All the Great Ideas You Need?

September 23, 2009 02:40 PM Comment(s) By Tom Bixby

If you own a business, do you have all the great ideas you need? Before you answer, give me a minute to share one experience with you.

As a Management Consultant in early 2006, I met the owner of a successful small business. The business owner wishes to remain anonymous, so let’s just call him “Steve”. Steve had been in business for 15 years, had about $2 million in annual revenue, and was able to employ over a dozen people. He was justifiably proud of the company he had built from the ground up, and it was invigorating to hear him talk about his company.

Steve was not a young man, and routinely dreamed of the day when he could transition to a comfortable, financially secure retirement. While he knew where he wanted to be at retirement, like many business owners he was uncertain about how he would get there. This worried Steve greatly. His sales had reached a plateau years earlier and he was frustrated that he was unable to achieve the growth he had expected. Steve desperately needed some new ideas.

I worked with Steve to perform a “Business Assessment”, a broad review of Steve’s business situation and his management practices. The aim of the Assessment was to identify the new ideas Steve was looking for - a series of action items to explore and implement management best-practices to spur growth. It took several weeks to complete the Assessment, which itemized over 40 action items to improve the management of Steve’s company.

Steve chose three actions to immediately pursue. Just over two years later, Steve had successfully launched a new product line, reorganized his management structure and implemented a new online sales channel. Steve’s revenue was up over 200% and was projected to continue a steep climb in the coming years. The management changes he implemented opened up new options for Steve to exit the business when the day comes.

The Business Assessment service opened Steve’s eyes to a series of necessary management changes that contributed greatly to the long term success of the company. Steve needed some great ideas, and I was privileged to help him discover those great ideas. I felt driven to help countless other business owners discover the great ideas they need to help their business succeed.

Three years later, we launched the EvaluSys Business Evaluation™ process as an innovative online, self-administered series of management diagnostics. Business owners like Steve are now able to develop their own list of great ideas using this new tool. EvaluSys provides an even broader review of management practices drawn from the expertise of accomplished management experts from across the country, in a convenient online format.

Do you have all the great ideas you need to drive the success of your company?

If not,contact us and we'll be happy to provide you with referrals to EvaluSys Business Advisor members who could assist you with the Business Evaluation process.

Tom Bixby

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