 Image credit: Gustavo Fring from Pexels We all know the feeling. You clock in for your electrical contractor job and can’t seem to get going. The day drags on, and your motivation starts to dwindle. Even the most experienced electricians can have trouble keeping up their productivity day in and day out. So if you’re looking for simple ways to improve your productivity as an electrical contractor, here are four tips that can help.
Start by getting organised This may seem like a no-brainer, but having a system in place for your work is essential. Whether you use a physical planner or an app on your phone, make sure you have a way to keep track of your tasks and deadlines like this job management software for electricians. This will help you stay on top of your work and avoid missing critical steps. Next, take some time to plan out your day. Before you start working, take a few minutes to map out what you need to do and when you need to do it. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked by other tasks. If possible, try to batch similar tasks together so that you can get into a flow state and be more productive. Automate repetitive tasks Automating repetitive tasks is one of the best ways to improve your productivity as an electrical contractor. This can free up a significant amount of time you can use to focus on other areas of your business. You can automate tasks in several ways, such as using software to manage your schedule or create invoices. You can also delegate tasks to employees or contractors. Whatever methods you use, automating repetitive tasks will help you be more productive and efficient in your business. Set realistic goals It’s essential to set realistic goals for yourself and your business. If you try to bite off more than you can chew, you’re likely to end up feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Instead, take some time to sit down and figure out what you realistically want to achieve in the next month, year, or five years. Once you have a goal, you can start planning how to get there. Don’t make your goals so small that they’re not worth achieving. Big goals can be daunting, but it’s important to remember that even small steps can get you closer to your ultimate goal. Another helpful tip is to break down your goals into smaller pieces to seem more manageable. For example, if your goal is to double your business’s revenue, you can break that down into smaller goals, like increasing your sales by 20% each quarter. Give yourself regular breaks It may seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks can help you be more productive. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or bogged down, take a few minutes to yourself to clear your head. Go for a walk, get some fresh air, or step away from your work area for a few minutes. You’ll return feeling refreshed and ready to tackle whatever you’re working on. It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and forget to take breaks. But if you want to be productive, it’s essential to give yourself time to recharge. When you’re well-rested, you’ll be able to work more efficiently and effectively. So make sure to schedule some break time throughout your day. There are several simple ways to improve your productivity as an electrical contractor. Start by getting organized, setting realistic goals, and taking breaks when necessary. You can also automate repetitive tasks to free up more time to focus on other areas of your business. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to being more productive in your work.
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 Image credit: Fauxels from Pexels Being a business owner is a lucrative but demanding job. While some things are continually reviewed, analysed, and evaluated to see how we can expand the business, other things go unnoticed. Things like strengthening your relationships with customers could have a significant impact and produce results we never anticipated. The following are a few things you might want to consider doing for your business this year that might go unnoticed but will help you and your employees feel happier, healthier, and more inspired to work to make the business grow and succeed in the upcoming year.
The vitality of retention Finding and onboarding new personnel takes a lot of time and effort for businesses with a high staff turnover rate. They need to replace staff so regularly because they frequently treat their employees terribly once they have them. A company's capacity to retain personnel is crucial to its success. In addition to saving money on hiring and training employees, you may mould and progress employees within the company. that your employees actually care about the company, are dedicated to the brand, and want it to flourish. Someone might be employed for a straightforward job, like a call centre agent, but they might also be enrolled in marketing night school. Maintain a clean and safe workplace There has been a lot of concern regarding workplace cleanliness because there are so many individuals in one place as a result of the pandemic. If your normal cleaners did a deep clean once every two weeks or once a month, it would be advantageous even if you already have cleaners on staff. In addition to all the other areas they usually ignore, this would allow them to clean the microwave and refrigerator. By doing this, you may ensure that any unwelcome bacteria or germs are kept out of your office. Increasing workplace productivity Any business can stand to gain something, and increasing production and efficiency is one of those chances. There are many other approaches you can use; for instance, did you know that happy people who enjoy their work are motivated to work harder? Maintain their happiness by providing them with minor prizes and incentives, and if they offer suggestions, consider them. You can also talk to your IT team; while they manage the servers and put out fires as they happen, they might be able to streamline some aspects of the business and come up with other ideas to make operations run more smoothly and efficiently. The solution is in your effort! Prepare yourself for every possibility Running a business entails taking ownership of all outcomes, good or poor. The other people in the building, including the staff and customers, are under your care as well. Making sure you have things like a first aid pack and doing a risk assessment will be beneficial. Moving your company ahead looks different for different companies like branding yourself in the right way with branded vending trays, taking on new staff or outsourcing work to experts.  Image credit: CoWomen from Pexels Research shows that the average employee is interrupted every 3 minutes or 50 to 60 times daily. Unfortunately, most of these interruptions are unimportant and offer no value to the company. The worst part is that workplace distractions and disruptions are not only making employees less productive but also significantly contributing to workplace stress, according to experts. This can be a major barrier to business progress. So, how can business owners reduce workplace disruption and improve productivity? Here are four effective ways.
