It can be difficult to try and juggle all of these responsibilities, but it is possible. Read on to learn tips and tricks to help you effectively wear all of your hats.
One of the hats you will wear as the owner of a small business is the Chief Safety Officer. Your number one concern needs to be your safety, and the safety of your employees, customers, clients, guests, etc.
Safety
One of the hats you will wear as the owner of a small business is the Chief Safety Officer. Your number one concern needs to be your safety, and the safety of your employees, customers, clients, guests, etc.
If you take care of yourself and those you work with, you will have the strength and the energy to continue running and growing your business.
Here are a few safety tips that every small business owner needs to hear:
1. Follow safety regulations. This is not only an issue of legality, but an issue of practicality. You need to make sure that you are wearing the proper PPE, have SDS in the proper locations, and follow any safety instructions for the equipment that you are using.
2. Post safety signs and create safety protocols. While this may seem superfluous, it is always a wise idea to remind yourself and employees to make safety a top priority. Besides, if anything goes wrong and someone does end up getting hurt, it will look better for you if you had safety information posted around your workspace.
3. Keep equipment in tip top shape. As this blog states, it is important to keep your equipment in tip top shape, even if it is something as simple as a garage door. If your machinery starts to wear down, it can break or malfunction, injuring yourself or one of your employees.
4. Get enough rest. Running a small business is hard, but you need to make sure that you are getting enough sleep to function properly. Many injuries are caused because people are drowsy on the job. If you are starting to get burned out, take a vacation, even if you feel like you can’t possibly take the time off. You need it.
5. Safety is everyone’s job. Around the office, there are many safety hazards: tripping hazards, daisy chained cords, precariously stacked boxes, etc. You need to make safety everyone’s job, including your own. No one is above cleaning up a dangerous spill or moving a tripping hazard out of the way.
Another pressing issue in our world today is security. This is another thing that needs to be at the top of your list, as you not only need to keep your information secure, but your client’s as well.
How else will you get customers and clients if you are not actively making connections and selling your product and service? It may be useful to attend conferences, find a few free (or paid) webinars, or take a couple of classes from a local community college to help you become more proficient in these roles.
1. Follow safety regulations. This is not only an issue of legality, but an issue of practicality. You need to make sure that you are wearing the proper PPE, have SDS in the proper locations, and follow any safety instructions for the equipment that you are using.
2. Post safety signs and create safety protocols. While this may seem superfluous, it is always a wise idea to remind yourself and employees to make safety a top priority. Besides, if anything goes wrong and someone does end up getting hurt, it will look better for you if you had safety information posted around your workspace.
3. Keep equipment in tip top shape. As this blog states, it is important to keep your equipment in tip top shape, even if it is something as simple as a garage door. If your machinery starts to wear down, it can break or malfunction, injuring yourself or one of your employees.
4. Get enough rest. Running a small business is hard, but you need to make sure that you are getting enough sleep to function properly. Many injuries are caused because people are drowsy on the job. If you are starting to get burned out, take a vacation, even if you feel like you can’t possibly take the time off. You need it.
5. Safety is everyone’s job. Around the office, there are many safety hazards: tripping hazards, daisy chained cords, precariously stacked boxes, etc. You need to make safety everyone’s job, including your own. No one is above cleaning up a dangerous spill or moving a tripping hazard out of the way.
Security
Another pressing issue in our world today is security. This is another thing that needs to be at the top of your list, as you not only need to keep your information secure, but your client’s as well.
From an informational standpoint, you need to make sure that your computers, accounts, etc. have the proper firewalls and security methods in place to keep documents and other information secure.
You also need to make sure that your office area is burglar resistant. Check out this blog for some great tips to help you keep your small business secure.
Until you have the resources to hire a sales director or marketing manager, you have to be resourceful and do these jobs yourself.
Sales and Marketing
Until you have the resources to hire a sales director or marketing manager, you have to be resourceful and do these jobs yourself.
If you do not yet understand online marketing, this should be the first class, seminar, or webinar you take.
Whenever problems arise within your company, it is your job to defuse them before they become something serious.
HR Representative
Whenever problems arise within your company, it is your job to defuse them before they become something serious.
You also have to make sure that you have your employee’s information on file in a secure location, have all your ducks in a row when it comes to hiring, and more. It’s a daunting task, but it is manageable.
If you don’t know where to start you have three options: hiring someone with HR experience to help you run that side of things, taking a class or webinar to help you learn how to run the HR side of things, or hiring a third party company to come in and help you set up your HR program.
Of course as a small business owner you also have to be the head of client communication, making sure that the clients are happy, they are getting what they expected, etc.
Client Communication
Of course as a small business owner you also have to be the head of client communication, making sure that the clients are happy, they are getting what they expected, etc.
This can be a daunting task, especially if you have needy clients. Since your clients clients are paying you, it is important to make sure that they feel satisfied with your product or service. However, you need to make sure that you don’t sell your company short and that you charge enough for your services.
