Is Your Business Healthy?

Most business owners I work with want to grow their businesses. I guess this probably applies to most businesses in general. But growth for the sake of growth alone is not always healthy for a business or its people.

I've always believed a business should strive to be healthy rather than focus just on growth. Of course, this begs the question, "What make a business healthy?" This question comes up often for me so, I have crafted what I call my Healthy Business Manifesto.

(Before I dive in, I should clarify one point. When I use the word "business" I mean any organization that has people, money and a purpose, not just a for-profit business in the traditional sense. A business can be a non-profit organization, a school, a church, a government agency or a membership association. It does not have to be a for-profit entity.)

To be healthy, a business needs to have several things going for it. Here are the factors I would look for in a healthy business.

First, it needs to have a clearly defined mission that its owners, managers and employees understand and support.

Second, the business should have resources that are appropriate to meeting the mission. Lacking them, it should have a realistic plan to acquire those resources.

Third, each person in the organization should understand what their role is and how it fits into the overall mission of the business. They should be able to see a clear link that connects their success to the success of the organization.

Fourth, the people who own and manage the business need to understand and accept their role as resource providers. Their responsibility is to make sure their employees have the necessary resources at their disposal to be successful at their jobs.

Fifth, the business needs to generate enough profits to fairly compensate everyone involved. This includes owners, employees, managers, vendors, contractors, customers, host community and perhaps others. Anyone who participates in the success of the organization needs to be compensated fairly. This compensation needs to come from the operating profits of the organization. (Rather than from capital contributions, loans, etc.)

Sixth, the business must have a system in place to monitor the extent to which it is accomplishing its mission. It should be able to stay directed toward and course-correct whenever necessary.

Seventh, the business must be a fun place to be. Whether you're an owner, manager, customer, employee, vendor, volunteer or whomever, you should enjoy being a part of the organization.

Does your organization meet these seven standards? If not, what can you do to help your business become healthier?

Kevin Stirtz is a successful entrepreneur, writer, trainer, speaker and mentor. He is a published author of over 150 business articles and he has been featured in local, regional, national and international business publications. He currently writes a marketing column for AllBusiness.com and he is writing his first book, which is due to be published in March of 2006. He can be reached at 1-952-212-4681 or http://www.KevinStirtz.com

---

7 Tips for Growing Your Business You Do Not Want to Ignore: Business Strategies To Easily Implement

Growing companies must always be ready for the next challenge.... Read More

Let the Professionals Help You Out - Outsource

As your website grows in terms of attracting more footfalls,... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Look For Sponsors And Solution Owners

Look for sponsors and solution owners rather than problem owners.Everyone... Read More

Building Bridges of Communication

Building a 'bridge of understanding' between parties is... Read More

Uncommon Common Sense ? Know What is the Most Important Thing in Your Business

Over 3 of my meetings with 3 business owners last... Read More

How To Get What You Really Want

As a small business owner, entrepreneur or independent professional, it's... Read More

7 Strategies for Sustained Innovation

The need for constant reinvention is a given in today's... Read More

Managing Creativity

Creativity Starts Here!The ability of an organisation to create new... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Whatever You Do, Do It on Purpose

Decision-making shows up throughout the problem-solving process. The decisions may... Read More

Diversity in the Workplace

As you look around your office, is everyone just like... Read More

Squeezing the Blood Out of that Old Turnip

I suspect all of you out there have someone that... Read More

Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips (Part 1 of 2)

Does your business need the services of a computer consulting... Read More

How To Jump Start Your Profits and Keep Your Profits Rolling

There are so many ways to jump start your prifits... Read More

Knowledge Management: More Than Just Know-how!

People sometimes interchange the terms "know-how" and "knowledge", but there's... Read More

Employee Motivation: Make Everyone A Cheerleader For Your Company

Do you manage by walking around? What do you see?... Read More

Management to the Vision-Contribution and the Role of Compliance

As a manager our role is to:1. Establish the vision,... Read More

Across The Interview Table!

Job interviews are easier for the interviewer or the interviewee... Read More

ISO 9001, What Next?

The overriding goal of ISO-14000. (History 1995)As ISO-9000 becomes a... Read More

Want to Manage Your Time? Get Real!

You know the drill - the ridiculous deadlines, the relentless... Read More

Employee Orientation: Get New Hires Off To a Great Start

The good news is that a new hire orientation program... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Conduct Successful Training Activities

Whether you are training preschoolers in the classroom or executives... Read More

Do Customers Like the Feel of Your Organization?

In two recent articles "Some Evidence of How We Are... Read More

Bosses Are Out ? Managers As Coaches Are In

There is a new trend taking hold in business today... Read More

Innovation Management ? idea selection, development and commercialisation, what are the differences?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Have You Fixed the Broken Window?

Left alone it doesn't take long for a building with... Read More

Leadership Skills

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More

The Top 10 Things They Don?t Teach You In Business School

Here are 10 subjects that academia should be teaching their... Read More

10 Ways To Maintain Profits In A Slow Economy

1. Sell more back end products to your existing customer... Read More

Office Politics

Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More

Top 10 Things NOT To Tell Angel and VC Investors

I am not writing this to create a list of... Read More

Three Business Lessons From The US Postal Service

There was a buzz in the air recently about the... Read More

Can What Someone Does Off-hours Affect Your Business?

Q: How much do I have to worry about what... Read More

5 Surefire Ways to Bring Your Business Objectives Full Circle with Technology

All small to mid-sized company owners want to know where... Read More