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When running your own business, there are so many different things that you should be thinking about, that it can be hard to know what is best for your business. Especially if this is your first business and it hasn’t been established for long, you’re going to want all of the help that you can get. In this article, there are going to be some of the things that you probably haven’t thought about, that you should be doing to improve your business.
1. Location
Is your business in the right location for its needs? Think about how your daily life at the office works, and how your employees (if any) would benefit from relocation. You may realize that more space would do the workplace the world of good, and how not being cramped will increase work
If this is something you’re not sure about, make a list of the pros and cons of moving premises. It’s likely that you will miss out on a few days of business during the move. Could you afford to miss out on those days?
“It’s time to put location at the top of your to-do list. If you’re preparing to open a food or retail business with a storefront, putting your business in the proper location might be the single most important thing you do at startup. Of course you need a winning product, too, but how will anyone know about that product unless you get them through the door?” – Entrepreneur.com
You would also need to conduct a health and safety inspection of the new location, which may take time and money to arrange. Unfortunately, you can’t relocate until this step is done.
One bonus of moving your business space is that you can reinvent the design of your company. You could also add new offers for your clients and even though it’s not a re-opening, you could treat the opening of your new premises as just that. If you choose a location that’s more convenient for potential clients to get to, it’s likely that you will see sales and interest in what you’ve got to offer increase. Definitely worth considering.
2. Training
One thing that everybody needs to improve their skill set is training. If it’s been a long while since you or your employees have taken any training in your sector of work, then you should be considering this. Not only will it improve you and your staff’s skill set, but having up-to-date skills will improve revenue because the service that you will be able to offer will be better than anything else around.
Of course, one thing you do need to consider is the fact that you and your staff are going to have to take some time away from work to do this training. If you’re able to cover shifts and keep the business going while you all train up, then fantastic. But, the reality is that you will have to close up for a day or two.
Travel and expenses to your training destination will have to be paid too, but think about it this way, having that extra training will eventually pay for itself.
3. Consider Legal Help
If you’re new to running a business, then getting employment law advice solicitors to assist and advise you with your business and clients is something you should definitely be considering. This is because you want to make sure that you’re doing everything by the book. If you are found to be working unfairly, or your staff to be doing so then you could land yourself in a lot of trouble. Stay above the books, and even offer your clients or customers the chance to check it themselves through your website (if you have one) or in-store.
Making sure that you and your staff are taking the correct holidays, on at least the minimum wage, and having a safe working environment is important for the workplace. It will also be an attractive quality for potential new employees.
4. Staff Morale
Treating your staff with the respect that you expect them to give you is key to improving your business. It’s a well-known fact that happy staff performs better than people who are unhappy in their workplace. There is always something that people don’t like when it comes to their jobs, some sort of task that is tedious and frustrating, so why not roll your sleeves up and show them that you’re willing to do the dirty work too? Spread it out so that it doesn’t just fall upon one person to do all of the tedious tasks.
Treating your staff to corporate custom awards once you have hit targets is a fantastic way of showing them that you appreciate all of the hard work they put in for you. This could be with a minor pay rise, a staff event, or something for the workplace like a coffee machine.
Being an empathetic boss is another way of keeping your staff happy. Although you shouldn’t bring troubles from home into work, we all have issues that need to be dealt with at some point. If a member of staff has an ill child or member of the family, be empathetic and allow them to sort things out without feeling like they may lose their job. Of course, though, be careful not to be walked all over.
Allowing your staff regular breaks will increase their morale too. There’s nothing worse than knowing you’ve got hours upon hours of work before getting a break. Be sure to abide by the rules though.
You may also conduct wellness workshops to support your employees’ well-being both physically and mentally.
5. Taking Time For Yourself
Even though your business is important to you, working every hour under the sun will not do you or the business any favors. Taking time off is important to ensure that you can clear your head to increase
The best way of doing this is by taking a vacation. Getting yourself far away from the situation will help distract you from what you’ve been thinking about.
If you take these five things on board, you will soon see a massive improvement in your business. You have the potential to be earning more profits than you are now, to make your staff happier and ensure that you’re doing things above board. Good luck with your enterprise!
Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.
