To get your growth started off on the right track, consider implementing the following strategies related to outsourcing, systems, and technology.
Boost Efficiency and Productivity With Outsourcing & Delegation
Identify which of your tasks can be automated—or delegated—to maximize your productivity over the long haul. Then, examine your effectiveness at handling repeatable tasks within various aspects of managing your operation, such as marketing, sales, customer intake, and fulfillment.
From there, identify the tasks that aren’t the best use of your time, and use these three questions to get the most out of outsourcing and delegation. Take a look at this list and determine the following:
● What tasks are taking up most of your time?
● What tasks are the ones you don’t enjoy doing that can be delegated?
● What tasks can be systematized?
Out of the tasks that fall into these three categories, are there any that you could outsource or delegate to someone else? Remember, hiring is your #1 growth strategy—you can always make more money, but you cannot make more time.
If you don’t currently have administrative support, consider getting immediate assistance with answering the phones and managing new customer intake and/or new product sales. Intake and basic customer service are repeatable processes that you can easily train someone else to handle and free up your time considerably.
When hiring new team members, particularly outsourced staff, it’s often beneficial to use independent contractors (ICs) instead of employees. Contractors can help you save big on labor costs. Plus, ICs offer you increased flexibility to adjust your team based on fluctuations in the market and your workload, which can be a huge advantage for smaller operations.
Hiring ICs also comes with some significant liabilities, including major fines and other penalties for misclassifying employees as contractors. What’s more, you must be certain you have the proper employment agreements in place to guarantee you own the intellectual property ICs create for you, or you may wind up not owning the very work you pay them to produce.
Meet with us for trusted advice on the latest worker classification laws and for support in creating airtight independent contractor agreements that protect both you and your intellectual property.
Uplevel Growth With Technology
Today’s business technology solutions allow even the smallest operations to achieve incredible growth with minimal staff and infrastructure. Many tasks that used to take multiple people can now be completely automated, allowing you to not only increase efficiency but also enhance the experience for your customers.
When you look at your weekly list from above, see if there are tasks that can be accomplished by a technological system rather than a person. There are numerous business programs and apps available to help you with a wide array of office tasks.
Harnessing the power of technology can boost productivity and support long-term growth in a number of ways. Here are a few other easy areas to start with:
● Digital dictation and speech-recognition software
● Mobile apps for inventory and logistics
● Project management systems
● Video chat systems
● Instant messaging platforms
● Document management systems
Implement Standard Operating Procedures for Routine Tasks
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are detailed instructions describing the procedures for carrying out recurring business tasks. At first, creating SOPs for your company’s processes might not seem very important.
However, SOPs are critical for productivity and efficiency, and they can save your business both time and money in the long run. SOPs are also essential for growth, as they allow you to replicate key processes on a larger scale. Moreover, standardization facilitates training and helps ensure that your operation won’t come to a standstill if you lose a key team member.
Standardizing your business processes can have a positive effect on just about everyone involved with your business: you, your team leads, your staff, your customers—and even your successor.
Don’t Overlook Your Foundation
Even if you’ve implemented processes, technology, and outsourcing to efficiently deliver your core product or service and maximize growth, your company is still at risk if it doesn’t have effective legal, insurance, tax, and financial systems. Contact us today to learn more.
AB Law, PLLC is a full-service business law and estate planning firm that serves clients throughout Texas. All consultations are free and no question is too silly, ridiculous, or complex. https://calendly.com/ablawpllc www.ab-firm.com