5 Reasons Great Communication Is a Must for a Successful Small Business

It could be argued that communication is the basis of just about everything in our modern world – and this is especially true in the small business world. Strong lines of communication are absolutely essential to ensuring the success of a small business.

This includes both internal communication among team members, and external communication to customers, clients, and others. Great communication leads to a healthy company, strong growth, and success – while poor communication can often have the opposite effect.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 5 reasons why your business should make great communication its number one priority. Read on – and change your business for the better.

1. Builds Better Relationships

Communication is the basis of relationship-building. Relationships are built and maintained by consistent, positive interactions with others. Effective communication skills and a friendly corporate atmosphere are both essential for this step.

Employees can be encouraged to enhance their communication skills through mandatory training sessions, and your HR department should also emphasize the importance of communication skills throughout the on-boarding process. Doing so allows all of your employees to be on the same page about communication – and provides a healthy environment in which relationships can be built.

Small businesses should also encourage communication from a top-down, corporate level. If you are running a business, you should make it clear that you are focusing on openness, honesty, and communication at a corporate level, and that you expect your employees to interact with you openly, just as they would interact with each other.

Doing so will help you build a strong corporate atmosphere of communication, and a relationship-based company that is tightly knit, loyal, and totally dedicated to their jobs.

2. Facilitates Innovation

How many great ideas have been lost because an employee wasn’t able to talk about them? If your employees feel uncomfortable challenging your ideas – or presenting ideas of their own – your company will suffer, and innovation will stagnate.

Open, comfortable communication of new, innovative ideas is crucial for further business growth. A corporate atmosphere that encourages innovation and the sharing of ideas will enjoy massive benefits when it comes to innovation.

Every idea that an employee has for your business should be heard, whether it’s a good idea or not. If employees feel free to share their innovative ideas – no matter how radical – free of judgment, you’ll be shocked at how many interesting and useful ideas you can take advantage of to help grow your business.

3. Encourages Team Building

Team building should never be underestimated in the modern world of small businesses. Having a cohesive team with a unified vision is critical for business success, and good communication is a fantastic way to encourage this. There are two ways in which team building should be encouraged in your small business.

First, members of individual teams should feel free to communicate their concerns and questions with their managers, and with each other. When team members are able to openly and honestly communicate with both their coworkers and their supervisors, they will feel that their feedback is being heard and valued by management, increasing their morale and their efficiency in the workplace.

Second, you should provide your entire organization with a shared sense of purpose – a vision for the future. It’s impossible to meet a goal if you never set one, so make it very clear to your employees what your goals for the future are through newsletters, business updates, and one-on-one conversations.

Doing so will ensure that you and your entire staff are on the same page about the future of your business, and help you all work together as a cohesive team.

4. Allows for Increased Management Transparency

Effective communication is the key to managing employees efficiently. When employees feel like they can talk with their managers about everything, they are much more likely to be open and honest about their needs, and about their feelings toward your organization.

It’s a good idea to encourage employees to talk openly with their managers, even when it’s difficult to do so. A fantastic way to do this is with an anonymous feedback line.

Even companies that have clear and honest communication, it can be tough for employees to express their concerns about particular topics in-person, so there should always be a way in which employees can contact management anonymously. A feedback line set up with a software like DialMyCalls provides an ideal method of communication.

In just a few simple steps, you can create a fully-functional, easy-to-use voice messaging line that allows you to listen to employee complaints and suggestions anonymously, and get a better understanding of the current state of communication in your company.

5. Contributes to Business Growth

Strong communication can ensure the growth and continued success of a small business – no matter the industry. When your team is on the same page about business goals and can express their concerns and feedback openly, the productivity of your organization will increase dramatically.

Conversely, a failure to implement policies that lead to open lines of communication can collapse your organization. Employees will not feel a shared sense of purpose, and will feel isolated and unable to express their ideas for your business. Productivity will suffer, and it will be more difficult to implement company policies and meet your business goals.

Focus on Communication – Watch Your Business Thrive

Making a shift towards an open, more communicative business can be a challenge – but as outlined above, it’s well worth investing time, money, and energy into creating a small business that encourages strong communication skills.

A small business that focuses on effective communication is a small business that will thrive. When all of your employees, managers, and stakeholders communicate to create a unified vision for the future of your small business, the results will astound you.

So don’t delay. Make great communication a focus of your small business today. You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain.