Imagine if you will, you are out in the middle of the ocean in a ship that you own and captain. Your destination is set, the route is planned, and your crew is at work. With everything in place, you can retire to your cabin and sip champagne and eat bon-bons, right? Wrong.
As the captain of the ship, you are responsible for:
- Keeping your ship on course,
- Making sure you make port as planned to take on necessary provisions,
- Hiring people who are providing the expected service to your patrons,
- Letting your market know what product or service you provide,
- And making enough of a profit to finance future trips.
How is your imagination doing, are you still with me? Are you wondering what kind of a trip I am taking you on? Are you asking “Are we there yet?” Well, let’s bring this imaginary trip into port.
Arriving at the Destination
The ship is the business that you own and captain. As a business owner, you are responsible for keeping your business on course. You must look into the future and plan the direction you want your business to head and make the necessary adjustments to reach that destination.
Communicating Your Route
How the business is going to be run, how your product will be sold, who is responsible for what, and where to find instructions or needed items are all questions that need to be answered and written down.
In order to reach your destination, you must communicate that destination and route to your crew. Setting expectations and then training your employees to meet those expectations is necessary to the success of your business.
What if, though, you don’t have a need for employees because you are able to do it all yourself? A ship can’t be sailed by only one person. Thus a business owner needs support staff. For you, this may mean outsourcing your bookkeeping, getting help with strategic planning, developing policies & procedures, a business plan, or marketing.
Protecting Your Business From Pirates
If you sail into port loaded with goods but no one knows that you have arrived and what you have to sell, what is the likelihood that you will be successful in selling your product. Not very. Having a marketing plan, knowing who has need of your goods or services, knowing your competition and their
strengths and weaknesses, designing marketing material, and creating functions to draw people to your business are important in successfully communicating with your potential market. Remember, your competition is out there doing these same things. They are looking to overtake your ship and steal away your patrons.
Watch Out For Sharks
There are numerous governmental agencies who are interested in your business. They have rules and regulations business owners must follow. Like sharks, these agencies lurk beneath the water suddenly surfacing to bite the hands that feed them. As a business owner, there are reports that need to be filed, licenses to obtain, and taxes to be paid. Ignorance of these rules and regulations will not keep these sharks from biting you with penalties and fines. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that your business is complying with these rules and regulations. Outsourcing these duties is one way to make sure that they don’t get overlooked.
Practical Solutions Bookkeeping & Business Services can help you get your business on the Circle to Success. You don’t need to sail alone. Call (360) 224-0097 or email cynthia@practicalsolutionsmatter.com