Some keys for successful

business
March 2016

Rochat Ludovic
M.A Social Policy and Management; UCT
BA (Hons) Social Policy and Management; UCT
BA Social Work. University of Geneva

Contents
Hard-working ........................................................................................................ 1
High level of customer service ............................................................................. 1
Generosity ............................................................................................................. 2
Fairless with your employees................................................................................ 2
Encourage Criticism.............................................................................................. 3
Motives of the business ......................................................................................... 4
Sabbath day ........................................................................................................... 4
Market study or marketing .................................................................................... 4
Planning (strategy plan) ........................................................................................ 5
Reinvesting in your business (Capital investment) .............................................. 6

Hard-working

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

There is no possible success in life with no hard-work and determination. To translate these
principles into the functioning of a business, it means that any person involved in the business
must agree and be determined to work very hard, giving his/her best for the success of the
business. In the same way, it also implies a high commitment from the workers, who must not
be afraid of getting their hands dirt for the achievement of the company goals. An attitude of
hard working should be determined through seriousness in projects, respecting of the working
hours and a deep desire to always increase the knowledge.
Recommendations: Every worker should be trained and able to be self-disciplined and fulfilling
the entrusted duties with excellence, knowing that whatever doing will be rewarded.

High level of customer service

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others
above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of
the others.

Having a high level of customer service is crucial in terms of providing a high quality of
services to customers. The customers satisfaction should always be the main purpose of the
business which, must ensure that when customers purchase a product, they leave the shop with
a smile on their face.
Honesty, integrity and respect towards customers are the essential values and principals in
which the staff should treat a person. In the same vain, it is important of always treating a
person fairness, regardless his status and quantity of wealth.

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Generosity

The generous soul will be made rich.

Remember this a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who
plants generously will get a generous crop.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only
suffers want.
Generosity is a principle which automatically leads to prosperity. Unfortunately, many people
only give money because of obligations and totally miss out the point concerning the act of
giving. Giving is an opportunity to bring change in people life and make an impact in this
world.

Fairless with your employees

The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.

You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy.

As the principle states in the statements above, it is important to not delay the wages of
employees or taking advantage of the needy. For instance, in a period of economic crisis where
the level of unemployment is high and where it may be tempting to hire employees at lowest
cost, director should always treated people fairly regardless of external situations. In terms of
wages, a business that put into practice these principles should be able to pay at high rate
including others social benefits. The other aspect consists of the way Businessess leaders
behave. Those should have their mind renewed in terms of attitude and leadership style. These
principles demonstrate that people with the ambition to have high positions and becoming
great, must first lower themselves, and learn to serve others.

This implies leaders should be at disposal of their employees instead of using them for their
own interests. In the same ways, leaders should always empower and invest in peoples
development and well-being.
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Encourage Criticism

Whoever loves instruction and correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof
is like a brute beast, stupid and indiscriminating.

Having people that can give opinions and critics concerning, the business as a whole, the
leadership style of the leaders and any others aspects is crucial for growth purposes. In turn,
leaders should keep a teachable spirit, and encourage other to share their concerns with them.
In this way, it will create a wholesome and pleasant work atmosphere whereby employees will
develop a deep sense of freedom and belonging to the business.
Likewise, the fact of asking suggestions from customers concerning, the quality of the
products, the service delivery, and some feedbacks from employees attitude the attitude, will
provide rich information for the business to grow quickly. It will also create a lot of satisfaction
from customers, who will likely appreciate the willingness of the business to take into
consideration their opinions.
It is worth to note that one of the worst enemies of instruction/correction is pride and is often
expressed, when a person sees herself higher than others and does not allow anybody to speak
into his/her life.

Recommendations: Create a platform whereby the employees will be able to speak to managers
or leaders or anyone else without feeling any pressure of losing their job. Most of people do
not share what lay on their heart because of fears to be fired.
Every employee of the business should know the organisational goal including the vision, the
mission and the overall objectives. It will dramatically help the team to pull the same rope ad
will create a feeling of belonging among all employees. All information related to the business
such as financial reports, budgets, new strategies and so on, should be made available from the
top position to every level and allowing a total accountability to others.