1. Reduce office noise levels Workplace ambiance noise, especially in open office spaces, is pretty common. Everyday working practices generate noise which builds up quickly as the day progresses. While many workers may be used to workplace noise, studies have shown that it diminishes productivity. Identifying and tackling the major contributing factors is a good way to reduce office noise. For example, are there too many short meetings? Put an end to them. Are the photocopy machines too noisy? Get them serviced. Do people move about too much? Is the busy street noise flooding the office space? Make acoustic upgrades to your office space. For example, you can take advantage of the acoustic properties of fire rated windows to seal off outside noise and create a working space with minimal sound disruptions. 2. Encourage your workers to set task time limits Email notifications, social media alerts, several calls, and coffee breaks— all these tiny distractions can quickly add up to eat out a chunk of your employees’ work time. One way to limit these disruptions or their effect is to encourage your workers to set time limits on their tasks. That will help them focus on a task until it’s completed before attending to anything else. For example, if a task should take an hour to complete, you can encourage your worker to turn off all notifications on the phone during that period until they complete their task. This approach will also help your workers use their time efficiently. 3. Balance employee collaboration and privacy The traditional office setup with privacy cubicles appears to be fading away, as many businesses are opting for more open workspaces to enhance collaboration and ideas sharing. But both office setups have their flaws. A traditional office space with cubicles can create cramped spaces, and an open workspace comes with many distractions. The trick is to balance both office setups to promote employee collaboration while offering privacy when needed. Your office setup can have spaces for group work and meetings. But there should also be privacy cubicles for those who need to complete concentration to work. 4. Let your employees decide where they want to work Not every task needs to be conducted in the office space, especially not when there are too many disruptions at work. Depending on the nature of assigned tasks, allow your workers to choose where they want to work, especially if the work can be done remotely. If someone finds more focus working from home or in a coffee shop, give them that flexibility, as long as it guarantees better results and increased productivity.  Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Small business owners have it tough, they don't just have to wear many hats, but they have to fight the biggest battle of all: the Battle Against Time, every single day. Productivity is one of those things that everybody has an opinion on, but as a small business owner, when there's so much to do and never enough time to do it in, what does it really take to ensure that you are doing everything properly?
Streamline your tasks The topic of streamlining can cover so many different areas. Streamlining can be technical, for example, a piece of software that can be designed by the Claris Filemaker Pro service to ensure that everything has a very solid process. On the other hand, streamlining can be down to the individual's perception of tasks. For example, learning how to do things in a certain order to make sure that they are optimising their time effectively. Whatever it takes, when you start to streamline your tasks, you've got to remember the end goal. Because while doing something in a different order may not necessarily make it easier, actively streamlining your tasks can be effective, just as long as you know the best approach for your needs and goals. Work smart, not hard This age-old adage is something we've all got to remember. You can do tasks in a logical order, but you don't have to. It's also important to look at the things where you are particularly weak and find ways to outsource them. A very good example is if you are a slow typer; instead of typing, you can invest in a dictation program that will help you to reel off emails and potentially quadruple your productivity. If you find yourself typing email after email, especially when it comes to firefighting complaining customers, this can make life a lot easier. It's also important to remember that when you are sending emails, roughly 80% will contain very similar information, so having a collection of templates will also help. Remove distractions Distractions are one of the biggest obstacles. Everybody has their own distractions, whether it's social media or just not being able to focus. There are plenty of ways to learn how to focus, but you've also got to look at the distractions that you just cannot remove from your life, for example, if you need to have your email on in case of someone messaging you. But this is where discipline can make a big difference. Complete the biggest challenges first If you cannot remove distractions effectively, you've got to get up before everybody else does! If you really want to grow your business and you’ve got a mountain of challenges ahead of you, you've got to complete the biggest ones first. This doesn't just give you a sense of achievement, but will also give you a better opportunity to work more effectively later on, and smaller tasks that require less energy can be done with ease. Being productive as a small business owner doesn't just involve finding the right tools and techniques, but also about winning the battle against ourselves!  Image credit: Unknown from Pexels It can feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Use these smart tips to reclaim your working time. Work doesn’t have to be so intense that you can’t take a lunch break if you manage your time better.
Give tasks your undivided attention Human attention is a limited resource. When you try to focus on multiple things at once, you are less able to absorb the detail of all the things you are trying to do. When you’re working on a project, attending a meeting, or on a phone call, limit other distractions, especially email, social media, and the internet. Focus only on the task, whether that’s drafting a newsletter, looking for bog mats for sale, or updating a client. You will get things done more quickly, and be better able to contribute to discussions or learn valuable information. Learning to focus your attention on one task or person at a time can enhance your productivity. Adjust your working hours With more people working remotely now, there’s more option to flex your hours to suit your working preferences and lifestyle. If you prefer to get things done first thing in the morning, adjust your working hours to suit that, and start earlier if you can. If you’re more of a night owl, who is most productive later on, see if you can start work a little later and finish a little later. If you’re based in an office, if you adjust your hours, you might also be able to avoid more distractions and be even more productive. Cut down on your commute The daily commute is one of the biggest causes of wasted time for most workers. Many people have longer commutes than ever before. As well as being a waste of time, sitting on the train or in traffic for hours every week, the commute can also be a source of stress, and can also be a significant cost for many people. Every minute you spend traveling to work can have a negative impact on your job satisfaction and mental health. Whether you work remotely more often or try to change jobs to something closer to home, try to cut back on your commute as much as you can. Automate as many tasks as you can When you have got a lot on your plate and a lot to get done, it’s a smart idea to let technology take over as much of the effort as you can. You can do things like setting up rules to filter your email inbox or automate tasks that take up a lot of time through HR software. If you already have some digital tools, spend some time exploring them to make sure you’re using them to the fullest or checking to see if there are more advanced solutions available on the market that could make a big difference to your workload. Automation can be a very effective time-saver for many tasks. 
Do you feel like you and your coworkers are just not hitting your stride? Are there too many distractions in the office or people talking on the phone all day long? If so, it's possible that your workplace is unproductive. This blog post will discuss six things that make for an unproductive workforce. Once you know what these things are, you can take steps to improve the situation!
