6 Secrets to Making Business Decisions That Get Results It can be stressful when you have to make important decisions regarding your business. But to get ahead of the game, it is a necessity.
By Stan Popovich Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It can be stressful when you have to make important decisions regarding your business. We all want to make the right decisions and this can create a lot of anxiety. But to get ahead of the game, it is a necessity.
Here are six suggestions on how to make the right business decisions.
1. Know all the facts regarding your company. Gather all of the facts and necessary information that impacts your business. This is important, because you do not want to miss critical information that could make a difference in how you run your business. Also, by being part of the information-gathering process, you can eliminate biases or opinions others may have.
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For example, understanding how your competition is doing business is very important. Finding ways to improve customer satisfaction is another example of knowing the facts of your company. A business owner can talk to their employees and customers to get the necessary information regarding certain business operations. It is also important to read all of your important business reports and keep abreast on the media coverage of your business. These are just a few of things a business owner should know about his or her company.
2. Focus on the results. Think about what you want and consider the possible outcomes of your decision. A person needs to focus on the short-term and long-terms goals regarding every aspect of their company. For example, keeping up to date on the company's financial statements is very important. Keeping abreast on your employees' morale is another example on determining the direction of your company. Looking for ways on improving how your company does business will go a long way in accomplishing your business goals and mission statements.
3. Ask around. It is important to consider other viewpoints other than your own, so get advice from your friends and business peers.
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For example, a good technique is to talk to your important business colleagues and managers to get their opinion on how to manage your business. For instance, you have to make a decision on which client should manage your marketing campaign. Ask your business advisors and other managers on what they think who would be the best fit in managing your campaign.
In addition, a business person can join a local business support group to network with other professionals in the field. This is a great way to get valuable information regarding your industry.
4. Relax. Do not try to do everything all at once and when things get hectic stop what you're doing and take a 10 minute break. Take a few deep breaths and try to do something that will make you feel more relaxed such as taking a 10-minute walk, listening to the radio or doing some stretching exercises to help de-stress. You will feel better and gain a fresh perspective on your current situation, whether it is dealing with your employees, giving a presentation or improving your company's marketing plan.
5. Stay the course. Managing your own business involves a series of ongoing business decisions. Don't put off important decisions, and don't worry about your past mistakes -- just keep focusing on what is best for your company. To determine the best outcome for your business, always listen to your customer needs and have your finances and expenses organized. Customer satisfaction and making sure your company doesn't run out of money are some of the important priorities of any business. If your business is going in the wrong direction then you need to re-evaluate how you run your business.
6. Learn from your mistakes and re-evaluate. If you make an incorrect business then the next step is to learn from your mistakes and go from there. Learn what you did right and learn what you did wrong.
For example, your company decides on a marketing plan for a certain product, however you don't get the expected results in terms of sales and customer satisfaction. When this happens, learn what went wrong and use this knowledge the next time you market your other products.
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