Author: Liz Frome
Change is a normal and inevitable part of business and life. The world is constantly changing, so why shouldn’t your business? Companies that do not adapt and make time for changes are at risk of a downturn or stall and may have trouble adapting to the needs of the market. (When you have a small business; it is extremely hard to keep up with change let alone trying to implement new change. It is important to embrace change and not think of it as being overwhelming. Sometimes you may have to reach out and pay for a consultant to help you keep moving along to finish the changes that you have implemented. It is important to keep swimming to stay above the water and not let your company sink. Trust me I have been at this crossroad many times over the last 26 years!)
Many of your employees may find the process of change difficult as it can feel uncomfortable to step out of accustomed habits and comfort zones, but in both work and life this is essential for long term success for all the employees – long term and short term. Now that companies have remote workers on staff; it had been found to be difficult when implementing change upon employees who work from home, it is important to highlight the importance of the office in the process. (Remote staff need to keep in mind there is a Huge disconnect to operating as a team and not come into the office. These hurdles need to be addressed and for the team to succeed the remote staff need to step up and embrace the change.)
Implementing and supporting change is much more effective in a physical working environment due to the ease of implementing changes, creating role models for change, leading staff through the change and checking if the changed way of working is suitable for all employees. (Again with a small business change, implementation and check ins will take more time. The main obstacle that gets in the way for me is handling our clients daily needs,)
Businesses are going back to a physical location and are asking the remote staff to at least come into the office 3 days a week or come into the office at least a few times a year. Experts say to continue to grow and have business success this is essential.
Please keep in mind, every business has the goal to grow and expand their client base and there are certain areas to concentrate on when making the change.
Expansion - Growth
Many studies have highlighted change as a critical measure for business expansion and growth. Without disruptive changes, businesses can’t reach or grow to their full potential. (Over the last few years The Job Shop has grown for a variety of reasons, but we are now in a place where we need to make changes to continue to grow and expand into other markets. We want to add new staff and to do this a sound structure needs to be in place for the new employees to succeed. We do not want turn over as it is expensive to bring in new employees.)
It is important to embrace necessary changes and ones that solve the current problems of your company can spur on growth. With the right changes, productivity and efficiency will increase, and your employees can gain the knowledge and skillsets that will help to create success in the future and thus ensure growth to continue.
Increased revenue
Implementing several improvements in the workplace can increase revenue for your business. Many businesses see only large changes, such as a different operating strategy, management, acquisition or raising prices, as revenue influencers. (The current economic conditions we are finding at The Job Shop our clients are reviewing the bottom line closely and are thinking twice about bringing on temporary staff. We feel it is not the time to raise our prices but can make some changes to help increase our revenue in a different ways.)
Keep in mind other small changes may help to reduce waste or make your organization make smart choices that reduce costs; that will help increase the revenue.
New business
Change assists organizations in finding and nurturing new business ideas and opportunities. Adopting outstanding change strategies can help any business move forward into new areas created by new ways of working. This could include getting involved in plans to expand with other companies or gaining new contacts which leads to sales growth. (The Job Shop is finally taking the time and is putting together some sound targeted marketing campaigns. Taking the time to evaluate the ideas from the marketing team and embracing some change will lead The Job Shop to new expanded business opportunities.)
Competitive edge
In today’s fast-paced business environment, changes occur daily relating, customer trends, technology, and the ever-changing economy. Few businesses can get by with doing the same thing that they’ve done for years, and many who fail to embrace change can end up out of touch and unable to compete under current ever-changing conditions. (The Job Shop has a solid foundation and goes back to what it was founded on, but we are now finding that we need to look at change more frequently to keep up with the clients and candidates. It is a more demanding work environment and technology changes are Very important. We still believe in the personal touch, but it is a constant balancing act.)
Investing in skills
An organization’s ability to invest in new skills and specialties within its employees allows them to become more well-rounded and talented individuals, but also positively affects the whole business.
Staff who are stuck in the same routine every day performing the same daily tasks will never get the opportunity to gain a fresh perspective, learn new skills or bring anything new to your business.
Therefore, introducing changed procedures or strategies in the workplace will not only help your staff to develop personally and up-skill but will also create situations where your business will automatically grow alongside them. When employees feel focused and engaged in a stimulating workplace, your bottom line can be positively impacted.
Overcoming objections / barriers
Your company will never progress in the business world without a positive attitude, heads down dedication, and most importantly, the commitment to change. (It is not easy to make change – I can speak for that!)
Change is a critical factor in overcoming the objections / barriers that threaten your organization. Once you have highlighted whatever is holding you back and planned to replace it with a new way of working, you are well on the way to success. It may not always be successful, but you need to try and not fear failure. (Please do keep in mind as a small business change may be slower than you want, and you may as an owner work more to get the change made but once the change has been made it should help in a variety of ways. Maybe more time for you, possible increased revenue, an easier and smoother process, and possible longer employee retention.)
Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”– John F. Kennedy