I had an interesting conversation about my view that management control over employees is a myth. I have believed for some time now that an office is often a total waste of money and completely unnecessary. Most of the time I’m told it’s OK when you work by yourself, but not if you have employees, as they need to be supervised and somehow “controlled”.
I have now been working for almost ten years from home, and most of my staff works from home too. Apart from being an eco-friendly way to work, it saves people time and frustration to travel in and around London to come to an office, where we all sit in cubicles or offices. In the days of broadband internet, Skype and OnlineOffice, there is no need for an office, even to have meetings.
Offices, like cars are are often nothing else but status symbols – what other reason can there be for a small business to have an office? If that is true then how is the office helping with your business, it’s a big expense. Seriously, if you do not have clients coming thru your office doors several times every day, why have the office. Even if you have, do really all your people need to be in the office every day? I guess not!
We are in an economic downturn, what is more important – your ego or your business – ask yourself that every time you walk into your office. I’m sure there a good reasons for some micro businesses to have offices, even so I currently can’t think of any, but I’m convinced in most cases a healthy bootstrapping and outsourcing mentality would be more beneficial for your business.
Unless the first business goal is to feed your egomania, you need to have a good hard look at your cost structure to survive in these times. — ST.
More Supplier and Customer Solidarity Needed To Beat Credit Crunch!
With credit availability non existent or in sharp decline, a more transparent relationship between suppliers and customers is needed to overcome the credit hurdle.
In times when money is short a very open relationship based on partnership will allow a chain of suppliers and customers to fulfill orders in a “joint venture per order” kind of way. This will allow small and medium size business to compete successfully with bigger business and take the order. Everyone in the chain has to agree to get paid when the order is finally fulfilled.
This is however not going to solve the problem of financial difficulty in businesses for historic reasons or based on too high fixed cost. In these times cash-flow is more essential than ever. So outsourcing and reducing fixed cost is paramount at every juncture.
I have been talking about the fact that we live in a time of business partnerships, the traditional supplier – customer relationships do not work anymore. This has never been more true than at the moment.
How are you partner skills, I hope for you, they are good. –ST.
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