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Company Succession Planning: Step-by-Step Guide & Templates
Are you looking for a small business organizational chart that fits your business? Then you have come to the right place. A good organizational chart can give hierarchy and structure to your business, and can help your team perform to its fullest potential.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all organizational structure that works for every small business. Therefore, we've put together 20 small business organizational chart examples and templates that you can edit using Visme's organizational chart maker.
Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit organizational chart templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:
Let's get started.
An organizational chart, also called an org chart, is a graphic organizer that helps you illustrate the employee hierarchy relations in your organization. It helps demonstrate roles and responsibilities, and who employees should report to within the team.
A small business organizational chart is more than just the visualization of reporting relationships of the employees. An organizational chart has many potential benefits in managing human resources issues starting from the hiring process.
In her article, Sheila Greco, Chief Executive Officer at SGA Talent, says insights from organizational charts can help recruiters uncover the rich narratives behind the organization and potential candidates.
Although the history of org charts dates as far back as 1917, Florencia Alonso, Education and Culture Manager at Visme, shares that traditional org charts continue to support the complexities of today's work environment.
As we mentioned earlier, there is no universal formula or template for creating an organizational structure that fits all businesses. Therefore, before jumping into making the small business organizational chart, understand the types of charts available.
Below are some of the most popular types of organizational charts. We’ve highlighted the pros and cons for each of them so you can easily choose the one that makes the most sense for your business.
Keep in mind that there’s so much you can do to update and improve a traditional org chart to fit today’s needs. You can make it more flexible, include cross-functional teams, and refresh it regularly as roles change. But at the heart of it, the core structure still matters.” Florencia Alonso explains.
Also known as the line organizational chart, the hierarchical organizational chart is the most popular and useful one due to its simplicity. This type of org chart is ideal for sales, marketing, and engineering departments.
However, you can organize this chart by function, product, geographic location, or by many other companies. This type of small business organizational chart works well for defining roles and responsibilities and helps visualize the organization's employee hierarchy.
Look at the small business organizational chart below. The CEO comes at the top, then comes the VP of advertising, and then other managerial positions such as creative manager, product manager, art director and others.
A horizontal or flat organizational chart is another popular chart. This org chart organizes its components in a more lateral grouping, ideal for small businesses with a lot of overlap in their roles.
A horizontal organizational chart is better for a startup or small business in its early days when employees wear many hats instead of an organization with lots of middle managers.
Use this type of org chart when you want your team members to take more responsibility and work independently while continuously communicating with each other. Furthermore, this chart helps improve coordination, increasing the speed of implementing new ideas.
A matrix org chart is best for visualizing a more complex organizational structure. This chart follows a matrix-shaped diagram, so the layout focuses more on relationships and communication and less on the hierarchy of authority. Here is an example.
The best part about a matrix org chart is that it streamlines various teams and allows more accessible interactions. Furthermore, it gives you a clear picture of how an individual team collaborates. Project managers love this type of org chart because of its ability to make project management more efficient.
Let's start with the horizontal, simplistic organizational chart template. In this template, the CEO is at the top, then comes the directors, and then the managers and other employees. You can use this template to decorate your "Meet the Team" page.
Does your company deal with multiple products? Then you might have different teams set for each product. Use this small business organizational chart to display which team is responsible for which product and their roles and responsibilities.
This template will bring more transparency to your business operations and give your employees complete visibility into what they are building together.
The structure of a sales force has a significant bearing on its success. Because sales is what ultimately generates revenue and helps the business grow. Use this sales department organizational chart template to build your sales org chart in minutes.
The flowchart example displays the most common sales structure: a sales director, distribution manager, regional sales manager, sales supervisor, channel supervisor and sales representative.
The editorial department of a newspaper organization is its heart and soul. In fact, the entire business of a successful newspaper organization depends on the effectiveness of its editorial department.
From gathering news and selecting which news and features should be published in the newspaper to editing and laying the news for print, the editorial department takes care of everything.
So, if you are a newspaper organization or planning to build one, use this organizational chart template to create the perfect structure.
