Your staff may be small, but who says it can’t be mighty? Your business doesn’t need dozens of employees and departments to thrive. Here are three essential tips to make the most of your small dream team.
1. Simplify and Streamline Where You Can
Every minute of a staff member’s workday is significant with a small team. With so much to accomplish and fewer hands to get the essential jobs done, it’s vital that you trim away any nonessential work.
Consider outsourcing routine processes, like IT support, website development, and benefits management. It will free up time for your team to focus on the creative, business-growing goals you’ve set.
One area that takes up a lot of time and energy is hiring and onboarding new staff. For a small business to succeed, all team members must have aligned values and a shared understanding of your company’s procedures, standards, and goals. With so few people involved, a single employee being out of alignment is noticeable in the quality of service you provide.
Partner with a company to design fun and practical courses to train new staff members consistently. Work with a reputable recruitment company to simplify your hiring and screening processes. Get time back in your day to focus on what matters.
Read also: 6 Ways to Simplify Your Business This Year (+ My Biz Goals for 2022)
2. Foster a Strong Company Culture
Studies have shown that when people are happy with their job and feel good about their workplace, they’re 12% more productive. If this isn’t enough reason to focus on building a strong company culture, what is?
Having a small team doesn’t mean you can’t put a big emphasis on team spirit and camaraderie. Dedicate time to team-building. Plan volunteer events and happy hour gatherings for your staff.
Give employees the freedom and time to express their individual creativity so that your team can bond and benefit from the skills and perspectives of one another. As a business owner, culture-building is an investment worth making.
3. Skip Formal Meetings
Whether over Zoom or in the conference room, meetings aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. In fact, employees tend to lose roughly 80% of their workday in meetings, on the phone, and responding to e-mails. Yikes! Think of all the hours of focused, individual productivity lost because of this constant onslaught of communication.
Meetings and digital communication may be necessary for some settings, especially in larger organizations. However, a small team can accomplish the majority of required interaction and information-sharing without a formal structure to do so.
Instead of regular team meetings, consider quick check-ins with your staff throughout the week. You can use this time to make sure they feel supported and share info as it comes. Your whole team will save precious time, and you can reserve your group get-togethers for team-building and celebratory experiences.
Size Doesn’t Matter
When it comes to your team, size truly doesn’t matter. If you focus on building a solid company culture, simplify operations, and use your time and resources wisely, you’ll never need the extra hands for your business to thrive.