Top 5 reasons your business cannot survive without an LMS!

Investing in staff training can be a minefield, especially if it’s something you’ve not really done pro-actively before; so what are the benefits of integrating a learning management system (LMS) into your business’s learning and development plan?

Often, training can be left behind for a number of reasons. From not having the staff to implement it, to battling with which types of training to invest in first, it’s an area that can be pushed aside if owners are unsure about where to begin.

But the reality is, learning and development is actually an incredibly important part of running a business. Not least because staff thrive when they’re offered new opportunities, and it helps the business stay at the forefront of innovation.

This doesn’t mean you have to hire a whole HR team; all you need to get started is an effective LMS.

An LMS allows you to deliver customised online training courses through virtual learning environments, with personalised logins and the ability to track learner progress and engagement.

Here are some of the key benefits of implementing an LMS into your small business:

Easy-to-use

One of the best things about an effective LMS is that it is straightforward and easy-to-use, guiding your users intuitively through their learning journey and keeping them fully engaged throughout.

It’s also incredibly easy for you to use, too. The administration of your LMS will be intuitive, meaning that creating courses, checking learner progress and adding new users will be a piece of cake.

This ease-of-use removes the need for a HR team to manage it for you, with your LMS simply becoming a piece of everyday business software just like Word or Zoom.

Cost effective

Remember when you had to send staff away for training, with travel, food and hotel expenses piling up, on top of the face-to-face training fee?

Having an LMS can help you manage those costs, usually drastically reducing them. With an LMS, your staff can learn from your office, their home or even on the move, saving your company the large travel expenses of the past. Additionally, creating a course that can be reused by current and even new staff can usually work out much cheaper per user in the long run when compared to on-site training.

Incredible flexibility

With the fast-paced world of technology, things change pretty quickly in almost every industry. Keeping your staff up-to-date, for example with the latest innovations and compliance, is therefore essential to not get left behind.

With an LMS, the good news is that your courses can be quickly and easily tweaked and changed, or you can create completely new ones, as and when you need to.

It’s this flexibility that makes online learning incomparable when it comes to staying up-to-date in a cost-effective way.

Managing staff progress

Having your own LMS means you can personally keep on top of your staff’s progress, as well as step-in if things aren’t going quite right.

Whether people are struggling in a particular area and need extra support, or you’ve noticed that someone really excels at a particular skill, it’s a great way to keep an eye on where all your employees are at.

Improving work-life balance

For many, the idea of going away for training can be quite stressful. Whether it’s leaving the other half home alone to deal with the kids or having to cancel plans with friends, it can become a real invasion on your personal life.

With online training, staff can manage their learning within their own free time (or designated work hours), so they’re able to learn when and where is best for them.

But isn’t an LMS really expensive to set up?

Not necessarily. The savings of not having repeated face-to-face training costs and associated expenses, as well as the potential need to hire a HR team to manage L&D, are often far greater than the initial LMS investment itself. And of course, with an LMS, you can use the courses again and again to reap benefits long-term that will really help put your business at the forefront.

There are also lots of options to explore when you’re thinking about how you’d like to integrate an LMS into your small business and what additional features you may want it to offer, and how all of this aligns with your budget. Whether you’re looking for a high-tech virtual learning experience with social forums and 24/7 support, or you simply want an easy-to-navigate online system that guides staff through health and safety, an LMS can be customised to your exact needs as a business.

If you’re not sure where to start, though, don’t worry – we can help!

To find out more about what’s involved in building a bespoke LMS tailored to your business needs, get in touch with the team at BuildEmpire right here.