Keeping your small business running like clockwork can oftentimes prove to be one of the biggest challenges you will ever face as a business owner.
That said it is important to not drop the ball when it comes to being punctual, along with making sure your customers are too.
One of the ways to make sure your small business is running as efficiently as possible is by being sure you are effective at time management.
So, is your small business on time?
Lost Time Means Lost Money
In order for your small business to have the best shot at staying on track, it is important that you manage your time well.
For example, if you run a hair salon, you know that you have myriad of clients coming through the doors from start to finish each and every day.
In the event you have a Salon appointment book, you stand a much better chance of getting as many clients in and out on a timely basis. In doing so, you keep the money flow moving along on a daily basis.
Before all of this technological software came along, small business owners were left with literally writing appointments down in a calendar or even pieces of paper. While the former would do the job for many, leaving important scheduling matters on slips of paper is a recipe for disaster.
With the right software program in place, you can:
- Schedule appointments – Given the fact many clients will schedule appointments months out a time, it is important for you to know when their next visit is planned for. Instead of having to rely on a messy calendar or notepad to jot down such information, an online appointment book does all of the work for you. Simply open up that page, see when the client is scheduled for, and then move on to the next client;
- Appointment reminders – Since clients can get quite busy (just as you do) on a daily basis, it can be easy for them to forget they have an upcoming appointment with you. If that occurs, they either come in late for the appointment or end up canceling it. When the former happens, it can mess up your daily schedule, creating in essence a domino effect. If the latter happens, you are missing out on planned revenue. Either way, your small business doesn’t receive a positive result. The right software program allows you to send them a “friendly” reminder that they are scheduled to visit you on this day.
Depending on what type of software program you invest in, you can also manage your business transactions at the same time.
Making sure you are being properly compensated for each and every business operation that you conduct is imperative. Face it; you did not get into business to be doing free work more times than not.
That said you can stay up to speed on your financial transactions by recording each and every sale you make via your computer software.
If a client has a question about a transaction or perhaps you have one as you are preparing financial data to do your yearly taxes, all the financial information is neatly logged-in, giving you a paper trail minus the paper.
Now, before you start to fret that such computer software will cost you an arm and a leg, keep in mind that there are some very good programs out there, programs that are certainly affordable.
To find the program best suited for your small business, be sure t shop around, using both online options and word-of-mouth. In fact, you might even have a client or two who is experienced in running such computer software. If so, he or she can recommend to you which program would best suit your company’s needs.
In a day and age when time management is essential in properly running a small business, doing things via the technology route and doing away with the paper trail, yes, it simply makes sense.
Before you lose another night’s sleep over how your small business is struggling to stay up with modern times, shop around for a time management software program that will leave you a cut above the competition.
About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics on the web.