Control Quality In Your Business

In the past 20 years we’ve seen a huge rise in the number of business franchises available worldwide. But what is a franchise really? At its most basic level, it is a method – a system- that can be replicated and each task in the business defined and able to be carried out by anyone, with minimal experience and at the lowest cost. That is to say, that a 16 year old with no experience can come into the business, follow the steps to deliver the same quality product as someone who has been doing it for many years and with great experience. 

Of course you may not want to be employing juniors and you may not want to start a franchise empire but the elements of a franchise – the thing that makes it worth the money they command - is a proven business model that is captured, documented and to which employees adhere. What does that give you? It means that you have a framework for training new employees and a consistency to your service that allows you the business to perform in a reliable and predictable way and an end to having to ‘make it up as you go along’.  Employees know the answers to anything they could need to know, and you are not caught up in spending time telling them over and over the same things. 

For the customer, it means they can rely on getting the same standard of service from your business next time they visit you. This reliability is a comfort and reassuring for customers and it is a money saver for you the owner, as well as being a marker toward your business being optimized and sale-ready all the time. In real terms, that means you own a business which is more desirable to a buyer, a higher sale price you should command when you do want to sell, and a more profitable business every day. 

You don’t want to franchise? You don’t have to go that route to have good systems. Your current business model, with your existing policies and procedures are the starting point to creating your own system to manage and optimize your business. If you have some policies and procedures you can use them as they are, or tweak them as you develop your system. Where there are gaps in the current model, these can be filled and additional components added as required and any procedures or policies modified as better ways of doing a task is developed. This provides you a framework to deliver consistent results but does not hamper you in any way. 

Some business owners think that because they are a one-off and creative kind of business that policies and procedures don’t apply to them. In reality, the most creative businesses also need procedural structure for some elements of the business. These systems let the creativity happen where it is required, and the support mechanisms in the business to free up time, deliver good back up and assist with the delivery of the more creative elements. Very often good systems mean the business is able to scale in a way that was once impossible. 

 
 How are you managing the processes in your business? Could they be improved?

Areas For Procedures And Policy Review To Consider:

• Administration
• Operations
• Internal relationships (employees, HR, recruiting, performance)
• External relationships (suppliers, JV partners)
• Financial
• Marketing
• Web and Social Media 
• Management + CEO responsibilities
• Training

Good systems let you manage more effectively, save time and cut needless duplication as you maintain a consistent and high level of productivity that every successful business needs. 

 For more information download 7 Steps To A Growing Healthy Business Here no strings attached.

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Stop Theft In Your Business With Good Systems.

It’s common for business owners to underestimate the potential for theft by their own staff.  The reality is that the loss to a business though employee theft can be a real drain on profits and can undermine the stability of the business. Where this happens, the whole culture within the business can suffer.


As this recent article shows where 43% of small business employees admit giving freebies or discounts to friends and family. Some won't even see that when they do this, it is theft. It's up to you to teach them the values that apply in your business. And some will be knowingly stealing whatever they can get their hands on. 


How To Spot It

Those who are stealing from the business can be very keen to keep their activities hidden and be attached to keeping the status quo with regard to their duties and function.  They won't like change and will actively discourage good systems from being put in place that help you manage effectively.


 Mix It Up

Changing the employees' functions from time to time can help with this but for many business that is difficult because often the roles are not well described and it can happen that management is less than sure what an employee even does in their role!

Where staff are stuck on keeping things as they are, that’s a bad sign and to prevent that happening, the business needs good systems, well-defined roles and descriptions for the position – not the person in the role.  People can be moved and everyone be very clear on what they have to do and how they do it, when this is well documented.

That process for managing roles and responsibilities also makes for easy performance management, recruiting and can ensure that the knowledge in the business is shared and kept, even when key staff leave or are reassigned to new responsibilities.

In your business now, make sure you have put in place:

•  A clearly identified and written chain of command so people know who they report to and who they are supposed to be supervising. 
• Written position descriptions for each role in the business
• Tasks written down in full for each of the positions. 
• Induction training for new employees into the business so they know from Day 1 where everything is and what's expected of them, and the culture and values of the business.
• Performance management system to monitor progress, catch any training gaps and fix problems at the time they show up and catch your people doing good work.

 Lead From The Front. 

Your role as a leader in your business means that this is one of your responsibilities to ensure good governance and effective practices are in place. This raises productivity, makes for more engaged workers and lets you keep good control over your business affairs.

Someone from outside the business can often help you identify issues like these and more that can keep you on track and out of the rut that comes from having no systems in place.

Guarantee

Policies and good management alone won't guarantee there is no theft from a business. But you are guaranteed that without those procedures and good culture in the workplace, you are actively encouraging every kind of bad activity to flourish.


Your business loses money when you have theft but also when you have high staff turnover, low standards of training in the business and no good systems to manage the people and assets in the business. When you improve these areas, it is like money in the bank.

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Good Records Management Is Good Business

 

Government departments can be a good source of information for business on how to stay compliant with the legal obligations in the local jurisdiction and in this example below, it shows clearly the kinds of documentation that needs to be maintained and managed well. These documents are essential to your businesses well being and need to be managed effectively. Some will need updating at the right time and this can easily be overlooked. 

