strategy & tactics to step into more of an administrative business role, “It’s okay to go back and be a technician on certain projects.” He underscored the importance of “do it, document it, and delegate it,” adding, “I worked on a project. I documented what needed to be done, I got familiar with the process and then I delegated it. This way, if there were problems or questions, I knew how to deal with it. In delegating it, I was able to say exactly how I wanted it to be done.” Ordering products in his store, he added, was one such task that he had to let go of, document, and delegate. “This concept applies to any aspect of the store. Document it, set your standards and put it on paper. When you delegate it, you have to expect mistakes from people. If possible, you will want to use the mistakes to redefine the documentation to prevent the next person from making the same mistakes.” Eventually, he said, a business owner should be able to delegate someone else to handle the documentation for the store. #4: Always Have a Backup Plan Backup plans are essential, according to Jeff Cantrell of Jackson Car Audio in Jackson, Tenn., who said that a backup plan allows a business to continue normally in case of an interruption, “due to many of the factors we’ve all experienced over the last year.” The staff and client should be aware of the backup plan, he said, so that if something goes wrong, it won’t be as big of a deal and everyone will know what to expect. “We’ve not experienced as bad of a situation over the last year as some have,” Cantrell said. “Some have had things happen that are completely out of their control and for them, I have sympathy. Others, however, had the same opportunity as the rest of us, to start placing scheduled orders last year, but chose not to for one of many reasons, and are now suffering the consequences of their unpreparedness.” And without an overall plan to refer to, Cantrell said, “It makes for a bumpy ride. Tracking customer orders, vendor
42 Mobile Electronics July 2021