For many of us there comes a day when we toy with the thought of starting a small business; work stress and failed professional objectives can typically leave us thirsting for autonomy and starting a small enterprise seems to be the perfect solution. But for many who are thinking of starting a small business, be warned. The road is long and hard – it requires every type of sacrifice such as long hours and learning about whole areas of business that you previously never had to.

A small business owner needs to be a manager, leader, financial expert, technical whizz, salesperson, digital marketing specialist. Unless you are a well-funded startup with plenty of capital behind you it is certain you will need knowledge of every field of business in order to grow the company.

Before beginning a small enterprise do as a lot analysis as possible. Talk to other individuals who have began a small enterprise and are willing to present you some steerage, learn books by people who have an ardour for entrepreneurship, and get on-line to read as a lot as potential concerning the ins and outs of starting a small business. On the Internet you will also have access to advocacy organizations developed to help these starting a small enterprise; as well as access to talk forums the place you’ll be able to be taught from the experiences of others in your state of affairs

Regionally there should also be organizations that may assist you in starting a small business. Take a look at the enterprise advocacy groups in your local area that may supply guidance.

Collect as much info as you can and maintain careful notes. Remember that this enterprise might be a reflection of you and as such should mirror the philosophies to which you subscribe. Beginning a small enterprise is not the same for everybody; take your own particular circumstances into account before starting your journey.

Relying on the enterprise you are starting, it may even be in your best interest to rent legal counsel. A lawyer can help you navigate the complexities of small enterprise possession and prevent money and time additional down the road.

Moreover, a lawyer who is properly-versed in online commerce can help you establish a web-based presence if beginning a small enterprise for you contains an Web component.

Also, if starting a small business for you means bringing on workers, a lawyer is important to your success. Hiring staff opens you as much as an entire new set of liabilities; save your self any issues by having a lawyer by your side to protect you.

Beginning a small enterprise can be a splendidly rewarding experience. Put your best foot forward by going through each problem and arming yourself with knowledge. Careful analysis and meticulous planning will reward you with success and the best chance of future and continued viability.

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Before PMO directors contemplate ISO 9001 certification, it is important to understand what ISO 9001 constitutes and how it can benefit PMOs. ISO 9001 is an international quality management standard that is geared towards improving the quality of product and services, through the implementation of key processes and the utilization of measures to determine the operational effectiveness of such processes.

ISO 9001 certification should not be confused with the certification of the PMO’s project methodology. The later is a completely different discipline, and in many ways is less challenging then ISO 9001 certification. ISO 9001 certification requires the PMO to possess more than just a project methodology. PMOs—as a minimum—must establish a quality policy and have a quality manual, interface with major HR and procurement processes, and continuously solicit customer feedback and constantly measure customer satisfaction. In addition to project management culture, the PMO must be orientated towards a service culture and imbue its staff to be service driven.

On comprehending what ISO 9001 entails the PMO director should be scrupulous about the business justification for undertaking accreditation. If the emphasis of the PMO is to deliver products and services to external customers or to bid for prestigious contracts— this is usually applicable PMOs residing within professional services— where quality is an essential prerequisite in the RFP process then ISO 9001 is definitely worth pursuing. Another reason is that the PMO is prone to unproductive processes, suffers from escalated costs and is plagued with low staff morale. Engagement in ISO 9001 certification process will increase the performance of the PMO and instill confidence in its staff.

However, if the PMO is mature, quality conscious and value driven, then ISO 9001 will add little value. In such cases, the PMO can administer an audit of its processes, governance model, and roles and responsibilities. Any gaps that may materialize can be swiftly addressed to enhance PMO’s performance. Going through ISO 9001 in this case would be expensive and probably highlight similar gaps to its internal audit.
There may be instances, where the PMO director is motivated to undertake ISO 9001 as a means of demonstrating PMO’s value to the company by making it the centre of project excellence. This should be avoided at all costs. Instead the PMO director must show value not through ISO accreditation, but through the delivery of tangible benefits for the company. By doing so, repeatedly and successfully, the PMO is automatically recognised as the centre of project excellence throughout the company.

Last but not least, those who opt for ISO 9001 should be prepared for the long haul i.e. ISO 9001 accreditation is relatively easy to obtain but difficult to keep. After the euphoria of project management accreditation, many PMOs struggle to keep their ISO credentials, as periodic surveillance audits disclose a litany of non-compliance items. To reduce non-conformities PMO directors often end up spending more money— through hiring consultants to bridge gaps and extra staff to produce records— than anticipated, thereby undermining the whole ethos of ISO 9001 and end up with a worthless piece of paper.

