When you run your business, you are constantly in the oven and the mill. Your priority is to find customers and increase your turnover. That’s good, but it’s not enough.

It is essential to build your business. Take a moment and give it a strong identity, a vision and a place in its market. Without this, your company will be able to live, but it will not grow as fast as your competitors. And that’s not what you want. You want the best for your company and therefore for yourself as well.

I give you seven tips to help you assert your business project. Read them and apply them. Don’t neglect any of them, they are all interlinked.

Your strategic plan

Regardless of its size, your company needs a strategic plan. It is the formalization of your objectives. This three-year plan will be your guiding thread for your decision-making. Personally, I’m always surprised by the number of companies evolving without this essential document. It’s also a great tool for questioning and adapting your business model.

Your dashboard

Set up management tools for your company. Your dashboard, as synthetic as it is complete, should enable you to compare your results with your strategic plan. It should also enable you to be as agile as possible at the various events and opportunities related to your business.

Motivating your staff

Don’t hesitate for a second to motivate your staff. You will not succeed in your business project without fully integrating them into your corporate vision. There are a variety of possibilities to motivate your staff. There is no model. The only model is your obligation to consider them, to value them, to give them responsibility and to ensure a fair remuneration in line with the market, possibly with a bonus in line with your strategic plan.

Consider your partners

Your partners are your customers, suppliers, banks, prospects. They help you to realise your business dream and you are there for them too. Today a true business relationship is based on respect, trust and transparency. You must always bear in mind that a good agreement is a win-win agreement for all parties. It is in this spirit that you will establish the durability of your relationships and therefore your success.

An efficient organisation

Make sure you have an efficient organisation in place. It should be flexible and correspond to the internal control standards of your company.Your organisation should be evaluated on a regular basis. This essential questioning will enable you to anticipate its needs and ensure customer satisfaction.

Be in touch with your market

Get out of your office, get in touch with your customers. I often meet company managers who only meet their clients at the time of the sale. Why don’t you take the time to get to know them? Have a coffee together and listen to their opinions and experiences. This will be of great benefit to your corporate vision. Don’t forget the professional organisations and federations, it is often an opportunity to meet your competitors and get to know each other…

Control your costs

Finally, controlling your costs is obviously a major factor in the success of your business. Be discerning, a company that systematically refuses to spend money on communication, marketing and solution finding is a company that is dying. Controlling your costs also means better targeting your expenses and achieving your objectives.

With more than 25 years of experience, I have helped many companies to implement these principles. The change has been positive and the success incredible. These companies have been able to grow, ensure their sustainability and in the end they have made more money!

And you, when are you going to implement this advice in your company ?