Today's business leadership go out of their way to create and execute successful business plans. There are many online business courses that you can take to teach you how to create a business plan but the course may not go into the process of analyzing your existing processes before creating your new plan. Before you develop and implement your business plan you should take time to plan your approach.

One of the first steps is to analyze your existing processes and look for potential weaknesses. By taking this approach you'll reduce the chance of encountering problems on the back end so use these critical tips to achieve better business execution:

1. Identify the target customer

To remain competitive be sure you identify who it is that you're trying to reach because after doing so you'll be better prepared to properly align resources for various tasks. Be careful that you don't mistake your target customer for your primary customer because some organizations have different target profiles. You'll be able to place the most resources to your target customers once they are identified.

2. Track performance goals

Now that you know who you are targeting you should place your focus on performance goals. Once you have the appropriate goals for your business established you should monitor this performance and assign people accountable for these metrics. Ensure that your team has all of the correct variables set to track and detail the differences between success and failure.

3. Creativity

As a business leader you need to inspire your team to be creative. This can be a challenge because most people fall into a repetitive habit which is human nature. You will find that some employees will have difficulties adjusting to new processes and procedures so it is your job to find ways to push the team out of their standard comfort zone.

4. Change is inevitable

Unfortunately, nothing in business can last forever. You can have the best planned business strategy but there is always that one off variable that can bring change. In certain situations adapting to change can be troublesome but it is a necessity to adapt if you want your business to survive. Your reactions to changes may also dictate the actions of others within your company so be cautious. If you respond in a quick and efficient manner you'll set your company up for a successful future.

Make it a habit to set time aside to thoroughly look over your processes and procedures looking for ways to streamline your business. Performing this task will give you the best chance of operating an efficient business that will survive during even the most troublesome times.

Author's Bio: 

The University of Notre Dame, in partnership with University Alliance, offers online business courses in addition to leadership management and conflict resolution training courses. University of Notre Dame is a top ranked university by US News & World Report.