Abid Mustafa is a seasoned professional with 18 years’ experience in the IT and Telecommunications industry, specializing in enhancing corporate performance through the establishment and operation of executive PMOs and delivering tangible benefits through the management of complex transformation programmes and projects. Currently he is working as a director of corporate programmes for a leading telecoms operator in the MENA region.

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The Corporate Order

No matter how hard project managers try to fix problems, the corporate order always ensures that facets of the solution they deem threaten their interests are either lobbied away or sufficiently diluted before the green light is given for implementation. Even the implementation of the solution is not secure from the prying eyes and ears of the corporate order. If they discover that red flags can expose their incompetence or heap embarrassment upon them, project and operational reports are skillfully manipulated to steer initiatives into paralysis or the initiative is given a death blow.

In such environments problem fixers— executives, program directors, project managers, line managers etc— quickly learn to mould their thinking to accommodate the interests of the corporate order, even if it is detrimental to the corporate interests. Subsequently project managers spend huge amounts of intellectual capital, invest considerable money and exert much effort in producing and delivering solutions that are fundamentally flawed both in scope and application. From the outset the purpose of such solutions is to maintain the status quo i.e. keeps the executives that preside over the corporate order in power. Project managers are only permitted to solve those problems that enable the custodians of the corporate order to meet their performance targets and maintain good relations with the board.

Clashing Interests

Project managers who adhere to the purity of their thinking and are sincere to the corporate interests find it extremely difficult to conceal their frustrations in such working environments. They often clash with the interests of the corporate order—many do so with a poor understanding of the political situation. In the end—depending upon the level of seniority and political influence—they are either brow beaten into submission, contained but isolated or their employment is terminated. This usually happens after a lengthy war of attrition—often disguised in business jargon, so that unaware employees do not become suspicious and can be used as pawns in the ensuing power play—and the company’s resources, money and time are wasted in such pursuits.

Those project managers that survive the onslaught are intellectually scarred and find it difficult to even attempt to solve future problems. They procrastinate fearful that their intelligent solutions will be rejected by other employees who work under the shadow of the corporate order. Such project managers very quickly lose credibility and relegate themselves to problems they cannot solve.

If project managers truly want to solve problems in politically charged companies, then they must frame the problems in the context of the corporate order. But to do so, they must excel in three areas.

Understanding Political Influence

First, develop a firm understanding of the corporate order and its political influence on the entire company.

Second, learn to think politically and not intellectually. Unlike intellectual thinking, political thinking has no rules. Its source is the statements and deeds of those who engage in politics at work. Techniques such as generalization, modeling and analogies rarely work to uncover or counter the motives and plans of the corporate order. Conversely, the corporate order is apt at exploiting such techniques to imprison project managers in their thinking thereby rendering them impotent. Hence, it is incumbent upon the project manager to build a profound understanding of all the major players at work, their domains of influence and how they maneuver politically to safeguard their interests. In sum the project manager needs to possess a crystal clear picture regarding their personal political plans and actions.

Third, the project manager must have the courage to challenge the existing corporate order. Challenge here should not be confused with mere confrontation with the guardians of the corporate order that ultimately yields a compromise—this will never lead to proper change. At best the project manager’s concerns will be accommodated by the corporate order, but at the mercy of their terms and conditions. Moreover the project manager will be regarded by other employees as a lapdog of those executives under whose control the corporate order thrives.

To produce effective change the project manager must expand the support base to include other executives willing to spearhead the cause, and then challenge the corporate order until it is reformed or reconstructed. This is a high risk strategy—failure will certainly be a career-ending move for the project manager, but success will usher in an era of genuine problem solving and propel the company to new heights.

About the author
Abid Mustafa is a seasoned professional with 18 years’ experience in the IT and Telecommunications industry, specializing in enhancing corporate performance through the establishment and operation of executive PMOs and delivering tangible benefits through the management of complex transformation programmes and projects. His experience has been gained in industries as varied as utilities, telecoms, financial services, transport, and education, working for several blue chip companies such as Centrica, London Underground, British Telecom, Oracle, Enron, Logica, and Wateen. Currently he is working as a director of corporate programmes for a leading teleco operator in the MENA region.

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