The main thing that a lot of people imagine when they talk about growing their business is one big change that happens – some kind of turning point like a launch, a good investment that pays off, a viral campaign, and so on. But although that can and does happen, it’s not something you can rely on, and it won’t always work for you. Instead, it’s better to focus on small things that happen slowly but surely, and add up to growth when you look back.
Those small things are usually the many hundreds of decisions that business owners have to make all day, every day, so getting them right as much of the time as possible makes a lot of sense. With that in mind, let’s take a look at why small decisions have the biggest impact on business growth so you’ll be more aware of them and more conscious of taking the right path.
Small Choices Help With Productivity
Every business has to make dozens – if not more – of decisions every day, and they include things you might not even think of as decisions, like how quickly you’ll answer an email, for example, or how you spend your downtime, or whether to cut corners or do things properly, and so on. These choices probably feel pretty insignificant when you look at them by themselves, but together, they’re going to help push your business forward, for better or worse.
The truth is that when small decisions are rushed, or totally avoided, that’s going to cause problems, and you’ll find that delays just become the norm, and quality is sure to be reduced. Not to mention the fact that communication is going to become unclear. But on the other hand, when small decisions are handled properly, work is going to flow much better, and there’ll be a lot more productivity and progress happening, which leads to positive growth.
Consistency Builds Trust Over Time
Trust is something you can’t just get overnight – it takes time, and it takes consistency. You can’t be good at something one week and then disappoint people the next with the same job – it’s always got to be the same. Customers might not say anything, but they’ll definitely notice when things work the way they’re meant to and when promises are kept – and they’ll love it when issues are dealt with before they turn into anything more problematic.
And this all applies internally as well – teams feel a lot more confident when there are clear expectations and instructions from the start, and when there’s consistent follow through as well. So small decisions like sticking to timelines, giving honest feedback, addressing minor issues as quickly as possible, and so on, are all going to contribute to a culture where people feel supported, which means they can be a lot more focused.
Operations Details Matter More Than They Seem
Behind the scenes, businesses rely on processes and materials that customers probably never actually see (there’s no need for it), but they’ll still affect outcomes nonetheless. So decisions regarding suppliers, equipment, workflows, and quality control are all crucial – they’ll all influence performance and they’ll all make customers happier (or not, if you get them wrong).
For example, in manufacturing or technical environments, choices around finishes or coating, such as vacuum coating, might seem very specific, but the fact is they can impact how long a product lasts, how good it looks, how efficient it is, and even the long-term costs for it. In other words, choosing the right option early can help to prevent issues later, and that’s going to save money, time, and frustration as your business gets bigger.
Avoiding Small Problems Prevents Big Ones
A lot of business challenges don’t start off as urgent or what you might call a crisis – they just start as small issues that are so easy to ignore, and that could be anything like a process that’s just a little inefficient, a customer complaint you only half deal with, or anything that almost works but not quite.
The problem is that when these issues aren’t handled right away, they’ll grow – there’s no doubt about that. And fixing them later usually means spending more time and energy, and often money, than it would to deal with them at the start, even if it’s annoying to have to do it. Businesses that grow steadily are the ones that tend to treat small problems as being just as important as bigger ones.
Clear Priorities Comes From Small Decisions Too
Growth can very often just stop when everything seems to be as important as everything else, so deciding what not to do is just as important as deciding what you do need to do and focus on. It’s these small decisions about priorities that help teams stay on the right track and prevent the dangers of burnout, at which point no one’s getting anywhere and the business definitely isn’t growing.
It could mean you’ve got to decide not to chase every opportunity, and to say no to work that you’ve not got time for or that doesn’t really fit with what your business actually does. Or perhaps you could make what you currently offer a bit more simple, with few products, rather than adding too many so customers don’t buy anything at all because they’re overwhelmed. It’s these types of choices that keep growth going in the right direction and that give you the right path to keep moving along.
You Can Create A Positive Culture
Company culture isn’t defined by mission statements or values written on a poster that no one reads – it’s really about how people behave, even when (or especially when) no one’s watching. It’s about how mistakes are handled, how people are rewarded for doing well, and how pressure is dealt with to keep everyone happy and healthy.
Just the smallest of decisions from a good leader, like listening properly, setting realistic expectations, and asking questions, for example, can determine how people feel at work, and over time that’s going to affect loyalty, productivity, and job satisfaction.