As a consultant, I have walked into many small companies on that first day and wondered what the next few weeks would be like. Every company is different and just about every job has had a different set of requirements and objectives. But, when I push aside the differences, I see some common threads. About small businesses, especially the 25 men and women or less type, I’ve found that we have to often get back to fundamentals to move forward.

So, I thought I’d share the top 10 things that I’d ask any small business to think about and answer.

• What do you make/do? OK, no snickering around – this can be serious stuff. It’s usually pretty difficult for small companies to particularly define and clearly state what they do/sell. You should be in a position to clearly define your solutions and/or services within a couple of sentences.
• What are