#1 The office is cluttered and messy If your company has a "dirty desk policy," it's time to reconsider that policy. A messy desk can be distracting, especially if there are papers on the floor or dust blowing off of them! It also creates an environment where people feel less comfortable working because they have no idea what might pop out at them from beneath those piles of paper. To improve this situation, make sure employees clean up their desks when they leave each day so others won't see it as such a mess when they come in tomorrow morning. Another thing you can do is limit distractions:
If there are no guidelines in place, people will make their own up, and they're not likely to be very productive ones! This can lead to confusion about what's expected of employees and a lack of accountability. To fix this, you need to create a set of written standards for the workplace- from how to dress appropriately to what types of conversations are allowed during work hours. You may also want to establish specific working hours (and stick to them) so people know when it's okay to take personal calls or go on break. And finally, make sure everyone is aware of these rules! Post them where they can be seen easily, send out a company-wide email, and talk about them during team meetings. #3 There are no incentives for people who do more work When there's nothing in it for employees, they're less likely to put any effort into their jobs- and that can be a major problem when you need everyone working at 100%! The best way around this is by creating some kind of incentive system where those with higher productivity levels get rewarded accordingly. This might mean offering bonuses or extra vacation time, giving them better projects than anyone else on staff (and more responsibility), allowing these individuals access to certain perks only available through hard work, and assigning heavier workloads so they won't feel like freeloading off others' efforts. The key here is making sure everyone knows what the expectations are right from day one - and then holding them accountable. If you don't, your employees might think that they're doing enough just by showing up on time every day! #4 The workplace culture is toxic Toxic workplaces can make it impossible for people to do their jobs because they feel like outsiders all the time. So it's important that you create a positive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued, no matter what kind of work they do or how long they've been with the company! It's also essential to give praise when deserved- such as recognizing those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. You don't want your employees feeling like their efforts aren't noticed or appreciated, so make sure everyone knows how much they're valued! And finally, if there are any issues with an employee's performance that need addressing, be sure to address them directly instead of letting these concerns fester in silence for months. By doing this immediately after noticing something isn't right about what he/she is up to at work - you'll save yourself from having major problems down the road and ensure your workplace wellbeing is in optimal condition. #5 The employees are overworked If people are already struggling to keep up with their workload, adding more tasks on top of that isn't going to do anyone any favors - especially not the employee! This can lead to burnout, which will only make it harder for them to concentrate and be productive. The best way around this is by assessing what each person's capabilities are and then delegating duties accordingly. You might also want to consider hiring additional help if things have gotten too hectic (or look into outsourcing certain aspects of the company so that you don't have to take care of everything yourself). It's important to remember that everyone has a limit- and once you've crossed it, productivity goes out the window! So try your best to keep an eye on things and make changes when needed. 6) Employees don't have the necessary tools to do their work properly. It's not just about having everything you need to get things done, but rather what kind of quality those items are. For example, if an employee is using a computer that isn't up-to-date with its software or hardware, then they'll likely be spending more time fixing problems than actually doing their job! It's also essential for employees to have access to all relevant information related to their responsibilities without having to dig through multiple folders in search mode (or worse yet - wait around until someone finally hands it over). In addition, being able to work efficiently and adequately requires certain tools such as desk space or even ergonomic chairs, which help reduce physical stress on the body while working long hours at a screen. You might think these seem trivial things when you're trying to get a business off the ground, but over time, they will add up and make a huge difference in terms of how productive your workforce actually is. There are many things that can hinder productivity in the workplace. But by being mindful of these potential issues and taking action where necessary, you'll be well on your way to having a more effective and efficient team.  Image credit: Fauxels from Pexels As a business owner, you are probably already aware of your employees' vital role in your company's success. Not only are they the lifeblood of your company, but without them, you could probably just close up shop right now. That said, ensuring your employees are as positive and productive as possible is vital to ensure your business not only stays afloat but thrives, which is why these few tips on how to cultivate positivity within your workforce could really be of use - have a look!
Provide a comfortable workspace for your employees Employees who enjoy their job more are generally happier, and therefore perform better. Ensuring that your employees have a comfortable place to work is one way of cultivating positivity - this might include a nice desk with an ergonomic chair or just ensuring they're not in the middle of an open room at all times! Employees who struggle with health conditions like asthma are especially vulnerable to bad air quality. As many as thirty million people in the US have some form of respiratory allergies, and this can be exacerbated by poor indoor air quality - keeping your employees healthy is paramount! In fact, it's estimated that about 20% of all workers suffer from allergies on a daily basis (often caused by poor air quality), which means you should take immediate action if you want your business to flourish. For example, ensuring there are plenty of plants within an office space or even just introducing better Commercial air purifiers could help immensely when it comes to promoting positive thinking amongst your workforce. Create incentives to motivate them further Everyone loves a reward, and as such, it's important to motivate your employees to cultivate positivity within their mindsets. Offering them incentives for performing well is one way of doing that! But be careful; too many rewards can often lead to poorer job satisfaction amongst workers; instead, use smaller rewards or even just verbal praise when an employee goes above and beyond what was required of them. This could involve anything from giving out small tokens at staff meetings (maybe five total each month) or simply catching someone before they leave the office and telling them how great they're going with something. Positive reinforcement will help improve productivity over time, which means cultivating positivity within your workforce is now even easier. By following these simple steps, you can easily cultivate positivity amongst your employees and help them perform better - which should improve the overall productivity of your business! Have a reward system in place for top performers Everyone likes to be recognized for their hard work, and as such, offering a reward system in place is one way of doing that. Whether it's an employee of the month award or any other type of recognition, you want them to feel good about themselves - this will help cultivate positivity within your workforce! And don't limit yourself either - if someone really goes above and beyond what