Operations is the backbone of your business, think of it as the glue that holds your business together and supports your growth.
It includes processes, strategies, tools, and people that keep your business running smoothly on a day-to-day basis. A strong operational setup will ensure that you, the business owner, aren’t losing your marbles daily as you’re trying to crush those big business dreams of yours.
When you’ve got your operations in control, your business has the ability to create massive growth and scalability. In this blog post, we will dive deeper into what operations is and why it’s so important for your business.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
What operations looks like
Think of operations as the management of the inner workings of your business. Regardless of what industry or business you are in, operations is a large part of the day-to-day tasks. Your operational procedures are responsible for making sure that your business runs smoothly, day in and day out. It’s important to note that operations may look a bit different from business to business, but the objectives of it stay the same. Strategies, processes and team dynamics will vary depending on what type of business you are in.
Now, we can dive into a few core pillars of operations.
Operational Processes
Operational processes are the core business practices, including, systems and procedures that must be completed to provide your products or services to customers. This includes internal and external processes.
These processes can be daily tasks, such as communication protocol between team members, or more complex processes that are essential to the business. Such as a launch strategy for a quarterly release of a program or onboarding a new client.
Some operational processes you should consider having set up:
Managing your subcontractors and employees: How will work be distributed, who is responsible for what? How do you communicate and check in?
Inventory & shipping: If you have a physical product, what happens when an order is received? What is the process to get that out the door on time? What backend systems are set up to help you manage orders?
Onboarding & Offboarding clients: Creating an effective and seamless experience for new clients or clients with who you are finished working. What does this look like? How is this streamlined to cut down manual labor? Both of these steps are crucial for creating lasting impressions.
Quality control: How will you ensure that all work is completed to the level that you expect across your organization?
Taking the time to set up quality workflows in your business will allow your company to run independently. Meaning, you don’t have to manage & oversee every aspect. Trust us, this provides you, the business owner with more freedom to focus on higher-level tasks.
You can thank us later.
Your Team
The people in your company who are on the ground, working with the processes and systems, play a crucial role in implementing your workflows and initiatives. Operations managers rely on their teams to help carry out the day-to-day tasks that keep the business running smoothly. For operations to be successful it’s essential to have a good team in place! But, great teams are not just born, they must be fostered & nurtured.
Some ways you can foster a great team environment:
- Gratitude: show your appreciation for your team members. Make sure they know just how much you value them. A small thank you note can go a long way.
- Communication: Make sure you have regular check-ins one on one with team members. This allows any issues, concerns, and thoughts to be addressed regularly.
- Collaboration: Focus on promoting collaboration within your team. Provide opportunities for your team to get to know one another.
Tools
All the tools you use to manage your business are a part of your operations. These tools can consist of the software and systems you use to help to automate and streamline processes, making them more efficient. Ideally, these tools are monitored regularly to ensure they are useful and do their job to help improve the efficiency of your business processes.
Some common Operations tools include:
Inventory management software: This tool helps businesses keep track of stock and ensures they are not overstocked or running out of products.
Production planning software: This tool helps businesses plan and schedule their production, ensuring that they can meet customer demand.
CRM software: Your comprehensive system that helps manage all aspects of operations. A place where you can house information and processes for accounting, HR, client management, and lead tracking. If you know MBS, you know we are dedicated users of Dubsado.
Communication software: For your internal team communication and client communication. At MBS we work with the instant communication tool Slack. It provides easy access to all team members and is a great collaborative communication tool.
Operations can sound so broad that oftentimes we find many businesses just aren’t sure what is included in operations and how critical it is. It can be as simple as thinking about your day-to-day business activities and ensuring they are optimized for success. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated to be effective. By focusing on your business operations regularly you can ensure your business has the ability, structure, and solid base to grow to the level you envision.
Hiring help for operations is not uncommon. Many companies choose to outsource their operations to a qualified partner. By outsourcing your operations to a team of experts you can provide yourself the ability to focus on revenue-generating activities that help move your business forward.
Not sure what kind of help you need but feeling like you need support with your operations?
The team at Mastermind Business Services is here to support your operational needs & meet you where you are at in your business. Reach out to us to schedule a call to learn where we can help.