Small businesses often depend on their teams to fill multiple roles, making task and time management critical components of success. The old saying rings true: time is money. While no small business wants to wind up shorthanded, overstaffing can prove a costly mistake.
So how can a small business determine how many hours its employees should actually work? This article outlines steps you can take to manage time, maximize efficiency, and budget effectively for current and future operations.
Track Current Completion Times and Hours Worked
The number of hours a small business employee works in a week can vary greatly and depends on several factors such as:
- Industry
- Type of task
- Number of total employees
- Season
- Nature of employment
Set New Time Management Goals
Improve Efficiency Through Effective Team Communication
Ever find it hard to keep everyone on your team in the loop? Texts can fail to send or get lost in cyberspace, the average office worker sends and receives an estimated 125 business emails each day, and no one enjoys playing phone tag. With all the modes of communication available to us and the sheer volume of messages received, it’s easy to see how an important update can get lost in the shuffle. Streamlining information saves valuable time, improves teamwork, and optimizes your business operations.
Centralizing your team’s communication provides a single destination where everyone can go to keep updated. An effective team communication platform allows you to send and receive messages on the go. Mobile access lets you manage your team remotely and keep everyone informed wherever they are.
Pro Tip: Read receipts ensure everyone has the information needed to keep your business running smoothly.
Plan for the Future
Forecasting is a key part of planning for the future. We already use apps to check if we should bring the umbrella or pack an extra sweater. When you connect your POS, Homebase will automatically forecast labor costs as you schedule shifts, making it easy to plan and stick to your budgets.
Remember: This is not legal advice. If you have questions about your particular situation, please consult a lawyer, CPA, or other appropriate professional advisor or agency.
