The first few months following the formation of a new small business can often be tumultuous, with unseen fees, new staff and location difficulties building to a crescendo of issues that need to be dealt with.
Throughout this busy period, it helps to undertake a few small actions that can significantly smooth things over in a number of areas. What’s more, it’s likely many of these actions performed during the founding months will continue to be a part of the business strategy as the company continues to grow.
Hold town hall meetings
A term that’s grown to encompass a number of meeting types, at it’s core a town hall meeting is a place for staff to speak their minds and raise any current issues. Often, these can be related to the current state of business operations, thoughts they have on improvements or even complaints.
These meetings can also be used to deal with unforeseen issues, as a quick fix that encompasses the view of all necessary parties. Holding these meetings may yield valuable insight, and they could become a part of the business culture over time.
Review the business plan
While most business owners would like to take out a plan and have that be the end of the process, you should ensure this document is reviewed on a regular basis to make sure both the plan and company are in line. In addition, this can be a good time to check whether goals are being met.
Businesses may want to consider using outside help here, to ensure the plan is properly fleshed out for future operations.
Invest in marketing
This can seem like something which needs to be done further down the line, but it’s important to consider how marketing can help early on. For most small businesses, this means expanding customer outreach, attending trade shows and networking.
Considering the above points can go a long way towards ensuring the early months of a business are as stress free as possible.