To create a successful business in today’s commercial climate, you need to be organised and flexibleAre you planning a new business venture? Max Mackin, CEO of BlackFox Solutions and Reactive Recruitment offers advice to all entrepreneurs wanting to make their mark in the recruitment world. Get ahead of the rest with these five tips!
1.)Work out exactly what you want to do, I’ve seen people start a business without a plan set in place and therefore it hasn’t worked. Have a plan, expect setbacks and plan a solution to those problems.
2.) Put a date in and review where you are, every six months and if it’s not working out for you then be brave enough to accept that. Remember, there is a lot of competition out there and if you have a business idea then it’s likely that there are many out there with the same one, ensure you have a unique selling point and always be realistic.
3.) When you start hiring staff always see yourself as an employee, be at your desk at 9 in the morning and go home at 5.30 p.m. This discipline is essential for growing your company, no matter how high you find yourself in the company hierarchy there shouldn’t be any job that you won’t do. Whether it’s making coffee for everyone or making a million-pound decision, you should be willing to do everything. Showing your staff this will be appreciated and if they see you doing this, then you have every right to demand that they do the same and that’s how it works in business.
4.) Remember it’s not just about the employer or the employee, it’s about the company. For the company to do well and prosper, you need to keep my employees happy. There is a saying I reinforce to my team daily – ‘you can fall out with me, but I can never fall out with you.’ What I mean by that is if my staff are having problems or has made a mistake and we have an argument about it I can’t hold a grudge. I have to say what I need to say, solve the issue and move forward. Regardless of what that person said to me, I will always have an open-door policy. I want them to feel that they can approach me immediately for advice or guidance, it’s very important for me that they know they can do that.
5.) One of the secret ingredients to success I would say to business leaders is to enjoy what you do, just because you’re in work doesn’t mean you can’t be having a good time, I make a point of chatting to my employees about many aspects of everyday life, their interests, sport, movies, fashion, whatever the topic I like to engage with my team and keep them content, a happy team in a successful company.
