How Efficient is Your Business?
- Amy Gilpin
- Apr 25, 2018
- 3 min read
Well that wasn’t the weather I wanted to wake up to this morning. It’s grey, foggy and raining. I find it hard to stay motivated on days like today.
But, I’m a small business owner and that means I need to be motivated. There’s work to do!
I’m also here to try and motivate you, too. If you work outside, today is the kind of day you could be focusing on the internal operations of your business. Get caught up on the paperwork that’s piling up on your desk, return the emails and phone calls that you missed yesterday. Read my blog!
AG Small Business Services operates indoors, but on days like today, when it’s quiet and I don’t want to be outside anyway, I do a review. I look at things that take up too much of my time, or that fall behind when I’m busy doing my job. Today, that means writing reports and returning phone calls.
But this morning my mind is stuck on ways to make my business more efficient. I’m big on processes and procedures, as well as things that can be done differently to reduce time, costs, and effort. Things like:
Access to information: Do we have access to the information we need to perform our jobs, regardless of where we are? How can I make sure that this access is available?
Our company works with Sync. It’s a cloud-based storage platform that we can access from any location that provides internet access. All our documents, forms, and operating procedures are located on this platform to ensure that things are done in the most efficient way possible.
Easy Collaboration: Can I communicate with my clients and staff regardless of where they are located? How can I make sure that the people I need to work with have access to the project we are working on in real-time?
Our company uses Conceptboard. It is also a cloud-based platform that provides a space for multiple users to work together in real-time on projects. Clients can access boards that relate to their project, while employees can access all projects they are working on.
Communication: How can I make sure that I can communicate with clients and staff easily, regardless of where we are located?
We make effective use of communication. In our line of work, internet access and cell phones are an essential part of day-to-day business. We communicate with each other, as well as with our clients on a regular basis. We take advantage of VoiP (Voice over internet Protocol) technology, cell service, email and cloud-based technology whenever we can. We access various online platforms that we use to conduct business, as well.
Travel time: How can I provide services for clients without a lot of travel time? How can I reduce travel time for staff?
Our staff work from their home locations and on occasion, from a client site. Any time spent travelling reduces operational efficiency. Our company makes use of Internet based communication technology such as Video Calling, Collaboration sites, and cloud-based storage. This helps reduce travel time and cost for staff meetings and training sessions, and follow-up meetings with clients.
Review Performance Measures: How do I know that my efficiency is improving? What can I do to measure the results of what I’m doing?
AG Small Business Services is required, by nature of our services, to be as efficient and effective as possible. We measure our progress through metrics that are relevant to the type of business we run. They are a combination of industry-specific measures, general productivity measures, and financial metrics.
We then compare our results against industry data available for our sector. This includes other small businesses in general, specifically against service providers who offer similar services, and identify areas where we can continue to improve.
These results help us to see where we can eliminate waste and redundancy, we can identify areas that do not provide added value to our clients, and we can protect our bottom line.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: We do this on a regular basis because it’s not just a one-time deal. Things are constantly changing, new employees come on board, new clients come on board, new technology becomes available. We are constantly looking for ways to stay on the leading edge of efficient and productive service provision.
This applies to any business, regardless of industry or the nature of the work you do. Being efficient provides your customers with more value, it provides your company with a more efficient and effective operation and improves your financial situation by cutting or reducing costs.
Comments