A Big Lesson for Small Business Owners

Recently I went to get a new tyre from my local tyre shop. I always get great service there at a very competitive price. It's not a fancy place though, as they mostly handle used tyres from written off vehicles of all shapes and sizes. It's a popular place but it's really just a huge yard stacked out with mountains of tyres in different sizes. They also have a small workshop where they fix punctures and do all that mysterious wheel balancing stuff etc.

I was last there only six months ago but today the regular chap was nowhere to be seen. Instead there were two guys with foreign accents who I have never seen before. The place was transformed - all tidied up and organised so neatly, with all the tyres racked up according to their size, every tyre correctly labelled with white chalk. There were neat, printed signs prominently displayed, showing the price ranges for the various tyre sizes. and contact phone numbers for these two guys, together with their names. They both wore t-shirts with their name, contact number and the company name on the back. There was also a new, covered area for working under. It was like the place had been given a complete face-lift and it looked so much more professional. 

Usually the tyres are in heaps and they have to do a bit of searching for what a customer wants, although the boss is so skilled he knows exactly what he's looking for, just with a glance. I asked the guy who served me if he was now the owner. 

"No", he replied, "I just work here, but I asked if we could improve it and the boss really liked it." 

I told him I liked it too and made a joke with him, asking if he had got more pay as he deserved it.

"No," he said, "but it doesn't matter." 

He was clearly proud to have made such a difference. Although he probably hadn't worked there long, the boss was obviously open to suggestions for improvement and the effect was remarkable. That shop had been exactly the same for years and it probably was doing ok. However, just a few ideas from a fresh pair of eyes has taken it to another level. I can't wait to see how the business is changed the next time I visit.

Conclusion

So - employers and leaders, whatever size your business, involve your team and ask for their ideas. They might just make a huge impact that you never would have thought of.

Do you have any stories of employees being involved in change-making? I would love to hear them.

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