Month end is always a good point to take some time out to review your business. And because we are at the end of a quarter, it may be a good time to review your business in a bit more depth.

Numbers are all around us. Yet for some of us they can seem quite scary. I have always felt that I am on the ‘numerically challenged’ side of the camp. Although this is probably much more to do with the parrot on my shoulder telling me this.

Have you identified your business values? Company values are the core values or standards that guide the way you do business. They sum up what your business stands for, influences the organisational culture and drives how and why you do things. While business plans and strategies may change, the core values of your business will usually remain the same. Company values help businesses grow and evolve without losing focus on what is important to them.

Almost every household I know has one of those drawers where random things get put when you are in a hurry. At the time it feels like the right place to put things (that quick clear up before friends and family arrive?!). But afterwards how often do you remember where you put the item you are looking for? The random drawer doesn’t seem logical and may often be overlooked.

Governance – a word that often fills business owners with fear. It is most often used in conjunction with large national or international companies. It also sounds a bit scary with images of red tape and large reports. So as a sole trader or small company you may think it doesn’t apply to you. In some aspects it doesn’t. The larger the company the more reporting requirements you have. These requirements are often base on number of employees or turnover. But there are some basic principles of governance that every business can use to.

Running a business is hard, especially when cash is tight and you still want to feel in control of everything.  So many tasks to do and the feeling of overwhelm can be all encompassing. Part of growing a business is knowing when to let go. For some business owners this choice is easy and for others it is difficult. It can feel as though you are losing control. Some even feel a little twinge of failure as they think they should be able to do it all themselves. 

We live in an age where processes need to be quick and efficient. Our expectations have moved away from waiting five days for a reply to often expecting same day service. To meet this demand we have automated many services – banking, buying insurance, booking event tickets are just some examples.  In the main we have all embraced this new ease and efficiency. We all have the days when you just want to buy something and don’t want to set up an account. And we have all come across systems that just don’t work for us – voice recognition phone systems, or the password rest that just sends you round in circles.