Shining the spotlight on the neglected areas of your business

For Australian businesses, there are areas that they do really well in. However, the focus on the successful areas often leads to the neglect of another area. In the following article, we seek to help business owners overcome the challenges with their business’s ‘blind spots.’

Operational health and food safety

It is something that is promoted to businesses time and time again, but businesses still seem to fall through the cracks. There are cases where occupational health and safety is put at risk because businesses don’t put safety practices in to prevent customer or staff injuries or health risks. Food safety is just as important and many in the hospitality industry still don’t take significant measures to ensure that their food preservation and hygiene methods are up to the health and safety standards. A simple solution to food preservation would be for businesses that deal with foods, to partner with a wholesale packaging supplier that can offer packaging and preservation solutions.

Looking at your business with fresh eyes

When you are involved in your business operations day to day, your behaviours start becoming habits and you start to become more used to your environment. This makes it difficult to pick up any errors or mistakes that is happening with your business, particularly areas that are being neglected. A better option would be to bring someone in (ideally an expert) that can look at your business with fresh eyes and provide you with a report breakdown on the areas of your business that need more attention. Once you have generated a list of those items, it makes it easier to focus on those areas of your business that have been lacking attention. Sometimes it is the little details that can sabotage the greater operations of the business.

Keeping your business clean and tidy!

First impressions count when you have first time customers. You shouldn’t risk the prospect of gaining a long-term customer by bringing them into an untidy workplace. Even though it may not be through any fault of your own, it is important that you instill clean and tidy practices throughout the workplace. Ensure that hygiene is always maintained and that the business is free from odours or unsavoury sights.

Punctuality and distractions

Is punctuality working at your business? People’s lack of punctuality can be costing you more in terms of operations. Someone’s tardiness can be adding to an unnecessary workload and backlog to your business. Even worse than bad punctuality is the amount of distractions that impact the momentum of your business’s productivity. If these issues arise, deal with it immediately as the longer they continue, the more it will negatively impact your business.

Attention to detail when it comes to customer service

The experience the customer has with your business can make or break your business. As important as this is, it is still amazing to see how poorly businesses fail with their customer service management. Whether it is inside the business, training staff, managing complaints, managing new enquiries or etiquette, it all adds to the overall customer experience. It is much easier to lose a prospect than to gain one. It’s not worth letting all the hard work you’ve done to build your business become undone, due to poor customer experience management.

Organisation and planning

This is something that all businesses should have under control from the day that they open their doors, however organisation and planning is an area that is a weakness to many, and their business suffers because of it. Administration is probably the key area that businesses fail to keep organised. Files and receipts go missing and there is no structure or system to keep, manage and maintain records. It is ideal to hire admin staff that can help you manage and stay on top of administration work. When it comes to other areas of your business, hire strong candidates in planning, project management and organisation. Additionally, there are software applications that help to make organising your life and business easier.

Businesses shouldn’t make excuses to neglecting areas of their business. While it can be accidental, measures should be put in place to review the business practices once every few months to ensure all areas of the business are being covered sufficiently.