 Image credit: Husna Miskandar from Unsplash It is no secret that employee motivation is key to a successful workplace. When employees are motivated, they are more productive and creative. As a result, they take fewer sick days and are less likely to leave the company. However, motivating employees can be difficult, especially if your company does not have a clear or effective strategy for doing so. Tailored Approach There are many different ways to motivate employees in the workplace. Some common strategies include offering financial incentives, providing recognition and praise, and creating a positive work environment. It is crucial to determine what motivates each employee and use that information to tailor your motivational approach. For example, some employees may be motivated by money, while others may be more driven by challenging assignments or public recognition. There are many methods available to help you find out what works best for who, including Insights discovery training. If you are looking for ways to improve employee motivation in your company, here are some tips: Flexibility Within Reason Be flexible with schedules so that people can take care of personal matters or other professional commitments without having to worry about getting fired from their jobs because they missed one day at the office due to illness or family emergencies like childcare needs. This will help reduce stress levels which in turn helps improve overall performance levels throughout all departments within any given company. You’ll also see an increase in job satisfaction among workers who feel appreciated by management teams rather than being micromanaged every moment while working hours last (i.e., this applies especially if there are managers/supervisors present during these types of situations). Carrot, Not The Stick Offer incentives like bonuses or extra vacation time when employees accomplish specific goals set out beforehand. This will make them feel appreciated and motivated to do their best work every day. You can also give a monetary reward at the end of each month if they meet all requirements outlined before then – this is especially helpful for those who may have financial issues that prevent them from taking care of everyday expenses such as rent, food costs, etcetera, so it helps improve morale in addition to making sure everyone gets paid properly after completing tasks designated by management teams. Employees are more likely than not going to want some sort of incentive when working hard on projects without receiving praise often enough diligence being put into their work. Constructive Feedback From All Encourage employees to give and receive feedback from one another. This will help them feel more engaged in their work and allow them to identify areas where they need to improve. It Starts With You Create a positive work environment by praising good work, providing constructive feedback, and being friendly and supportive. A positive work environment can make employees happier and more productive.  Image credit: Cottonbro from Pexels The bottom line is that employee motivation is essential for the success of any business. A business cannot function without motivated employees who are committed to meeting goals and objectives set by management. Happy employees lead to a successful company.
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In life, and especially in business, there are often things that we must do, but which we don’t really want to, and it can be a struggle to deal with them, which is why I’ve put together some tips to help you really get to grips with those tasks you’d rather not do and get your head in the game.
Do you really need to do them? Okay, so before we go any further, it’s worth thinking about whether you really need to do those least enjoyable tasks. For example, you may think you need to do your own bookkeeping, but could a business accountant do it for you? Or you may feel like you need to learn SEO to maintain your company’s visibility online, but is there a freelancer who can do that for you? Eliminate those tasks you actually don’t have to do and you will already lighten your load. Find your why If it is a task that really needs to be done by you, try to find your why. For example, if you need to attend a conference, think about all of the numerous benefits of doing so from meeting new people in your industry and building contacts to improving brand visibility, Ultimately, your why would be to grow your business, and that is surely worthwhile. Basically, distill all of the reasons you need to do a thing into its most basic and vital element and you will hopefully have a bit more motivation to do so. 
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Conquer your fear
Often when you really don’t want to do something, it’s because you’re afraid; afraid of messing it up and failing; afraid of missing out on doing something more enjoyable; afraid you simply aren’t good enough, If you dan get to the root of your fear, you can work on accepting it and ultimately overcoming it. Just do a little bit Something that can really help you get stuck into a task you’d rather avoid is just starting it. Tell yourself that you’ll work on it for just 2 minutes, and if after that time, you still don’t want to do it, you can move on to something else. Most of the time, once you’ve gotten started, it will be a bit easier to continue with your task until it is finished, and the next time you come to do the same thing, it will be just a little easier. Do it in chunks Alternatively, you could try completing the task in small chunks, Spend 15 minutes on it, then get up and do something else for 15 minutes before coming back to it, and repeat. Because it won’t ve taking all your attention all of the time, it will be easier to sink into it and get things done. Embrace the fact that it sucks Sometimes, just telling yourself that life is not all roses and sometimes we need to do things that suck to move us forward and help us grow can provide enough grit for us to get through those least-loved tasks. Time to do that thing you’ve been putting off!  Image credit: Mentatdgt from Pexels If you want to start a business, you’re going to need to find a way to get into that entrepreneurial mindset. Getting into the right mindset is key, whatever it is you want to do. Any great business owner will tell you the same thing. If you’re not sure that you’re in the right mindset yet, below you’ll find some pointers that will help you get into the entrepreneurial mindset in no time. Read on and see what you can do:
