Reaching new customers is more challenging than getting in touch with the ones you already have...

1. 10 Tips for
Making Your Business
More Effective

2. 1. Become an expert – on your
customers, that is
Reaching new customers is more challenging
than getting in touch with the ones you
already have. If you can connect in new ways
with your current customers, you can find out
why they do business with you and quite
possibly, what would lead them to doing more
business with you.

3. 2. Systemize your business
Create manuals that document all procedures
involved in your operations including hiring
employees, position outlines, production procedures,
production work-flow, sales and marketing,
accounting and customer service. As you create
these documents, you’ll develop a better picture of
what you should be doing to ensure your business is
running as efficiently as possible.

4. 3. Empower your employees
No matter how hard you work, you simply
can't do it all yourself. So quit being such a
"control freak" (yes, you) and start
empowering the team around you to be
responsible for the day-to-day tasks involved
in managing your company. You'll be amazed
at what they can do without you.

5. 4. Keep great people by not
taking them for granted
If you have invested time into building a
valuable team of employees, learn to
appreciate them and acknowledge their efforts
often. Say “thank you”, and mean it. It’s a little
thing that goes a long way towards turning a
group of individuals into a loyal and motivated
workforce.

6. 5. Create a “word picture” of what
your business will look like in 3 – 5
years time
If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you
tell if you’re heading in the right direction? It’s
impossible, of course. The solution is to write a
detailed description of the future of your company so
that you know what you’re working towards. Then,
regularly share your vision with the team who will help
take you there. This will engage them in the dream
and help make the journey significantly smoother.

7. 6. Measure your marketing
results
You know you need to invest in marketing, but how
can you be sure it’s “working”? There are many
different ways to approach marketing, including
online social networking, advertising, blogging and
media relations, to name a few. Whatever you do,
be sure to install measurable strategic indicators so
that you stay focused on your goals, and retain a
picture of which marketing strategies you should
focus on.

8. 7. Hire the best business
professionals you can afford
Getting your business to the next level will
require a team of leaders with a proven track
record and excellent reputation: a more
expensive team. When you hire the best you
can afford, you can rest assured their higher
salaries will be more than worth it.

9. 8. Give regular, honest
feedback to your employees
If you are involved enough in your business to be
able to give your employees regular, useful
feedback, you’ll go a long way toward fostering a
more productive environment. I’m not saying
become a micromanager, but you need be aware of
the key projects underway, the lead roles and
responsibilities, and the potential challenges your
staff is facing, in order to keep your team focused on
achieving the goals of your business as effectively
as possible.

10. 9. Solve problems rather
than alleviate symptoms
It doesn’t take long to recognize problematic patterns –
they are inherent in every growing business. Avoid the
costly mistake of slapping a bandage on a surface
issue. Instead address the source from which the
problem is stemming. For example, don’t just resolve a
customer complaint with a refund, do something to
ensure it can’t happen again. This approach will save
you time, money and morale in the long run.

11. 10. Use a gatekeeper
As a business owner, there is never enough time in
the day to accomplish everything you need to do. If
you install an assistant to manage your schedule,
you’ll double your productivity, which means you’ll
save more valuable hours for more purposeful work.
In other words, it is more economical than trying to
do it all yourself…

12. Mark Wardell is President & Founder of Wardell
International , an advisory group that helps business
owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The
author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly
for several national & international business publications.
Email him at mark@wardell.biz.