New Year’s resolutions are thick in everyone’s minds this time of year. Many of us aim to change bad habits, make goals for the coming year, even shed a few pounds. Now you can do all three and prepare your business for a successful new year!
Drop those bad office habits No matter what industry you’re in, bad habits can sneak up on you and impact your business. Things like procrastination, inadequate knowledge, and skipping steps at work may drive your business into the ground. Turn these bad habits into profitable solutions with good planning and accountability.
Pounce on procrastination Let’s face it, all of us want to be productive, but many of us can’t even get to the end of our inbox. Take time to prioritize your goals and develop a plan for your company and workweek, scheduling time for important tasks like client calls and meetings, billing, and e-mail responses. Doing so will allow you to keep everything in full view throughout the week. This visibility also gives you the ability to divide tasks into more manageable chunks and delegate critical pieces as needed.
Educate yourself! Use the tools you have to the fullest extent. Tools like Outlook or your customer management system can help you to keep track of tasks, appointments, and coordinate with others. If you need help, most vendors offer training opportunities online to help you get the most out of your software. Office.Microsoft.com, for example, teaches you about Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Learning simple time saving tips like how to categorize your e-mail in Outlook or add fancy formulas in Excel will help you work more effectively this year. If you have any questions or would like assistance installing new software, give us a call.
Praise productivity in your workplace Set goals for your company and give workers incentive to accomplish them. Start off with an informational meeting to share your company goals with everyone, assign duties, and strategize for the future. Then monitor your progress together so every teammate is included in the scope of work and nobody misses a step.
Incentives, incentives, incentives! It is easier to become passionate about work when a reward is in site. I know it sounds a bit elementary, but start an incentive program for employees to work for a prize. It may be just the motivator your office needs to push sales over the top. Things like a new monitor, gift cards or even something simple like a free lunch Friday, can build community among workers and increase productivity ten fold.
Shed a few pounds at the office No, I’m not going to harp on you about your morning mocha or donut Friday, your weight isn’t the problem. We are talking about slimming down on the amount of equipment you use every day in the office. What if you could consolidate some of your daily tasks with one simple machine or software program. Simplifying processes in your office can be a great way to decrease operating expenses and increase productivity. Get rid of that old dinosaur fax machine, printer and scanner. Dive into an all-in-one that can get the job done faster and cheaper.
Think outside the box! Are you still harboring a huge server in the back room? When power goes out, are you down for the count? Then it’s time to consider a new solution. I know cloud computing seems futuristic, but it can truly be a game changer for all businesses big and small. Putting your company software and information on a virtual hosted server gives you the reliability, scalability, and security you need wrapped in one cost-effective package.
Ready to make a change? Give us a call. We will work with you to monitor your network, order necessary equipment or slim down your office with a virtualization plan.
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