How Routines Keep Your Business Running Smoothly

Jul 11, 2022

How Routines Keep Your Business Running Smoothly

Avoid getting bogged down by tech support, office management, and other tasks. Here’s how to create routines to make these things easier and ensure they happen regularly.

Routines aren’t just for your personal life; they’re also essential for your business. Sometimes routines need improvement when they aren’t working well, creating more lag, or employees aren’t using them. On the other hand, the right routines improve workflows, set expectations among staff and buyers, and maximize efficiencies.

How do you adopt routines that work smoothly and efficiently?

Effective routines should do the following:
• Position your business for success
• Keep employees motivated and focused
• Promote a culture of productivity
• Level up your customer service
• Leverage business tools to maximize efficiency

Position Your Business for Success

What do you want to accomplish? Routines begin with goals, and SMART goals help propel you toward success. So, before starting a routine, determine your “why” behind the routine. Then, establish SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. These goals will help you determine whether the new practice is working and how well it’s working. Your goals will also show you where the routine falls short.

Keep Employees Focused

Routines keep employees focused by setting expectations for what they need to do and how and when to do it. However, there’s a flip side to routines, too.

For some employees, too much routine might seem boring, while others embrace it. Communication is the key to establishing balance. Talk with your employees when establishing routines. Sometimes breaking routines might be just the thing to motivate employees to focus on something else by breaking up the monotony of regular tasks. Be mindful of when it’s best to stick to a routine and when it’s better to break from it temporarily.

Promote a Culture of Productivity

Encourage your employees to start the day with a morning routine. Instead of focusing on the tasks ahead, focus on allowing yourself to begin the day on a peaceful, positive note full of confidence.
Morning habits that help you start the day should differ from routines that focus on tasks that employees need to complete, and morning habits need not take much time, either. You can accomplish a morning habit in as little as 30 minutes or as much as 90 minutes. The choice is yours.

What a morning habit looks like for you and your employees will differ from one person to the next. For some, it might be sitting down and enjoying a morning cup of coffee. For others, a morning workout such as a walk, run, or yoga works best. Still, for others, meditation or prayer might be the key. For some, it might be as simple as journaling or making a daily to-do list.

The point of establishing a morning habit, whatever it looks like for you, is that it gives you a sense of peace and allows you to start the day on a positive note.

Level Up Your Customer Service

The customer service your company provides is the first step to customer retention. It’s more important to retain your existing buyers than it is to gain new buyers with each sale. Repeat buyers tend to spend more than new buyers. In fact, repeat buyers account for 65% of a company’s business, according to Annex Cloud, a loyalty experience platform. Furthermore, 86% of repeat buyers are more likely to refer others, such as family and friends. So, you might say that it pays to place more emphasis on customer service and customer retention.

Leverage Business Tools to Maximize Efficiency

To smooth the transition to routine in your workflow, you can use automation for some tasks, such as a calendar to schedule and track meetings and appointments, but don’t stop there.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology that helps you manage everything from marketing to sales, digital commerce, and your company’s customer service interactions. CRMs provide insight into what’s currently working and areas you could improve.
Another useful tool is social media management tools that allow you to schedule social posts in advance and manage interactions. Like CRMs, social media management tools also provide insight into how your company’s social profiles are performing.

Having routines for your business is a crucial factor for success and growth. But we know it can be hard to begin with new habits, so here’s our advice: start small and work your way up. Try implementing one or two of the tips above, and then expand from there as you see fit!
For other tips and articles, visit our blog here. (link to EPM Wholesale site blog)

Sources

1. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/science-clear-multitasking-doesnt-work/
2. https://hbr.org/2010/12/you-cant-multi-task-so-stop-tr
3. https://brainfodder.org/multi-tasking-doesnt-work/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7075496/
5. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-create-a-daily-routine-2648007
6. https://youpreneur.com/how-to-create-a-business-minded-morning-routine/
7. https://www.ondeck.com/resources/work-routines-40-successful-business-leaders/
8. https://www.zirtual.com/blog/post/best-daily-routines-for-small-business-owners
9. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/routines-culture-organizations-33878.html
10. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/329377
11. https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/33-daily-habits-practiced-by-successful-entrepreneurs-executives.html
12. https://www.annexcloud.com/blog/customer-loyalty-top-63-customer-retention-statistics-for-2022/
13. https://www.annexcloud.com/blog/21-surprising-customer-retention-statistics-2021/