Streamline the process

When you're trying to make a habit stick, or get a task done, rather than trying to make it easy to do something, consider trying to make it hard not to.

This is especially useful for small businesses that can't afford for mistakes to slip through the cracks.

Easy example: You need to mail a letter.

Option 1: Put it by the door.

Result: You walk right by it in the morning and it's there staring at you when you get back in the afternoon.

Option 2: Put the letter on top of your keys.

Result: You have to pick it up to get to your keys to lock the door and drive your car, so you keep it in your hand until you drop it in the mailbox.

Great! Your previous choices guide your future actions.

Let's expand it:

Your cashier employees keep losing receipt paper rolls. They waste time looking for them instead of helping customers.

Option 1: You remind them that the paper is in the back in the supply closet.

Result: They forget again later, they're frustrated, you're frustrated, everyone's frustrated.

Option 2: You watch where the cashiers first start searching for the paper, and you move the paper to where the employees expect them to be.

Result: The employees find the paper on the first try and can get back to helping customers.

When small businesses hit friction, it often points to a process problem, not a people problem. Streamline the process, and people can do their work better.