5 Business Tips For A More Productive Office

In business, there is always a focus on prospecting and sales for the continued success and growth of a company. Without sales there really isn’t a company. CEOs, business owners and entrepreneurs need to always keep in mind: You’re in business to make a profit.

To meet sales goals; to be profitable involves important components related to the office environment your business is centrally located at. For business success, it’s essential to make your office as productive as possible.

Here’s why:

If the sales team is prospecting and selling but the office flow isn’t synced to work through the sales process from start to finish and beyond then ultimately nothing really happens. Normal office channels and procedures are not in place. Work isn’t getting done. Sales may not close. Customers may not be happy with expected outcomes. Cash flow could be cut off. This is a business situation no one wants to encounter.

Here are 5 business tips for a more productive office:

  1. Establish practices and procedures. Ask yourself these questions: From the time something is sold at how is the process handled? What is the first, second, third, fourth step from the time the order is put into place? What best practices has your company established? When an order, a job or a project is finished, what happens then? When a customer needs to be invoiced, what time of month is that regularly done? How is the invoicing tracked so financial records are up to date? What about when a bill comes into the office? What ensures it is paid on time?

    Everything about your business needs structure, specific standardized practices and procedures. In other words, how the work needs to be done. Business needs innovation but it also needs consistency for success. If something isn’t working, be proactive and change any procedures to make sure the business process at your company is working towards productive and profitable results.

  2. Clearly defined job descriptions. Ask yourself: Who is responsible for what at the company? Does everyone know what their role and responsibilities are each day? You never want to hear from an employee or co-worker the phrase: This wasn’t in the job description! Or… This isn’t what I signed up for when I joined this company! It’s about working together towards the same goals every day. So many times companies don’t have detailed, accurate job descriptions for every job position. Make sure your company does in order to hire the best people, retain the right people and to maintain customer satisfaction.

  3. Work Flow Systems. Ask yourself: What systems are in place at the company to enhance the flow of work? Take time to look around your office. Observe the daily flow of work from a visual point-of-view as well as a technical vantage point. Where are the filing cabinets? How are the desks set up? Do you have the best chairs for people to sit in to get their work done? What about phones and computers? Does the office have good window light? Are there any plants? Walk into or around the office every day from a different angle to gain fresh perspective. Sometimes just changing the office furniture around can make all the difference in productivity.

  4. Delegate. This is a word CEOs, business owners and entrepreneurs hear a lot to get more done each business day. Ask yourself: What is not getting done that could be delegated or given as a responsibility to someone else at the company? How can everyone better help each other to be more productive? You can’t think you’re the superman or superwoman of the business world! You can’t do everything just because you are the leader of the company. That’s why it’s so critical to delegate.

    Remember: Time is the most important thing you have. If you delegate to employees and co-workers things that need to get done it will give you time to think about business strategy, business planning and your vision for the business. It will give you time to spend with customers or to go on a sales call with a member of the sales team. Make the most of your time for business success.

  5. Always Be Rethinking Your Business. Ask yourself: How often do I sit down and actually think about my business? Answer: Ideally, every business day.

 

  • Be thinking about employees and co-workers
  • Be thinking about your customers
  • Be thinking about the work flow
  • Be thinking about what needs to be done
  • Be thinking about how to best handle the day and any of its challenges.

Be thoughtful about your business. It is essential to your business success to have time to think every day. You must have quiet, uninterrupted time. Think about what’s works; what’s not working. Determine next steps. The better planned your business is, the better planned the office is, the better planned sales are will lead to more success, increased productivity and profitability.

As a CEO, business owner or entrepreneur you need to lead, always be selling, always be making the company profitable and ensuring a very productive office environment to work in each day. These 5 business tips for a more productive office are just the beginning. Take the time to think your business through by scheduling specific time on your daily calendar just for you. First question to ask: What do I need to do to make the office, myself and the company more productive?

To your success!