Small Business: Work hacks - Amber McIver, Verdo Parnell

Amber McIver, owner of Verdo Parnell.

Small business editor Caitlin Sykes this week interviews a handful of small business owners about work hacks.

Amber McIver is the owner of Verdo Parnell — a nail, spray tanning, hair and makeup salon based in Parnell.

What challenges do you face as a business owner in terms of working smarter, not harder?

I've had my business for five-and-a-half years and I'm very hands on. I like to be working in the salon because I can make sure quality is controlled, create a team feeling with the girls and I think as a small business owner it's important to be present.

But the challenge is getting everything done because I'm not just working at the coalface, I'm working behind the scenes doing admin, staff management, marketing, keeping an eye on competition, monitoring stock levels and it's hard to make sure you're across everything consistently. It's especially challenging if one of those areas isn't a strong point.

For example, although I've developed my skills over the years, marketing is not my strongest point so I've looked at outsourcing some of that, whereas because I have a background in accounting the admin side is not a problem for me. The trick is to figure out where you can add the most value in your business.

How about delegating tasks to staff? What's been your experience of that?

I really try to empower my staff and that starts with making the right hiring choices. I've made a few errors with that but you soon learn what you need and what you don't in a small business. Then it's about learning what an individual's strengths are and developing those. I've got a girl at the moment who's great at running aspects of my day-to-day business, which is a godsend. Over time I've given her more and more responsibilities in the business and because she's stepped up to the mark, I'm now working on making her my salon manager. The beauty industry is notorious for churning through staff, but I'm lucky to have had a stable team for a number of years and I think once you get good people you have to challenge and grow them. Giving them responsibilities that make my life easier is a win-win.

What about harnessing technology to improve your productivity?

Almost five years ago I introduced an online booking system. I got sick of coming in on a Monday to 25 messages on my phone and having to spend a good hour-and-a-half working through them. Once we introduced that system our phone calls dropped by about 85 percent, and I also think it's helped us pick up more clients because increasingly people want to just book when it's convenient for them and get it done.

Another thing I do is outsource my payroll to a company called SmartPayroll. That task now takes me just a couple of minutes, and they also pay the PAYE on my behalf, accumulate leave balances and email out payslips. And I also take full advantage of social media. I use it to showcase our work, but I'll also post any gaps in our appointment book. Eighty percent of the time a gap gets filled within minutes, which means we don't have much down time.

Do you have any other work hacks you'd like to share?

Set aside planned time for basic admin tasks and stick to it. I work Tuesday to Saturday, and sometimes in summer I'll also work Sundays doing hair and makeup; on some Mondays I can be shattered but I still do it, because if my time isn't structured things can turn to custard quickly. I also use that time to plan what we'll do on social media and when.

My accounting background also taught me to handle a piece of paper only once, and I keep all my accounting files spotless. Because I file as I go I save a lot of time, as well as money on accounting fees at end of financial year.

But I think my biggest work hack is ultimately not to get caught up in drama and stuff that's emotionally draining. I spent my first three years in business worrying, and then one year I made a resolution not to worry about it anymore. Once I started doing that everything seemed to fall into place. You have to water your own garden, and not worry as much about what other people are doing.

• Coming up in Small Business: 'Handmade' products are a growing consumer trend. How have some crafty folk built businesses around their handmade goods, and what markets are they developing for their offerings? If you've got a story to tell, drop me a note at nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com.