How Organized Is Your Business?

The key to running a solid business revolves around organization.

For some businesses, they are as organized as can be. Others, meantime, definitely need to step up their organization games.

With that in mind, where would you rate your business when it comes to organization?

Consumers Want, Demand Well-Run Businesses

In today’s competitive business world, it is imperative that companies do all they can (both internally and outward) to show consumers they have their stuff together. Otherwise, consumers may not have faith in your brand, deciding to take their business elsewhere.

To see if your company is as organized as it should be, check-off the following:

• Employees – First and foremost, how organized is the team around you? From getting daily tasks done to making sure your customer service efforts (see more below) are second to none, your team must operate like a well-oiled machine. If it doesn’t, cracks can appear in your business. It doesn’t hurt to have monthly meetings with your team to see what is working well and what needs attention. While the meetings should always be upbeat, it doesn’t hurt to be honest and address where things are slipping through the cracks. Without singling out anyone specifically, look to how you can improve upon the area or areas of your business that are not up to the standards they should be;
• Customer service – Without sound customer service, you run the risk of losing new and even old-time customers. Be sure that your customers get the full attention they deserve, especially if there is a question or issue. That attention also means responding to customers in a quick manner, not when your employees feel like it. A big turn-off to customers is being kept waiting, especially if there is an issue over money. Also got out of your way to reward those customers that have been loyal to you;
• Website – Your window to the consumer world is your company’s website, so make sure it is firing on all cylinders. Have an organized site like tradebit and other such brands makes for a win-win for both you and consumers. Your site should be easy to navigate, chock-full of good information and positive imagery, and be free of major gaffes (i.e. bad links, pages that crash regularly, stale content etc.). As more consumers move to the mobile world, make sure your site is easily adaptable for mobile devices. This is a great way to nudge consumers to buy products or services from you when they are in a shopping mood, be it in a store or spending time surfing the Internet on their different devices;
• Marketing – Are you truly running effective marketing campaigns? If not, why is that? Your marketing campaigns are the cornerstone of attracting new business, not to mention retaining that which you already have. Your marketing initiatives should always be looking to push the envelope, giving consumers something that the competition simply can’t deliver. Speaking of such campaigns, make sure you are not trying to shove a sale down the throats of consumers each and every time you market to them. Lastly, always know the demographics you are marketing to. People and their like/dislike of products and services can change on a whim, so knowing who you’re marketing to and what interests them most can never be overlooked;
• Socialization – How organized is your business as it relates to social media? If you’re not part of the social media phenomenon that has swept the nation over the last number of years, your business is truly missing out. Some business owners state the reason they avoid social media is because they can’t get a true return on investment (ROI) with it, at least in their minds. Actually, social media and its importance to your brand can be documented and analyzed with the right analytics. One of the main reasons for social media activity besides marketing your brand is getting consumer feedback. It is important to see what consumers are saying not only about your brand, but that of the competition. As more consumers turn to sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. to speak their minds, you need to know what’s being said.

If organizing your business hasn’t been a priority up to now, change that thought process moving forward.