Success in Business

Every single day opposing political views are hurled across our television screens like the historical punches of Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier. Our nation is divided and it seems as though we're unraveling at a very fast pace. Current programs aren't working and many proposed programs are heavily debated. We watch it on television at night and live it real-time during the day.

We, as Americans must stay current on our worldly affairs, national news, and market information. Who will be fiscally responsible when national plans fizzle? We will! Our elected officials need to have programs designed to work within the fiscal restraints of their budget. All we know is we don't want anymore failed plans! And, no more taxes!

Such is the responsibility of owners of businesses... you can't play high-stake games with your money. As business owners you are held responsible for your plan working, you are fiscally responsible. You win or you lose... it's just a matter of time.

If you are a start-up, you know your road isn't paved in gold, unless you have a successful background in turning businesses into overnight successes. You could take a prosperous business away from a successful entrepreneur and it would be only a matter of time before he's in the sweet spot with some other endeavor.

You must have realistic goals and a solid business plan with every detail lined out. You must be vigilant in your desire to succeed and making your way through the maze. It's difficult to keep your company prosperous if you aren't focused on making money at all times! Are we harboring bad habits that won't drive success for our business?

The best ideas are killed by lack of business savvy. Your grandeur vision was to go into business to either manufacture, service, or sell something. Consider all aspects of expertise required to run a business right now and your mind will go in multiple directions.

How can business leaders work at warp speed and tend to administrative duties at the same time? It's nuts! That is unless they want a mundane life making mundane money or be willing to risk it all with their poor judgment?

One must have ongoing studies in employment law to keep abreast of the changes, learn how to effectively manage a work force, continually study all areas of their human resources, update software annually, and manage the administration of payroll, workers' compensation insurance and claims management, benefits administration, and a long laundry list of other duties. A couple unemployment claims and workers' compensation claims mishandled could cause your rates to go up drastically - for years!

Your employees are the neck that turns the head and without a solid work force you won't reach your goals.

It's paramount to your success to hire highly educated personnel in human resources. Key point - If you're not personally doing the work how do you really know it's being done adequately, sufficiently, and that you're covering your assets? The alternative to doing everything in-house is to outsource it to a team of professionals. PEO companies (Professional Employer Organizations) take care of all this stuff. They bring a whole team of highly trained professionals into place. It's a fact - You could never hire all these people for what their cost is!

It doesn't matter if you employ only a couple of employees or a couple hundred you need to have a highly skilled human resource and risk management department.

We worry about North Korea and other parts of the world deciding to ramp up their nuclear program. We've gone to the polls and elected a president to make the decision to push the button if that time should ever come. We pray Godspeed for the future security and financial well being of our country. We need to pray for our president's advisors, as well.

The same holds true for business leaders, even though you are self-appointed to run your company you've got your finger on the button and who's advising you on policy? You're the one that put your plan in place, and hired employees. Do you know how to appropriately run the human resource side of your business and what all that entails? If what you don't know can hurt you, it most assuredly will. If you hired someone to take care of all these things, then that would be one who has the finger on your button.

Keep your business right side up with a plan of success; ensure your back office administrative work is handled by professionals in human resources and risk management, payroll administration, workers' compensation insurance and claims management, and safety management and training.

Boxer Muhammad Ali had it right. Before every fight, in addition to training his body, Ali trained his mind through repetition of the mantra: I am the greatest! And, guess what? He was the greatest. You know what else? You can apply his technique - building confidence and training your subconscious to win - to sales. "To sell yourself successfully, absolute confidence in yourself is a must! Confidence, in turn, breeds courage," says Debbie Allen.

"To succeed you must have highly trained people that you can trust for guidance and to assist you on a daily basis," says Connie Jackson-Laughlin.

Connie Laughlin is a business consultant for UniqueHR, headquartered in Corpus Christi. Contact her at 852-6392 #112 or conniel@uniquehr.com. Visit www.uniquehr.com to find out more about this highly accredited Professional Employer Organization.