Managing a Multi-Location Business
When you first open up a secondary location for your business, there is no doubt that this is an extremely exciting time in the development of your company. However, there are plenty of challenges and issues which arise at the same time. Juggling multiple locations is not straightforward, and you need to be fully prepared to ensure that your company continues operating with the same level of professionalism. To give you a helping hand, we are going to be running through four strategies to help you with the task that you have in front of you.
Utilize Modern Technology
Modern technology has made it easier than ever to communicate across different sites. However, you need to be careful about only relying on email and instant chat as it is easier for miscommunication to happen. You should also be using video conferencing software, as well as other problem-solving technology like remote mentoring. The more your various offices stay in touch with one another, the less likely it is that issues will arise.
Visit the Locations in Person
Even though we have just talked about how important modern tech is, it shouldn’t act as a complete replacement for face-to-face interaction. If you don’t visit the individual sites on a regular basis, this could easily build into a sense of resentment amongst staff members as the least-visited office. When you are visiting, it is also worth comparing and contrasting what is going on and the different practices that are developing so that you can try to keep a sense of consistency going.
Ask for Weekly Reports
When you visit your other locations, you will probably get the report that everything is going fine. However, the weekly reports that you receive will allow you to scratch the surface, dig a little deeper, and determine whether or not there are any improvements which can be made. Progress reports are free of bias and should give you a better impression of exactly what is going on.
Host Social Events
Organizing regular social events helps to bring everyone together to remind them that you are all on the same team and working towards achieving the same goals. Keep things casual and try to encourage interaction between employees from different teams rather than everyone simply sticking together with the people that they already know and feel comfortable around.
Plan Regular Training Sessions
Continuous training is essential for employees of all kind. Bring your teams together from your different offices and you can bring in guest speakers, conduct team-building exercises, and discuss your goals for the months ahead. Everything should be designed to keep everyone on the same page as much as possible.
Managing multiple business locations can easily get overwhelming if you don’t keep on top of everything successfully. Follow this guidance as a starting point, and try your best to remind everyone that they are working towards the same goals which will benefit you all.
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