When it comes down to being fit – because to survive, you have to be – the different kinds of fitness come into question. Go to any gym and you will find people on countless different machines, doing all they can to keep their bodies in good shape. Is this the limit of fitness?
As much choice as there may be when it comes to fitness, all the choices can be sorted into a couple of categories.
Let’s call those categories “strength” and “pace”. Yes, some exercises are designed to see you lose weight, but that can go under the heading of “pace”. The leaner you are, the quicker you can be – it all begins to relate to one another. And yes, some exercises are designed for endurance, but for clarity’s sake, we’re going to file that under “strength”.
As with a person, so with a business. To survive and thrive, you need to be hitting certain marks. These too can be sorted into strength and pace. Is your business a lean, mean, machine – or does it need to get into the metaphorical gym, and work on its fitness?
Is Your Business Strong Enough?
Doing well in a thriving economy is one thing. People have more money to spend and are more confident in spending it. Your business can motor along catering to these needs, without you really needing to do much to keep it ticking over. It is during this time you need to grow your business.
On the other hand, a stagnating or recessionary economy can floor a business. Consumers choose to keep their money in the bank, hitting profit margins. Customers prioritize their necessities, and hold onto their cash to wait the financial turmoil out. Unless you manage to make people see your business as a necessity, then you’ll suffer.
How Does A Business Show Strength To Deal With These Realities?
A good business deals with problems up front. Those problems can be on any level, from the minor to the business-threatening. For example, if your premises are beginning to show their age, then it can become necessary to call in contractors. You should do this as soon as you can; don’t wait to fortify your business. In a thriving economy, you fix the roof while the sun is shining – literally. Or it might be more minor tweaks to personnel.
Your business is built on the people you hire. A lot of companies set out to appoint the best people at the highest price. To keep the fitness analogy going, this is like attempting to life your own body weight without working up to that point. You commit money to hiring people who may walk away at any time, should they be offered the money to do so.
It is better to hire more people with potential than just focusing on establishing staff levels. The potential you can hone, train to the same level as the ones you are tempted by. This means your business saves money in the long term and it gains strength as a result.
Is Your Business Fast Enough?
Pace, as it pertains to business, means being dynamic enough to get to where the opportunity is. The important things in this case include not over-committing with the work you take on. If you have projects piling up for no explicit reason, then you will miss out on the good, lucrative deals. Maintain quality control, and do so by not taking on projects without being sure that they will enhance your business long-term.
Hiring is also important on the speed side. Many businesses take on large numbers of staff at a time, and expect to lose some during probation. This is a false economy. You still have to go to the cost of training and hiring these people, so it is much wiser to target your appointments. If anything, take on smaller groups of people more often. With this method, you get the right people from the off and can address your training more efficiently. Efficiency is a vital component for any company that hopes to move fast.
Running a business with pace also means allowing staff to multi-skill where possible. For example, you may not need a French translator and a German translator if you can find someone who speaks both. Try not to overload any one member of staff but, by the sake token, don’t have two or three people to do a job that only one can do.
By applying the philosophies of strength and pace, your business will be a world record beater before you know it.
