PrintEmail

Title: Business Survival Guide How to steer your business through the recession
Author: Roger Mendleson
Publisher: New Holland Publishers
Pages: 146
Format: Paperback

Here in New Zealand we have been told that the recession is officially over – but don’t be fooled into complacently thinking that you don’t need to read this book. The immensely sensible advice found in chapter 9 on how to run your business in the post-recession years is well worth the price of the book by itself.

Throughout this book Roger Mendleson, a successful business owner for over 30 years, provides sound practical advice that

can be readily followed to make your business more viable during tough times and after. These recommendations are just as important now as they were over the last year.

As Mendleson points out, both the economy and the mindset of customers and business owners has changed, and the effects of this recession are likely to linger for the next generation. This will require business owners putting in place good plans and strategies and may require a change in the paradigm by which they run their businesses.

This prospect doesn’t have to bring gloom and despair, but provides hope of finding more sustainable and innovative ways to run our businesses based on solid business practices and large helpings of common sense. The key to all this is reviewing all aspects the business, its processes and procedures, and its people.

The book is aimed at small to medium sized businesses of between 5 and 200 employees and is also applicable to not-for-profit organisations. Many of the suggestions made are ones that we know about at some level, but usually don’t implement when things are going well, such as writing manuals so that all aspects of each person’s job and the processes and procedures of the business are documented clearly. Reviewing and refining these methods can lead to greater efficiency and more effective use of resources, leading to an increased possibility of sustainability and profitability.

Drawing on his background as a commercial lawyer, Mendleson lays out step by step the worst-case scenario of the collapse of a business and how to best manage it to lessen its impact. The legal aspects of this section are based on Australian law and New Zealand readers will need to check this against local legislation. This section was somewhat daunting to read, but do persevere as knowing how to get through the worst possible outcome lays the basis for working to ensure that it doesn’t occur.

Having understood the mechanics of what might happen, Mendleson then shares a range of simple strategies to work through to help a business ride out the recession and steer through the uncharted waters of what is to come next. He cautions against the knee-jerk reaction of wholesale redundancies and instead looks at a thoughtful and consultative method of mitigating risk and redeploying as many resources and people as possible to focus on the most productive aspects of your company.

I found this book very realistic and have already begun to implement some of the ideas found within its pages. I encourage you to do the same.