Monday, 10 February 2014

5 Ways To Make Your Small Business More Efficient

Business Efficiency
Today's small business marketplace remains extremely competitive. Gaining an edge requires savvy business owners to adopt smart practices that transform their operations through implementation of more efficient, cost effective solutions. Here are five ways to maximize the efficiency of nearly any small business.


Take advantage of cloud computing

There are a lot of online resources for file sharing, document creation, project management, and team collaboration. Consider exploring the potential of useful tools like Google Docs, Box.com, Asana, or Co-op. This is especially helpful for small businesses that work with telecommuting team members.


Cross-train team members

Create a flexible and efficient team through cross-training. It's no surprise that many small business colleagues wear multiple hats. Capitalize on this by thoughtfully considering the roles that each team member fulfills and cut potential for down-time associated with absences or overloaded workflow.


Use modern tools to better manage time

Time management is critical for small business owners. Current technology provides a range of useful tools that make this even easier. For people using an iPhone, the calendar function is a great resource for tracking scheduled appointments and tasks. In many cases, it's possible to connect a personal calendar with an online resource, like Google Calendar, for flexible access from any device or computer. There are also many great apps in the iPhone App Store for tracking project time, invoicing, and more.


Take advantage of flexible office space

Currently, there are many small business owners working from home offices. For many of these professionals, there is no need for a full-time office space and the expensive overhead that comes with such an investment. However, there are times when choosing serviced offices to rent makes sense. Flexible office space presents the perfect solution for high-profile business meetings or even basic team meetings within a functional work space.


Create an organized system to manage customers and documents

It's important to keep business documents and customer records well-organized. There are many affordable customer relationship management (CRM) solutions that greatly help with documenting account history, improving process workflow, and even tracking leads that convert to sales. Research helpful software solutions like Act!, Salesforce.com, or Infusionsoft for more information.

As Internet capabilities expand, owners will find even more ways to make businesses more productive. Innovative resources such as cloud computing, serviced offices to rent, and modern time management tools will continue to deliver efficiency solutions for smart companies now, and in the future.


Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments.

Related articles:
How To Best Increase Efficiency And Profitability In Your Business

For more business tips, use this link:
http://www.derekjones.co/search/label/Business%20Tips


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar on the left-side of the screen or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://www.google.com/+DerekJonesUK

Until my next post on Thursday on top personal skills that will stand you in good stead in business, have a great and productive week ahead!


Advertise your business here

© 2014. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

3 comments:

  1. Useful information. Especially for me at this time. I'm working on getting organized.
    Thanks for the tips and links.
    Linda Della Donna
    Author of
    A Gift of Love

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's great to see you on here Linda and I'm pleased you found the article helpful. Keep posting those wonderful pics on Facebook. :)

      Delete
  2. Business at any level requires a proper planning to execute efficiency in the work. Such innovative ideas are really important to make a remark formidably. It is indeed quite essential in this respect. Different techniques can be deployed to gain momentum and outclass others. Professional on hold service for the customers can also be an option to configure in this direction. Trying out some different options can be very handy in such sectors.

    ReplyDelete

Please note: To combat comment spam, non-constructive comments and comments containing links will be rejected. All submitted comments are subject to moderation before they are published on the blog.


I have received reports that some people have been experiencing problems when commenting on the blog. If you experience any problems when posting your comment, please send me an email with your comment plus the post title using the Contact tab above and I will manually include it for you. You can also send your comment via private message on Facebook.

Your blog comments are always appreciated and thank you for your patience while we try to resolve this issue.