A project, by definition, is temporary, with a defined beginning and end and specific goals and objectives. This, in business, is in contrast to operations, which are ongoing rather than temporary and therefore have no defined end. While there are similarities in how you would need to manage a project and an operational activity, it is really the differences that are important to understand. And although many entrepreneurs have had some general management training, very few have been trained in project management.

When you stop and look at the way most small businesses run you will see that a lot of the work that gets done in that business is actually a project. A company that installs carpeting runs a separate project for each installation job it completes. Each one has a defined beginning and end, and has the objective of installing the proper carpet at the agreed upon price. The scheduling of resources for each job, on the other hand, would be considered operational.

While a this carpet installation company probably has no problems managing each of these installation projects, that is only because of their experience in that particular activity. The same company, faced with a less familiar project like creating a web site for their business would be somewhat at a loss. Because most businesses have these types of unfamiliar projects fairly regularly, they could benefit by using some of the tools of the project manager.

That is not to say that these business owners need to learn to use things like MS Project. Although that software might prove helpful, it would probably be overkill in most cases. However, a project schedule, which would often be the result of entering project tasks into MS Project, would be a useful tool to use. By creating a project schedule, the owner can understand if things are going according to the plan. Also, a written statement of the project's objectives could be particularly useful, especially if the work is being contracted out to someone else, because it will help ensure that everyone understands what the project should accomplish.

Along with understanding and using the tools of project management, it would also be helpful to understand the stages of a project. Without going into the formal stages, a project starts out as an idea of something that needs to be done. It is then planned out and executed. During this time it is important to watch and ensure that everything is going according to plan. Once completed, there are often steps that need to be taken to close a project, such as closing the contract.

While projects get completed in businesses every day without any understanding of the tools or the stages of the project, many of them would run much more smoothly if the person managing them had some knowledge of them. Of course, the more complex a project is, the more it would benefit from this knowledge, but even the simple everyday projects could benefit somewhat.