Thursday, 17 July 2008
Don’t bury your head in the sand!
When times become tough it is all the more important to KNOW where your business is and what it is doing.
Do you know if you are breaking even?
Do you know what your cash position and forecast are?
Do you know how you are going to get that work done over the holiday period with less staff?
How long can you survive hoping those orders are coming in?
These are just some of the Hard questions we need to ask ourselves, understand the answer and then decide the appropriate actions we need to take.
Despite all the statistics and information telling us how businesses with business plans are more successful than those without we still don’t have a plan. BUT when times get tough the slack or optimism in any of our businesses goes. It can turn very quickly into decline and we need to know what is going on and respond. The “patient” can get sick to terminal in a very short timescale without the right treatment.
This is a time when it is all the more important that you are working “ON” the business and not “IN” the business. Work out your costs and work out your forecast sales and income. BE REALISTIC. Then work it out again assuming the worst case and the lowest of all your assumptions. Take note or when it is that you start losing money and not making money. Look at what actions you need to take to slim down or address unnecessary costs and what you need to do to drive up the income.
Whatever the outcome of your review, the important thing is that you have increased KNOWLEDGE and the information upon which, to make decisions and take actions.
Your chances of survival just increased.
This is not about negative actions but positive actions. They are positive because they are proactive – thought through, in advance and considered.
If this is something you are not used to doing, unsure about how to go about it don’t hesitate – just ask us.
Carol
Call Yorkshire Business Services on 01943-607851 and visit our website and learn more at www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com for more news of what is happening in your own
Labels: business, Change, Growth, planning, Profit, success
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