The quality and foundation of our business is based on the quality of questions we ask ourselves and our team. If you are unaware of the answer to a question to something about your business, or at least where to find the answer, then you are scattering your energy.
The goal of this worksheet is to help you get started on understanding more about how your business is organized and structured.
Before we get started, I want you to take a few minutes to reflect over the past week and journal these questions:
- Where have you become overwhelmed in the past week while running your business?
- What’s something that a prospect or a client said to you in the past week that made you feel good and like you were in your purpose?
- What’s something you know that if you solved it, it would make your life easier forever?
- What’s one small action you can take today to begin solving that problem?
Business Organization Questions
These are just the tip of the iceberg, as you go throughout your week, notice when questions pop up and add them here, with the answers.
Often I’ll go throughout my day and I’ll come across a question that I don’t have an immediate answer to. This can pop up and cause overwhelm and stress as well if we are directly interacting with our clients. So take the time to pause and reflect on the answers to these questions and add to them. Eventually this will become your FAQ and part of your wiki for your business.
- What technology accounts do I have?
- What domains do I own?
- What do I pay for every month?
- What software do I use?
- What products do I sell?
- What services do I offer?
- What social media accounts am I signed up for and manage?
- What affiliate programs and partnerships do I have and where do I find the links to them?
- Where does my client information live?
- How do I currently track my sales and key income drivers in my business?
- What process do I have to find new clients?
Business Structure Questions
- What are your primary business functions, and how are they managed?
- Identify and streamline the core tasks necessary to run your business, possibly automating or outsourcing where practical.
- How do you track and optimize your business performance?
- Establish simple, actionable metrics to monitor efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring you can quickly adapt as needed.
- What organizational tools and techniques best support your business activities?
- Explore tools that enhance productivity, such as project management software, that are scalable and suitable for small teams.
- What system do you use for managing tasks and deadlines?
- Implement reliable project management tools like Notion, Trello or Asana to keep track of deadlines and maintain progress on tasks.
- Which technologies are essential for your business operations, and are they fully leveraged?
- Evaluate if current technologies are sufficient for your needs or if upgrades are necessary to improve operation efficiency.
- How do you ensure compliance with industry regulations with limited resources?
- Consider consulting with legal and financial advisors periodically to remain compliant without overstretching your resources.
- What strategies do you have in place for data management and protection?
- Invest in robust cybersecurity measures and reliable backup solutions to protect and manage your business data effectively.
- How do you maintain open lines of communication with any team members or contractors?
- Use communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to facilitate seamless communication, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed.
- What is your approach to risk management as a small business?
- Identify potential risks specific to your operations and create a plan to address them, focusing on the most critical areas first.
- How do you integrate customer feedback to improve your services or products?
- Develop a straightforward process for collecting, analyzing, and responding to customer feedback, using it to refine your offerings.
- What are your plans for scaling your business operations as demand grows?
- Plan for gradual scaling, considering how each aspect of your business will need to evolve as you expand.
- How frequently do you revisit your business strategy to ensure it aligns with your goals?
- Schedule regular strategy reviews to adapt to changes in the market or industry, ensuring your business remains competitive and relevant.