Prompt 3: Communication In a Small Business Setting

Communication is a key factor in the success of a business, no matter the size. It comes in many formats, such as verbal, written, or even electronic where one is more appropriate than the other depending on the situation. For example, leaving a memo with notes for the day in the break room would be more effective than walking up to every employee and verbally explaining it. The information in this blog came from a personal interview with Nancy Maryniak, owner of Revive Self Spa in St. Joseph, MI. This blog entry is going to focus on how to successfully communicate in the small business setting.

[workingwebsolutions.com]

One of the effective communication methods that Nancy identified is by addressing her employees is verbally. Verbal communication is very important because it builds a direct relationship with the employees. A common misconception regarding small businesses, Nancy states, is that employees aren’t appreciated and feel as if they don’t matter. This is not the case though. Not just talking to the employees about work, but also about their personal lives and how they’re doing, helps build positive relationships that improve the working environment for the employees. Building relationships also helps employees feel more comfortable talking to their mangers about issues or concerns that they may be having; as a result, the workplace is less tense and more open to ideas. Some examples of verbal communication in the small business setting include talking one on one with an employee about something or speaking over the phone. Being able to effectively communicate verbally proves to be a very important skill.

Another form of communication that Nancy expressed as important is written. Written communication is best when trying to get a message across to the whole business. An example Nancy gave of a way she communicates through writing with her employees is a daily memo. She types of a daily memo of notes she has for the employees for the day and leaves it in the break room. It includes information that the openers may need from something that happened during the closing shift or just simple reminders she wants the employees to keep in mind throughout the day.  This type of communication is important because it spreads information across to everyone in an efficient way. This is far simpler than verbal communication when trying to give general information to every employee.

The final form of communication Nancy says that she uses in her business is electronic. In the smaller business setting, and presumably larger corporations as well, the most common form of electronic communication is email. As the owner of a health spa, Nancy often sends articles via email to her employees regarding a new product they will be selling. She does this because she wants them to be knowledgeable about the product, which will help them sell the product to customers. Another type of electronic communication common in the small business setting is texting. Texting can be an efficient way for a manager to get information to an employee when they are not working at then time.

Communication is important in any field or profession. Something I learned from Nancy about communicating in a small business is that writing a daily memo for the employees to see is very helpful. I would have not thought of doing something like that before, and I plan to implement that practice into a business of my own someday.

By Aaron Gomez

                                                                  Source:
Personal interview with Nancy Maryniak, owner of Revive Self Spa