5 Steps to better business
Too many businesses fall over because the owner has not established
efficient business systems.
The results are all too familiar: tax obligations are not met, debtors go
uninvoiced or uncollected, there is one cash flow crisis after another, poor
recordkeeping and costings lead the business down the slippery path to
failure. Here are some tips on good business housekeeping.
Be businesslike...
To be in business and to remain in business, become a business person! In
order to run a business, you must be businesslike. It's not sufficient just
to be very good at what you do. Lots of people who are 'very good at what
they do' have failed. The common cry: "I'm far too busy for that" is also no
excuse. Are you 'too busy' to be a competent business person? If so, your
business won't last long.
To be a business person you have to make the effort to become something of
an 'all rounder', not just a specialist player. You can produce the best
service or the finest widgets in the world, but if you don't establish good
business systems then you are not a business person and your business will
likely fail.
How good business systems will help you...
Good business systems will make your business stronger, more efficient and
easier to run. They will also make your business far more attractive to
future buyers because the business will be seen as an independently viable
unit and less of a one person band.
Here are five steps to a better business:
1. Good record-keeping and book-keeping will help you keep on-side with the
Inland Revenue Department. If you're able to meet your tax obligations
through sensible planning you'll sleep better at night. You won't fear a tax
audit and you'll know how your business is doing. You won't be caught by a
'sudden tax demand out of the blue' because no such thing exists for a
well-run business. You should always know which taxes are due, and when.
You'll suffer less stress.
2. Good business planning will help you set goals for your business, with
specific steps on how to achieve these goals. Without goals, where do you
think you're going? Running a business without goals is like turning up at
an airport and saying, "I'd like to go somewhere." The person at the ticket
desk would think you're clueless, to say the least!
3. Good cash flow forecasting will enable you to anticipate a possible
cashflow problem (something all growing businesses experience from time to
time) and take steps before the problem becomes a crisis. Banks will respect
you if you anticipate problems and make plans in advance. Banks will not
respect you-and will indeed categorise you as incompetent-if you tell them
you've been 'caught out' by a crisis. Banks don't like crises. They like you
to go to them well in advance of any possible crisis with a plan in hand.
This shows them you're in charge of your business.
4. Good creditor and debtor control will improve your cash flow because you
establish favourable terms with your suppliers and you invoice promptly and
collect debts on time. Sloppiness in this department is one of the most
common causes of small business owners experiencing stress and anxiety. Pay
your creditors on time. Don't let your debtors use you as free banking
service.
5. Good pricing and costing will ensure that you run your business in a
competitive but profitable way. Poor skills in this regard could mean that
you're operating at unrealistic levels-even at a loss.
In Summary...
You don't have to be an expert at everything. For example, you might hate
bookkeeping. Fine-but do get someone else to do it for you-don't rely on a
shoebox for your accounts!
Becoming a better business-person is something you keep working on. It's a
journey, not a destination.
This article was supplied by The Small Business (www.tsbc.co.nz)
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