I was at a networking luncheon recently and heard about a great example of where the right documentation being overlooked can result in ongoing issues that can threaten the complete operations of the business – sometimes without the owner being aware that it even happened. In this case the real estate license had expired and not renewed as it was due. To cover this, the administrations person had ‘doctored’ a certificate with the new dates on it to cover the fact that it was not done in time and of course once this had happened the first time, then they maintained this the following year. When this came to light, the real estate agent had effectively been without a current license for a period of 3 years.  This could have been catastrophic to that business. 

Cases abound where employees either by intention or by lack of understanding can cause problems for a business. Good management of the records in the business should keep a check and good oversight to the operations and administrative issues in a business. Compliance can be a trial for business to manage, but as well as keeping the business ‘legal’ – you can use the need for good record keeping to your advantage too. 

Trying to manage this with files and bits of paper is a nightmare – and puts business at risk of things being missed, potential fines and court actions and more. But this need to be compliant is a perfect excuse to put in place systems to manage your information in a streamlined way,  one that covers your obligations, but also lets you manage more effectively, reduce risk and create a relaxed environment where employees are able to know exactly what they are expected to do, alerts to remind them when things are due so they don’t need to rely on memory or bits of paper, and can be confident that they are clear on what is expected of them and how to do their work successfully.

How do you manage your records now? 

http://www.business.vic.gov.au/BUSVIC/STANDARD/PC_50296.html

Records Management

Record keeping isn't just good business practice, it's a legal requirement. You are required by the Australian Taxation Office to keep business records for a minimum of five years, in plain English and in a way the tax office can access if they need it.
 
Business record keeping

In addition to your ATO financial records requirements other government departments require you to keep records relating to your business and employees. 

When setting up your record keeping system you should also file records such as: 

• contracts, insurance agreements and other legal documents
• your lease if you're renting 
• licences and permits
• employee records including time sheets, copies of pay slips etc
• safety records e.g. risk assessment for occupational health and safety 
• any other records which are 'business activity' specific and required by law for the operation of your business e.g. for a café your food safety plan

Tip: Write down the method you use for filing so if someone has to do it for you they know how to. As your business grows, this is a job you could give someone else to do. 

	Checklist: Business records and how long to keep them (PDF 85Kb)
	A checklist of business records and how long to keep them, including financial and employment records.

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Idea: A Quick & Dirty Business Review

Too Busy For A Proper Business Plan?

If you are like many business owners, you may be so rushed with filling orders, paying bills and getting through the day-to-day crises, that there is just no time to get organized, and put your thoughts down into a business plan, or even know quite where to start. 

If this sounds like you, then a Fast Business Review might be the way to begin your process of getting control of your business, fix those things that have been left undone that will bring the business fast benefits, and cut through some of the clutter that can turn up in a business, and prevent better results than you could be getting now.

Getting Started

To get started on your review, take a few minutes and think about your business and how it operates every day. Think about what issues come up time and again and cause problems, and think about the improvements that you may have considered making in some parts of the business. 

Now make a list of the things that you would like in the business to work better, stop irritating you or improve your financial position. Is cash-flow an issue for the business, or is something else holding you back?

Make your Wish List.

1.     Things you’d like more of
2.     Things you’d like less of

Look At Your Business Objectively

Your business has a need to operate efficiently across a range of areas in order to work as effectively (and profitably) as it may.  Very often, business owners start out in a business because they have a skill in one area, and may be very adept at performing that technical skill. Of course there are more responsibilities that need to happen for the business to run smoothly.   

A good business needs a Vision for what it is to become, so that everything that happens in the business can reflect that and move the business in the direction of fulfilling that ambition. Employees need to know what the owner has in mind, in order to buy-in and help deliver that end result.   

It needs sound financial management and effective marketing so as to drive new business, and great customer service to ensure repeat business and referrals to drive that cash-flow which is the engine of any business.  

A business needs good employees and good employees need good systems to follow, good management to inspire their loyalty, and good standards for delivery of product and services. 

In each area of your business

Operations	Marketing
Financial Business Health	Sales
Customer Service	Service Delivery
Product & Service Standards	Information Technology
Employee Management	External Relationship Management
Procedures & Policies	Workplace Health & Safety

*Your business may have additional areas, EG Warehouse, Inventory management, Point of Sale, etc 

Review 

 

Write down the top 3 things in each section of the business you’d most like to change. 

Be sure to include all areas of the business. Be sure to include any items that are particularly prone to producing stress in the workplace for yourself, or friction with employees.

Commit

Write down the actions for each change that has to happen.

Write down the deadline for this to be finished.

Write down who is responsible for making this change happen.

Commit to this undertaking, no excuses.

Look At Your Strengths Objectively

As the business owner, the success of your business depends entirely on the quality of the decisions that you make. 

What are the strengths that you bring to the business?  What are those things within the business that only you can do? What are the things that you do in the business that someone else could do ... possibly better?

As the CEO of your own business, you understand that the needs of the business are separate from your needs as the Owner.  Some things that may be your preference may well be bad for the business. Understanding the clear boundaries here is critical. 

 

 If you'd like a copy of a form to use for a Quick & Dirty Business Review contact me and I'll send you one by email. 

Related:
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Send cards for marketing and friends automatically using this Cloud app
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Lindy Asimus
Business Coach
Mobile: 0403 365855
lindyasimus@gmail.com
www.lindyasimus.com
www.designbusinessengineering.com

Australia's Marketing Mentor

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