Business operations refer to the processes, activities and tasks that a company must undertake to run and maintain its business. These can include, but are not limited to, activities such as manufacturing or delivering a product or service, maintaining inventory, hiring and training employees, processing orders and payments, and managing relationships with customers, suppliers and partners. Business operations also involve the management of the technology, equipment and facilities that are needed to support these processes. Additionally, they also includes the management of financial, legal, compliance and HR related matters as well. Overall, business operations involve all the day-to-day activities that are necessary to run a business and keep it running smoothly.
Day-to-day activities are the regular tasks and processes that are necessary to keep a business running smoothly on a daily basis. These activities include things such as managing customer interactions, processing orders and payments, maintaining inventory, and overseeing the performance of employees. They are usually repetitive and routine in nature, and are often managed by the front-line employees or operational teams.
Long-term activities, on the other hand, refer to the strategic initiatives and plans that are designed to help a business grow and achieve its long-term goals. These activities include things such as developing new products or services, expanding into new markets, and improving organizational efficiency. They usually require more planning and decision-making, and often involve the management and leadership teams.
To put it simply, day-to-day activities are focused on maintaining the current state of the business and keeping it running efficiently, whereas long-term activities are focused on improving the business and helping it reach its future objectives.
Day-to-day tasks are typically overseen by front-line managers or team leaders. These managers are responsible for overseeing the work of employees, ensuring that tasks are completed on time and to a high standard, and making sure that resources such as materials and equipment are available when needed. They often work closely with other departments such as operations, sales, and customer service to make sure that the business runs smoothly. Depending on the size and type of business, those activities can be overseen by a specific department or teams within the organization such as operations, customer service, or administration.
It’s also worth noting that an individual business owner might also oversee their day-to-day activities themselves when the business is small. But as the business grow, it will become harder to manage everything by oneself, at this stage, hiring front-line managers will be a must.
Long-term activities are typically overseen by top-level management or senior leaders in an organization. This includes individuals such as the CEO, President, Vice President or the Board of Directors. They are responsible for creating and implementing the overall strategy of the company, which usually involves focusing on growth and progress over the long-term. They are the ones who are responsible for creating the vision, mission and values of the organization, that will drive the long-term activities. They also set the goals and objectives of the company, and often work closely with other departments such as finance, marketing, and operations to ensure that the business is moving in the right direction.
In larger organizations, departments such as strategic planning, business development, or corporate development could also be in charge of overseeing long-term activities, and providing the necessary support for top-level management to make strategic decisions.
A start-up does not necessarily need to have a president, vice president, or a board of directors, as the structure of a startup can vary greatly.
In a small startup, the founder(s) usually play multiple roles such as CEO and President, and they are responsible for making most of the major decisions and are typically the face of the company. A startup can also opt to have a small executive team that oversees the day to day operations and make most of the decisions.
A board of directors is not typically present in early-stage startups, but as the business grows, it might be necessary to create one to help guide the company’s strategy and provide oversight for the business.
Ultimately, the structure and organization of a startup is based on the size, industry, goals and the specific needs of the business. It is up to the founders and the team to decide on the right organizational structure for their startup, and as the business grow and evolves, they can adjust the structure and decision-making roles accordingly.