Truth be told; running small businesses require thick skin. Between hiring employees, managing client relations, arranging for production, keeping in touch with suppliers and filing taxes, a small business owner doesn't have enough time for himself. Everything that he or she is required to do is enough to make the sanest person mad. Thankfully, you can adopt some strategies to ease the pressure that comes with managing small enterprises.
Automate workflows and processes
Small businesses are often overwhelmed with repetitive tasks. Instead of doing these tasks manually, you can automate them to smooth the process. Many businesses owners dread automation because of its effect on employee jobs and the high initial cost. However, automating the repetitive operations such as production, distribution and sales will increase the efficiency of your firm. Advances in Robotic Process Automation (RPA), makes it easy to streamline tasks and optimize efficiency in your business. Another process that small businesses can automate with ease is digital marketing. You can use gated content to prompt email leads and drip emails to attain more visibility. The only manual step here is creating the content, while everything else is automated.
Encourage B.Y.O.D. in the workplace
Several small business owners ask, "Should I Encourage B.Y.O.D.?" The answer is yes, B.Y.O.D. has proven to be an effective strategy for improving efficiency in firms. Additionally, if your business is in the need of printing, you can always set up a printer with a guest printing service so that the devices that your employees bring can easily be connected. Considering that over 77% of the population has smartphones, you can be sure that most will bring their devices into the workplace.
A study by Microsoft back in 2012 showed that 67% of employees used their gadgets to work. Most employees are more productive when using their gadgets than when using those provided by the company. A study by Cisco concluded that employees save about 81 minutes a week when using their devices. When small business owners permit the workers to bring their gadgets, the company will have up-to-date technology, save money and increase employee satisfaction.
Support change
There is nothing that can kill employee morale and destroy small businesses like worker dissatisfaction. When an employee is frustrated, word will spread like a bushfire, and this is not good for your venture. When running a small business, you should be willing to accept change. As the manager, you represent the culture of the company. When employees come up with a recommendation to change a process, product or strategy, you should give it a thought. If you are not open to changes, you cannot expect your employees to embrace change either. Make an effort to accept the necessary changes.
Remember that static companies easily crumble when challenged by economic trends, changes in consumer demands and other companies. One major way for businesses to adapt to a changing workforce is by increasing flexibility and mobility in the job. Modern workers like to be able to work remotely, which is why businesses should take steps to make it possible for employees to work from home. An easy place to start is with your business phone system. Rather than use a basic, multi-line system, take your phone system to the cloud. Cloud-based phone systems are cost-effective and highly mobile. Take a critical look at your business, so you can find new ways to adapt, improve, and change.
Merge tasks and focus on the end game
Science has confirmed that people who focus on completing a job for a prolonged period are more productive than those who have multiple distractions along the way. A simple method for business owners to enhance their productivity is by combining tasks that follow similar processes. For instance, you can dedicate your afternoon to working on email correspondence. It includes client relation messages, follow-ups, sales emails and HR emails.
Working through all your emails at a go will save you time. Aside from streamlining your workflow, there are other ways to promote productivity in the workplace. Provide an onsite breakroom complete with snack options and refrigerator so employees can take breaks between prolonged tasks. While it may seem counter-intuitive, breaks actually tend to boost an employees productivity throughout the day.
Running a small business is challenging, but managers can employ a few strategies to make it easier. Many of these tips have proven to increase employee productivity and make it easier to run small businesses. For more tips on how to properly market, brand, or expand your company, checkout our other articles!