| You have a detailed business plan, which showed the | | | | bottom line results oriented approach is a regular part |
| overall intent of your company. You presented the | | | | of an owner's job description. |
| business plan to your bank before start-up and they | | | | 3. Human resources. If you have ever worked for a |
| submitted funding in the amount that you both | | | | manager, who considered his employees as expenses |
| deemed acceptable. The original business plan | | | | rather than assets, then you will be familiar with the |
| contained the basis of the procedures that will help | | | | need for managers to stay focused on human |
| you stay focused while the company grows. Let's | | | | resources within the company. A manager who is |
| examine some of these processes that you will use | | | | fixated on staff reduction regardless of their |
| to give your business the focus it needs to grow and | | | | accomplishments will create an atmosphere of fear. |
| succeed. | | | | Certainly, no one wants to be grossly over-staffed, |
| 1. A marketing plan. If sales are a part of your | | | | but a good owner/manager will focus on keeping |
| operation (and it seems that some form of selling is | | | | adequate employee base numbers, and ensure |
| always a big part of every company), then, you will | | | | continuing training, safety programs and top of the |
| need to have your sales group focused on a | | | | line employee benefits. It's your campground, why |
| marketing plan. Short term and longer-term analysis | | | | not have "happy campers?" |
| should be a part of this planning and will likely contain | | | | 4. Selling your business. This does not mean selling in |
| an analysis of your competition, market potential and | | | | the true literal sense. It means focusing on being sure |
| sales projections. Be careful not to fall into the trap | | | | your company image is one that is the envy of your |
| of letting "the business take care of itself", stay | | | | competitors and is known in the business world as a |
| focused at all times and be sure your managers are | | | | first class operation. You can do this by having key |
| tuned into this market monitoring regularly, nothing is | | | | managers attending industry conferences. Be clear |
| more defeating to the general manager/owner than | | | | and tell them that their focus at these seminars is to |
| to be told by a sales manager…I didn't see | | | | network, thoroughly gathering as much new |
| that coming! YIKES! | | | | information that they can. They should also 'sell' other |
| 2. Accounting procedures. If sales are important, then | | | | attendees on the importance and efficiency of their |
| the need to stay focused on receiving the proceeds | | | | company in the industry. Upon their return, have |
| from sales is equally important. Accounts payable, | | | | follow-up meetings with these managers where they |
| expenses and accounts receivable need to have | | | | will report in detail on what they have learned. |
| fixed procedures in place to allow money to flow | | | | Managers attending conventions and seminars should |
| freely through the company coffers. Focusing on | | | | take opportunities to enjoy themselves, |
| these procedures at regular weekly and monthly | | | | nevertheless, they will be the "face" of your |
| meetings will put the accounting and marketing | | | | company, it's wise be sure that they focus on |
| groups on the same path. A rift between marketing | | | | making them business meetings, and not all |
| and accounting is a common bureaucratic occurrence; | | | | "playtime." |
| so don't be surprised if one point you hear from | | | | If planning, organizing, staffing, direction and control |
| someone from sales state, "We make the money | | | | are five major factors in managing a company, |
| here, how come I have to live by their rules?" | | | | staying focused throughout the process, is |
| Getting these two operations to stay focused on a | | | | paramount! |