The single most annoying thing you can do

This is the same whether it is a business or on a personal level. The single most annoying thing that you can do is to say you will do something, then not do it. The worst part of all this is that to some degree we all do this with alarming frequency. We can all draw examples from our personal lives where we can see quite clearly the massive disappointment that results from being let down. It may be a small thing, which we deem unimportant, or it may be a massive thing. Either way the key is that we let someone down. One offs can destroy relationships, but it is quite likely you will survive a one off. The repeat offenders however stand little chance.

Looking at it from a business standpoint

Business is all about relationships. Two parties agree on specific terms of trade then the exchange of goods or services can happen. There is a relationship. As is often the case, where money is involved, the parties are more likely to be more uptight and less than impressed when they are let down. Their living and that of their family relies on the well being of their business.

An example could be between you and your Internet service provider. You agree to certain terms then they provide the service in exchange for your money. If they have a technical problem, and you are left without an Internet connection, then they will have let you down. As a once off, you will probably forgive, but not forget. If the problem occurs with any regularity, you will end the relationship. The more heavily you depend upon the service the less forgiving you will be.

No one is perfect

True. Very true. This is however not an excuse that will work out very well for you. Your customers will expect you to be a lot closer to perfect than you are. The problem in this case is that you have promised something that you maybe can not deliver. Have you ever noticed how hosting companies never promise 100% up time? Have you ever noticed disclaimers on products that tell you not to do things that it would appear the product has been designed to do. The best example I have of this occurs on extreme sports equipment. As a kiteboarder into the freestyle aspect of the sport I regularly use my kites to jump high into the air, as the riders in all the commercials for the kites do. On the kite itself however is a disclaimer saying not to use the kite for these purposes.

These examples of companies not promising a certain level of performance can be incredibly complicated as they enter into legal territory.

What can we do as entrepreneurs, small business owners and individuals?

This is simple really yet at the same time very hard. We need to think about this constantly. Your thinking “like I need something else to worry about” but unfortunately yes you do. If you try your up most to not let people down, chances are people will develop great relationships with you and trust will grow leading to both greater profits and a more pleasant working environment. Do not confuse not letting people down with trying to please everyone.

Try to please everyone?

Do this and you will fail. It is impossible to please everyone. Every decision you make will return an outcome that will not be what someone wants so get used to that. The difference between this and letting someone down is that in this case, you never said or agreed or promised you would do anything. You can not let someone down if you have not promised to do anything. This last statement is not entirely correct. Failing to commit to anything is not going to impress anyone. This is the same problem, but just the other end of the spectrum.

How can anyone achieve this?

The answer to this is a pretty personal one. Everyone will have their own way of working but two constants will prevail: planning and communication. Know what your schedule and workload is like. Know if you can realistically take on board more tasks without neglecting something else. If you can not, and you do, you will end up letting someone down. Communicate with your clients and suppliers and employees and whoever else it may concern. It is often possible to move certain projects and renegotiate terms in order to suit everyone. Very little is actually set in stone when it comes to business, so do not be afraid to ask.

Say for example, I had a deadline for project X in two weeks time, but one of my best customers wanted something done immediately, I would have no problem contacting those behind project X and seeing if they were still on track or whether there was room to maneuver. It is not uncommon to find that others are running behind schedule and delaying by a few days may suit both of you.

Once you run an organised business, where everyone knows exactly what needs to be done and by when you put yourself in a strong position whereby you can strive to satisfy your customers. If your own house is not in order you are setting yourself up to fail. A lack of communication can break even the strongest relationships. In the same way great communication can keep relationships together even under the most stressful of times. Even that simple one line email to let people know you received a fax, or another email can be a big thing.

Personally I found organisation to be a week point in my past which over time I have developed. This awareness has led me to make sure I have everything in order. You need to find a system which works for you. I find Google calendar is amazing. It is wherever I need it to be. What is your secret to an organised life?

Take a step back and examine your business

You are a busy person right? Most people are. Few people would stand up and say they have nothing to do. The big question is though, all this work you are doing, is it helping you? Is it developing your business or is it just simple tasks that need to be done?

