Business Management

Why falling ‘out of love’ with your business sentences you to failure.
Ms D Reamer, set up her gardening business almost three years ago. Now she sat patiently in The Business GP’s waiting room.
Receptionist: Ms Reamer, the Business GP will see you now.Ms R: Thank you very much.
Ms R makes her way down the corridor thoughts running like freight trains through her head. The echo of the knock on the door brings her back to reality. A calm, collected voice beckons her in from the other side.
GP: Good morning Rebecca, how are you doing today?
Ms R: Doctor I am drawn towards a feeling of despair.
GP: Really! That is serious, could you elaborate more as to why you feel that way?
Ms R: Well I will try. You see, my business is doing really well. (Pauses)
GP: That is good though so there must be more.
Ms R: Yes, well, er, oh I just can't figure it out. Business is ‘booming’ but I can’t seem to make it work for me.
GP: Describe the symptoms for me please.
Ms R: I seem to need more and more staff and make less and less money.
GP: Hmmmmmm I have seen this before.
Ms R: You have? (The sense of relief is apparent across her face) So what is it that I am missing?
The Business GP wrote on a piece of paper and passed it to Ms D Reamer.
Ms R: LOVE??????
GP: Well simply you have ‘fallen out of love with your business’ and need to go ‘back to the future’ to see where it went wrong.
Ms R: But I love my job (in a very defensive manner).
GP: I have no doubt that you love your job but you have fallen out of love with it to some extent. We need to find how, what has changed? Tell me about your job when you first started.
Ms R: Well I would tidy up gardens and make them look presentable.
GP: That involved pruning – yes?
Ms R: Yes
GP: How did you do that?
Ms R: Well I pruned a bush for example and placed the cuttings in a bin.
GP: What happens now then?
Ms R: Well I am so busy now that I prune and someone else will tidy up.
GP: Thought so.
Ms R: What?
GP: Problems in business tend to be simple. I have a philosophy called ‘Renaissance Management’ which will explain in more detail.
Ms R: Sounds perfect – how do I find out more?
GP: I run surgeries on it but also find out about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Management
Ms R: Fantastic so what do I need to do?
GP: You need to love your business again. By employing ‘cleaners’ you have generated more work. Employ more gardeners and clean as you go. It might not sound a lot but the extra 8 feet (the distance from the top of the bin to the floor and back again) makes more work for no reason. Keep it simple and love every detail don’t try and palm off the bits you don’t like.
Ms R: That is fantastic.
The GP writes a prescription and passes it to Ms R.
Ms R: Keep it simple! Why thank you so much GP: My pleasure Rebecca call in whenever you need any help
Ms R leaves and The Business GP completes the file. He picks up the phone ‘Jean, I will see the ‘Renaissance Selling’ team now.’