When you are trying to get to know someone and learn more about their business, how do you do that? You ask questions that start the conversation and show you have an interest in them.

The same is true of your own business! Do a self-audit of your business to make sure you are aligned with the needs of your target audience. Ask yourself:

• What am I proud of? This gets to the root of your business story and can help you connect with your target audience. Incorporate what makes you beam with pride in your business.
• What am I not so proud of? You need to know your weaknesses—what aren’t you doing your best at, or not putting your best effort into, and why. Now that your business has grown, do you need to hire someone to do that for you?
• What feels clunky or delayed? Could you do something more efficiently or run things more smoothly? Don’t just ask yourself how you would change, but note the specific things that COULD make a different in operations, administration, and/or your sales process.
• What’s still manual that shouldn’t be? If there is something you currently do manually that takes a lot of time, find out if there is an app or new technology that could increase your efficiency.
• What do you hate doing? Is there someone else that could do it and enjoy doing it? Is it time to hire a bookkeeper or salesperson?
• What bad reviews are you getting? Are they all the same type of review? How can you remedy a common theme of complaints to make customers happier?

Periodically look at your business and see how you can innovate, make changes, and keep your customers happy. But before you make sweeping changes, asking yourself the above questions can help you determine what should be addressed first and how to prioritize.

For more information, please contact:

Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce

25 E Jackson St

Oswego, IL 60543

Ph: 630-554-3505

http://www.oswegochamber.org/