When it comes to running any business, efficiency and productivity are both considered important factors for achieving success. However, when going through a phase of rapid growth or experiencing a difficult period, these factors often take a hit.
This week, guest writer Evelyn James takes us through empowering methods we can utilise to support ourselves to streamline your business post-lockdown.
How to help yourself and your business
During difficult times, it is natural to feel overwhelmed with your workload, stressed out and concerned about financial matters such as paying the bills. You may even feel like you spend more time trying to get everything done and struggling with unimportant tasks than moving forward with your business.
If this sounds at all familiar, you are not alone and there are steps you can take to help both yourself, and your business to get back on your feet.
Consider the 4 steps below to start streamlining your business.
1. Upgrade your team communication
Effective communication is essential for every business, especially during those times when you’re working on multiple projects or making significant changes to the way you operate.
Whether you’re discussing project details, working through business strategy, providing support to customers or even working on specific tasks, it is important to make sure communication is clear every step of the way. This helps to avoid confusion, optimise customer or client satisfaction and be as productive as possible.
When you can communicate with your team members effectively, you can also draw on their skills and experience to develop more effective strategies for running your business.
For this reason, it’s essential to have a reliable broadband connection for your business. This will allow you to stay connected with your employees easily, even if your business is operating remotely.
There are also many online project management and communication tools such as Trello, Asana and Monday.com that can also help you stay connected, no matter where you are.
2. Consider outsourcing
Outsourcing certain business tasks can be an effective way of reducing your costs and helping your business run more efficiently. According to a report by YouGov, this is common practice in the UK now, with around 70% of British businesses outsourcing to third parties in 2019 alone.
When you do outsource, it can free up more time for your existing team members to put their skills and talents to good use, particularly if they struggle with an ever-increasing pile of admin, marketing and other similar tasks. It can help them to focus more on key tasks and enable them to work to their full potential.
Because you’ll be hiring an experienced specialist, you’ll also save valuable time and money that you can invest back into your business to encourage further growth. Thanks to the wonders of technology and the huge increase in freelancing in the UK recently, this is easier and more affordable than ever before.
3. Create an efficient working schedule
For maximum productivity throughout the day, your could ask your staff to create a working calendar with time clearly allotted for each task.
This works brilliantly when you’re trying to deal with a large workload as it helps you to stay more focused and achieve more. This can alleviate having to juggle multiple tasks, it can help you prioritise, and perhaps most importantly of all, it can reduce stress significantly.
What this looks like for you depends on your unique business. For example, you might like to follow the advice of business guru, Tim Ferriss and check emails twice per day. Or perhaps you need to schedule two hours on Fridays to carry out marketing tasks.
If you’re making significant changes to your business, it’s also important to include time in your calendar to implement new changes, carry out additional training, hold any meetings and communicate with your team members - as well as encouraging yourself to take regular breaks.
For more tips on efficient working schedules, read our guide to making flexible schedules work for your team.
4. Set targets for your team
Setting clear, achievable targets for your team is an effective way to boost their motivation and ensure that you get more done in a shorter period of time. As life and business strategist Tony Robbins says, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”
If you create them in the right way, following the SMART goal principles, these targets can also get your team working together more effectively and improve their job satisfaction.
You might want to make both short-term and long-term goals, involving your employees every step of the way. This will help them feel more engaged with the process and provide them with encouragement to achieve them.
As well as setting overall targets for the entire team, encourage team members to become more proactive and set their own daily, weekly and monthly targets. This might be as simple as ticking items off a ‘to do’ list or setting more concrete goals such as making a certain number of sales in a specific time.
Small steps go a long way
Improving efficiency and streamlining your business can be quick and straightforward when you make the changes that count.
Start by focusing on improving communication as much as possible then turn your attention to outsourcing, creating working schedules and encourage your team to work towards regular goals. You won’t just be boosting your business when you do this. You’ll also have a happier team who gain more job satisfaction.
For more helpful guides, check out other articles on the Calmer blog for a wealth of resources covering managing email anxiety, stopping procrastination and personal and professionals tips for adapting to change.
Evelyn James is an emerging freelance writer for mental health, family dynamics and anything in between. Right now, as times are harder to navigate, she's been working to create content which will hopefully help others find their way and deal with the ever-changing world. When she isn't writing, she can be found either out in the garden or snuggled up with a book.