Efficiency for Small Businesses

---

Due to undeniable facts of business life such as economies of scale, small businesses have to punch above their weight to stay ahead of the game. The best way to do this is by ensuring your small business is running at maximum efficiency.

Getting to optimal efficiency doesn’t have to be a head scratcher. If you’re looking to improve your small business in all ways possible, try these following tips:

Ensure your teams are collaborating and working together

Your employees should be clued in to your organization’s goals and strategies. Simply put, if your teams aren’t knowledgeable about your business processes, then you’re not using them efficiently. They should know these processes and be familiar with the project’s aims and the tools needed to reach them.

Ensuring your team is communicating is also key, and it’s never been easier for team members to talk despite being in separate locations due to accessible teleconference services. Free services like Google Chat and Skype make it possible to stay instantly connected and keep all employees on the same page.

Know where your customers are coming from

How are customers finding out about your business? Online, offline, both? This is key information to ensure your processes are aligned with how you are acquiring new customers, and getting that information is easy.

For web traffic, use web analytics to break out information on your online visitors and shoppers. For in-store customers, consider having an associate ask them how they found out about your business. These are simple and free ways to ensure you’re keeping track of where your business is originating so you better know how to market to that audience.

Are you wasting time? Find out

Some business processes are time wasters, but how do you know which ones? This is where online time tracking software comes into play. Once you have this data, you can easily see where the most employee time is being spent – and if that time is producing the results you need.

Employee happiness is important

Happy employees will like working, will work harder, and will be more efficient. So why do some companies not pay attention to the happiness of their staff? Your company isn’t just a bunch of people working together, but rather something more along the lines of a family. Things to do to improve employee happiness include making sure they are treated respectfully; ensuring that good work is recognized and explicitly acknowledged; and, finally, making sure your employees have the opportunity to more closely bond together through the use of outside-work activities, such as a softball team, that will also reduce at-work stress.