How to Increase Business Productivity

Increasing the productivity of your business is not a task easily done.  If you run your own business, not only do you have to manage employees but you also have to get your own work done.  With a growing economy and so much going on in the workplace on a daily basis, it seems that most entrepreneurs are short on time.  The most crucial thing a business owner can do to more effectively increase business productivity is to take the little steps to make it happen.  No time should be wasted.  Even the slightest implementations to your work environment can really add up.  It could mean the difference between getting a break during the day or at week’s end or working 24/7 ‘round the clock seven days a week to grow your business which is no fun for anyone.

First off, create a schedule.  Remember, employees should be aware of what the most important priorities are on each given day.  You don’t want to waste precious time on tasks that can wait.  Make sure you have a shared office calendar where employees can check in to see when things are due and what is most urgent.

Set goals.  This a particularly essential part of running a business.  Without them, you can’t grow and thrive or keep up with competitors.  Always keep your employees in the loop about what is expected of them in their job performance.  Sit down with them individually if you see they are struggling or set up a once a week office meeting to lay out the week’s goals and monthly projections.

Divide tasks effectively among employees.  Really get to know them and learn what their strengths and weaknesses are so that you can assign tasks to the most appropriate person to get the job done in a timely and well-organized fashion.  Don’t be a micromanager.  Trust your employees that they know what they are doing.  If you are constantly looking over their shoulders, you can’t get your own work done and they might feel extra pressure which can distract from successful job performance.

It’s a really great idea to purchase software or a company database where all your data and important business information can be stored.  Train your employees on it effectively.  By having a software program, you can get automated updates of what has and hasn’t been done each day.  This is a great way to increase business productivity and will save a lot of time!  Additionally, software helps people stay organized and on track.  Metrics and employee performance can be traced which is an effective way to know who is and isn’t doing a good job.

Provide employee incentives.  Offer them free lunches or gym memberships.  Run contests with compelling prizes to encourage your employees to work harder and meet their business objectives.  Everyone loves being rewarded and recognized for hard work.  Motivate your employees to work harder.

Set reasonable expectations.  They should be clear cut and easy for your employees to understand.  Be flexible with them.  If they need a break in the day or have a personal appointment to attend, allow them to.  If long hours are required to get the job done, allow them to go home early one night a week or take a break during the day to go to the gym or just simply take a walk around the block.  You don’t want your employees to be a bunch of walking zombies.  This can lead to mistakes and decrease productivity.

Eliminate distractions.  It might be wise to block social networking sites that often tend to let employees goof off or not pay attention to pressing matters.  While you don’t want them to feel restrained, you do want to enforce rules that ensure people are living up to the performance standards you have set for them.

Give employees a chance to gain skills and learn and grow.  Consider bringing in a trainer or motivational speaker every so often where employees can learn about your industry in greater detail.  Don’t let them live in a bubble.  Make sure they’re knowledgeable about what is going on outside the office in the greater corporate world.

Encourage team work.  Let your employees know that you’re all in this together.  Plan lunches or employee get togethers where they can get to know one another better.  As employees grow their relationships, they’ll be more willing to lend a hand when a coworker is under pressure and needs help and so, in turn, they’ll be willing to offer it.

All of the above-mentioned suggestions are great ways to increase business productivity which is such a key element to the success of your business in terms of both growing it and meeting your goals.  Take the advice you’ve learned here today and start implementing it.  I guarantee you will see results immediately!

So, I’ll end with a question for all readers: What do you think is the most effective way to increase business productivity?  Is it something referenced above or do you have a different take on the subject?  Leave a comment and let us know.  We’d love to hear from you and start an engaging dialogue with our followers!

Here are some articles you might want to check out about increasing productivity in business:

“7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Productivity”: http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/7-simple-ways-to-boost-your-productivity.html

“12 Tips for Increasing Productivity”: http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2013/04/24/12-tips-for-increasing-productivity/

“How to Improve Your Business Productivity”: http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Business-Productivity

“Ways to Iprove Company Productivity”: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ways-improve-company-productivity-1230.html

Until next time…