There are no magic tricks, easy shortcuts or quick fixes to bring about success in business. There are no guaranteed recipes to follow or formulas to apply, although there are certainly basics that you must know and use. Reputable and honest business advisors all agree on one thing: despite all the advice and knowledge you may glean from books and experts, at the end of the day, success generally comes to those who apply what they know with understanding, persistence, common sense and guts. And when they realize there is something they cannot figure out how to do, they seek advice and help from a trusted advisor.
This means working smarter, rather than working harder, although long hours, stamina and much physical effort will often be called for. Success also requires “working on your business,” to make it better able to survive and succeed, rather than just going to work each day to work “in your business.”
As an entrepreneur, you need the distancing and the withdrawal from the operations to spend time looking at the “big picture.” If you are interested in making this transition from working “in” your business to working “on” it, please read on and find out about a program that can help you achieve business success. For those who have been in business for one year or more and are ready to take their business to the next level, the Business Development Center at COCC offers the Small Business Management Program. This year-long program provides intensive training in financial management, marketing, and operational management.
Confidential advising between training sessions ensures implementation of the concepts, as well as an opportunity to get one-on-one analysis of your business. The Small Business Management Program is unique in that the instructor spends time with the owner, at the owner’s place of business, as well as in the classroom. In this way, instruction is not merely theoretical, but practical and usable—tailored to each business’ individual needs. The SBM Program is a year-long commitment, and includes the following:
- Receive monthly counseling at your business
- Obtain a financial analysis of your business
- Analyze your records for better management
- Manage your assets more effectively for improved profits
- Develop a plan for sound growth or expansion
- Understand your market and marketing plan
- Learn how to work with your advisors more effectively
- Develop systems for your business
- Technologize your business and use your time more effectively
- Plan for greater profit
- Learn about legal considerations and risk management
- Discover keys to successful employer/employee relationships
- Stay in shape with monthly classes
- Review the fundamentals with a group of your peers.
Planning and control will increase your chances of business success many times over. A lack of planning and control, on the other hand, is a recipe for failure. As the saying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
To find out if your business qualifies for the SBM Program, contact the COCC Business Development Center at 383-7290. Beth Wickham (383-7290) is the Director of the COCC Business Development Center. Paul Svendsen (389-4740) is a part-time instructor at COCC.
