Revealed: Your Business Isn’t As Efficient As You Think
Efficiency is everything when it comes to business. Every entrepreneur must build their business around this idea of achieving peak efficiency. When you’re efficient, it means you make the most out of every hour of the day and achieve a lot. An efficient company gets a lot more work every day when compared to one that’s not that efficient.
If you run a business, then it’s likely you’ve tried to make it as efficient as can be. You need to run a tight ship, and you probably think you’re doing a fairly good job. However, did you know that your business might not be as efficient as you first thought?
There are loads of little things, that may be hidden away, and are causing your company to slow down every so slightly. As a result, it potentially costs you sales, leads, customers – you name it.
I guess the big question is; what’s secretly slowing down your business? All will be revealed in the points below:
Slow Computers & Internet
Right away, you need to concern yourself with things that are essential parts of your daily operations. Computers will be used to conduct most of your work on – if you run an office business anyway. Even people with retail businesses need computers for admin tasks and stock checking, etc. The internet is also highly important, as it’s how your business connects to everything and uses online resources.
Now, you may think that you’re using modern and updated computers that are fast, but they could actually be performing below their optimal level.
The same goes for your internet connection; it may not be as fast as it can be. Here, you may benefit from computer network support and IT consulting to dig below the surface and uncover issues with your IT infrastructure.
It’s highly common that your computers become clogged up with so much data, and possibly harmful viruses or malware, making the device slow down.
When this happens, daily tasks take longer, preventing you from being efficient. The same goes for your internet – are you really getting the max speed possible?
Think about it, you may have multiple people connecting at the same time, which slows things down and means you don’t get the peak speed. But, there are ways you can speed your internet up and achieve peak efficiency.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re using the most efficient and fast IT equipment out there. Do a full-scale check of everything, and you may be surprised at how inefficient you actually are.
Lack Of Automation
Automation is the future of business, and we see it in practice more and more right now. This concept is very simple to understand; certain process and tasks in your business are done automatically, rather than by your staff. Immediately, it speeds up your business, meaning mundane tasks are completed without taking up anyone’s time.
Naturally, a lot of small businesses aren’t as efficient as they can be because they lack automation. If you’ve got lots of employees working hard around the clock, then that’s good – but it’s not great. It’s good that you have helping hands preventing you from shouldering all the workload, but are they the best option?
Can you automate some of the things they do? There are loads of fantastic examples of automation in business right this second. The first one that springs to mind is a virtual assistant, or something similar. Instead of a human answering calls in your office, they get answered automatically by a virtual assistant.
This means no phone calls get missed – which could happen if your real assistant is on their break or taking a call already – ensuring you don’t miss out on potential clients or leads, which could result in sales.
With automation, you can focus on what your strengths are, rather than having to do loads of things at once. Plus, automated solutions are often cheaper than hiring employees, so there’s a bonus too.
Ideally, for peak efficiency, you only need a few employees that are experts in specialist fields. For the simple tasks, automate them!
Failing To Prioritize Properly
It’s crucial that your business gets its priorities sorted. You must dedicate most of your time and effort to the things that matter most.
Too many small businesses get caught up in minor things that don’t really affect the company that much. It may seem like a good idea to chase a few extra small sales, but doing so could distract you from a big client that brings in twice the revenue of the small sales combined.
Do you understand what I mean? It’s natural to want to chase as many things as possible to try and improve your business. However, there comes a time when you have to learn to say no to some things and place emphasis on others.
Let’s think of another example here to really drive home this point. Imagine you run an online business where most of your customers find you via various online channels. Then, someone in the office notices that a big billboard just became free, giving you the opportunity to place a massive advert there on your site. It seems like such a good idea because billboards get viewed loads throughout the day.
However, doing this will cost lots of time and money as you create the advert and get it put up. In reality, you’re better off using that money and investing it in your digital marketing campaign to broaden your exposure online. Why? Because that’s where most of your customers come from, so your priority should be on the online space rather than creating billboard ads.
You see what I mean? Learning to prioritize is essential to the success of your company. Take a look at the things you do, and you’ll be amazed at how much time you’re wasting on small priorities.
It may hurt to hear this, but your business isn’t as efficient as you think. Pay attention to the three things we’ve discussed here, look at how they affect your company. Use this advice, and you will start to see a business that can truly be classed as efficient.
What could you do to improve the efficiency of your business? Share your thoughts and comments below.
Cheers!
