10 Tips for Making Your Business

More Effective  

1. Become an expert – on your customers, that is

Reaching new customers is more challenging than getting in touch with the ones you

already have. If you can connect in new ways with your current customers, you can find out

why they do business with you and quite possibly, what would lead them to doing more

business with you.

2. Systemize your business

Create manuals that document all procedures involved in your operations including hiring

employees, position outlines, production procedures, production work-flow, sales and marketing,

accounting and customer service. As you create these documents, you’ll develop a better picture of

what you should be doing to ensure your business is running as efficiently as possible.

3. Empower your employees

No matter how hard you work, you simply can't do it all yourself. So quit being such a

"control freak" (yes, you) and start empowering the team around you to be

responsible for the day-to-day tasks involved in managing your company. You'll be amazed

at what they can do without you.

4. Keep great people by not taking them for granted

If you have invested time into building a valuable team of employees, learn to

appreciate them and acknowledge their efforts often. Say “thank you”, and mean it. It’s a little thing that goes a long way towards turning a

group of individuals into a loyal and motivated workforce. 

5. Create a “word picture” of what your business will look like in 3 – 5

years timeIf you don’t know where you’re going, how can you

tell if you’re heading in the right direction? It’s impossible, of course. The solution is to write a

detailed description of the future of your company so that you know what you’re working towards. Then,

regularly share your vision with the team who will help take you there. This will engage them in the dream and help make the journey significantly smoother. 

6. Measure your marketing results

You know you need to invest in marketing, but how can you be sure it’s “working”? There are many different ways to approach marketing, including

online social networking, advertising, blogging and media relations, to name a few. Whatever you do,

be sure to install measurable strategic indicators so that you stay focused on your goals, and retain a picture of which marketing strategies you should

focus on. 

7. Hire the best business professionals you can afford

Getting your business to the next level will require a team of leaders with a proven track

record and excellent reputation: a more expensive team. When you hire the best you can afford, you can rest assured their higher

salaries will be more than worth it. 

8. Give regular, honest feedback to your employees

If you are involved enough in your business to be able to give your employees regular, useful

feedback, you’ll go a long way toward fostering a more productive environment. I’m not saying

become a micromanager, but you need be aware of the key projects underway, the lead roles and

responsibilities, and the potential challenges your staff is facing, in order to keep your team focused on achieving the goals of your business as effectively

as possible. 

9. Solve problems rather than alleviate symptoms

It doesn’t take long to recognize problematic patterns – they are inherent in every growing business. Avoid the

costly mistake of slapping a bandage on a surface issue. Instead address the source from which the

problem is stemming. For example, don’t just resolve a customer complaint with a refund, do something to

ensure it can’t happen again. This approach will save you time, money and morale in the long run. 

10. Use a gatekeeper

As a business owner, there is never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need to do. If you install an assistant to manage your schedule, you’ll double your productivity, which means you’ll

save more valuable hours for more purposeful work. In other words, it is more economical than trying to

do it all yourself…

Mark Wardell is President & Founder of Wardell International , an advisory group that helps business owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly for several national & international business publications. Email him at mark@wardell.biz.