Top Goal for Small Businesses: The Eight Most Important Checkup Questions for 2021

Are you happy with your business this year? What are you going to do differently? How can you hire the right people to support your vision? Sadly, many small business owners do not spend enough time planning for the future. It’s quite understandable. Managers must keep pace with the daily demands of their businesses, including payroll, taxes, product/service delivery, and customer expectations.Fortunately, the end of the year is the perfect time for a comprehensive evaluation of your company. Your business needs a checkup. Most people can relate to a checkup with their local doctor, depending on their background and personality characteristics (age, sex, family medical history). The doctor will conduct a variety of tests, including blood, vision, heart, and hearing.In fact, one element like an individual’s weight is not the only indicator of overall good health. Likewise, small businesses could benefit from a good checkup too. Successful entrepreneurs think strategically when engaged in a hostile, global environment.After 27 years of managing projects and conducting over 100 organizational evaluations of business organizations, I realize that both large and small organizations struggle in implementing their operations effectively. This article examines how small businesses need to conduct an effective checkup of their organizations.Welcome to the New Normal! Yet, nearly a year after this pandemic, the full impact on the U.S. economy is unclear. According to recent studies, more than four million Americans have left the workforce, and nearly 10 million are now unemployed compared with last February.In fact, the number of unemployed people continues to rise. According to a business study conducted between March 28 and April 4, 2020, small businesses have been heavily damaged by the lockdowns due to Covid-19.In an analysis of more than 5,800 small businesses (reaching a network of 4.6 million small businesses), the research highlighted the damage caused by the pandemic. The results showed evident damage of the pandemic. At this juncture, 43% of businesses had temporarily closed, and nearly all of these closures were due to COVID-19.Respondents stated that they had temporarily closed, largely pointed to reductions in demand and employee health concerns as the reasons for closure. In fact, the businesses, on average, reported having reduced their active employment by 39% since January.All industries have been impacted. However, retail, arts and entertainment, personal services, food services, and hospitality businesses showed significant employment declines exceeding 50%. Some businesses hope for assistance from the government.According to a Babson’s Goldman Sachs report, 88% of U.S. small business owners have already exhausted their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan; the Small Business Association gave these loans specifically to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the pandemic. These loans were helpful.Yet, these successes do not diminish the fact that more than 32% of PPP loan recipients already have laid off employees or cut wages. In fact, Forty-three percent of Black small business owners reported that their businesses’ cash reserves would be depleted by year’s end due to Covid-19.Today’s small businesses and entrepreneurs must retool themselves, given the potential impacts of Covid-19 have the necessary capacity to change their way of thinking because of their passion. However, small businesses must be willing to evaluate their current operations and make the required changes.For example, customers have largely gone online to purchase services due to the lockdowns. If a business does not have an online presence now, this company does not exist. Internet pioneer and CEO of PSINet Bill Schrader explains the significant of online visibility: “Almost overnight, the Internet’s gone from a technical wonder to a business must.”With the appropriate diagnosis of an organization, a business can develop more sustainable success. Thus, the right checkup is critical.Below are some critical questions to help you conduct your own self-checkup:

Do you have a clear vision for your business? What is it?

Do you know why your customers buy from you and why others do not buy from you?

What results are you getting from your marketing? Do you have an effective online presence on the web?

Are you collecting data or the right kind of data on your customers and competitors?

Are you keeping pace with your industry trends? If so, what are the key trends?

How are you measuring results (i.e., key performance indicators like cash flow and revenue)?

What are your key competitors’ marketing strategies?

Have you evaluated your strengths and weaknesses (i.e., SWOT Analysis)?

In summary, successful global businesses, like IBM and Google, have continuous systems in place to evaluate their performance. Let’s call this process an organizational checkup.Small businesses that want to succeed in this global and technological climate must be able to conduct this self-evaluation or checkup. This article demonstrated the relevancy of a good checkup to help improve a business by asking probing questions. In many cases, small businesses do not have to take on this organizational checkup along.There are various organizations like the Small Business Administration and local universities that can assist in this process. Have you conducted a checkup for your business this year? It’s not too late. Start the new year with a healthy business checkup.© 2021 by D. D. Green

Where to buy beautiful rugs, floor mats and more.

