If you run a busines, espeically a mail order business, see how you do with this list. Spend some time on it!
These 102 questions come from Don Libey of libey.com
- Who really runs this business and why?
- Where are we in serious trouble?
- What changes and advances in our products and markets are we not keeping up with?
- What is the primary problem with our operating system
- Do we have positive or negative leadership?
- How clean are the warehouse and the office?
- Is our policy on education requirements for employees relevant?
- Who cares about the “Mission Statement”?
- Is anyone looking at Amazon for a clue?
- Who is the problem, and why won’t I get rid of it?
- What is the real threat to the business?
- If I suddenly need $4 million, where will I get it?
- What does the industry think about our company?
- Do we beneficially participate in the industry?
- What should we stop doing?
- What should we do more of?
- What part of the grill needs more charcoal?
- What is our “Density Profile”
- When is the last time we had an original idea?
- Who do we rely on for good advice?
- Are we an old business or a new business?
- What is our most valuable asset?
- Will our distribution model be cost-effective over the next five years?
- Are we seriously looking at “Cloud Computing as an alternative to our rising data costs?
- If we were to revolutionize the packing component of our fulfillment, what would we do to be on the absolute, lowest cost, leading edge?
- Why are we pushing so much paper around?
- Why are we not 100% EDI?
- How do we justify not being 100% bar code capable?
- Who is responsible for Big Pictures?
- Is there one person who completely and thoroughly understands all of our processes?
- When is the last time we took a walking tour of the grounds?
- What are we going to do about the cost of health insurance?
- Given the increasingly fragile nature of security, are we totally backed up and can we operate in weather, terrorist, or systems emergencies?
- Are we organized right?
- Why do we fly as much as we do?
- What is our primary strategy for growth?
- More products
- More customers
- More Markets
- International expansion
- Acquisitions
- Given our primary strategy for growth, where do the catalog and the online channels line up?
- What is our end-game?
- What’s our “Weakest Link”?
- On a scale of 1 low to 4 high, how much customer input is there in our business – really?
- What is our chosen road?
- Do we have any fun?
- What are our merchandising strengths?
- What are our marketing strengths?
- What is the primary thing that got us to where we are today?
- When was the last time I personally talked with 25 customers?
- What percentage of sales are we loosing to “Net Gnats”?
- For our company, what is the truth: are in house analytic systems better or are third party, outsourced analytic systems better?
- Do we do nice things for our employees?
- Who is controlling the changes in our market?
- Can’t we get it all done in 8 hours a day?
- Do we require perfection or do we get stuff done?
- Has any outside thinking or influence been imported to our company?
- Does our CFO have way too much power?
- Are we preparing for European-like environmental and “green” regulations?
- If our business is based on quality and high customer regard, do our operating policies reflect that foundation?
- Are we overdue for a creative makeover?
- Are we highly skilled at detail, or are we highly skilled at shooting from the hip?
- How’s our lighting?
- Do we really need to grow?
- How much “shrink” do we have?
- Are we good enough to be a brand?
- Do we have effective merchandising forecasting systems?
- Is there anyone who actually looks at the orders on a daily basis and has a feel for what the customers are buying?
- Why don’t we do public relations?
- Is our photography any good?
- When did we last look at what we pay telephone sales reps?
- What does our returns processing look like?
- Is our circulation planning up-to-the-minute, or is it a reflection of past years?
- Are we selling to the federal, state and local governments?
- Do we have an effective image management system integrated with the catalog and web production systems?
- What are we doing to avoid ossification?
- What is the value of our “soft assets”?
- What are three things about this business that I believe in above all else?
- Have I surrounded myself with people who agree with me, or with people who are smarter than I am?
- During the last year, did we make at least three great discoveries, giant leaps, competitive trims, or huge improvements?
- Have I developed the type of trust, respect, and rapport with my counterparts in the industry so that I get to hear about and see the best opportunities first?
- Are we good at hiring?
- Do our employees- at all levels – talk to each other?
- How do we reach decisions?
- How much cash reserve do we have?
- How much do we know about the future of our SIC focus?
- What is our market share?
- What are we doing about paper prices?
- What is my definition of success?
- How much of our earnings is influenced by our location?
- Are we a multichannel marketing company, or an SIC focused company?
- On my senior management team, who is the thinker, who is the analytic, who is the dreamer, who is the pragmatist, and who is the sheep?
- Is our SIC industry fragmented or consolidated?
- Which of the Five Cardinal Financial Elements are our strengths and which are our weaknesses?
- If by tomorrow at 5pm I had to find $5,000 of savings, where would I go to get it?
- If I could have one person on my board, who would that be?
- What is it that makes this business more meaningful than just selling widgets?
- What is my definition of “Big Money”?
- What is our ratio of catalog and online sales in each of the last 10 years?
- How does it smell in here?
- How much time, attention and opportunity are we giving the “bright-up-and-comers’ on the teams?
- Cam I turn this business off in my head?
- Why don’t we use more of the 256 known types of direct marketing merchandising offers?
- What has been my greatest accomplishment for the business and for my life?
- Which 10 of the above 100 questions do I believe are the most significant for my company now and in the future.
- Bonus: What if I gave this to everyone?
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!