Running a business is hard. There are so many facets and processes that make up all kinds of businesses, and that’s why we have these marvelous things called, “employees.” An employee is a person that is paid keep track of facets and processes that are outside of a business owner’s capacity. Sometimes, employees take care of things that business owners do not even know about their business.
Here are a few things that you can get from your employees’ knowledge about your business:
Increase in Sales
That’s right, your sixteen-year-old, minimum wage employee could help bolster your sales. Firstly, your employees are on the front lines of your operation. They see up-close who comes in, who buys, what they buy, and how satisfied they were with your business. So, the next time you are deciding what inventory to stock the shelves with, consider asking your employees about your business’ demographics and what they see performing well.
Secondly, your employees may have outside knowledge that you just don’t have. Maybe the teenager folding t-shirts three nights a week has a passion for fashion and knows what the current trends are with kids their age! An increase in sales could be one short team meeting away when you tap into the knowledge your employees have.
Bonus: your employees will feel that their opinion is valued simply because you asked for it!
Improved Marketing
Nowadays, social media marketing is everything. In 2017, about 2.26 billion people were on social media, and this includes many of your employees. If your business does not have an active social media presence (or one at all) it may be time to use your employees’ knowledge to improve that presence. No matter your personal tech skills, your employees may be able to bridge the gap between you and brand-devout Instagram followers.
Another way you may be able to utilize your employees’ knowledge is in email marketing. Have any language majors in your bunch that could help you craft a focused email to your loyal customers? Further, email is an excellent way to communicate with your demographic without spending money, as you would for a targeted social media campaign.
Streamlined Processes
Your employees faithfully carry out your operations, so why not consider their thoughts on the simple tasks that they carry out? Perhaps it would be better to mop the floors in the morning when sunlight finds its way through the store windows. Your employee may make suggestions that make things easier for themselves, but as the business owner, you can determine if what they have to say is worth considering.
For example, more light may mean cleaner floors and happier customers. Maybe a particular function of your POS software is too difficult to use, and is slowing down the transaction process. Perhaps one person supervising the arrival of new stock is just not enough. Your employees may have insight that you do not have on the processes that they carry out on a daily basis.
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs
