Communication Methods for Any Small Business

This guest post comes from Anthony Prive, a reader from Edinburgh, UK.  He shares his recommendation on how small businesses can improve communication.

One of the most important aspects of any business, no matter what the size, is communication.  In this day and age, it’s vital that small businesses look for ways to improve communication with customers and, most importantly, workers.  A business that’s made up of workers that don’t communicate properly will most likely not perform very well, or even fold.

Communication within a business should be very simple.  After all, most companies now use the internet, making email and instant messaging services two of the most popular methods of keeping in touch. If you want to give your communications a more personal touch, you can always use the telephone or place a conference call.  This is an easy way to keep people up to speed on the latest news and events concerning the company.

Communicating is something we all do every day.  As small business owners we chat daily with clients, interns and/or employees, so the idea of trying to improve it may seem a little strange.  But the reality is that communication is one business tool that’s very hard to get right, and so easy to get wrong. Have you ever sent someone an email only to get a response that reveals that the receiver hasn’t understood what you wanted? Well, I have.  In fact, it’s happened a few times, and it can be very time consuming and frustrating to put right. So my advice is, if you can speak to that person directly, either in person or on a free conference call, then do it. This approach will not only allow you to be clearer with the people you need to speak to, but also mean that you won’t waste time having to repeat yourself, as you would with an email.

The feedback I get from many business owners is that methods of communication can be very expensive, but I would like to say right here and right now that it doesn’t have to be.  Cost is no excuse for poor communication in the workplace, especially when inexpensive options are available.  Look around, and see what’s available to you in terms of internet and teleconferencing bundles. Suppliers like Powwownow can provide low-cost and even free conference calls to their customers, and they don’t charge an annual fee or have any hidden costs.  It’s time to stop making excuses.  Find a better and less expensive way to keep in touch with the people that matter, and you will soon see great results in your business.