Economic times are tough—again! This implies things got better along the way… Well, they didn’t. Money is on the minds of everyone these days. We all need it and there’s not a lot of it going around.
No one’s spending, profits drop, budgets get tight and people get let go. Guess what they aren’t doing anymore? That’s right—spending.
It’s a vicious cycle. Only a couple of years ago the belts on many company’s budgets got tightened and a lot of fat got trimmed. The fat being employees. Fast forward to 2011 and everything’s coming up déjà vu.
Watching costs is one thing, but at the expense of investing in your business, or your staff?
An IT support crew of four that’s been running with three for years now may have to run with two. Perhaps a little stressing for them? No one wants to get let go when unemployment rates are so high. So they run themselves into the ground doing their best work. Employers see that more staff aren’t needed—the ones they have are pulling everything off.
Where does the line get drawn between staff performance and the bottom line? We’re only human. People can only be stretched so thin before they start to come undone. Time to turn to tech!
No I don’t mean robots (I wish). Hardware and software solutions can help ease the burden of an increased workload on a reduced number of staff. These let the company do more with less without burning out the staff—it’s a win/win situation. They come with a price tag though.
You have to spend money to make money and grow your business. It’s not always easy but it’s true. We all want to max out profits with the least costs. ROI is never right away—have patience! Loosen the notches in those budget belts and let everyone breathe.
Happy staff are loyal staff. They feel part of the team. Give them the tools they need to make their job easier and make them feel valued. They’ll make it happen—trust in them. Employees are any company’s greatest asset. Right?