In the old sailing ship days, the captain’s cry of “all hands on deck” spurred every man on board into action, whether or not it was his watch. The welfare of the ship and all who sailed on her depended on it. The command is still used on naval ships and as a general call to action.
Enough is enough! We are better than this! We have done it before and we can do it again! “Calling all hands on deck”, is my urgent plea to American entrepreneurs and small business owners for 2010. I implore you to rally to the call to turn this nation’s economy around one business (your business) at a time. My hope is that you will, in turn, call “all hands on deck” to those within your company.
I am reminded of a plaque I have on my wall of two buzzards (vultures) sitting on a tree limb. One turns to the other and says, “To hell with patience. I’m going to kill something.” The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way and expect different results. There comes a time when you know you need to make a change. That time is 2010. With the start of a new year and a new decade, now is the time for entrepreneurs and small business owners to reflect on the past, create a strategic new plan for the future and implement it with all the passion that drove them to start their business in the first place.
As I have worked with small business owners over this past year I have witnessed first hand how much they have struggled. Of course, if it was easy, anyone could do it and there would be nothing special about you. Publilius Syrus said, “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” However, I will readily agree that the economy has delivered a significant blow to small business. Even businesses that are “too big to fail” have been struggling.
Yet, I believe many small businesses, surrounded with bad news, have not done all they could do to change things within their own company. I say this because I have observed many things that could have been done differently that would have substantially increased revenue. This article is a call to improve what is taking place in the most important small business in America; your small business!
If you have employees or contractors, each of these individuals can be a huge resource to you if motivated properly. On the other hand, if you have a mindset that you have all of the answers and your employees and contractors are simply paid to follow your direction, you are missing a huge opportunity. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you do not have a monopoly on good ideas. Benjamin Franklin said, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” Excellent ideas can come from many places including employees and contractors. A business leader I respect often says, “Even a stupid person can have a great idea.” The most successful leaders solicit all of the ideas they can and seriously consider each before they decide which to keep and which to discard.
So, if you are tired of struggling, as you may have last year, it is time for you to turn to your employees and contractors and call out “all hands on deck” so you can engage them in the challenge to increase sales and cash flow. (See turnaround article, “How to Improve Cash Flow in Ninety Days.”)
Be sure you reward good ideas and get everyone involved. Stephen Covey says,”Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, and underline it. No involvement, no commitment.”
When all hands are on deck, you can tell your employees and contractors, “Enough is enough! We are better than this!” John Steinbeck said, “It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.” What do you expect of your employees and contractors? Do you want them to just keep their head down and do their job? Or do you want them to engage and contribute by sharing ideas and becoming involved? Are you providing a lifeless work environment where involvement, ideas and fun come to die? Or is it a fertile garden where people grow, contribute, share and bask in the sunshine of “team” success?
If your problem is sluggish sales as is the case with many small businesses, why not involve every department in the solution? From the person who performs receptionist duties, to accounting, to production, to customer service, to shipping; challenge everyone to come up with ideas on how they can better support sales to secure more business. The key is to examine every function looking for ways to improve it. Pay particular attention to any processes that impact profitability, sales and the customer experience.
In fact, as worldwide competition intensifies, monitoring and improving customer satisfaction are absolutely essential. For example, a message can be added to your invoices which might generate new leads, sales or add-on orders. Collection calls and correspondence can be more friendly and polite while remaining firm on deadlines and consequences. Accounting reports can be altered so they provide more useful data relative to customer purchases which management can use to increase sales.
Small businesses that have put a greater emphasis on marketing are succeeding in securing customers from those who have cut back. I have noticed that those who have studied the recent changes in marketing tools (see “Why Some Small Businesses are Still Struggling” and “Using Social Networks for Marketing”) and are using them correctly (very important), also seem to be flourishing more than those who have not. Be sure to review and consider using the many new Web 2.0 marketing tools available. (See “Web 2.0 Online Marketing Series – Overview”.)
Encourage sales people to attend networking events and to use social networks (i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to build their credibility with prospects and customers. In tough times sales people need inspiration and motivation more than they need a kick in the butt. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who do not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” If you want to increase revenue, then focus on eliminating as many obstacles as you can so your salespeople can secure sales.
In summary, now is the time for small business owners to become leaders. All businesses need periodic check-ups from top to bottom. Solicit feedback and ideas from your employees. Why not hold a contest? They see so much that you don’t.
I cannot say with confidence when the economy will rebound. But can you really afford to wait for it to happen? What if it takes another year? Another five, or even ten years? If you wait, will you still be in business when things turn around? You can make things happen now in spite of the economy! And those who take action now will be far out in front when we do have an upturn. If you feel that you could use the advice of another successful executive or small business owner, don’t forget that SCORE offers free workshops, consulting and mentoring.
So please consider this a call to arms to all entrepreneurs and small business owners in 2010 to shout, “All Hands on Deck!” Enough is enough! And we are better than this! There is absolutely no good reason to not snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!
What great ideas do you have that you can share with other small businesses?
If you would like to contact me, you can do so by emailing me at mike.clough@bestbizpractices.org or visiting my LinkedIn page.
Posted by: Mike Clough
