Spring is a time for renewal. These 10 tips will help you spring clean your small or mid-sized business.
Spring has sprung! As a traditional time of renewal and growth, there's no better time than to roll up your sleeves and get into making some much-needed changes in your business.
From reviewing your business goals, streamlining operations to improving customer experiences, here are 10 'spring cleaning' strategies for your small or mid-sized business.
10 Ways to 'Spring Clean' Your Business
Review your business plan
Many small business owners have a 'set it and forget it' mentality regarding their overall business plan and objectives. Now's the perfect time to take stock and evaluate progress, see whether your business plan needs any rework, and ensure you are satisfied with the direction your company is going.
Examine your business processes
There are numerous benefits of business process optimization for small and mid-sized businesses. Spring (which is also traditionally tax season) is an ideal time to audit your business processes, review your workflows and procedures, streamline safety practices, and identify areas where you can cut costs and waste or automate tedious, manual processes. You can try doing this in-house or consider hiring a process optimization consultant.
Assess your inventory
Take this time to assess your inventory and get rid of any damaged, aged, or expired products. You could host a warehouse sale to get rid of any excess inventory. Anything that doesn't get sold could always be donated to a charity for a tax write-off.
Freshen up your website
Your website is key to growing your brand online. Take some time to ensure it is properly optimized for SEO – so that your website shows up easily in search engines like Google and Bing. If you have the time and resources, starting a business blog is a great way to jumpstart this effort.
Move to the cloud
If you've been thinking about cloud migration for a while, spring is the perfect time to take the plunge. Moving to a cloud-based business system brings a host of benefits that you can leverage, such as reduced operating costs, more flexibility, heightened data security, and more.
Check-in with your customers
Satisfied customers are key to retaining their business and acquiring word-of-mouth referrals. Take some time to check in with them to see what is going well and determine which areas you can improve in. Get these answers by sending out a customer service survey via email. Many businesses offer a discount or gift card as an incentive to complete the surveys.
Consider investing in BI
Do you have the visibility you need into how your business is performing? Could your reports and forecasting use more work? Consider investing in a business intelligence tool like Microsoft Power BI which will streamline your reporting process, break raw data into actionable insights, and optimize supply chain and inventory.
Review your suppliers and vendors
Take some time to review your suppliers and contractors. You might be able to request a lower interest rate which will help you save money. You could also save money by negotiating a discount based on bulk purchases, shorter payment terms, or as a long-standing customer. Or perhaps it's time to consider other suppliers who can give you a comparable product at a lower price or faster service.
Check-in with your employees
Are you and your staff in sync? Cultivating a team that shares your objectives and values takes some work but is well worth the effort. Check-in with your employees to see how they're faring, learn about any roadblocks or bottlenecks they may be facing, and ensure you're on the same page regarding business goals. This can be done through employee surveys, performance evaluations, or even an informal check-in meeting.
Don't forget to declutter your workspace
Whether you're working from home or in the office, take some time to declutter your desk or workspace. Clear off your desk, wipe down your monitor and keyboard, organize those piles of papers – you'll feel better after you do!
About Kwixand Solutions
Kwixand Solutions provides small to mid-sized businesses with the strategies and solutions they need for successful digital transformation. As a Dynamics 365 Partner based in Vancouver, Canada, we help businesses across North America optimize their processes, streamline reporting, and achieve their business goals. Get in touch to see how we can help transform your business by dropping us a line at info@kwixand.com or give us a call at 1-604-256-5800.