Process Practices That Work For Small Business

Small businesses have their own set of challenges and advantages. We at Amazing Digital Life can say, “we have experienced both”. Small businesses also have different resource limitations which creates a challenge to implement processes that work for a small business. However, it is not impossible. You just need to know where to look for solutions.

So, we would like to share some great tips on processes for small businesses that will help you thrive, even in the face of your own unique challenges and limitations.

Focus On The Most Important Process First

Do not try to implement every process you have ever read for your business all at once. It is easy to get excited about all the different process ideas out there. But that excitement should be tempered with a little logic and reason. Start with the most important processes for your business and implement those before adding on new things. Focus on the crucial things first. This will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of time and energy.

Make Sure You Have The Right Tools For The Job

Most small businesses that are just getting started do not have the resources to purchase fancy software or hire an HR specialist. However, that does not mean you cannot implement processes that work for your business.

Here are some ways to get the right tools for the job:

• Find free or cheap solutions that match your needs. There are many free or low-cost tools out there that can help you take your business to the next level. You just have to know where to look. (i.e. Canva)
• Hire part-time or contract resources. Outsourcing some of your HR and administrative functions can help. For example, you can hire someone to handle payroll for a few hours a month.
• Partner with another business that provides the resources you need. Your accounting software provider might offer payroll services for smaller businesses to use.

Keep Things Simple

Please, please, please don’t make processes too complicated as with other things in your business. Complicated processes will lead to more confusion and mistakes which can have a negative impact on your bottom line. Make sure you keep your processes as simple as possible for the best results. Use the KISS principle (Keep it simple, stupid or Keep it super, simple). Either way, you get the point. You do not want to overcomplicate things. You want to address your most pressing challenges and concerns. You want to make sure you are addressing the core problems of your business. Keep it simple, and you’re more likely to be successful.

Don’t Try To Do Too Much Alone

Part of keeping things simple is knowing how much you can do on your own and how much you need to bring other people into the process. It is important to be able to recognize where you need help and support. Try to bring in other people as soon as you recognize your limitations. Do not try to do everything on your own. It will only lead to frustration and mistakes. Fiverr and Upwork are great resouces.

Find A Small Team Of Reliable Employees

Hire some employees if you have enough resources. This will take a lot of burden off your shoulders and make it easier for you to focus on the tasks that only you can do. Finding reliable employees is a challenge for many business owners.

Here are some tips for hiring a small team of employees that will help your business thrive:

• Research the best places to find employees. There are lots of online resources that can help you find the best places to find employees. Focus on large, reputable websites that will help you find a good fit for your company.
• Be open-minded when interviewing applicants. Do not close yourself off to hiring potential employees just because they don’t have exactly the same skills as you need.
• Ask employees to sign a contract stating their hours, pay rate, and other expectations. This will help you stay organized and avoid confusion about what each person’s role is.

Create Weekly Tasks And Routines

Stick to businesses processes once you have them set-up. Schedule your tasks and routines so that they happen at the same time every week. This will help you stay organized, focused, and efficient.

Here are some other things you can do to create routines:

• Keep track of your most important tasks and to-do list items. You can do this with a physical notebook or electronic tools like Asana or Trello.
• Create a team meeting or task list to-do list that you share with your employees. This will help everyone see what everyone needs to do each week.

Track Everything – But Be Discerning With What You Use

Tracking your business will help you identify opportunities for improvement and focus on what matters most.

Here are some things you might want to track in your business.

• Sales and customer data. This will help you see which products and services are most profitable. It will also let you see which customers are most likely to buy from you again.
• Marketing data. This will let you see what marketing efforts are most effective at bringing new customers to your business. It will also let you see which marketing efforts are most effective at bringing new customers to your business.
• Employee productivity. This will let you see how much time each employee is spending on each task, as well as how successful they are at completing their tasks. – Productivity and workflow. This will let you see how efficiently you and your employees are completing tasks and completing projects.

Establish Clear Goals and Expectations

Before you bring employees into the picture, you need to make sure they understand your goals and expectations. This will help them hit the ground running.

Here are some things that you can do:

• Create a clear vision and mission statement for your company. This should include your goals and vision for the company.
• Share your vision and mission statement with every employee. Have them sign a contract or agreement that includes their goals.
• Clearly outline the goals for each department in your company. This can help employees know what they need to focus on, and it can also help you see where improvements are needed.

Identify Your Most Profitable Products/Services

This is not something you do once and forget about it. You need to constantly be monitoring what your customers are buying from you.

This will help you identify your most profitable products/services, which is important for a couple of reasons:

• It will help you better allocate resources. If you find that a specific product or service is bringing in the most profit, you can spend more time and energy on that.
• It will help you identify which new products/services to develop. If you find that a certain product or service isn’t profitable, you can cross it off the list and move on to something that is.

Celebrate Your Wins

Finally, make sure you celebrate your wins. You really deserve it. If you achieve something great, make sure you take the time to celebrate it with your team as well. This will help you stay motivated and positive. It will also help you build a culture of success in your company.

Conclusion

Small businesses have unique challenges and advantages. They also have different resource limitations. This can make it challenging to implement processes that work for a small business with limited resources. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, as long as you know where to look for solutions.