A time to cull: 5 things you need to axe immediately this Halloween

Why wait until spring to have a clear out? When it comes to bad habits in business, there’s no time like the present to clear those cobwebs away. Doing things because you've "always done it like that" is a massive red flag - and it's time to take a stand.

So here are 5 things that you can kill right now to help productivity and efficiency flourish in your business.

Drowning in paperwork

There’s admin in every business and it can be a major culprit for time-wastage and human error. Use the technology tools at your disposal to audit and streamline your processes – automate everything that can be automated, get that extra training to get faster at analytics and reporting, and set alerts to flag the urgent stuff. Time to stop drowning in paperwork and get your head above the administrative water.

Taking shots in the dark

Making decisions without the right information is stressful and potentially damaging for your business. Make sure you’re using systems that let you access the info you need quickly and easily, and which keep the imperatives in your line of sight at all times. Track pricing accurately to see the real costs of replacement, monitor sales performance and optimise stock management simply and easily with fast, reliable access to information that’s up-to-the-minute accurate – and stop taking shots in the dark when it comes to decision making.

The walking dead

It’s time to identify and get rid of those customers and suppliers who are holding you back! Take a look at the analytics and find out which customers are actually costing you more than they’re worth, either because of missed payments or through complex, time-consuming interactions which cost your business time and money. Ditto with suppliers, processes, equipment and software that just isn’t fit for purpose. There's no room for zombies in your business so it's time to get tough!

Burying your head in the sand

It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the busyness of business, and ignore the glaring issues because you’re just too busy to focus. It’s absolutely vital to take a big step back and see the bigger picture – where do you want to go, and what’s holding you back? Tackle those issues head on and stop using being “too busy” as a reason to put off business-critical improvements and investments – it really is a false economy and will cost you more in the long term.

Burning the candle at both ends

Take care of yourself and your people and don’t risk burning out through overwork. It’s all too common these days, especially in the wake of the pandemic, for the lines between work and life to get blurred. Make sure you’re listening to your people and setting the right expectations and example – time off to rest and reset is not just a nice to have, it’s absolutely essential for ongoing health, both physical and mental, and will make your workforce MORE productive, not less. If you or your people are burning out, something needs to change, and fast.

What’s on YOUR Halloween axe list? We’d love to know!