As a business owner, you basically have two jobs. The first job is to be a leader in your specific industry. The second job is to be a business administrator. You already have the knowledge and skills you need to lead out in your industry or you wouldn’t own your own business. What some small business owners lack are the administrative skills they need to lead their company to success. It is paramount that business owners master basic organizational skills. Here are three areas in which every business owner should become an expert.
Accounting
When it comes down to it, every business is a number-crunching game, regardless of the particular industry. As the owner of your business, you can’t set long-term goals, develop the vision for your company, or even comprehend the ins and outs of staying lucrative without an understanding of accounting. While your expertise is needed in the management, service, and innovation sides of your business, it is also vital to the financial side of your company. Your expertise will be critical in making financial projections, setting financial goals, facilitating financial communication within the company, budgeting wisely, and initiating sound financial strategies.
Logistics
A little logistical prowess can go a long way toward streamlining your processes, improving flow, and reducing employee frustration. A lot of money is lost when business owners don’t prioritize logistics. For example, unnecessary movement of products and equipment can result in wasted time and money. The logistics of a business can always be improved and your job as a business owner is to watch for waste–both in time and money–and incorporate any necessary changes. Pay close attention to order-to-delivery lead times, warehouse management, and operating procedures. Each of these areas should be re-evaluated on a regular basis for maximum efficiency.
Interpersonal Skills
When you are the business owner the buck stops with you. Problems tend to rise up the ranks and eventually land solidly in your lap. These could be issues with disgruntled employees, frustrated lower management, or unhappy customers. Each of these scenarios requires delicacy and wisdom to fix. It is difficult to show either of those qualities without outstanding interpersonal skills. Anyone can improve their interpersonal and communication skills with little practice.
You may not have an MBA but you can still master the vital organizational skills necessary to run a successful business. Improve your skills by taking classes, bringing in consultants to teach and train, or even just reading good books on the subject. It is important that you never stay stagnant as a leader or a company.
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