1. Find Mentors Find mentors who can inspire you. How do they act? How do they think? You may not be able to pick up on it all right away, but continuously trying to learn from them can help you to adjust your own actions and mindset. They can be people you know in real life who you admire, or people like Tony Robbins. You don’t need to spend a fortune to go to their seminars, unless you really want to. Reading up on their free material and watching their talks online can help you in a myriad of ways, and it won’t cost you anything. 2. Read Books The more books you can read on the subject, the better. Of course, some will resonate with you more than others. Try to read at least one book per month so that at the end of each year you have gotten through 12 books that have helped you to expand your mind. Books like Think and Grow Rich and Automic Habits are amazing places to start. 3. Get Clear on Who You Need To Be Your self image can have a lot to do with how easily you are able to get into ‘entrepreneurial mode’. You can do lots of reading and learning, but if you don’t change your self image, you’re unlikely to actually get to where you need to be. So, get clear on who you need to be to achieve your dreams. What do you need to believe? Who do you need to spend time with? How do you spend your days? Really immerse yourself in this new vision of yourself and then try to become that version of yourself each day. Soon, you won’t need to try and your goals will come to you far more effortlessly. 4. Set SMART Goals Setting vague goals rarely helps anybody. Setting SMART goals can help to give you goals that you can actually measure. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. This way, you know exactly what you must do, can see whether you’re getting to where you want to be, and have a deadline to keep you focused. 5. Work on Your Limiting Beliefs Limiting beliefs are often deeply ingrained in our subconscious, and play a huge part in how we act and what we believe we can achieve. In a way, it ties in with our own self image. Figure out what you believe deep down. You may consciously believe you can be a business owner, but what about subconsciously? If you don’t think you’re smart or cunning deep down, then you may not get to where you want to be. Get to know yourself inside out. 6. Figure Out Your Budget A budget will help you to see what you need to focus on when you get started. You’ll also be able to approach suppliers and start building relationships with them, which can further help you get into the right mindset. Whether you’re looking at a company to provide a carbon steel butt weld or a company to outsource your accounting to, make sure you consider this carefully. You will need to be frugal with your budget to begin with. 7. Stop Being Self Centred A good business owner in this day and age is always people-focused. This means remaining focused on both your customers and your team. It’s time to stop thinking about yourself and how you can benefit and instead think about how you can provide value to the people around you. This is what makes an effective business that can stand the test of time. 8. See Failure As A Step Towards Success Failure doesn’t need to be the boogeyman of business. It can teach you so much about what works and what doesn’t, and should be looked at as a valuable lesson. You aren't going to make it through life without making a few mistakes. Make sure you appreciate these mistakes and learn from them. Don’t dwell on them! 9. Always Keep Your ‘Why’ In Mind Entrepreneurs have a very clear idea of what their ‘why’ is and what they would like to achieve. If you forget your ‘why’ or your personal mission, you could easily fall out of your entrepreneurial mindset. Before making any decision, remind yourself of your why. Write it down so you can see it every day. Making sure you keep it in mind will inform you in many positive ways. 10. Stay Flexible Flexibility is key as an entrepreneur, too. You might be able to get into the right mindset fast, but that mindset might not benefit you forever. Things are changing, across all industries, and they are changing faster than ever. Make sure you’re always prepared to learn and do new things, whatever it takes to be successful. A flexible attitude and way of working is a must in 2021 and beyond, so don’t allow rigid thinking or an inflexible way of running your business. Getting into the entrepreneurial mindset fast might not seem possible to some, but with determination and SMART goals on your side, you should be able to do it in a week or less. This doesn’t mean you’ll never need to work on your mindset again, just that you’ll be in a much better place to start your business venture. It could even be worth changing your idea of what ‘entrepreneur’ means. It doesn’t have to mean a suit wearing, fast decision making, cut throat person who is cut off from their emotions. Anybody can start a business in this day and age!  Image credit: Daria Shevtsova from Pexels If humanity is going to solve all its problems, we’re going to require a lot of highly motivated people. We need brains and perseverance to make it through the 21st century in one piece
