Thanks to everyone who has participated in our ‘Working On Your Business’ survey. For those who haven’t, it’s not too late. But, here is our initial findings based on the responses thus far.
The most common reasons for working on your business is increasing you effectiveness and positioning your company for growth. But, all of the cited reasons received votes, so reducing complexity, delegating responsibilities, clarifying roles, and mitigating risks are also valid. Another unsolicited response was increasing the long-term enterprise value which we thought was another very good reason.
The most common challenges that prevent us from working on our business are 1) the customer always comes first and 2) we are just too busy. We hear this all too often from our community. Those that want to get started on implementing practices struggle to get out of the gate and often don’t know where to start. And, even those that are certified may not be able to prioritize the continuous improvement of their processes required for growth. So, it’s unfortunate since working ‘on’ our business is ultimately the only solution to overcoming these perpetual challenges.
As for what area of business practice area is the most daunting, over 50% of the respondent said Marketing and Sales. Systems integrators would often rather focus on solving the technical problem. For most, marketing is a complete afterthought, and sales is uncomfortable. For those struggling in this area, you may want to read our 6-Steps to Client Creation brief.
We’ve compiled a list of the top reasons in this business brief. For those that are struggling to work ‘on’ your business, we’d recommend carving out some time, even if it is just one-hour. Make yourself prioritize what are most important practices in your business. For inspiration, grab a copy of E-Myths Revisited – Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. And, if you are working on your business and need assistance in how to get started or help in a particular area, give us a call. We’re here to listen and help.