was required from them, then they deserve extra praise (even a small monetary bonus would suffice). In fact, some businesses even take it up another level by rewarding employees with days off when they go beyond expectations; give your employees something positive to think about! Delegate more responsibilities to your employees Sometimes you might feel like your employees aren't doing enough, but this is an extremely negative mindset to have. Instead, consider delegating more responsibilities to them so that they can learn new skills and improve themselves for the future! Businesses often implement a mentorship program to help guide their employees; sometimes, it's also helpful if there are two managers who take up some of the responsibility from those higher-ups (like yourself). This will give everyone involved greater autonomy over what they do at work, which means positivity should flourish within your workforce. And don't be afraid about giving junior staff members tasks either: many recent studies show that more senior workers actually perform better when paired together with a colleague who's less experienced. This is because they can create new relationships and help improve the overall collaborative culture at work! If possible, try pairing up those senior workers with junior staff members of similar interests or skill sets so that they can learn from one another to develop their own skills further (which will benefit them both) Be an effective leader, not just a boss Being an effective leader is a great way to cultivate positivity within your workforce instead of just being the boss! Instead of simply delegating jobs and expecting results, try taking an active role in their development. By doing this, you'll be able to lead them effectively without adversely affecting productivity because you're not micromanaging everything they do. Be sure that you communicate with your employees regularly, so everyone knows what's going on; once again, this will help them feel valued over time which should improve overall morale at work (which means higher levels of overall productivity). Part of being a great leader is ensuring that you are employing all of the skills that you have at your disposal. Strategic thinking is going to be a continual theme in your working day. Strategize how to get the most from your team. What does strategic thinking look like? Check out these strategic thinking examples. If possible, have some sort of weekly or monthly meeting where all staff members are present for positive reinforcement and any problems that need to be addressed. This will help cultivate positivity within your workforce, as everyone knows they have a voice and can speak up when necessary! Consider employee benefits Sometimes it might feel like you can't afford to offer additional benefits to your employees, but with some careful planning and budgeting, there are often ways around this issue. Health insurance, for example, is a benefit that many employers choose to provide as it's not only beneficial in the long-term (like being able to take time off when sick) - but also helps improve productivity on an immediate basis! Of course, even something small like offering free food at lunchtime or allowing people flexible working hours could make all the difference over time. Offering employee discounts is another great way of helping them save money while they're hard at work earning wages; plus, it'll help cultivate positivity within the workforce by making them happy every single day. If you're struggling to afford additional benefits or perks, try looking at what other businesses in your industry are offering and see if they offer a competitive package! This could give them ideas for how to improve their business which will help cultivate positivity within your workforce. If you carefully consider all these factors over time and adapt accordingly, cultivating positivity within your workforce should come naturally to you!  Image credit: Startup Stock Photos from Pexels You have an upcoming project that could be something special. You want it to be a big thing that can dramatically change your business and see lots of new success come your way. Whatever this project is, you want to get the most out of it. There's nothing worse than putting your blood, sweat, and tears into a project, only for it to produce less than impressive outcomes. Unfortunately, this happens far too often, and it's all down to how you approach things.
In today's post, we'll go through some ideas to help you get the most out of your next project, ensuring it's a rousing success! Outline the main goals No project can start until you have a set of KPIs or goals to aim for. KPI means key performance indicator, and it relates to things that indicate how well your project has performed. For example, sales figures are a clear KPI as you can track them to see if they have increased following your project. You need to set your goals and targets in the beginning as it helps you work towards something, but also provides things to track so you can make alterations if the project isn't meeting its targets early on. Work with a PMO A PMO can help you with your project as they will take on so many duties and tasks to support the whole process. For those of you that are unsure of the PMO meaning, it's an acronym for Project Management Office. In essence, this is an entity - or entities - that handle lots of different elements of the project management process for you. This can include admin, finance tracking, creation of status reports, and so on. They exist to take the load off your shoulders and give you insights into your project, so you can make the most out of it. Effectively, it can help you push your project to the next level. Use project management software It is always helpful to use software when managing your next project. All of the best PMs will have the go-to software that they swear by. You need to find one that works for you and lets you manage the entire project all in one place. You will find it so much easier to make sense of things when you have software like this, and it streamlines the whole process. It is far better than trying to think of everything in your head or on pieces of paper. The best project management software will let you do things like creating templates, tracking KPIs, resource management reports, budget tracking, and so on. If you want to get the most out of your next project, you really need to take a hands-on approach to project management. Start by outlining the goals and aims of the project, giving you KPIs to track. Ensure you have some software that you're comfortable using, and also work with a PMO to provide support. All of this should come together to help you achieve the most desirable outcome.  Image credit: Fauxels from Pexels It’s not always easy to be proactive at work. It’s defined by the behaviour of the people in your organization and if you have staff who are not proactive in what they do, you are going to fail in your business. You need to ensure that your employees don't have to be asked to do their jobs, and you shouldn't have to micromanage them into it. Your staff should want to be proactive in their jobs, and if you ensure that you are working with a great group of self-motivated individuals, they will be more proactive without being asked about it. If you want to make sure that the employees you have hired maintain their ability to be proactive in their roles, you have to promote the right environment for it. This means knowing when to introduce construction document management software into your day to day business. It means knowing when to implement employee training and when to teach your staff to be more organized. It means helping your employees before they need to ask for it. You can take plenty of steps to become more proactive at work and you can keep your employees proactive, too. Proactive employees help each other and when you yourself are more proactive in keeping others motivated, you can ensure that your business is one that is successful. You can organize your time better, and schedule your tasks better, too. You need to have the right amount of downtime and do what you can to keep your life in balance. So, how can you help your staff to be more proactive?
