things, prioritise everything except ourselves, juggle demanding children or partners, pay the bills, organise the world and generally keep order in the chaotic universe that revolves around us.
Yes, well - no matter how much we read or hear about these things - it doesn't change unless we change it ourselves. If you are going to be in business, this is likely to be your life for quite a long time. Thus, when you start business - it is critical that after the start-up motivation wanes, the good habits are in place to keep you going. Good habits lead to good profits. No matter how small your business - if you don't have good habits and practices in place from the beginning - a small problem will quite happily grow exponentially with the business.
Hat - which hat?
One of the biggest issues facing small businesses is the need to wear many hats. You may be the accounts keeper, the retailer, the designer, the therapist - all the trades required to keep your business afloat and to meet regulatory/tax/legal requirements. Many people say that it is not worth seeking outside assistance as it takes them more time to deal with that than it does to do the work themselves. Guess what... that is because the good habit of records management is not in place.
Write the Right!
Another ongoing issue seen many times in business which is guaranteed to lose clients is the lack of quality control. No matter whether you are a florist or a beauty therapist or an insurance broker or a major producer ... any business needs identified points of customer service quality that you should check during receipt of client instructions/order, during the work that you conduct on their behalf and during the delivery of that work to the client. If these quality control points are not identified, recorded and carried out for each and every client, there is no point being in business. You cannot keep that level of customer care in your head - you will not sleep, you will stress and you will literally worry yourself sick. It really isn't that difficult. The critical components are:
- Uninterrupted time (focus time)
- Clarity on what specific task needs to be accomplished
- The tools and knowledge to address it - or someone else's tools or knowledge.
Schedule yourself uninterrupted time for 3 hours at least once per week- and before you start laughing about how I have no idea how much your time is in demand etc etc, well I do know. I really do understand what it is like to run two businesses, work as a consultant, continually develop new products, raise a young child, study and not have enough hours in the day. But, if your business is important to you - you will find that you can get home from work at a reasonable time - then have time out. Enjoy time with the family, have dinner and chill out for an hour. Then do a few hours productive work after 7:30 when they're in bed. It can be quiet, uninterrupted and not drain you dry
During your first session, make a list of everything you and your company do. This should be at a high level which doesn't include the detail. For example:
Finance
- Invoice & receive money for xyz services
- Pay service providers
- Manage Insurances
Marketing
- Manage advertising campaigns
- Attend networking and conference events
- Manage branding and image
Business Development
- Develop/design new product
Premises
- Manage Leases
- Window displays
- Technology connectivity
- Identify new store locations
Prioritise/highlight the tasks that have the most variation and the most customer impact.
Identify the tasks that you need to train other people in. If you have the time, interest and energy - learn a mind mapping tool. You can use a software application to do this or you can do it on paper. It is an 'organic' way of documenting what you and your business do. It is a far simpler, pictorial and easier way than simply writing screeds of words. Once the high level list is complete, you may need to break each of them down into further detail - with the priority tasks taking precedence. For example:
Marketing
- Attend networking and conference events
- Business cards
- Brochure
- Introductory pack/special offers
- Manage branding and image
- Style Guide
- Write Service Level Agreement with service provider
During the next few focus sessions, develop a list of the instructions and forms you must have in place to address each of those priority tasks.
Start on the high priorities and write instructions in a manner that:
- clarifies in your own mind how you want your business to operate and be managed
- gives specific steps and ownership (responsibilities) of those steps
- can be used for training other personnel
- answers as many questions as possible (if the client asks awe say b, if they ask e - we say f etc)
- caters for all variations (if x happens, then do this, otherwise do that)
- has one instruction per major task that you do (eg, accept client payment via eftpos, weekly maintenance of the xyz machine etc)
- shows specific checkpoints - including what is a pass and what is a fail of that check
- clarifies what to do, who to tell, where to go etc if something fails the check
- shows what records must be filled in and kept (where) during the process
- enables the written instructions to be found and used in the long term
- specifically states what NOT to do, what decisions must be made by the person reading the instructions and how they get input from others.
Going through this exercise is often difficult to start, but once it is done it can be very cathartic. It's as though we give ourselves permission to be good at what we do.
Quality Not Quantity
Remember, you don't have to compete with the size of a dictionary to analyse whether what you've developed is worthy or not. Go back to the original list and work from the original list of priorities.
Avoid...
- Trying to write a complete manual in one document. Create a separate instruction for everything you do.
- Wheel re-invention. Ensure what you do is done once. Implement a records management strategy so everything done is valued and managed.
- Doing it once then forgetting it. Everything worthwhile in life needs maintenance and attention (yes dear, I'll be there soon...).
- Putting it off until that next major thing gets done (eg, "we need to move office so I'll start after that" - or "I just want to finish developing this new product then I'll start after that". There will always be another major thing. The longer you leave it, the more you will have to clean up.
- Forgetting to implement it.
- Forgetting to include it in your Records Management environment.
- Forgetting to keep a training matrix so that you can see who has been trained in which instructions (makes it easy to call on them when in need).
Records management and capable content are critical components to any business. Well managed, clear instructions and records will:
- reduce inefficiencies
- enable outside help to be used when you need it (without taking weeks to 'buddy' train them)
- improve customer relations
- increase your profits (particularly by saving administrative time)
- enable you to acquire ISO or any other quality/industry certifications
More importantly though - these steps will greatly reduce and manage your business risk. Imagine handing your partner or teenager a half page instruction on how to balance the receipts at the end of a busy day. Say "I need half an hour of your time to do one thing". Then leave them to it. They will not only ask all the questions necessary to ensure your instructions are comprehensive and clear - you have then trained them in one thing that you can call on in the future.
Thus, we change our own circumstances. If you need to do everything yourself to ensure it is done properly - then the proverbial rod for your back comes into play. We are good - us women. We are able to juggle many things and achieve a great deal - even in the face of adversity. However, sometimes we make it too hard for ourselves.
Simple documentation which is well focussed, appropriately managed and soundly implemented as part of the business culture will ensure you minimise your "pain in the business". It isn't sexy, it isn't anyone's idea of a good time - but it makes very sound business sense.
If it is 'too hard', or it is not your forte - seek outside assistance. It will pay off.
The Work Life Balance
Trudy Robinson
MCom (ecommerce) Grad Cert, Dip PM, Dip Bus, AFAIM
M 0403 183 099