The problem, of course, is actually getting people motivated in the first place. It’s an age-old question. What’s the best approach? The answer is quite annoying: it depends on who you’re trying to motivate. The tactics that work for one person might not work for another. This post collects all the best methods for motivating people and presents them in a way you can understand. You can then deploy them on a case by case basis. Be Inspirational For some people, inspiration is the best tactic you can use. What’s great about this method is that it forces people to internalize their desire for success. You’re not dangling something in front of them, like money. Instead, you’re finding common ground with them and getting them to align their goals with yours. With proper inspiration, they’ll want to work hard and achieve the objective because they believe it is valuable in its own right. Challenge People What’s the first thing people learn on personal training courses? The answer is the importance of challenging people. It’s a fine balancing act, though. Pushing people too hard stresses them out and causes them to throw their hands up in the air and give up. Not pushing them enough makes them feel like they’re stagnating and failing to make progress. The key is to find the sweet spot between the two. You want to create just enough resistance that they can achieve some success while also feeling like they’re growing as people. Celebrate With Them When people achieve something great, it is vital to celebrate with them. It helps to recognize their contribution and shows your appreciation of what they’re doing. For many people, this type of affirmation is the most important part of their work. They want to feel emotionally valued for what they’re doing. In some cases, it is even more critical than money. Provide Feedback Another strategy is to inform the people you’re trying to motivate about the differences that their efforts have made. In other words, you’re showing them the real-world effect of their actions and how they’re making a difference. Remember, the vast majority of people want to believe they’re making an impact. They want to feel like their work matters. But sometimes, they can’t see the effects of their action. Providing feedback helps with this. It shows people that what they’re doing is making a difference. It reveals how their hard work is paying off. Be More Trusting Trusting people is always a challenge, especially when so many of them will let you down. But it is also critical if you want to motivate people. You have to make them feel as though they can make decisions by themselves and aren’t just carrying out your orders. ] Try loosening the leash a little bit by giving them more autonomy. Once they experience ownership of a task, it’ll become more personally important for them.  Image credit: Anna Shvets on Pexels COVID-19 has undoubtedly made it challenging to go about your typical life and routine. It’s more imperative now than ever to take measures into your own hands to stay healthy and well during these uncertain times.
It’s better to be proactive than it is to make poor choices and put yourself at risk for becoming ill. Take the following tips into consideration as you begin to explore how you can maintain your health and happiness even though there’s a lot of chaos happening in the external world. Care for yourself and stay connected so that you can remain healthy and well and avoid any unfortunate turn of events. Follow the Guidelines The WHO guidance recommends FFP2 face masks during outbreaks of infections such as the Coronavirus. Invest in the right PPE equipment to stay healthy and well while traveling to and from work or while you’re out in public running errands. It’ll keep you and others protected and help to ensure that you aren’t contributing to the spread. Also, practise social distancing and be sure to wash your hands often. The guidelines are in place to keep you safe and well, so it’s important to take them seriously. Focus on Your Mental Health Another tip for staying healthy and well in times of uncertainty is to focus on your mental health. Self-isolating and lockdown can be tough on your mind and social life. You may be feeling sad or low because of all the disruptions and bad news that’s going around. Therefore, commit to participating in activities that will boost your mental health and ensure you stay well. It’s all about keeping your thoughts as positive and possible and decreasing the amount of stress you’re feeling. Meditation and deep breathing exercises are usually very useful in helping you to slow racing thoughts so you can feel better fast. Connect with Others Virtually If you’re a social person, then distancing yourself from others may be a real challenge for you. However, it’s what’s going to keep you from contracting COVID-19. While you may not be able to see everyone you want to in-person, there are other ways to stay connected. For example, use virtual methods such as phone, email, and videoconference to help you maintain and nurture your relationships with others during these uncertain times. Take advantage of all the ways technology can keep you interacting with those you love and care about virtually. Invest in Self-Care It’s vital that you also invest in your self-care during uncertain times to stay healthy and well. It includes getting daily exercise, eating well, and going to bed at a decent hour and not getting caught up in negative thought patterns. The better you take care of yourself, the more energy you’re going to have and the better mood you’ll be in most days. Use this extra downtime to invest in yourself and relaxing and resting as much as possible. There may be activities and projects you can take on around the house that you usually wouldn’t have time for before the virus outbreak.  Image credit: Prateek Katyal on Pexels Establishing a company is the start of a very exciting journey. If you have the passion and the work ethic then there’s no reason why you can’t come out on top, but that being said, there are various other things that you need to think about if you want to build and develop your small business successfully.
