Do You have the Right Drivers in Your Business?
I finally upgraded my laptop to Windows 10. For the most part it has been pretty smooth, though it as forced me to upgrade some programs. So although Windows 10 is “free”, making the switch has still cost a few hundred dollars (so far). Yes, this is where the MAC users get to chuckle, but there is a bigger message in this post.
When you make upgrades or changes on a computer that involve hardware, one of the things that get updated are the ‘drivers’. A driver is software, provided by a hardware maker; that tells the computer’s operating system how to work with that hardware. That is why every time you connect to something new, you often have an “updating drivers” notification pop up.
Side note – many IT professionals suggest that you use the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it approach” with Drivers others say you should always make sure your PC is up to date. That said, there is a pretty cool free program that checks your PC for outdated Drivers call Driver Booster. If you have driver challenges you might want to check it out.
Drivers in Business…
In Business we often talk about Drivers too. Business Drivers are a little different from software drivers. In simple terms they are the functions and actions that affect the output of the business. Typically these are the fundamental things you would focus on if you wanted to improve the overall business. To that end, as a business owner it’s critical for you to identify and really understand what drives your business.
As an example – if you have a pure retail business (bricks and mortar) then having the right location is going to be a big driver of your success. In a service business, your team’s ability to exceed a client’s expectations will drive repeat business and referrals – the essence of business growth. Some Business Drivers like temporary economic conditions are beyond the control of the company, but they may still be worth identifying.
Bottom line – if you really want to impact the long term success of your business, you have to figure out what your specific drivers are. What are those fundamental things you can work on that will make a real impact to performance? If you don’t know, then you’re flying blind and it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Do you know what your business drivers are?
Not sure where to start?
Have a conversation: Gather your key leaders or a trusted advisor and have an honest open discussion about what really drives your business. Once you create a list the next step is putting a plan in place to start tracking those items…and start looking at the most effective ways to improve those drivers.
Get a snapshot of your business: At Aspire, we offer a free assessment that will give you a snapshot of 8 different drivers that affect your business and its value. It’s quick and easy to take the assessment – check it out here: Aspire Value Builder Assessment
Consider Software: Once drivers are defined, depending on your industry you may want to consider adding software support to manage those drivers. Things like supply chain management (SCM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), or other software that can help you better track the revenue and growth of your company. Of course adding any of this software would include “updating drivers” once again on your computer too! 😉
What do you think? Are you tracking Drivers in your business? Are you sure they are the right ones? As always, we value your comments in the space below.
Chris Steinlage Kansas City Business Coach