We’re less than 30 days from the end of second quarter 2018. School finished for the year, and the pace of life seems to slow a bit. Maybe you have some time on a beach or in an airplane to think about your business. Now is a great time to examine some critical business health indicators. Here are three questions to ask yourself or your team about your business:
1. What technology and efficiency investments have you made?
Investing hard-earned profit into your operation can be tough. Who wouldn’t prefer to take that home and buy a new boat or take a vacation? At Element 47, one of our core values is “Make It Better.” So if we can spend less time on tasks through automation, we’re going to take that advantage just about every time we can. There are only so many hours in the day…and if we can outsource the stuff we’re not good at doing and free up more time (money,) we’re going to do it! What technology investments can you make to free up time for yourself and your employees? What is holding you back from being as efficient as possible? Is there a solution that can be implemented to help you in that area?
2. Is your marketing healthy?
It’s easy to mistake busy for productive. If you’re not onboarding new customers that are a good fit for your company, you probably need to take a hard look at your marketing message and activities. Your marketing message should align with the products and services you deliver. If not, it’s probably time for an update. And if you’re ‘spraying and praying’ with your marketing budget…you’re due for a cold, hard review.
3. Is your culture thriving?
The reason most people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel valued; they think they don’t matter. Are you confident that the talents, core values, and goals of your employees align with those of your organization? If your employees would rather be doing something else with their working life, they’re probably not as productive as they could be, wasting everyone’s time and talents. We encourage you to take a minute to think about your culture and the people working in it. Is it time to make any changes? And if you can’t describe your culture, maybe it is time to document it. We like to start with core values.
If you need to borrow an ear (or an extra brain), we’re here to listen and brainstorm. Our passion is helping other businesses grow. Let us help you.
Here’s to a strong rest of 2018!