Business owners focus a lot of attention on building better products. When their products are hot, the company does well, despite other shortcomings. Certainly, new and better products are essential, but focusing on building a better business – one that readily adapts to change and quickly responds to crisis may be even more important. How can you build a better business? Consider the following strategies.

• Manage capital needs. Growing businesses have an appetite for capital. Two ideas for managing capital are outsourcing some processes and managing existing capacity more effectively.
• Identify the right product and customer mix. Having the products customers want at the time they want them and in the number, color, location, and quantity they need, is a challenge. Get continuous feedback from customers to help you get your mix just right.
• Actively develop and maintain a network that keeps you in the mind of suppliers, present customers, and future customers.
• Every business has an opportunity to distinguish itself by doing something better than its competitors. Providing the best service, shortest cycle time, most variety, or best quality requires procedures that can deliver every day to every customer. Improving your processes to deliver what no competitor is delivering to customers is a key strategy in building a better company.
• Use your employees wisely. Encourage sharing of knowledge and skills. Continuously develop and train people. Measure individual performance and reward achievement and good ideas.

Building a better business requires more than a good product. Take the steps necessary to make sure your business will thrive in an ever-changing world.