What are you going to do to BOOST the performance of your business in 2013? What plans do you have in place? Do you know where you stand financially? Do you know your current breakeven figure? How is your marketing strategy going to change to reflect the change in trading conditions? Have you addressed any of these issues or were you just too busy running the business rather than working on it?
So many questions. Enough you say.
Questions like these are what is going to give you the edge. If you want your small business to beat the odds and succeed, you need to ask these type of questions all the time. Not only do you need to ask them, you need to work on coming up with the right answers.
Let me know what types of questions you are asking.
My plan has been to come at my business model from an entirely new angle, mindful of the areas that cost me last time: payroll and rent. I have assembled a team of consultants to work on an as-need basis, with frequent meet ups in free locations. Not only have I reduced my own operating costs by 80% but I can take my services to my clients for less, and still greatly increase my profitability. I wish I’d had the courage to do this a year ago.
Good call Doug. I think it’s important that you stick to your core offering and let experts in other fields do their bit.
I think the main question I’m asking is: what WILL I do differently this year that will generate bigger measurements of success? It’s all about committing to an action.
Thanks. I guess the key here is to identify the right questions early and focus on the execution throughout the year.
My suggestion if you want to bring change/evolution you need to analyze two things:
1. the landscape
a. what is the value you create for your customers?
b. what is a key to success when you want to create the values you defined?
c. how well do you perform? and your competitors?
2. the dynamics
d. what might threat your success and how are you going to defend?
e. which are the opportunities you can exploit to grow your business?
With that in mind you are ready to take action with a clearly focused mind. (no shooting from the hips ;-))
Very simply and clasical questions but in the same time are the most important questions that need a good answer for any business.
Greetings from Romania
Thank you Adeline.