 Image credit: Rodolfo Clix on Pexels When your business is operating at maximum efficiency levels, your productivity should increase naturally. As a result, you can boost your company’s profitability by enhancing efficiency at every level. However, finding the most effective ways to improve your efficiency can be tricky. To give your business the best chance of success in 2021, take a look at these top tips for maximizing efficiency now:
Set Firm Goals Unless you have clear goals in place, you won’t be able to monitor or optimize your efficiency levels. When you know what you’re working towards, you’re able to implement effective strategies that will help you to achieve your targets in the quickest timeframe. By using SMART goals, for example, you can ensure that your business targets are specific, measurable, achievable, time-bound, and realistic. Increase Automation When you automate business functions, you can reduce the amount of time it tasks for tasks to be completed. In addition to this, increased automation eradicates potential inaccuracies caused by human errors and reduces the need for staff, thus reducing your costs. People tend to assume that automation is only relevant in specific industries, such as manufacturing, but this isn’t the case at all. Every business can benefit from implementing automated processes, regardless of what sector you operate in. From invoicing and marketing to customer service and quality control, there are numerous ways you can increase automation within your business. Start Outsourcing If you aren’t outsourcing already, it’s time to start. When you outsource certain tasks or functions, you can operate more efficiently. Outsourcing gives you access to specialist expertise that you don’t have in-house, but it also enables your core staff to focus on their main roles. By taking advantage of outsourcing opportunities, you can also minimize the need for full-time, in-house staff, which can enable you to operate with fewer outgoings. There are plenty of ways to incorporate outsourcing into your business model. Using third-party managed IT services or professional translation services is a form of outsourcing, for example. Similarly, working with an SEO agency or a content production company enables you to outsource important business functions and improve your efficiency levels. Prioritize Tasks When your To-Do list is getting longer by the minute, don not simply work through it starting at the top. Instead, grade tasks based on how important and time-sensitive they are. By doing so, you can tackle the high-value tasks first and leave the less important issues until last. Using scheduling software or a task management platform is a good way to plan your working day, as it enables you to modify your schedule quickly and grade tasks according to their priority. Becoming More Efficient People tend to assume that maximizing efficiency means working harder but it doesn’t have to. By altering the way you work, you can significantly increase your efficiency and productivity, without working harder. In fact, you might find that making modifications to how you work allows you to reduce your working hours while still boosting your efficiency levels!  Image credit: La Miko on Pexels It goes without saying that in order for a business to attract more customers, continue to grow, and make more profit, they obviously need to devise an effective marketing campaign. This is something which is even more important when one considers the state of the economy around the world at present. Businesses don’t have as much money to spend; therefore, it is crucial to get their advertising plan right the first time around. Moreover, people don’t have much money to spend and therefore marketing methods need to be even cleverer and well thought through.
Sadly, there is no magic formula and essentially whether a strategy will work or not all depends on the business in question. Every method in the book needs to be taken, adapted and edited in order to suit the company. The best idea is to go for something which seems to be successful across a lot of businesses and industries. There are not a lot of options which actually boast this desirable quality. Nevertheless, one that does is the utilisation of promotional products. This is basically where a company chooses to produce products with their name printed on, they then distribute these as gifts to potential consumers. The key to the success of this strategy all lies within what product is chosen. There are lots of different items a business can choose from however one which seems to have a whole host of advantages to its name is the use of promotional bags. This blog post will reveal what the benefits linked to this product in particular are. The first reason is that promotional bags are relatively cheap to produce and distribute, especially in relation to some of the other promotional products which a company can choose from. In fact, custom made bags are something which has decreased in price significantly as of late, especially when buying in bulk. It is important how crucial it is to highlight the fact that choosing a low-cost product is pivotal at present due to the recession and the need to have a strategy which is as low risk as it can possibly be. Another reason for choosing promotional bags is that it will add to the credibility of the company. This is because more and more people are caring about the environment and wanting to look after their planet. If they see that a company is distributing reusable bags then the company will go up in their estimations and they will feel more inclined to use it. Plus, reusable bags are great for exhibitions. If you’ve been looking at marquees for a promotional event or trade show, giving out a reusable branded bag can help people to keep all of their advertising gifts and brochures in one place while also advertising your business. A final and highly important point to note is that this is an item which has massive scope for potential. At the end of the day, if an individual uses their bag to go shopping then there is no telling how many people they will pass and thus how many people will see the details of the company in question. At the end of the day, it is really not hard to see why so many individuals are choosing to implement a strategy based around promotional bags.  Image credit: Bruce Mars on Unsplash If you are a business owner, you surely start the day with a question: how can I do more? Of course, what we want is not to work longer hours and end up affecting our personal lives, but to be more effective with the resources and talents we have. Productivity has not only an impact on the objectives we reach and performance of our business, but also our stress levels. So what is it that we can do to work better? Here we share some tips that you can apply from tomorrow onwards.
Plan each workday Before leaving the office, review your schedule and set your to-do list for the next day. Determine which are the priorities, give them a schedule and be realistic about the time available. It is better to move slowly and steadily than to remain stuck in the same place. Look at what is going wrong in the office and if things need to be changed. Many businesses fail to see things that are going wrong. So whether it's talking about updates to your technology or being more productive with your energy, there are things to think about. Perhaps you need to look at upgrading your Fuel Tanks, or maybe you need to change your phone systems, planning what needs to be changed will make things more productive. Forget multitasking. Multitasking is a myth, and we can't all be good at everything. Some studies show how this way of working can reduce productivity by up to 40%. In small and even medium-sized businesses, it is very common for one or more people to do tasks of a very different nature throughout the day. Still, it can become a risk to productivity if not properly addressed. Focusing on specific objectives is a sure way to increase the productivity of your company. Have your team delegate. Concentrate more. With constant meetings, social media, and instant messaging, it's hard to stay focused for more than half an hour on a single task. To avoid distractions, establish work blocks and respect them as if it were the presentation to your most important client. Move your smartphone away from your desk or silence alerts from applications such as social media. And if you are working on something very important, let your team know that you cannot be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Forget about repetitive tasks. One of the biggest challenges is repetitive, time-consuming jobs that distract you and your employees from those that are much more important to the business, like selling products and winning customers. An example of finances, and it is that recording or controlling all invoices, expenses, or payments is a task in itself. The better you look after your finances, the more chance you have of being able to put money into other areas, such as social media. To make your life as an entrepreneur easier, you need to tackle such routine tasks to increase productivity properly. There are dozens of ways to save time and gain productivity in the short and medium-term, such as direct debit of payments to suppliers in a bank account and even immediate payment with a company card.  Image credit: Photo MIX Company on Pexels The focus of doing business, regardless of the stature of your company is all about getting more. They say you need more clients, more money, and more everything! And this means that there comes a point where we just can feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it all. When it comes to working smarter in the business world, we've got to find ways to get ourselves out there but when we are a small company or it's just us, we can struggle to keep every plate spinning. With this in mind, what are the best approaches to guarantee that your small business can reach these outer limits?
