Running your own business often seems like a series of challenges. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Challenges can provide opportunities to review how you’re doing and where you need to make changes. They also provide opportunities for growth. But we have to find a solution and way forward first. Here are some common problems and suggested solutions.
- IT Issues
Finding reliable network support for businesses is imperative. Find a reliable company that will respond quickly, and locate and fix the problem. There is no end to the number of IT issues experienced by businesses. They cover a lot of areas from PCs running slowly, to more complex issues causing prolonged periods of downtime. Few businesses can operate without a robust IT network. If this is causing issues, it can halt every aspect of your work.
- Not Enough Time
When you start your own business, you expect to work long hours, and in the early days, this is fine. There’s a buzz about it, and you hardly notice the extra hours you’re putting in. But if this continues after your company has become established, it can have a negative impact. A tired, jaded, stressed-out boss is not a productive boss. But if you don’t have time to get through everything, where do you start?
- Though your business is your baby, it’s time to trust others and delegate some of your responsibilities.
- If you don’t have staff in-house to deal with additional work, recruit new ones.
- If you can’t afford additional staff, you may need to review your business model; in the interim consider outsourcing work to keep costs down.
- Go through your daily activities and work out what is taking the time. What benefits are produced as a result of all this time? If you’re spending more time on tasks that don’t generate money or value in some way, can they be dropped or adjusted?
- Are you spending too much time in unproductive meetings? If so, establish a rule and keep to a strict time limit. Another method of reducing time spent in meetings is requesting that everyone stands for the duration.
- Are you a slave to your email and is this is getting in the way of productivity? Switch off your inbox for the majority of the day and set specific time slots to read and respond to emails.
- Employees Are Unmotivated
When you have nurtured your business from its inception, it can come as a bit of a shock when you hire staff, and they don’t have the same enthusiasm. This is natural, of course. They don’t have the same investment and desire to succeed. However, it can become a problem if staff are unproductive and uninterested.
Work out what motivates your employees. It doesn’t always come down to monetary rewards. Some people are more motivated by praise and recognition. Some prefer autonomy and the ability to plan and complete work in their own way. Whatever it is, find ways to trigger their interest. A happy, fulfilled workforce is good for business.
Try not to see problems as a barrier. Regard them as a challenge. Most business problems have a solution. You just need to the right attitude and the right people.
Milo Senalle
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