Business e-Book Collection September 2013 | Page 3

Introduction
Constant improvement is vital in business. Without improvement, growth doesn’t
occur. Without improvement, business grows stale. Without improvement, your
investment suffers.
Think about a house built in the early 1900’s. When it was built, it was lovely –
painted in elegant, fashionable colours, with just the right amount of rooms for a
growing family to live in. Highly polished floorboards were covered with beautiful
Turkish rugs. Windows with many small panes were installed. A grand chandelier
hung above the entrance, and a sweeping staircase led to the second floor. It was
a marvel of architecture.
Then, times changed. People’s requirements changed. Where white and pink and
blue were in fashion then, now we look to neutrals. Floorboards gave way to
carpets, which then gave way back to floorboards. Windows with many small
panes were replaced by those with big open spaces, and difficult-to-maintain
chandeliers were replaced by more practical lighting.
But the poor house was not improved. Its original colours are now dated and
garish. The paint is peeling, revealing rotting woodwork beneath. The rooms are
too big, or too small. The grand staircase features broken and hazardous steps and
is an accident waiting to happen, and the chandelier is full of dust and cobwebs
and is one wire away from crashing down. The house is a disaster. The only thing
that can be done is to knock it over, and start again.
Now look at the house next door. It was built at the same time, but its’ owners
made improvements. They knocked down walls to make different rooms, and
added an extra room on at the back. They repainted, and then repainted again
when the mission brown fad wore off. Pieces of rotting timber were replaced.
The original floorboards were covered with carpet, then the carpet stripped back,
and the timber floors returned to their former glory. Because of its improvement
over time, the house retains its value and effectiveness.
Improvement is required – as much for businesses as it is for houses. But, similar
to houses, not every improvement needs to be done, and not every improvement
needs to be done right now. Let’s look at 10 different ways that you might be able
to improve your business, and the reasons why you might do them. Then you can
decide whether you would like to improve, and the improvements you would like
to make.