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How to Increase Productivity at Your Business
Productivity is a major cornerstone of any successful business. However, figuring out how to improve productivity in your office may seem difficult when you’re not even sure where to get started. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and tricks of the trade that can help you make your processes more efficient, employees more motivated, and your entire business run like a well-oiled engine.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, start with these tips that will help you increase productivity.
Eliminate Efficiencies with Software
When you hear the word software, it’s likely that the first thing that comes to mind is dollar signs. However, it’s important to consider software as an investment in the growth of your business. And, with most business management software offering tiered subscription services, it’s more affordable and accessible than ever before, even if your business is just starting out.
Software is a blanket term for programs that are designed to help users execute specific tasks. For a business, these tasks could include client relationship management, bookkeeping, project management, and more.
As you can see, software can serve many purposes, and eliminate many efficiencies within your business—especially because it can automate so many of the small tasks and subtasks that employees are responsible for every day. With all that time spared, you and your team can focus on the aspects of your business that will help you grow.
If you are in a niche industry, like accounting, you may feel that you need something tailored to the work that you do. Fortunately, there is likely a special solution for your type of business. Here are a few popular examples:
- ProSeries software for tax preparers
- Kareo for doctors
- MINDBODY for yoga instructors
- Clio for lawyers
- Mangomint for salons and spas
Set Goals That Are Realistic & Measurable
While you likely have many goals in mind when it comes to your business, it can be almost impossible to achieve them if they’re disorganized, too broad, or worse unrealistic. In order to increase productivity and actually make headway on your goals, we recommend taking a more strategic approach to goal-setting. When goals are set with the right methodology supporting them, they are more likely to be motivating, rewarding, and achievable.
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goal-setting is a tried and true method that many businesses have used to focus their efforts. Here’s a basic breakdown of how the SMART goal-setting method can be used when you’re setting your benchmarks:
- Specific: Define the who, what, where, when, and why of the goal.
- Measurable: Set specific criteria for tracking the progress of the goal. This is something that will help you determine when the goal has been reached.
- Achievable: Goals should be challenging but not impossible. You need to consider whether you have the resources of reaching the goal before you set it. If you don’t, can you make improvements in order to prepare for the task at hand?
- Realistic: Consider the likelihood of reaching the goal. If you set a goal that is far out of your scope, it could leave you and your team discouraged and have the opposite of the intended effect.
- Timely: Every goal you set should have a deadline.
One of the most popular ways in which SMART goal-setting is used by businesses is for sales goals. For example, the sales team will strive to close 20 new deals for a specific service between the 1st and 30th of the month.
Focus on Employee Satisfaction
As you know, employees drive your business. And, if they’re feeling underappreciated or unmotivated, it can have a significant impact on your productivity. If you’re receiving a lot of complaints from employees, have noticed a downswing in office morale, or have seen a sudden decrease in productivity, it’s likely time to shift some of your focus to employee satisfaction.
Every business has their own challenges when it comes to employee satisfaction, but there are some core principles that you can use to tackle your issues with employee motivation and productivity. When considering how you can improve employee satisfaction at your company, consider these factors:
- Working conditions
- Work-life balance
- Positive reinforcement
- Benefits package
By first looking at these factors, you’ll likely be able to eliminate the most widespread causes of disengagement. Investing in your employee’s happiness means investing in the well-being and productivity of your business.
These three tips for increasing productivity should set your business on the right path. Take the time to closely evaluate the aspects of your processes and business structure that are impacting your productivity. There you will find the keys to taking your productivity to the next level.