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Motives of the business

Prior starting a business, it is essential to assess what the main motives are. Though, it seems
obvious that from a business perspective, implementing a business attempts to generate a new
source of income, the only quest for profit should not be the main motive.
Another motive of the business should include the empowerment of people involved in the
business. The workers personal development should represent one of the motives of the
business. Furthermore, in investing in peoples development, the business will directly benefit.

Sabbath day
The Sabbath day or the fact to have one day off during the week is nowadays totally neglected
by many businesses, which are more oriented gain at all means and at any price. In this way,
the wellbeing of the staff members is put in jeopardy, and humans become more like machine.
Some researches done on the topic approve the fact that, on the long run, an individual will be
more effective if he/she takes one day off by week rather than working seven days a week.

Market study or marketing

Marketing could be defined as a management process directed at satisfying customer needs
and wants through an exchange process (Panday, Nd). This definition highlights the point
that, marketing is not pushing customers to consume products or services at all means.
Marketing should rather be seen as a way to fil a gap whereby people are in need of specific
services or/and products.
Given the fact the main focus is on satisfying the needs of the customers, it is highly
recommended before starting a business, to undertake a thorough research concerning the
features of the future consumers.
To do so, the organisation may start with a customers list that encompasses information such
as the socio-economic level, age-group, habitat, product and service used, hobbies and
occupations. The more accurate the customers features is assessed, the better the products or
services will meet appropriately the needs.

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Once one or several potential markets have been found and the businesses knows their
customers and needs, a research of the external and internal environments might assist the
business to take into account important others factors.
Some of external factors needed to take into consideration could be for instance some
government regulations, political forces or others local or international businesses already
involve in the same market. If it is the case, it might be proper to look at their products, prices
and way of doing things. All these indicators might be useful to develop news and innovative
ideas (unique selling point) for the business.
In terms of internal factors, the business may assess the available financial resources and
equipment, the internal bylaws and policies, the availability and commitment of the board
members or any other aspects that might contribute and help the business in trading activities.
In this connection, the fact of involving Businesss stakeholders and/or board members may be
extremely benefit and especially during the process of development.

Planning (strategy plan)

The planning process is usually used to provide useful tools for the team to orientate their
actions and work activities. This process includes the drawing of a plan which provides a set
of short-medium and long goals.
In doing so, the business can prioritise the actions which need to be undertaken and have a
framework in which they can assess and control the advancement of the activity. A plan has to
be revised pretty often to ensure that the organisation is still on track on and has not deviated
from its initial goals.
To give an example, planning could be compared with the navigation of a vessel in the middle
of a vast ocean. A navigator steering his vessel without any direction or map, will probably
never showed up at the desired destination, while the one having a plan or direction, in spite of
a slightly deviation, has much more probabilities to attain the desired destination.
Finally, planning should help the organisation to determine the goals and the resources needed
to achieve it. For instance, to start a business, the business might require to hire new workforces
and to evaluate the quantity of supply. In the same vain, a plan should include the financial
resources of the organisation, the costs of the business and the income needed to cover the
expenditures.
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Recommendations:
Any project managers of a business should be trained in terms of planning activity. This will
help to gain valuable knowledge into the process of drawing effective plans that include
specific assessment, control, and monitor indicators. In this way, managers will easily
evaluate the progress of their activities and adjusting the operation in function of the obtained
outcomes.

Reinvesting in your business (Capital investment)

One of the key factors of an exponential growth for business activity consists of the investment
of a certain percentage of the profit into the development of the business. In spite of the fact, it
might take some time before the business becomes viable (able to reach the breakeven point),
a constant assessment on how reinvesting effectively in the business should be undertaken.

Recommendations: Every project manager should plan in advance the percentage of the profit
that will be reinvested into the business. Managers should also evaluate what will be necessary
in terms of resources to make the business growing.

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