Solving Fundamental Challenges in your Business
Most business owners will face a moment when something in the business feels persistently, stubbornly wrong. Perhaps sales are stalling, staff keep leaving or cash always seems tight.
These could be described as fundamental challenges. These challenges generally don’t go away on their own and can erode the business if not addressed. How, then, can a fundamental challenge in your business be solved? Let us take you through a method that we have found to be effective.
Step 1 - Identify the real problem
Since you want to avoid treating a symptom rather than the cause, it is worth spending time working out what the real problem is. For example, high staff turnover might seem like a case of not being able to recruit the right people, but the root cause might be unclear role expectations or a poor working environment.
Ask 'why' repeatedly until you get to the root of the problem. A useful way to approach this is to write down the problem in one clear sentence, then challenge each assumption in that sentence.
Step 2 - Define what the problem means to the business
Once you have identified the root problem, the next step is to work out how it's affecting the business. For instance, you could consider:
This step helps you to quantify the effect the problem is having on your business. Sometimes it can reveal that a problem has less of an effect than you thought. It may be more productive to put effort in elsewhere. On the other hand, once you are clear how much a problem is holding your business back, you gain the motivation to sort it out.
This step also provides you with clarity. A vague problem stays unsolved, whereas when a problem and its impact are clearly defined, it can be tackled more easily.
Step 3 - Identify the system needed to solve the problem
Most fundamental business problems exist because a reliable system is absent. So, give some thought to what type of system, if introduced, would make it difficult for the problem to continue happening. For example:
Step 4 - Design the system
Having identified what type of system can help, the final step is to design that system so that it works for you.
You will need to decide who will design the system and what the main steps might be. What forms and documents will be needed to operate the system? Will any employee training be needed to get the system up and running effectively?
Published 7 July 2026
These could be described as fundamental challenges. These challenges generally don’t go away on their own and can erode the business if not addressed. How, then, can a fundamental challenge in your business be solved? Let us take you through a method that we have found to be effective.
Step 1 - Identify the real problem
Since you want to avoid treating a symptom rather than the cause, it is worth spending time working out what the real problem is. For example, high staff turnover might seem like a case of not being able to recruit the right people, but the root cause might be unclear role expectations or a poor working environment.
Ask 'why' repeatedly until you get to the root of the problem. A useful way to approach this is to write down the problem in one clear sentence, then challenge each assumption in that sentence.
Step 2 - Define what the problem means to the business
Once you have identified the root problem, the next step is to work out how it's affecting the business. For instance, you could consider:
- What results are you not getting in the business because of this problem? For example, if sales performance is inconsistent and targets are being missed, this is stalling the growth of your business.
- What is the financial effect of not dealing with the problem? That could include the difference to your bottom line and whether some of the business’s borrowing is unnecessary or the cost of lost opportunities.
- How is the problem distracting the business from its long-term objectives? Perhaps there is no time to do meaningful strategic work because too much time is lost on firefighting.
This step helps you to quantify the effect the problem is having on your business. Sometimes it can reveal that a problem has less of an effect than you thought. It may be more productive to put effort in elsewhere. On the other hand, once you are clear how much a problem is holding your business back, you gain the motivation to sort it out.
This step also provides you with clarity. A vague problem stays unsolved, whereas when a problem and its impact are clearly defined, it can be tackled more easily.
Step 3 - Identify the system needed to solve the problem
Most fundamental business problems exist because a reliable system is absent. So, give some thought to what type of system, if introduced, would make it difficult for the problem to continue happening. For example:
- A people system involving set hiring criteria, an induction process and regular appraisals of staff turnover.
- A sales system with pipeline management, scripts or set processes and accountability for inconsistent revenue.
- A financial system including cash flow forecasting, debtor management and payment terms for cash flow problems.
Step 4 - Design the system
Having identified what type of system can help, the final step is to design that system so that it works for you.
You will need to decide who will design the system and what the main steps might be. What forms and documents will be needed to operate the system? Will any employee training be needed to get the system up and running effectively?
Published 7 July 2026
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