Our experience tells us time and time again that great businesses do more than work hard. They have a vision, they know where they want to go and they are accountable.
We asked a few of our mentors to share with us what they see as the defining characteristic of the successful businesses that they work with. There responses are great guidelines for all companies:
“Great businesses are obsessed with their customers. They are constantly listening to
their customers to understand how they can provide more value. They make decisions based on what benefits their customers, and they measure their success based on customer satisfaction.” – Tom Soldini, Management Consultant
“They keep employees informed of the good, the bad and the ugly. This is key, whether it’s a change in ownership, change in management policies, benefits or even a strategic plan. They need to understand the power of employees. Transparency and open communication with all levels of the company can help move it ahead and help employees feel invested in the organization. Make them part of the solution and success.” – Bonnie Olson, Human Resources Director
“Successful businesses start with a budget and then make it work for them. A budget is the tool they use to project their cash, to help them make informed decisions, and to help them stay on target and meet their goals. Speaking from experience, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and frenzy of starting up and forget to go back to your budget basics.” – Kim Marchand, CFO
“They use metrics. ‘Okay’ organizations set objectives but outstanding organizations apply Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure their performance against their stated objectives. They use those KPIs to determine the corrective actions that need to be applied to the deficiencies in their business plan execution.” – Marc Goldberg, Trade Show Exhibitor Training and Effectiveness
“Successful startups are flexible and start by taking small steps, learning what works and what doesn’t and then modifying direction to leverage that learning or undertaking a rethink to refocus their plan. They know it’s better to grow from strengths, always keeping their well-defined end goal in sight. Patience is a virtue they embrace, understanding that working through the ugly parts of a start-up will make them stronger for the future.” – Jean Mojo, Marketing
These SCORE mentors (and 35 more) are available to help you start and grow your business. Our mentors have experience in a broad range of categories. Let us know what kind of help you need.
Give us a call at 508-775-4884 or email at capecodscore@verizon.net to set up a free, confidential mentoring session. We’re with you!
Jean Mojo is a certified mentor at SCORE. She has an extensive background in marketing, having owned a marketing services agency and worked in both product management and advertising.
