Millions of small business owners around the world wake up every day trying to improve their businesses. They start looking for solutions and entrepreneurial growth strategies to make it better. Very often they look around and seek out courses, seminars, webinars, workshops, master’s degrees, business couching, etc. in order to get the knowledge, and the tools they need to help their businesses perform better. I believe there is a major flaw in this approach.

Sadly, many of them fail to reach their objectives, not because they don’t have the information, but because they fail to successfully implement that new tool, idea, recently acquired knowledge, etc. I have seen over and over a lot of “halfway” or mediocre implementations of extraordinary tools. The demands of day-to-day operations and lack of focus that many small business owners experience, in addition to the rush to implement too many things at the same time, results in mediocre results or even worse, because more often than not mediocre implementations equal bad results. On the other hand, great implementations equal good results, and extraordinary implementations equal great results.

Implementation is the most important part of any new knowledge, process, tool or entrepreneurial growth strategy. Most of the time small businesses get lost in the excitement that comes with the discovery of a new tool or growth strategy and the possibilities that it could bring to the company. It is almost like eating chocolate. The brain gets full of dopamine and people feel great about it. But the sad reality is that most of those new tools and new knowledge that you learned in that last workshop, seminar or book will not be implemented well.

As the days, months and years pass by, you will wonder why nothing has changed, or why it is taking so long. You might question whether you have taken all the seminars and workshops possible. You will wonder what happened? The answer is that you did not take what you learned and implement it well.

The 3 keys to the successful implementation of any tool or new knowledge are:

1. Implement one new process or idea at a time, and give it your full attention.

2. Don’t try to implement another thing until you have the implementation of the tool or new business practice at least 85% complete. How do you know when you get to this point? Very simply, when it’s properly documented (such as in a manual), is performed frequently and not occasionally, and one or more people in the business are responsible and accountable for doing it, you know you have successfully integrated it.

3. As the business owner, take ultimate responsibility for making sure that each new tool, process or best business practice is properly integrated into your business. Make sure the implementation hasn’t gotten stuck somewhere along the line. Set up regular, periodic check-ins to make sure everything is running smoothly. For example, total quality management systems such as ISO 9000 conduct re-certification and internal audits every 6 months, to assure every process and every tool is still properly implemented in the business.

Take these action steps for your business, and you will find the improvements you dream of coming true!