How to boost small business productivity

The fastest growing small businesses in the country are focusing increasingly on employee health and benefits. This pays dividends in terms of decreased sick days, healthier employees being more productive in their work time, and employees living more fulfilling lives outside of the office. In this article we’ll discuss a few ways to improve employee productivity while promoting a healthier office culture.

Caffeine Addicts Anonymous

Long hours and increased demand for productivity often manifests itself in an empty coffee pot in the office. However, over consumption of coffee has been associated with heart problems and neurological disorders. An alternative to coffee can be found in natural supplements. This natural alternative has proven to boost focus, minimize hunger (promoting healthy weight loss) and provide longer lasting benefits than traditional coffee (less caffeine consumption).

Investing in alternatives to coffee can lower the long-term costs of providing health insurance to your employees and increase office productivity in the short-term and long-term.

Bright Colors and Increased Lighting

Want a quick way to boost the mood in your office? A simple coat of paint and increased natural lighting has been proven to provide an upper for employees chained to a desk 8 hours a day. Keep your team alert and productive by taking advantage of our body’s natural reaction to external visual stimulants. Even at night, increased artificial lighting reduces the eyestrain associated with staring at a computer screen. Decreased eyestrain means a reduction in headaches and more of a focus on work for longer periods of time.

Build a Rewarding Culture

If your employees feel like they’re getting something in return for their time and effort, they’re more likely to put in their best work. This means incentivizing high performance with “Certificates of Recognition”, prize giveaways and recognition at company meetings. Your team operates off the “monkey see, monkey do” principle. If your team is surrounded by winners, then the best members of your team will be inspired to strive for their best.

Take Time to Learn About Your Team

Everyone has something special about them that makes them invaluable to your company. Different perspectives can propel a product to widespread market success and allow your iva advice services to be offered in a more dynamic way. Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers.

Setting up annual reviews is an excellent way to stay connected to your team. By looking over past performance and identifying weaknesses while highlighting strengths, you’ll be able to engage your employees on a deeper level. They’ll also feel that their hard work has an impact on their reputation within the company.

Of course, the focus of a quarterly or annual review should include a raise when warranted. After all, everyone’s working for the weekend, and making money along the way. Passion and a team atmosphere only gets you so far. If you can build a strong team that values each other’s work, feels they are well compensated, and feels healthy, then your company will be able to reach its full potential!

This article is published in collaboration with The SAP Community Network. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Hicks Crawford is a writer at the SAP Community Network.

Image: Employees work in an office. REUTERS/Thomas Peter.