For the past several months we reviewed and analyzed tools to help you grow your business. You can use some of the tools immediately to assess your current business. You will use other tools to take your business to the next level. You will use still other tools—in the future—when your business reaches a certain size, revenues, and structure. Today’s post will help you inventory the tools you have in your toolbox.
Tools That Provide You Support and Training
First, we’ll review the organizations and programs that will provide training, problem solving, and support. You may find them in the blog archive on the right side of the page:
- Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
- Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
- City & State Economic Development Councils (EDC)
- Chambers of Commerce
- university centers for entrepreneurship
- business consulting firms
- Your marketing team
- Your mastermind team
Tools That Help You Analyze and Plan for Future Growth
Second, we’ll review the tools any business of any size can use to assess and plan growth:
- The 7 Pillars of Successful Marketing (market research, the right message, strategy, campaigns, methods & vehicles, sales, client retention)
- Trend analysis to discover and evaluate industry trends
- Stakeholder Salience Model (identify and prioritize the stakeholders who have power, legitimacy, and urgency in your business)
- SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
- RACI Analysis (Responsibility, Accountability, Consulted, Informed)
- PROACT Decision Making Model (PRoblem, Objectives, Alternatives, Consequences, Trade-offs)
- Structure Analysis (should you structure along product, function, or matrix lines of authority?)
- Impact Analysis (to analyze the consequences of changes)
- Year-end checklists (tax preparation, closing books, client remembrance)
Tools That Help Improve Your Leadership Abilities
Third, I also examined tools that can enhance your leadership skills. You may find them in my other blog www.LarryOnCareers.blogspot.com. You can find them in the blog archives for November 2011-January 2012.
- Novations Leadership (how to move from apprentice to director if you want to)
- Authentic or True North Leadership
- Reflected Best Self Exercise
- Kurt Lewin’s 3 leadership styles
I hope you realize the tools you have in your toolbox if you have followed this blog for the past few months. I wanted to summarize the tools for you. Use them to help grow your business. Teach them to others, that will improve your skills to use them more effectively.
I’ll keep adding to your toolbox in the future. I hope it helps you grow your business.
Join me on Tuesday when we begin exploring the various ways to legally establish your business
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