My business principles

For more than 10 years I have created and run a system integration company. During this time, I have formed certain rules for myself that help my business to grow and develop. Perhaps they will be useful for those who have already opened or are only going to open their business.

Market

• You should be a professional in the field in which you offer your services to the client. You need to be two steps ahead of your customers - you should learn about new technologies in a timely manner, test and implement pilot implementations, decide on the need for your customers, train employees and offer these technologies.
• Choose a specialization - one or more. Never do anything if you are not sure about the quality of the services provided. Remember - first specialists, then pilot introductions and only then you can offer these services to clients.
• Do not dump. Focus on the quality of work and the benefits that the client receives when working with you. You will be able to pay for the work of specialists only if their services are properly assessed. Distance from dumping companies - offer services that they cannot copy - hire the best specialists, optimize business processes, train your engineers, develop services, get certificates, licenses, become partners of large and strong vendors, hold seminars and conferences with them. Dumping companies do not live long, in the long run it will help you take a leading position.

Customers

• Pay attention not only to large orders, but also small ones. Remember - your goal is not to make money now and today, but to satisfy current client requests. If he now turns to you with a small contract and enjoys cooperation, he will definitely return to you and with a large order. The processing of small orders should be as quick and convenient for the client as possible.
• Maintain personal communication with key employees of large customers. If possible, ensure the passage of orders through you, and if this is not possible - provide complete control over the processing of orders of such customers.
• Keep the customer “in contact”. This means that you should respond to any request (by phone or mail) during the day, if possible immediately. You are not required to immediately provide a complete response to the request, but the client must always know that you have accepted the request, are working on it and the result will be within the specified time frame. Needless to say, if you do not meet the promised deadlines, warn you, it is better - in advance. This is a very important principle and all your employees should follow it.
• Always be in touch. The way of communication is not important, as long as it is convenient for the client and you. If you missed the call - call back as soon as possible. If you are roaming - call back on Skype or using call-back services, at worst - using SMS. Answer every letter, even if you are on vacation. Ideally, the client should not notice at all whether you are working or have gone on vacation.
• Keep your relationship confidential, especially when it comes to financial relationships. All financial issues with each specific employee of the customer must be led by a specific manager in order to avoid accidental disclosure of information. Know - one case of disclosure may cost you a client, and in the future - reputation.
• Do not succumb to the price blackmail of the client - if the client asks you to lower the price because the competitor showed the price lower, then the client wants to work with you, but at the same time wants the lowest price. Explain to the client why your services are more expensive than those of competitors and if he still does not agree - let him go to a competitor, you will not lose anything. It is better not to work with such a client, since he does not understand the full value of the services you provide (assuming, of course, that he needs it).
• Develop service. Service is an integral part of your sales, without service there will be no trade. Provide a service on your own - the client should come with his problems to you, because you know how to solve them quickly and efficiently, because this is your client and to provide quality service is your responsibility. This is a very important competitive advantage, because all customers want their problems to be solved quickly and without excessive hemorrhoids. This moment alone can bind your client to you forever. Those who came across the “manufacturer’s service centers,” especially non-resident, will understand me. Provide quick response times, repairs, provide the client with a substitution (perhaps not for free).
• Accept returns without any problems and obstacles for the customer - this causes confidence and greatly increases the likelihood of initial and repeated purchases. In the West, for a long time this is already an obligatory rule of almost any business, only in the scoop do we constantly encounter a reluctance to accept returned goods under a particular sauce.
• Always keep your promises. In fact, there are no reasons beyond your control. It all depends on you - the choice of suppliers, vendors, employees. It seems to me that without this quality you should not even start a business.

Suppliers

• If you have violated the delivery dates due to the supplier’s fault, you should take all measures to avoid this in the future: 1) talk with the supplier and discuss problems, 2) agree with the supplier about financial penalties for delay, 3) try to solve the problem more high level - up to the central branch of the vendor. If all else fails, change the supplier.
• When choosing a supplier, be sure to inquire and check the operation of its service center (warranty, returns). Remember that the problems of his service will surely become your problems.
• Do not get fooled by the cheapest suppliers - they will definitely have problems with logistics and service. With no exceptions.

Company

• Provide full inventory control. You must clearly know what is in stock, what is not. Constantly carry out audits. Introduce a system of electronic certification of expenditure and receipt documents by the responsible person (storekeeper) - then you can ask the responsible person according to the results of the audit.
• Provide the necessary minimum of goods in stock. Order goods in advance, avoiding gaps in the range. This is a simple, but often very difficult to enforce rule. In my company, the leading logistics is the highest paid position. Because it is very easy to spend all the profits on the goods you do not need on the stock. Trust basic purchases only to trusted employees.
• Ensure and strictly observe the reservation of goods for the customer. Demand the same from your suppliers.
• Deliver goods under the order. This will expand your range ten times without any material costs. Require your suppliers to strictly comply with the terms of delivery of goods under the order.
• Provide effective communication within your company. The speed of communication between employees directly affects the speed of providing services to the client. To clarify information, use the services of quick messages, for more serious questions that require time to answer - e-mail. Make an internal mailing conference and let the staff use it to communicate with each other - this will allow you to monitor the relationship between employees, the quality and speed of work and identify problems in time. This is the first thing I did when creating a company.
• Organize your inbox. This will help you not to lose an important letter and not get lost in hundreds of messages. Use tags / folders / colors to organize mail. Use categories for current, important, committed and pending messages. There should be no unread messages in the mailbox - they should all be processed immediately or marked for further processing. Demand the same from your employees.
• Organize your to-do list — don't trust the memory. The diary is a web service with synchronization with a smartphone - anything will suit you that will help you remember to do this or that business. Read books from the GTD series.
• Give your employees the authority to resolve most issues. And make sure that they do not shift to you the solution of questions that they can solve on their own. Learn to delegate your authority. Ideally, you should organize everything in such a way that you have enough to manage one or two hours of work per day. The rest of the time you have to devote to business development.
• Describe the basic rules and business processes. For new employees it will be much easier to understand your processes if they are described. Do not require formal implementation of all business processes - use them as recommendations. When making a decision, your employees should think with their heads, based on the current situation, and not blindly follow all the rules.
• Do not push the staff - give them the freedom and authority to make decisions. Trust your employees. But sometimes check.
• Automate everything you can - customer relations, trade, accounting, service, logistics - the more automation you have, the more efficient your company will be. Remember, business process automation is not a one-time problem, but an ongoing process. Highlight the monthly budget and control where your system is developing - no one except you can better understand the requirements and bottlenecks of the business that automation helps to solve.
• Remember - your success depends on the people with whom you work. Appreciate your employees and pay their work with dignity. The motivation system should improve as much time as your company exists. Give employees the opportunity to earn more if they work better.

Good luck in business!