What are the four periods of the business life cycle? Find out the problem according to the time and introduce the solution.

The idea of "the introduction period, the growth period, the mature period, the recession period", which can reduce the time of postponing the project and the waste of funds.

In order to continue and develop the cause, it is very important to see clearly the overall cycle of the cause and decide the strategies and tactics suitable for the period on the basis of an objective point of view. The key at this time is the four periods of the business life cycle. This time, we asked Shiga, the business support representative of NPO legal person CS, about the problems and solutions in the four periods of the enterprise life cycle.

志賀里世※この記事を書いている「創業手帳」ではさらに充実した情報を分厚い「創業手帳・印刷版」でも解説しています。無料でもらえるので取り寄せしてみてください。

The catalogue of this article

Summary (summary)

What is the business lifecycle?

Like the product life cycle, the business life cycle has four periods: "introduction period", "growth period", "maturity period" and "recession period".

Whether it is products (products or services) or business, responding to social and market changes is the key to business development and continuity. It is common to cancel products and services that are no longer needed. This means that the product is a way to achieve the purpose of the business and is part of the business.

一方で、事業は「経営の目的を達成するための活動」にフォーカスするため、プロダクトを含む事業全体の現状を客観的に見極め、方向性を再確認しながら道筋を決めていく必要があります。その際、役に立つのが事業ライフサイクルの4つの時期に基づく視点であり、事業の命綱とも言えるでしょう。

Product life cycle refers to the process from the launch of products and services to the disappearance of demand.

Time problem and solution

The four periods of the business life cycle will face different challenges.

According to the topic of the period, "which period is now", "background of the project" and "solution" become easy to see, and the waste of time and funds to postpone the project without seeing the destination will be greatly reduced.

When it was established, it was the introduction period equivalent to the "start-up period". When it comes to the challenges facing this period, it is to obtain customers and expand the market.

Even if a careful plan is made for the development of products and services, there are many situations that are not as acceptable as expected, and unpredictable situations can occur.

Based on those experiences...

Through repeated analysis, it is a critical period for the establishment of products and services as a pillar of the business.

製品やサービスの市場分析と合わせて、小さなこともデータとして蓄積しながらPDCAを活用するという基本を徹底することが導入期の何よりの課題解決方法と言えます。

Strategies and tactics have different meanings.

After the uneasy and confused introduction period, the visit is the "growth period".

Products and services are widely accepted and the market is expanding. There are many ways to expand the market, but it is the flowering period that is proportional to the busy feeling.

The challenges that arise during the growth period are people and things, as well as the lack of objectivity.

With the smooth development of sales, "people, things, gold" money will not become a problem, but so far the place, so far the personnel, smooth operation will become difficult.

However, in this way, it is OK to increase the number of people, as long as it is transferred to a wide area, and you will regret it if you act easily.

なぜなら、成長期は忙しいという目前の状況に追われてしまい、基本のPDCAを怠っているケースが少なくないからです。

Once again, it is based on PDCA data.

It is very important to think about how to develop our career in the future.

Make an objective analysis of the whole cause, make clear what kind of talent is the recruitment goal, the number of people needed, etc., and it is also easy to judge whether a wide range of places are really needed.

It is precisely because it is a smooth period, so it is necessary to see clearly the funds really needed, control waste, improve the internal retention rate, and prepare for the next step.

After the end of the busy growth period, the business will further enter a stable mature period. Maturity is a period when you feel a little more comfortable about all kinds of things.

Since the start of the business has been adhering to the rapid growth of products and other products, talent is also gathered together, the degree of organization may increase. It is a subject of personnel system and talent training to become prominent at such a time.

Although both solutions will change with the times, it is difficult to use ordinary methods because they are closely related to people's feelings.

また、就業規則・給与規定の見直しと並行しながら業務改革を進める必要があるため、課題解決までに時間がかかります。

The important thing here is that...

などを確認・改善することです。現在の経営状況だけを見て、表面上の体裁だけを整えてしまうと、いずれは収支のバランスが崩れる可能性があります。

If you have multiple products, you need to consider the profitability of each product and how to ensure sales.

In addition, although the career is stable in the mature period, it is easy to be frustrated everywhere, and one of the main reasons is dissatisfaction with the personnel system.

If you feel the dissatisfaction of the employees and let it go at the same time, it will lead to the decline of the service, and the career may become a little worse.

Before falling into such a situation, it is necessary to take decisive business reforms, but dissatisfaction with the personnel system is only superficial.

And so on, there are many cases based on dissatisfaction that is difficult to express in words.

To solve the fundamental dissatisfaction of the employees, both sides of the dissatisfaction on the surface.

And other countermeasures are effective, whether these can be realized or not is also the crossroads of future change.

As an "excellent opportunity to train the next generation of talents", actively grasping the topic of maturity is the key to the success of the reform.

During a recession, unless there are great social changes (Lehman pandemics, etc.), it will be characterized by gradual decline.

As a result, the understanding of the decline of the career is slow, and there are not a few cases in which the words "closure" and "closure" are imminent.

Another feature is the reason why the product or service is not acceptable.

And so on, the number of speeches blamed on someone is on the increase.

If you fall into such a state, even if you know that you can't start a career if you know to do nothing, it's hard to think about a solution.

なぜなら、防衛本能によって、現状を変えること・新しい何かに挑戦することへの不安感が強くなっているからです。

The solution to the recession is to use up the phrase "change consciousness", but this is more difficult than anything else.

One more thing is more difficult than anything else. That is to see whether a career in a recession is needed or not.

The equivalent of a recession is a long-lasting career, compared with the start-up, the evolution of technology, social changes are very great, and the market for products and services itself may be a recession.

そのため、新たな市場を創っていく導入期でもありながら、一方で衰退していく市場の整理をする時期になります。

衰退期に絡む諸問題を解決するためには、多くの時間・労力・費用がかかり、スクラップ＆ビルドで業務改革する必要があるのです。

The solution to this situation is to use PDCA to properly deal with "what needs to be done during growth and maturity." For example.

It is important to repeat basic countermeasures in a down-to-earth manner.

Summary (summary)

As long as the necessary documents are put together, the business itself can be easily completed, but it is definitely not easy to keep the business going. Have you ever experienced any troubles, especially when you start a business, you will continue to be uneasy and entangled?

On the other hand, small efforts accumulate one step at a time, and the joy of surpassing their results will be a valuable asset that money cannot buy. In order to capture that precious asset, I think the perspective of the career life cycle may also be useful. Please make reference to the development of your career and the goal of continuing.

創業手帳の冊子版では、創業期の資金調達方法や起業家・専門家へのインタビューなど、起業家やこれから起業される方に役立つ情報を掲載しています。無料で配送しておりますので、経営ガイドブックとしてご活用ください。関連記事【保存版】株式会社設立の「全手順」と流れを創業手帳の創業者・大久保が詳しく解説！会社設立は自分で行える？（執筆：NPO法人CSビジネスサポート 代表 経営企画、経営コンサルタント/志賀里世）（編集： 創業手帳編集部）このカテゴリでみんなが読んでいる記事 1位会社設立【最新版】合同会社設立の教科書｜設立の流れや費用、メリット・デメリットを徹底解説 2位会社設立【保存版】はじめてのNPO法人設立｜メリット、設立費用、期間、条件は？ 3位会社設立【保存版】株式会社設立の「全手順」と流れを創業手帳の創業者・大久保が詳しく解説！