News Flash: COVID’s not the only Problem in Your Business

Let’s face it, you were probably already having problems in your business, the pandemic just made it so much worse. 

Yes, it sounds harsh… but we’re in the middle of a worldwide crisis and there are 100,000+ businesses that are holding on by a thread right now. 

Covid-19 has forced us all into a very uncomfortable and unsafe new reality. It’s harder than ever to successfully keep your doors open, let alone grow your business. 

But, the challenges caused by Covid-19 aren’t going away anytime soon and until you fill in the problematic cracks in your company’s foundation, you will continue to be vulnerable even post-pandemic. 

Small businesses have some pretty common operating issues, and while most of the time these issues don’t necessarily result in failure… When you add a crisis like a pandemic to the mix, these problems can be crippling.  

There’s never been a better time than right now to secure your future by taking action on the things you can control… So, let’s talk about how to tackle your non-pandemic issues and fortify your business.

Identify Your Roadblocks in Your Business

If you weren’t already aware of any underlying problems in your company’s operations, by now the pandemic has painfully highlighted them.  

One major issue with most startups and small businesses is when the entire operation is reliant on one person, typically the entrepreneur/business owner. 

Although most start-ups begin as a one-man show, many small business owners are still having to move every piece of their businesses with their own hands… they’re the CEO, the CMO, the project manager, the appointment bookers, the salesmen, and the round-the-clock employee. 

There’s a word for this kind of mental and emotional strain, burn-out! And, here’s how you know if you’re burning yourself out:

• You’re always at work, even when you’re not at work. 

• You feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

• You’re having trouble thinking clearly and focusing.

• Your health is declining from prolonged stress. 

• Your family, relationships, and personal time are suffering. 

Building a successful business takes grit and perseverance. Unfortunately, most small business owners are also running themselves into the ground…

And when there’s a major disruption, like a public health crisis, you don’t have the energy or resources to survive.

Clear a Path to Success

Consistently improving your business is crucial for success and sustainability. It’s incredibly hard to pivot during times of dramatic change if your business isn’t streamlined and you’re dealing with burn-out.

Here are some simple steps you can take to strengthen your business: 

Diversifying your team: When you have a diversified team, you have a pool of talent, experience, and skills to pull from when you need to problem-solve, brainstorm, or when there’s a crisis and you’re having to navigate uncharted waters. 

Delegating to your team leaders: Hiring team leaders will free up your time and allow you to give higher value tasks more of your focus.  

No matter how much you try, you can’t be “everywhere at once” with your business. You need to delegate responsibility and assign specific roles to individuals. Having team leaders with focused responsibilities will keep things from falling through the cracks. 

Adopting tools that will streamline your operations: The importance of using the right collaboration tools is going to be the difference between your business successfully running on auto-pilot…And your business running you.

Use a tool that effortlessly tracks all the inner workings of your business, like a project management tool. Find one that organizes your projects and deadlines and keeps your team on the same page.

This project management tool automatically sets up chat & voice channels for every project to boost your team’s collaboration and communication no matter if they are in the office or working remotely.  

Adopting a project management tool organizes your whole operation and doesn’t rely on you having to remember all the moving parts.

Bulletproof Your Business

If your business’s operation is not laser-focused it’s not going to survive this pandemic or any other crisis. 

We’re still in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and some experts predict it will take more than 5 years for businesses to recover from the shutdowns.

So, if you’re holding out for things to “go back to normal,” the hard truth is that waiting could be the end of your business.  

Focus on what you can control.

Utilize a team of skilled individuals and adopt technology that will organize and optimize your business process. This will help you effectively grow, even in a pandemic…. And help you shield your business from the uncertain future.