Handling postal service disruptions at Christmas
For franchises that sell products online and ship them...
As an incoming or new franchisee in Canada, you are likely dreaming of that perfect day at your location: plenty of customers, all paperwork completed on time, and a day free of distractions. However, as much as you may want your franchise to run perfectly, there are going to be many days where this just doesn't happen. Fortunately, you do have some measure of control over your progress and productivity, and it's going to be up to you to work smarter--and not harder--on those "not perfect" days!
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Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize
Each day, you have a list of things that could add value to your business, but not everything on that list is going to have the same value. Prioritize your tasks by rank of importance, from most to least. This way, you can select three or four of the most high-value tasks each morning that you can likely accomplish before your workday ends.
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Track all of your progress
Keep track of all the completed steps of your projects, particularly the longer ones. When the end of a project seems impossibly far away, it can be very motivating to see the daily progress you've been making. Sometimes, feelings of accomplishment must come in steps and not just from the end result. Every day, tick off the boxes for all the steps you completed, then review your priorities for the next day.
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Hand off tasks as necessary
Accept that you are not the best at every single thing, and that another person can do some of your tasks. Whether it is an employee, a family member looking to help or an outside contractor, use the talents of other people to help you reach your goals.
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Remove the smaller decisions
This may sound funny, but it is a great way to boost productivity. When you eliminate some smaller choices, you free up your mind for the bigger ones. Set up routines that streamline your planning and decision processes. When your day is scheduled in a consistent manner, you will have fewer choices to make and more time to focus on high-stakes choices.
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Embrace tech tools
The more you can automate your franchise's processes, the more time you will have and the fewer mistakes you will make. There are many programs and apps out there that are free or low-cost for a small business. Look for tools that can streamline those simple, repetitive tasks so you are freed up for the more complex ones.
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Keep communication clear
There are challenges to communication in every business, but when you boost your own skills, you will reduce instances of misunderstandings. On top of this, the more collaborative you are, the less time you will have to spend handling avoidable mistakes.
As a franchisee, you can adopt techniques that will make your business - and your life - better. When you decide to work smarter, you will feel less stressed, more accomplished and freer to grow a successful business.
