What is the best way to finance my growing business?
What is the best software for me to use for my business?
How do I store all the information I so I can find it next time I need it?
These questions and many more are often asked by business owners.
After many years of working with corporate and government organisations to organise their information resources so they are easy for staff to find and use, I’ve more recently turned to working with SMEs to assist them with organising their offices so that they can find the information they need when they need it.
When I started my business 10 years ago, the only advice I got was from my accountant who told me I needed to keep my financial records for seven years. Nothing about how to keep them, what else I needed to keep (eg staff files) or how long I needed to keep them (apart from the financials!).
Two years ago I did some research and found that the situation for SMEs was much the same as it was 10 years ago.
So I created this business stream and now I specialise in working with individuals and small groups of people so they can get their email inbox under control, organise their electronic documents and sort out those piles of papers lying around the office.
Up till now I’ve been delivering this service personally and with one or two other specialists who I have contracted when I’ve needed them. This approach is no longer sustainable unless I bring other people into the business.
It seems to me I have three options to grow my business and to give me an exit strategy.
I’m interested in your views on the options I’ve set out – are these viable? What other options could I consider? Please do let me know your thoughts.