Working in a small to medium sized business can be difficult at times, in particular at the end of the year when managers are giving themselves that last minute push to get things done.
Now that all the hard work of 2017 is over however, it’s time to set your business up for success and start the New Year in the best way possible. Here at National Testing we highlight some of the top new year's resolutions for SMEs in 2018:
1. Vital Business Planning
One of the most important aspects of setting off the New Year right is to make sure your business planning is frequently revisited. Many SMEs can lose track of their planning throughout the year very easily as managers tend to have a wide range of responsibilities and very few people to help carry these out.
Frequently revisiting your business plans at regular intervals can be one of the core keys to success as it allows time to reflect and re-evaluate how each week, month or quarter is going - making it easier to spot potential risks before they arise. Taking an hour out of each week to plan can save days of stressful work from unseen problems.
2. Setting goals
Similarly, your overall goals as a business in 2017 are likely to differ to the year ahead so it’s time to home in on what your focus is for 2018. When setting new goals you need to ensure they are SMART; specific to your company, measureable so you can see everyone is on track, realistic so they can be achieved and finally timely, how long will it take to be achieved?
Using the SMART technique is a simple basis for both setting your goals and utilising your ongoing monitoring, keeping you on track for success during 2018.
3. Get the balance right
Don’t forget to make time for yourself. As we mentioned earlier, managing a business can sometimes be extremely draining - especially running a SME as you don’t have many people to share the workload with.
You may not think that your personal life is important when you’re busy at work, but that is definitely not the truth. It can become far too easy to become distracted from the outside world and what really matters. Don’t forget to take off that much needed annual leave you are entitled to; turn off your work phone and enjoy your time away properly.
4. Encouraging excellent teamwork
Even though within a SME the workforce is small, it doesn’t mean the team element should be missed. In fact, ensuring teamwork and good working relationships is key to success of any business.
Many managers fail to create a working relationship with their employees and it can be detrimental to a number of aspects of the business including employee productivity, workforce engagement and customer service. Always remember that a happy worker means a happy customer.
5. Ensure robust risk assessments
Remember at the end of 2017 you noticed that crack in the flooring or the fire risk your employee had reported? Now that you’re back at work it’s time to face the reality and get these sorted. Accidents such as slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury to employees in the workplace which can be easily avoided by having a health and safety assessment from day 1 of 2018.
Not only this but having a robust risk assessment and ensuring all floors, electricals and fire equipment are up to scratch protects you and your business against unnecessary court cases.
As a starting point ensure records are up to date and the premises is safe in terms of fire safety, floor slip testing, PAT testing and health and safety training - if in doubt be sure to enlist the help of a health and safety professional
For further help and advice with risk assessments for your property contact the team at National Testing today. We can help you in ensuring that your stairways, floors, roads and car parks are both safe for your employees and also conform to the legal requirements.