1. Clearly document workflows and processes
Few things waste more time than unclear and inefficient workflows. If your small business has internal subject matter experts who know parts of your business like the back of their hand, the first thing you should do after reading this is get them to document everything they know.
The goal is that everyone, through standard operating procedures documented in a shared resource, be able to access the information they need to understand how things work at your business. Without clear and documented processes, there’s going to be a lot of inefficiency in the form of duplicate work and time wasted hunting down information.
Once you have processes written down, you can evaluate them to figure out where you can eliminate unnecessary steps and other inefficiencies in order to create the most streamlined operating procedures possible.
2. Automate as many tasks as possible
From incoming leads to payroll, there’s software for almost anything these days—so take advantage of it! Of course, there are certain kinds of work that require a human touch. But when it comes to menial tasks like responding to email queries and contact form submissions or backing up files, let computer software get it done for you.
That way, your employees can focus their time on doing all of the things that computers can’t, like connecting with your customers over the phone, thinking through a new sales strategy, or planning your next company event.
3. Mentor your managers
In small businesses, people often get promoted because they know a lot about the work or are really good at what they do. While it’s certainly critical to have managers who understand the work they're managing, it’s equally (if not more) important to have managers who know how to manage people.
Managing people means understanding the unique motivations and drivers of the individual human beings on your team. It means finding ways to help them develop and grow professionally. Managers also have to know how to deal with the interpersonal conflicts that will inevitably bubble up at work.
Without good management, the talent you work so hard to recruit, train, and retain will start looking at the door. So mentor your managers. Help them develop the soft people skills that good managers need. Good managers mean happy employees and happy employees can mean a 13% increase in productivity.
5. Encourage taking breaks
Being productive doesn’t just mean hammering through as much work as possible during a work day. Productivity also has a quality element to it. If you get a bunch of work done but a portion of that work has to be redone because it wasn’t executed well enough in the first place, productivity suffers.
Breaks are an integral part of getting good work done. Encourage your employees to take breaks throughout the day and lead by example. Take time away from your desk to eat healthy food. Go for a walk in the middle of the day. Stepping away and coming back later with fresh eyes can mean that you get more done in less time compared to what you can accomplish when you try to power through.
6. Offer effective health benefits
There’s just no way around it—when your employees get sick, your business’s productivity suffers. The best thing you can do as a small business owner is offer effective health benefits to help your employees avoid illness and the time off that comes with it.
But even getting the healthcare employees need can eat into productivity when it means scheduling doctor visits during clinic hours, which are probably the same as your business’s hours. That’s why Galileo offers 24/7 digital healthcare, regardless of location. Gone are the days of needing to see a doctor in person between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Your employees can get the medical care they need, whether they’re sick at home or need medical advice in between shifts.
Get in touch today to learn more about how Galileo can help your small business boost productivity.