The Three Ms To Improve Small Business Communication

by Gina Scarpa

As a working mother of a teenage son, I can’t help but keep my eye out for a good deal.  Coupon, Groupon, Living Social... you name it!  If there’s a discount on something, I want in.  Recently, I had a coupon for a store that I visit often.  When I handed it to the employee, a confused look came over her face and she had to ask someone for help.  After the second person wasn’t sure what to do, a manager eventually came over but as I stood there waiting, I couldn’t help but wonder, “How much overall value is this coupon building if no one here even knows about it?”

As a business owner, whenever you make changes that will affect an employee’s day to day life, it’s crucial that they be informed and in the loop.  Besides the fact that it makes them feel like a valued part of the company, it increases productivity and efficiency.  Keep in mind there are really only two ways to grow your business: spend money to make money and improve overall efficiency! 

Here are a few simple, easy ways that you can improve communication within your company immediately.

Morning Meetings
When you first get in each day, you may feel like you want to immediately tackle your tasks at hand.  However, there’s something to be said for taking a few minutes and getting together with your coworkers for a quick meeting.  What are the goals today?  Any news or updates?  Is there anything the group can be doing better or more efficiently?  Starting off each day with a little info session not only increases communication significantly, but also productivity and camaraderie. 

Monitor Performance
Do you know how your employees are performing on a daily basis?  Perhaps someone is unknowingly making a repeated mistake or is confused about something but afraid to ask.  Checking in with your people (without micro-managing) to praise what they’re doing well and suggest areas of improvement on a regular basis helps increase the efficiency of the individual employee and can boost morale as well.

Make Yourself Available
Is there anything worse than having a problem or question and not having anyone around to help you with it?  Yes, a regular check-in with your employees is awesome but someone should be there each day as the go-to answer person.  That doesn’t have to be you, but it should be someone who is an expert in the operation of the business and one that you’d trust in your absence to handle things.  Solving problems, clearing up confusion, and handling issues as quickly as possible significantly decreases the chances of those things popping up again!  

Let Branch Out help your local business with its branding, marketing, and advertising needs.  Contact Branch Out today for a free consultation and proposal.