I’m a great fan of motor racing and have raced myself in various championships. From a drivers point of view the key to a good weekend for me is qualifying as high as possible, getting a good start when the lights go out and then trying to stay ahead of those behind while attacking those in front. Business life has its equivalents:-
Getting a good grid position for the race is all about having a good car and a good pit crew making sure the car is in its best possible condition. For your business this equates to having a great product or service to sell and the best possible people around you allowing you to do what you do best. Some key roles to fulfil in any business are a customer/client relationship person, a person looking after finance, a ‘people’ person in charge of taking care of staff, a person looking after the future or creating a vision and a person taking care of staying relevant and competitive. All of these roles plus many more can be taken by the same individual at the start of a business journey but as businesses grow each of them will be taken by a different person. My role is to bring financial expertise to a business using the wealth of acknowledge at Walker Begley. This is often the most key role in the owner managed business sector that I work in.
Getting a good start when the lights go out is equivalent to a business being ready to go go go. For a new business that’s all about making impact as soon as you can having established your team and considered what it takes to be fit for business. For established businesses its about being ready to make a great start in any new ventures. Planning and focus is the key here. Its important not to get left behind particularly with the ever increasing use of technology across all business sectors.
While in the race its all about keeping ahead of the competition. What does your business do to keep one step ahead? Is it constantly twisting and turning and keeping an eye on the rear view mirror? Knowledge of your competitors and what they are doing can make sure your business keeps its position.
But then what about those ahead of you in the business race? Its time to overtake, to be better and to try and be a leader in your field. To do this takes focus, desire and a willingness to exploit opportunities as they arise. Businesses who have leaders with these qualities will eventually win their own types of races and championships! Does your business have the winning mentality?
Written by Kevin Begley for South Warrington News
