There have been many business lessons learned from the Great Recession and the continued downturn in our economy.
While there are many reasons why businesses aren’t hiring one primary reason is that many CEOs, presidents and business owners have realized they can run their businesses with fewer employees just by thinking through their business in a different way.
In addition to revised business plans and running a business with fewer employees, job descriptions have also been revised. Employees are expected to do more these days. So too are CEOs, presidents and business owners doing more, being responsible for more. Have you rewritten your job description?
Looking back a few years and in comparison to today, your business days weren’t probably as stressful and intense as they are now. Wishing for the good old days isn’t going to propel your business forward. Adapt and be responsive to what is happening now in your business.
When reviewing job descriptions, including yours, there are many questions you could ask but one of the most significant is: Are the job responsibilities revenue generating?
Because staff in most companies is now reduced the next step is to effectively eliminate any busy work. Instead replace the busy work with revenue generating responsibilities or responsibilities that support generating revenue. Not only are employees, as well as yourself, more productive but everyone will find work to be more stimulating rather than boring.
If there is any busy work to do consider hiring a part time person to complete those tasks. This will allow your employees to do a better job of serving your customer or clients and generating revenue or potential revenue.
This especially applies to sales and marketing. Are your sales people selling? Or do you have them doing tasks that take away from talking to prospects and nurturing customer relationships? There is a certain amount of paperwork that sales people are required to do including sales activity reports. If they are burdened with paperwork and other tasks that a part time employee can do, get your sales staff the help they need so they can focus on sales.
In this economy businesses need to be more efficient than they ever were. Employees as well as CEOS, presidents and business owners need to be more productive.
This will not be an easy task to accomplish. But it will be the difference between making a profit and losing money.
Leaders lead.
Leaders don’t sit behind a desk and complain how bad business is as the competition takes the business from them. Leaders get out from behind their desk and get in action!
For success, rethink your business and your work flow.
In business, you never ever cut sales and marketing. You only make your sales and marketing more productive. Yet so many businesses, when sales are down and the economy is slow, decrease sales and marketing efforts. It’s a fatal business mistake.
It’s also critical to keep inspiring, motivating and training all your employees. Make sure everyone in your company is optimally productive so that even in an uncertain economy your business is successful.