Monday, January 19, 2009

Startup Business Can Thrive With Six Sigma

By Craig Calvin

For years, many have held that conventional wisdom dictates that Six Sigma is most appropriate for implementation in large multi million dollar companies. Massive companies all over the globe have used Six Sigma to save millions of dollars by using efficiently managed processes to cut costs and increase profits. The general thought has been that Six Sigma is best confined to huge companies that employ thousands. But this is not necessarily so. The very nature of the Six Sigma orthodoxy is to implement efficiencies and control them. That measure can be applicable to any sized business, including new startups.

From the employee-level perspective, start up managers who earn their Six Sigma black belt while at a young company with few employees will only flourish as their careers progress and their sights are set on larger companies with larger balance sheets. Six sigma courses teach managers how to control costs and increase profit, two points of business acumen that will never go out of style. Six sigma certification at the start up level proves to future employers that, even when very little money is on the line, a six sigma trained manager is dedicated to increasing profit.

Startup companies are notorious for having lack of organized procedures with which to optimize their operations. A Six Sigma training certificate can hone those skills and can teach managers what to look for in their businesses processes and how to control their success. Implementing Six Sigma in a new startup business can be especially effective in increasing cash flow and guiding the company to profitability. Small companies can benefit from the Six Sigma influence just as much as large ones can.

Good startup managers have a good rapport with their employees, but they sometimes become so distracted by the socialization that they overlook the processes that are becoming money losers for the company. Six Sigma training trains the manager to focus on the operations with an eye toward the profitability of the project. More than managers of any other segment, startup managers need to be focused in this way, because it can literally make or break a young company's ability to become successful.

A background which includes Six Sigma training will allow the manager of a startup company to get that company past its incubation stage and into a medium sized business. Often when the company grows, the management doesn't. It is not uncommon for the business owners to hire on professionals with impressive backgrounds to run the company as it continues to grow. Six Sigma experience will give that startup manager the ability to not only build the company into a stronger concern, but to continue on with the company as it continues to grow.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment