Spring cleaning: not just for the home!

 It is officially spring, and time for that annual ritual of cleaning up and cleaning out. Maybe you’ll dive into closets, venture into dark corners, or migrate north – the attic of course. 

We can look just about anywhere and find tools, assistance, and information at our disposal to successfully conduct a typical spring cleaning.  The Question: Do these tools and knowledge meet your spring cleaning needs in every facet of your SME operations? 

The Swiffer Wet Jet, Clorox Wipes, nor the Dyson Ball are the most ideal tools for the structural and operational spring cleaning for your organization, business, or brand.  Yes, your business offering needs seasonal rejuvenation as well!!

Votre Mot SME Spring Cleaning Guide 2012

Spring Cleaning for your business or brand should involve the same effort as spring cleaning the home.  Lucky for you our guide for SME Spring Cleaning involves less physical labor (in most cases!) and your years of experience preparing the home for all that is spring will be highly useful. 

As you partner in developing and caring for your brand – we couldn’t get you going without a little guidance. Here are three of the five aspects to a successful SME Spring clean.

1. Clutter

In preparing for you SME spring cleaning it is important to understand that your offering has three important environments. There is the physical environment in which you run the business where your offering and your customer meet and mingle. 

There is also the environment where all the hard work, preparation, planning, and executing may take place. Most importantly we can’t forget the environment that births your relationship and connection with your best friends – those who buy and participate! Consider these questions when tackling your clutter:

• Spatial:  Is there clutter in your physical space that needs a spring cleaning or spring exiting?

• Operational: Is there clutter that stands in the way of successful day to day operating?

• Functional: Is there clutter in your business messaging and advertising that distracts and confuses consumers?   

2. Chores

In the traditional spring cleaning that typically occurs within the home, you may get caught up on chores not yet completed or designated. For your SME spring cleaning, these chores reflect the need to address and possibly define tasks and objectives. 

These may be the action items awaiting a little kinetic energy or may be items that have simply become inactive (staled potential) in supporting your business operations and growth.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What tasks have I yet to tackle?
• What objectives did I previously set and never address?
• Have any objectives changed? Should some tasks be discontinued?
• Are my present business maintenance objectives (chores) addressing my business needs, business growth and satisfying your customers wants and needs?

3. Getting Involvement

Whether it is partners, employees, investors, or your left & right hands & feet, help always makes SME spring cleaning that much more effective.  We know some of you are ‘do it yourselfers’ so it gets done the right way - right (we relate!).

Many of you want that help but, it seems as though the others lack enthusiasm. Well, even if you think you can go at it alone or you struggle with productive participation there is good reason to establish involvement in your SME spring cleaning efforts.

• Time is $$$$$ - The larger and more time consuming your product or service has proven to be, the more time it may take to implement and complete your spring cleaning. More involvement means a shorter cleaning timeline. Remember you want to spend more time reaping the benefits of a rejuvenated offering.                                                                                             
• Input is invaluable - If you are an owner or operator with subordinates, guess what . . . You may not know everything there is to know about the current state of your business. Yes you run it (and hopefully well) but they may have insight in identifying hindrances and opportunities you’ll surely need to know to successfully rejuvenate. Spring cleaning could be a great opportunity for conducting surveys for feedback on internal operations.
• Strength & Conditioning - One of the more important longer term benefits to obtaining involvement involves its ability to create and foster a team oriented outlook for this project and beyond. Yes the effort of spring cleaning can stand to strengthen working relationships and also condition important figures to support future business efforts. 

Minor DC/AM

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