by Doris Johnson | Jan 4, 2016 | Changing Business for Growth
Change is an unavoidable element of our rapidly changing environment. The entrepreneurial venture is not immune to this rapid change. So what can a new business owner do? First you should accept the fact that change management is a constant part of business existence and it can provide many benefits. Following are just 3 of the most prevalent.
- The most important benefit is that it helps to keep your business current. As you adapt to relevant changes your business remains valuable to the customer and increases your credibility as a professional in the field.
- You can clearly see new opportunities in your discipline. Change affects certain areas of all disciplines particularly, technological changes. They can help you be more effective in the various operations of your enterprises and can help you identify new markets or products/services.
- Change enhances the learning attitude that is so important for a growing business. A study of the most successful businesses reveals the importance of learning and innovation as unchangeable values that lead to successful change management. Adapted from “ 5 Steps for Managing Explosive Company Growth”, by Steve Cody
It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change. –Charles Darwin
Managing change requires a clear set if skills that have been proven to be effective. I will only list a few tips that will give you an idea of what’s required.
1. Maintain and manage your business core. That is, practice and reward actions toward your Mission, Values, Vision, Systems and talent requirements.
2. Anticipate and prepare for changes by being aware of trends in your discipline. Stay abreast of what is going on in your technical field by reading technical books, magazines, blogs, attending conferences and collaborating with peers.
3. Stay in touch with customer expectations. Use good customer relations management to know how you are affecting your customers and touch bases with them frequently to reveal needed changes.
4. Stay aware of technological advances and incorporate them into your business as needed.
This is a quick review of change management to help you see the need to make it a permanent part of your business management. Understanding the presence of change and the need to manage it will give you the confidence you need to continue to grow your enterprise.
See also: “Adapting to Change in a Rapidly Changing Business Environment” BOMI International
by Doris Johnson | Jan 2, 2016 | Strategic Planning
“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” –Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari
When you get that great idea to start a business, it is very exciting. You just can’t wait to get started. You can see yourself as a great success in the future and you are highly motivated to do whatever you can to make your dream come true. However, there are some important administrative things that you must do before you launch your business. In this article, I will briefly describe the things necessary for a viable business. These steps are greatly simplified, but they are a good beginning for your plan to start your business. Right now, you may be at any stage of the process, but these procedures must be completed.
Determine an interesting and attention-getting name for your business.Your name will be an important part of your “brand” so make sure it is a good one. After you have chosen the name, test it on the internet in various forms to see if it is being used by anyone and if that search doesn’t show the name in use, you may be good to go. The next thing you must do is to secure the name as a domain name for your website. Web hosts do a great job of telling you whether or not the domain name has been taken. In most cases, your business name and domain name will be the same. However, it’s up to you. At this point, you’re ready to design your website.
2. Check with your Secretary of State concerning incorporation processes.
This is necessary also to determine whether or not the name you have chosen is available to you and incorporation is also required for you to operate as a legitimate business. There are various type of corporations that you might choose from. Use the one that best fits your situation.
3. Design a logo and have it registered as a trademark. This offers one level of assurance that your creation will be protected. This is done through the Federal Trademark system. They complete a thorough search of your business name and this helps to assure you that your work is protected. It is also helpful for building the legitimacy of your business.
Doing these things will give you a great sense of accomplishment and make you feel more secure as you move forward in your new enterprise.
See also: Where is your business going?
The President of Your Business Strategy
