7 Ways to Crash a Business

I've spent some time watching small businesses trying to grow.    The scary part is watching growth lead to lower profits and in some cases losses.   Very few people live through this and talk about it.   So here are my 7 favorite ways to crash a service business while trying to grow.    If you think my list misses something equally or more important please let me know!

Don't Plan

1.  Ignore the rules of how we make money, especially Gross Margin, and our "Lead to Cash" process speed.

2.  Make sure everyone has a different idea about our operations strategy, what we are trying to do.

3.  Don't plan, don't have expectations, don't anticipate, especially when trying something new.

Be a Victim

4.  Ask "what happened" only after its a problem.

5.  Don't compare what's happening to a plan or expectation.

6.  Never question why we do what we do.   Just accept it.

7.  Act individually and blame others for the screw ups.

 

Bath Time Question:  Which of these are we doing today?

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