Staff Training Ideas for Small Businesses
For a small business in particular, people can be its biggest asset. When the body of staff is small, the individuals within that body each make a significant impact on your business’s image, productivity, and profits. Keeping your best assets motivated and knowledgeable is crucial but can be expensive and time-consuming.
Your training options are varied and the one you choose for your staff will depend on your company’s time availability, budget, and also on the employees themselves. Which one will best suit you?
• Videos provide audio-visual stimulation which can provide a faster learning experience. By using staff training videos, you can meet your learning outcomes effectively. There may be off-the-shelf videos already available such as those you can buy from sites like BBC Active. If you have a training need specific to your company and can’t find a suitable pre-made video, you should consider making your own. While this can be expensive and time-consuming in the short term, if you’re producing something which can be used for years to come for a growing number of employees, a custom training video can be a cost-effective option for small businesses.
• Online training is great for doing generic training for very small numbers. Staff can complete the training at their own pace, fitting it in during quiet periods at work. Lots of courses can be done including health & safety, basic food hygiene, understanding diversity, and learning how to use social media. Selected courses come with accreditation on completion and certificates can be printed out as evidence for statutory training. Costs vary so shop around, and ask for recommendations from other small business owners.
• A course of evening classes could be a good way of meeting your staff’s development needs without taking time away from the daily running of your business. Of course, this depends on the employee’s availability and willingness to undertake training outside of paid hours, but most staff are happy to do this if you can meet the course fees and any material and equipment costs. The promise of a bonus for completion of the course could be a good idea for qualifications that are mandatory, such as first aid certification.
• In-house trainers are rising in popularity. Depending on subject matter, buying in consultants to cover one-off training needs can be more cost-effective than keeping an in-house specialist, and means you’re tapping into the latest practice and theory. In-house trainers can tailor the content specifically to your company – for example, a generic training course on social media may cover several different types of platform, whereas you may only need your staff to know about Twitter.
• If you have a seasonal business, sending staff on week-long workshops during the quieter weeks is a good way of getting all the training over and done with in one short burst. Ask your local chamber of commerce or Federation of Small Business to see what they offer or can recommend.
Training your staff keeps them motivated, loyal, and effective. Employees who have little opportunity for progression and continuing professional development may lose interest in the job. Keeping employees skilled and knowledgeable will help your retention rates and minimise staff turnover. Training will be cheaper and less time-consuming than continual recruitment, and will result in more effective and profitable employees.
