Running a business is fraught with pitfalls that can cause no end of headaches. The smooth running of a company can be the beginning of success, whereas any speed bumps that appear can shoot you off course. Obviously, nobody wants their business to go careering off the set course, but putting out fires as they happen is not the best plan. You should try and prevent the flames from beginning in the first place.
There are so many common issues that can be easily preventable if you take the right precautions before hand.
Holiday Mix-ups
When employees put in their holiday requests, it can be hard to keep track of them all, particularly when you have many of them. Most companies have a tried and tested routine for setting requests, but it is possible for things to slip through the cracks. Using apps can really help for you to keep on top of everything. GetSling is a way for employees to put in their requests and for you to keep track of them easily. You can also manage shift patterns on the same platform so that everything is in the same place.
Communication
Communication is the biggest asset you have between yourself and your employees. Whether you’re talking about updates, new information, changes to rotas, or anything else that you would need your team to know about. You can solve any communication issues in the future by developing good communication links early on. You can use group chats like messenger or Whatsapp, or simply by setting up an email just for important information to be passed around.
Organisation
One of the easiest ways of keeping on top of your organization is to use a piece of software that interconnects with different platforms, and that can be accessed by multiple devices. G Suit allows you to do all that, and to share everything that you create on Google Docs, that you enter into your Calendar, or manage on your Google Finances with whoever you need to.
Life and Work Balance
When running a business, it can be so easy to get the work to life balance wrong. Sometimes it can feel like you’re drowning in work, that you have to be working every day of the week, morning to evening, no matter what. But that imbalance will only make your life more stressful and can even harm your health. Set boundaries early on by shutting off your phone each evening at a set time, and putting aside weekends for you and not for your work. Book holidays the same as any employee can, and stick to them. By taking time for yourself, you won’t ever put work ahead of family.
Friend vs. Boss
There is a fine line between a friend and a friendly boss. You want to be able to get on with your employees, have a laugh and be able to enjoy your time at work. But there is a trap where you become more of a friend than a boss. You don’t want to lose the respect of your staff purely because you went out with them last Saturday. Draw lines early on and create a distinction between you and you-as-a-drinking-buddy.
Gossip
It might sound ridiculous, but gossip and rumors within the workplace can quickly turn into bullying. And where that sounds like something that happens on a school playground, workplace bullying is one of the biggest issues within most industries. It can undermine you, it can ruin your business’s reputation, and if can cause harm to your employees.
Ineffective Marketing
Marketing Campaigns are the backbone of your business, they are what draws people to your company and raises your profile online and in the physical world. Marketing is mostly effective when you can properly analyze the data to figure out the best way to target your audience. Google Analytics can help you track your data, and, combined with Adwords, you can create a campaign that perfectly targets your audience.
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