….it’s people who make business complicated” is the tagline I attach to my email signature. Through it, I’m attempting to draw attention to this blog, and more importantly to one of the fundamental truths I observe every day doing this job.

How simple is business?

Provide a product or service that people want.
Do it well enough that it can be sold for a decent margin.
Market the hell out of it.

That’s business.

Don’t have a product or service that people want? Why buy?
Don’t do it well enough to make a decent margin. Good bye .
Don’t bother marketing the hell out of it. Drive by.

It’s not that complicated.

So what’s stopping so many businesses from achieving the success they desire?

People.

People who don’t know strategy. People who can’t execute strategy. People who can’t focus. People who can’t see the big picture. People who have all the answers. People who are afraid of the answers. People who can’t follow. People who can’t lead. People in the wrong roles. People in the wrong business. People who hate coming to work. People who hate going home. People…..

It’s complicated.

Success in business is all about the people. The skills, the leadership, the mentorship, the accountability, the tough decision making, the communication, the motivation, the pulling together of huge diversity to achieve a common goal.

It’s not so simple. But it can be simplified.

How do you know you have a product or service that people want? Do some research. Never lose sight of your competition.

How do you do it well enough to make a decent margin? Through leadership and hiring – never compromise on knowledge and skills.

And marketing the hell out of it? By being where your customers are in a way that your competition isn’t.

There are two keys to success on the people side – talent and clarity.

From there, the rest is simple.