Types of Training Your Small Business Needs in 2022
Last week, I was having a conversation with Sam, an entrepreneur, about small businesses in Kenya.
He explained to me the issues he was facing as an entrepreneur; For Sam, he was finding it hard to attract the best talent for his business and he did not have the skills on how to go about it anymore. When he asked for feedback from a candidate who had declined an offer on why he could not work for them, the candidate said that he did not find them an ideal company to work for.
He had then decided to go ahead and less qualified candidates. This resulted in a lot of issues such as performance issues, firefighting all the time due to some employees creating a toxic environment and now he found himself in the business of replacing staff costing him more money and time.
I asked Sam if he had considered training the employees he hired.
‘’Look, my priority right now is to make sales and onboard new clients. If I spend more time and money training staff, I am not sure if they will stay and thus, I will have wasted resources’’
But what Sam did not realize is that if he didn’t look at empowering staff as a priority, he would lose either way; they would not deliver their best in terms of productivity which would be a disservice to his business and if he didn’t, there was no guarantee that they would still stay.
I then realized that most small businesses are not strategic on staff issues and do not give priority to training just like Sam without realizing that empowering staff ensures you take the business to the next level.
However, for a small business to thrive, these are some of the areas to train on;
1. Customer Service Training
Getting customers and retaining them highly depends on the customer service of your business.
It helps your employees who interact with your potential and existing clients every day to handle them with professionalism no matter the situation which impacts your business.
2. Leadership Skills Training
As a business owner, it is important to know how to inspire and motivate your staff. It also helps that your managers and supervisors can do the same.
Studies show that 41% of employees leave because of a bad boss. Having a positive work environment with loyal and engaged employees can be highly dependent on good leadership.
This training helps you know how to manage yourself and staff, motivate your team, build their skills and confidence and help you know how to delegate and plan for the future of your business.
3. Digital Marketing Skills Training
In this digital era, it is crucial to have digital marketing skills to stand out in this competitive environment. As a small business, people need to know you exist. It is important for them to have your business on top of mind when they think about a service or product you are offering.
Having an excellent presence online can help you promote your business, get customers faster and also ensure that you can retain them. It also helps you know what your competitors are doing and stay ahead of them.
4. Soft Skills Training
When you have employees who can manage their time well enough to meet deadlines, embrace change well, communicate effectively or even have managers who lead with empathy, then it a step to creating a positive environment for employees to work in which they will be able to produce results.
A positive environment contributes a lot to retaining your best talent and attracting good talent to your organization as your brand stands out.
Most firms shy away from training because sometimes they are not able to connect training with the results of the company. Others fear that it will cost them more money without realizing that training them can save you more money and contribute to the business’s success.
Conclusion
Training is worth your time and investment as it allows you to improve performance and take your business to the next level.
Here at Corporate Staffing, we do not offer generic training; we meet with you first to understand your needs and customize your training to address the gaps in your organization.