Set Goals and Have a Vision When you are striving to take your company to that next level, it’s vital that you set yourself some key goals. You also need to think about the hurdles that might end up hindering any progress you make along the way as well. If you are able to set reachable key points in your business development, then this will give you the chance to measure your progress and it can also help you to keep track of your past achievements. Another bonus of setting goals is that it helps you to clarify your focus and it pushes you to challenge yourself too. It’s vital that you assess where you would like to obtain your business growth too. Do you want to attract new customers from a certain demographic? Or is your strategy to try and expand into another market sector? If you want to expand into manufacturing, then consider looking into fuel in a box. Employ Great People Believe it or not, a huge part of taking your business to that next level is finding people who are skilled enough, and who have the right experience to get you to where you need to be. This may mean that you need to hire a senior person who can take your business forward, or it may mean hiring a director who can lead a set area of your company. Either way, if you want to grow then you have to make sure that you are willing to delegate. It’s a good idea for you to identify the jobs that you don’t actually need to take care of yourself, as this will help you to tackle key areas for your business development. Introduce More Offerings Another fantastic way for you to build your business would be for you to try and expand your offerings. This could mean expanding your product range or it could even mean trying to further the services that you provide. For example, if you sell high-quality bathroom mirrors then why not expand your range so that you can also sell bathroom furniture as well? Consider Your Premises A good company needs a good location. It’s vital that you make sure that you have enough office space to expand and that you do everything you can to try and make room for any future expansions you might want to make. If you do this then you will soon find that you can come out on top and that you can also help your business to grow much more as a result. If you want to help yourself, then plan out where you’d like to be in 5 years and then find a rental space to suit your needs.  Image credit: BeepNBook on Pxshere.com Displaying your brand at industry events can be a brilliant way to get your name out there. An exhibition stand enables you to showcase your products and services, boost your brand awareness and provide a touchpoint to meet and capture details of potential clients.
But at a busy exhibition, there may be dozens or even hundreds of stands competing for attention. If yours isn’t distinctive enough, you will struggle to attract much traffic. To get the best results from industry events, you need a stand that makes an impact. Here are seven tips for designing a truly distinctive exhibition stand to promote your business. 1. Goals Before you start designing your exhibition stand, it is essential you are clear on your goals. Ask yourself what results you would like to see from this event, precisely who you are targeting, and the message you want to get across with your display. Use the answers to these questions to inform your stand design. 2. Space When displaying at an exhibition, you often get minimal space to work with. For this reason, it’s essential that you make the optimum use of every square foot. Ensure there are no physical obstructions to entry or your footfall will suffer. Confirm the dimensions with event organisers in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises. Check if there is a maximum stand height. If not, the sky’s the limit. Building a high stand will make you literally tower over your competitors. 3. Visuals With so many different stands for them to visit, you need to grab people’s attention straight away. Don’t make your display too text-heavy. Use captivating imagery and colour schemes to draw people in. You can explain what you’re all about after they come to you. 4. Lighting A strategically-lit stand can enhance your aesthetic appeal while allowing you to bestow whatever ambience and mood upon your stand that you wish. For example, if you’re a technology company, you may find recessed lighting makes your display look suitably modern and contemporary. Use spotlighting to showcase a particular product or service, while coloured lighting can give your stand a unique appeal. 5. Materials There are so many options for materials when it comes to building your stand, and this is an area where you can really shine. For technology firms, a more metallic design will create a contemporary atmosphere, whereas companies in the medical or pharmaceutical industry may favour a more smooth, clean plastic look. Decide what is right for your industry and target market. 6. Technology Interactive technology can be a huge draw when attracting attendees to your stand, as well as making it easier for you to capture contact details. Many stands display tablets where visitors can easily input their details to enter a competition or subscribe to product updates. 7. Audience Every step of the stand design process should be carried out with your target audience in mind. Although your stand should look compelling, the most important thing is that it both attracts the people you want to attract, and sends the right message across at all times. If you are unsure where to begin, you may wish to consider getting in touch with a design agency that specialises in creating bespoke exhibition stands.  Image credit: Aleks Marinkovic on Unsplash Covid-19 has had a huge impact on businesses across the world, forcing many to close their doors, and even more to drop employees who desperately need the work. Those with the resources to turn their business into a remote one have managed to survive, and this process has shown their owners that working like this can provide a lot of different benefits. To start, having your team work from home will be much cheaper than hosting them all in an office, and there are many more reasons to go down this route. But what will you need to kick this off for your business on a permanent basis?
Work Management Tools One of the biggest challenges that comes with having a remote team is managing the work that everyone has to do. With everyone working under their own steam, you will need to ensure that they know exactly what they need to do each day, while also having the tools to monitor their progress. Websites like Asana can provide you with everything you need to assign work to your team and make sure that they are doing it on time. Many companies are finding that systems like this can work better than the ones they used back in their offices. Virtual HQs There wouldn’t be much point in moving your team over to remote work if you are going to keep your offices open, especially if you don’t plan on using them again. Of course, though, you will still need a business address and phone number for your clients and customers to contact you on. Solving this problem is easier than ever before, with companies like Virtual Headquarters offering forwarding address and professional telephone answering services. This will give you the chance to maintain the illusion that your business is operating from a single office, and this could even be at a better address than your old office. Communications Tools Keeping on contact with your team is going to be vital when they’re all working from home. Keeping track of their work, making sure everyone is happy, and simply knowing that you can get in touch are all very important, but you need to provide your team with the tools to do this effectively. Video chat services like Zoom have become extremely popular in recent months, while instant messaging services can also be extremely useful. Many of these tools can be used for free without having to compromise on quality, making it nice and easy to keep in touch with your employees. Working from home is going to become a lot more popular over the next few years. More and more businesses are seeing the benefits of this work, and it’s getting easy for normal people to take advantage of the tools that make it easier. Of course, though, you will still have to work hard to get your business into the right position, and this could mean having to learn quite a bit along the way.  Image credit: Tumisu on Pixabay A business launch takes a huge amount of time, effort, and planning, so for most entrepreneurs, plans usually stretch months if not years into the future. Such measures are entirely sensible; taking the time to ensure everything is in place prior to launch and that the business will be starting off on a strong footing is absolutely advantageous. However, for those planning to launch a business in the latter half of 2020, the landscape onto which they planned to launch has now suddenly changed beyond almost all recognition.