Are you spending all day replying to emails, processing orders, ordering office supplies, packing boxes? If you are, then it sounds like your business is doing quite well. You are obviously getting a decent amount of business. Enough to keep you busy at least.

So the business is busy – what is the problem?

Well whilst things are going well, your business can not grow like this. You are focusing on the short term. As an entrepreneur you need to be able to take yourself out of the business and look at the bigger picture. You need to focus on the long term growth of the business.

A good way of realizing this is to write down a detailed account of your daily activities for a week, or maybe even a month. Then work out just how much time you are dedicating to growing the business. This type of activity can include streamlining processes, new business development and company strategy. I think you will find you are actually neglecting this type of activity and getting swamped by the day to day. If you step back and think about this, you could employ someone to do this allowing you to focus on growing the picture.

This is a very common problem whereby entrepreneurs struggle to give up control in their business. It is normal to fear giving up control, and to start with no one will be able to do the job as well as you. You need to train people to do these tasks and in time, if you hire the right person they will grow into the role and before you know it, will become indispensable. Once you do not have to worry about the day to day you will free up time to focus on the business as a whole.

The first thing you should look for are inefficient processes. What are you doing which could be done much more easily and save time and money? Almost every business has processes which need to be streamlined but no one has had the time to look into it. We tend to fall into routines, and many people like routine in their life. Wheninefficient processes become routine, they can go unnoticed. Break free of routines. It will be hard to start with, but you will be glad you did later.

The next step is to revise your strategy and tactics. You need a clear growth plan outlining what your goals are and how you will achieve them. What is currently limiting your growth? Knowing this will allow you to adjust accordingly.

This information is really little more than common sense to those who understand it. The truth is that most entrepreneurs fail, and the reason is that they get too caught up on the day to day working in their business, as opposed to working on their business. There is a big difference.

How long do you spend working on your business a week? Do you struggle to give up control?

Top tips for dealing with technical problems

1 Make many friends

How many times have you been told it is not what you know but who you know? We all hit technical difficulties at some point. Even the most seasoned IT pro does. It is impossible to know everything so it is essential to network and make valuable contacts who you can call on. You could just make friends with one tech guru, but everyone is busy, and you need to think ahead. How many times can you call on someone for favours? Can I offer them something of equal value in return? You should always pay your contacts for any services, even if they do not ask for payment. Let them know you value their time.

2 Investigate the problem

So your having technical issues. Do not just give up immediately and call in back up. Phoning a contact, and just saying “it is broken” is very unhelpful and does not let them assess how much time they will need to dedicate to you. If you let them know exactly what the issue is then they could help you on the spot over the phone, or know to bring spares etc. A quick search online using the error message or describing the nature of your problem can often provide valuable answers. Many experts write excellent solutions and post them free of charge online. Take advantage of this.

3 Invest in support

If you have no one who works in the business who can troubleshoot your IT problems, then it is probably wise to invest in an IT support contract. Almost all business’ are reliant upon IT in this day and age and it can be tragic when systems go down. Whilst IT support contracts may seem pricey, think of the lost revenue and time wasted when your IT systems are not working. Really it is a no brainer. Relying on favours from contacts is not the way to go. When it is a favour you have little control and it is hard to demand urgent service and even harder to ask for compensation when the work done causes further damage. Keep business relationships as formal as possible
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4 Learn from your mistakes

If you do have a technical problem, do not just get it fixed. Make sure you are fully aware of what the problem was, what caused it and how it was fixed. This way next time you will be able to either fix it yourself or know exactly what needs to be done. Providing this information will often lead to a considerably less expensive repair bill. Having a good idea of your support history can help save time and money by enabling you to predict what equipment needs replacing, and what is reliable.

Conclusion 

Ask any IT guy and they will have no end of stories about people forgetting to plug something in, or not turning a machine on. Please do not be another one of these stories and make sure you have at least tried the basics. You want your contacts to value your relationship, and not regret ever meeting you. Be respectful of their time.

Do you have an IT guy or several? Is your relationship more about taking than giving?

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