Some General Ideas To Consider As You Systemize Your Business
Just as every business shares characteristics with other businesses, your online business will also have some aspects that make it a little different from everyone else. Those differences may have to do with the corporate culture you want to cultivate, the organizational structure, the products, or even the mission and goals of the company. With that in mind, here are some ideas that may or may not be helpful as you organize your business and refine the process over the years.
First, be flexible. No matter how well you organize the initial system, there will be some small changes to make as circumstances change. Back in the 1980's and 1990's, many businesses had to completely rethink not only their product lines but also the way they did business in general. The Internet made some approaches and structures obsolete, called for the restructuring of others, and in some cases required completely new ways of functioning in order to be competitive. Never assume what you have in place will last forever and be ready to make changes when and as they are in the best interest of you and your business.
Second, remain teachable. No matter how much you know, there is always something else to learn. There is every chance that someone will come up with a new twist on an old product, or develop a new form of advertising, or come up with some great new innovation in company organization that would make your company explode with new activity. If you think you know it all, opportunities of this type will pass you by, or at least not be recognized until it is too late.
Next, never assume you have covered every sector consumers. There is always one more niche market that is out there, waiting to be conquered. Your task is to identify those niche markets and capitalize on them. Just because your products were developed for use by other business, they may also be suitable for some personal use as well. Work with your marketing and product development personnel to find those markets and build a presence in them.
Fourth, be on the lookout for new online innovations that may be helpful in growing your online company. Ten years ago, the idea of using social networking sites to promote a product or service was unheard of. Today, the use of these sites, blogs and several other online tools are so common that just about everyone uses them. There is every chance that you will come across another tool to use, and possibly make the most of that tool before anyone else wakes up to the potential.
Fifth, feel free to develop other talents and skills as you go along. Just because you will not be performing every task associated with the business does not mean you can't become familiar with those functions. Since others are handling those responsibilities, you have the luxury of pursuing your education at your own pace, while still focusing your attention on aspects that relate directly to your area of expertise.
Last, don't fall into the trap of micro-managing your support. They are there because they know their stuff. As long as they are producing the desired result, leave them alone and focus your attention on other areas. They will work more efficiently without you standing over them, you will get more done in the way of working on your business, and everybody will sleep better at night.