When you run a successful business, you will regularly need to complete important projects for your clients. Of course, if you want to keep those clients happy, you will need to ensure that their projects are completed on time and under budget.
Gary Brewster Oneida, Tennessee CEO, and entrepreneur has successfully overseen company projects with rigorous budget constraints for the last 25 years. Below, Mr. Brewster shares the following tips he’s developed over the years that will help you time manage and mitigate costs for any business project.
Dedicate a team to the project
Gather a team that is best suited to handle the project and let it be the center of their universe until completion. A dedicated team working on a project ensures that day-to-day distractions are kept to a minimum – allowing them to meet their goals quickly. If your organization is chosen specifically for their expertise and ability to complete the project, they are also less likely to need to reach out to any consultants or outside experts for professional guidance – helping to save you money.
Clearly define the project’s scope
While your team is working on the project, you may receive communication from your client which indicates that they would like to increase its scope. Before long, you will have a seemingly neverending list of ‘must-have’ and ‘nice-to-have’ features. These changes can cause confusion and fear among your team – leading to delays, errors, and unnecessary reworks. You may also find that constant changes will reduce motivation and morale within your group. However, you can avoid all of this by clearly defining the scope of the project from the very beginning and communicating it concisely with the client.
Divide the project into milestones
Breaking down the project into multiple milestones is one of the oldest, yet most effective, tricks in the book. Let the focus of the team be only on completing one milestone at a time, without overthinking about the big picture. This hyper-focused approach will allow your team to take on and deal with the challenges of the project more quickly and efficiently. Before long, the team will have ticked off all of their milestones, and the project will be complete.
Don’t forget to test as you go
When you and your team are working on a big project, you should never make testing the final step in your plan. Instead, you should perform tests and checks after you complete each section of the project. This allows you to isolate better any issues which may be occurring – and will enable you to fix them in a hurry. Regular testing also helps to reduce the number of errors and mistakes that happen during the project.
In Closing
When your clients hand you a project, they expect you to complete it on time and under budget. By implementing the techniques outlined in this article, you can do just that.
About Gary Brewster:
Gary Brewster of Oneida, TN is an entrepreneur and commercial roofing. Driven by building excellent relationships, he takes pride in providing the best customer service possible. As a business owner, his goals include delivering exceptional service, solving complex problems, and giving back to the community. Outside of the office, Gary enjoys spending time on his family farm with his wife, children, and grandchildren.