One very important word for business people:  why.  What a powerful business tool this three letter word can be.  As you are go through your business day there are times when you may accept things the way they are.  Even saying, “This is the way we have always done it.  This is the way we will always do it.”  But when you start to ask why and really probe and analyze everything that should be considered you will begin to improve your business operations beyond expectations. 

You may find yourself asking such questions as:  Why don’t we have an updated business plan?  Why don’t we have an employee manual or detailed job descriptions for everyone in the company?  Why are sales down?  Why are profit margins down?  What happened to our number one salesperson who now has a lackluster sales performance? 

As you can see, if you start to ask why, it’s the first step to getting the answers you need for your business.  If you don’t ask why, you may not even realize there is a problem or a way to do it better or more efficiently.  Once you define the problem by asking the right questions you can then resolve whatever problems or issues exist in your business.  So sit down and think about what questions you need to ask to improve your business.  But start with the word:  why.  And don’t stop there.  Keep asking.