4 Major Business Obstacles of Change
Consistent with business growth and change are the inevitable business obstacles.
In almost every stage of a company’s lifecycle there will be business obstacles that pose a significant threat to the overall success and vitality of businesses. We have identified four major obstacles that almost every company from start-up stage to mature stage experiences at some point.
Here are the four major business obstacles to be aware of:
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Liquidity the first major business obstacle
Liquidity primarily occurs in the start-up phase for newly established companies. Companies at this stage are often not ready to take on bank financing and/or equity investments since they are simply not a bona-fide company yet-meaning they have little to no sales and/or infrastructure to support efficient operations. Companies need liquidity to cover basic working capital needs, such as inventories, rent, utilities, etc. When companies lack liquidity, the ability to cover these costs will inevitably become non-existent.
Takeaway: lack of liquidity prevents companies from covering the expenses that will allow them to grow, thereby negating the probability of success.
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Sales the second major business obstacle
A sales pipeline deficiency primarily occurs when companies fail to implement a proper sales protocol. Just like every mainstream corporation needs a steady pipeline of products, every company needs a steady pipeline of sales. This assertion holds especially true for smaller companies due to the fact that-while compared to larger companies they can’t afford to absorb periods of declining or stagnant sales. Small companies live and die by their ability to close and attract sales; however, time after time smaller companies neglect to instill a consistent and effective sales pipeline protocol.
Takeaway: without a proper sales pipeline set in place, your business is operating on the hope of new sales.
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Quality product delivery the third major obstacle
Quality product delivery arises in a wide array of situations; however, it’s often found when there is either a communication discrepancy between that of the customer/client and the company, or when the company is focusing their efforts on price reduction rather than product quality.
To elaborate, quality product delivery is a two-way street, in that it requires a company to have the competency and knowledge to produce or provide a quality product and/or service, but it also requires the company to be in constant communications with clients/customers in so that the company understands exactly what their customer/client wants. If what you’re providing to your customers/clients is not exactly what they want, then in essence, you are failing to overcome this obstacle, and in the long run your company will experience increased client/customer attrition.
Takeaway: companies must ensure that what they are providing clients/customers is exactly what they want; if it’s not a matter of communications then ensure that the product is of respectable quality.
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Financial reporting the fourth and last major obstacle
Financial reporting occurs in every business stage. This obstacle causes a great deal of problems that can sometimes result in adverse consequences to companies. Financial reporting allows companies to better assess their current and future state of operations by providing the information necessary to make vital and necessary changes.
For example, lack of financial reporting can result in-among many uncollected receivables, tax issues, defaulting on payments, allocation of capital to un-profitable parts of the business, etc. Many profitable companies operate without the proper financial reporting protocols in place; however, when all is said and done inefficient financial reporting will cause a company to increase their burn rate without even realizing it.
Takeaway: without proper financial reporting your company will be susceptible to a multitude of problems that could have been averted if the proper reporting protocols were set in place.
