Back in the Office? 7 Ways to Prepare for The “New Normal”
Over the last 15 months, businesses all over the world have been thrown into a different kind of work. Setting up – on the fly – makeshift policies, systems, and programs to support remote working has been a necessary task that virtually everyone in business has had to undertake.
But now, with the new confidence as a result of the vaccination program and the gradual easing of restrictions on daily life, many organizations are starting to plan a return to the office.
Whether it’s a full return or a hybrid model of operating, it’s important to make sure everything is set up for this change.
Here are 7 ways you can give your business a proverbial ‘fresh start.”
1. FRESHEN UP YOUR WEBSITE
It’s always a good idea to go through your website and make sure links are functioning properly and that the information listed is still accurate. Check if the content, mission statement, services/products, logo, and colors are still up-to-date and if anything has changed. If your website is outdated or not functioning properly, it can cost you tremendously. You may also want to consider freshening things up with new content and SEO updates to stay competitive.
2. REEVALUATE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS
When is the last time that you thought about your business goals and checked in to see if you are on track to meet them? Ideally, you should be revisiting and reevaluating your goals frequently, but if you haven’t been doing that, make it a priority now. This back-to-the-office transition period is a great time to consider your business goals because you still have time to make any necessary adjustments to get back on track before the end of the year.
3. REEXAMINE AND OPTIMIZE PROCESSES
We’ve all heard the expression “work smarter, not harder”. One of the best ways to determine if there are opportunities to optimize processes is to speak with your team. Ask them if help you identify any ways to streamline procedures and increase productivity. Maybe you can simplify how you pay bills or manage payroll. Or perhaps you can automate or digitize some of the most time-consuming manual processes in your business. Sometimes just a simple change can result in a major productivity improvement.
4. CLEAN UP YOUR EXPENSES
The main goal behind any business is to make money. Most business owners spend money on unnecessary software, programs, services, and other items they rarely or never use. Those expenditures probably increased in the past 16 months, so now is the perfect time to revisit expenses.
Go through your bank statements and credit card bills to see what you are being charged for each month. If there are items you no longer need, cancel them and put the extra money back into your business toward something that will bring growth. It’s also a good time of year to review your tax returns and the overall financials of your business. Carve out some time to meet with your financial professional; you might be amazed how much money they could help save your company.
5. CLEAR THE PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL CLUTTER
Does your business have any old files taking up space either physically or digitally? Free up space on your desk, in your office closet, and in the cloud by organizing files and folders. Consider deleting or throwing away anything that you no longer need. Having an organized workspace and computer will help you work more efficiently.
6. REVIEW YOUR CLIENTS
Without clients, a business would not survive. But are all the responsibilities of running a business distracting you from really nurturing and taking care of your clients as best you can? Many companies acquire clients and then cruise along on autopilot. Don’t fall into that trap.
This is also a great time to touch base with your clients, past, present, and potential. Check-in with your current clients to make sure everything is going well. Reach out to previous clients to see if they need your services again. Make a list of potential clients and try to secure some new business. You don’t need a specific reason to reach out to people; just stopping in to see how they’re doing can work really well.
7. REVIEW, UPDATE & SECURE YOUR TECHNOLOGY
Last but not least, this is the time to really dig in and take stock of your technology stack, systems and security. Ensuring that your team has access to all the technology they need when returning to the office is vital to maintaining productivity and business success. Net Activity has created a technology checklist that will help you to efficiently implement new procedures and ensure your team is not hindered in their work.
You can download the checklist PDF here. Check out the checklist below and reach out anytime if you need help on any of the points.
