Small business owners know firsthand how grueling it can be to start and grow a company.
The workload in a small business can fluctuate quickly between too little and too much, and that volatility in itself is stressful. Many business owners might prefer a high workload because it’s a sign that their business is in high growth. However, the challenge is managing that growth when you have a limited number of resources at your disposal.
In this article, we’ll talk you through some tips on how to lighten the load on your small business. With some savvy planning and management, any small business owner can successfully navigate the demands of a business in high growth. Here’s how to do it.
1. Let go of full control
As a business owner, sometimes it can feel like you are the business. But there comes a time when every small business owner needs to take the next step in their journey and allow the business to become bigger than them alone. This could look different for different businesses, but often it means employing more people, delegating tasks to them, and trusting them to carry out business tasks efficiently and professionally.
Indeed, if you want to lighten the load in your business a sensible first step would be to hire more hands and trust them to do the work. If this is something your business can afford then it makes sense. However, many businesses struggle to take that step because of the cost and commitment required. Not taking that step also holds them back from being able to grow even bigger and increase profits. It’s a catch-22. Deciding when the time is right to hire more people and let go of full control is something only you as the business owner can decide, but one thing is for sure: it opens the door for a higher turnover, and more money in your pocket.
2. Outsource to experts
A lot of time and effort can be wasted when trying to accomplish something that you are unskilled or inexperienced in. Sometimes, in a small business struggling under the weight of a mountain of work, it’s necessary to wear many hats and “do it all”. But sometimes it is better to recognize the strengths and weaknesses within your organization and bring in the right expertise to tackle the projects that will simply take you too long to get done. One example of this could be outsourcing social media to a specialized social media manager or digital agency.
It might be daunting or seem expensive at first, but outsourcing to experts could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. The long-term cost might outweigh the cost of the expert who can get the job done in a fraction of the time. Outsourcing to experts also frees you up to focus on the tasks only you can do. So next time you’re looking at a quote from an independent contractor, consider whether your time is worth more or less than what they’re charging to get it done quickly.
3. Trust in technology and automate recurring tasks
In the digital age, technology is here to be harnessed. Tasks that can be automated, should be. This will alleviate the pressure on your team and allow you to focus on tasks that require a personal touch and human creativity. A great example of something that can be automated is outstanding invoices and recurring payments. Accounting software tools, like Wave and Xero – and even some banks – have made automation of invoices and payments easy for anyone to set up. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Email marketing, customer support, and data backups are some of the other ways to lighten the load on your business with the help of technology.
Invest some time in analyzing the tasks in your business that can be automated and look for the right digital tools to get the job done. Give your talented team more time to spend on the tasks that the tech can’t do.
4. Build more systems and supervise less
One of the best ways to streamline your business is to create systems and processes. Systems enable your organization to function independently of any one person. A good system ensures that the work carried out is always at the same high standard by eliminating the possibility of things going wrong or being forgotten. When you take the time to establish a system, and your team is trained in how it works, then your team has clear objectives and expectations to follow. It empowers them to work efficiently as separate moving parts of the whole organization, reducing wasted time on miscommunications, human error, and confusion.
Having efficient systems and processes also means that as a business owner or manager, you won’t need to spend as much time supervising or following up on what your team is doing. Systems make management easier. This is a brilliant way to lighten the load on your small business.
There is no magic bullet for managing business growth. This is just a handful of simple ways to lighten the load on your small business when faced with those challenges. By implementing a number of seemingly small techniques, before too long you will find that you’ve built a robust business strong enough to withstand demanding periods of high growth.
