SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MADE EASY

Nick Roberts

If you're taking all the risks of being in business you may as well maximise your returns, so what are the factors that lead to success? These are the characteristics which show up in research with my own views on what these mean in practice:

• Relationships. It's vital to build good relationships with customers and suppliers and in fact, everyone you meet in business, no matter how lowly they are. Relationships will keep you afloat when others are sinking, whether it's with the CEO or the tea lady.
  
• Persona. If you take your bad mood out on your employees or customers you will soon have neither. It's vital to remain positive no matter what is happening and as they say, the fish rots from the head down. Are people drawn to you by your enthusiasm?
  
• Attention to Detail will lead to success in all areas of your business. Yes, it will take longer to complete a task but you are setting the norms in your business for your staff as well as showing your customers you really do care about them.
  
• Adding Value/Going Beyond the Norm. Great customer service is no longer a point of difference - nowadays you must think about ways to help your customer's customers and always give a little extra.
  
• Ethics/Honesty. Nothing gets round quicker than tales of doubtful ethics or dishonesty. There's no point in making a quick buck in the short-term if in the long term your reputation is being irretrievably tarnished.

If you think these are obvious, well done, you're probably an experienced business owner. But how many business owners don't put these into practice?

If you have any tax or business queries of any kind telephone 0800 ASK NICK, e-mail nick@abac.co.nz or use "Contact Us" on www.abac.co.nz. The information in this article is of a general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific advice.