You may have heard the phrase, "A Picture Tells a Thousand Words." Take your org chart to the next level by adding pictures and giving it a more personal touch.
Create a photographic organizational chart using this template. This org chart can be a handy tool for vendors, customers, job applicants, new hires and others who should be more familiar with your team.
The success of your project depends on the strength of your project team. Misaligned project management teams negatively impact the outcome of a project. So, create a project team organizational chart to determine the hierarchy and authority of people involved in your project.
The project team organizational chart template helps you define each team member's function and reporting relationships. Also, the chart allows you clearly understand which employees are part of which team.
Edit this organizational chart template to create a perfect small business organizational chart. The chart follows a hierarchical structure where the owner is at the top, followed by the managers and the assistant managers.
Does your team include diverse talent and responsibilities that are traditionally separated into different departments, business units, or teams?
Then this cross-functional organizational chart is for you. Customize this template to create a perfect org chart to help all your teams and departments work together.
Are you a law firm business owner? Then you might want to consider our law firm organizational chart template. It will help you structure your organization's hierarchy of command efficiently.
This organizational chart example for small business includes your board of directors, president, legal manager, non-legal manager, treasury officer, general secretary and many others.
Police departments often publish their organizational charts to give the public a clear visibility of their structure. Visualize the reporting structure of your police department easily using this organizational chart template.
Here, the Police Chief is at the top with Sergeants, Lieutenants and other Officers arranged in a hierarchy, helping you visualize the whole department easily.
Use this restaurant organizational chart to align jobs with necessary tasks for the success of your restaurant. However, since every restaurant operates differently, there may be some variations in the structure.
For example, a fast food restaurant, where guests order through a cashier, is different than a full-service restaurant, where guests are seated, served and cared for.
Customize every part of this template to create an organizational chart according to your business structure.
Like any other organization, a church needs a structure in place to be able to operate properly.
The structure helps the church point out the functions of each department and their reporting relationships and also allocates duties according to departmental functions.
A church structure is best illustrated with an organizational chart. Customize this stunning org chart template to represent the relationship between units or departments graphically.
Nonprofits, like for-profit organizations, can use organizational charts to highlight the hierarchy within the organization. It will help you define staff roles, responsibilities and relationships with each other to make the team more productive and efficient.
Furthermore, an org chart helps you market your nonprofit internally and externally. Use an organizational chart template to do the same.
Most construction businesses, especially the small ones, don't have an organizational chart.
Owning and operating a construction company without a decision-making tool like an organizational chart is like trying to build a project without a set of plans. Consider using a small business organizational chart for your construction business to operate smoothly.
The hardest part of designing your organizational chart is knowing where to start. So, use this template to create an org chart within minutes.
Since organizational charts are used to outline the roles and responsibilities of team members, they can play a vital role in schools. They can give you a bird's-eye view of your school's organizational structure, therefore, better work distribution.
If your school needs an organizational chart template, consider using this one. It contains high-quality components such as effective design elements and placeholder content, which you can easily customize to meet your org chart design needs.
Hospitals are the critical organizations that require precision in executing job roles and responsibilities and multiple layers of accountability to function effectively.
In order to achieve this, most hospitals follow a proper organizational structure with multiple layers of management.
Use this organizational chart template to ensure hospital employees know their responsibilities, reporting relationships, and who to approach in emergencies.
Statistics revealed that over 50% of US startups shut their doors within five years. And one of the significant reasons for startup failure is poor team organization. Startups are unable to develop a group of people that will work together effectively on the same project.
So, to make a strong team and rapidly grow your startup, you need a proper organizational structure. Customize this template to create your startup organizational chart.
The recipe for marketing success depends on three ingredients: a breakthrough strategy, a strong execution plan and a great team.
How you organize your marketing team significantly impacts your ability to achieve your marketing plan and goals. Why? Because your marketing team is responsible for core marketing functions like content creation, social media, product marketing, ads and more.
Edit this template to design a great marketing organizational chart.
A properly designed project organizational chart is essential to your project's success. An organizational chart should be in your toolbox if you are a project manager.
