Steps for managing your small business

If you are a small business owner you may feel overwhelmed with the management of your company. It can seem that the day to day details of running your business, are keeping you, from managing the big picture and putting your small business on the path to long-term profitability. However, it is sometimes those very day to day details, if they are managed correctly can help insure success for your small business, while ignoring them or not managing them, can speed your small business down the path to failure. If you allow chaos to make its way through your small business, you may find that everyday tasks become unmanageable and productivity drops. However, the good news is that you can take control of your small business, by using some very simple steps. Here are some steps for managing your small business-

• Set up routines, right from day one-Even before you open the doors to your small business, you should routine procedures in place. Everyone who works for you should understand and follow these procedures. This is especially important in the office section of your small business. Organization is especially vital here. You must be able to find orders, process, bill and ship your orders, in an efficient and smooth manner. Having an organized office is the key to making this happen. You should set up processes for handling all of the office systems and for handling paperwork. Everyone who works, for you should understand all of these processes as well, who to call and what to do (or not do)should a problem arise or a system go down.
• Have a clear job description for everyone who works for you-One of the most common problems in a small business, it the "I thought that was his job" syndrome. If everyone thinks that everyone else is taking care of vital processes then nothing ever gets done. You must clearly delineate who is responsible for what, and make them accountable to accomplish these tasks. This helps prevent chaos from ensuing and helps to reduce the chance of duplicate work being done, or worse yet, work not being at all. Making sure that everyone knows what their job responsibilities are is the best way to help insure and increase productivity.
• Keep all paperwork updated-This may seem like a common sense approach to managing your small business, yet many small business owners fail to do this. The result is when a record is needed it is either unavailable or inaccessible. You must make updating all records a part of all office routines. This is not a task that can be kept to "catch up" on at some point, because the reality is that it never happens. If you instill a procedure that record keeping must be kept up to date this helps to reduce the possibility of a records breakdown.
• Don't try to do everything yourself-Too many small business owners make the mistake of thinking they can't delegate any tasks to anyone. The bottom line is that if you don't have the time or talent to do something, you need to find someone who does. This may result in a re-distribution of responsibilities within your organization or a need for outsourcing. If you can effectively delegate or outsource tasks that need to be done, it will free you up to focus on the priorities of making sure your business is successful and profitable.
• Make managing your business a priority-As mentioned above to many small business owners fall into the trap of spending their days taking care of things that don't matter in the big picture. Managing your business needs to be a focused and proactive approach to making sure that your business is headed in the right direction, down the path to success.