Outsourcing (It Isn’t As Expensive as You Think) Whether it’s an SEO expert or someone to help you revise your website copy, outsourcing is something that every business, big or small, is taking advantage of. When you start to outsource, you can begin to see the wood for the trees. When we do too much, we can let certain components fall by the wayside. By outsourcing things that we find difficult, especially in the marketing world, it will force us to focus on things that we can do better. When it comes to search engine optimisation because it is such an evolving component of marketing, it can be a struggle to keep on top of the latest rules when it comes to Google's algorithm. But this is where having someone who dedicates their livelihood to this will make it far easier for you. Work With Other Companies Extending the olive branch is a fantastic way to go about doing business. When you start to work with other companies, by either having guest bloggers or even vendors, when you start to work with businesses in industries that complement yours but also share a target audience, you aren't treading on each other's toes. You can set up a referral program or offer package deals, and it's these things that don't just help you expand your reach but it makes you reputable by association. Get Networking When you start to work with other companies networking becomes a well-oiled machine as part of your business strategy. Every meeting is the potential to network, and when you start to reach out and let them know that your business is open and what you can do for them this can be as effective as a social media post. But when you are networking, it's important to remember that there is an etiquette to it. Don't be obnoxious. When you start to build a business, it's very easy to get blindsided by the money and you start to do everybody as potential profit. It's far better to be a business leader who is marketing to help others rather than yourself. Simple, but incredibly effective. These three components can expand your business reach in insurmountable ways. Marketing can be perceived as a very selfish endeavour to promote their own efforts. But by reaching out to others and asking for help, you are naturally beginning to network in a very organic way. This means that you will have a good reputation. And as we all know, your reputation can precede you.  Image credit: Rudy and Peter Skitterians on Pixabay If you’re looking for new suppliers for your business but you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re looking for suppliers for your products or for essentials for your office, you need to ensure you’re finding businesses you can trust if you want to run your business efficiently. From helping you to produce high-quality products to ensuring you’re keeping your employees safe, the more you’re doing to find trustworthy suppliers the better. With that in mind, here are just some of the reasons you should consider finding reliable suppliers for your business:
You Can Have Confidence In Your Products One of the best reasons to find reliable suppliers is that it will give you confidence in the products that you’re selling. Having high-quality products is what will set your apart from your competitors so if you’re choosing reliable suppliers that you can trust, you know that you’re going to be offering your customers the best possible products. For tips and tricks when it comes to finding suppliers you can trust, you can visit this site here. You Can Ensure You’re Keeping Everyone Safe If you know you’re working with suppliers that you can trust, you can be sure you’re keeping everyone within your business safe at the same time. Whether this means they’re using safe practices within their work or they’re creating products that are safe, your employees and customers safety should be your top priority. If you’re unsure whether or not they have safe practices, you can speak to your suppliers and ask to visit their premises. They will be able to reassure you that you’re working with a business you can trust, as well as give you an insight into what they do as a business and how they operate. For more tips and tricks when it comes to keeping your employees safe, you can visit this site here. You Can Build Strong Relationships Building strong relationships as a business owner is incredibly important, especially when it comes to your suppliers. By choosing suppliers you can trust, you can be sure you’re building strong relationships with people that are going to help your business grow. Whether that’s someone who offers HVOF or someone who supplies hi-vis jackets, building relationships is essential. You Can Save Money Where Possible Finally, by working with reliable suppliers for your business, you can open up your business to saving money. Whether that means you’re saving money as a result of strong relationships or you’re saving money by making bulk orders, there is a lot of value in having strong relationships with reliable suppliers. With lots of great reasons to find reliable suppliers for your business, you can be sure you’re doing the absolute best for your growth. What other benefits could it bring? Did we miss anything important off of the list? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.  Image credit: Pixabay on Pexels For your business to thrive, your office space must be a hub of creativity and hard work. The problem is, it’s impossible to achieve greatness without the right environment! If you want productivity levels to soar, think about how you might improve the functionality and design of your office. In many cases, improving your office is rather a case of health and safety.
1. Consider lighting According to a study in PR Newswire, ‘workers in daylit office environments reported an 84 percent drop in symptoms of eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision.’ The study concluded that improving natural light in an office environment resulted in improved productivity and wellness levels. To improve your office environment, it’s advisable to optimize natural light as much as possible. Perhaps your office doesn’t get much sunlight during the day? In this case, daylight bulbs or full-spectrum daylight bulbs are a worthwhile investment. Daylight bulbs are designed to mimic natural night, while full-spectrum bulbs are often used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. 2. Create more space The coronavirus pandemic means that social distancing is now a necessity. To improve your office design in a post-COVID world, you need to create more space. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but here are a few viable options! Declutter to make room: Start by decluttering your office, get rid of any items you don’t need. Whether you sell things or donate them, you’d be surprised how much space you have after a clear out. When you are disposing of your items, ensure that you recycle as much as possible. With a little more floor space, you’ll be able to create more distance between your staff workstations. Invest in a storage solution: Another option is to invest in a storage solution. There are plenty of storage containers you can hire at affordable prices. By using a storage solution, you’ll free up space on site, and you won’t need to get rid of anything. 3. Ergonomic seating Modern office designs simply must involve ergonomic seating; it’s essential to keep your staff safe and healthy as they work. Ergonomic chairs support the spine and prevent injuries. While you’re at it, it’s also a good idea to purchase ergonomic keyboards. These keyboards help the user to place their hands in a natural position; this means less straining and less chance of typing related ailments. 4. Quality renovations Working conditions have a direct impact on the productivity of your staff. Staff are far more likely to produce creative work in an attractive and comfortable environment. With this in mind, consider whether your office space is in need of a renovation? When you are choosing your contractors, it’s essential to choose a quality service. Many businesses prefer companies who prioritize sustainable building methods and materials. For a quality ceiling renovation, rockfon.co.uk have plenty of great options. 