Small Daily Improvements Create More Efficient Operations

Have you ever met a small-business owner who was committed to making his or her company as efficient as possible — constantly tweaking, refining and seeking new opportunities for process improvement? Well, there’s actually a word for that. It’s the Japanese term "kaizen," and it represents a business philosophy that’s oriented toward continuous improvement and personal efficiency. Maybe you’ve never heard of kaizen before, but rest assured that it’s a big deal: It’s the guiding corporate philosophy at Toyota and has extended into businesses of all sizes, all around the world. Kaizen is all about making your business a little better, a little more