You may need to look at your business model to be more successful. What is a business model?
Your biz model is essentially how you conduct business, your priorities, and your business culture, among other things.
It could be seen as your internal personality. If you have looked over your figure and feel you could produce more revenue, you must develop a holistic approach and create change where necessary.
Change is an essential tenant in business, as nothing stays static. This is never as true as it is in this modern world. Without being adaptable, you will find that you are outperformed by your competitors sooner rather than later.
It has to be said that running your own small business isn’t always easy. There will likely be many different responsibilities that you have to consider during every shift to keep your brand above water.
Learning how to manage your company while also overseeing and directing your team can be a tough task to undertake. It’s far too easy to allow productivity levels to slip.
However, figuring out how to start gaining back control over your small business to promote productivity better doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think.
You can make the most of several simple yet effective steps to boost staff morale, set higher standards, and reach your full potential quickly.
Table of Contents
Start With A Business Plan
You must develop a new business plan to enhance your business model and drive growth. This allows you to look at all the pieces of your business and what works and what doesn’t.
The more objective you can be when you do this, the better your eventual outcome. Emotion, such as loving an aspect of your business that is not working, will get you nowhere. You have to be ruthless.
So take a good look at where the company is regarding finances, assets, staff, business areas, etc., and work out what you need to do to drive you onward. You can develop a plan to double down in some areas and possibly eliminate others.
Or, you may want to merge some areas and develop new ones. It depends on your specific goals and objectives.
Your business plan will act as the scaffolding for this change. It will help you remain calm and steady as you progress.
Define A Business Model
A business model outlines how a company makes money. It describes what products or services the company offers, who its target customers are, how it reaches them, and how it operates to deliver value.
The business model process is a blueprint that shows how all the pieces fit together. By defining the business model clearly, a company can set goals, identify risks, and plan for growth. Without it, a business lacks direction and focus.
Set Inspiring Goals
The most effective step that you can follow to promote great productivity levels in your small business is to set motivational goals that will push your staff to achieve their full potential.
When you don’t set your team any goals to work towards, you are forcing them into wandering from one task to another with no real sense of direction. This will no doubt impact the way that they can operate, as you need to set clear goals that they can work towards to feel a sense of accomplishment and be genuinely proud of their efforts.
Achievable Goals
Ensure that your aims are challenging yet still achievable, as making their goals too difficult to reach will have the reverse effect.
Offering brilliant rewards to those who meet their goals can also be of benefit to further boost productivity. Your team will no doubt want to benefit from a potential bonus or an extra day’s holiday.
Don’t make the mistake of offering a low-level reward like a box of chocolates, as this could easily be perceived as an insult suggesting that you undervalue your employee’s hard work. Offering rewards can motivate recipients and those around them who don’t quite make it.
Those who don’t meet their goals will be more inspired than ever to get their head in the game. Thus, they work harder to achieve them so that they can subsequently enjoy the same benefits and advantages.
Promote Better Levels Of Communication in Your Business Model
Another brilliant way to improve productivity in your small business is by promoting better communication.
Having no clear plan of action predetermined by you and your team will cause your small business to descend into chaos, as you need a clear sense of direction with set rules and boundaries for your staff to follow.
Thankfully, it can be easy to promote better levels of communication, as you can start by setting up regular meetings. These meetings give you a chance to catch up on any news while monitoring progress and discussing any of the goals above that you have taken the time to set.
Hosting a once-daily meeting in the morning will help set your team up for the day, and it can even help reduce the likelihood of error, confusion, and time wastage.
Additionally, ensuring your staff has access to a reliable communications system that they can use even when they are working remotely will help keep your small business running smoothly.
You’re going to need a top-quality small business phone system to relay messages and stay in the loop, especially if you need to get an answer fast – calling is instant, and you can get an immediate reply, unlike email or other IM options that may lead to a more significant delay in communication.
Set A Brilliant Example For Your Team To Follow
Owning a small business gives you the chance to run your select close-knit team. Therefore, you can develop a strong relationship with your limited number of colleagues.
As your team will likely look up to you as a source of inspiration, a brilliant way that you can successfully lead them towards total success is by setting an excellent example for them to follow.
Your team needs someone who is as hard-working and committed as possible to keep them motivated during every shift.
So, being a productive boss will help your entire team function more efficiently, as they can look up to you as a guiding light that shows them the ideal route to success.
It’s fair to say that becoming a source of motivation and inspiration isn’t always easy. However, you can begin by setting a few relevant goals for yourself and your employees.
Aiming to improve your organizational skills will benefit your career and inspire your team to improve, too, so it’s a win-win situation.
Setting yourself goals also proves that you’re involved in your small business model, as your team will easily recognize just how committed you are. When you take your role seriously, this can be incredibly inspiring for all of your staff.
On the other hand, if you make the mistake of letting them think that you don’t care about your small business or its customers, they will follow suit and offer the same poor work ethic.