5. Consider color schemes The colors that we are surrounded by influence our mood, emotions and energy levels. Due to this, it’s important to choose the right colors when designing an office space. For a few ideas to get you started, consider these options: Blue: Blue is generally seen as an ‘intellectual’ color. It is often associated with communication, logic and trust. All of these associations make blue the perfect color for an office environment. Yellow: Yellow represents positivity, creativity and energy. We need all of these things to create a productive office, (so get painting those walls yellow)! 6. Apps to support your design Need a little help to get your design ideas flowing? Several apps can help you there! Room Sketcher: RoomSketcher is a floor planning and design app, perfect for helping you plan out your office. Using this application, you can make 3D floor plans and virtually decorate your office. RoomSketcher is ideal if you want to try out a few design ideas before making any purchases. Planner 5D: Planner 5D is another top floor plan tool, here you can create any type of interior layout you wish. Whether you want to create a 2D or 3D plan, planner 5D has the tools you need. It’s simple to create realistic images and play around with texture and lighting. Hopefully, a few of these ideas will be easy to implement at your office. You might find that it takes a little time to redesign your office to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions. If your staff are still working from home, now is the perfect time to get those renovations sorted before they return!  Image credit: Mohamed Hassan on Pexels Staff productivity levels should be a priority for all business owners. Sadly, the vast majority of companies continue to suffer from insufficient results in this key area of daily operations. Whether those lulls in production have been caused as a direct result of Covid-19 or existed long before the pandemic doesn't matter. Either way, it's vital that you stamp out those problems ASAP. The first step to overcoming those problems is to identify the root causes. Here are some of the most common issues to consider, along with the easiest ways to battle them. The road to restored productivity starts here. Inadequate Recruitment & Training It's impossible to achieve the desired levels of productivity if you have failed to assemble a strong team. Therefore, successful recruitment drives should be the top item on your agenda. If you want employees to perform well, it's important to recognise the human elements too. In truth, analysing the right personality traits is perhaps even more crucial than before as teams include remote workers. When employees don't have the attitude and drive to back up their skills, unlocking their full potential is impossible. Worse still, their lacklustre performances can spread to others. Building a quality team that's built to perform is one thing. However, you must also ensure that staff members continue to grow and develop. Investing in the best staff training modules to learn new techniques or familiarise themselves with new software is key. Inferior Tech Facilities They say that a bad worker blames their tools. However, even the best employees will struggle to produce the goods if they aren't supported by the right equipment. From machinery to POS terminals, or office computers to vehicles, only the best will do. If your employees blame the vehicle they use as an excuse for inefficiency, you should install GPS Tracking in the work vehicle to monitor the progress of their shift. GPS tracking is accurate and simple, providing you with real-time locations and movement detection. It's not only about possessing the right assets and infrastructure, though. It's equally important to ensure that all facilities are maintained to optimal health and reliability. Visit https://www.concise.co.uk to learn about how managed IT can transform your approach. It's great news for the firm and its staff. Aside from cutting out various tech-related disruptions, it aids the team's ability to stay on task. There's nothing worse than spending time trying to troubleshoot and correct issues. When those issues are handled in an automated manner, your team can focus solely on the tasks at hand.  Image credit: Joshua Woroniecki on Pexels Poor Teamwork & Collaboration Teamwork makes the dream work. When individual success isn't met with collective triumphs, it will show. As an employer, it's your job to ensure that all team members are on the same page. Team building sessions and group activities are a great way to promote camaraderie. Meanwhile, it's important to build a working environment that is conducive of good collaboration from all times. Whether it's in-house team meetings or video conferencing, short and sweet discussions are for the best. Moreover, tech features like team messaging Apps can serve you very well. Perhaps most importantly, you must stamp out any potential issues, such as workplace bullying. Meanwhile, using the right tech to support collaboration is key. Cloud computing is one key feature. But the ability to track client interactions and let colleagues pick up the conversation is equally crucial. Unsatisfactory Leadership As well as good working relations with colleagues, workers deserve a positive employer-employee bond. So, developing your leadership skills through improved body language and communication is a must. If you cannot express messages well, you can't expect teams to perform. The reality of the situation is that you are unlikely to handle many of the interactions personally. Supporting yourself with great team leaders that can maintain productivity in tough situations will make life a whole lot easier. Be sure to give them the authority needed to complete their work too. When supported by regular reporting and analysis, productivity should remain at the highest level. And when it does drop below the desired levels, you'll be in a position to spot and rectify the situation at the earliest stage. In truth, that preparation is as significant as taking the right precautions.  Image credit: Free-Photos on Pexels Inadequate Safety As already mentioned, human responsibilities are a crucial ingredient in the recipe for success. If employees are worried about any aspect of their health and safety, it'll affect their work ethic. So, for the sake of productivity and profitability, as well as human care, you must get this right. Conducting a full and thorough risk assessment of workspaces is vital. Check out https://www.thsp.co.uk to learn more. Meanwhile, security systems and emergency protocols should be in place too. Even when they aren't needed, their presence can make a significant difference. In today's climate, safety and security aren't limited to the physical world. All data and cybersecurity features must satisfy the latest demands. After all, almost half of all recorded attacks target SMEs. You cannot afford to let your employees fall victim. No Incentives Motivation is a very powerful tool in business. Frankly, you'd be very naive to think that employees will work to their full capacity without an incentive. Engaging work and achieving greatness for the company do have a positive impact. However, personal incentives will always be top of the agenda. The most obvious incentives are financially inspired. Creating a clear path to promotion will spur ambitious workers to want and achieve more. Additional steps may include bonuses or sales commissions. Likewise, perks relating to travel or lifestyle elements can have a big impact on the mood. If you can inspire staff members to actively want to work harder, they will. Better still, hard work is contagious and will inspire colleagues to follow in their footsteps. The benefits for the entire team and, therefore, your bottom line cannot be ignored.  Image credit: Geralt on Pixabay The Final Word
A hardworking team won't guarantee business success, but it'll certainly give you a better shot at success. So, taking the necessary steps to cut out the sources of poor productivity levels is something that all employers should want to do. Whether you're working from home or commercial spaces, paying attention to this part of the kob should pave the way to productivity. What more could any entrepreneur ask for?  Image credit: The Coach Space on Pexels Launching a product is a milestone event in the life of your firm. Even if you’re a relatively mature firm with a product library, each new addition to that family counts. For this reason, knowing how to launch with style, and get noticed, is important. It can serve as a refreshing point for your brand, while also giving you the chance to grow further and with confidence.
