by this event ?” and the only way this question can yield a meaningful answer is if you have a good understanding of your business systems . Have you taken the time to write down what happens when things unfold the way they ’ re supposed to ?
Larger companies sometimes get ISO 9000 certified , which can be summed up as , “ Document what you do , and do what you document .” Smaller , mom-and-pop operations don ’ t have the wherewithal to go through the certification process , but can nonetheless benefit from the methodology of it . Write out what your procedure is , even if it seems obvious . The purpose of this is to be clear on it , so that you can recognize any deviation , and understand the impact that it will have on related items .
If you think this is a waste of time , consider the aforementioned drug store example : Give the customer merchandise . Take their money . How could anything possibly go wrong with that ?!
This is , incidentally , how conmen operate . By introducing a little disruption , they get their victim to deviate from the planned set of actions . Once staff are detached from doing what they intended ( i . e . a fair transaction ), they can be cajoled into doing something silly , like giving $ 50 change for a twenty .
Recognizing potential conflicts early is the key to being proactive in mitigating them . Customers will appreciate you phoning them to alert them of a delay before the time when they were counting on their purchase having arrived . There ’ s nothing worse than making a trip to a store to pick up an item you ’ ve been waiting for , only to be told you ’ re the last to know about a situation that came up a long time ago .
You can set up your business so that disruptions are more easily recognized at the outset . For example , instead of placing an order with a supplier , “ whenever we start to run out ,” place orders at regular intervals . If an order that routinely arrives quarterly fails to show up , staff are more likely to notice something ’ s amiss . This has the added benefit of being able to fit customers into your business systems : “ We have none in stock at the moment , but we ’ ll be placing an order next week . Would you like me to put one aside for you ?”
Similarly , you might have to say , “ You just missed the order we placed last week , and we won ’ t be ordering again for three months .” The customer may choose to shop elsewhere this time if they need the item right away , but they will appreciate you giving them a concrete answer . They may even remember your regular ordering schedule and place a request in advance of it next time .
It ’ s the slow immersion that kills . Each small change seems like nothing to worry about , but a string of them can mean catastrophe . I like to make a practice of counting them . Each time something comes up , I may feel no need to react to it , but I say quietly to myself , like the Buddha , “ Ah , one small deviation ...” Then I count them . If it gets to be three , it ’ s time to stop and consider how these exceptions or deviations may have a significant impact , and whether any action needs to be taken .
This kind of awareness costs little , but can save you from huge expenses . Who are we kidding ? It ’ s not costless . It takes a small amount of time , and you may find yourself taking little extra steps knowing they will not usually result in any net gain . But if establishing these habits prevents an occasional huge loss of time or money , the initial investment will be wholly worthwhile .
You may find yourself tempted to reinvent the wheel . It ’ s a source of pride knowing that your company is unique , and there can ’ t possibly be an off-the-shelf solution that fits your particular circumstances . But take a survey to see if there ’ s anything that ’ s already being done that you can easily adapt to your business . How do engineers track changes ? How do hospitals make sure the wrong patient doesn ’ t get their appendix taken out ? ( well , most of the time , anyway ...) Look around with a don ’ t-makewhat-you-can-find outlook , and see if there ’ s something handy that will fit your needs .
There are only so many moves that a retail operation can make : Sell something ; exchange an item ; issue a refund . Maybe apply a discount code . Do your procedures dovetail nicely ? If you have to issue a refund , and sell a different item instead , do they match up like dominos ? Or are they dissonant as a tritone ?
I like to keep in mind the image of the family farm . As you drive through the countryside , you pass a farm and everything is arranged just perfectly : the placement of the buildings and fences , the trees for shade and wind-breaks , the creek and the pond are just so . The lawn in the yard is picturesquely trimmed , and the farmer can ride his mower over the whole lawn without ever backing up because stumps have been removed and garden beds are easy to navigate . Then you realize , it takes owning a farm for 40 years to get it to that point .
In the same manner , you should be constantly moving your retail operation towards a vision where everything runs smoothly and is optimized . With a lot of things , you don ’ t know they need attention until they make themselves apparent in the form of a problem . But the implication of this is that every problem that arises is an opportunity to move your business slightly closer to the vision of the “ family farm .”
The key is to be responsive , not reactive . That is , to have enough of a handle on your operation that a problem doesn ’ t trigger a crisis , and you spend all your time putting out fires . Having taken the time to consider the way your business works , when it ’ s working well , puts you in a position of being able to implement your vision , rather than just patch things up as best you can .
Another important consideration is to look at how your business fits into the local industry . Customers tend to think of retail stores that sell similar products as competitors , because from their point of view it ’ s , “ shopping around for the best price .” But having worked in a retail store that sells guitars , I know that all the guitar shops are better off because of each other . If we don ’ t have a product a customer is looking for , we will suggest one of the other stores . And the other stores do the same for us . Don ’ t think of it as everybody going after a piece the same pie , but rather you can count on diversity factor making each store a little bit different . Some facets of the market will take a lot of effort for you to compete in , so it ’ s better for you to leave those to the stores that want them , and concentrate on the aspects you can excel at .
Over time , you will craft your business to have an identity within the local industry , shedding aspects that are unprofitable , and enhancing the things that you enjoy and do best . I can ’ t over stress the importance of , “ keeping your eyes on the prize .” That is , having established a clear vision of what you want your business to become . This makes it possible in those instances where things go helter-skelter , to make decisions that guide it towards your vision , rather than merely picking up the pieces .
Morgan Ahoff is an experienced repair technician based in Vancouver , BC .
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