Things I’ve learnt as a business owner this month

As August draws to a close, here is a selection of random stuff I’ve learnt (or had to re-learn) as a Business Owner this month.

• Risk Management doesn’t just mean Health and Safety – it means planning for the worst in any scenario
• Invoicing on time is really, really important
• Taking on employees won’t magically free up all of your time to do more important things – in fact it will take up more of your time… initially, at least
• Understand that some suppliers simply don’t understand good Customer Service – by all means register your complaint at their feckless behaviour, but don’t expect them to respond to it – don’t try to change them, simply don’t give them your business anymore
• If an Supplier you’ve never dealt with before says they’ve got an item in stock on their web-site – don’t believe them
• If an Supplier you’ve never dealt with before says they’ve got an item in stock over the telephone – still don’t believe them
• Don’t deal with Suppliers you’ve never dealt with before – unless they’ve been recommended to you by a respected peer
• If you’ve not put your prices up in the last twelve months, put them up today – it’s the quickest way to increase profits without winning any new work
• Get your Engineers to carry spare USB, Ethernet, Modem and Power Cables in their work-kit and leave ample spares on client sites – when you’re ultra-busy and have to waste 30 minutes travel-time in a round-trip to collect a £0.69p cable, this point becomes especially relevant
• Always copy the SBS Installation CD’s onto the Server Hard Disk to save yourself a trip to site
• Never ask a client to put a SBS Installation CD into a Server CD-ROM – they’ll probably end up putting in the Parallel Port, or the UPS, or the Toilet Cistern…
• Label every plug for future reference
• Never remove an unlabelled plug assuming it’s a monitor – you’ll undoubtedly find it’s a server…
• When you’re feeling a bit uninspired, aimlessly Facebook is not the place to look to for inspiration – read a chapter from a good motivational book instead
• You can’t do it all on your own – don’t be afraid to ask for help
• When you’re feeling low, kind words from peers can be a real boost
• And remember that a kind word from you to a peer might help lift them when they need it too
• Don’t work on a problem for more than an hour before asking someone for a fresh perspective
• Don’t miss breakfast or lunch, and regularly get a good nights sleep
• If something is urgent, pick up the ‘phone and call them instead of e-mailing them
• Been putting off making a ‘phone call? What’s stopping you from making it right now?

If any of the above seems bleeding obvious, then that’s because it most certainly is – but I’m guessing you’ve got a similar story to share so feel free to leave comments with your stunning realisations, I’d love to read ’em. 🙂