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Originally Posted On: https://www.businessandfinace.com/core-challenges-business-owners-face/

 

Core challenges business owners face.

Most looking from outside the business world aren’t aware of the many hurdles and pitfalls that can arise while running a business.

Given that only 25% of businesses last 15 years or more, with 45% folding within the first 5 years, there’s a lot on the plate of many business owners that can turn starry-eyed entrepreneurs into glassy-eyed former business owners.

Fortunately, recognizing and addressing some core business concerns can help you to retain control over your business’ trajectory and allow you to weather any storm and continue your ride towards success.

Core challenges business owners face

1. Managing expenses and money management.

Managing cash flows is at the heart of any successful business, as you can’t last long if you lost more money than you earn.

It is perhaps the biggest struggle of any small business, with failed payments and inventory disruptions being contributing factors to businesses suffering from cash flow problems.

Further, poor financial management strategies, whether overextending on capital investment, poor credit management or delayed interest payments, can be costly for long-term financial health.

Some simple money management strategies include the following. First, always make sure that your books are constantly balanced, with expense accounts and incoming payments being clearly identified.

It’s also a good idea not to get too overextended in capital investments and reliance on credit.

Depending on your business structure, $25,000 should be sufficient to cover payments for the initial growth phases. That being noted, every business differs and requires different capital investments.

For businesses encountering problems with customers making timely payments (which can occur for a variety of reasons), it’s always best to try and find a sufficient compensation platform.

Extending payment plans may be the best option, or leveraging some sort of collateral may also be necessary if this potential client could be potentially lucrative in the future. It’s always wise to operate on a contractual basis,

requiring down payments for any purchases and incentivizing customers who pay early and in full.

Core challenges business owners face

2. Operating and overhead costs.

Operating and overhead costs are the biggest financial component of running a business. Overhead is somewhat variable as it incorporates the static infrastructure necessary to run a business, which can vary based on whether you are a manufacturer, a retailer or a distributor.

Operating costs incorporate everything from material costs to machinery costs and employee costs. Given complications with employment that can range from compensation to retention and working conditions, there are a variety of challenges that can arise.

Resolving issues that relate to overhead expenses stem from general business practices and efficiency.

You may be operating in a facility that is not properly built or maintained, leading to extra utility expenses. You may also be operating in a facility that is oversized or undersized, the former leading to unnecessary rent payments and the latter limiting production.

In some cases, you may even be able to transition to mobile or internet-based commerce, particularly regarding distribution, which may only require a storage facility for inventory.

With regard to manufacturing and retail, it’s best to consider the long-term growth objectives of your business to see where investments in upgrades may be worthwhile.

With regard to operating costs, there are two basic principles. First, when it comes to equipment, it’s always wise to buy the best quality equipment that you can afford.

Given that all equipment has a limited lifetime and will require servicing, it’s also wise not to invest too much credit into equipment purchasing, as equipment failures can lead to production delays that can outweigh the initial investment.

Managing employees is perhaps the biggest concern with regard to operating expenses. Once you’ve evaluated how many employees you actually need (since some operations can lead to overstaffing while others are chronically understaffed),

it’s important to consider what you’re willing to invest to ensure retention, efficiency and quality contributions. For pre-existing employees,

having regular employee-directed meetings where you can get feedback can help to guide where you can improve production processes for all-around efficiency as well as how you can ensure appropriate compensation to meet your employees’ needs.

Although payroll is the dread of many an employer, with the costs of finding an employee nearing $5,000, it may be a better investment to provide sufficient compensation, whether in wages, benefits or vacation, especially if it leads to higher productivity.

Core challenges business owners face

3. Appropriate advertising and demographic constraints.

As any business owner knows, you’re only as good as the customers you bring in and the business you regularly sustain, with advertising being a critical component to both components.

With businesses regularly spending between 3-5% of gross revenue on advertising, advertising contributes a considerable cost for any business.

The main issue is whether the advertising that you are funding is generating a sufficient return on your investment.

Given the abundance and ubiquitous of digital advertising featured in email newsletters, social media feeds and television programs, keeping pace with competitors and providing relevant, engaging advertising can be the bane of many businesses.

One of the most important components of effective advertising is targeting the appropriate demographic. Providing opportunities for feedback, whether online or in a physical location, can help you identify what customers want from your products and services.

Further, testimonials offered on your website offer a more direct and tangible source of advertising that can help alert clients to your credibility and which of your products or services best suit their needs.

Although social media is often cited as a necessity for promoting businesses, the most important component of modern advertising is creating a welcoming network that keeps customers old and newly informed of any updates in product lines and services;

focusing on creating narrative content on your website or on more informative social media platforms as well as providing video content with appropriate links to your products can pay dividends in retaining and attracting clients.

Core challenges business owners face

4. Providing quality customer relations.

As has been said before, a happy customer is a loyal customer. Unfortunately, it’s not always so easy to keep customers happy.

Deviations in product quality, delivery delays, technological glitches and communication delays can all create chaos if not deter customers from seeking your services.

The most important component of addressing client and customer concerns is to create an open line of communication.

Depending on the product or service you offer, you may wish to have a technical support line, an email or telephone contact option or a question and answer feature on your website that allows customers to address their issues directly.

Ensuring that all employees are offering quality customer service is also important to ensure that customers’ needs are being addressed, whether in person or online.

Lastly, making sure that all content and product lines are up-to-date, accessible and easy to understand will help to ensure that your customers are engaged and valued within your business network.

Core challenges business owners face

5. Ensuring product quality.

Although a sound business practice is to conduct a trial before you debut a new product, the reality is that not all problems can be anticipated when you introduce a new product or service (especially if you are trying to keep production costs low).

Issues ranging from instructions and assembly to packaging and operation can lead to customer disappointment, potentially turning off those who already purchased your product and those customers know.

Addressing product quality issues is integral to ensuring that you are presenting your best to the marketplace.

Although it can be a time and financially-consuming component of any business, sufficient pre-consumer testing allows potential glitches and deficiencies to be detected before consumers detect them.

In the event that you have made such an investment, and even if you haven’t, providing sufficient warranty, service or return policies will allow you to address the occasional deviations that may arise in a production batch or product line.

If there are large-scale product concerns, addressing the issue openly by acknowledging unanticipated production issues while offering compensation will help to ease any concerns with the quality of the rest of your business.

Ultimately, as noted above, creating an open line to address any operational discrepancies and issues will help to avoid miscommunication that the products you’re providing are defective.

In the end, there is a multitude of problems that business owners need to resolve to ensure sufficient, consistent growth and operation.

While the above issues are a sample of those that business owners may encounter, the relatively simple solutions necessitated can help to ensure your business continues to stay afloat and ride the wave of success.