How to Identify Problems in Your Business

Have you ever walked into a business and just felt it was disorganized or discombobulated?  I see this a lot and wonder how many customers turned and walked out or didn't buy as much as they normally would have because of the problems in the business.  What about registering for an event and the instructions or steps people were taking to get registered and signed in were clunky or just didn't make sense.  You asked questions and no one really knew the answers.  If you or your customers can relate to this, you are relating to a common problem in business.  In most cases, this is a result of a broken, bloated or undefined business process.  These can all result in the loss of potential customers, bad reviews and ultimately the lost revenue.

Determine if you have a hybrid system

I want you to take some time and really look at the problems in your business.  Are they caused by having too many processes, if so...are they all needed? Do they cover or answer everything you need them to as you move further into your business "web"?  Have you re-evaluated the number of steps it takes you to do something, what you are using to do it or how easy the process is for your customer?

A common mistake I see businesses make is that they blindly adopt new processes and procedures because it's the newest thing, but they never address the ones that were left behind. This often results in a hybrid system where they are using the new system for some things and the old system for other things. Sometimes the old system or process is just left untouched. I refer to these as business leaks.

What about your Customer

Another common issue I see is that changes are made in a business to ease the process for the business, but the customer and their needs are lost.  The process the customer has to go through is clunky or has a lot of problems that prevent them from getting the information they need in an easy and timely fashion.  Ultimately having to jump through hoops just to purchase or access something.  This is not good and you will lose customers if this problem isn't resolved quickly.

Conduct Regular Review to Identify Problems

So as you can see, leaks can cause not only confusion among your business employees, but it can also cause confusion among your customers.  Even if you aren't using a certain product or link anymore, if it is still available there is a possibility that someone will find and use it.

Now I'm not saying you will never change processes or that you won't have small leaks from time to time because change is inevitable, but I want you to be aware of them and develop a process where you review and address them as quickly as possible once they are discovered or as you are bringing on new systems or eliminating old systems.

Eradicate as Many Problems as Possible 

It's important for you to start searching for and addressing any problems in your business that you find, so you can eradicate as many as possible...as quickly as possible. This process can save you money, time and the security of your business. It also solidifies the path potential customers can take to become new customers.

I mean think back to the scenarios I gave you earlier, in most of the cases that I experienced I avoided going to those businesses or using those company's whenever possible.  In the cases where I couldn't avoid it, I didn't particularly enjoy the experience and definitely didn't refer others.  Listen to your customer's questions and complaints to help you identify leaks before they become a bigger issue than they need to be.

Map Your Current Process

The first step in this review is to identify and document your current processes. Identify the flow of business and how you do what you do. Then identify what you use or need to do each of the stages in your process map.

You will see where time or resources are wasted. You might even determine that your current product isn't meeting your needs any longer. In some cases, I have helped clients to identify and eliminate unnecessary products...in turn, saving money and streamlining their processes.  In other cases, I have helped Clients identify a system that encompassed everything they needed.  This enabled them to eliminate multiple products and just using one.

Ultimately, don't sleep on your business processes and products. Regularly review what you are doing in your business to ensure it meets your business needs and goals.

Set up a Discovery Session

I understand sometimes we are too close to something to really see the truth about it. Therefore, I have developed a discovery session that will do just that. The purpose of a discovery session is for me to help you go through the process of identifying your current processes and what tools you use to complete each stage to see where you have bloat or leaks in your processes.  I help you identify areas where you can streamline your business or where you need to plug holes.

Regardless of whether you conduct your own discovery or you get my assistance, take action today.  I want you to resolve the problems in your business processes!