Question yourself

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     to help you better manage your small business

      You are running your small business. Or you are thinking about starting one. It's time to question--again--what you are doing and where you are headed.

     Want proof? Throw your thinking forward a thousand years. Archaeologists are sifting through the remains of our civilization. They are perplexed. What could explain the millions of miles of paved roads and the vehicles that must have used them?

     Gradually, the scientists home in on a theory. These ancient peoples were sun worshipers. They raced out of their homes at sunrise, driving around the roads to welcome the sun. At sundown, they interrupted their activities to drive around again to bid the sun goodnight. The highway cloverleafs were the temples.

     Any given set of facts can be explained in very different ways. It's true with scientists, and it's true with you and your business.

      Questions:  Am I in the right business? Am I trying to move too quickly? Am I on top of the changing marketplace? Is the money for growth being generated quickly enough internally? Do I really know my clients/customers? Do they really know what I do, and can do, for them? Am I headed in the same direction they are headed? Do I pay enough attention to their needs and concerns? What can I do to better prepare for tomorrow's business world? Should I change directions to better address tomorrow's marketplace? Am I even asking the right questions?  

     People who run small businesses are fleet of foot. You can change directions quickly. This is a great asset, but it can lead you into blind alleys. Like future archaeologists, you can come to wrong conclusions.

     Logical thinking is one of the great achievements of the human mind. But it is not the only tool you have. Intuition is the other tool. Always get logical thinking and intuition in sync with each other before you make that next big move. 

     Don't drift into changes that pull your business off course. Use logic and intuition to keep you headed in the direction you plan for.