Here are some questions to guide you in deciding how to invest in training for your staff;
- How much will it cost you for the initial training? ie: course fees, lost productive time while staff are training.
- How will it improve your business? ie: if you make one customer happy enough that they recommend 1 new customer to you, chances are you will more than recoup your initial investment!
- What is the cost of NOT doing any training? This includes falling behind your competitors in product design and delivery as well as cost reductions.
Remember your most valuable assets are your staff. If they are not enthusiastic and engaged, you will be missing out on possible creative or innovative ideas that could make a huge difference in your business!
When is the best time to train?
- When a change in regulations or policies affect how you will do business (ie: HST)
- As you revise or clarify your company's goals, objectives and mission;
- Addressing problem areas of your business (ie. maybe customer complaints are too high or you are missing out on vendor discounts);
- In anticipation of growth when adding new products or services;
- Hiring new staff to bring them up to speed quickly;
- Every time you upgrade or bring in new technology, procedures, methods or incentives;
- Anytime you want to boost moral, energy and focus among your staff!
Training is an essential component of change. It paves the way through resistance, confusion and frustration allowing staff to step right into feeling confident and embracing the future.
Training is like fitness....it can feel like a burden at first, but the renewed energy, focus and vigor will propel you to new heights you couldn't have achieved without it!
Are you ready to take your business to the next level?
I can't afford to train my staff!
This is more a mind-set than a question, however we would like to offer some reasons for shifting this mind-set. You can't NOT afford for these reasons:
- The Market is always changing which means your customers needs are also changing. If you don't keep up with your customer's needs, someone else will.
- Environment awareness is putting pressure on the manufacturing community to reduce energy consumption and pollution. This is a time you want to encourage your staff to be creative, innovative and always on the lookout for economical ways of improving the way you do business.
- Training can reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction, bring in new referrals, strengthen relationships with your vendors and even motivate your staff to become more involved in growing your business.