When you’re a business owner, there’s a plethora of different things that you have to think about such as delegating work out to your staff, thinking of new and exciting directions to take your business, ensuring that you’re earning what you should be, and much more. It’s understandable that the smaller details won’t enter your mind and these things will be left out until the time comes when you need them. In this article is going to be some things that you should keep track of so that you don’t land yourself in a position where you’re without something essential for your business to run smoothly.
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Illness
Have you ever sat down and thought about what action you would take if a member of staff were to call in sick, or you fell ill yourself? There always needs to be a contingency plan so that your business and customers don’t suffer from the lack of staff or guidance.
One great way of getting around the dilemma of a member of staff being unwell is to ensure that you have part time members of staff that you could call to see if they can cover the shift. Of course, all members of staff should be trained up to the same level so that if you can’t get cover then the people that are left in work have the capability to continue as normal. Unfortunately, people fall unwell at unexpected times so other than trying to have staff there to come in if needed there isn’t much that you can do to avoid being short staffed.
When it comes to you falling ill, have you appointed a member of staff that can step into your shoes while you’re recovering? It’s a good idea to promote the most experienced and capable member of staff to senior so that if you do fall ill then the business won’t suffer while you’re away. Training them up to do the work that you do will ensure that everything essential is completed when it needs to be. Also, having a senior member of staff will allow you to concentrate on other parts of the business while they take charge of the rest of your members of staff.
Stationery
One thing that’s easy to forget about is the amount of stationery that you have lying around ready for use when needed. Making sure that your company is set up with a supplier that can send email reminders to you will prevent you from losing track of what you have.
The same goes for things like the ink in your printers. The great thing is, you can buy HP ink cartridges with free delivery to make your life much easier. Remember that buying in bulk will save you money in the long run on all things printer related, and it will also make sure that you’re not going to run out anytime soon.
Happy staff
This might sound a little trivial, but have you checked to see how happy your staff are with the procedures that they’re expected to carry out and also if they have any problems with any other general things? Ensuring that your staff are happy will guarantee harder and more enthusiastic workers.
If needed, extra training for your staff should be provided so that they can do their job to the best of their abilities. This is especially important for members of staff that are handling potentially dangerous equipment because if they’re not properly trained they could end up hurting themselves or worse.
Have you got an area within the workplace in which your staff can go and relax on their breaks? It might be an idea to make space in a private room with a coffee and snack machine so that they can refuel on their lunch breaks. Little touches like that will help towards keeping your staff happy.
Don’t forget to empathise with personal problems that people may have. While personal things should be left at home, sometimes things happen that will affect a member of staff’s mood or performance. Keeping an open door policy for them to come and talk to you if needed will make them feel more relaxed and less likely to hide it from you.
Rules and regulations
Remember to keep yourself updated on the laws that you must follow as an employer so that you’re not caught out and exposed. Things like making sure your staff are being paid at least minimum wage, ensuring they’re taking enough breaks, and also providing them with enough holiday hours are all things that you need to be considering. News of a company not following the rules and regulations could potentially break a business, so be sure to follow it as time goes on to prevent this from happening.
As previously mentioned about the safety of your staff, do you have rules and regulations in place for them to follow to prevent them from hurting themselves at work? If you’re found to have not provided the right safety gear and training then you could be liable to be sued by a staff member if they end up hurting themselves.
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Back up
What would you do if you arrived at work and the electric wasn’t coming on? It’s likely that some form of your business needs electric to run like a computer, a fridge, or even a till. Have back ups ready so that if something goes wrong with your electric, heating, water, or even building damage you will have someone ready to come and get you back on your feet again.
Search around for companies that have quick call out times for businesses to avoid losing out on precious business time. If you become familiar with a company then they are likely to favour coming to help you out if and when it’s needed.
Put these bits of advice into action and you can then rest assured that you’re not forgetting small details and that you can continue running a successful and happy business.