Is Your Company Growing Fast Enough for You?

Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your firm, or the effort required to squeeze any up-tick in performance? Are inadequate policies and procedures a root cause? To find out, take this simple self assessment to see if this may be inhibiting real growth at your company.

Q. Can you take an extended vacation without the company falling apart?

A. If you answered "no" then you have a job and not a business. A business must have a system of standard operating procedures to ensure the work gets done correctly, even in your absence.

Q. Can your company handle a ramp-up in sales and production?

A. Hidden inefficiencies are often revealed when sales and production increase. If low turns on accounts receivable and inventory, long sales or production cycles starve your cash flow, then something is wrong. Your policies and procedures should document cycle times for your critical operating metrics.

Q. Can you effectively add more people to your organization?

A. Hiring people is simple compared to ensuring they know what to do and have the resources to accomplish their job. Policies and procedures provide the framework for a management system to oversee new employees and communicate who does what by when.

Q. Does opening a new branch office, plant or facility create havoc?

A. Expanding your operations to new locations will test the limits of your policies and procedures. Did you know that franchises are four times more likely to survive than a start-up primarily because they have a well defined operations manual? Are you running your business like franchises run theirs?

Q. Is your family happy with your work life?ȍA. If your business demands too many hours, too much stress, and too little quality time with your family and friends, then you should do something about it. A well defined system of standard operating procedures can allow you take a vacation without worry, increase sales with ease, add people to fill demand, and open new offices without trouble. Then your family will be the happiest on the block.

About The Author

Chris Anderson is co-author of policies and procedures manual products, assisting in the layout, process design and implementation of the information. He is currently the Managing Director of Bizmanualz, Inc. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University.

mail to:chris@bizmanualz.com

Visit: http://www.bizmanualz.com

---

Clearing the Path: 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It

Please take a moment before you read any further and... Read More

Planning for Success

Business planning is widely acknowledged as one of the keys... Read More

Documenting the Exit Strategy in Your Business Plan

All investors greatly desire and are motivated by a clear... Read More

Have You Identified the Enemy?

One of the most powerful driving forces in human nature... Read More

Dayton, OH; Why your Company needs to expand there

In Ohio: besides the 3-Cs you should look at Akron,... Read More

The 7 Critical Steps to Formulating Your Annual Strategic Business Plan

Businesses tend to avoid doing their annual business plan thinking... Read More

How Good Is a Business Plan To Your Business?

You know you need a business plan. You probably realize... Read More

Invalid Excuses for Poor Business Results - Rising costs

Note to Northwest Airlines ? It's not about fuel costsFor... Read More

Family and Friends Referrals Make the Best Franchisees

As a franchisor it is imperative that you seek, find... Read More

Leverage - A Small Step For You /A Big Change For Your Career

Cassy was an employee of a nonprofit who had been... Read More

Thinking Like A Farmer

One of the difficulties we face in our industrialized age... Read More

Laying It Out On Paper

You might be thinking to yourself, "Why should I waste... Read More

Abstract Thought; Business Strategies and Biological Systems

To stop a computer virus you must understand how it... Read More

Sales Planning and Business Plans

Writing a business plan can be tricky when all the... Read More

Dotcom Business Plans Archive Project

One of the most important initiatives in the domain of... Read More

6 Steps To Laying Out Your Competitive Strategy

Why do so many companies languish and watch as their... Read More

Vision Getting Dim?

A recent conversation started with a typical question, "How's business?"... Read More

Legal Strategies in Business Plans

Writing a Business Plan these days is tough, venture capitalists... Read More

Cost-cutting Essential to Maintaining Profits

Why cut costs now? Efforts are multiplying to cut costs... Read More

Is Plan B Ready?

Business owners and entrepreneurs are, by nature, risk takers and... Read More

Connecting Your Offline Business to Your Online Business

These may sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised.... Read More

19 Questions to Supercharge Your Business Plan

Whether you are seeking capital for your company or are... Read More

Are You Ready To Go International?

Although North Americans were the dominant population on the Internet,... Read More

Writing a Business Plan for Success in Business and for Funding

Writing a business plan to help you direct and manage... Read More

Strategic Planning and Total Quality Management

No matter what product or service you provide you will... Read More

Why Create an Annual Plan?

Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing... Read More

Is Your Company Growing Fast Enough for You?

Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your... Read More

Turning On The Lights

Fun From The StartFor those with the will to start... Read More

10 Critical Facts to Put On the Cover of Your Business Plan...

In most business plans, no matter how striking the idea,... Read More

Breaking the Growth Barriers in the Information Technology and Software Sector

There's nothing automatic about corporate growth, particularly in the information... Read More

Shortening Product Life Cycle!

The current state of the available technology at the disposal... Read More

Don?t Just Talk About the Weather, Use It to Advantage

A well known, national chain of restaurants discovered that certain... Read More

Business Plan 101 How to Write a Table of Contents

No matter what business you plan to start in your... Read More