Running one office efficiently and effectively is often all the average small business owner wants to handle. Sometimes out of necessity this isn’t good enough and there is a need for a few offices. This is when it can become daunting and overwhelming for the business owner who likes to keep his thumb on the pulse of the business in its entirety.
In this type of business scenario it means delegating. Somebody has got to oversee these locations when the boss is away. There really has to be someone taking on the management role in each location. Employees have got to be aware that there is someone there that they have to answer to even though their location is not head office.
While it is important to delegate it also means that the proper delegations need to be made to the right people. It doesn’t make much sense to put someone in charge of the administrative department that has no experience or background in this area of the business.
The ground rules have to be set across the board for the branch managers. While each location may have specific requirements and services that they have to perform, they still have to present the brand of the Company in unity. Otherwise the business loses its identity.
Proper liaison has to occur between the offices and the head office. If the field offices feel like they have to fend for themselves and that nobody at head office is listening or directing them, then this opens the door for disaster. Head office personnel may see a field office begin to falter financially and can’t understand why when it has all the makings of being a viable location. There has got to be an open line of communication between each individual office and head office.
Ideally there should be somebody at the management level at head office that is in charge of monitoring each of the sub offices. There should be constant contact between these two. There are a variety of ways of communicating such as phone, fax or email. On occasion this individual from the corporate office should attend the sub offices they are in charge of, in order to build a bond between the two locations. This way the field office is going to feel as though they are an extension of the main company and not a separate entity.
The Company should be utilizing the services of a good small business accountant. This individual will know how to break down the financials according to each office which will paint a clear picture of how each office is faring on the financial front.