It will help you assign tasks to different team members and help them understand their responsibilities and reporting relationships easily.
You can edit this template to create your own project organizational chart.
Creating a digital marketing team can be tricky. Defining roles and responsibilities, the right mix of talent and strong leadership to keep the team in sync and aligned with the company's marketing goals is not an easy task.
However, an org chart can help you perform these tasks quickly and efficiently. Regardless of your team structure, this template can help you create a stunning organizational chart in minutes.
There are around 32.5 million small businesses in the US alone, which accounts for 99.9% of all businesses in the US. But what most startups struggle with is coming up with a scalable and stable structure that positively impacts efficiency and productivity.
As a business owner, you want to make the most of your small business. An organizational chart can help you drive efficiency and streamline business operations in many ways.
Here are a few reasons your business may need an organizational chart.
Imagine a newly hired employee joining your company and attending her first meeting with the management team. The newly hired may know the hiring manager and a few other members but not everyone on the team and the other stakeholders. Just imagine how the meeting will go.
Use a small business organizational chart to visualize the structure of your organization. It's like a map that shows job positions and helps clarify leadership paths.
Did you know that 86% of employees and executives cite the lack of effective communication and collaboration as the root cause for workplace failures? On the flip side, a team that communicates effectively can increase productivity by 25%.
As your small business grows and more and more employees join the team, communication and collaboration become tricky due to various teams and departments. An organizational chart can help you solve this problem.
With working relationships visible in an organizational chart, every team member knows whom to communicate with when they need assistance instead of struggling alone. The organizational chart will help the team understand the responsibilities of all the employees, helping to reduce wasted time and increase efficiency.
“Org charts just make collaboration faster and clearer notes, Tetiana Hnatiuk, Head of HR at Skylum. Employees always know who they can approach with specific questions. Plus, it just contributes to the general openness of the company. Everyone knows what to expect from each other she says.
Small businesses have come to rely heavily on data-driven decisions to improve sales and grow their business. As an owner of a small business, there are various areas that you want to improve and optimize. To do that, you need to use every piece of data in the context of the business structure.
Which team does a manager lead? How many employees are on the team? What are the roles and responsibilities of each team member? You need answers to these questions to solve any problem. And with the organizational chart in hand, you know where to look for.
What team does the manager lead? How many staff members are on the team? What are the specific functions of each team member? To solve any problem, you need context. And the organizational chart is the first place to start when using employee reports.
As a small business owner, you might want your company to grow rapidly. However, you should always be prepared to manage your company's growth effectively.
Whether you are merging two teams into one or hiring more employees, you can map out all the movements beforehand using the org chart, helping you to predict the team's success or failure. Ultimately helping you manage the growth of your organization.
One of the most challenging parts for the new hire during the onboarding process is finding the way around the office. However, your small business organizational chart will orient the employee to the chain of command and facilitate onboarding.
The organizational chart is not just an onboarding best practice but also the easiest way to introduce all the roles and responsibilities of the coworkers to the new hire. In other words, the org chart is a cheat sheet for the new hire to understand whom to approach for what information.
We chatted with Peter Lewis, Founder & CEO at Strategic Pete, to learn why org charts can be valuable onboarding tools. Here’s what he had to say:
“A new hire’s biggest struggle? Figuring out who’s who and where they fit. A detailed org chart can be a lifesaver if it’s used the right way. For example, don’t just give a new employee an org chart and expect them to decode it. Pair it with an interactive tool or onboarding guide that explains key relationships and responsibilities. Who approves their work? Who are their immediate collaborators? If a customer question falls outside their scope, who do they go to?
Take it further: add employee bios, skills, or photos to the chart. Tools like Pingboard let you create “people-focused” charts that include not just roles but personal details, making it easier for new hires to connect with teammates. Some companies even use org charts to show workflows—like who owns what part of a process—so new employees understand how their role impacts the bigger picture. The more comprehensive and interactive your org chart, the faster new hires can integrate, make decisions, and contribute. It’s not just a chart; it’s a compass for their first 90 days." notes Peter.
Once you have decided on the type of organizational chart best for your business, it's time to create one. Follow these simple steps to create a small business organizational chart.
