Your small business is running smoothly, but you feel things could be better. From time-consuming internal communications to low employee engagement, many factors can compromise your business growth.
Here is how to keep your SMB more efficient.
1. Automate Business Processes and Workflows
Business process automation is the use of technology to streamline workflows. It increases efficiency in the workplace and helps businesses achieve the objectives they have set.
By using automated tools, you can boost employee productivity, meet deadlines, and reduce operating costs.
BPA provides companies with multiple benefits, including:
- Automating processes
- Centralizing information
- Boosting transparency
- Enabling company-wide information sharing
You can streamline almost any task, from sales to financial reporting. That depends on your business goals. Create a detailed business process map and analyze the efficiency of your operations.
For example, you can automate customer service to reduce manual tasks.
CRM software integrates with your different marketing, sales, and customer support tools. It automatically collects and centralizes customer data.
AI chatbots can take care of repetitive support inquiries and offer 24/7 availability.
If you are not sure where to start, consult a 24 hour office supply vendor. Many IT management companies can perform a detailed audit of your IT needs and help you streamline your workflow almost effortlessly.
2. Use Project Management Tools
Back-and-forth emails can be massive time wasters. According to research studies, 28% of work time is spent on email.
Email communications may also affect information transparency. Getting overwhelmed with irrelevant emails, employees may often miss out on information that is crucial to them.
Fortunately, there are many efficient ways to boost people and task management. One of them is investing in project management tools, such as Trello, Asana, or Basecamp.
These solutions are designed for teams. The goal is to centralize projects, tasks, and work progress under a single tool. Employees can create new projects, assign tasks, set deadlines, and add people. They choose which projects they will join and prevent information overload. Most importantly, they will communicate more efficiently, stay on top of tasks and deadlines, and track progress.
3. Set Clear Company Goals
Setting clear goals is one of the most significant steps to make. Namely, to meet your demands and expectations, your employees need to understand company goals and priorities.
The goals you set need to be SMART, or:
- Specific: Make sure your objectives are not vague. Always define a strict end goal.
- Measurable: Keep your goals quantifiable. Know what you exactly want to accomplish and choose metrics and KPIs to measure performance.
- Achievable: Make sure your goals are realistic. Build a roadmap for your employees on how to achieve the goal.
- Relevant: Ensure the goal connects with your overall values and objectives.
- Time-bound: Always set deadlines for goals. Apart from ensuring faster task completion, deadlines are also crucial for measuring the performance of your tactics.
4. Create Regular Employee Performance Reports
To keep your team engaged, you need to deliver regular employee performance reports. Do not limit yourself to semi-annual or quarterly reports. You can measure employee progress weekly or monthly, too.
When onboarding new employees, always explain how frequently you send performance reports and exemplify how they benefit your organization.
When creating performance reports, you can focus on various areas, such as communication, attendance, punctuality, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication. Keep metrics and goals that are relevant to your teams.
Most importantly, keep reviews honest. There is always be room for improvement, so do not hesitate to bring it up. Provide clear insights and examples on things an employee has done well, as well as those they need to improve.
5. Ask for Employee Feedback
Always promote open and honest communication. For starters, keep collecting employee feedback to keep your finger on their pulse.
For example, schedule regular one-on-one meetups with each staff member. Offer weekly performance reports and talk about employees’ challenges, distractions, and problems in the workplace.
You can also create anonymous employee engagement surveys to measure how satisfied and motivated your employees are in the workplace.
You can also track employee communications on your digital channels, such as project management software, IM tools, or emails. That is how you will measure their sentiment and take actionable steps to improve their experiences.
Conclusions
By improving business efficiency, you will maximize employee satisfaction, reduce costs, and meet deadlines faster.
Sure, that is not the ultimate list of tactics for boosting business efficiency. However, it can serve as your strong starting point.
