11 Things Small Business Owners Can Do To Ensure Great Is Great

1. Trust Your Team – Delegation. Empowerment. Call it what you wish. You can’t do everything by yourself. Hire the best people, train them well, then get out of their way.

2. Communicate – You may know where your small business is heading, but if your employees don’t, they can’t help you get there. Make time to share with them on a daily basis.

3. Smash The Box – It’s a cliché…“think outside the box.” What if there was no box? What could you do differently? Be innovative…and look for new ways to do everything you do better.

4. Ask Questions – A good business philosophy to get to the root of an issue is to ask “Why?” seven times. Ask a lot of questions…to your customers, suppliers, employees and yourself.

5. Make It Easy – Consider all the ways customers interact with your small business. Where are the barriers, and how can you remove them to enhance the customer experience?

6. Plan For Success – A business plan isn’t something you do before opening, then stick in a drawer and forget. Take time to update yours each year…focusing on new opportunities.

7. Stand On A Chair – In “Dead Poets Society,” students stand on their desks to get a different perspective. Do this at your small business location, and you’ll see lots of things…for the first time.

8. Follow The System – Stick with your proven business practices...and show your employees how to do the same. You’ll go farther faster.

9. Educate – Make time on a regular basis to train your team. They’ll appreciate your investment in their personal and professional growth, and they’ll be more productive for you.

10. Take Five – Owning your own small business means taking on a lot of challenges and pressures. Make sure you step away occasionally and refresh. You’ll be more energized when you return.

11. Get Close – Step outside the walls of your office/location, and “ground pound”…getting to know your customers and staying involved in your community. It leads to geometric returns.

Copyright © 2005 by Success Handler, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, http://www.successhandler.com/, and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he’s been there – as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.