Stop your business slipping backwards
Now you are well into another quarter. Your budget is behind, and decisions are not being taken to improve things. Ignore the ‘why’ and look at some useful suggestions to help you decide on how to turn things around and to achieve your budget.
We do not believe in letting things slip and allowing procrastination to creep in. What we suggest is you should take stock of how you will progress towards achieving your vision and objectives before taking any actions.
Seek answers before making technology decisions
For no other reason, you want to make things happen, so you have better outcomes.
- What is the most significant decision I have been putting off?
- What is the most significant thing I would like to accomplish in the next three months?
- Is there one thing I could change right now which would simplify my workload?
- What is the one thing in my business which needs changing?
- What advisor or mentor should I ask to help me, and how will I excite them to do so?
- Identify one thing which wastes most of my time?
- What important skill should I spend my time developing in the coming months?
- What steps will I take to improve my health and well-being?
- List five most significant strategies for turning things around in the next quarter?
- What financial goals and changes do I need to make?
- How can I communicate with those customers who matter most to our business?
Now you have answered all these questions you are in a better position to analyse your technology requirements. It will allow you to:
- Accurately assess the technology you are currently using and either upgrade or discard it
- Make sounder decisions about the technology you should purchase going forward to improve your business
- Make better decisions about how you invest in technology.
What we are saying is, put the planning of what you are trying to achieve first, and any technology decisions second. Far too many people worry about the technology they need before crystallising their vision and objectives for the future. They have a formula for wasting money.
Ask yourself the tough questions and answer them
It can jump-start a successful turnaround. As you become more aware of your interests and desires, you can create goals which align with what you want and need, while your problems and frustrations will start to fade away.
Some of these questions will have more impact than others and will be more difficult to answer. Revising your issues each month will help to change your thinking as you move forward. Moreover, if you change your thinking, you will change the actions you take, which will improve the outcomes you achieve.
Turning answers into technology decisions
Once your goals are clear, technology decisions become far simpler. Instead of comparing endless features, you can ask one question of every option: will this help us achieve what we have set out to do in the next quarter?
Start by listing the tasks that waste the most time, then look for tools that remove or automate them. Common examples include manual data entry, chasing invoices, following up enquiries and keeping customer records up to date. A well integrated CRM, an improved website enquiry process or automated email follow-ups can often deliver results quickly.
- Set a clear goal for each technology investment and a date to review it.
- Involve the people who will use the system every day before you commit.
- Choose tools that work with the systems you already have.
- Allow time and budget for training, not just the purchase.
Avoid the common traps of delayed decisions
Procrastination is rarely about laziness. More often it comes from too many options, fear of making the wrong choice or not having enough information. Breaking a large decision into smaller steps makes it easier to move forward with confidence.
Set a deadline for each decision and stick to it. If you are unsure, run a short trial or ask a trusted advisor for a second opinion. A good decision made today is usually worth more than a perfect decision made six months too late.
Keeping a journal of these questions and your answers will help you keep track of your progress.
