7 Productivity Tips for Small Businesses

Running a small business isn’t easy. In fact, 45% of new businesses fail within the first five years. However, there are ways to help your business succeed. One way is to maximize its productivity. The more efficient your business, the less it will cost to run.

So here are seven productivity hacks to take your small business to the next level:

1. Delegate 

One of the most important skills you can learn as a small business owner is how to delegate. When you’re just starting out, it’s tempting to try to handle everything on your own, but this approach is unsustainable. At some point, you need to delegate lower-priority tasks to capable staff. 

Find out what your team is good at and delegate tasks accordingly. You may need to start by setting goals and then breaking these down into smaller, manageable tasks. 

As you delegate, you’ll free up more time to work on what you do best (running your business) so you can get the most from your time. You’ll also show staff that you trust them, foster collaboration, and help them improve their skills. 

2. Minimize distractions 

It’s no secret that the modern world is full of distractions. Smartphones, social media, the internet generally … they’re all designed to keep your attention. But if you want to maximize productivity, your team needs to learn how to keep distractions at a minimum. 

This means putting phones away or on silent, keeping only work-related tabs open in web browsers, and setting aside dedicated hours for deep work. Otherwise, distractions will find their way into your team’s everyday work life and make your business much less productive.

3. Establish routines

Routines help reduce uncertainty so your business can run smoothly. They keep everyone on the same page. For example, you might set aside a day for regular team meetings or calls with business partners. That way, everyone knows what to expect and there will be less back-and-forth and scheduling conflicts. 

4. Leverage software

In today’s age, nearly every business depends on software of some kind. It can help you automate processes that would take much longer to do manually. For example, you can invest in software for scheduling meetings, customer relationship management (CRM), cybersecurity, cloud storage, remote collaboration, project management, inventory management, and much more.

That said, don’t try to do too much at once. Only adopt software where it will be useful. Too many tools can become overwhelming and confusing.

5. Don’t micromanage

Nobody likes to be micromanaged. People need to feel a sense of autonomy to enjoy their work. Otherwise, it becomes drudgery. So get out of the way of your staff and let them do their best work without constant supervision. Be available for questions and guidance but don’t feel like you need to always be looking over everyone’s shoulder. 

6. Build a positive work culture

Your company culture should be positive. This is what not only attracts but retains valuable talent. Staff need to feel valued and enjoy their work environment in order to stay. So make a point to give positive encouragement, recognize a job well done, and show your appreciation. A little compliment can go a long way. 

You should also regularly ask your staff for their feedback and strive to implement it. They have valuable insights that you may not.

7. Regularly reevaluate 

No business is perfect, and there are bound to be road bumps on your way to success. This is why it’s essential to regularly evaluate every aspect of your business and adapt. This includes looking at your business plan, marketing strategy, employee performance, customer satisfaction ratings, and more. 

Once you have a clear picture of the business’s performance and status in these areas, double down on what’s working well and pivot away from what isn’t.

Final thought

At the end of the day, keeping your business productive takes time. Focus on improving one process at a time, and gradually, your business will become more efficient.