My business principles

For more than 10 years, I created and lead a company that deals with system integration . During this time, I formed for myself certain rules that help my business grow and develop. Perhaps they will be useful for those who have already opened or are just about to open their own business.

Market
  • You should be a professional in the field in which you offer your services to a client. You should be two steps ahead of your customers - you should be aware of new technologies in a timely manner, test and carry out pilot implementations, make decisions about the need for your customers, train employees and offer these technologies.
  • Choose your specialization - one or more. Never do anything if you are not sure about the quality of the services provided. Remember - first specialists, then pilot implementations, and only then you can offer these services to customers.
  • Do not dump. Focus on the quality of work and the benefits that the client receives in working with you. You can pay for the work of specialists only if their services are properly evaluated. Distance yourself from dumping companies - offer services that they cannot copy - hire the best specialists, optimize your business processes, train your engineers, develop a service, get certificates, licenses, become partners of large and strong vendors, conduct seminars and conferences with them. Dumping companies do not live long, in the long run this will help you occupy a leading position.

Customers
  • Pay attention not only to large orders, but also small ones. Remember - your goal is not to make money now and today, but to satisfy current customer requests. If he now turns to you with a small contract and enjoys the cooperation, he will definitely come back to you with a large order. Processing small orders should be as fast and convenient for the client as possible.
  • Keep in touch with key employees of large customers. If possible, ensure that orders pass through you, and if this is not possible, provide full control over the processing of orders from such clients.
  • Keep the customer in touch. This means that you should answer any request (by phone or mail) during the day, if possible immediately. You are not required to immediately provide a complete answer to the request, but the client should always know that you have accepted the request, are working on it and the result will be on time. Of course, if you do not fit into the promised time frame, warn, it is better - in advance. This is a very important principle and should be followed by all your employees.
  • Always be in touch. The communication method is not important, the main thing is that it is convenient for the client and you. If you missed a call, call back as soon as possible. If you are in roaming - call via Skype or using call-back services, at worst - via SMS. Answer every letter, even if you are on vacation. Ideally, the client should not notice at all whether you are working or have gone on vacation.
  • Keep your relationship confidential, especially with regard to financial relationships. All financial issues with each specific employee of the customer should be led by a specific manager in order to avoid accidental disclosure of information. Know - one case of disclosure may cost you a client, and in the future - reputation.
  • Do not succumb to price blackmail of the client - if the client asks you to lower the price because the competitor showed a lower price, then the client wants to work with you, but at the same time wants the lowest price. Explain to the client why your services are more expensive than competitors, and if he still does not agree - let him go to the competitor, you will not lose anything. It is better not to work with such a client, since he does not understand the full value of the services you provide (provided, of course, that he needs it).
  • Develop a service. Service is an integral part of your sales, without service there will be no trading. Provide the service on your own - the client must come to you with his problems, because you know how to solve them quickly and efficiently, because this is your client and it is your responsibility to provide quality service. This is a very important competitive advantage, because all customers want their problems to be resolved quickly and without unnecessary hemorrhoids. This moment alone can tie your client to you forever. Those who came across “manufacturer service centers”, especially nonresident ones, will understand me. Provide a quick response time, carry out repairs, provide the client with a substitute (maybe not for free).
  • Accept returns without any problems and obstacles for the customer - this is credible and greatly increases the likelihood of an initial and repeat purchase. In the West, this has long been an obligatory rule of almost any business, only in the scoop we constantly encounter an unwillingness to accept the returned goods with one sauce or another.
  • Always keep your promises. In fact, there are no “reasons beyond your control”. It all depends on you - the choice of suppliers, vendors, employees. It seems to me that without this quality it is not even worth starting a business.

Suppliers
  • If you violated the delivery time due to the fault of the supplier, you must take all measures to avoid this in the future: 1) talk with the supplier and discuss the problems, 2) agree with the supplier about financial penalties for delays, 3) try to solve the problem by more high level - down to the central branch of the vendor. If all else fails, change the provider.
  • When choosing a supplier, be sure to be interested and check the operation of its service center (warranty, returns). Remember that the problems of his service will certainly become your problems.
  • Do not fall for the cheapest suppliers - they will certainly have problems with logistics and service. With no exceptions.

Company
  • Provide full inventory control. You must clearly know what is in stock, what is not. Continue auditing. Implement a system of electronic certification of consumables and receipts by the responsible person (storekeeper) - then you can ask the responsible person for the results of the audit.
  • Provide the necessary minimum goods in stock. Order the goods in advance, avoiding gaps in the assortment. This is a simple but often very difficult rule. In my company, the leading logistics is the highest paid position. Because it’s very simple to spend all the profits on an unnecessary item in the warehouse. Trust core purchases to trusted employees only.
  • Ensure and clearly observe customer reservations. Demand the same from your suppliers.
  • Deliver goods to order. This will expand your range dozens of times without any material costs. Require your suppliers to clearly comply with the terms of delivery of goods to order.
  • Provide effective communications within your company. The speed of communication between employees directly affects the speed of service to the client. To clarify the information, use the quick messaging services, for more serious questions that require time to respond - email. Make an internal mail conference and let employees use it to communicate with each other - this will allow you to control the relationship between employees, the quality and speed of work, and identify problems in time. This is the first thing I did when creating a company.
  • Organize your inbox. This will help you not to lose an important letter and not get lost in hundreds of messages. Use tags / folders / colors to organize your mail. Use categories for current, important, assigned, and pending messages. There should not be unread messages in the mailbox - they should all be processed immediately, or marked for subsequent processing. Demand the same from your employees.
  • Organize your to-do list - do not trust your memory. This is a diary or a web service with synchronization with a smartphone - anything will do that will help you remember to complete one or another thing. Read books from the GTD series.
  • Give your employees the power to handle most issues. And make sure that they do not shift to you the solution of issues that they can solve on their own. Learn to delegate authority. Ideally, you should organize everything in such a way that you have enough to manage one or two hours of work per day. The rest of the time you should devote to business development.
  • Describe the basic rules and business processes. It will be much easier for new employees to delve into your processes if they are described. Do not require formal execution of all business processes - use them as recommendations. When making a decision, your employees should think with their head based on the current situation, and not blindly follow all the rules.
  • Do not crush employees - give them freedom and authority to make decisions. Trust your employees. But sometimes check.
  • Automate everything you can - customer relationships, trade, accounting, service, logistics - the more automation you have, the more efficient your company is. Remember, automation of business processes is not a one-time problem, but an ongoing process. Allocate a monthly budget and control where your system is developing - no one except you can better understand the requirements and bottlenecks of the business that automation helps to solve.
  • Remember - your success depends on the people with whom you work. Appreciate your employees and pay for their work with dignity. The motivation system should improve as much as your company exists. Give employees the opportunity to earn more if they work better.
Good luck in business!

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