If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, then financial success is what you’re after. But other than capital, hard work, and a sound business idea, how do you increase the chances of success?
It starts by appreciating the various components of any business that must exist in order to succeed. Missing just one of these factors is a potential recipe for disaster.
The following are what many consider to be the ten pillars of business success:
Compliance
Businesses that choose to break the law or disregard regulatory standards won’t be there for very long. Given this, it is simple to see why compliance is necessary for corporate success. Regulatory compliance is how companies stay out of trouble, from privacy-protecting data map live requirements to safety procedures based on OSHA guidelines. It’s also how businesses safeguard the safety of their clients and employees.
Logistics
Every entrepreneur knows that creating a company strategy is simple; the challenging part is putting it into action. Although the specifics of what it entails for each organization may differ, logistics is the best approach. For instance, while some businesses require shipping to receive goods, others need it to deliver goods. While some businesses are compelled to provide on-site accommodation for workers, others juggle a network of experts who work from home. Logistics are essential in any situation.
Security
Security has diverse connotations for many businesses, much like logistics. Security will be essential regardless of whether your company uses security guards or does business online. Almost any contemporary organization may profit from having basic, commercial-grade cybersecurity.
People Resources
Corporations worldwide seem to eliminate as much human labor as possible, from self-checkout lines at supermarkets to robot restaurant waiters. Despite the potential cost reductions, the technology is not nearly ready. The demand for personnel is still there in almost every industry and will continue for many years.
Management
Businesses rely on a balance between workers and managers, much like the military’s division between “grunts” and commissioned officers. The commanders guiding the soldiers and seeing their goals achieved are called managers. Given this, it is simple to see why effective management is crucial for corporate success.
Bookkeeping
The key to a successful company is knowing where every dollar comes from and goes. Accurate accounting is the main benefit of enabling company owners to make more informed choices. In the case of an audit, it also maintains your company in good standing with the government. Thankfully, accounting software has never made it simpler for businesses, especially smaller ones, to reap the rewards of bookkeeping.
Technology
The force behind company innovation is technology. Without it, business owners would find it difficult to develop fresh approaches to provide clients with goods and services. Due to a persistent unwillingness to invest in new technology, well-established companies risk going out of business. At the same time, startups often fill the gap left by the underuse of technology.
Overhead
The majority of company owners think that overhead is negative. While anyone likes to spend money on items they don’t need; overhead often contains things that make it easier to provide a product or service. People struggle to clearly understand how overhead relates to sales and earnings, which may be both a good and negative thing. In other words, you know you need office supplies even if you are unsure how purchasing them would benefit your company. Given this, it is simple to see how overhead—despite its unfavorable connotations—is a foundational element of company success.
Marketing
No matter how fantastic the good or service is, if prospective clients are unaware of it, it doesn’t matter. Here is where marketing comes into play. It’s how companies of all sizes can connect with their target audience. While not every company can afford to run radio advertising during the workday or buy commercial space on major networks, the variety of marketing possibilities is so vast that every company, regardless of size or age, must include cost-effective marketing into its strategy.
Growth
Company expansion is necessary even if the goal is to cater to a little but dependable clientele. This is so because growth is the only realistic method to outpace inflation. Fortunately, growth doesn’t need to be very strong to beat inflation. But even a half-percent increase each year will be sufficient to keep inflation from eroding your earnings or requiring you to hike pricing significantly.
Identifying the elements that matter the most in a company’s success might be challenging since there are so many. But if you pay close attention to the pillars mentioned in this article and make sure to apply them to your company, you will have the highest chance of success.
Freelance writer from Florida, Julie Steinbeck. She particularly likes writing on business, financial, and travel-related subjects.