Why business is all about attention to detail

Operating a business successfully requires a lot more than simply having a good product or service.

21:16 19 January 2016

In fact, it is as much to do with how you do things as what you actually offer. There are skills, habits and practices that the most successful businesses have in common. Very near the top of that list is an unflinching attention to detail.

 

For some people, this sort of behaviour comes easily. Such an individual would describe him or herself as a details-person who actually enjoys getting into the finer points of a task or project. Unfortunately, this is not true of everybody and business owners and entrepreneurs in particular, who tend to be imaginative, big picture, strategic thinkers, often fall into the latter category.

 

Why worry about the small stuff?

 

Whatever your natural inclination, whether you are someone who enjoys detail or are a big picture thinker, having good attention to detail is not an optional extra if you are serious about running your business in the most effective way possible. Such an approach can help you to:

 

·         Increase profit by reducing overheads. Attention to detail will help you to spot even the smallest areas for improvement, which can combine to facilitate a significant difference.

 

·         Impress both existing and prospective clients who will derive comfort and reassurance in your business proposal if they can see your general approach is accurate and methodical.

 

·         Ensure you are complying with all the necessary regulations and legal requirements, making sure you are not inadvertently laying the foundations for bigger problems further down the line.

 

Where should you focus?

 

Step one is to make a list, as this is the best way of reducing complexity in any situation. Formulate a detailed record of all the areas that require your attention as a business owner and use this to hold yourself to account. As a starting point, here are a few areas in which business owners and entrepreneurs are often found to lack sufficient attention to detail:

 

·         Invoicing and Billing. Managing this process correctly is essential because while doing the work is one thing, it is a pointless exercise if you are not paid for it. This has to be done right so that you have a healthy cash flow, allowing you to pay your own employees and suppliers. Detail here is essential to ensure you are getting everything to which you are entitled, and, equally important, at the right time. Consider enlisting the support of a facility like invoicehome.com, that will help to automate the process and reduce the amount of time and energy you personally need to put into it.

 

·         Employee Engagement. Business owners tend to spend a lot of resource, in terms of time, money and energy, on engaging with clients while simultaneously neglecting their most important resource; their employees. This detail matters, because a fully engaged team means reduced staff turnover, attracting and retaining the best talent, discretionary effort and the best advocates you could possibly have. It does not have to be expensive either, as attention to the small details here can make a big difference. Devote some time every day to say thank you, and help people to understand how they fit in and why the success of the business should matter to them personally.

 

·         Facilities Management. This is another area that is often neglected simply because it does not feel like a priority, but the small things here can once again make a big difference. If a client comes to the office, they will notice things like dead plants or faulty light bulbs, so address details like this as soon as you notice them and before they can slip to the bottom of your list. Taking care of such things can also help to create a happier and more efficient workplace by making sure things like printers and photocopiers work, are in the right place and always fully stocked.

 

A successful future

 

 

Operating a business is a huge undertaking, and not one to enter into lightly. There is a lot more to it than simply having a useful product or service to sell. The sheer range and scope of logistical and administrative work that has to be done is enough to put many people off. Fortunately, anyone serious about making their business a success, even if they do not have a natural eye for detail, can achieve this by taking a disciplined and methodical approach to making sure that all the right arrangements have been made.