In our previous post, we discussed the importance of using your vacation or downtime after the busy holiday shopping season to not just relax and unwind, but for you to conceptualize the goals and ambitions you have for your small- to medium-sized business in the year to come and beyond. Some of your best and most creative ideas can come when you’re fully relaxed and often when you’re physically away from the office or workplace for an extended period. But like all good things, vacations and breaks must eventually come to an end. Once you return to the office, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place to get your business ready for 2016, and the operative keywords for doing so are “reorganize” and “recalibrate.” Why is it so important to reorganize and recalibrate your business at this point in the year? It’s all about starting 2016 off on the right foot, before other concerns and issues force you to divert your attention elsewhere.
No Aspect Of Your Business Should Be Overlooked
There are times, such as during your vacation or break, when it is a good idea to take a “bird’s eye” view of your business, neglecting the finer details in order to take in the “big picture” and consider the past, present and future with as much perspective as possible. Now that you’re back to work, this is not one of those times! In fact, now is the time to do the exact opposite – it’s time to reorganize and recalibrate the finer details of how your business operates and look for ways to make processes simpler, more reliable, and more cost-effective. Do you fully understand how money flows into, through, and out of your business? Is your accounting software up to date, and do you utilize every practical feature and integration tool available? Are you utilizing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to fully leverage each client or customer relationship? Finally, are you managing your taxes in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible? Of course, just purchasing or licensing new software tools isn’t the answer to everything. Determining ways you can reorganize and recalibrate your one-on-one relationships with suppliers, contractors, and strategic partners can make a big difference when it comes to making your business run more smoothly and efficiently.
Keep Your Managers And Employees In The Loop
If you’ve chosen to do it alone when it comes to the strategic direction of your business in the past, now is the time to begin communicating more effectively with the people on the front lines of your business. Not only is including your managers and employees in new and strategic business decisions a smart way to ensure that everyone is on board and on the same page, but your managers and even your employees can offer insights and feedback based on real-world experience that can prove to be invaluable. Finally, giving both your managers and employees more insight and input into your strategic planning and decision making can provide a powerful boost to morale, as managers and employees feel more appreciated and personally involved in a business when they believe their feedback is both welcomed and heard.
Provide Vision To Your Staff
It is important to remember that including your managers and employees in strategic decisions should not mean delegating or even passing the buck when it comes to your responsibilities as an entrepreneur. Also, including employees in the process should not impart the impression that you are soliciting their feedback on how they would manage your business or worse, making managing the business a collective effort. You are ultimately responsible for providing vision and leadership to your managers and employees, and don’t be afraid to refocus and/or cut short any wayward discussions or criticism that is distracting or detrimental to manager or employee morale.