Ask SCORE &=
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33 Explore Options to Increase Your
Productivity
Sma=
ll
business owners often conclude that their business is truly established when
they can turn down new business. They can say no because they’re too =
busy
with other projects and customers, or because they want to focus in a
particular area.
How=
ever,
saying no isn’t easy to do in periods when the economy is dominated by
uncertainty. Your business may be working at capacity now, then be without
assignments or prospects in a matter of weeks. But you may well have accept=
able
alternatives to declining the work. Should you find yourself wrestling with
such a dilemma, ask yourself these questions:
- Is
this project time-sensitive? Given the demands of your schedule, you m=
ay
be able to handle the job at a later time. See if the customer is will=
ing
to wait, or if there’s some preliminary work that you can do wit=
hout
compromising your current schedule.
- Can I
get assistance from someone else? Arrange and maintain an informal net=
work
of people and businesses you can call to handle your overflow. They may
very well be other new entrepreneurs in the same position you were in =
not
too long ago. Make sure the customer is comfortable with this approach;
you may need to provide overall coordination and quality control─tasks that may be as time-consumin=
g as
doing it all yourself in the first place.
- Are
some parts of the project outside my scope? You may feel qualified to =
do
only a portion of a project, while other aspects are better suited for
someone else with specialized expertise. Naturally, this approach requ=
ires
planning, coordination and an understanding of each other’s
capabilities and limitations. This is where networking really comes in
handy.
If you must say no, be honest with your customers. Explain why you
can’t take on the project, provide realistic assessments of the
alternatives, and be proactive about finding solutions. If you do refer the=
m to
another source, make sure that business is as qualified as you are. Your
customers will appreciate your good advice and are more likely to contact y=
ou
in the future.
If =
you
would like to discuss this topic or business planning, business growth
strategies or a specific business issue, contact SCORE® “Counselors to America’s Small
Business.” To contact the Greater Binghamton SCORE Chapter 217 for
assistance call 607-772-8860 or 1-800 -920-6972. You may also contact SCORE=
® for person to person counseling appointments at =
the
above telephone numbers. If you are already in business onsite assistance is
also available. The Greater Binghamton SCORE®
Chapter 217 website is found at www.greaterbinghamtonscore.org
. The national SCORE® website is found at www.score.org
or sign up for email counseling at=
www.score.org
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