Monday, January 19, 2009

Startup Business Can Thrive With Six Sigma

By Craig Calvin

Many people believe that Six Sigma is only appropriate for large, multinational corporations, but immediate cost-saving results can be achieved by implementing six sigma in a startup company. For years, the most massive businesses on the planet have utilized Six Sigma to save billions of dollars through both cutting costs and increasing profit. Many believe that the implementation of Six Sigma strategies should be confined to large, public companies that employ thousands of employees and whose projects costs millions or billions of dollars to undertake. But the startup industry is a prime candidate for Six Sigma implementation, and start-up company managers especially can benefit from Six Sigma Certification. Six Sigma, at its core, forces managers to take an analytical, quantitative approach toward justifying new projects -- and no industry should be more cautious of wasting capital than the startup industry.

Six Sigma certified managers at a small company is always an assest. New startup managers with Six Sigma Black Belt training will only flourish at young companies with a few employees, and as their careers advance, they will look toward larger companies at which to use their skills. Six Sigma teaches a tried and true method of increasing profits by controlling costs. Its that simple, and remains a basic tenet of running a business of any size. When an employer of a startup company hires a Six Sigma trained employee, he has the comfort of knowing that his company will be run with a sharp eye dedicated to increasing profit.

It is not uncommon for startup companies to be plagued by a lack of organization and monitored procedures. Setting up these is a skill that is honed through Six Sigma training, during which managers are taught to scrutinize what procedures are in place and how to manage their success. The introduction of the Six Sigma methodology in a small business can be especially effective in managing the daily operations and keeping a close watch on profitability.

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.

Another advantage for the manager having Six Sigma training is that as the company grows from a small one to a medium sized one, he will have the skills to manage the company at its new size. Often when a company grows, management is replaced and new, more experienced professionals with impressive backgrounds are hired on. Six Sigma certification will give the startup manager the skills to grow the small company into a larger one, while helping him to retain his job at the same time.

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