The impact of coronavirus Much has been said about the impact of coronavirus on businesses, even with many country’s governments doing all they can to shore up support for companies. What’s more, the problems look to be far from temporary, given the scale of the recession that most financial experts seem to predict. The vast majority of the focus, however, has been dedicated to established businesses; very little has been said about the fledgling businesses that were still in the planning phase at the time of the coronavirus outbreak. Unfortunately, businesses in the early phase of life face the same challenges as established companies - and more still, given they do not have name recognition or an established customer base to lean on. So is cancelling a launch the only option? Many prospective business owners may assess the ongoing situation and assume that there is little point in opening their business under the current circumstances, and shelve their plans with the intent to wait for better times. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. While businesses connected to the most affected sectors - such as travel and hospitality - could potentially benefit from a delay, other businesses remain viable even in difficult times. In fact, some aspects of launching a business are easier during difficult economic times: borrowing, for example, is cheaper than it will ever be, high fluidity of employment can mean businesses can attract great candidates to roles, and commercial rents can be cheaper if there’s a sudden surplus of properties as a result of a recession. As a result, unless a business idea is in one of the industries that have been particularly impacted, moving forward with a business could still be worthwhile. Quick tips for getting it right If you decide your business is still viable for its launch this year, here are a few tips that can help everything goes smoothly:
Launching in 2020 is certainly still possible for many businesses, and the tips above can help to ensure the venture is as successful as possible.  Image credit: Alexas Fotos on Pexels.com Every business goes through changes, and every single business plan that’s ever been drawn up has undergone revisions. Indeed, in the working world, change is a great thing, and can ensure a company goes from strength to strength as its lifecycle goes on. So, if some things need to be changed within your business, it’s time to take a step back and think about them. Some changes for the benefit of the long term could be made here, and you could really make a difference to your company. Here’s some ideas to start thinking about. Think About Your Company Culture
Company culture makes or breaks a business. You and your employees need to be able to trust one another, and transparency will always be key. Most of all, company culture is something that needs to stay positive and free flowing; even just one toxic person within the company can mean the entity of your workforce is feeling the negative effects. You also need to think about the goals you set as a company - what are you working towards? Can you see the effects of your results? And could some more attainable, real world goals be set to ensure your workforce are feeling moralised? Consider Proper Communication Tools Communication is essential in a business environment, and even just a single mixed or dropped message can mean the whole work day goes to waste. Of course, you have private messaging, and software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, but are they doing enough for you? And are they secure enough to make use of in the long term? You could think about setting up your own intranet for use within your company; something only you and your employees have access to, and can only be used for work purposes. It could be a great way to keep people on task, and it’s one of the most flexible forms of accessing a digital workplace, as well as safely and securely share messages with one another. It Might Be Time to Look into Fleet Options Of course, your company is getting bigger and bigger, and because of that, it might be time to think about time constraints. One of the main problems you’ll be dealing with is commuting - people needing to get to and fro from the workplace, in a timely and representative manner. Not to mention the amount of delivery you’ll have to cope with on your own too; you’ll need a vehicle or two that’s capable of ferrying a large amount of items wherever they need to be. It’s why plenty of Van Offers are circulating right now; usually you can get a discount on a model if you’re buying on a business expense basis, and this could very well be the start of your own company fleet. Planning business changes can occur in both the intangible and tangible sense; if you need a better working environment, or a way to get to work, you can make that change.  Image credit: Drew Beamer on Unsplash When you first start a company, you’ll often have these big, grand ideas of what it is that you want to be able to achieve. Maybe you know exactly where you want to go but you’re not too sure on how you’re going to get there? It happens. As a business owner, you won’t always know the answers. And that’s okay. However, you are going to want to make sure that you’re doing what you can, at all times, to build a better business? But how do you do that when you feel like you’re doing all that you can? There are always answers if you know where to look for them. Let’s take a look at five different things you can do to build a better business. 