small business

Software developers periodically refactor their code to make it cleaner, more usable, more effective, more scaleable, etc.  Some designers do this as well. And, maybe it’s time to apply this concept to your business as well.

Refactoring can be described as:

…a disciplined technique for restructuring an existing body of code, altering its internal structure without changing its external behavior. Its heart is a series of small behavior preserving transformations. Each transformation (called a ‘refactoring’) does little, but a sequence of transformations can produce a significant restructuring. Since each refactoring is small, it’s less likely to go wrong. The system is also kept fully working after each small refactoring, reducing the chances that a system can get seriously broken during the restructuring.
(emphasis mine)

You could apply this definition to the “existing body of code” that is your business, or narrow it down to a much smaller and more specific element of your business, such as order processing.  Let’s try it with this example:

You’ve been making schmoppets* for a while now and have decided that you’re going to start selling them. You talk to friends and family, do all of the standard marketing stuff (including setting up a website) and now you’re getting a few orders. People call, email, write, comment on your blog, see you at craft fairs, and they’re all asking for more schmoppets!

Although you’ve gotten along with paper and pen, or maybe a spreadsheet or two to keep track of these customers and their orders, you’re starting to get overwhelmed.

Change the internal structure without changing the external behavior.

In this case, the internal structure is how you receive orders from your customers; the external behavior would be your confirmation and processing of the order.

How can you make changes to the way you receive information without affecting the customer’s ordering experience?

Make small changes…

If the post-it notes, notepads, and spreadsheets are overwhelming, it’s tempting to take a big leap –

No more post-its for me, I’m going to move everything over to a new CRM!

(Gee, I don’t know what could possibly go wrong there….)

Instead of implementing a new CRM, perhaps a better (smaller) option would be to narrow down the methods your customers use to contact you.

Do they really need your work phone, cell phone, Google Voice number, Skype name, email address, a separate “orders@schmoppet.com” address, Twitter handle, and an online contact form?

If you narrowed that list down to one phone number, one email address, and one contact form, wouldn’t you still be available to your customers and able to collect the information you need?

… a series of them.

First, go from three phone numbers to one — notice any changes? Are you still receiving the calls you need?

Then, reduce the multiple email addresses to one — notice any changes? Are you still receiving the emails you need? Isn’t it simpler to read and respond from one email box?

Each step you takes brings you closer to a simpler and more effective solution, all while you’ve been able to…

Keep it working.

No downtime, seriously.

The orders keep coming in and going out, all while you’re making these gentle tweaks to the process – making it a little better each day, all while avoiding the chaos and drama that “LET’S MAKE A BIG CHANGE NOW!” involves.

Your customers are happy and you’re happy.

Time to move on to the next refactoring project…

_{Thanks to @havi for the schmoppet moniker, @barefootphoenix for finding the schmoppet, and to schmoppet himself for general inspiration.}

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