7 Ways To Take Your Business From Surviving To Thriving
I love being an entrepreneur. The game of starting a new project, learning, creating jobs, and being creative makes me happy. It’s even better when we can come up with ways to give back to the community as well. However, none of the good stuff can happen if the business is barely surviving. By focusing on streamlining businesses, I have learned how to regain precious time to expand and give back.
If you have ever run a small business, you know that it means more than focusing on the company's core mission. A lot of tasks are on the owner/founder’s list that may be surprising. There are bills to pay, vendors to manage, printers to "unjam," the occasional plumbing problem, and personnel issues too. My personal favorite is the random technical issue that opens an endless can of worms.
I’m often asked how to find freedom from the daily grind of day-to-day tasks.
Check out these eight tips to boost efficiency and streamline your workload, and start spending more time and energy in doing what you do best--building your business.
1. Automate as much as possible.
Email management platforms like Mail Chimp and Constant Contact can help you automate customer communication and marketing. I like both for different reasons. You can also use BambooHR and Zenefits to help you automate payroll and other HR functions. ADT has a very easy to use app too.
Did you know that there are also several accounting software platforms that provide access to artificial intelligence-powered tools that can help with pesky tasks like organizing receipts, tracking income, and alerting users when bills are due? Pick one that’s comfortable for you to use and get on it!
2. Online banking is your best friend.
You can deposit checks remotely, check balances, and transfer cash between accounts from your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Try it, learn it, and stop spending your lunch hour standing in line at the bank.
3. Keep your files where you can reach them.
Whether I’m working from home, at one of the offices, or remotely, I need to be able to access important files on all my devices, all the time. Investing in a cloud storage solution helps me to always have access to those critical files--plus the peace of mind of knowing that documents are backed up.
4. Optimize your communication skills.
Without question, email is a necessary part of business, it also can suck the productive hours out of your day. For effective communication with employees or business partners, consider using screen-sharing tools such as WebEx or Zoom. Each of these tools allows effective interaction without the time and hassle of traveling to meet in person. When managing a project with a variety of tasks spread across a team, Wrike is also fantastic. It helps with following up and gives great visibility on project development.
5. Outsourcing
This is a big one! I was tempted to put this at the top of the list but found that this level of automation can be a tough pill for some business owners. Now, hear me out - a lot of small business owners get caught up in doing everything, with the excuse that they can't afford to pay someone else. That’s bullshit. Here’s the way you fix it: outsource that work. When you can hire fractions of support staff virtually, then you can spend that saved time on making a real difference in your business. A great online firm like Upwork can hook you up with freelancers who can manage some administrative work, deal with your customer service, or even help with taking content writing off your plate. Imagine how much more you can do with your day when someone else is managing pesky tasks!
7. Keep an eye out for additional team members
As your business grows, you’ll need to hire more team members. Face it, recruiting can take up a ton of time and energy--from posting and promoting the job to screening, interviewing, checking references and onboarding your hires. It can take forever!
While I like companies such as ZipRecruiter for simplifying the process by posting your listing to tons of job boards and keeping both you and your potential candidates informed throughout the process. I prefer asking my social media network for referrals. This way, I’m getting recommendations of people who're already vetted and not exactly complete strangers. Sometimes, I’ll even reach out to a potential team member with an offer of, “We aren’t ready for you yet, but you’re awesome. Let’s keep in touch!”
8. Find a mentor
Nothing can replace the impact of learning from other business owner's experience. Consider joining a small business owners’ group simply for learning. A good mentor can help a business owner prioritize and gain clarity when there are a ton of competing priorities. In addition to a traditional mentor, look for a technical mentor--someone with specific expertise in finance, marketing, or social media.
Now you know what you need to do to break free of time-consuming, low-value tasks. Create the life you want by building freedom into your business and focus on the work that has the most value for your business.