- Growth is flat or chaotic.
- Marketing or sales keep getting blamed.
- The owner is doing too much.
- The team is busy but little improves.
Part of Business Problems
Business Problems Checklist
Short answer
A business problems checklist should help an owner find the first place to inspect, not create a longer to-do list. Use the checklist to separate symptoms from likely causes, see what has already failed, and decide what to check before spending more money.
Stan helps business owners figure out what is actually wrong and what to fix first.
- what is wrong
- what to fix first
- business diagnosis
- wrong fix
- owner problem
Symptoms
What this usually looks like.
Do not treat the first symptom as the answer. The point is to find the cause before another fix gets bought.
Likely causes
Where the problem may really live.
The business has not separated symptoms from causes.
Check this before assuming the first explanation is right.
Several fixes were tried in the wrong order.
Check this before assuming the first explanation is right.
No one owns the repeat point.
Check this before assuming the first explanation is right.
The owner is using effort as diagnosis.
Check this before assuming the first explanation is right.
How to diagnose it
What to check before spending more.
- Check sales, offer, follow-up, operations, cash, team ownership, and owner dependency.
- Mark the problem that repeats after fixes.
- Find the cost of waiting one more month.
- Choose one first check.
What to fix first
- Fix the repeating constraint.
- Stop adding fixes to unverified problems.
- Use Business Problem Review when the checklist points to more than one possible cause.
When outside help makes sense
Outside help makes sense when the checklist shows several possible causes and the owner cannot tell which one comes first. The point is not to add another opinion. The point is to find the real business problem and stop paying for the wrong fix.
Common questions
Direct answers for owners.
What should be on a business problems checklist?
A useful checklist should cover sales, offer, marketing, operations, cash, ownership, team behavior, owner dependency, and repeated fixes.
How do I use the checklist?
Use it to decide what to inspect first, not to fix everything at once.
What if several problems show up?
Look for the one problem that keeps creating the others or keeps returning after fixes.
When should I get a Business Problem Review?
Get a review when the checklist shows multiple causes and the owner is still guessing what to fix first.
Related pages
Keep the search inside the right problem.
How To Figure Out What Is Wrong In Your Business
Use this next if that page matches the problem more closely.
Business Stuck
Use this next if that page matches the problem more closely.
Why Is My Business Not Growing
Use this next if that page matches the problem more closely.
Business Problem Review
Use this next if that page matches the problem more closely.
Next step
If you still do not know what to fix first, start with the review.
Business Problem Review is for owners who need the problem named plainly before another month goes to the wrong fix.