Published by Leonardo Calcagno
You’ve heard it a million and one times before, but time is truly the greatest resource at any SME’s disposal. Therefore, it’s imperative that you use it effectively. Otherwise, you will struggle to stay productive or impress your clients. In turn, this will see you fall behind the competition.
The prospect of improving time efficiency may seem quite daunting, especially if you feel that the company is already doing a good job. However, here are five of the best tips that should enable you to do more.
Invest In Employee Communication
If time is your greatest resource, employees are your greatest asset. They should be at the forefront of your thinking. After all, saving each person just 10% of their time will make it feel like the workforce has grown by this amount. For an SME with limited staff, this can be the difference between success and failure.
Tools like Sling: Free Employee Scheduling And Shift Planning Made Easy are ideal. This saves time on admin, which helps HR teams as well as the employees themselves. Meanwhile, using team messaging apps and other tech-based comms can work wonders. Aside from avoiding delays, they help all employees stay on the same page.
If your SME currently spends a lot of time on business journeys, this is another point that needs attention. Whether it’s work-from-home schemes or using video conferencing, any step that helps the team spend more time working will help.
Invest In Customer Interactions Too
Going the extra mile for employees will boost productivity. However, it counts for very little if you don’t keep customers happy. The harsh reality, though, is that client interactions are often very time-consuming. For SMEs, this can pose a distraction that delays progress. While you can’t ignore clients, you can streamline the communication process.
Services like Click 4 Assistance: AI-Powered Chatbot Software can help. It allows customers to self-serve themselves when seeking information or troubleshooting issues. The majority of consumers now prefer this approach. You can still have a smaller team of human advisors on hand for when the client can’t find what they are looking for.
FAQ pages, forums, returns policy web pages, and social media are all great tools too. Explainer videos are another popular choice. If you can serve multiple people rather than one at a time, the impact will be huge.
Keep Business Equipment In Good Health
While people might be the heartbeat of the operation, they do rely heavily on modern tech tools. Unfortunately, if the equipment doesn’t perform as expected, it will limit your team’s productivity. Moreover, the frustration caused by working with inadequate tools will often see employee morale fall.
Many businesses persist with outdated office computers, and it costs them a fortune in the long run. Switching to virtual desktops and using cloud-based computing won’t just get things back up to speed. It’ll keep you in a positive situation. When combined with the right software for your needs, productivity will soar.
Another top tip is to schedule maintenance on manufacturing equipment. Tracking performances will show when this is needed and save you from unscheduled downtime.
Embrace Data-Driven Decisions
Data plays an increasingly important role in modern business. Not least because we can now capture more datasets than ever before. When utilized well, it can either trigger automated responses from AI tools or help employees make quick decisions. As well as aiding speed, it means that choices are calculated.
Knowing How To Attract More Customers To Your Online Business is vital. Still, the methods used only tell some of the story. Data analysis can help you spot demographic trends as well as individual behaviors. In turn, this can open the door to upselling opportunities. Or it will highlight which campaigns are worth persisting with.
Ideas like A/B testing can take this to an even greater level. Data-driven decisions can also extend to daily strategies. Spending less time doubting yourself will have a big impact.
Maintain A Positive Atmosphere
On the face of it, the workplace atmosphere may not seem that big of a deal. In reality, it could be the most effective way to ensure that your company uses time more efficiently. For starters, you will enjoy reduced staff turnover rates. So, you’ll save time and money by not having to replace personnel.
Moreover, it is shown that happy workers are 13% more productive. A welcoming workplace with comfortable seating will set the tone. Ideas like investing in staff wellness with hydration and screen breaks will boost alertness. Crucially, you must make a commitment to health and safety. It will avoid distractions and the fallout of an accident.
Combined with team building and regular staff training, this will lead to long-term benefits. Productivity and profitability will improve as a direct result. Perfect.
Main pic : Source – Pixabay CC0 License