Many small businesses use many apps for different applications that are not connected to each other. Given the level of information being generated that is related across the apps on a daily basis, this is highly inefficient. Small businesses need an efficient system to store all the information in one place based on context so that information can be easily retrieved and acted upon when needed. Organizing and finding data should be much easier and less complicated than it is when using multiple apps. By simplifying the ability to store and retrieve any information when needed, small businesses can speed up the decision-making process and business productivity.
Unfortunately, such businesses may find it very difficult to afford business communication and productivity tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams commonly used in large enterprises. In addition to the licensing cost, there are investments needed to pay for all the extra integrations that are needed. If everybody in the team is not tech savvy, they will also need dedicated resources to help with all the integrations. In addition, employees will also have to go through training to make use of all the features. Given this scenario, let’s see what small businesses can do to improve productivity at a cost they can afford.
1. Use easy-to-use and affordable business communication tool like Clariti
Small businesses may find it affordable to own and easy to use a productivity and business communication tool like Clariti. Clariti combines all your office and business communication including email, chat, calls, cloud-based documents, and to-do in one app and links all related information in a TopicFolder. . TopicFolder not only makes communication faster, it also eliminates the need to search for any information and the stress that comes with it. Using Clariti, small businesses can increase productivity by up to 50%. Clariti is affordable because it is free. You only need to pay for premium features.
2. Keep your meetings focused
It sounds simple, right? The thing about team meetings is they can get out of hand quickly, and then you end up spending more time than you planned for. If you approach them more like a team huddle, you’ll find more success. Keep them brief, to the point, and finish it quickly. Be sure every meeting has a specific goal, and everyone knows it beforehand. If your meeting doesn’t have an agenda, remove it from your calendar.
3. Create context-based tasks
While there are many free to-do apps in the market like Google Tasks and Todoist, among others in each instance when a to-do is triggered, you may have to rely on memory to recollect all the information related to that alert. In a tool like Clariti you can create to-dos that are linked to your emails, chats and documents related to that to-do. Later, when the to-do is triggered, all you have to do is look at the items related to that to-do in one place to understand why the to-do was created in the first place. This saves your time and increases productivity.
4. Improve team messaging
There are lot of team messaging tools available in the market like Microsoft Teams, Flock, RocketChat, Google Chat… the list is endless. Most of these messaging apps are focused on chats or video conferencing. But work is not just limited to chats and videos. It also includes emails, shared documents phone calls and to dos.
However, using different apps for chats, emails, documents, to dos and calls creates communication silos. Later on, if you want to refer to a specific conversation or files, you will have to search in multiple places and remember all the information in memory to visualize the big picture. Another issue with these chat-based apps is you can get stuck in long and never-ending group chats that demand your attention 24/7. It puts pressure on you to be online & available all the time.
For small businesses, Clariti is one of the best team messaging apps that they can rely on. Unlike other messaging tools, in Clariti there are no chat channels. There is no need to constantly track all the chats in the channels. Any Clariti user can start a group chat and add members as needed. Existing members can be removed and new members added based on the conversation flow. This way users are alerted to join a chat only when necessary. Since Clariti also supports other forms of messaging like emails, calls and documents among others, there is no wasted time switching apps. Besides Clariti automatically links all related information in TopicFolders, thus avoiding information silos and making it very easy to find information when needed.
5. Use cloud-based applications
Small businesses require SaaS solutions that are built for and housed in the cloud rather than on-premises ecosystems so that their remote workers can access the tools they would typically use in the office via web browsers. Using a tool like Clariti, will help you to solve this problem as Clariti is a web-based application that can be accessed from anywhere. All you need is an internet connection. You can sign up with your email id, and invite your colleagues and friends to also use Clariti. Since Clariti is cloud-based, no installation or download is required.
6. Stop micromanaging
Constantly supervising your employees with excessive interference will decrease their productivity. This will slow down your employees as they pause to incorporate the continuous input and changes to their workflow. Micromanaging is doubting your employees’ ability to complete tasks independently. This will make your employees dependent on you for guidance to complete the work. When you micromanage, you risk losing your employees’ unique insights, skills, and talents because they have been conditioned to do what they are told to do. When you micromanage your employees, you also lose out on other key tasks and opportunities, as you end up spending most of your time at the lower level.
7. Analyze trends
Both large and small businesses are getting drowned in data. The amount of data that businesses are producing is growing exponentially and it is projected to double every two years. According to a study, for small businesses, the vast majority of that digital information is falling through the cracks, preventing them from seeing valuable insights and effective decision making. Bain & Company reports that only 4% of companies make good use of data analytics with the intent to drive improvements. So, it is time for small businesses to have a big data plan or strategy in place.
8. Empower your team
Empowered employees are loyal, committed and potentially more productive. When employees are given the tools and resources they need to successfully manage or lead their own projects, the benefits are endless. When employees are empowered, they tend to go the extra mile, provide better customer service, have a positive attitude, and become more productive and better at work.
Improving daily productivity at work is a continuous process. It may seem overwhelming but following and implementing simple tips and tools discussed above can make your team more efficient. To learn more about how Clariti can help make your small business more productive, sign up today.
