Business is cyclical. Inevitably, there will be times where there is little to do except wait for the phone to ring or email to ping. During these periods, you can watch dollars fly out of the window in the form of lost productivity or you can position your company for growth when the cycle ends. Here are five things that will help you get ready for the next boom. They might even shorten the wait!
- Read a good book.
And, share it with your team. Require every team member to read a book and share the information with the group. Yes, you read that right, REQUIRE them to read and share. They can choose what they want to read, but they have to answer three questions when they share the information: What did they learn? How does it apply to your business? What is the first step towards implementation?
- Clean house.
Janitorial services clean surfaces. They remove trash, dust, and keep your space looking presentable. The roll-up-your-sleeves deep cleaning that brightens a room, clears out inboxes, and organizes files is best done by the people using the space. Make it a fun project by having a friendly competition where the best job wins a prize (gift cards, dinner out, extra vacation day, etc.)
- Clean your company's digital house.
Managing multiple databases is a part of every business. Over time, records get duplicated, data becomes corrupted, and information loses relevance. Work with the people who use the data across channels, departments, and divisions to combine, repair, and streamline acquisition and management. Time invested will be returned many times over.
- Cross Train
Exchange team members with other departments and divisions so they can learn about the processes and the challenges. When possible, make the "borrowed" members responsible for working with their own departments without access to inside information. Eyes get opened when people are moved to the blind side.
- Offer Earned Mental Health Days
A business slow down combined with the gloom and doom that permeates every news channel can destroy corporate morale. People need purpose to be fulfilled. Earned mental health days aren't vacations. They are the opportunity to work on pet projects that are lower priorities in busy times. Challenge your team to brainstorm ideas to improve sales and reduce costs. Give them the time and resources (within reason) to outline the implementation plan. And, if their plan has merit, implement it and reward them with a percentage of the revenue generated or money saved.
If you were expecting a hunker down and wait for the storm to pass when you read this post, I hope that you aren't disappointed. It is impossible to move forward from a defensive position. Using the ideas listed above positions your company for growth and profitability when the slow period passes. Your team members will work better together, productivity and efficiency will be improved, and you may find the next big idea!