Is there a model for improving SME performance? Certainly there are lots of business models out there beloved of management consultants and business advisors. The former tend to use models developed by academics for the corporate world which can be thought of as "tools for thought"; the latter tend to use models developed primarily as sales tools: "If we could show you how to increase your turnover by 10%, your margin by 10%..." and so forth.
Both can be useful for an SME owner but both have drawbacks. Corporate models often assume a complexity in the organisation and market, an intellectual curiosity in the client and a depth of implementation resource that do not exist. The less sophisticated tools on the other hand are often based on a few financial ratios that are assumed to be new to the business owner and which provide only a limited platform for real long-term improvement of the business.
What is needed to augment these tools is something that bridges the gap. A tool rooted in the daily realities of the SME owner that also makes bigger canvases accessible. A tool which can deliver simple, practical, high-return changes quickly but also provide a platform for continuing dialogue and development. A tool which is supported by the advisor but controlled by the business owner and applied as appropriate to their starting point and progress.
If you'd like to know more about this tool and how we use it to help SME owners then take a look at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment