Australian businesses struggle with productivity solutions
Small businesses across Australia are subject to their own set of unique challenges, which Microsoft found is affecting their ability to get work done.
Microsoft believes this is costing companies up to five hours a week in lost progress. While this doesn't sound like much, it quickly adds up. The total over a year? Up to 35 working days – a massive amount.
For these businesses in particular, the key concern involves being away from their workplace due to travel, demanding productivity solutions.
How can businesses get back lost time?
Microsoft gave clear examples for businesses that feel they may be at risk of losing time to unproductive work behaviours, highlighting the role that mobile technology can play in reducing downtime when staff are travelling.
The firm collaborated with business author Mark Pesce to provide businesses with the best strategies for reclaiming these lost hours. Mr Pesce urges these businesses to make use of the tax breaks announced in this year's Federal budget to get ahead of their competitors.
"This year's Federal budget announcement on SMB tax breaks for mobile computing devices provides SMBs with a great opportunity to support business growth and productivity in a working environment that isn't constrained by location or time of day," he said.
The idea of these devices unlocking the potential for staff to be productive no matter where they are is an important part of this advice. Especially as the study found that nearly a third (31 per cent) of small-business owners had woken up with an idea that they didn't immediately record.
A further fifth of these people come up with problem-solving solutions outside of standard work hours and have no way to act upon them.
Ultimately, the study confirms that these businesses need further assistance to stay productive, especially as they are about to get much busier. Minister for Small Business Bruce Billson announced the number of jobs in these companies had increased by 146,000, which will require capable recruitment software as well.