1. Care About Your Customers To start with, the best way that you can make sure that you’re looking after your business in the best way is to look after your customers first. When you care about their needs, you’ll be able to meet them better. And the more accurately you’re meeting their needs, the easier it’ll be to grow. 2. Build Better Products And then, you need to make sure that you’re creating and producing much better products. If what you offer is not the best that it can be, you’re missing out. If you commit to always improving your products, it’s going to make sure that you’re the best you can be.  Image credit: Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash 3. Get Professional Assistance
From here, you may even want to try and get some professional assistance. If you know that you’re doing all that you can and maybe that you’re stuck a little, you may need some outside support. There will always be outside consultants, such as Scott Robert, that are experts in their niche. So do your research and see who is an expert in your field and who might be able to mentor you and keep you on track. 4. Help People Then, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re able to help people as much as you can. If you want a better business, you need to be able to make a difference. And that’s not only to your customers and the people that interact with your business, but also the local community. If you want to do good, you have to make sure that you’re making a difference. So think about what you can do to help others. 5. Have Fun With It Finally, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re just having fun with it overall. If you take business too seriously, you may find that you’re getting stressed and you’re not doing what you can to actually make a difference. But this all needs to be fun. It should be something that you love to do and that you help others with. Don’t let it bring you down or be a cause for negativity in your life. Enjoy it and let your business bring comfort to the world.  Image credit: Pixabay on Pexels Every business owner should be at least aware of the risk of natural disasters, big and small, and how they can affect the business. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common ways they can disrupt, damage, and otherwise downgrade your business operations, as well as what you can do to protect your business and keep it as productive and profitable as ever, no matter what might be happening. Be ready for an emergency
Natural disasters are precisely the kind of emergency you should be ready to respond to. A crisis management plan (also known as an emergency operations plan) lays out the steps of how you secure your business, who leads which teams, how the business operates if the premise is inaccessible, and so on. People tend to naturally panic in an emergency situation and their judgement might not be at its best. Crisis management plans are about making the big decisions ahead of time so they don’t have to be made in a panic. Be able to work flexibly Many natural disasters will limit your access to the premises. For instance, if there’s a snowstorm or flood outside, you don’t want to ask workers to come in and risk their wellbeing. As such, you should be prepared to run the business a little more flexibly. This can be done by, for instance, allowing your team to work remotely from home until the office is operational once again. A lot of employers are finding that remote working isn’t as bad for the productivity of the team as they might have imagined and, even better, may even improve engagement and satisfaction. Have backups at the ready Natural disasters (and more routine malfunctions) can limit your access to the tools you need to work, even if they don’t shut down the business premises completely. One of the most common forms of this is a power outage. Your business could benefit from the installation of diesel generators if there’s serious risk of losing power due to storms or high winds in the area. Similarly, if you lose access to the internet, then you should have a backup connection at the ready, such as a hotspot installed in the office. Make sure you’re protected Natural disasters of all sorts can cause costly damage to both the premises and the work assets that are at your disposal. From fires to floods to power surges, you can protect your finances from all kinds of damage. Make sure you invest in the appropriate level of business property insurance. This way, no matter what gets damaged, so long as you have the coverage, you can get quick access to the money you need to repair or replace and get the premises up and running as soon as possible. Take a look at your local area and what natural disasters might be most likely to affect your business premises and invest in the appropriate protections. Otherwise, you could be dealing with a very costly surprise somewhere down the line.  Image credit: Fauxels on Pexels Your business will be a lot more successful when you focus on being an exceptional leader and boss. Be glad to know there are tips you can implement to help make you a stronger and wiser business owner.
