Preparing for Recovery

Communication - How we communicate with each other has changed so dramatically in the last few years.  From email to websites to handheld devices and social networking, the manner in which you communicate with your employees, your clients and the community at large may be vastly different than when you first started out in business.  If you've been resisting the changes happening in the world around you when it comes to communication, now is the time to take your head out of the sand and face facts.  To compete in the new economy, you need to be up on the latest technology, or surround yourself with people who can do it for you.  Make sure your website is current and appealing.  Learn about search engine optimization so prospective clients can find you.  Talk with experts who work in social networking to find out how you can use the new social media to grow your business and keep up with the latest trends.

Organization - Because if you have a strong foundation like we have, then you can build or rebuild anything on it. But if you've got a weak foundation you can't build anything. Jack Scalia
Every organization needs a well-build infrastructure that will scale as the business grow.  Are procedures documented so everyone know what they're supposed to be doing?  Do you have a current Employee Handbook in place to ensure your employees know the policies of the company and the expectations you have of them?  Do your employees have job descriptions that outline their job responsibilities?  Are you conducting regular performance reviews and setting goals for your staff that are aligned with your business needs?  What are you doing to train and develop your employees so they can learn new skills and put them to use for your business?  Are you recognizing and rewarding your star performers so they don't bolt out the door as soon as the economy turns around?  And are your benefits the best they can be, or are there more options you can add to your benefits plan to make your company an even more attractive place to work?  All of these questions will help you determine whether you have a solid foundation on which to build your business.

Realignment - Certain aspects of your business may have changed over the past year and realignment may be required.  Look at your business plan and your mission and vision statements, and determine whether they accurately reflect where you are in your business or where you want to be.  If not, update them.  Review the culture of your organization.  Do you need to make changes in the way you do business in order to meet the demands of consumers today?  Take a look at every aspect of your business and determine whether there are certain functions that can combined, outsourced, eliminated, and what you want your business to look like moving forward. 

Employees - Now is the time to assess whether you have the right people in the right positions to move ahead.  Once you have realigned your business, you may find that there are certain skills lacking that can be picked up by current employees through training or by hiring from the outside.  And you may find that there are some employees that just aren't the right fit for the business as you prepare for the economic turnaround and tough decisions will need to be made.  Make those decisions now so you can be ready to move forward with confidence.