Every business always has the potential to improve, especially when it comes to living in this new and upgraded, digital world.
However, whether you’re a new business that’s come into existence in the last five years, or you’re considered an ‘old dog’ when it comes to the industry, there are always areas that will need improving.
Depending on the state of your business, there are likely different areas of improvement your business can make in 2023. With that being said, here are ten areas for improvement as a business that you may want to consider for your organisation this year.
Digital transformation
Digital transformation is something that you should be particularly mindful of when it comes to growth over the coming years. If your business isn’t willing to embrace the juggernaut that is the digital world, then you risk being left behind and forgotten about.
The truth and reality are that digital transformation is a necessity in this modern world that we live in. The digital world isn’t going away and when it comes to your business, you want to be proactive when it comes to updating your business operations.
Consider what aspects of your business need digital transformation. Perhaps it’s a need to transform all paper files into digital ones? It could be introducing new software to certain operations in order to improve them.
Workforce communications
When it comes to your team, it’s important that all of your staff are able to communicate freely with one another and that this communication doesn’t start to disintegrate into nothing. Having staff who are all singing from different hymn sheets will likely cause some confusion and frustration.
There are lots of apps and tools that businesses can use when it comes to workforce communications. These aren’t just for departments specifically but could be a way of communicating between employees and those you may be collaborating with on projects externally.
A few suggestions when it comes to applications or tools worth investing in as a business for workforce collaboration include:
- Asana
- Slack
- Trello
- Microsoft Teams
Financial planning
If the pandemic has taught businesses anything is that they need emergency funds and a backup plan for their backup plan. It’s no surprise that the pandemic really set a lot of businesses back in the progress they had been making. This isn’t just for new businesses that unfortunately started up only prior to the pandemic but those who’ve existed for decades.
Financial planning is something that all businesses need to embrace and be strict on, year in and year out. Being able to plan for the unplannable is challenging but there are certainly precautionary measures that you are able to put in place.
Hopefully, any future pandemics will be handled with more thought and more businesses can be prepared for such an event to take place. A lot was lost for many during this time and being more aware of your company finances is always a good thing to be hot on.
Online Security
Security is not something you want to take lightly, especially when it comes to your business in 2023. It’s not just the in-person security that you need to be mindful of but your online security too.
The online world is dangerous, especially with more and more people owning a digital footprint. It’s led to an increase in cyber criminals, all willing to do whatever it takes to catch the vulnerable or those who haven’t kept up with the changes in methods used in cybercrime in recent years.
Online security is something you want to invest in, whether that’s training your staff or incorporating software to help protect your business from online threats. Fortunately, while there are a lot of threats out there, it’s being tackled equally with advanced technology and software.
With that being said, consider what security protocols you have in place currently and consider what improvements could be made to ensure your business doesn’t fall victim to one of these attacks in the near future.
Customer services and expectations
Customers are your bread and butter of business. You may have a loyal following of customers who have stuck with you throughout the good times and the bad. Whether that’s due to the pandemic or perhaps the appearance of new and seemingly flashier competitors.
It’s important not to forget that these customers are what have kept you going for the number of years you’ve run your business. At the same time, you want to be conscious about the type of customer service they’re given, as well as their expectations.
That’s why it’s always important to check in with your customers and to assess just how well your business is performing for your customers.
Are there improvements to be made? Are all your customers happy or have you noticed a decline in customer satisfaction? Think about what your customer service and support services look like currently.
If there are any pitfalls or pain points that your customers are experiencing right now, then this is the opportunity to fix them before they end up leaving for other competitors.
Workplace flexibility
What are you offering your workforce when it comes to workplace flexibility? Times have changed since the pandemic and many businesses are now offering a hybrid working environment, as well as remote-only options.
Heck – even some businesses have started up as a remote company. Therefore, your employees and any prospective candidates you’re looking to hire may be expecting more flexibility when it comes to the workplace.
There’s nothing wrong with having workplace flexibility. It’s been proven to be productive and effective for all those companies who were forced to go remote during the pandemic itself. While there are businesses that may find themselves working better in a shared office environment, there might be more potential for a hybrid working environment for your business.
Ask your staff for their thoughts and whether they prefer to work from home or to work in a collaborative, in-person environment.
Branding
Branding is definitely something to be mindful of this year, especially as there are so many businesses in existence right now. That makes standing out a real challenge, which is why branding has become more important than ever before.
Consider what type of branding you need to find success as a business. Are you doing everything your business needs to thrive or is it struggling to stand out from the crowd? Take a look at what you’re packaging and what changes you might make.
Whether that’s switching your pharmaceutical packaging services or getting a graphic designer in to help with your branding across social media. If you’re finding it difficult to find what’s lacking in your branding, then you could always seek the help of branding experts.
There are plenty of people and organizations out there that might be able to help you figure out what’s missing as a brand and how it can be improved this year.
Supplier partnerships
Suppliers are an integral part of your supply chain and if they’re not pulling their own socks up for your business, then that will have its own impact on your company’s success this year.
It’s important to recognize that while you might have had some success with your current suppliers, it doesn’t mean they’re intended to be your forever suppliers.
In fact, you might find that as you grow, some suppliers simply cannot adapt to your growth or level of expansion. And that’s OK! With that being said, it’s important to review your supplier partnerships and to look for those out there that might be able to instead, provide better results.
Audit your suppliers and discuss a review of your suppliers to understand whether they’re still the right fit for your business. If not, then there are plenty out there to reach out to.
Sustainability and eco-conscious efforts
As a business, it’s important to be more eco-conscious with your decisions and to focus your attention on the buzzword that is sustainability.
Younger generations are caring more about the world that they live in and many don’t want to see the impact we’re currently making, get worse.
With that in mind, it’s worth looking at initiatives your business can take when it comes to improving the eco-efficiency of the organization. Are there any sustainable programs you could involve yourself as a business in 2023? Being seen to do something when it comes to the environment, is better than doing nothing at all.
Employee turnovers and talent acquisition
If you’re going to improve your business in 2023, make sure you’re focused on your employee turnover rates. The lower they are, the more positive impact you’re making on keeping hold of your talent.
At the same time though, you also want to consider what talent you need to acquire for the growth of your business. Take a look at your workforce and consider what’s lacking and where employees need to be recognized for their efforts when it comes to promotions, etc.
These ten areas are a good place to start when you’re looking to improve your business this year.
