Have you ever been in your car and heard a strange sound? Something that was just a little off…a little shaky…a little weird? When this happens the first thing that comes to mind is “What is wrong?”
The second: “How much will it cost?”
The same situation can occur in businesses. As companies grow and take on newer and larger clients they must be sure to fine tune every aspect of the agency and fix minor issues quickly to ensure they don’t turn into larger ones. As your companies reach extends, tune ups become increasingly more important.
If you’re a DIYer like me, you approach car repair needs as an opportunity to learn a little more about your car and your own abilities while attempting to save money by fixing these issues yourself, and the same can be true about your business. Below are four car care and repair tips that can also help fix your small to medium sized business.
Preventative Maintenance > Corrective Maintenance
In many instances we don’t fix an issue until we realize it negatively impacts our ability to operate in the most efficient manner. Every time I start my car the check engine light reminds me that an issue is present that needs to be diagnosed and corrected, but since it hasn’t hindered my ability to drive I ignore the warning, something we all do in some aspect of our daily lives.
Your business does not have a check engine light but by paying attention to your customers, employees and partners you can recognize when you need to do preventative planning to ensure a small issue doesn’t spiral out of control. Whether it’s a troublesome employee, a difficult client or a process that just isn’t working for your company, it’s better to expend resources on the front end to prevent the issue becoming worse. More often than not it’s more costly to correct the issue than to prevent it.
You Can’t Fix It While You Drive It
Have you ever tried to change tire while the car was moving? Unless you are some type of mechanical wizard it’s impossible to do. Which brings me to my second point: Sometimes you have to stop the car to give it the attention it needs.
It’s difficult to analyze and fix a business when you have to spend 150% of your time actually running it. The best way to approach tuning up your business is to press pause for a day or two and allow yourself to focus only on the internal aspects of the company. Activities such as company retreats give you and your employees an opportunity to get away from the work and discuss what needs to change internally so you can provide better services to your clients.
Get the Right Tools For the Job
You can not change a spark plug with a hammer…trust me, I’ve tried. When I found the right tool for the job (which is a spark plug wrench by the way) changing that troublesome part was a breeze. A large part of fixing an issue is making sure you have the correct tools on hand to assist you. If your business is in financial crisis it does not make sense to hire a firm to overhaul your brand identity, you need a financial expert. If your graphic designer complains about the limitations of the software or hardware they are using you should invest more in your technology. Making sure that you always have the right tools in your possession is vital to doing the work that keeps your clients singing your praise.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
No one can be everything to everyone. When faced with painful circumstances sometimes the best option is to call in an expert to work their magic. Rebuilding an engine is not a DIY project for inexperienced mechanics and treating it as such would inevitably place a more expensive problem in your lap.
In business we face times when we must call in an expert to help navigate us through rough waters. Often times this means temporarily relinquishing total control of your fate, which can be a scary proposition. Humbling yourself and understanding that you don’t have all the answers will make it easier to partner with an outside party to develop a solution to ensure your business thrives for decades to come.
Fahrenheit Creative Group is dedicated to helping our clients reach their audience using multiple channels. Whether it’s public relations or print production, we work closely with our clients to identify the best way to position and place their messages to obtain maximum value.
