It’s been said countless times before, but the tools maketh the man, but what about the tools maketh the business?! For anybody that starting up a company that is on the physical labor side of things, a sturdy toolbox is going to be the essential aspect. Tools mean, on one level, the basics you need to implement physical changes. But also, tools encompass so many different things about your business, that you will have so many things to your metaphorical toolbox, which will help you learn to be a better entrepreneur and business leader. So, when it comes to running a business that’s involved in physical labor, such as manufacturing, construction, welding, woodwork, and so forth, what do the physical tools have in common with the business tools, and how can these work together to make a successful business?
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By violetkaipa
The Safety Aspect
Safety has to be your number one priority in a physically oriented business. The safety of your staff, the safety of your equipment, but also the safety of your working practices. Running a safe business needs to be the through-line of your entire approach to working practices, from making sure technical issues are fixed, through to supporting your workers. This means having equipment that is checked regularly to ensure that it is safe. But also you need to make sure that your staff is well skilled in the latest safety practices themselves. Now, with health and safety restrictions, one slip up (literally), and you are going to pay the price (literally) because fines for shoddy working practices, as well as if you get sued due to an accident on site, can put your business into a lot of hot water. So, from the physical aspect you need appropriate equipment, especially when it comes to operating safely, you can learn more here about appropriate welding helmets, but you can also look here for some inspiration on how to run a safe working environment. Safety is paramount, and when it comes to the physical tools as well as the ones you have in your entrepreneur toolbox, they both need to be up to speed.
Learning And Growing
A key component of any business leader’s toolbox is the ability to learn new processes and to grow with change. This can be a very big sticking issue for some entrepreneurs because once they set up a company, they feel like it should be their way or the highway. But this is a bad approach to running any company because you will be left behind in a cloud of dust soon enough, as your competitors learn from their mistakes and grow and expand the company. By the same approach, this is something you can communicate to your employees. There are various e-learning programs available now, and some are commonplace in specific working environments. This could be something you can implement, to make sure that your employees are up to speed on certain protocols, or you could start a weekly catch up session where new members of staff can learn about certain working practices. It’s an essential part of any business to learn and develop, and it needs to be one of the fundamental tools available. If you don’t have staff members that are able to learn and develop, it means that certain skills become stagnant, but also it means that productivity will suffer, as well as the quality will also suffer over time.
The Image Of Your Company
A toolbox, when kept in good working order, is a symbol of organization. In sticking to good working practices, as well as operating safely and respectfully, you need to make sure your staff are giving off a good impression of the company’s moral values. The image of your company is such a vital component of your business, because this is what will get you more clients and customers. By promoting an image of quality and efficiency, this is what will gain traction, and will help your business to build up. Image is a very powerful thing because it can help you to succeed, but you can also fail miserably if you get it wrong. In terms of any physical labor business, the toolbox is the symbol of your company. Keep that in good working order, you’ve got a proper structure. A smart business leader knows the value of image and reputation, so look to your toolbox as a metaphor for the whole of your business. If you can get the basics right, in other words, keep these toolboxes organized and in good working order, everything else will start to run smoothly.
In other words, the tools maketh the business, but the basics always need to be in place. So, look at your toolbox, is it disorganized, or is it all laid out perfectly?
