Even if you have a small business, it’s still important to be aware of your company culture. My team has grown over the last few years and as we get more talent, and personalities, it’s necessary to put some effort into creating a company culture where people feel effective, understood, and valued. It’s one of the largest building blocks in great employee retention.

The first place to start creating your small business company culture is by simply communicating. The last thing you want is a communication breakdown, because several other aspects of your business will begin to break down as well.

There are hundreds of skills we consider important in business, and it all starts with communication. This soft skill can be a hard one to master, and can determine the trajectory of your business. Communication within your company is where all roads begin. It’s the foundation for all activity, great and small. As you can surmise, success in your business leans solely on this starting point, and how effectively you can communicate your message. Your business communication affects:

• Brand identity 
• Productivity
• Revenue
• Management of the team
• Employee satisfaction
• Vendor and client relationships

Feeling a little pressure? Never fear! Here are a few suggestions for you to consider applying to your company culture if you haven’t already done so.

Start with communication. I know, perhaps I’m overcommunicating? Communication  is the cornerstone for every day functioning.  Every interaction is a form of communication, which also serves as marketing for your business. Internal, external communication, email, calls, meetings, Zoom, social media, you name it. 

It’s imperative that effective communication for leaders and employees alike exist in your small business. Good communication builds trust and empowers your employees (and customers) with information and resources so they can be as effective at their jobs as possible. Here are some ideas for you to consider implementing in your own small business. 

• Meet regularly – Leaders should provide opportunities for team meetings as well as 1:1 meetings. These meetings increase communication, allow for celebration and sharing of challenges, and allow for a chance to make announcements and share new company goals, etc.
• Offer resources –  Sometimes employees need to improve communication and build skills for purposeful and impactful communication. Presently, our office has a book club and we’re reading Say What You Mean, by Jay Sofer. We discuss the book section by section in a quick book club meeting. Not only do we get to share what resonated, we also get an opportunity to see what our team members relate to, which helps us craft more effective communication skills. You don’t have to read a book necessarily, any exercise that offers similar results will work.
• Avoid making assumptions – you know the saying.
• Give context. While I realize you may not be able to give up all the goods all the time, provide enough context around assignments and create a safe space and allowance for questions. When your employees feel empowered, they’ll be more confident while caring through on their profit enhancing tasks.

Remember, a truly sustainable, legacy small  business is built on trust, authentic working relationships and an elevated company culture. Poor communication devalues you and your business. The cost of lost translation: People will know, like and trust you less. But you don’t have to worry about that now that you’ve been reminded. Right?

Wishing you health and wealth always.

– Mike

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