The majority of our clients are small businesses rocking it on a daily basis with small teams. We know all about that: here at The Marketing Multi-tool, we’re doing the same! How, exactly, do we make magic happen with only five in-house team members, you ask?
Here are a few strategies that we use to help us keep the bar high on creativity and customer service:
1. WHO are you hiring?
This one is a preliminary must-have before you get your staff in place: choose your team members strategically. Do the people you are putting in place complement each other’s strengths? More importantly, do they fit “the vibe” of your business? For us, agility was key. Can someone thrive in an environment that is constantly changing, contingent on the needs of our clients? A curious and eager attitude to jump in and get their hands dirty were must-haves, too. What traits are important for your business?
2. WHAT are you doing today?
Spend 10 minutes in the morning to have the team outline their tasks. Not only do we get better at dividing and delegating tasks among each other, but we saw productivity increase in a big way after doing this. Is one client eating a lot of your time? Is there a more efficient way to handle a workflow for a line of service? A quick meeting is a useful way to gauge the work ethic among your team, and a useful check-in to see how everyone’s handling the workload and avoid burnout.
3. WHEN do you help out in the community?
We’re big community supporters in Jelly Triangle office. Each team member supports their own local causes and charities. Why is it important? Some scientists are claiming helping other people can even make you feel like you’ve got more to play with. It also makes us nicer and happier people. Donating time or resources as a team can be a great team builder, not to mention great networking for the business.
4. Trello is WHERE it’s at.
If you haven’t heard of Trello, you need to check it out. Trello is a free, flexible, and visual way to organize tasks from large to small between staff members. Think to do lists with a ton of perks. Who knows where we’d be without this magical tool! We use it to handle our overall client projects as well as all the intricacies such as building a website, testing it, and taking it live. With deadline dates, color coded options and filters to organize tasks, the Trello gods will make sure you never drop the ball. Join the Trello-verse… if you dare.
5. WHY do you do what you do?
As a business owner, hollowing out time in your team schedule to boost employee morale might feel like an impossible task: but if you don’t, it’ll cost you. Keeping your employees engaged and invested in the work you do and the company will ensure they stick with you, and don’t take their mad skills and know-how to your competitors. One of the biggest reasons employees quit is because they feel their time is undervalued, and another is they don’t feel supported to engage their passion and creativity. Our staff has protected time each week for research, so they can stay up-to-date on innovations in their field. Want to know more about what not to do? Read about 9 Things Managers Do That Make Good Employees Quit.
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