Sometime back “Be fruitful and multiply; the business angle” was a topic on this blog, now it’s replenishing and subduing. It is very important to first know the dictionary meaning of the two words before properly moving on to the main body. To replenish means to restock depleted items or material; to fill somebody or something with needed energy or nourishment; to resupply a fire with fuel. However to subdue means to bring a person or group of people under control using force; to soften something, or make something less intense; to repress or control feelings.
Everything in life follows the pattern from the laws of “give and take” where once you are given or take something out you are expected to give back in return. This law is relative for all areas of life business or otherwise. At the replenishing stage the business owner has gone past the fruitful and multiplying stage, he has planned and created a brand for his business he has spent a lot on the implementation of the business. The primary resources such as finance capital, physical capital, and human capital has all been used and it is now time to restock, refill, resupply what has been used while working towards been fruitful and multiplying.
Let us use a more relative example to start with. The forest and sea is filled with natural primary resources useful to man but due to man’s inability to replenish what has been taken out it has become difficult to overcome issues like drought, desertification, erosion, and the likes not to mention the effect pollution and hunger. Imagine what would happen if for every tree that is cut down 3 more are planted to take its place or that man would learn how to preserve plant life even as they take from nature what they need. We would not even have the issue of extinction.
This is also applicable to business life, if you have a business and continue to take from it without giving back then the problem of drought and desertification will arise, a stage where it becomes impossible for the business to continue. A business can be replenished in the following ways:
- Replanting in the forest: this is a method of putting back into the business part of everything you make. Basically it’s called bootstrapping. Bootstrapping is the building of a business from nothing, with minimum outside capital. In this instance all the money you make goes back into the business to replenish.
- Training for staff: staffing is a very important part of any business and so to replenish the human capital and make sure that they would be able to perform in top form, trainings must be organized to ensure that they are continually kept abreast of what is happening with respect with their roles and position in the company.
- Remodeling of office: a dirty or shabby environment does not speak well of any business or home for that matter. The office should be constantly kept in good condition. The office gives the first impression and like we know “first impression sticks”. If you enter into a building that is not properly kept you will find it difficult to pay the expected fee the business owner charges you. Or you might even wonder if the business owner can actually carry out business like he claims.
- Developing strategies for growth: another way to replenish is to develop strategies for growth and to assign the staff that would be responsible for the implementation of the strategies. It also helps to get an external person that would be able to give impassioned views of the strategies that have been implemented and the business as a whole. A good consultant can get this done.
- Developing new ideas and products / services: one of the major factors that kill a business is the move against change and moving with the times. Like in everyday life and even in nature the ability to adapt to change and to take time to refill is an important factor. All businesses must be able to change with the change in market, improve on their products and services or to change it if the need arises. Some businesses might even need to create new ideas that would result in new products.
Once a business begins to grow and has been able to meet the demands of its target market, the business must be able to bring its target under its control in a subtle way that it becomes the first choice for all its client, buyers, and customers. It has to make the customers come to the certain realization that its competitors products / services cannot provide the quality satisfaction that they need for that class of product. The ability for any business to subdue its environment (consisting of competition and customers/clients) i.e. bring them under its control must be an integral part of any business’s success and growth. The business must soften the importance of its competition within its industry and through growth strategies are able to put more emphasis on his business and product. For any business to be able to subdue its environment, it must have the following:
- Good customer service: your customer must always be able to feel like a king anytime and every time they come to your office or relate with your employees. This means that no matter how hard your competitors try to woo them over they would remain loyal to your products and services.
- Unique emphasis on quality control: the quality of your products says a lot about the responsibility you place on the satisfaction of your customers. Do you hold them in high esteem and know that they deserve the best? Having quality product at competitive price would eliminate the hard to please customer moving to the other side of the fence.
- Well organized business structure: a business should run smoothly with little or no friction. Having a well-organized business structure simply put means that what needs to be done is done at the right time by the right person. This saves time-wasting and a lot of added expenses as well. With this you can always know where you stand and where you are lacking within your industry
- Having a business code of conduct: code of conduct or rules to live by for both the employee and the business owner is very important. It cements responsibility and the ability to deliver which will in turn ensure that an edge is maintained upon the competition.
- Employee rules and responsibility: to subdue means to have control, therefore every business and business owner must be able to exercise a level of control over its /his staff. This does not mean you have to be a dictator but that each employee must be able to understand his / her responsibility and what needs to be done when. This enhances product and service delivery.
- Hierarchy in the office: like the food chain or nature there must be hierarchy in any business and boundaries set. The clerk cannot take on the benefits of the managing director and vis-versa. This helps to maintain a level of flow in the running of the business, ensuring that each level in the hierarchy chain knows who to report to and management knows who to hold for any offence against the company, fellow employee or the customer.
- Having a standard for business and product: each business must have its own standard and know its limits. This is something that most businesses do not maintain but it is very important. Know to what length you will go to achieve your goals and when to stop.
So it must be understood that for every business it is important to have control over your environment and to continually replenish it so that it will have the opportunity to flourish and grow.
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