If you have been in business for any length of time it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the world is rapidly changing all around us. Small businesses are reaching outward to find ways to improve and expand after the last decade of economical downturn. The following are some great simple ways to take your business to the next level:
Your people
The fastest and most effective way of seeing positive change in your company is by investing in your staff. Provide a dinner once a quarter to continue to cast vision and teach them the purpose of why you do what you do. Another great way of adding depth to your company is developing values within your company and instilling them into your people continually with every major transition and decision made. Teambuilding takes time and requires creativity, but in the long run builds your team into stronger, more loyal employees. Encourage your lead management to read team-building books together on their off time, spend lunches together, and encourage relationships to form. By doing this, it breeds trust and that is the building block throughout every great company.
Your methods
One of the greatest ways to improve your company is taking a step back to ask yourself the question, “why do we do it this way”? As a company evolves it begins to develop routines that sometimes eventually it outgrows. Take some time to analyze your systems to see if they could improve or be removed altogether. Include your lead team as a part of these decisions; you’d be surprised how many great ideas are captured from a great brainstorming meeting.
Your building
Every five years every business needs an update, whether it is new desks, chairs or displaying new signs up on the outside. Although not a physical attribute to a building, signs could be one of the most important parts of your building because it is the name badge of your company. A fresh coat of paint and updated flooring are inexpensive ways of giving your company a facelift and says to your customers that you have things together. When your office is dirty or unkept, it sends a statement to your clientele that you are lazy and don’t care. It also may be an outward image of what is happening in your business’s internal operations.
Your technology
Of all areas of business, this is the areas that has changed the fastest. Technology is easy to upgrade, but usually requires some substantial financial investment. Polishing your logo, creating or updating your website, and upgrading your computers or alarm system are all avenues to consider. There are inexpensive options like Vivint that are framed for residential, but could also be used for a small business venue. Vivint reviews have shown that these systems are convenient and easily accessible through a smart phone. Although it could be considered a personal investment, ensuring you have a quality form of communication for yourself as the owner is important. With the capabilities that smart phones provide, that alone could increase the productivity of your company because your communication system is more efficient.
Productive, long lasting companies are those that are willing to be adaptable and change according to the season they are in. There is great possibility that is available to us if we are willingly pursuing those dreams with creativity and adaptability.
Anna Hicks is an online writer who focuses her writing on personal finance, business, and sometimes career. Anna’s normal writing topics include finance applications in business or even things as simple as family finance. You can read more writing by Anna at her personal finance website, paidtwice.com
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