Keeping things simple in your business

At some point in your life you would have had the advice – Keep it Simple. However it is not always easy to take this advice on board, especially when it comes down to business.

It is human nature to complicate things. We think it highlights our intelligence and abilities to others if we can come up with new original ideas. Sometimes even the best decision makers will over look the simple or obvious solutions because they are instead trying to apply their fantastic problem solving skills and entrepreneurial thinking to every situation.

By keeping your business simple, everyone understands it, everyone buys into it and your customers get it. Your business will be more robust, with less going wrong, less to maintain and increased accuracy and reliability.

So let’s take a look at some of the things you can do in order to simplify your business.

1. Ask yourself what do my customers want and what am I providing

Many business owners cannot succinctly explain in 60 seconds or less what they do. This can make customers confused and less engaged with the business. Be clear about what you offer and how it solves the client needs. Ensure your branding and marketing reflects this in all aspects of the business.

2. Start with one thing and do it well

Focus on being the best at one thing. Don’t try to spread yourself across too many business offerings. Many successful business stick to their core products and continue to produce the same thing, just on a larger scale in order to be more successful.

3. Listen to your gut

Over thinking can be one of the biggest inhibitors for growth in a business. Respect your first thoughts or your “gut feel” and take action.  Procrastinating on options while you think it all through can result in lost opportunities for your business.

4. Is it easy for customers to interact with your business

Simplicity creates a fantastic customer experience so think about how your customers are interacting with your business. Is your website easy to use for even the most low-tech consumer? Is the layout intuitive for users and is it straightforward to make a purchase or book a service.  It is easy for your customers to pay you for your product or service. A minimalist point of sale app like Paynow for Stripe allows payments to be collected using your smart phone. The Stripe platform also offers you many other online solutions to keep your business running simply and efficiently in terms of payments.

5. Don’t be afraid to admit its not working

Try to stick to trying one business option at a time rather than trying several options and hoping one will work out. Test each approach thoroughly and if it doesn’t work move on to the next one.

Achieving simplicity in your business is never easy. It is often noted that it is easier to write a paragraph than to state what you have to say in one sentence. Simplicity should apply to all facets of your business including marketing, product/service design and development and product/service delivery. Don’t be afraid to strip back your ideas to the core to produce a successful business model that’s simple to run, simple to grow and simple for your customers.