Before making an organizational chart, you need to find the type of chart and graph that best fits your business structure. Whether it's a startup with 20-30 employees or a large business with more than 1000 employees, you can benefit from implementing an org chart best suited for your business size and work environment.
Choose the type of org chart from the types of organizational charts we have already discussed: the hierarchical, horizontal or matrix organizational chart.
Creating a small business organizational chart from scratch can be challenging, especially if you don't have any design experience.
Fortunately, you can create your org chart in PowerPoint for free. But you’d benefit more from using a free organizational chart maker with easy-to-use, thousands of templates and millions of design assets to choose from.
To get started with Visme, sign up for free or log into your account and you’ll be redirected to the dashboard. Type “organizational chart” in the search bar to access a wide selection of professional organizational chart templates that you can easily customize and make your own with a few clicks.
You’ll find everything ranging from a simple organizational chart for small business with a few boxes to complex hierarchical structure templates for larger businesses.
Once you’ve found the template that best fits your organization, industry or design needs, click “Edit” to start customizing it.
With Visme, you can customize every aspect of your org chart template. Our organizational chart maker comes with millions of design assets in 2D and 3D formats, such as icons, illustrations, lines, shapes, images and much more.
Here are some of the options available to you in Visme:
If you’re short on time and need to produce a small company organizational chart quickly, Visme’s AI designer is your go-to tool. Just provide detailed context about the chart content and design, select your preferred design option and let the tool do the heavy lifting. In the Visme’s editor, you also get access to an AI text generator that can be handy for generating content ideas or proofreading your content.
Within an organization, organizational charts are typically used by the HR department, managers and top executives.
When different stakeholders are involved in the creation process, they can help to make sure every role is included, and the chart reflects how the company actually works.
With Visme’s collaboration tool, teams of all sizes can collaborate every step of the way. You can invite team members to view, edit or make changes to your org chart in real time or asynchronously. To make the collaboration process even smoother, use Visme’s workflow management tool. You can assign different parts of the charts for team members to work on, add notes, set deadlines and track their progress. You can even leave comments on specific elements and get feedback from team members.
Once you're satisfied with the organizational chart, download it in a high-quality PNG, JPG or PDF format. Moreover, you can share the chart or embed it on a blog or webpage using a unique link generated by the editor.
Read this article about how to make a flowchart to learn more about creating organizational charts in Visme.
Or, check out this video on how to make an organizational chart in Visme.
The purpose of an organizational chart is to show the structure of a business, including roles, responsibilities, and relationships. It helps employees understand the hierarchy and reporting lines, making it easier for everyone to communicate and work together effectively.
Here are the limitations of an organization chart:
The most effective organizational chart depends on the size and needs of your company, but generally, a hierarchical chart works well for bigger organizations. It shows who is in charge and how people report to one another, making it clear who is responsible for what. However, where quick decision-making and flexibility are key, flat structures give employees more autonomy and responsibility.
Some companies also use a matrix or network chart to help teams from different areas of the company work more closely together. Large organizations with multiple product lines or geographic locations may benefit more from a divisional structure. The most important thing is to pick a chart that matches the company’s goals and how it operates.
The straight answer is yes – absolutely! Small businesses need an organizational chart to keep things organized and ready for growth. It helps everyone understand their roles and responsibilities, which reduces confusion and makes it easier to hold people accountable.
As your business grows, the chart can help you see where you need more employees and make hiring easier. It also improves communication by showing who reports to whom and helps speed up decision-making by making authority clear.
On the other hand, a lack of a clear organizational structure can turn small businesses into chaotic and frustrating environments for employees.
Now you know that an organizational chart helps visualize team structure, hierarchy or the reporting relationships that make your team more productive. So, create a small business organizational chart to help your employees find the right person to talk to, avoid bottlenecks and meet the growing needs of your business.
However, creating an effective organizational chart should not be difficult. Choose a template that matches your business type and customize it using Visme's organizational chart maker.
With Visme, your small business organizational chart is just a few clicks away. Create a free Visme account to get started!
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