Knowledge is key in a small business – so make sure your staff have a good breadth of knowledge with these simple tips.
Growing a small business can be difficult – with financing hard to come by and new staff unaffordable. But you can boost your chances by making the most out of the staff you already have.
Make sure everyone on your team has the knowledge to help your business succeed.
1. Train each other
We’ve all got our own way of working and doing the job, but too often we tend to keep these shortcuts and tips to ourselves.
If you’ve got people taking time off or simply needing help on a project, it’s good practice to make sure all your team know each other’s jobs.
Once a month, put a couple of hours aside to get one of your staff to train everyone else in their role. By doing this, you not only spread the knowledge but you could also discover better ways of working.
2. Read everyone’s CVs
Did you know Andrew from finance is a whizz with a camera? Or that Amy in marketing actually spent a year managing a small charity? Probably not. In fact, your staff probably have a lot of hidden skills that are being underutilised.
Not everyone likes to speak up, so instead ask them to send round a mini CV to everyone. This way, if you suddenly need some to take some promo photos or to manage the office you know where to look.
3. Regular training
Training is a great way to make the most of the people you have. And while some of it can be expensive and time consuming there are lots of affordable courses that can be taken online.
Once you’ve been through everyone’s CVs you’ll be able to spot gaps in knowledge, which you can fill in with training. This is more effective than providing blanket training for everyone and risking doubling up on skills.
4. Send around key reads
It can be difficult for busy workers to find time to search out and read important articles, blog or papers related to their role. But they are hugely important and a great way to keep in the loop on the latest industry developments.
Get your staff to sign up to alerts in their areas or simply email around anything you come across that you feel would be useful. You can also quiz them about the articles during meetings to make sure they’ve been read and understood.
5. Get them on social media
Social media is full of usual information. Get your staff to set up work accounts and suggest a list of people to follow. These accounts can simply be used to find interesting articles and industry insights.
Use sites like Hootsuite to create lists of keywords to search or people to follow.