The following suggestions will help you know what to focus on so you can perform better in your role. Making the right management decisions will ensure that your business is a success for years to come. You’ll look back and be glad you put in the hard work and dedication and didn’t give up trying to improve. Have A Clear Direction One tip that will make you a stronger business owner is to have a clear direction for where you’re heading. Set goals and know what initiatives you want to focus on and tackle now and in the future. Have a written plan and follow it but also be willing to flex and make changes based on what you’re observing and the environment and circumstances. Your employees will be looking to you for input and guidance, so you want to be prepared to give it. Know Your Finances Become a stronger business owner by knowing your financial situation well. Keep track of everything and manage using numbers, facts, and data. Know your finances by creating and following budgets and understanding your books. Perform research before spending money and ordering supplies such as finding out what's the price of red diesel? Collecting this information ahead of time will allow you to plan properly and avoid overspending. Listen to Others It’s essential that as a business owner, you put your ego aside and are willing to listen to others to manage your business more efficiently. They may have valuable suggestions and new perspectives on matters that you hadn’t thought of previously. Not only listen to your employees and clients but be willing to make changes based on the feedback you receive to run a better business. There may be issues they’re seeing and noticing that you aren’t aware of, and you should be addressing. Build A Support Network You’ll find it helpful to lean on others while you’re trying to grow your business and skills. Build a support network that you can turn to when you have questions or need direction. You can learn from their past mistakes, so you don’t repeat the same ones. A mentor can help you make forward progress with your business and ensure that you stay on the right track for being able to find long-term success. Get involved in your community and meet new people so others can get to know you, and you can exchange ideas and input. Conclusion These are a couple of tips that will help you become a stronger business owner and leader. Soon enough, you’ll be on your way to taking your company to the next level and exceeding your goals. Be prepared to face a multitude of obstacles but also wise enough to know that with a little hard work and dedication, you can work through them and still come out on top.  Image credit: helpsg on Pixabay Attending exhibitions as a business can Help to keep your brand above water. Exhibitions help you to keep your brand in the market as well as remaining relevant and sharing it with the rest of the world. Exhibitions also help your brand to stay upbeat by showcasing your services and products, you can market your brand in a fun and fresh way, which allows you the perfect opportunity to network and speak to potential customers. It is vital to always increase brand recall value and credibility in the market to remain popular and relevant.
How Does It Help? Exhibitions and conferences are perfect opportunities for meeting key people face to face, in your industry. This gives you the perfect chance to market your business in a professional yet personal capacity and gives you the chance to talk to as many people as possible. You want to also market your business but take the time to learn about theirs too. Switch business cards and keep in touch. The more contacts you build, the better, for future reference or if something comes up that you feel you can connect with them on. You’ll need it to follow up after the event on email, this really establishes a relationship. Don’t forget that the event can also be used for carrying out market research too, just by asking others about your niche and what they may look for. Ask people what their needs are and look at the competition also. That is quite a vital element. You will certainly be surprised by how much you can learn - but in addition to this, you will be able to gain access to important information. If you want to market your business to other business professionals then it is good to have a clear message. Make sure you can clearly communicate, getting across all the information in around 30 seconds and being able to offer answers to questions they may have. There are plenty of great exhibition stand companies that are there to help you get on your feet. Once your stand is in place, decorate it with your branding as well as maximising your presence at business events. Use direct mail, e-newsletters, social media and PR to raise your profile ahead of the event. Flyers and magazines if you have them are great for people to take away, as well as possibly looking at goody bags that are a nice treat. Add any press releases and information that could help you at the exhibition. You’ll also need to prepare a press pack which can be slotted into your goody bag. Most exhibitions have a press office for journalists attending as well as photographers, so wear your best outfit and smile and learn to impress. If you are struggling with a press pack, then just add a few pieces of select information, images, news, and contact details so that you can be easily reached. It’s time to make your business stand out. There are many opportunities to get yourself to an exhibition, so start thinking of your next move!  Image credit: Clker-Free-Vector-Images on Pixabay We all want the best from our team. We want them to be as productive and effective as they can be, but it’s not always about making sure you have the right people for that team. Sometimes you have to be the right leader, too. If you want to see them get more done, then you need to take steps to help them improve their daily workflow, too.
Stay organized Clutter is one of the biggest issues when it comes to workflow. It can distract and confuse a member of the team when they’re supposed to be focusing on something else. As such, establishing practices to eliminate clutter, from tidying the desk to deleting resolved emails to closing windows that aren’t relevant to the task at hand, can all help them focus. By eliminating clutter, you can improve the general workflow, in the long run, leading to greater productivity. Get automating There are some steps in the workflow that, until technology improves, will need a human hand to make sure they are done the right way. However, there are many steps in a workflow that might not need as much human intervention, especially in the admin part of the job. Tools like https://www.templafy.com/document-automation-software/ can help you drastically shorten the amount of time needed to, for instance, prepare and send company-wide or customer communication documents. As such, the time and effort that would normally go into the relatively menial task can be spent on something both more important and more engaging. Start prioritizing Not only should you look at how you can more efficiently take care of certain tasks, but you should also help ensure they’re taking care of the right tasks, to begin with. Most workflow tasks can usually be ordered from the most important to least important, as well as the most urgent to least urgent. Tools like https://appfluence.com/productivity/prioritization-matrix/ can help your team do that for the whole day ahead, helping them better see where they should spend their time and what tasks might be able to be left until a little later before they get attention. Keep communicating To some degree, you want employees to be able to prioritize their own work but there are some times you have to get them to switch tracks to hit a more urgent goal. Or perhaps there are issues within the workflow that can cause bigger problems down the line and you need to correct them. Leading with communication is essential, and having the right tools to get in touch quickly can help as well. Collaboration tools, such as team management and communication software, can ensure that your team is always plugged into the conversation. By making the means of communication consistent across the board, you ensure no messages get lost in the mix. With the tips above, you can help employees focus on the work that needs to be done first, get it done quicker, and make sure that they’re working with others to ensure efficiency across the board.  Image credit: pmbbun on Pixabay In order for your business to succeed, you need to have the right team of people in place propelling it forward day after day. Without that, your business will fail to launch and your dreams of success will be in ruin. Not many businesses can succeed off the back of one person’s aims and ambitions. It takes a team effort, and that makes building and motivating your team one of the most important tasks you’ll have. Here’s how to do it.
