In an age where a twitter post is set to have a life span of around 18 seconds if you are lucky, and developments in technology are moving at a pace that we could never have imagined 30 years ago (see Moore’s Law) it is essential for you to keep at the forefront of your mind that your business needs to be an organic entity: Always growing, always changing and evolving and assimilating new ideas, new technology and most importantly keeping your clients interested, connected and engaged. Even if you are operating in what might be classified as an essential services industry, there is always going to be competitive entrepreneurs lurking at your heels.

Perhaps you are comfortable with where you are professionally. Perhaps you aren’t seeking any substantial growth for the pressure that this can create. Maybe you are more than satisfied with your sole operator enterprise. This doesn’t mean that you can allow complacency to start rotting the foundations of your business. Any business no matter how large or small still needs to be constantly self-assessing to stay current and relevant.

A thorough understanding of what you are capable of professionally and the boundaries of your business are essential. There is no point in becoming something that you are not – this is not at all sustainable. But let me remind you that there is more to running a business than just getting out of bed every morning and picking up your tools. As Michael Gerber says in his book, The E-Myth (a book that every small business owner should read)

“You need to work on your business, not in your business.”

So lets look at some areas that should be common and consistent revisions for any savvy business owner:

1. How has your target market changed since you first opened your business? Have their needs changed? Are they different to what you initially perceived?
2. What technology has evolved to assist you in streamlining your processes? What greater level of efficiency can this now deliver to you? This is all about working smarter, not harder.
3. What methods for marketing are now commonplace in your industry that weren’t available or relevant when you were first established?
4. What are your competitors doing better that you can learn from and adapt to suit your unique brand?
5. What does your business look like aesthetically? Have you updated your branding or your products to suit the century we are now living in? Or do you still have the same logo that you had back in the 80’s? What was hot then is not necessarily now appealing to your current clientele. Dull and faded signage out the front of your shop says “stale” to even the least discerning customer.
6. What strategies, services or principles for operation had you been adamant about early on in your business that were really key factors for initial success that you have now relaxed or let go of? Has your customer service become dull? Has your consistent push for creating fresh new ideas weakened? What ideas do you perhaps need to revisit that will inspire your team to step up again?
7. Do you need to implement better procedures to handle the higher demands of a now fast-paced world to ensure time efficiency, stress management and concise communication with your suppliers, customers and staff?

“Complacency is the death of innovation.” – Michelle Sandlin

This is all about not allowing “good” to be “good enough”. Remove the “it’ll do” attitude. Don’t allow complacency and staleness to eat away at your business because eventually it will get steamrolled by the next big idea in your industry.

Building a culture of evolution through constant review and appraisal of basic practise will ensure longevity of your business and ultimately your own personal satisfaction.