Photo linked from this sourceWhen you start up a business, it completely consumes you. Chances are you spend every free moment working on it, and every night dreaming about it. It takes hard work and dedication to get things off the ground in today’s competitive market- that’s a given. But it doesn’t have to always be this way, and eventually, the aim for most entrepreneurs is for their business to essentially ‘run itself.’ This is a great stage to get to since you’re turning a healthy profit and can simply oversee tasks instead of battling through a huge pile of work yourself every evening. A good work/ life balance is also good for your health, and once you’re off the ground, everything should be a lot less stressful. But how do you get to this stage? What are the secrets to becoming a relaxed business owner? Read on to find out more.
Great Employees
First and foremost, you need the right people for the job when it comes to your business. These are the many hands that make light work. They will be performing the individual jobs what all work together so that your business runs like a finely tuned machine. Finding the right staff is crucial, the last thing you want is to be wasting time, money and resources on constantly replacing and retraining new staff, advertising jobs and everything else. But how do you find the right people? The trick is to create a working environment that people enjoy and where they feel valued, and give job security and benefits to both attract and keep good employees. Offering medical and dental care, for example, could be things to consider. If the job requires it, you could offer a company car, smartphone, tablet or laptop. You could put together regular fun team building activities so that staff get to know each other, trust each other and work well together. Another important thing to remember is being a good boss will improve employee satisfaction. Listen to what your workers have to say, follow up any complaint and be open to any advice they have. They’re the one performing the jobs not you, maybe they can suggest things that make everything more efficient that you have overlooked. If you are approachable the kind of boss staff feel as though they can speak to, it builds trust and means you will find out about problems early on.
A Well Thought Out Office
Another way to increase employee satisfaction, as well as impress customers and clients is by working from a good office. If yours is outdated and dingy, it might be time for a change. A modern space that feels clean, light and spacious is always going to be the most pleasant. The right lighting will prevent eye strain and can even boost mood. Consider investing in good quality, ergonomically designed furniture. This will reduce back, neck and wrist strain and will also look visually pleasing. Proper storage solutions will keep everything neat and tidy and allows you to efficiently store all of your paper documents. While most things are done online these days, there are always going to be some paper documents in the office, so it’s important to keep them tidy and easy to access. Another thing to consider in your office is the actual layout. It should be well thought out so that it’s easy for everyone to move around and perform the various tasks they need to do in the office. For example, you’d have one area for quieter tasks such as phone calls or liaising with customers and clients. You’d have a general working area, and preferably a social area too if your office is large enough. If your staff have a place to sit and socialize on breaks, it means they don’t have to leave the premises every day. It could be something as simple as a few comfy chairs and a coffee machine, but it makes all the difference. Remember that this is the place where your employees will be spending most of their time, so it’s highly beneficial for them especially.
Good Quality Equipment
If you’re still in the stone ages with your equipment then it’s time to make a change. It’s a lot of money upfront to replace these things, but jobs will be quicker and easier, and you’ll minimize breakdowns and waiting around for slow and unreliable technology. Your staff needs good quality smartphones, computers, and company cars depending on their job. It means less messing around, less paying for repairs and allows everything to run much more smoothly. Your staff can get on with their job with less stress, which of course will equate to less stress for you as the boss too.
Third Party Services and Outsourcing
Outsourcing work can be a good option for some businesses, and can save you hassle as a business owner. Instead of hiring factories or equipment, or recruiting additional team members- some services can be managed by a third party. Managed service, for example, can include everything from storage to security to help desk services. Many companies will even give you the option to customize your own package meaning you get the exact services you need for your business. By outsourcing a firm, you are employing professionals whose job it is to keep on top of these functions. It can make things a lot easier for you, as a big chunk of the difficult jobs are all taken care of.
An Understanding of Social Media
Understanding and using social media well can be the difference between success and failure in business. And since it’s completely free (and has been shown to be twice as effective at getting sales than outbound marketing) why wouldn’t you be on board? When customers talk about and recommend your products on social media, you get free advertising for absolutely none of the work. Real reviews and social shares are incredibly valuable- when others can see reviews from satisfied customers, it can give them the push they need to make an order too. It gets the word out about your company without the expense of paying for advertising with Google or anywhere else. Social media shouldn’t be thought of as an added extra and is instead something that needs to be an integral part of the marketing approach of your company. On top of this, a good social following makes you look reliable and provides customers with another way to contact and interact with you. Using it right will build your relationship with customers and gives them another easy way to get in contact. Get a social media expert on board in your team, or again outsource this service to a company which specializing in social media outreach.
Effective Business Software and Automation
As well as having fast machines, you need to have the right software on them. Proper business software means that all tasks are performed far more quickly and efficiently. Way more than any person could do manually. Not only does this have the benefit of saving you time, but it also means that you don’t have to employ additional people. So you save on costs too. Basically, the right computer software will do all of the hard work for you! Online backup software for example protects the information on your network by encrypting the data and sending it to secure cloud servers. That way if anything happens to your computers (fire, flood, robbery, etc.), your information is safe. Another is business presentation software– this allows your sales staff to create an excellent pitch and hook in customers. Legal software is useful for when you need legal advice or documents, as it saves you the expense of having to consult a solicitor each time. While you can’t entirely replace the need for a qualified lawyer in certain situations, it can still give you valuable assistance with certain aspects of your business, For example, you can create contracts and legal forms, negotiate changes that require legally binding documents and sign using e-signatures.
Live chat is another software to consider for your business, it’s becoming more and more widespread on sites online and for a good reason. It’s an excellent feature for business, as it allows you to speak to customers in real time and address any issues they may have. It can help to free up your phone lines, and gain you more sales in the long. This is because customers who would never ordinarily pick up the phone have a way to get their questions answered, plus it makes you look more trustworthy and legitimate. Your business software is something not to overlook. Have the right people on board is essential but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. To keep everything running efficiently and create a great business, you also need to consider each of the above points.
What are your tips on running a business efficiently, with as little stress and hassle as possible?