Never Be Afraid To Outsource
You must take the time to explore the pathway of outsourcing if you wish to improve standards within your small business. Outsourcing can be briefly described as contracting another individual or company to perform certain tasks on behalf of your business.
It’s fair to say that nearly all areas of your small business can be outsourced in today’s modern world, and taking the opportunity to outsource can provide you with many different benefits, too.
For example, you can enlist the services of a digital reception desk to answer your phone calls if you don’t have such an employee of your own. You can also take the opportunity to seek out skilled IT support that can help to cover and resolve any technical issues or aid you in creating and maintaining a beautiful website.
A good example of how this can help is streamlined user access management processes that reduce the administrative burden on IT staff, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks. Or what about outsourcing essential cybersecurity measures like MDR with managed SIEM services, which helps organizations proactively identify and respond to threats, further bolstering operational efficiency and security?
Any small business is likely to outsource tasks for various reasons, whether due to a lack of in-house expertise or even because of staff constraints that mean other projects need to take priority.
Make sure that you always perform your research into any outsourcing companies or individuals before you allow them anywhere near your small business.
You need to maintain complete trust and faith that the service you are paying for can provide you with a high-quality finish and great value for money.
Incorporate New Technology to Enhance an Innovative Business Model
As part of your business model plan, you may create a budget for new technology. If you are not in the habit of integrating new technology into your business, you may be unaware of its potential benefits.
The fact is that new technology and innovations are being created all the time, which makes business more efficient and more productive. If your competitors are embracing this kind of change, but you are not, then it is only a matter of time before you start falling behind them.
New technology and software can offer more functions and features to speed up processes. They can automate slow and outdated processes and free up your staff to become more productive.
Something such as sales automation AI for your business can drastically improve your ability to process sales. More sales mean more revenue, and that drives growth.
Motivate Your Staff To Grow To New Heights
Part of your new business model must be creating a new and improved company culture. The company’s culture can determine how motivated and productive your staff are. As a leader, it is your job to inspire and motivate your staff.
You can do this in many ways, such as involving them in important decisions and listening to their options. You need them to feel valued as this makes someone more motivated.
Be Ready to Pivot
Have a plan B ready if you need to pivot your business model. Things change rapidly today, and you never know when to change your business. Your business will then stay ahead of the curve and competition.
For example, 4 years ago, I had to pivot teaching classes online from in-person sessions. It allowed me to generate a more passive income along the way.
Your Input On Growing Your Biz With A Model
How are you changing your biz model? I’d love to hear more about it in the comments if you are or have changed it in the past.
FAQ: Enhance Your Business Model – 8 Ways to Grow To New Heights
What are the eight ways to grow my small biz model?
The eight ways include improving customer experience, expanding your market, diversifying your products, optimizing operations, leveraging technology, forming strategic partnerships, investing in marketing, and focusing on employee development.
How can I improve customer experience?
Listen to feedback, offer personalized services, and ensure quick responses to inquiries. Happy customers are loyal customers.
Why is market expansion important?
Market expansion helps you reach new customers and reduces dependency on a single market, increasing stability.
What does diversifying my products mean?
It means offering new products or services that complement your existing ones. This spreads risk and attracts more customers.
How can I optimize my operations?
Streamline processes, reduce waste, and invest in tools that increase efficiency. This saves time and money.
How can technology help my business grow?
Technology can automate tasks, improve communication, and offer new ways to reach and engage customers. It also provides data for better decision-making.
What should I look for in strategic partnerships?
Look for partners who complement your strengths, share your values, and can help you reach new markets or improve your offerings.
Why is marketing crucial for growth?
Marketing increases brand awareness, attracts new customers, and keeps existing ones engaged. Consistent marketing efforts drive growth.
How does focusing on employee development benefit my business?
Investing in your team improves their skills, increases job satisfaction, and reduces turnover. A skilled and happy workforce drives success.
Hi Lisa – I agree with all of these points. Goal setting in particular is so important. There are freelancers who outsource some of their work in order to grow their business, and you are right – you should never be afraid of doing so. It’s a good thing as long as you outsource the right type of work to the right people. Setting a good example for the people you outsource to is also really important. If you’re not doing that great of a job for yourself, they might feel like they don’t have to do a very good job either. This post contains really good advice. 🙂
Thanks Sabina. Yes, if you want to grow you have to hire help or outsource it to get the work done and take on new projects to make more money. You definitely need the right people to do it, they can make or break your business. Thanks for coming by on this one and have a great week!
Outsourcing is such a biggie Lisa. I think of the time and energy I have saved my hiring my web developer and designer. Invest in people who do what you cannot do to scale, expand and thrive with your business. Excellent blog post.
Hi Ryan, yes it is a big one! My techie has saved me a ton of time and aggravation over the years. I also have 2 freelancers that help with scheduling social media for clients. It gives me time to grow other parts of my business. Thanks for coming by on this one Ryan. Make it a great day!