The Secret To Succss Is Better Efficiency

We’ve all heard someone say, “there is no secret to success in business,” whether this has been the advice of an entrepreneur friend, someone giving a TED Talk or a business expert writing a blog. But it’s a lie. There is a secret to success: it’s called efficiency. It’s about taking what you do and finding a way to streamline it a little more.

Thankfully, this can be done in a number of ways. The problem is, running-slash-managing a business can be more complex than trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube through a kaleidoscope and that means not knowing where you should begin with this whole process.

So, to help you out on this front, we have pulled together a list of ways you streamline your business to increase productivity. Just remember to analyse how each of these will impact your bottom line, as well as how they could affect the other areas of your business.

1. Reduce Your Paper

There is no faster way to streamline your business than to address the amount of paper you use and find a way to reduce that. Drastically. The reason for this is simple: paperwork can very quickly start to pile up and, when that happens, everything else slows down. Not only is it an analogue process failing to keep up in a digital world, there is the issue of filing and storage and organisation that needs to be considered.

2. Space, the Final Frontier

Another way to quickly make your business more efficient is to make better use of your space; something that can be achieved no matter what your business does or what industry you’re in. If you have lots of employees working from different desks, use an open-plan space to promote better collaboration and communication. If you have a warehouse, invest in a pallet rack – lots of them – to make better use of the space and improve access. If your business is in the retail sector and public transport isn’t on your side, make sure there is plenty of space for customers to park. All of these will boost your bottom line in some way or another.

3. Empower Your Employees

There are no ifs or buts on this one: your employees know how to do their jobs better than anyone else. It’s part of being in the trenches and on the front line. They have been with you long enough to know what the best way of doing things is, what’s the most efficient process to adopt and what decisions make the most sense. Use this knowledge or, better yet, let them use this knowledge more freely. Empower your employees. Trust them to do their job to the best of their ability. Share what you know, listen to what they say, and let them do the important stuff and not just the day-to-day grind work. Not only will this boost their productivity because they will feel more valued, it will take another person’s opinion out of the equation, and that will naturally streamline your business.