A small business owner needs to focus on key areas of their business. These areas include: management, marketing, business operations, sales and finance. If you were a franchisee you'd have a number of these functions presented to you in an organized fashion. Typically, in a franchise operations manual. As a business owner you can view your business as if it were a franchise. This excercise can assist in gaining focus on the key components of the business operation.

Some suggestions:

• Make sure key functions of the business are documented.
• Identify or hire someone you can delegate certain responsibilies to.
• Impliment written procedures for sales and financial transactions.
• Make sure each of your employees are properly trained and understand their job.
• Where possible break down important activities into key steps.
• Consider using a business coach to analyze your business operations. A third party can often see things that the owner may miss.
• Look at franchises comparable businesses.You may learn a lot about how that business is organized.

Its not unusual for a small business owner to lose focus. A solution to this problem can be found in the way franchises are structured and operate.