The Purpose of a business

[Blurock]

Staff is very important in any business. They have to realise that their jobs depend on their customers and not so much on their bosses. The customer is the core of the business and if the customer is not happy, they will leave. Even the party of Ain't No Consequences are starting to realise that as droves of taxpayers are leaving the country due to poor service delivery and corruption.

How often are we not annoyed by staff at checkout points not paying attention, but talking to their colleagues while serving you. No friendly smiles or acknowledgement. People at counters talking on their phones or sending/reading text messages. Restaurants are a good example of indifferent service Not knowing basic etiquette of how to serve wine, or food. This is always a management problem of selection and (lack of) training.

Good staff can be a boon to your business with the right attitude and training. Read the book "In Search of Excellence" in this regard.

[Samu]

I would say, yes it is to make money but above all to give value. Be an answer to a solution. When you figure that out then people will always come back to you

[Blurock]

I would say, yes it is to make money but above all to give value. Be an answer to a solution. When you figure that out then people will always come back to you

So do have a machine to print money? No, you cannot "make money", but you can create a customer who will gladly pay you for good service and a reliable product.

[Blurock]

"There is light at the end of the tunnel".

A very popular remark when things are not going well, targets are not met or misguided optimism?
But who wants to be stuck in a tunnel when there is a whole world full of sunshine out there?
How did you land in the tunnel in the first instance?

[Blurock]

How often do we get to a cashier or teller who shows total disrespect for the customer by continuing to talk to the colleague next door?
How often do you get to a business and there is no parking because the staff (including the manager) have parked in front of the business?
How often have you arrived at reception and had to wait while the lady ignores you and continue with an obvious private call on her cell phone?
How often have you been put on hold to listen to the most awful distorted "music" on a company's phone?

Who appoint these people and who train them? Are they even trained or do managers just not care?
Businesses can learn a lot from the hospitality industry although they may also not always be perfect.
Your front line staff are the face of your business. If your face is dirty and not looking good, clean it up.

The customer is so important to your business and all staff should realise that without customers you do not have a business.
Teach them to treat EVERYONE with respect. Be courteous, be helpful and most of all be friendly!

The customer always remembers how he/she was treated and that may be one of the deciding factors to come back for business.
Add value to your business. Most people are prepared to pay for good honest service.

[Blurock]

A client asked me how much it cost to do this job....
I answered him: R1500
He said: So expensive for this job?
I asked: How much do you think it will cost you?
He answered me: R800 max... It's a pretty simple job right?"
- For R800, I invite you to do it yourself.
-But.... I don't know how to.
- For R800, I will teach you how to. So besides saving your R700, you'll get the notice for the next time you want
- It seemed right to him and he agreed.
- But to start: you need tools: A welding machine, grinder, chop saw, drillers, welding hood, gloves etc...
- But I don't have all this equipment and I can't buy all this work for one.
- Well, for another R300 more, I'll rent my stuff to you so you can do it.
- Okay, he says.
-Well! Tuesday I am waiting for you to start doing this work
- But I can't on Tuesday I just have time today.
- I'm sorry, but I'm not available until Tuesday to teach you my stuff and lend it to you. Other days are busy with other customers.
-Well! That means I'm going to have to sacrifice my Tuesday, give up my chores.
-I forgot. To do your work yourself, you also have to pay for the nonproductive factors.
-It is? What is this?"
- Bureaucratic, tax, vat, security, insurance, fuel etc.
- Oh no... But to perform these tasks, I'm going to spend more money and waste a lot of time!
- Do you have them? Can you do that to me before?"
-Well!
- I'll make you all the material you need. Truck loading is done Monday night or Tuesday morning. You will need 6 to come load the truck. Do not forget to be on time to avoid traffic jams and be on time
- At 6??? Nope! Too early for me! I usually got up later.
...
- You know, I thought. You better get the job done. I'd rather pay you the R1500. If I had to, it wouldn't be perfect and it would cost me a lot more.
When paying for a work, especially handmade, you pay not only for the materials used, but also:
-Knowledge
-Experience
-Study
-Tools
-Services
- Time to Go
- punctuality
- Accountability
-Professionalism
-Accuracy
- Guaranteed
-Patents
- Sacrifices
- Safety and Security
- Payment of tax obligations
No one can denigrate other people's work by judging prices.
Only knowing all the elements necessary for the manufacture of a certain work, you can estimate the real cost.
NS: I didn't write this dialogue, but share it to support craftsmen and entrepreneurs, that's it.

[Isetech]

Let me share my story of what I thought was the purpose.

I worked hard and earned a low wage. Due to the long hours (more than 100 hours per week) and commitment, I would see a figure higher than the managers on my pay slip. I thought that if I could work that hard for myself, I would get rich very quickly.

Anyone who has started and run a business will tell you that it is not always the case, especially if you have no idea of how to manage money, it makes the journey that much more difficult.

I am F%^&en good at my trade, have the highest qualifications and experience in the industry, do I know everything, certainly not. The more I learn, the more I realise how little I know.


After all these years, I have learnt how to secure projects, complete them in the allocated time frame to the best of my ability, this people is the best sales bid you could ever offer. You dont need a sales pitch or people wasting your money trying to "sell" what you have to offer, it becomes word of mouth, the most powerful sales strategy. Get this right and you win hands down.

My thoughts have evolved and as I get smarter and in a better position, more work than I can handle with money in the bank, so I can now start focusing on improving the business.

[Isetech]

What is the purpose of the business, only you will know, and it will change over time.

The purpose in the beginning was to get rich quick, create a comfortable environment for my family. That didnt work so well the first time, 10 years later I achieved my goal, built a business but lost the most import part of the purpose, the family. I ended up with more work and money than I could handle, by the time I wiped the shyte out my eyes, I was living on my own in a rented cottage.

This year the purpose of the business will change slightly, instead of just focusing on my family, I want to improve the lives of people who work in the business.

What I have learnt is that if you want something done right, it doesn't mean you have to do it yourself. You need to educate and train the people to do it the way you want it done. There are people out there who could probably do it even better than you, given the right training and tools.

IF you are going to run a business, learn to manage the money. Filling the bank account with lots of zeros is the easy part, its what you do with that money that will determine how long you survive in business.

[Blurock]

I rest my case. From the comments below it is clear that chasing money creates other problems.
Running and managing your business well is more important. If you do everything right (not so easy though) the money will look after itself.
When you are chasing after money, some undesirables may manifest, such as greed, ego, etc. which may change your personality.
You may even make a lot of money, but will you be happy?

Always consider the human factor; your staff, your customers and most important, your loved ones.

[Blurock]

So how do you start your own business?

Often you see employees resigning to start their own business with what they have learnt from their employer.
If you are a good mechanic, you do not automatically know how to run a workshop, manage the finances, manage staff and have good customer relations.

To start a business you need a good skillset. Do a SWOT analysis and do an honest strength and weakness assessment.
If you are not good at accounting, get a reliable bookkeeper. Get specialists to assist you with your weak spots and train yourself in those areas.