Business in a Box

Wouldn't it be nice it there was a nicely written process for every action within a business? Indeed there should be, the results: a smoothly ran operation where all processes are clear and understood.

This was a business course I ran generally for SME clients, the premise being that if you were hit by the proverbial bus, your business would not crumble in your absence.

AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL

By having well written and clearly defined policies, you make it easy for anyone to come into your business and execute tasks more easily. It saves the confusion of people not knowing who does what - key contacts, an actionable list or even a flow diagram demonstrating responsibilities is all it takes.

From the angle of winning works and bids specifically, this is a vital resource. It is probably hard enough for in-house teams to understand who does what, imagine an outsourced role such as a bid consultant. By getting key company information in order before they are required, will pay fruitfully in the long term.

PROCESS WRITERS

Process writers are a great resource and certainly worth the outlay of cost for a short period, as this will help improve many areas of your business which in turn are equal to greater productivity and efficiency.

IMPACT

Consider the impact you can have quite quickly and easily not only on the smooth running of your business, but also on the success of it.

BUSINESS HANDBOOK

For most businesses I have worked in (whether perm or on contract) I have always found these things not to be in place. I almost always create a Business Handbook - this is where all key documentation is kept, you would be surprised how many different areas of business need access to the same data.

I have lost count the number of times I have been on the receiving end of an email chain, where multiple people are trying to locate one document, a password, login details especially for governance documents.

THE RESULT

Business Improvement comes before profit, business wins and efficiency. Get the house in order so that big changes can be seen and felt. Poor business structure and management is often the fundamental failing of so many.

If you enjoyed this article, you will LOVE my podcast of the same name. Short, sharp episodes where I discuss similar topics and more. Available on Spotify and all other major outlets.