Efficiency – Working More with Less in Current Business Environments

Strategy Plan One

July 24, 2012

Efficiency to Survive in the Current Economic Environment

Tough economic times require tough business decisions.  In cases of self-employment, when times are difficult, the onus rests on the business owner to implement contingencies.  When reductions occur in smaller businesses, everyone, including the owner, get busier.  In extreme cases to survive, businesses may reduce operations down to the owner handling all tasks, from management to operations to administration… just to survive.

In order to find efficient methods in operations, businesses insert in tech tools.  However, being connected by mobile devices adds a new dynamic to vacationing business owners, as it has now become part of the norm on vacation.  Business owners are glancing at their emails while sitting on a beach, partaking in a tourism outing, or trying to spend leisure time with family.

In this infographic from Manta, some key trends are emerging in small business and mobile device use, from an external Manta Wellness survey that was conducted in June 2012.

• 58% of business owners say they are working more than the previous year
• 70% of those surveyed do not plan to hire any additional staff this summer
• 71% of business owners express working and responding to emails while on vacation
• 60% of entrepreneurs state they enjoy vacations more due to their mobile devices (huh?)
• 68% of respondents say they use mobile devices while using their computers
• 54% state that they use mobile devices at work to check email (business or personal) and,
• 24% of business owners use their mobile devices every day

Source: Manta

Business issues – A few points were clear from this survey:

• Businesses are still facing challenges in this economy - Ensure you plan well in advance.  Business planning should be conducted frequently to help in mitigating around the surprises this economic environment may bring.
• Business are making adjustments and finding efficiencies – develop operational and human resource plans focused on finding effective, efficient methods with reduced labor and resources.
• Work-life balance issues at the business owner level doesn’t appear well – we all know these are tough economic times, but strong work-life balance at all levels will keep employers and employees happy and healthy.  Ensure work-life balance exists for healthy minds, bodies and relationships.
• Effective tools are needed to handle complex volumes of work – Ensure you invest in capabilities to make work easily for you as the business owner and employees.  If mobile devices work well in operations, make it readily available to staff.  Devices like these could be the productivity improvement to handle more work more efficiently.

More business blogs of interest:

• Business Issues Faced in the Summer Months

• Hiring – Strategies and Tips for Strong Staffing Processes

• Positive Work-Life Balance in Your Business Organization
• Strategies to Handle Difficult Employees in Your Business
• High Performance – Star Qualities to Get You Noticed
• Pay Per Click – Advertising Statistics and Trends [infographic]
• Business Plan – The Next Steps
• Business Intelligence – Keeping you Wired In
• SEO Guide to Higher Conversions with a Few Steps [infographic]
• EService, Social Media and Customer Service Trends [infographic]

Strategy Plan One

http://strategyplanone.com

Business information, resources and tips for the entrepreneur

© 2012 Strategy Plan One

Productivity – 6 Small Steps For a More Productive Day

Strategy Plan One

June 25, 2012 

Productivity Improvements

Business owners and staff all around encounter busy agendas daily, with most wanting to achieve more productive days.  However, in the complex business world with volumes of work to do, many struggle with getting things done.  It is sometimes common at the end of the day for some to state and ask, “Wow, what a brutal day…Did I get anything done?”

Entrepreneurs, staff, specialists and others feel buried under mountains of tasks and may feel during periods that nothing gets done.

But through a simple few tweaks, the work force, and you as an entrepreneur, can improve and show marked, increased productivity.

1.  Productive Days – Getting Organized

Individuals and businesses can get through the mountains with careful planning and organization.  Part of getting organized in the volumes of tasks is documenting it out, listing tasks, jobs and projects and to prioritize them.  Many tasks and essential duties fall through the cracks when businesses and individuals are not organized.  To keep focused, a list of prioritized action items can be developed and tracked to be more organized.

2.  Project Management Tools to Improve Productivity 

In developing lists, prioritizing and tracking action items, project management tools, such as Microsoft Project can assist.  These tools make it easier to develop a timeline from first tasks to completion of projects, step by step, milestone by milestone.  In using tools such as Project, a manager can establish tasks, attach time frames and track persons responsible.  With delegating tasks down to operational specialists, you lighten the load for others that are overwhelmed.

3.  Productivity Improvements Through Automation

How much manual labor or duties is your team performing that take up significant amounts of time?  Can any of these duties be automated?  Although you need to be careful around adding a personal touch to communications through email, you may find through evaluation that some of your email broadcasts to client bases or internal staff can be automated.  An example is establishing frequent reminders utilizing tools within email platforms.

In other productivity improvement examples, payment and shipping processes can be automated easily with such platforms as Paypal and others.  In most business operational cases, there may not be a justifiable need for a full-time payment processing clerk.  E-payments could lessen the work load of administrative staff by implementing e-payment systems.   In another valuable example of automation, the Kiva Robot system is revolutionizing the way warehouses work, as automated robots can run around the clock, helping pick orders and move goods.

4.  Behavior and your leadership actions

As an entrepreneur, the way you act and provide leadership can have a dramatic effect on staff.  Leading and managing in a genuine manner, with strength and passion can have an immediate impact on staff productivity.  Leaders that can motivate staff, illustrating the vision and use of positive tones can lead to positive impacts on the floor and higher productivity.

5.  Partnering

Productivity can be improved by bringing on a synergistic partner to the business. Partnership building can lead to the sharing of projects and duties, but also sharing of the risks and benefits.  You may find that partners and or contracting out will lead to higher productivity and resolution of complex projects in a more timely manner.

6.  Recharging and Health to be Productive

For most, it is not humanly possible to plug through mountains of tasks hour after hour.  Long hours of complicated, tenuous or repetitive tasks can lead to overload of mistakes and burnout.  People’s performance will improve if the body and brain are given a chance to break and recharge.  Ensure you and staff take appropriate breaks frequently as scheduled.  Certain Labor laws and regulations were put into place for a reason … bodies can’t handle longer hours, with very little breaks.  Even though there are laws and regulations regarding this, show adaptability as a leader and allow better working conditions with flexible work-life balance programs.

The health of employees and your own health should be main priorities.  Without healthy individuals, there would be no employees on the floor and no business.  Take the time to promote healthy living, from good rest to eating right to great exercise.  A healthy work force will be a more productive workforce, with less medical issues.  Integrate your programs around healthy living .. you obviously care about your employees.

With a few changes in your organization and the way your lead as a responsible entrepreneur, can lead to higher productivity all around.  Start with practices and actions that will lead to higher productivity with yourself, and then lead by example.  You will note that in small steps productivity will improve across your business.

Relevant blogs and articles:

• Strategies to Improve Performance in your Personal Life and Business
• Communication Strategies, Policies and Processes to Control Messages
• EService, Social Media and Customer Service Trends [infographic]
• Positive Words – Business Communications in a Positive Way

Productivity:

• Productivity Articles
• Simple Productivity – Essentials
• Economic Studies – Productivity & Performance

Strategy Plan One

http://strategyplanone.com

Business information, resources and tips for the entrepreneur

© 2012 Strategy Plan One