A Once a Month “Sit Down”

A Once a Month “Sit Down”
Once a month sit down with this list and DO IT!
 PLANNING.
Review your business plan (You do have one, don't you?). Are you on course to your objectives and goals? Update your plan as may be necessary and make any additions and/or deletions based on any changes in your desired goals. Remember the importance of planning - without a plan in place, effective decision making is difficult if not impossible.
 CUSTOMERS.
Make a point to contact all your existing customers - remember, they are most likely to purchase your product or service. Have a "preferred" sale, send them all an announcement of some kind, ask for suggestions. Make them feel how important they are to your business. Make personal individual contact with your larger customers.
 SUPPLIERS.
Contact all your current suppliers and attempt to negotiate lower prices. Review your previous year's usage and consider a larger bulk buys in order to obtain additional discounts.
 ACCOUNTS.
Contact all overdue accounts. Decide if you want to continue to work with these customers.
 EMPLOYEES.
Make a point to sit down with each of them and ask for suggestions that might improve your product or service. Ask if they need anything that might make them more efficient. Be sure to give feedback at a later date as to how you usedany of these suggestions.
 TECHNOLOGY.
Are you using technology to the fullest extent possible? Remember that technology is one of the great equalizers between small and large companies.
a. Should you have an Internet site?
b. Is your telephone system adequate? (Do you keep customers waiting?)
c. Would a fax-back system help get information into your customers hands at a lower cost to you?
 MARKETING.
Set down ALL your marketing plans and plan your marketing budget.
 ORGANIZATION.
If nothing else, get yourself a good personal information manager (PIM) and use it.
Remember, the continued success of your business is dependent on many factors, most of which are under your control. It is up to you to take advantage of what you can do something about.