Dealing with administrative tasks to ensure that your business runs smoothly

Welcome to this mini-series of posts about managing those pesky admin tasks in and out of the office

In this series of posts about business administration we will be looking at some of the different issues facing business administration staff when generating internal and external business documents. We will also be looking at the importance of having procedural documents in place for handling staff issues and business processes and of course debt collection.

In this weeks post we begin by looking at the top 3 benefits of having a planned and written structure in all aspects of your business:

1.      Whether you are in a manufacturing or a service industry in order to maintain quality and efficiency it is important to have a clear process for you and your staff to follow. It is important to break down each aspect of your business and set the process out and ensure each member of staff knows when and how they need to do certain tasks to avoid the repetition of tasks and wasted time, for example, there is no point putting a lid on a jar until the jar is full.

2.      If you have employees you should implement a staff handbook or at least a clear and concise contract. Whichever method you choose should lay out company policies on HR related issues such as absenteeism, disciplinary procedures, Internet usage policy, how and when the employee will be paid, not forgetting the realms  of their responsibility. You can also include any company benefits in this document.

3.      We have already looked at disaster management in some depth in a previous post. However planning in advance can be such an important factor in the survival of your business it is worth going over the main points to include in your disaster recovery plan such as, what will happen if you cannot use your premises or equipment for any length of time? Have you got enough money put by to carry you through a period where you are unable to trade? Have you got adequate insurance? All of these questions should be answered in a good disaster recovery plan.

When you have considered each of these points and created the documents your business is likely to run much more smoothly. This is because everyone knows what they need to do and it reduces the room for procrastination as the direction you need to take is planned for when those unfortunate unforeseen circumstances actually happen. Don't forget that a lack of planning for an emergency can spell the end of a business, but with good planning you can reduce that risk.

If you are struggling with any of the issues mentioned here, Blue Box Consultancy can provide a comprehensive business support package to existing and new customers

Join us next time for a brief look in to correspondence concerning debt collection.

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss your business needs, then you can email us at enquiries@blueboxconsultancy.com or call us on 084 3289 3288

If you would like to know a bit more about Blue Box, the things that we do, and the people that we do it with then check out our website at www.blueboxconsultancy.com

Until the next time, be bold and do good business

5 words that strike fear into my very soul....

Business development is crucial in any business – that is, doing whatever it is you do in order to win and retain new business (and that could be new business from an existing client, or new business from a brand new client – in our case, the process is exactly the same).  At Blue Box we do a lot of Business Development and we like to think that we are quite good at it but when we are in business development mode there are 5 words that strike fear into my heart – do you want to know what those 5 words are? The 5 words that frighten the life out of me and want to make me run for the hills are – HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST It is not the use of the words that frighten me, it’s when the words are used that terrifies me most   These words can have two very different meanings depending on when they are used   Don’t get me wrong, I know that if someone is going to buy from me they will need to know the price at some point   I’m fine with that, In fact, if I’m asked that question towards the end of the sales meeting it’s a good sign,  It shows that I’ve done my job properly and that the prospect actually wants what I’m selling; assuming the perceived value they’ll receive far outweighs what they’ll have to pay   It’s when the words are used at the very start of the meeting that I get a bit wary   And for good reason too, If someone is asking me the price before I’ve even begun my sales pitch, before they even know what it is I’m offering and before they know whether or not it can solve the problem they’re facing in their Business, it tells me that ‘price’ is their number one concern   In other words they’re a price buyer.   This isn’t always the case of course but more often than not, asking me ‘How much will this cost’ before you even know what it is that I am selling or how it will potentially solve a problems that you are facing, and how much money it will save you or make you in the process is a tell-tale sign if ever there was one   And when it comes to our business, people who buy solely on price are probably not the right type of customers for us – it is not that price is not important – it absolutely is, but for us, value and return on investment are much more where we are at If a customer asks immediately ‘how much will this cost?’, then I have not done a good enough job in identifying their needs or selling our services If you want to learn more about our services, the value that they can add to your business and the money that we could potentially save you, then call us anytime on 084 3289 3288 or email us at enquiries@blueboxconsultancy.com If you want to check out Blue Box then go to our web site at www.blueboxconsultancy.com Until the next time be bold and do good business

Getting tough with customers to get the job done....

Sometimes I have to get tough with clients – they work with us for a reason (and that reason is usually that they want to improve their business).  We agree at the outset what WE (Blue Box) are going to do and what YOU (the client) are going to do.  It is never our aim to give you more work than you can handle – HOWEVER, if we agree something, then I expect that it will be done (and I expect that you will expect me to challenge you when it is not)

I am always disappointed when I return to a client, following a really positive previous meeting, only to find that for one reason or another, they’ve taken their foot off the pedal, got complacent and started making lame excuses as to why they haven’t done what they said they were going to do… 

It’s quite common for this to happen every now and then… And to be honest, a ‘telling off'’ when they’re not doing what needs to be done is partly why they pay me

It’s my job to make sure they keep on top of their game

No Matter how big and challenging their end goal is… It’s my job to make sure they do the little things that lead up to the big event at the end… Taking each baby step with them

Every time they don’t do what seems like a minuscule task in the grand scheme of their bigger goal, it’s a baby step they haven’t taken

And all in all success is all about baby steps - small events that lead to the big end goal

It’s easy to make the mistake to think that when a marathon runner - or any other type of athlete - wins a gold medal that it’s because they’ve ran a great race or they’ve been on top form that particular day

And although that may be true in one sense, in actual fact, the vast majority of the race is won in the weeks and months before

It’s the weeks of training and preparation in the gym, the strict diet and strategy planning that wins the race.  It’s all about laying the groundwork! 

Cyclist Bradley Wiggins is known for getting in 86 miles of training even on Christmas day

Think about that;

Whilst all your rivals are staying indoors eating mince pies and stuffing their faces with turkey, and sausages wrapped in bacon – you can be out there getting in the base miles. Never forget – that will be 87 rainy and windy miles that you’re competitors have lost to you – forever. Physical gain, - marginal – psychological advantage – incalculable. 

It’s all about the groundwork! 

And the same rules apply to your Business

Every time you make a sale, generate a lead or retain business, It’s not because of something you’ve done on that day or even that week; 

It’s because of the months of preparation you put in beforehand… 

With that being said, if you’re not getting enough of it. That is, - if you want more clients, want to generate more leads and want your current clients to spend more with you, then you need to lay the groundwork properly

If you want to take the first baby steps to improving your business then call our team now on 084 3289 3288 or email us at enquiries@blueboxconusltancy.com we are always happy to hear from new and existing customers

If you want to learn more about Blue Box, the things that we do, and the people that we do it with, the check out our website at www.blueboxconsultancy.com

Until next time, be bold and do good business