Believe it or not, Spring is coming, so it's a great time for you and your team to refresh yourselves, think about your business approach, and clear out the cobwebs, either real or virtual. Here are a few tips to help you with your “spring cleaning" for your team and your small business.
Get some face time
In this world of cloud-based productivity, work-from-home, flexible schedules and rotating employees, it's easy to lose track of each other. Schedule some time to get your folks together and talk about where you are as a business, and where you see things going. This is also a great time to let your team offer new ideas to help them feel good about their workplace, their role in the company, and the kind of business you see the place becoming.
Take advantage of technology
What could you do to make your office more efficient and user-friendly? Could those overloaded file cabinets be scanned and moved to the cloud? Could your phone system be more efficient in connecting your customers? Are your computers overloaded from lack of maintenance and software upgrades? Take some time to really think about how your small business is using technology, and where a small investment would make the most difference .
For Pete's Sake, Polish Up Your Online Presence
Netscape is long gone, MySpace is a virtual desert, and Compuserve is a cluttered mess that looks like the web did fifteen years ago. So why is your website still filled with rusty messaging, ugly graphics, and out-of-date content? New platforms like WordPress and Squarespace make it easy and affordable for even the leanest small business to provide a sleek, dynamic online presence that works equally well on tablets and smartphones as it does on desktop computers. That goes for your content and social media, too. If you have a blog with five or six posts on it from the past year, a Twitter account with no followers, or a Facebook page where there are no conversations happening, it might be time to think about how your online activity is really serving your business.
Finally, Move Forward
The best thing about spring cleaning is trying something new. Whether you're thinking about a second location, an expansion, new staff or better technology, pick at least one new thing to try as you head into the new year—you might just be surprised how things turn out!
