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Have you had your annual check-up?

Written by: Accessible Business Consultants

Article Overview: With the business enviornment changing so quickly it's important to not only do annual check-ups, but quarterly check-ups.

Have you had your annual check-up?

It is important to do a Business Check-up annually and to do quarterly check-ups to continue to monitor progress and increase your potential for success. Just as doctors encourage us to have an annual medical exam, your business should undergo a check-up too. How can you possibly gauge the effectiveness of your business operational policies and procedures or your marketing campaign without analyzing the benefits of the bottom line.

Here are some of the questions you should be asking yourself to get started in analyzing your business:

(1). How do your sales for 2006 compare to 2007 and currently for 2008?
(2). What percentage of your business is repeat customers?
(3). How long has it been since you offered a new product or service?
(4). Do you consider your Marketing Program an expense or an investment?
(5). Do you use PR to portray a positive image of your company?
(6). What forms of advertising do you use and what are the results?
(7). Do you treat your regular customers better than one-time customers?
(8). How do your customers rate your company?
(9). How does your company rate against your competition?
(10). Are your employees happy and what is the turn-over rate?

After considering the above questions how do you rate your company on a scale of 1 to 10. The first number that comes to mind usually is the correct one. Anything below a 9 means there is need for improvement. Now, do a survey with your customers and employees to determine their perspective and then design your strategy for the rest of the year. It may also be more productive to have the survey completed by an outside independent company. Never settle for no improvement is needed. Here's to your good health in business.

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Article Tags: bottom line, check ups, doctors, good health, independent company, marketing campaign, marketing program, medical exam, operational policies, perspective, policies and procedures, positive image, quarterly check, time customers, ups



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