最後に↓をポチっとお願いします♪
にほんブログ村
Hello, this is Yasui, a one-person business owner running a company that mainly inspects high-pressure gas equipment.
Today, I went out for an on-site survey for an upcoming project.
The removal is scheduled for March and the installation for April, so I’m a bit concerned about the timeline.
Well… since it will probably fall on a weekend, I think I can manage it.
Or rather—I’ll make it work. haha
“Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.”
This is a famous phrase from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
It’s well-known, so I imagine many of you have heard it before.
“Know the enemy, know yourself.”
Here, “the enemy” refers literally to one’s opponent, but this can be applied to all sorts of things—your work, your tasks, challenges, problems—whatever you face.
And the “self” refers to your own situation:
your resources, your capacity, and your current standing.
Understand both the other party and yourself deeply,
and do not act in ways that bring no benefit to your own side.
If you are going to engage in a “battle,” then make sure you will win.
That’s essentially what it means.
As a business owner, I believe it’s unacceptable to take on work that brings no benefit.
Some may choose to “accept losses this time for future gains,” but I try to avoid any deal that will obviously put me in the red.
(There are jobs that barely make profit though—haha.)
Understand the content and workload of the job,
and determine whether your available resources can be allocated properly.
If they can, then you proceed according to your own established principles.
Everyone has their own way of doing business, built through experience.
When you’re short on work or want to increase operating rate,
you might be tempted to take on jobs just for the sake of revenue.
But if you make rough estimates, take rough orders, and allocate resources carelessly,
you may end up not only with no profit—but with an outright loss.
If you truly care about your customers, securing your own profit is essential.
Why?
Because the continuity of your company ultimately benefits the customer as well.
To put it more bluntly:
If providing a service for a customer puts your business in the red,
you shouldn’t take that job.
Knowing the work, confirming the numbers yourself,
and producing an appropriate estimate—
starting with a clear, numerical understanding of profit and cost before the work begins
helps you make decisions quickly once you’re actually on-site.
Those “I think I can manage it” judgments can only be made
when you properly understand that balance.
Once again, Sun Tzu reminds us just how important it is
to know—both the situation and yourself.
Thank you very much for reading.
See you again!
Lastly, please click the link below♪
(Nihon Blog Village – Management Blog)
