Raven Austin, Negosentro | If you’re the type of person that feels you have to put the hours in to earn the big bucks, then you may be surprised to learn that working harder usually just means working smarter. You can work all day every day, but if you’re not concentrating on key areas, and instead, spending time on the parts of your business that are not earning a profit, then you’re simply not working smart. Here then is a list of top tips that will help you to streamline your business and get the maximum profit and reduce wasted effort.
How much are you worth?
Your time is what the business pays you for, but is it paying you to carry out the most worthwhile duties? Are you spending too much time on emailing clients when you’re better at making deals with suppliers? Are you managing the social media accounts when there is someone far more qualified to do so? The key aim is to work out exactly what your strengths are, and what special skills you bring to the company. With this in mind, the most important strategy is delegation. Hiring an assistant may seem like an extravagant expense, but can you afford not to? By delegating certain areas of work, you are then free to do more of what you’re good at and what you bring to the company. If you’re best at serving customers face to face, then concentrate on that rather than booking appointments and keeping your diary up to date. Your bank balance will thank you, and you’ll feel more work satisfaction if you’re not wasting work hours on those time-consuming tasks.
Relax
There is no need to spend every waking hour in the office. In fact, studies have shown that the employees who spend the most time at work are often the least productive. It’s a simple fact that our brains need time to relax, and overwork can reduce creativity and affect problem-solving. By overworking, you are damaging your business, and also your potential to earn. It can also cause a serious burnout, and that would have a far more damaging effect on your business than taking a few extra hours to yourself instead of chaining yourself to the desk.
Put the phone down
Answering customer queries by phone can be an interruption to your earning day, and with more and more people communicating in other ways, phone calls can often be an unnecessary distraction. The good news is that you don’t need to hire a receptionist or another assistant. You can instead delegate all incoming phone calls to a call centre. It’s easy to find Answering Service Companies, it just takes a little research and knowing exactly what services you’re looking for. There’s no point wasting your valuable time processing orders or taking telephone appointments when you would be better off doing what you do best.
Automate where you can
Automation is a fast moving element of the workplace that is going to have more and more influence as the technology improves. You may believe that because you don’t have a warehouse full of boxes that need packing and posting, you won’t be affected by automation. The image of robots in factories building cars or filling Amazon orders is prolific, but those are not the only areas where automation can save you time and money. Social media posts, email replies and appointment-making, are all areas where automation could seriously reduce wasted time. Whether it’s an automated check-in system or a full-blown robot warehouse, automation is rapidly changing employment. For those that embrace it, the potential benefits are being realized already. Automation can also help you to regulate and control those passive income streams that earn you money without needing any push.
Look after your staff
You may be paying them to be there, but if you look after your workers, then you’re more likely to get work out of them. It may sound like a no-brainer, but a recent study by a UK University has found that if a worker is happy with their pay and their position, then they are likely to be more productive. This can lead to up to a 12% increase in productivity. Investing in the well-being and security of your staff members could well mean the difference between success and failure for your company. It’s not all about money either. Talk to your staff and find out what would improve their working day. For some, it may mean an adjustment on their working hours, for others it could be a selection of food in the canteen. Often it’s the smaller changes that mean the most, and nowhere is that truer than at work.
It doesn’t take long before you realize that although you can always make more money, you can never make more time. It is vital that you don’t get to the end of your working day and realize that you wasted effort on areas of the workload that would have been better delegated to someone else. Focusing on your strengths, and on the strengths of your staff will see your bottom line improve. It all boils down to efficiency, and you need to ensure that your working environment is as efficient as possible. You need to take charge of your office space and make sure that someone who takes two hours to make a business strategy is given that task over the member of staff who takes four hours to produce the same amount of work. It’s about identifying the strengths and weaknesses of those around you and adapting your working day to the tools you are presented with. It can be achieved by discussion, staff feedback and getting to know those that work around you. Remember always that some of those bigger tasks are more easily managed if they are broken down into segments that can be spread out among your available staff, ensuring that the members of your team get the roles that they excel at. It is guaranteed to make your profits higher and your stress less.
