The business environment is very competitive nowadays. To keep up with this competition, your business should run as efficiently as possible. Efficiency is even more important for small businesses because they run on limited resources when compared to established companies. Here are ways in which your business can become more efficient.
Give Employees Unrestricted and Secure Access to Information
Small businesses have an advantage over larger companies because they can make changes quickly without creating any negative impact on their operations. However, small businesses can lose this advantage if their networks are frequently down, slow and unsecured. An accessible and secure network supported by intelligent routers and switches allows your employees to retrieve the information and tools they require to compete fairly with other businesses.
Hold Daily Meetings
Meet with your employees for at least 10 minutes daily. This could be either in the morning before the operations begin or in the evening after work. Use the meeting to discuss issues and share information that can keep everyone in the loop. This may include a roundup of key performance indicators, acknowledging achievements and identifying potential areas for improvement. Make sure the meeting is short to limit time wastage.
Break Large Projects Into Smaller Parts
A big project that requires extensive resources and time can be overwhelming for the employees. They will most likely get exhausted and do the task with less enthusiasm. A good approach to making them more effective and productive is to break the project into smaller parts. Assign each staff a particular sub-project and give them deadlines. Develop a master file that shows the progress you are making on the bigger project.
Automate Whenever Possible
Automation enables employees to perform tasks identically, resulting in high quality and reliable results. It also reduces the time it takes to complete a specific task. This allows you to get many things done at the same amount of time, increasing productivity in the process. Automate all your business processes if possible. If you have large inventories, use a virtual bookkeeper to keep track of the number of items you have in your company. Automate the pay stubs or the receipts you receive from vendors. If done right, automation can greatly improve the efficiency of your business.
Cultivate a Culture of Open Communication
Your employees should communicate openly with each other. They should be in a position to face each other physically and share ideas and concerns. They should also feel comfortable sharing their concerns with you and giving feedback on the issues affecting the company.
Get Technology Updates
Look around the office and determine whether the equipment you currently have can enable the team to work efficiently. If not, consider making improvements. Get rid of those old monitors that take minutes to perform tasks. Buy the latest equipment and software that can help you gain an edge over your competitors.
Streamline Your Marketing Efforts
Social media is quickly becoming one of the major online marketing tools. Utilizing such platforms to market your business is very important. Make sure your social media accounts are up to the standards. Constantly update new content on your pages and engage your followers regularly. A few hours spread out throughout the week is enough to keep the accounts running for an average company.
Improve Customer Communication
A business that delivers fast and has knowledgeable employees always keeps customers satisfied throughout. This is only achievable if you come up with effective mechanisms that can streamline the way you communicate with your customers. A good approach to enhancing customer communication is through linking your network’s phone system to a customer relationship management solution. Doing this allows your team to receive notifications whenever a customer calls. The notification usually has the customer’s records, which appear on a desktop screen.
An efficient business works faster and accurately. This leads to increased sales volumes, customer satisfaction rates and improved employee morale. The items discussed above will help you come up with a strategy that will make your business more efficient in a competitive market.
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Hi Carol,
I’m happy to inform you that this post is included in the recent part of TimeCamp’s weekly Productivity Articles roundup!
Thank you for sharing these wonderful startup productivity tips.
Please find this recent episode here: https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2017/06/productivity-articles-18617/.
Aleksandra Rybacka, SM Manager at TimeCamp