While many employees are taking advantage of rising remote working policies as well as the new bring your own device (BYOD) trend that's allowing companies to save on technical expenses, it's become critical that businesses have an office manager that is capable of effectively leading the epicenter of the company.
Office supply retailer Staples reports that by maintaining an accurate, company-wide phone list, office managers can help employees stay more connected. In addition, keeping track of disappearing office supplies and saving up a "slush fund" to pay for any emergency expenses are all ways to keep an efficient workplace. This can be especially true when an office is planning on expanding or moving, like a handful of businesses in the Chicago area.
According to data released by the Cole Taylor Business Owners Confidence Index, nearly 60 percent of all businesses in Chicago plan on expanding in the next six months. This is due in part to the fact that 52 percent of respondents say they experienced increases in sales volume in the last quarter. Furthermore, the previous year's survey showed that 70 percent of respondents anticipated a rise in raw materials, while that number has dropped to 56 percent this year.
"We are pleased to see local middle-market business leaders are reporting increased sales and that they are making plans to expand their businesses," said Mark Hoppe, president and CEO of Cole Taylor Bank, in a press release. "Both of these indicators offer encouraging signs that the sluggish economy is improving for the middle market but their pessimism regarding the overall state of economy shows that the recovery is far from complete."
During any business expansion, it's critical that office managers maintain an accurate and thorough account of the company's physical space. By consulting FileMaker developers, these executives can create custom software that allows them to keep an eye on daily expenses, track assets and even manage that necessary slush fund.