One of the biggest issues that many small business owners are likely to face for the year is that it’s difficult to keep going as hard as possible every day for months. Motivation and energy wax and wane, which can hurt a company’s productivity. But many small business experts say that doesn’t necessarily have to be true.
And when it comes to keeping employees motivated, excited, and most importantly, productive, that’s often something that comes from the top down, according to a report from Venture Burn. Entrepreneurs may need to be more conscious of what they’re projecting to their workers, especially if owners or supervisors have recently asked many of their employees. Many owners may feel they need to work long hours to accomplish their goals, and that can wear on employees who might feel bad leaving before their bosses do.
However, entrepreneurs who make greater efforts to make sure they’re getting as much work as possible done while they’re actually in the office but then make it a point to go home at a reasonable time might see a better return on their time investment, the report said. This means avoiding distractions such as social media or texting, for instance. And while that kind of value might be hard to pass along to employees, setting an example could go a long way.
Rely on Each Other
In addition to all that, it might be important to give workers something of a stake in how their fellow employees perform their jobs, the report said. While this doesn’t mean punishing everyone if one person makes a mistake, it can be helpful for owners who want to ensure people are encouraging one another by being more demonstrable with praise and feedback in the workplace. An owner saying “good job” to an employee for a well-done project could encourage others to do the same and make everyone feel like a working community.
Working more closely with employees could boost productivity.Mixing Things Up
Finally, it can be very easy for small businesses to get stuck in a routine as they set quarterly or annual goals and work feverishly to exceed them, the report said. And while ruts are common for employees, they shouldn’t be for a whole company. As such, it might be incumbent upon owners to make sure they’re doing all they can to inject new routines into old practices whenever possible so that workers feel like they’re doing something novel and exciting even when the goals they’re trying to achieve are effectively unchanged.
Secure Your Future With a Strong Financial Plan
The more owners can do to make sure their companies are productive, the better off they will be in the long term. Often, that includes having a more complete and solid financial plan that will allow them significant flexibility to grow in the months and years to come.