As people become a bit more comfortable in their businesses, growing and selling more, it is easy to forget the basics.
It is easy to do when the pace has picked up and everyone is busy keeping on top of all the extra work.
However, all businesses will experience ebbs and flows of activity and if they do not keep on top of the “housekeeping”, not only will they not be forewarned when a fallow period is looming, they will not be ready to deal with it.
Good practice means continuing to monitor the cash flow, regularly reviewing the management accounts, making sure the tracking of orders from start to invoice and including credit limits for customers and payment terms are adhered to.
Keeping an eye on debt collection is one of the activities that can slip when things are going well.
Continuous business improvement means finding new efficiencies, cost savings and better quality as an incremental process with the aim of building a more sustainable business.
This is especially important when times are good as it prepares a business for survival during recession.
There is no right or wrong way to do this. It depends on the individual business but among the items that could be regularly reviewed are reporting of management information, production or service speed and quality, bought in and inventory stock levels, working practices, safety and environment, staff training, marketing and communication, all initiatives to relentlessly make a lasting and beneficial difference.
Maintaining good habits like this will help to smooth out the inevitable peaks and troughs of business and ensure fewer nasty surprises.
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