Questions for Small Businesses

Business PlanningOperations and Running the Business
Written By Mollie Watkins

Have you thought about or answered these questions?

Comprehensive Consulting Solutions for Small Businesses LLC is committed to helping fellow small business owners identify and seize opportunities in business basics, marketing, growth, staffing and culture, retention, and processes. To assist you in this process, we have created a set of important questions that every business owner should ask themselves, as well as what a consultant would ask you. These questions are designed to help you reflect on your business strategies and goals and to identify the most appropriate solutions for your small business.

Questions for Small Business Owners Comprehensive Consulting solutions

Are you working ON or IN your small business? Is this aligned with your goals?

Working IN your business involves day-to-day tasks that allow the business to function, servicing customers, and answering phone calls and emails, which are necessary but can consume all your time. On the other hand, working ON your business means stepping back, strategizing, and learning how to maximize profits and make processes more efficient to allow your business to grow and thrive.

Is your small business growing and retaining, year over year?

If your business isn’t growing and retaining year over year, it's not a sign of failure, but an opportunity for improvement. This could mean changing processes, reviewing the business's finances, reviewing the markets and trends, or any other area that could contribute to the loss of growth. Remember, every challenge is a chance for growth. 

What are your 6-month, 12-month, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals for your small business? Are you reaching those?

Keeping track of short-term and long-term goals is vital to prioritizing your small business goals at every step. They can also help you see where your business is trending upward and where it may need more help. 

What is your vision, mission, and purpose?

Knowing what you envisioned for your business is important to properly branding and marketing your business. If you don’t know what your vision, mission, or purpose is for your business, how are you going to be able to make sure you have a strong plan? A business without a purpose has no built-in drive and desire for success.

Have you updated your business plan recently? Does it detail the steps and processes needed to attain your short-term and long-term goals?

Business plans require change over time. With how rapidly the markets are changing and growing, sticking to the same business plan you made when you first opened could be detrimental to your business’s growth. Now, this doesn’t mean entirely scraping any previous plans made, but reviewing them once every quarter, or at least once a year, can help keep your business on track with what is needed from it to succeed.

What processes (daily, weekly, monthly) do you use in your small business for marketing, running the business, staffing and accountability, company culture, and retention?

You may be surprised at the number of processes your business uses daily. Some may be ones you never even considered. Noting and creating a standard for these processes can help your business be more organized and streamlined. 

What technology or automation is used in your business to increase efficiencies?

Finding processes you can automate will help lessen the time and energy spent on them and save your business some money. According to CFlow , “Automating business processes saves organizations an average of $51,000 per year.” 

There are many programs available for small businesses to help automate different processes. For social media pages, you can schedule announcements, posts, and ads to release when needed so that you can create them in bulk and release them over time. You can set up a direct deposit system for payroll to send paychecks out at a set date. Those are just a couple examples of processes practically all businesses use that can be automated.  

Do you have a sound marketing plan that you measure? Does it yield the results needed for your business to thrive?

It’s one thing to have a marketing plan. It’s a whole other ball game to have a marketing plan that allows your business to thrive. Not all marketing plans will work for every business. When creating a successful marketing plan for your business, ask yourself: Who is your target audience? What marketing channels do they use the most? What trends are going on that you can use to your advantage? 

Here at Comprehensive Consulting Solutions for Small Businesses, we are dedicated to helping small business owners figure out their small business puzzle. If you found yourself unsure of the answers to some of these questions for your small business, or you’re not sure where to start to improve in areas discussed here, feel free to contact us for a free consultation, and we’d be happy to help you find the answers to these questions and more!

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Mollie Watkins https://www.consultingnwa.com
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