But simply hoping to do this well is one thing, and achieving those results is another. For the most part, there are many variables that contribute to your success here. Cultural trends, price fluctuations, competitor activity, all of this can influence your end result, and it’s almost impossible to predict this with complete accuracy. However, launching with style, and launching effectively need not be opposed. There’s every chance of hitting this out of the park, if only you took the time to understand what you have to offer and how you could best promote it. So, how can we get started? With the following, worthwhile advice: Video Promotion Excellent video production can help you design a snappy advertisement, or a promotion for your social media fields, or an unveiling that works for you. Visual mediums like this can help you express your product in its full glory, with all the bells and whistles. Furthermore, this can help generate hype, as the use of flashy imagery and music can bring a larger-than-life quality to just about anything. When you take the time to collaborate with a studio offering this kind of utility, you’ve taken the strongest, most exciting first step. Influencer Additions Influencers are all the rage and show almost no signs of slowing down in modern times, which means that they serve as a great brand opportunity. For instance, energy drink companies are partnering with high-profile video game streamers to give a sense of energy and enthusiasm to their brands. Social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram and others have their own form of advertisements through which you can promote, and you may even simply take out ads with these platforms to raise your profile inteh first place. Launching a product through this avenue could help you generate more hype and buzz than you had ever imagined possible. Real Celebrations Celebrate your product! If you can’t stand behind it, no one can. It’s important to really show what people can appreciate about your product, how it can work, and why people should get excited alongside you. This can be seen in your promotional material and copywriting, your branding, or just when and where you decide to release. For instance, throwing an event can be a means in which to bring people together and show them why they should support you, or it can generate hype that may ultimately end up being covered elsewhere. Real celebrations work, because everyone loves to celebrate. With this advice, launching a product with style will be a great use of your time.  Image credit: iuriimotov via Adobe Stock Efficiency is vital for the success of your company. As the day starts, it is good to think of ways to save time. Nowadays, workers are spending more time at the offices. Sometimes it can be hard to start, but you need to begin from somewhere. Start by making a plan to identify all the inefficiencies in your business. Completely hauling your business is unnecessary, but the small changes you make can go a long way towards your company’s success. How to Increase Business Efficiency
Business efficiency is not just about how well your company is doing or delivering products. It is about how faster you can do so. How can you increase your employees’ efficiency as well as the quality of your business? The following are some ways to increase employees’ productivity as well as the quality of your products. Outsource logistics A lot of businesses seek to improve their efficiency through improved logistics. The efficiency that can be improved in the company is dependent on the nature of the business. Some businesses have a massive improvement capacity for the improvement of logistic systems. There are numerous ways in which organizations can attempt to improve efficiency through logistic systems. Logistic management is a crucial component in any business operations because its performances affect both the internal processes as well as the customers. Logistics outsourcing entails bringing an outside logistic firm like the Freo Group to handle some functions of your logistic trade. There are various forms of logistic outsourcing, including using the logistics company to transport your goods and raw materials between locations for a fee. Additionally, you can use the firm to handle an outside firm to your organization's logistics. Improving the logistics in your business will lead to noticeable improvements in your organization. Automate whatever task is need Business automation is not only for luxury but is equally vital in the current competitive world. Automating monotonous tasks saves your workers time and allows them to focus on doing more productive tasks that require practical human thinking. In the beginning, you might find it costly to implement automated tasks; however, all of it will be worth in the long run and increase your business efficiency. Make communication easy Miscommunication is another cause of inefficiency in business. Miscommunications can sometimes be solved with just a meeting; however, the meeting can prove hard to schedule. Implement an open-door policy. Encourage communication, collaborations, and feedback between departments as well as staff. A smooth lining communication is vital. Use the technology that is available to streamline your communication. You can also encourage your workers to communicate face to face and speed up the process of solving problems, answering questions, or even getting something clarified. To establish a smooth flow of information, encourage your workers to communicate with each other. Using technology platforms like emails and chat can keep your business moving efficiently. Incentivize workers One of the best ways to improve employee efficiency is by offering incentives to them. Recognizing your employees for their hard work will make them feel appreciated. There are numerous ways in which you can reward your workers, for example, by taking them out for a meal, giving the coupons and gifts, and sending a handwritten thank-you card. Final Word Having a strong understanding of where your company needs to improve is significant for your success. With the knowledge of technology and the available resources, you will be able to manage your business efficiently. The above tips can help you improve your business efficiency and see a rise in the general productivity and profits.  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!
 Your CV on average can take just 34 seconds to be rejected! The Sun has some of the do's and don'ts for your CV check!
 Google spent years studying what makes an effective boss and now they teach new managers the six things they found! Inc.com has the lowdown on what Google think a new manager should know!
 When you apply for a job, you actually have two CV's out there. You may well submit one CV but its also your social media that acts as the second one so knowing exactly what's on it really helps especially as recruiters will find it too! The Muse has 8 easy ways to have a clean up!
 If you've retired and looking for something on the side, your own little side hustle then it might be worth checking out the book, '100 Side Hustles: Unexpected Ideas for Making Extra Money Without Quitting Your Day Job by Chris Guillebeau. Forbes has more on the great read!
 Photo credit: apost.com "When leaders forget about the human element, they're holding back their companies and limiting the success of others." Sheldon Yellen, CEO of property-restoration company Belfor Holdings, hand-writes 9,200 birthday cards a year! You can read more in Business Insider!
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