5 Tips to Improve Productivity and Increase the Value of Your Practice
Rita Keller, in her recent blog Surroundings Really Do Matter, asks the question "do people perform better work in a neat, clean, organized environment than they do in an environment of disorder?" She lists points to ponder that relate to staff and management issues, such as how cluttered offices hinder the working environment with loss of productivity and ultimately increased stress. It is interesting because we often have to address this in the sale of a practice.
Many years ago I went to meet a prospective seller of a CPA practice. His entire office was a disorganized mess. From dust and cobwebs to piles and piles of files and other paperwork. I recommended that he really ought to clean and organize the office before we have a buyer come to meet with him . After several weeks of preparation he told me he was ready. So I set up a meeting with a prospective buyer. After the meeting the buyer said, "John, I would need to spend $50,000 just to get that place organized."
Whether we are working with a firm who is looking to grow or a client who is looking to sell his or her firm one of our main concerns is the office condition. Remember, there is only one chance to make a first impression to any prospective client or buyer of the firm.
Here are a few quick tips you might be able to use.
- Use some type of a contact management system.
- Establish a routine for incoming mail.
- Keep your desktop and workspaces available for actual work. One former client had a one file out at a time policy that each person in the office followed.
- Consider a file system utilizing less paper (or better yet paperless). You can start by scanning your current year files.
- Schedule a few minutes each day for planning, clean up and organizing.
For more ideas take a look a Rita’s blog.
