For many businesses summer is a quiet month, as half their customers are away sunning themselves with a cocktail in hand (we’re not jealous, honest!) During this time we can slow down into maintenance mode. It can be useful to collect your thoughts especially if you feel like you’ve been so busy your feet haven’t touched the floor in a while. We’ve put together a few useful things that we can do in these quiet periods that will better prepare you for the busy times ahead.
Take an inventory
Specifically, a tech inventory. Firstly you want to make sure you know what equipment you have. Big things like servers, computers, monitors and smaller things like card machines, leads and handheld devices. Make sure to make a note of the equipment that is on site. If you have staff working from home, get the information from them.
You may also want to make a note of how well the items are working or if there is any damage etc. so that you have a list of things that may need replacing soon. This can help you to predict what you will need to spend on in the coming months.
Training
Quiet moments for your business can be the perfect time to do some training. This could be anything related to your day to day company. Perhaps you have had updates and not all staff are trained on it yet. It’s a good excuse for a brew and a slice of cake too.
Other training could be in a particular program, for example, Microsoft 365. There are loads of features that could improve productivity and will be beneficial to get the most from your subscriptions.
We also recommend regular training on online security. Things on t’internet move quickly and are constantly evolving so it’s important to keep the knowledge of how to stay safe fresh in everyones mind.
Organise
When things feel slow, take time to plan, organise and declutter your workspace. We aren’t just talking about your physical workspace either. Having a digital clear out and clear up can aid with productivity when you are busy too. And what better time than when you are quiet.
That crazy desktop that you save everything to because ‘it’s easy to find’ is no longer functional. Take out the rubbish both physically and digitally and back up anything that needs it.
Get ahead
This one is quite niche depending on what your company does, but if you are able to, use this time to plan, restock and get ahead.
Have fun!
Staff morale is important for any business. Make them feel appreciated by throwing a staff party, BBQ or just a chill out afternoon. The much needed rest and recuperation after a busy period can go a long way to keeping your workers happy and what better time to do it than when the sun is shining and the cider tastes better!
Although sometimes quiet can be worrying, making the most of the quiet time you have and ticking to-do’s off the list (especially those that have been sat around for a while) can make for an overall more productive company AND see you better prepared for the busy periods ahead.
If you are in need of some training, or some technical upgrades and don’t know where to start get in touch with our experts today.