Are You Working ON the Business or IN the Business?

Are You Working ON the Business or IN the Business?
Many of us have businesses and we all dream of being successful and selling our products and services to the masses. In order for this to happen we have to have a good idea, product, or service and we need to have our act together so our clients have an excellent business experience when dealing with us. The SMB has so many challenges when trying to grow and so many priorities pulling at us. It is a good indicator of how things will turn out in the future by the amount of time we are spending ON the business and the amount of time we spend IN the business.

Tasks like accounting, marketing, management, and other non-billable activities are all examples of working ON the business. We can’t overlook these things or we will not have a company. However these activities do not make us any money. Working IN the business makes us money; these activities are sales, development, installation, training, project management, and any billable activity. If you are an SMB you are obviously small and you just don’t have an over abundance of people to work on the business as all hands available need to be billable in order to keep the company afloat.

As always we believe that a properly configured ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system will help you to focus on working in the business as the activities that support the business are now streamlined, standardized, and recorded, effectively freeing you up for more profitable activities.

A good example of a growing and successful small business is Basement Systems Calgary (www.basementsystemscalgary.com). Starting with humble beginnings, it was soon evident that the Calgary boom was going to make the business take off, and it has indeed. They have increased sales by 50+% in 2006 and have not increased their workforce. By installing an ERP system they were able to take the business to the next level by having more time to work IN the business, focusing on sales, service, and support. In fact they became so good at working ON the business they were able to sell a portion of the business in a management buy-out. Both businesses are going great guns.

A key strategy to growth and success is to find the best way to minimize your involvement in working ON the business and maximize your involvement of working IN the business.