As the owner of Kwik Kopy Bondi Junction, three years ago I brought the business back from the brink. To be an effective small business you need to build a working environment that supports your goals and sets you up for success. Here are a few hints that helped me, and could help your business do the same.
Define success – Before going about building a successful working environment you first need to answer the question, what is success? Success can mean different things to different businesses, such as customer satisfaction, number of products per customer, or sales per employee. Defining this is an important first step.
Choose the right team – It’s all about balance. If you have a team of ‘mini-mes’ (staff who are exactly like you) then you’ll have a lot of duplication in talent and skills. Effective teams are made up of a mix of strengths and weaknesses. In our business, because we are faced with such a diverse product mix I need a variety of skills in my people so there is someone suitable for any job that comes in.
Be open and transparent about challenges – If you’re running a small business like me, don’t try to take on the stress of overheads, timelines, and deadlines on your own. We have a WIP meeting each day and I’m completely honest about where we are at – if it’s tough times we stand shoulder-to-shoulder and overcome challenges together, and when we have a win we celebrate together.
Have solid processes and systems – I can’t stress this enough, the success of Kwik Kopy Bondi Junction and arguably all Kwik Kopy centres is down to the systems and processes we have for almost every aspect of our business. Without these we cannot scale our production output and be assured that each job has the same level of detail that our customers expect.
Group incentive schemes – Each month we set a target for the team to achieve, if we meet or exceed it, the employees get a share in the profits. It’s a great booster of team morale and has created a supportive sales culture where if one person is busy the others will rally around to ensure the job gets done and the icing on the cake is the financial reward. We were recently recognised for this scheme, winning an award for ethical business practices for the South Eastern Sydney Chamber of Commerce.
Remind everyone what you are here for – Don’t be afraid to put product and service-based messages throughout your business, these are a reminder to both the customers and staff of what’s available and helps to keep the team focused on its objective, which is to create solutions for clients to better their business, whether it be a print run of flyers, a microsite for their next campaign, or an urgent email send.
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