You know your business requires constant improvement. But improvement means change, and not everyone deals with change in the same way.

At least once a day we hear a potential customer say they have too much going on to make the improvements they know they need to make. They talk about the challenges of operating a successful business and, at the same time, doing what’s needed to keep growing.

This is where a clear set of guiding principles can make a difference. It is, by far, the best way to constantly improve in today’s competitive business environment.

For example, at Doorcounts, a few of our guiding principles are:

1) What you measure will improve

2) There is a limit to the number of relations a salesperson can maintain

3) Deliver a 10x ROI for every 1% increase to conversion

4) 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes

These 4 principles inform our team’s daily decisions and guide the changes we need to make.

For instance, our company was literally founded on Principle 1. The principle “What you measure will improve” has resulted in 8 years of innovation around the simple idea that seeing your foot traffic is the best way to improve your conversion rate.

Principle 2 reminds us that connecting salespeople to customers is essential, and a salesperson can only effectively maintain so many contacts. This principle is based on Dunbar’s number that suggests there is a cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships.

Principle 3 is how we determine our pricing. Our research reveals the range of conversion our customers are experiencing, and we strive to deliver a 10x ROI for every 1% increase you make to your conversion rate.

Principle 4 is better known as the Pareto principle or 80/20 rule. This is what guides our research process. We begin by aggregating key metrics and focusing in on the top 20% to determine and share best practices.

These are just a few examples of how a clear set of guiding principles can inform how your team can work within the changes that need to happen.

So before you focus on the improvements you need to make, create the principles that guide the change. Change powered by a clear set of guiding principles is the fuel you need to constantly improve every part of your organization and skyrocket your company’s growth.