Summer is a busy time of year. School is out for the kids, and the warmer weather makes it more inviting to get out of the house. For this reason and many others, businesses call the summer months the busiest time of the year, with some exceptions made around Christmas time.
As the midpoint of the calendar approaches, business owners and managers have a lot to prepare for. More products need to be produced, marketing campaigns need to be dropped, and even store hours may need to be changed. The more preparation one can do, the better the chances of success in the summer season.
Your team is an integral part of your business and is directly related to how your business operates. This article will provide you with some ideas on how to prepare your team for the summer and help your team prepare for the finals:
Review your performance for efficiency
Your system may be running on all cylinders right now, but summertime is completely different. If you’re expecting your business to be busier in the coming months, your operations could use a tune-up to stay safe.
Create a checklist that covers every aspect of your daily business. Take a look at payroll, shift changes, the supply chain, and anything else that you can potentially see running into trouble. Work out any kinks you find now before they really start causing problems.
Once you improve your performance, tackling the summer season will be much easier. Better yet, you’ll have a streamlined system that will be helpful throughout the year. You always need to find ways Improve your efficiency.
Start your onboarding early
Some companies consider hiring new employees or temporary help to combat the summer craziness. This should not be done in the middle of July. Start your onboarding too late in the season, and you’ll find yourself dealing with the chaos of a growing customer stream while trying to deliver quality training.
Give new employees at least two weeks to acclimate before throwing them into the mix. Allow them to familiarize themselves with company policies, production locations, on-site technical equipment, or anything else they will know without supervision. That way, they can be used during the busy summer instead of another variable to monitor.
In addition to your onboarding, existing employees could also use some additional training. Make sure they are up to speed on any changes you want to make or difficulties you anticipate facing. The better you equip your team, the more successful your summer will be.
Now clean and organize
Another thing you should do before summer arrives is to take care of your home. Take advantage of the time you have to finish that pile of menial tasks you’ve been putting off for a while. While they may not seem big anymore, they can be incredibly annoying to work with at the peak of the busy summer season.
Suppose your filing system hasn’t been organized in a while. You’re doing well now, but what happens when you’re trying to sign up dozens of new customers right out the door for summer deals? You’ll kick yourself for not doing this sooner.
This effort includes some old fashioned Spring cleaning. During the summer rush, it will be more difficult to find time to clean the floors and organize the waiting room. A good deep cleaning will make it so it doesn’t need to be cleaned as often, so these spaces can last as long as you can catch your breath.
Schedule in advance
While summer is a busy time for businesses, it’s also a busy time for families for a variety of reasons. Many people schedule their vacations, family reunions, and other activities around this time of year. you will have Employees want leave Because of this, that can cause quite a stir. In most cases, you’ll be better off trying to schedule things like employee time off as far in advance as possible.
Most major trips and events are not Planned at the last second. Your team should have a general idea of what date they need to take off. Talk to them personally so that a work schedule can be established as soon as possible. That way, you don’t have to worry about being understaffed on critical days of the season or feeling like you have to turn down certain requests.
There are other things you can schedule in advance. If you plan to hold meetings, set the dates as early as possible. Fitting in a last minute meeting can be a headache with everything else you’ve been doing during the summer.
Find a way to compromise
Not only will you be asking for time off, you’ll be making many employee requests. You can spend all your time arguing with them over the details, or you can take a step back and listen to their plight. Being able to compromise is an important skill for a leader, and it can help you navigate many difficult situations.
Let’s talk about remote work for a moment. You may not have considered this option for your business. Perhaps one of your employees suggests working from home over the summer so they can work during an extended summer vacation. Who responds to a request like this or a variety you’ve never experienced before?
Instead of dismissing the idea immediately, consider the benefits of such a move. This employee can work from a desk and easily take their work on the road. Run a test with them and you can see the same amount of productivity and output from them even when they are away from the office.
Add some incentives
To be brutally honest, it’s hard to stay motivated during the busy season. Working hours become longer and more tiring, and loss of motivation leads to a drastic drop in productivity. During this period, you will need to boost the morale of your team.
try Establishment of some incentives For your team members. This could be sales goals, incentives for clocking in on time, or a raffle weighted by hours worked each week. This gives your team something to work towards when there is no apparent light at the end of the tunnel. They will be more willing to take that extra call, fill that extra order, or take that empty shift.
Make sure you include everyone in your organization. Group incentives are useful for keeping everyone engaged, not just a select few. The promise of a future company event filled with food and prizes is enough to get any team up and running. Don’t be afraid to be extra generous after all their hard work.
Summer won’t be easy, but it can be a productive and profitable time of year for your business. Start preparing now with your team to tackle the busy season so you can learn and grow instead of sitting on your back.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Markus Spiske; Paxels; Thank you!
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