Human error is one of the most common things that tend to hurt a company. Although every company will experience a human error at some point, the goal is to reduce the chances of happening as much as you can. This is why every small business needs to implement a business manual for its employees to refer to from time to time. Writing one is no easy task but absolutely necessary for your company to function properly in the future. Therefore, it is highly recommended that business owners understand why a business manual is so important to the survival of their company.
Standardisation
If there is one thing a company wants from its customers other than their business, it’s their confidence in them. However, when customers begin to experience late shipments, different levels of product quality, or service, it can deteriorate their confidence in your company. When production is left to whatever procedures are set up for that day, it can be a little hard to build a good level of standardisation. This is where a business manual comes into play. By implementing a manual, employees, as well as management, can come to an agreement on how to run the day to day operations without question.
Safety
When it comes to workplace injuries within small businesses, most injuries are very preventable. This is because, with a small business manual, everyone is in agreement as to the things that can or cannot be done safely. A properly crafted business manual should also contain things such as health, safety, general safety guidelines, and an emergency response plan. Other features that make a great manual are reporting procedures. This involves how employees can report injuries or harassment in the workplace. Not having a proper communication channel can lead to the company being sued for not taking enough action to prevent serious matters such as sexual or physical harassment.
Helps Scale Your Business
A common challenge for most business owners is the urge to want to do everything themselves; after all, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. The problem with that approach is that your business will only grow depending on how much time you put in. But what if you had a team of employees working towards that same goal but with a properly outlined procedure to follow and that can also be recorded. By having a business manual that your employees can follow, scaling your business will become that much easier. You will be able to see what your employees are and aren’t doing as well as the number associated with them.
Taking the time to write down a properly crafted business manual can be a very daunting experience. Sure, you might miss a few things here and there, but it’s all a part of the process. Always make sure to take into consideration not only your recommendations but those from your management team and even the employees themselves.
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