Be Your Own Detective

As a small business owner or solo professional, you’ve got many processes and procedures in place, not to mention lots of outwardly facing marketing things, like your LinkedIn profile and your web site.

Over time, it’s easy to look at them, without really seeing them. That can be a problem, particularly as your business evolves. With that in mind, here are three ways I keep a fresh eye on my work:

1. Question past decisions. Decisions we made about how to do something 3 or 5 years ago may no longer apply today. Better software solutions are invented all the time. Maybe your business focus has shifted. Or, maybe, there is an easier, less expensive solution available now.
    

2. Look closely at the parts of your business that are right in front of you. The other day, a friend noticed a typo in her email newsletter that had literally been there for years – how could that happen?
   
   To avoid this, I suggest you do a scan of the parts of your business you may be taking for granted. If you’re about to give a presentation you’ve given many times already, review it closely one more time. Look at your website – every page – and make sure all the buttons and links your potential clients might be clicking are working as they should. 
    

3. Know that the buck stops with you. I’ve heard many times from solo-professionals: “I don’t know how that works, so and so set it up for me.” That’s fine, I don’t expect you to know how the technology was set up, let alone how to make modifications to it. But it is critical to check the work you outsource and make sure you understand what is supposed to happen when. Then document it, so you can look back later on and check again!

It’s easy to fall into a comfortable groove when running your own business. That can be a good thing; just make sure your eyes remain wide open!