11 Best Practices for Building A Small Business

Set Team ExpectationsSetting proper team expectations and accountability is one of the most impactful things a small business can do. On a regular basis bring all managers and executives together for a big meeting to discuss each department and their accomplishments and challenges. It is also a good time for other departments to give feedback to management.

Have a Clear ProcessHaving a clear process that every team member understands is extremely important. When a task needs to be completed, there is a clear funnel and order of operations that must be followed. This improves efficiency and reduces the chance of fumbling information and having things slip through the cracks.

Solicit Feedback From Your TeamBuild a solid set of processes for your business. The bigger you scale, the more you’ll likely need to delegate. So how does a business owner stay efficient when the day to day may be further away from the core operations? It’s important to gather feedback from your team often to make sure you’re addressing inefficiencies and constantly improving as you grow.

Keep Everything TransparentThe power of transparency to is key if you wish to build a solid operation. Cross-checks, social collaboration tools and breaking down silos are all ways to ensure that each operation is optimal for all of your business needs. Across levels and departments, operations should be communicated, tested and approved.

Document Your ProcessProviding clear and concise documentation for your team leaves very little room for things to be miscommunicated. It also leaves little room for your team to not know what to do or for them to be confused. These are the biggest time wasters in an organization. Documentation makes it easier to onboard new employees and saves your business from being reliant on any one person.

Build For The FutureAlthough it’s important that systems and processes address today’s pain points for your business, it’s much more imperative that they are built to handle changes that could be coming years down the road. You have to look ahead and plan for all plausible changes in your business to ensure the operations you’re building do not become quickly outdated.

Keep The 3 P’s In MindMarcus Lemonis of CNBC’s show “The Profit” always says it, and it’s on point. Building a solid operation is all about the three P’s: Process, people and product. Build your operation to flow and operate well with that and you’ll have a successful business.

Choose the Right PeopleNo one person is going to be be the best at everything. It all comes down to choosing the right person and personality type for each role so that no one is doing tasks that they resent. Forget coaching weaknesses and focus on leveraging strengths and passions. Then watch everything fall into place.

Provide Excellent Customer ServiceProvide the best customer service you can. That is the most important thing you can do. You will at some point have a dissatisfied customer, but how you handle it will give you a solid reputation in your industry.

Reward EffortNo one likes their work to go unrecognized. Recognition of effort and

achievement – thanks for a job well done – makes employees feel valued.

It seems like an obvious point, but often business management training

overlooks the positive impact of appreciation. Some managers might even

feel that being too "touchy-feely" undermines their authority. On the

contrary, reward motivates people to achieve more and helps to build

company loyalty.

Be VulnerableVulnerability is a recurring theme in Lencioni's business management articles. He

believes that managers need to stop being anonymous figures in the lives of junior

employees and that getting to know employees is one of the best ways for

management to engage their workers. He also sees vulnerability as crucial in team

dynamics; without being able to speak openly and put one's ideas on the spot, it is

impossible for teams to build trust.

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