In small owner-managed businesses and start-ups, people often don’t mind pitching in and working hard. Issues like  whose job is it to? or which customers or markets are pretty clear. As for direction -  you work hard and long hours because every new customer and product sold is a win – you’ll take them all. Successes are pretty evident, and motivating – so you can sustain long hours and crazy schedules for some time without too much structure or the need for complicated systems. Things like communication can happen pretty easily.  Over time though, the need for a little more focus and specialisation becomes sensible if not inevitable.  Why?  Because we can’t be everywhere when we need to be; we can’t be good at everything and we can’t sustain the required attention and energy for prolonged periods of time because, quite simply – organisationally it gets too complex (if that isn’t a contradiction in terms!) and we’ll never have any more than 24 hours in a day.

There comes a stage in every growing organisation’s life when managers/owners need to start putting more structure around “how we do things around here”.  Becoming more effective and more efficient – more strategic and more focussed, more systematic and more skillful at these three things

1. doing the business  – manufacturing products, delivering services, fulfilling orders
2. managing the business – managing the money in and out; understanding profitability; directing, communicating with and training staff;  premises, suppliers, partners, the taxman etc.
3. getting the business – generating leads, bids, converting leads, getting repeat business, up-selling, cross-selling and securing contracts

Usually, we have a preference for one or at most two of these three areas and for many founders they love #1.  Getting the business suits some of us too – we can get immediate feedback for what we do in terms of orders, sales or wins – and that is gratifying.  It is in #2 that most small or new businesses fall down, in my opinion. It is harder to see the results of doing these things in terms that immediately hit the bottom line – and yet they can and they do.  I think the trouble with the activities in these roles is that you often cannot appreciate their value until they are not done – or not done well.  For example – if you don’t make your tax returns, you’ll still have to pay them and may well have a late payment penalty slapped on top.  If you don’t communicate effectively with customers and staff, you are relying on them to know what to do, when and how and this may not coincide with what you know is needed. Pretty soon you are going to have to resolve problems like duplicated effort, service failures, misdirections, rework – for the lack of clear instructions, or procedures.  You get the picture.

A long while ago now I was fortunate to meet a guy who introduced me to the work and philosophy of Ernesto Sirolli.  You can listen to what he has to say here:

Ernesto Sirolli Talks

I immediately was struck by the good sense of this charismatic Italian economic development specialist whose life work has been reviving communities, rejuvenating small business and leveraging networks and connections.  In many ways he was an inspiration for the direction I wanted to take Neontics in.  He understands that for many business owners and leaders, it is difficult to ask for help, that the help given is often not what they really need, and that changing how we work is hard.  It means giving up things we like do for things we sometimes must do.  It means entrusting things precious to us (our ideas, customers) and private to us (our fears, dreams and frailties).

Neontics can work with you in any one of these three areas of running a successful organisation to support individuals and teams who want to improve their business results.   Imagine what you can do with passionate people on your side, pulling in the same direction, achieving your and their goals.  And think about where you are now? Where is the gap?  Contact us to help you close the gap.

A number of speakers have already been announced. Watch out for updates as the programme comes together and get yourself along to The Assembly Rooms Edinburgh. You could meet your next business partner, the next “Branson”, employer or solve the next step in your quest to be your own boss.