As business owners, part of the bigger spectrum of our jobs involves taking measures for the good of our company’s health. Every now and then, perhaps when the dust has settled a few weeks after implementing new initiatives, or in the aftermath of achieving a major milestone, we need to ask ourselves what can be done to ensure we move forward without any obstacles keeping our business from staying hearty and healthy.
That’s the subject of an article over at the Intuit Small Business Blog, which takes a look at some steps business owners can take in order to improve the overall health of their companies. The article, entitled How to Detox Your Small Business in 2014, takes advice from author and small business consultant Regina Anaejionu, and focuses on four factors: misaligned projects, unhealthy relationships, financial burden and remaining conscious of any actions taken as a business moves forward.
Here’s a look at one of the tips:
1. Eliminate misaligned projects. The more projects the better, right? Not necessarily. Although accepting work may seem aligned with your bottom line (because you’re increasing your income), Anaejionu warns that taking on misaligned projects can eat away at your time and energy.
“While [it’s] acceptable every so often, don’t make a habit of taking on projects that don’t match your brand and mission. You’ll frustrate yourself and your customer and delay the process of reaching your goals,” she advises. Instead, “detoxify by referring those clients elsewhere and use that free time to market and grow your business.”
Taking on work for the sake of taking on work can cause a bottleneck in our business. It might be tempting to accept any project that comes our way, with the knowledge that it will lead to a bigger profit at the end of the month, but we’re more likely to benefit as a brand in the long run by sticking to work we know aligns with our goals and that won’t cause us and our staff any unnecessary stress. As Miss Anaejionu states, steering those clients towards someone who is better suited to meet their needs will help us focus on other ways of growing our business.
The additional tips focusing on unhealthy relationships, financial burdens and staying mindful of your actions moving forward are all equally valuable, and offer some good insight into how we can ensure our business health stays tip top as we continue to grow. We’d recommend giving this article a read if you’re looking for some fresh perspectives on how to keep things running smoothly in your business.
What do you think? Did you find this article useful? Do you ever take steps such as the ones it outlines to keep your business healthy? Your thoughts are always welcome, so let us know!
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