Where to buy beautiful rugs, floor mats and more. Including unique t-shirts, dresses, bags and artworks. All in one website with free shipping worldwide!

QueenNoble.com is the exclusive online art gallery and home décor online store where items were designed by artist QueenNoble Dr. Elle Ramirez. You can get all your home decorating needs in one place without worrying the shipping fee. You can collect all her original art pieces and open editions from your comfort zone in just few clicks. All original artworks will be shipped straight from the country of exhibition with free shipping worldwide. Home décor on QueenNoble is not your usual home decoration items. Every items were designed by QueenNoble Dr. Elle Ramirez exclusively made from handmade paintings turned to manipulated photos to make stunning designs for every home décor items such as the rugs, lamps, wall decors and more. Of course the original artworks of QueenNoble are all available to every collectors who collect only original artworks. The prints are premium quality, framed and ready to hang for everyone’s convenience. Rugs, lamps, pillows and others are designed by QueenNoble, and then manufactured by partnered companies in Europe and in The United States.

The artist And Designer QueenNoble

Dr. Elle Ramirez also known as QueenNoble is an American international fine arts artist, designer, sculptor, photographer and an author. Dr. Ramirez creates rare textured and embossed abstract artworks from wall sculptures to embossed paintings. Her career began from year 2006 up to this present day. (See Wikipedia.)

QueenNoble is known for her textured and embossed abstract artworks mimicking planets, natural stones and rocks, abstract engraved portraits, several monochromatic and vivid concepts.

“Live Minimal” is one of QueenNoble’s art books released year 2021. (See Google Scholar Books)

QueenNoble is also an author of several mental health books like “Quarantine: The Challenges During Quarantine and How to Keep Our Sanity”. QueenNoble is also the author of the Novel called, “The Cart Season 1”. (See more on Amazon)

One Of A Kind Products You Can Buy On QueenNoble

One of a kind luxury collectibles with certificate. Unique items designed and curated by QueenNoble Dr. Elle Ramirez are now available on the official website. One collectible is to one collector or owner. Collectibles can be a wallet, bag, a piece of art, a furniture, a dress or a shirt and more. A first come first served basis. Handmade with love and attention. Own something that no one has in the entire world. Only on QueenNoble. What will you get on the top of that? You will receive a certificate of authenticity upon receiving your item. Free shipping worldwide. Free repair and replacement in case of a major manufacture error. Most items are handmade and are genuine leather so slight imperfections are visible which are the signs of most genuine leathers in the market. Varieties of items and vast selections although items are very quick to be sold.

Who does not want a one of a kind item? It is really disliked to run to someone with the same exact dress in an occasion or a business meeting! Now on QueenNoble not only original hand-painted artworks are available now you get to wear an art yourself anywhere and anytime. Display a furniture or a décor and be asked by a friend or a colleague, “Where can I buy one?” and of course the answer is “You can’t buy that in the market.” Because It is only one!

What happens after you buy a one of a kind on QueenNoble? The price increases yearly for 10 years. What an investment for yourself or a luxurious lifetime gift for a special someone!

From the author’s words:

If you are a collector and a shopper, QueenNoble is definitely where to go specially if you are looking for unique designer’s décor such as rugs, comforters, bags, wall art etc. A lot of selections to choose from. The designs are contemporary and modern. In one look you know where the products are from since you can only find them on queennoble.com. The processes are also very convenient and shipping is fast worldwide.

I bought a one of a kind bag. When I received it it came with an envelope consisting the certificate. The leather bag is stunning. Fast shipping and free delivery. They also offer free repair in case there is a manufacturer error for free.

Note also that if you are a merchant you can sign up on their trading program. There is a 15-30% commission. Less work for you all you do is share the url of the product and your designated coupon code which you’ll receive when you sign up and you get paid everytime someone uses your coupon code. Sound interesting right? Copy code, share url and code on your social media and earn as you go.

QueenNoble is also on Saatchiart, Artmajeur, Singulart Galleries. On QueenNoble’s original artworks, all artworks with certificate of authenticity will be shipped straight to the collector from the current exhibited country and also free shipping worldwide.