Small business the third grade way

Flicking through my eight year old's third grade books, there it was, in black and white. A small business mantra, Third Grade style.

I was intrigued, not for the fact that the small business owners I work with don't know this stuff. After all, it was aimed at Third Graders!

Rather, it was a good elementary run down of what needs to be successfully linked to "properly satisfy the needs and wants of the population".

I wondered how many of us really take the time to think through the links and what they mean for our businesses.

Here's what kids are taught in Third Grade:

1. When a person or company wants to produce goods or services, they first need to find out if there is a demand or market for the product or service.
2. The next thing they need to do is to find out the availability of the goods or services.
3. Then they need to get the equipment and labour force together.
4. Suppliers of materials need to be contacted and business arrangements made.
5. Once the goods or services are ready for sale, the company or person has to find places to sell and advertise their goods and services.

Funny how we get can caught out not by making the process of doing business more complicated than it probably should be.

It might just pay us small business owners to regularly refresh these five points in our minds. Then, we might just make it through to Fourth Grade!

All success,

Margie