Managing a business is never easy, but you may be making life more difficult. For example, if you’re still using pen-and-paper methods for tracking inventory, hiring staff, or tracking hours. Fortunately, life as a business manager can get easier, you just need to know about the following five steps.
Specific Goal Setting
Plenty of daily tasks need completing when you manage a business, but it’s essential not to let that deter you from achieving business growth. To help stay on track, it’s important to set clear and concise goals. The best way to do this is by using the SMART goal system, which means your goals should be:
- Specific. The narrow goal for better planning.
- Measurable. What evidence will you use for evaluation?
- Achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure with enormous goals.
- Realistic. Align goals with long-term business plans.
- Timely. Have a precise time frame.
A great example would be “To implement scheduling automation by the end of the quarter”. This goal is clear, actionable, and measurable.
Welcome Technology
Today’s world relies on technology, and your business needs to remain updated to survive. This means going further than using computers. For example, if you own a restaurant, you can use digital signage to showcase menus, which will let customers find answers for themselves.
Use Automation
Gone are the days when lengthy spreadsheet inputs are the only way to carry out business processes. Everything from payroll to answering initial customer queries can be achieved using automation. For example, instead of manually tracking employee movements, you can use employee time tracking tools, which will automatically sync with your payroll system. In addition, a high-quality employee scheduling tool will save time and allow you to quickly cost rotas.
Speak Through Marketing
Customers use your products and services because they’ve placed trust in your business, which is likely a product of effective branding. The target for any marketing effort is to portray a consistent brand image to existing and potential customers. Every piece of content you put out needs to echo your brand’s values and follow the narrative of your business.
Having your employees on the same page will help with your marketing efforts, so write you’re your company values and send them out. Whenever a customer makes contact, they need to leave feeling valued, which can’t be achieved if your employees aren’t on-side.
Delegate Tasks
This may go without saying, but business management involves managing employees efficiently. All of those daily tasks we mentioned earlier, which guzzle time that could be spent on improving the business, can be delegated to your team. The art of delegation is remembering why you hired the right talent in the first place – you need to have trust. This means setting tasks clearly and checking in at the end of play, avoiding micromanagement at all costs.
Business management can be highly rewarding, but you need to put the effort in to constantly improve your methods. if you follow the advice outlined above, you’re on the right track to keeping ahead of the grain and succeeding as a manager.
