It is inevitable that small businesses face many challenges from starting up and onwards as they grow. One challenge that is often encountered is improving productivity in the workplace.
There are studies to prove that there is a strong relationship between improved productivity and an increase in profit for a business, so finding ways to maximise work efficiency and therefore driving growth is worth exploring. In this article, we share five key steps that are worth taking to help your small business to improve productivity levels.
1. Ensure Staff Are Happy And Motivated
A stressful workplace will likely not yield results. Employees that constantly operate under highly stressful conditions are found to be less productive and have higher levels of disengagement and absenteeism.
Showing employees how much the company appreciates, respects and values them on a personal level is gratifying – and often overlooked. This means that knowing how to motivate your staff is key. Small and medium businesses face the challenge of constant growth with often limited resources which can put a strain on teams, as employees are often expected to perform multiple roles.
With this in mind, practising positive reinforcement is highly important to keeping staff motivated, engaged and ultimately productive:
Encourage, motivate and reward - Tell employees they are doing a good job and give constructive criticism. When you motivate your employees to work harder and receive rewards in return, they’re more likely to prioritise increased productivity.
Free up their time – Giving employees room to breathe is crucial in keeping your team motivated and less stressed.
Recognise great work early and often - Don’t wait for annual reviews, consistently support team members and recognise their successes and strengths and you’ll have a happy, high-performing team.
Identify and remove obstacles - Great leadership is often about removing obstacles so that your staff can accomplish the tasks that they need to. Regularly ask questions, such as ‘what is stopping you getting to the next stage of this project?’ or ‘Do you need some support on this to move forwards?’.
2. Utilise Task Management Software
In order to boost business productivity and promote collaboration, using a company task management software day-to-day is recommended. Productivity apps, programmes or platforms not only organise your workflows but also empower your employees by making them more efficient and to collaborate with ease.
While there may not be enough hours in the day, the right apps for business productivity can free up crucial time in your own and your employees’ week, so you can manage your time better and focus on the task at hand.
Tools like Asana and Google Docs are great options because you can comment on any document or task in real-time and utilise their mobile apps to further increase productivity.
High-quality, modern programs and equipment make a massive difference not only to the workforce, but also to how your company is perceived. Therefore, it is advisable that you utilise readily available technology to manage your team.
3. Delegate
‘Delegation’ can often be seen as an unfriendly word when it comes to working efficiently as a team, but it doesn’t have to be.
Increased responsibility is important for improving the morale and job satisfaction of your staff. Give responsibilities to employees that you feel will fit a task and work hard. You then have to trust that they will perform the task well.
If you allow employees the chance to gain skills and leadership experience, it will benefit your company and provide your employees with a sense of achievement and direction in their own careers.
4. Reduce Distractions
Reducing distractions in a workplace is tricky; phones, friends and online shopping can steal an employee’s focus away from working, and if overdone, can become productivity killers.
However, it isn’t practical to ban any of these things. Instead, try to keep employees focused and engaged while allowing them regular breaks during which they can use their time as they please. This should help to ensure that the time spent at their desk is more productive.
5. Have A Plan
Having short-term and long-term goals as a small business is vital. Therefore, having a comprehensive business plan covering anything important to your business’ needs is a commendable step towards a more efficient, goal-centric workforce.
If you are interested in creating a business plan, we can help. Do not hesitate to contact us via the form on the right or by calling us on 01604 420 420.