BUSINESSES across Down District met at the Beyond Coffee Morning in the Downpatrick Cricket Club on their monthly networking session and enjoyed a presentation from Jane Waugh on the subject of transforming office efficiency.
The business representatives had a chance to introduce their businesses to the group in a 60 second elevator speech which was very helpful for introducing Beyond members who had not yet already met.
In her talk on “10 Tips for Managing Business Administration”, Jane, a seriously organised business person who runs Transforming Office Efficiency, addressed the basic activities that business people often are confronted with and tend to sometimes put on the back burner, with the result of lower efficiency and higher cost in their business.
The main topics covered which the attendees all identified with in different degrees were:
1 How do you need your office administration to work for you?
2 What areas of concern do you need to address the most?
3 During each administration task, do you ask why you are doing it at each stage?
4 How well do you plan your time?
5 How well do you use your time?
6 How clean and tidy is your office?
7 Do you have the resources to do the administration work effectively?
8 How effective are you paper and electronic filing systems?
9 Should you employ an administrator?
10 What in your administration impacts on your business effectiveness?
The businesses were challenged to introduce improvements over the next month on the key areas affecting their businesses and to monitor the changes.
If you are on top of your accounts and can put your finger on your financial position at any moment then you are in good shape. But this is not true of many small businesses whose key staff have to double up on a number of roles.
Repeating a faulty system in business knowingly is inefficient and can lead ultimately to putting a business in difficulty.
After the discussion, Rhonda McDowell, Beyond Business Adviser, presented the group with an update on a number of business opportunities in funding, training etc. and explained what was on offer in the forthcoming months through the Beyond Business Programme which is free to businesses in Down District.
Beyond Business Events for the autumn include, Increase Sales; explore new business opportunities with voluntary and community groups; plan for and fund successful business growth; Breakout and Get Through; Get beyond the Limitations of Your Business; Develop Business Competitiveness; Network Your Way to Success.
Dates for these events can be found on the Beyond website at:
A number of signposting opportunities were also flagged up with the Franchisor Programme, Achieving Finance Programme, Aspire Programme and the SEED Public Procurement Programme. (Further details on the Beyond website).
