Making Your New Business Successful From the Start

The exciting prospect of starting your own new business has the distinct characteristic of keeping you awake at night. Once you have your idea, your location, and your funding, what could go wrong? Well, the truth is that plenty could go wrong if you are only focusing on the mechanics and not the overall picture. Take a little time and look deeper into the successes of today’s modern companies and see how they are reaching not just out of the box, but beyond the box and into a world where form and function are replaced by practical and workable solutions to benefit both employees and customers.

Your Backbone

Whether any company wants to admit it or not, the backbone of your success lies on the shoulders of your employees. Think about it. When someone is cared about, listened to, and respected, the potential for loyalty, commitment, and hard work is much higher than if he is treated as though he can easily be replaced. Think in terms like

• Benefits, including flexible hours and child care
• Competitive wages, that keep employees engaged
• Mutual respect, so employees feel like their ideas matter

These are the first steps toward a successful and lasting business. Step out of the box of the hard and fast rules of strict hours and do-as-you-are-told management methods and go back to the Golden Rule of treating others as you would like to be treated. Listen to what your employees have to say and give them what they need. The work environment begins to flourish and so does your business.

The Pocketbook

It should go without saying, but next in line is your customer. No, he’s not first and he’s not always right. However, he is important and this is where many companies fail. Holding fast to a “this is how we have always done it” and “this is company policy, so I can’t help you” are sure ways to sink your company fast. The customer may not always be right, but their needs and thoughts matter and if you are listening, they can be your greatest asset in improving your business and moving you ahead of the competition. Listen to them, give them what they want. If it doesn’t fit into your company’s philosophy, change your philosophy. Do you want to be right and rigid, or successful and popular? The customer’s comfort, ease, and satisfaction have a direct impact on your company’s pocketbook. By learning agile and exploring the incredible benefits of adapting to create a great end user experience, your company has the potential to go all the way to the top.

The Solution

So once you are comfortable with the leap from the box to the winner’s circle, how do you get there? Either learn to be an analyst, or train some of your top employees so they can lead your company on the right path to success. The benefits learned lend to prioritizing, time management, productive meetings, and many other aspects of strong, healthy company procedures.

Look for how other successful companies are providing for and using their valuable assets, their employees. Watch and learn how healthy businesses are throwing away the box of what used to work and replacing it with the freedom to adapt and overcome to win and keep their customers.