It’s great when your business is thriving and successful when there are a positive cash flow and a steady increase in your profits. These are the times that you begin to think about expanding and possibly opening another location or locations. But are you ready for such an endeavor? Do you have what it takes to be able to manage multiple offices at the same time? The idea is exhilarating, but the work can be overwhelming.
It can be done. With hard work and dedication, you can manage to operate more than one business at a time. By following these 5 guidelines, you can handle multiple offices with relative ease and efficiency.
Simplify your operations
Running a successful business is all about using the right tools for the right job. When managing more than one office at a time, using property management apps like Proptech, could be quite effective. Apps for time-tracking and inventory control can easily save you money and time, allowing you to focus on more immediate problems. Accounting programs and project management software allow you to handle your affairs seamlessly between offices. By training your employees on how to use such tools, you allow yourself to be more available to visit and review your business’ operations.
Organize your SOPs
The first step to a successful management process is to organize your standard operating procedures (SOP). Review your working manuals and handbooks and devise a program to keep all functions running in the same manner. For example, make sure all employees are interviewed and hired in identical formats. Your customer complaints should be handled similarly throughout any office you have. Also ensure that your customers continue to have a fantastic experience in each of your locations, not just one or the other. The purpose is to keep everything on the same successful level so there is no deviations or exceptions.
Good Managers
In your primary office, you developed good and reliable employees who know their job and do it well. When expanding and opening new locations, it’s just as important to maintain the same bar of excellence with new employees. If it’s possible, promote someone from your original business to work as a manager in your new place. Apprentice the new people so they may learn from your older ones. You should feel confident to leave your managers in charge on a daily basis. They need to be able to supervise all operations, so you don’t have to. Only then can you oversee all your offices and bring your business to greater heights.
Communication
Communication is the link that keeps business working, and many businesses working well together. When you have more than one office open at a time, communication is key. Your managers need to know where to locate you and how to contact you in case of an emergency. They also need to know when they can handle a problem on their own. To maintain their confidence, be sure to visit the office on a steady schedule and be available for conversations by phone, email, or one-on-one chatting. Hold meetings for your managers and your employees to confirm what you expect and what kinds of issues may be coming up in the near future. Share how each location is performing and allow your people to have input into their own.
Once your communication system is in order, make sure to use it to the best of your ability. Try to eliminate repeating the same information from one office to another. Set up a group chat or website to share common data to all your employees and managers. Allow everyone to view it and check for company updates and announcements. Take the time to communicate your company’s information in the most efficient way possible. It can save you more than 15 hours a week of repetitive explanations and clarifying comments. That will save you money too.
Team Camaraderie
When expanding your offices, you also want to maintain your brand. This may be harder with a wider variety of employees to deal with. A cohesive brand requires a cohesive business. To keep your company all on the same page, bring them together for company wide meetings (or zoom meetings in the time of pandemic) and get-togethers. Let one office meet up with another to promote the bigger picture. Help them with motivation by employing inter-office competitions or games. Set up off-site excursions to stimulate and inspire your employees. When a group of people can work together for a common purpose, the outcome can be phenomenal.
Conclusion
When your business is doing well, it is quite natural to think of expanding your services to different locations and reach more customers all at the same time. When that time comes, it’s vital that you have the resources to fulfil this venture. Whether it involves managing your SOPs or utilizing property management tools, you can successfully travel the path of expansion by familiarizing yourself with the helpful tips listed in this article.
If you are looking to expand, we can help finding the right office space at the best price. Contact us. It is what we do with our network of over 450 local tenant reps. All at no cost to you.