How better processes will transform your business
Its not considered one of the most glamourous areas of business and that may be one of the reasons it’s so often overlooked and neglected. However, good management and improvement of your operational processes has the power to totally transform your business, turning it into a much slicker machine that requires less of your time whilst making you much more money.
It might sound too good to be true but just think about it; as a business owner you no doubt spend a lot of your time trying to deliver a quality service for your customers. You are also busy with the day to day running of your business including managing the finance, your staff, your sales and your marketing. But when was the last time you worked ON your business? By that, I mean when was the last time you took a step back and took a look at how your business actually works?
You may think ‘Well, I am my business’, but if your business is to ever truly flourish you need to think of yourself and your business as two independent things. Particularly if you have ambitions to sell one day or even just to free up more of your time. So take a good look at how your business performs and ask yourself the question What would happen if I took a month off? If the answer to that question is catastrophic, then the solution lies in the operational processes of your business.
Efficient processes mean less waste, less cost and more free time…crucially they mean more profitability. Common processes within most business cover things like sourcing materials or goods, product or service delivery, stock management, hiring and training staff, managing staff performance, sales (acquiring more customers), setting up a new customer etc…
Having clear and efficient ways of doing all these things that are consistent means you have good processes in place.
Here at Robinson & Co. we use a product called Sweet Process. This allows us to document each of our processes using text and screenshots. It maybe daunting and time consuming to embark on the huge task of writing down all of your processes but the benefits to your business and hence the profitability in the long run make it a very worthwhile exercise.
We are GOLD partners with Xero so talk to us today about how we can help you improve your business processes and manage your finances.