Business Training
Training is an undervalued, yet essential responsibility of the business owner. Considering business failure is due to lack of ‘know-how’ rather than any other reason, it increases revenue & business value to have trained employees.
There is a natural hesitation towards training in small businesses because owners tend to think that investing in an employee that may not stay with them is not a good use of funds. They tend to focus more on day-to-day operations and less time on developing the skills of their employees. This results in mediocre performance, poor customer service over time & less loyalty. One of our clients stated; “I would rather have a trained employee work for me a short time than an untrained employee around for any length of time…the later can cost me time, money and customers that I can never recoup.”
Training provides an understanding of proper procedures for basic tasks, understanding of the industry, job responsibilities, communication skills, and increasing current knowledge in the field. The training process gives employees the means to perform their jobs in a way that doesn’t waste their full potential but allows them to grow providing great satisfaction at all levels. Through proper training, employees are able to develop the skills necessary to improve. But more importantly, employees who really understand the business through training, what you are trying to accomplish in achieving business goals will use their hard work & creativity to continually improve. They want to be a valuable member of the team.
Training also proves that the employer is willing to invest in their employees’ professional development. There are several benefits to a quality training program and the top four are performance improvement, increases in productivity, quality services improvement, and reduction in supervision.
Performance Improvement: Naturally, employees who are properly trained are given the necessary skills and are better equipped to perform all job tasks. Training will help develop well-rounded and knowledgeable employees who will be confident in their abilities. They can work independently without constant help or supervision. Trained employees are also more loyal resulting in lower turnover. Lastly a trained employee is a happy employee.
Productivity Increases: Productivity is the process of putting forth the effort to effectively improve business processes & day to day performance. Training can help employees develop the know-how and skills needed to perform daily tasks, perform them faster, with more efficiency and higher quality. New ideas and concepts need to be continually introduced improving the value employees can deliver to the company and to customers.
Quality Service Improvement. Training will give employees full awareness of their daily responsibilities, and strengthen them in areas which generate high quality performance. This, in turn, can give employees confidence to think outside the box and think of new ideas to help build the company. Training can also enhance customer service and customer interaction. This is extremely important to the value of the company in the eyes of customers.
Supervision Reduction: With proper training, employees can gain all the skills and knowledge necessary. They become self-reliant and require very little guidance or supervision. They are dependable in time management and the ability to produce quality goods and services. This allows supervisors the time needed to perform their own duties and can put their minds at ease knowing their associates are able to get the job done effectively.
Small Business Samaritans provides outstanding training. We very often customize our training to meet the needs of specific employers. Dollars spent on training should not be considered an expense but an investment. It is particularly important for business owners to invest in themselves.
