Getting a Grip on Your Workflow

Inundated with the thousands of processes and software solutions, small business owners often find it daunting to change how they do business. However, taking a step back and looking at the big picture will often expose over-complexities and over-simplifications. So, how do you figure out what the correct balance is?

Try these four techinques to help you get a grip:

(1) Analyze how work requests reach your desk - Whether you are in the business of fixing legal problems or fixing health problems, take a step back and determine how work currently gets to your desk and what processes can be cut out. Draw a flowchart; although it may seem parochial, it will expose unnecessary complexities in your business process. Some small offices that I have worked with simply add on "things-to-do-when..." tasks to their existing process. Over time, these become cumbersome and inefficient.

(2) Figure out a way to measure productivity and start tracking it - Measuring productivity does not always have to be in dollars. But, let's be honest; the bottom line is what small business owners really want. However,tracking non-monetary metrics will help you figure out where improvements can be made to ultimately boost your bottom line. Although every business in unique, some common indicators of inefficiencies are time spent per client, complexity of work, risk associated with work, and predictability of work. Putting empirical values behind these indicators will help you get see hidden problems.

(3) What business goals are important to you? (e.g. productivity, predictability, visibility, etc.) - Focus on what is preventing you from taking action. If you cannot predict your work, you might be keeping on too much staff to handle work that may or may not come in. If you lack visibility, you cannot determine which clients are generating the most profit for you. If you cannot measure productivity, you cannot determine how many hours you should be working to reach your revenue goals. Instead, you work as much as you can and lose your work-life balance, which of course will lead to burn-out.

(4) Create a sustainable process to achieve your goals - Take a day out to plan a new process by walking through your process from marketing to fulfillment. It does not take much, but a little thought will go a long way. If you need to, hire a professional to help you through designing a process. The efficiency gains can be tremendous.

The point here really is to cut out the fat and streamline your business process in a way that is focused on increasing the dollars in your pocket. Focus your business around your core revenue-streams. Instead of creating new revenue streams, broaden and deepen the ones that you have.

Is a Traditional Website Obsolete in a Web 2.0 World?

Considering the way people use the Web today, every small business owner should be asking themselves whether their traditional Web site should be the cornerstone of their Web presence. Several social media leaders today advocate dropping the traditional Web site model in favor of a blog. The thought behind the advice stems from the fact that most small business Web sites are little more than glorified business cards. Moreover, those Web sites are rarely visited.

Even as a marketing tool, traditional Web sites fall short. As a business owner, you have to ask how much value that actually delivers for your particular product or services. Especially as a service provider, a blog can help establish you as a trusted professional. For instance, a small doctor’s office can attract clients by writing posts about health topics, such as nutrition and exercise. That sort of credibility can grow into a new client-base. Of course, the same model can be applied across any industry.

Have you had any success with blogs or Facebook discussions that you have not seen on a Web page?

Maximizing Technology Dollars

Using Cloud Computing to Lower your Tech-Spend

Regardless of your industry, it’s likely that you are feeling the squeeze from today's challenging economic climate. In an effort to stay in the black, several small businesses are cutting back on their non-business critical expenses; one of those expenses can be technology. Driven by cost cutting, several small businesses are exploring cloud computing as a way to trim the fat from their technology investment.

What is that cloud computing?

More likely than not, you are using a cloud computing applications already (also called Software-as-a-Service or SaaS in some smaller applications). For instance, Web-based e-mail and online office tools, like Gmail, Google Docs or LexisNexis are cloud applications. Essentially, cloud applications are software programs you use over the Web, requiring less upfront investment and fewer maintenance headaches.

The nice thing about software in the cloud is that it does not cost you maintenance overhead. Think of cloud computing as buying utilities for your home. Analogous to the cloud computing, you would not build a generator in your backyard for electricity. Rather, you let the electric company distribute that cost to all its users. In the same way, cloud applications do not require buying hardware, services or maintenance contracts.

As an added bonus, cloud computing enables you to leverage the same technology muscle as large businesses without all of the costs they incur. For small businesses, this means playing on a more level playing field. Today, cloud computing providers are entering the market for just about every industry, including, health-care, legal, accounting, and sales. The most prominent example of cloud applications today is SalesForce, which provides a Customer Relationship Management ("CRM") tool for Sales and other related industries.

Cloud Computing Adoption

Cloud computing (and SaaS technology) has been around for at least a decade; so, why is cloud computing making headway now? The most important reason is the affordability, reliability and speed of your Internet connection. Being a remotely hosted service, cloud computing requires a fast and stable connection out to the Web to access your data. Internet connections are truly more reliable today. In fact, you will more likely have more downtime with your in-house technology versus downtime with a cloud provider because of a failed connection to the Web.

For small businesses, trusting someone else with their sensitive data can be extremely daunting. But, do not fret. Cloud providers will do a better job securing your data than you can. On your own hardware, chances are you risk hardware theft by employees or anyone else who has access to your computers – authorized or unauthorized. Secondly, you probably do not know much about data encryption. So, to cut your technology-spend the right way, find a reputable provide and begin exploring cloud computing for your business.

Read about Ed Scanlan’s adoption of Cloud computing at Total Attorneys.

What Cloud/SaaS services are available in your industry? What has been your experience with Cloud computing?