What Are Critical Success Factors (CSF) and How They Can Make Your Business Success Measurable
Critical success factors are usually known as common to many entrepreneurs or businessmen that assist management in measuring whether they are on course in achieving their goals. With services, running the business often suggests cloning yourself, since you would be the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. You have no shelf life, so you can’t generate income while you sleep. Recently, I read a post published by Deborah A. Bailey saying 5 questions you should ask yourself before going into business.[1] It is pertinent to answer these questions before rushing into any venture. Little business owners and professionals desire a way of gauging their success, but the benchmarks for one business type may be different from another type of business. In addition, critical success factors are common to most businesses that assist management in measuring whether they are not deviating from the set goals. Let’s discuss the factors which can make contributions massive to your success.
Monetary Success Factors
Most business owners will first measure success in conditions of financial factors. But, while a business needs to generate income to survive, if the right technology and workforce are certainly not in place, profits will be more elusive. Using the monetary factor, according to Tribal Lending Company[2] which says making profits are a vital measure of success along with positive cash flow, variable costs and other miscellaneous but financial success indicators can also be different from one industry to another.
Technology Utilization
Avoid keeping up-to-date with technology at the own peril. The company which utilizes technology to open up new markets, provide customers, increase efficiency and new product and service development has the better chance of besting competition. This success factor, along with your motivated staff, can also help you weather business downturns.
Employee Attitudes
Attitudes drive behaviours that cause change. If your employees do not take initiative, make suggestions, happily stay overdue when necessary and attempt to do their best work all the time, your business will certainly stagnate. A key business success factor is a motivated and committed labor force. Without that, no amount of vision and planning will provide the construction for growth and wealth.
Marketing Consistency
Many organizations make the mistake of not carefully supervising their marketing message. They have different messages venturing out to the same audience at the same time which confuses potential and current prospects. Companies with a constant message across all media platforms, such as websites, paid media and other kinds of marketing security, are the more successful marketers. Let me borrow from the powerful words of one social marketer who believes Instagram marketing [3] and twitter marketing have been effective in this current 21st century of ours. He says, marketing consistency is profitable factor that any company should never overlook. Here are the some other factors of business success that are crucial in services we are offering;
Love Your Service
A successful services business, more than a product business, comes from a skill or insight that you have honed from experience. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out. Now all you have to do is pass it to the many newbies as you grow your team.
Employ Right Personnel
Clients won’t pay to see your new employees learning on the job, and outsourcing the true work to a cheap labour source is a recipe for disaster. Make sure they bring solid base skills, so your training can concentrate on the ground breaking and unique elements that your service brings to the arena.
Maximize Your Service’s Exposure
Customers can touch and see a great product, but services are a little bit ethereal. You have to communicate how your service is the best to your own team as well as to customers. In case you deliver a great service, but no person knows it, your business will suffer. Help to make sure everyone understands your vision and values.
Ensure Favourable Customers’ Experience
Product companies sometimes equate customer satisfaction with customer service, but it’s more than that, especially with services. Produce sure that every interaction with every customer is positive, the service delivered is exemplary, and always follow up for reference and repeat business. As entrepreneurs or businessmen who wish to attract investors, they should know that professional investors almost never buy a services-only company. The buyer perspective is that no manufacturing or inventory implies a minimal need for capital up front. They notify these entrepreneurs to sell themselves, execute well and increase organically. Your services business success totally will depend on you, your skills and resources, and your ability to bring customers to the table.
