Where to next? - Business Basics

Does anyone else love 'Best of' lists?I know I've made no secret of my love of lists. I've described in earlier blogs how lists are like porn to me - the chance to organise, tally and plan.... Love it.

It must come as no surprise then that I devour 'best of' (and 'worst of') lists. Every year many fashion magazine editors produce a list of the staples that they believe all women should own. A list of ten items that all women should have in their wardrobes. Now I'm not suggesting that every women needs every item on those lists but as a general rule they do work. They create a wardrobe capsule of basics that you can build around.

Once you have the staples the fun begins. You can then add that animal print bag, studded stilettos or military style jumpsuit knowing that it will work with the basic items that you already have (of course I still maintain that jumpsuits belong in the staples list, however unpopular that view may be!).

I think that business owners also need a 'best of' list (they also need a 'worst of' list to warn them off damaging behaviours, but that's another blog entry entirely!). Often a business owner will start a business with an 'entrepreneurial seizure' but with no real business skills. They're like a sixteen year old with their first paycheque. Lots of excitment but often little sense or savvy, business sense that is. I'm sure they're great at what they do in their business, but often don't have the first clue as to what it takes to run a great business. After all, who wants to run an ordinary business? Or one that won't survive past the twelve month mark?

What business owners need is a list of skills and procedures/things that no business or business owners should be without.

So that's what we're going to do.

So far in this blog we've had our wardrobe cull, we've taken stock, we've dreamed, we've thought about our personal style and we've donned our spanx! Now it's time to build.

Over the coming months we're going to build our Business Basics List. Our business capsule. The business staples that no business or business owner should be without. We'll work through them one by one and then its' up to you to action them. A stylist's 'best of' list is no good lining the bottom of the budgie cage. It needs to be inside the door of your wardrobe so you're constantly referring to it. And acting upon it. In the same way, this list will be a bit of fun, but will be so much more useful if acted upon. And preferably not by the budgie.

What will you end up with? Hopefully an incredible base on which to build your business. That's when the fun can really start. For a wardrobe it's adding studded stilettos, or maybe a jumpsuit (I know, I do love a jumpsuit). For business, maybe it's a brand extension or profit maximisation. All are incredibly exciting - when the basics are right.

First up? The white shirt and why every women needs a version of it. To find out the business equivalent make sure you subscribe.