Business Hacks You Need To Know
Running a business during those crucial first months and years can be a huge challenge for anyone and it often takes a lot more work than you would immediately think to run a successful empire from your home or a rented office.
1. Handle your data in a cloud
When it comes to collecting and storing your data for a small business, it can start to become a little overwhelming after some time and you might not have the storage space on your computer to handle everything that you have been collecting. This is where cloud computing for small businesses comes in. When you store your data on a cloud service it is safe and sound with your account however it doesn’t take up any space on your computer. There are loads of great cloud storage systems available to you and you should definitely take full advantage of them.
2. Use hard drives for backup
While it is great for you to store everything on a cloud server, it can be a little risk when it comes to any issues with the server which can cause you not to be able to access your files. If you want to stop this from ever happening, think about getting yourself a hard drive or two to backup everything on your computer and in the cloud so that you always have a spare copy if you need it. This will ensure that your data is always safe and sound in the workplace.
3. Record everything
When you start to run a business and are spending money and selling your items, you absolutely have to make sure that you record every single thing. Whether it be emails between you and a client, contracts and deliveries which have been signed or a set of new notepads being ordered to the office. Any expense and any communication in the business should be recorded for a certain amount of time to allow you to access it when needed and to also make sure that you keep on top of everything you spend and earn.
4. Take some classes
When it comes to running a business solo, you might find it fairly straightforward in the first few weeks until you start thinking about your payroll, budgets, marketing, sales and everything else involved in a large scale operation. It might be worth taking time in the evenings and weekends to take a course or two to make sure you know what you are doing. Gaining skills in new areas of your business can be exactly what you need to propel it up and make it incredibly successful.
5. Make a five-year plan
When you sit down after launching your business for the first time it is important for you to make a plan of what you want to do. You can make a five year plan when you first open a business to detail everything you plan to achieve in the next five years. This could be how many followers you want on social media, how many products you will sell and what monthly profits you want to achieve. Having a plan set out from the beginning will give you something to really work for and motivate you to success.
6. Schedule your week
As well as making plans for the distant future and your larger goals, you will also want to make sure that you always take time out to plan your days and weeks. If you give yourself a to do list and a schedule to stick to throughout the week it will make life much easier for you and will allow you to make sure you don’t forget anything which has an important deadline. Take your time to come up with the best possible plan you can and this will make your life much easier each week and will allow you to work through your days more productively.
7. Hire great people
It is crucial when you start a business which means something to you that you only hire people who you trust to carry on the success of the business for you and who will be as passionate as you about working for the good of the company. When you are going through the hiring process it is always good to do a background check and look at things like social media for any clues to the type of person you are dealing with. You can also think about the way they are when they come into your interview and try to work out whether or not they are the type of person you can get along with and talk to. As well as skills, you always want to hire the right person for the job so it is important to think about these things.
8. Support your employees
Employees are people and not just numbers in your business. From the moment you hire an employee you become responsible for that person and this means that you always have to make sure that you support them through thick and thin and ensure that they are happy in their job role. Supporting your employees can involve one to one meetings to catch up on progress and with projects, to ask them what they like and don’t like about the role and how this can be changed, and to see whether they want to do any training to further their skills. Training is particularly important because if you take the time to invest in your employees’ success they will be likely to be loyal to you and the company and work for you for much longer.
9. Teambuild
When it comes to creating a killer team, you need to make sure that everyone gets along and that you have a friendship as well as a working relationship to fall back in when times get hard. To make sure that the team is close to each other and that they are happy, it is important for you to arrange the odd team building day and weekend to allow your employees to be as happy as Larry and to get on with each other inside and outside the workplace. Completing team activities or even a virtual happy hour can make you closer as a team and will give you all something to chat for about quite some time afterwards!
10. Make a comfortable office
The place where you work is as important as the people who work there and the business you are running. When it comes to creating a wonderful business for yourself and everyone else, you will want to ensure that the place you spend most of your time during the week is comfortable and is somewhere which inspires you to work hard. For example think about decorating your current space with modern impact and bright colours for life and vibrancy. Bring plants in the space, hang art on the walls and make sure that everywhere in your office is bright and inviting for everyone who works there. Creating an inspiring place will increase employees morale and therefore make them much happier and more productive. By doing all of this you will be able to make sure everyone is happy in the office and that as much great work is done each week as possible. Your business will be able to grow and thrive in your new space and everyone will want to work for you.