Contributed post –
When you run your own small business, you are always being pulled in several different directions. There are likely to be several balls in the air all at once and it is down to you to keep everything going. Key to this is your own efficiency and leadership and today we want to share with you a few tips and suggestions around this, in 3 ways to run your small business more effectively.
Create the right environment
The first thing that you will want to think about is creating the right environment.
In order to be at your best every day, you need to be comfortable in your workplace. If you are working from home, have you set aside a dedicated workspace? If not, we would recommend that you do so as soon as possible. It can really help to shift your mindset into work mode and it allows you to leave everything as it is at the end of the day ready for you to pick up when you are next working.
Try to work in a space that is filled with natural light and is clean and tidy. You should be able to put your hand on anything that you need within seconds, without needing to hunt it down as this will help you to be more productive and less frustrated.
It then helps to have all of the right equipment available for you and your team to carry out their jobs. Whilst we recognize that this might sometimes be an outlay for you, investing in the best equipment can help you to improve your service to customers and speed up processes for your team.
Lead and motivate your team
If you have a team of people working for you, you need to lead them effectively.
Your team needs effective training, ongoing coaching and clear direction from you. They need to understand all that is expected of them and they will rely on you to let them know when they have delivered this. You should be confident to delegate to them where appropriate.
You should aim to keep everyone in the loop with your business goals and your progress towards them. Help people to see the important part that they play within your team.
Make it a habit to look for things to thank and praise your employees for every day, as people will appreciate the recognition and thanks. A motivated team is usually a productive team.
Get help from the experts
You might sometimes find yourself wrangling for hours, even weeks, with something that is outside of your normal area of expertise. In these cases, it can often be more cost effective and efficient to get help from the experts.
For example, you might not be the strongest with tech and websites, and if this is the case, look to hire a professional to build your website for you and then look into managed IT services. You might want to use a dental marketing agency if this is your field and they can then offer specialized insights and experience.
Outsourcing elements of your business in this way can significantly free up your time, along with delivering a higher standard of work as you have the experts working for you.
