Over the next few days, perhaps a week or so, I’m going to pick a word at random and post my thoughts on that word and it’s application/relevance to small business in today’s sophisticated, complex and rapidly changing world. I hope it helps small business owners reflect on their business and stimulates some thoughts. Today’s word is ‘ESSENTIAL.’ Told you it was random.

It’s a word used seldom other than by authors in the title of their latest book on improving your business. You’ve seen it… the essential guide to this, the essential rules for that (I know i’ve done it). Well perhaps those books are very useful, they help us prioritise, they condense the abundance of things we have to do into a quick way of dealing with the obvious….but they are changing! The essentials used to be great products, they are a given now. The essentials used to be a well established business, it doesn’t matter any more, the essentials used to be having premises well located, in most cases who gives a damn about that any more. Our priorities have changed substantially, it’s all got a bit human again!

It’s clear how things are panning out…. great customer experiences. I’ve written a lot about this but it’s essential. According to Colin Shaw in his book ‘The DNA of Customer Experience’ 95% of business leaders believe customer experience is the next competitive battleground. It’s no longer good enough to have a great products or a great idea. Engaging, involving and having conversations with your customers is the next phase.

And, ensuring your people are doing meaningful work they are committed to. In fact, I would as far to say your people want to be part of something that matters, where they are energised, free and inspired by what you do. It’s about skill and behaviour not authority and they want to be led not managed.

As I said it’s all got a little human. What’s ‘essential’ in our small business has fundamentally changed. Moving towards a more human to human experience is something small businesses are in a great position to take advantage of. I’m not so sure our corporate competitors have that.