You remember that saying right? Top it Up! Normally when we are filling our cars with gas at a full service gas station we tell the attendant to “Top it Up”. They know exactly what we mean. Explaining ourselves is not necessary. Three words and our expectations are clear. How can we take this clarity and apply to our business, or our personal lives. In today’s article we are going to break it down for you. Each word will be defined in a new way so you can apply it in your life.
TOP
First let us look at the word “top”. Sure we can go to a dictionary and find the official definition but today we are going to provide you with a new definition. One that is flexible and applicable. Normally we think of top being, well the highest point of something, someplace. In our business, this is also true. We are at the top of our game.
Our business is at the top of the google rankings. But is it? What if you looked at it from the perspective of the “T” meaning time, the “O” meaning Opportunity and “P” meaning possibility. Ask your self, are you using your time effectively, efficiently? Or can you find ways to improve the use of your time? How about opportunities? Are you taking advantage of all the opportunities to expand your business? To reach your clients? Again, are you leveraging all the possibilities for you to reach your goals? That is a lot it take into consideration.
Are you really at the top, or do you have room to move up even more?
IT
The second word we want to delve into is the word “IT”. When we think of grammar and our elementary school education. How many of you remember your English teachers asking you when they were proof reading your stories: “What does it refer to?” ugh, I do. The same goes in our business. If you asked yourself to Top it Up, what would “it” refer? In my introduction the word it referred to gas. I am at a gas station so the attendant knows by default to top up my fuel to full.
In business it could be I need to top up my marketing. Meaning filling my client base or filling my supply chain so I have enough product to sell in my store. In each area of your business, apply the phrase and insert the different areas such as human resources, marketing, business development, client services in for the word “it” and see how the question differs and how too does your answer. You may find there is no topping up your human resource but you have a lot of room to fill up in your client services or business development.
UP
Finally, we will look at the word “up” in our analysis. In the example, up referred to the meaning of bringing the level of full from where it was to the absolute top. How would you define up in your business? In the most common sense of the definitions it may refer to bringing the level up from where it is currently. When you do the exercise of inserting your business elements into the phrase replacing the word it, the definition of up is impacted. For customer services up now refers to the quality of services your clients and customers are receiving. Products, it can refer to the number on hand, the variety of products or the quality of your products improved. For business development the definition can mean increasing the amount of time you are spending on developing your business.
Referring back to our example. This phrase “Top it Up” can truly help you analyze your business in all areas pretty easily and effectively. Taking time every year to review how you are fueling your business and learning if there are any areas that need to be topped up is a critical and important step to growing your business. It is a great practice to start if you haven’t already started an annual review. Good luck! Remember, I am here to support you when you need help figuring out how to top up your business!
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