Secrets to Success John-Paul Micek

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5 simple steps can
help any business excel

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It's fascinating to study what makes the difference between a person who owns a small struggling business that stays a small struggling business and a person who owns a small struggling business that becomes an industry leader.

It boils down to the constant innovation, simplification and optimization of the key systems in your business. This may seem like a tall order, but I promise you it's well worth it!

Why? The process that sets an industry leader apart from a struggling business owner -- and the process that can help an average business owner become an industry leader -- is the same thing. It's five-step system we call the "PRIMO Process."

"Primo" is a Latin word that means "first, foremost and most distinguished" -- a word I'm sure you'd like to have associated with your business name. Here's an outline of the five steps to developing the innovative systems that can help you:

1) Prioritize your list of all critical systems in your business, and start with the top one as your focus.

2) Research and benchmark the current level of effectiveness of the target system.

3) Imagine new ways you can innovate the current system. (We intentionally use the word "imagine" because you must not only "step outside the box" of conventional thinking, you must often smash that old box to pieces!)

4) Make a decision from your list of proposed improvements, and begin to orchestrate the new process.

5) Observe your changes, measure/record your results and optimize your approach as necessary until you get the results you want.

If you want to accelerate your success and innovate at a pace that you don't even need to think about what your competitors are doing, you'll need to rotate different areas of your company in order to polish and perfect.

We coach entrepreneurs on an effective technique for getting the most out your PRIMO sessions, but here's how you can begin to apply the PRIMO Process each month.

>> Set aside at least two hours once per month to sit down with your team and practice the PRIMO Process on one area that is critical to your business growth. For larger companies with 25-plus people, have one meeting per department.

>> During the month following that first meeting, observe, measure and document the level of improvement generated by the new system.

>> At the start of the following month's meeting, begin with a brief status report on your target system, and discuss further optimization. Then use the remainder of your meeting to address the next system in order of priority.

You can't achieve a leadership position in your industry without innovation, and you can't maintain that position unless you have systems in place. These two key components of growth can work against each other, and require a fine balance. The PRIMO Process is the key to keeping this delicate balance in your company.

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John-Paul Micek is a small-business strategist
and chief operating officer at RPM Success Group.
Reach him at JPM@RPMsuccess.com
or toll-free at (888) 334-8151.

Deborah Cole Micek, chief executive officer
of RPM Success Group, is a business success coach
and life strategist. Reach her at DCM@RPMsuccess.com
or (888) 334-8151.