In this edition of Successful Small Business Tips we're going to discuss the importance of having a set of policies. Obviously every client is different, and we've talked about having an attitude that allows you to sway a bit when it comes to your standard practices, but it's important to set that standard as a foundation of what others will look upon as your company grows. When your company gets bigger, you will have bigger responsibilities, which leaves everyone under you to take care of dealing with clients. There may never be a day that you transition out of the customer service part of your business, but you may be gone one day and your company should have a policy that everyone follows. Having policies in place will ensure that there is no panicking when a problem arises and that you can rely on your staff to carry out tasks just as you would like them to. It's important to set up these policies prior to doing business so that all your policies will be in the same vein as each other.
For example, if you run a book store, most book stores do not allow book exchanges, but they do allow exchanges for other items they may sell, such as book lights. If your general store policy is no exchanges, it may upset someone if they try to return an item that is not a book, like the book light, and they are turned away. If you had a policy set up where there is no book exchanges, but anything else can be exchanged for up to 7 days, that could resolve a problem before it even occurs. Think of problems that could arise, and be sure to write your policies down, have an easy to find area on your website with your policies listed.
If you have any questions about business policies or starting a business, call us at 866-999-8200.
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