Does your business meet today's standards?
As a Director, Partner or business owner, spare time is little more than a luxury when it comes to managing a business. Having to juggle the complexities of the day to day running is a full time job in itself, finding time to research the news coming out of your industry and the latest business trends is likely to be fairly low down on the priority list.
It is worth noting however that even making the smallest of changes to the way you run and manage your business has the potential to make you more competitive, resilient and creative. We’ve put together a handful of helpful tips to get you started in modernising your business.
Consider Updating your brand
Often overlooked, your company’s branding is the first impression potential customers get of you. Ask yourself, is your current branding selling your business or is it looking tired and outdated. Consider giving your brand a makeover, beginning with your logo and website. There are low cost sites you can use however using a designer will help you to maximise your brand’s impact and clearly define your business’ values.
Customers want to connect with brands as part of the consumer experience, utilise social media platforms to tell potential customers about your brand and your values. Social media is a shop window; show case new products and services, advertise events or special offers or simply share your story, it will forge relationships and keep customers engaged which means they are more likely to come back.
Modernise your work space
Do not underestimate the benefits of a positive working environment on productivity and motivation. Scientific studies have proven that factors which are fairly easy to implement such as regular breaks, encouraging mindfulness, increasing natural light, and placing plants and art work in working spaces has a positive impact on productivity and stress relief.
You can also look at your HR policies to see how supportive they are. Do they match up with what’s expected in the modern working world? To help attract and retain new staff, try introducing policies such as flexible working, family friendly leave, and updating your company benefits. As well as saving time and money on recruitment, happy and long-serving staff will help you grow.
Experience your customer journey
In today’s digital world the key factor is user experience. Customer expectations have changed as tech has improved and streamlined processes online, customers expect a fast and simple experience when dealing with business.
It is beneficial to map out your customers’ experience from the time they arrive at your website or step through your door. Collect customer feedback and focus on key touch points to determine how you can improve your user experience at each stage to encourage repeat custom.
Train and gain new skills
Investing in your staff is as important as modernising your tools, your people are your best asset so upskilling is a valuable tool for driving motivation and increasing productivity.
Training and development can be external, but there is much a business can do in-house such as providing easy access to online courses or setting up internal mentor schemes. This extends to business owners and directors, working on areas you need to develop or learning new skills will ultimately make you a better leader, and consider incentivising teaching and learning with targets and rewards to create a positive ethos within your workforce.
Drive growth by forging new partnerships
As a business owner there is much you can do to build new partnerships which may be beneficial for your company. Networking is key, seek out industry figures and forge relationships to open doors and provide opportunities for your business. Consider your customer base, if they have good professional links you could you extend your relationship for mutual benefit.
We live in a digitally connected world, invest time in building your business’ profile on professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn. Tech has made it possible to connect with businesses and individuals on a global scale, make sure your business is visible and easily accessible online to attract today’s digital consumers.
