Developmental focus for owners: do the most vital things first

THE pressure is always on small business owners to find success in a multitude of areas at once – but the key to success is focus on vital areas first.

That is the advice management performance organisation, Developmental general manager Tracey Abell is increasingly imparting as she runs across business owners struggling to cope or grow. 

“For small and micro businesses, the onus is on the owner to achieve success in many areas of the business,” Ms Abell said. “Often these fields are not areas of expertise and time is wasted.

“To be successful in small business, you should treat each activity like a project: communicate well, use a budget and schedule, take care when selecting resources and suppliers and manage risks.”

Ms Abell said Developmental’s experience across most industries revealed there were four key issues that consistently damaged the income earning potential of many small businesses:

Being disorganised – “Small business owners try to do too many things at once resulting in poor performance in every area. Streamline your product range to what you excel at and what there is demand for in the marketplace.”

Procrastination – “This is often the result of dislike for a task or a lack of skills to complete it quickly. Outsource these tasks or use a schedule to limit exposure and get results.”

Unclear message – “Ensure that potential customers know exactly what you offer and how it can benefit them.”

Lack of Strategy – “Without a clear direction it is almost impossible to be effective. Take a day off and plan a thorough strategy and action plan. Then, every two weeks, take an hour to review your progress. Make it happen – you do have the time.”

Developmental is running a three-day workshop, Project Management: In Plain English, on October 26-28. The workshop is for beginner to intermediate skilled managers and also has a free option to complete a Certificate IV after the workshop.

www.developmental.com.au/conference.html

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