
But reviews and appraisals shouldn?t just be about staff. Good practice is to re-assess absolutely everything on regular basis. It is 100 per cent true to say any business is only as good as its staff, but many of our good names rely on suppliers as well and how often do these get put under the spot light?
Approved supplier lists can be just as useful for a tiny business as a big one. It still helps every single member of staff to be able to order in times of absence, sickness or indeed memory loss of where to buy that vital widget.? A properly run system can include regular reviews not just on price but on quality and reliability. It is no use getting the best price if the product never arrives. You can ensure that you have at least two or three suppliers listed so you are never caught out, never stuck to an unexpected price increase, never held to ransom due to lack of alternatives. On smaller suppliers, I have been surprised over the years on how many failed to be able to produce proper business insurance when asked.? Most of all though ? suppliers change. A brilliant reliable supplier last year may not be delivering this year. We are suffering exactly that at the moment from a major supplier who we have used for over a decade. It is sad to leave anyone after such a length of doing business, but when unreliability to you affects your customers there are only so many times that can be allowed. And then there are the clients. It is extraordinarily easy to be sentimental about them, especially those who were your first wins in the early years. That sentimentality can be a very dangerous. Read more from Jan Cavelle:- Playing the blame game: The Apprentice’s focus on entertainment could have consequences
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