Page 27 - LandscapeSA Issue 106

BUSINESS

THREE STEPS TO TURNINg YOUR

BUSINESS AROUND IN 2022

BY BERT WEENINK

The Covid-19 pandemic
has affected businesses

in many ways, making
it even more difficult to
run them successfully.

uring the various levels of lockdown,
businesses had to rethink how they
Dwere operating in order to keep their
doors open. They had to adapt to meet the
changing needs of their customers whilst
also trying to prevent customers from
disappearing completely.

This difficult period only served to highlight
the three key points needed for running a
successful business, and these are the exact
steps I have been talking about for the past
nine years as a business coach.

Not putting these points in place is a
common mistake made by many business
owners even in normal times, but these
are not normal times, which makes their
impact even greater.

Ironically, the pandemic has presented all
business owners with an opportunity to
address these shortcomings in order to
emerge from the current crisis stronger and only about 35% of business owners having plan: do a SWOTT analysis of your business;
more focused. some kind of written business plan, and the set clear monthly sales targets and expense
remaining 65% having nothing in place. budget.
STEP 1: Have a business plan
There is no doubt that 2020 and 2021 have Of those who do have a plan, only one third Operating without a budget puts you at a
been some of the most difficult years for update their plans quarterly, whilst the rest distinct disadvantage to competitors who
businesses of all sizes to navigate, with who did have a plan, never go back and look know their costs, monitor their results, and
many businesses struggling to survive. There at it. This shows that of the 200 businesses I make business changes quickly if things do
were exceptions, however, such as those in have sampled over the years, only about 12% not go according to plan.
the horticulture and home improvement have a plan and actively work on it.
sectors, which were able to take advantage of Step 2: Choose the right team
consumers’ changing needs and habits. Having a clear business plan brings One of the biggest mistakes business
accountability and ownership of the results owners make is that they micromanage their
What generally sets the businesses that achieved and helps business owners grow a business for too long. Being the manager
weathered the storm apart from those that sustainable profitable business that can work does not mean that you must micromanage
did not, is that they had some kind of business without them. your staff. You have appointed them to help
plan. All businesses need a clear road map you build your dreams, not theirs.
to follow so that they know where they are It is all about planning for success. Taking
going. In my past nine years of coaching, I time to put together a business plan and However, poor hiring decisions (and
have seen that failure to plan often results in including others can be some of the best specifically when family members are
planning to fail. time spent on your business. involved) is a common problem and is often a
result of no formal recruitment process.
One of the first questions I ask when running My advice: regardless of what has happened
workshops is “who has a written business in the past two years, if you want to stay in Employing family members may seem like
plan?”. The results are always the same, with business you need to develop your 2022 a good idea when starting out or when

Landscape SA • Issue 106 2021 25