Business Basics - The White Shirt

I have a confession to make - I have more than one white shirt. This shouldn't surprise anyone who has seen my wardrobe. I also have multiple white t-shirts and white singlets. Sometimes I think these are breeding in my closet (either that or I'm stealing my girlfriend's that lives with us. Sorry Danni!)

Now I know that the white shirt or t-shirt is not the most glamorous item in your wardrobe. I don't think I've ever received a compliment on my 'gorgeous white shirt'. It's not a wow item. A classic often isn't. But imagine a man-style white shirt paired with black pants (Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction), a long skirt (Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday), a gown (Sharon Stone on the red carpet) or covering up a bad outfit (Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman). Then it becomes a showstopper.

When you think of those women in those outfits in those moments in those movies - anything else is just wrong. It would simply detract. Instead, the classic, boring white shirt - shines. It becomes the bones of the outfit, of the look, of the moment. The simplicity of which the moment is built around.

So what is the bones of your business? What is the classic that your business is built around?

It is your systems and procedures. Not boring and mudane - classic. On their own they seem ordinary and decidedly unsexy - but teamed with great staff, vision, budgets, marketing and so on they become the backbone of your business. They make your staff shine and your business hum along seamlessly (most days anyway).

I'm loathe to use McDonalds as an example - but could a store be a better example of systems in action? They are the perfect case of the white shirt in action (albeit a large, cheap one that I'm fairly sure would be polyester!). Think of any franchise for that matter - the only difference between a franchise and the business down the road is generally the systems and procedures that come with it.

Why should your business be any different? No matter what your business looks like - whether you're the Uma, Audrey, Sharon or Julia of your industry - documented systems and procedures should always be a basic, can't live without them item. Don't leave the running of your business to chance - make it a true classic by investing in the basics.

Of course the style of you white shirt, like your systems and procedures, is entirely up to you.