Create an Environment That Allows Your Team to Take Risks You should work to create the kind of environment that gets the best out of the team at your disposal. You should look for ways to encourage your staff to go their own way and take risks. Employees that feel empowered and liberated tend to be the ones who do the best work. Give them to the space to do their best work and it’s your business that will benefit in the long-term. Find Ways to Boost Morale and Team Spirit There are lots of ways to boost your team’s morale and team spirit. You need to make sure they enjoy the work they do and enjoy coming to work. And you should also take steps to make sure that the way in which they work is focused on togetherness and teamwork. When people rely on one another and work together, there’ll be a better team spirit among your group. Learn How to Maximize the Talent Available to You The team you have is there for you to mold and shape. It’s up to you as the leader of the team to make sure that you’re doing everything within your power to get the most out of them. With good leadership and the right kind of direction, even a mediocre team can achieve great things. So your role in this is going to be key. Get Help with the Hiring Process Building a team always involves hiring new people, and that’s always something that you should enter into carefully. Places like DSC Personnel can help with the process and offer their expertise when you’re looking for certain kinds of employees. Getting this help might help you to find the right people more easily and avoid the mistakes that small businesses so often make in the hiring process. Recognize Each Team Member’s Contribution Finally, you should make sure that you recognize the contribution that each person in the team makes. Everyone has something to offer and it’s important that you recognize that and make the most of each person’s individual talents because that’s how you’ll get the most out of them. If you want your business to achieve lasting success, you need to make sure that you have a team in place that’s capable of making that happen. Follow the advice above and make sure that your team has the qualities and abilities you need, and that you have the talents to get the most out of them.  Image credit: NordWood Themes on Unsplash Being cooped up at home means a lot more sitting and scoffing! The Mirror has a guide of how you can stay healthy during the lockdown!
 With a third of the global population living under lockdown, many are turning to science for the answers on how to be happy in these difficult times. By the evening of 26 March, 1.3 million people were enrolled in a Yale University online course entitled: The Science of Well Being. BBC News has the story...
 You may find yourself regularly working from home over the coming weeks as employers attempt to limit staff exposure to the coronavirus outbreak. Sky News has the tips!
 What do you look for to have a happy work life? The Mirror has the results of a recent survey!
As you probably spend most of your life at work, it’s essential that you’re happy there. From feeling valued to having good relationships with coworkers, everyone has one top feature that makes them feel satisfied at work. Check out the below for a happy work life. Good Work-Life Balance If you’re in a job where you can work your hours and then go home, you’re bound to be happier as you’ll have more time for your family, friends, and hobbies. A Company That Promotes Health Companies that protect your health and order supplies like PPE equipment from PPE Supplies Direct clearly care about you. Feeling safe at work will make your work life happier. Having Progression Opportunities Being able to progress at work will make you happier as you have something to work towards. It also gives you a purpose in the office and will make your day more fulfilling. Working With Decent Coworkers You can have the dullest job in the world, but if you’ve got decent coworkers, it all seems a whole lot brighter. Having good working relationships will make your day much better.  Employees never have to apologise for having a life, believe it or not! LinkedIn has a story that all bosses should take note of!
 Being more productive could be the real answer to a better work-life balance and give you more 'you' time! Fast Company has the details!
 Isn't life just hectic? Non-stop from the minute you climb out of your pit until you collapse into bed? BBC Worklife have a feature about 'how to reduce 'attention residue' in your life!
 You work hard don't you? What happens when you get to Friday or if you are one of those weekend warriors, your frame of mind isn't quite on it! Employees shouldn't have to apologise for having a life and if you're from the retail or service industry, this is huge! A feature on LinkedIN will tell you more!
 There is so much job search advice out there, literally everywhere! But sometimes you can miss the very basics! The Muse has some very basic tips to try out whilst on the hunt for that new gig!
You can also get 'The Ultimate List of Job Search Strategies To Land you Next Job' from Fancy Resumes' to give you that cutting edge plan to the next big gig of yours! |
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