resource: https://220club.weebly.com/a-small-business-best-practices-guide-for-the-21st-century.html

"Best Practices" is a common term used in the Business Consulting Industry and in Corporations in General.

It refers to the Processes, Procedures, Systems and Characteristics that represent the optimal, most efficient and/or most profitable for a given businesses type.

They are based on observations and analysis made by experienced third parties involved in studying multiple options for a given business type or industry and identifying the commonalties found in those that seem to provide the best overall benefit.

An example of who might author them and how they might come about should help with understanding...

1. 1. Business Consultants typically specialize in a specific industry or type of business.

   2. Due to the nature of their business, they are in and out of many similar businesses around a given city, country or globally, and they are in and out of businesses that compete with each other.

   3. During their "consulting engagements" they natural get to see and compare "private business practices" in ways the companies themselves can't do.

   4. Naïve business owners believe consultants will keep private everything they see and do due to ethical obligations and non-disclosure agreements.

   5. Often times companies pay for consults to actually learn about "Best Practices" the consultants have gleamed from others in their industry.

For consultants, there is a very fine line between sharing best practices and sharing proprietary information related to the business operations of others.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for "consultants" to turn into overt or covert "start up business owners" with other entrepreneurs or venture capitalists using the information they gathered from everyone else hard work. Business Consultants, as a gross stereotype with exceptions, are one form of "Commercial Pirates" of our times.

If you are in a larger, niche market, hiring consultants is a catch 22. If you hire them with a clear goal in mind that matches their advertised skillset, you will most likely benefit. However, and without a doubt via your consultants, you are training your current competitors or future competitors at the same time.

In Small Business, learning Best Practices from those who are willing to share them is most similar to learning about Grandma's Secret Sauce Recipe. Please savor what we have to share and put it to good use.

Best Practices for Small Wellness Office

Best Practices for a Small Contracting Business

tbd...