OK. We admit it.
IT isn’t always the only answer.
As a Houston IT consulting firm, we tend to lean towards technology and super-reliable IT support as the greatest motivators of office productivity.
But there are many other ways organizations can use to increase office productivity.
We’re fortunate to have guest-blogger, Deborah Osgood, co-founder and CKO of Knowledge Institute offer her insights on increasing productivity and efficiency.
Tips for Increasing Productivity & Efficiency
While the current economic downturn has its challenges, it is also a great motivator for looking for ways to work smarter. Here are five easy tips for increasing productivity and efficiency.
1. Get Organized: Too often, small business owners fly by the seat of their pants. Not having a time management tool to track objectives against actual results can be a costly mistake. While there are many automated systems for managing such objectives, a simple and tangible approach can be useful, such as a Time Planning Schedule.
2. Leverage Free Help: There are thousands of government and public programs funded by our tax dollars that exist to specifically drive small business creation and growth. Visit BUZGate.org, a nonprofit online community, to select the state that your business operates in and then FREE HELP in the menu to navigate such programs by type of need including funding, marketing, counseling, import/export and more. There are also no-cost consultants available to discuss exploring business ownership options if you're looking to get into business. Also, don't underestimate quality blogs. For example, IsUtility, a Houston computer services blog offers great tips in leveraging information technology, and IBM and The World Bank offer a Blog to support women and minority entrepreneurs.
3. Leverage SaaS Applications: Save time, money and hassle by using robust online solutions for such core operational systems as sales, marketing and accounting. A program like myBrainshark.com is free and allows a small business to incorporate PowerPoint slides, images, audio and documents to create compelling online, on-demand messages that can be used to influence prospects, suppliers, investors, staff, sales personnel and others. An application like MySalesHero.com offers cost-effective lead generation to support sales and customer retention.
4. Minimize Overhead Costs: If you don't need brick and mortar to do business, consider taking advantage of virtual office solutions on-demand. A company like Regus, leaders in office solutions, offer business owners a professional office address, meeting space, staff and access to technology when they need it, where they need it. Taking advantage of free contests can also keep cost down, such as the ShowUsYourOffice.com contest that offers ten lucky winners different levels of professional workplace solutions.
5. Focus on Revenues First: It's easy to update a web site, improve a customer database or hold a staff meeting to exchange ideas, but none of these things are directly associated with closing a sale. Each and every day, a small business owner must establish and follow through on a specific number of activities that directly support closing a sale before doing any administrative or operational support tasks. Without revenues, there is no need for operational efficiency.
Deborah Osgood is co-founder and CKO of Knowledge Institute, internationally recognized experts in entrepreneurial education and development. Deborah is a speaker, author, consultant and mentor and has been featured on New York's WPIX morning news, Boston WCVB-TV Chronicle and WBZ-TV Evening Magazine. She has been named Women in Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and has received awards for Excellence in Business Services, Enterprising Woman of the Year, and Women's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
We hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please feel free to contact us:
· Questions about this article?
· Suggest a topic
· Learn more about our Houston Computer Services
Photo credit: ante3