 Image credit: Burst on Pexels If you are in a position where you are starting to think about working from home, that is a great opportunity that you are going to want to make the most of. It could be that you have started a business which you will run from home, or that you are trying to work from home more as a result of covid. Whatever it is, part of the process is going to be designing and building a home office which you can use and which you are likely to enjoy. Let’s take a look at what might be involved in that process. Find Your Spot First up, you need to find the spot in the home where you are going to have your office. Ideally, this will be somewhere that you don’t use for anything else. If you have a spare room, a basement, or even a garden shed, any of those could be ideal for a home office. It should be somewhere away from the general hubbub of the home, and where you are not going to be disturbed - or disturb anyone else in the home either. It also needs to be of a decent size, so that you can comfortably work there. Build A Desk Chances are, you are going to want a desk to work at. You can build one yourself easily enough. Anyone with even a basic understanding of woodworking can achieve this, and it is one of the easier projects you can hope to complete. Or you might decide that you want to get hold of one premade and simply install it, which can work just as well. In either case, you will then want to make sure that it is ready to work at, which might include fitting out electrics like a mains neon indicator, ensuring that everything is in its right place, and so on.  Image credit: Visually Us on Pexels Decorate
Although it might not be completely necessary, there is something wonderful about decorating the home office. It helps to make it a more enjoyable place to work, and it generally means that you are going to have a much better time of making the most of that spot. You can of course decorate it however you wish, but it might be worth bearing in mind just how different colours affect your productivity. Do your research on this and you should find that you can make the right decision. Stock It Up Finally, you now need to stock up your home office with everything that you will need to do your job well. As long as you have a place for everything, it is going to be much more the kind of place you hope to work, and you should find that it makes a huge difference to how the office feels to work in. All in all, building your own home office is simple enough, so consider doing it if you are thinking about working from home or starting a business to run from home as soon as possible.
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 Image credit: Josh Hild from Pexels Every business is looking to improve its stance in the world. Ultimately, there's so much competition out there these days that we have to find unique approaches to stand out from the crowd. But when we start to look at the most common approaches such as improving our digital content or reconfiguring the product it seems that everybody has a hand in these approaches. This is why you've got to think differently. But what does standing out from the crowd really entail?
Changing Your Partnerships You will always be judged by the people you align yourself with. When it comes to ensuring that you have a business that is perceived in the way that you want it to be, it's not just about what you put out there, but it's who you align your beliefs and practices with. It could be to do with finding the right clients or stakeholders but it can also be about the marketing gurus you work with. When it comes to being a niche or someone that stands out from the crowd, it's crucial to ensure that you are working with people that understand what you want to achieve. Companies like Elitelawyermanagement.com could help when you are looking for a very unique way to push forward a unique brand. But ultimately, everybody is pushing their uniqueness these days. This means that the difference between you and the next business is all about the relationships you cultivate, not just in terms of your business partnerships but also in terms of the people you hire. To look different you've got to be different. Change Your Views When you work with specific people it's because you align your thoughts with theirs and vice versa. When you alter your views this will guarantee the right calibre of people but it will also ensure that these relationships work towards something that everybody is happy with. But when you change how you view yourself and focus on creating mutually beneficial relationships, this can benefit the company in so many ways. So many businesses are looking out for themselves in order to make themselves look different when, in fact, the best solution might very well be teaming up with people. But when you start to work with the right clients this is because you have altered your perception of things. In order to get the right people on board, you've got to look at what you really want to achieve first. This doesn't mean becoming insular and selfish but getting an understanding of what you really want to achieve as a professional entity. Don't Sell “Products” Every business appears all about the profit or the bottom line but there are so many companies out there that need to reconfigure their focus. It's not about selling “products” but it's about selling “solutions.” This very insightful article on Medium.com may prove to be quite inspiring but you have to remember that when a customer approaches you about a product it's about fulfilling their needs, not yours. This is the very definition of great customer service and will truly differentiate you from your competitors. In order to win the spotlight, it's not about fighting everybody else but it's about going back and looking up what you can achieve without being inherently selfish and conniving.  Image credit: Anamul Rezwan on Pexels If you have a construction business, then you’ll already know just how much potential there is when it comes to finding success. However, as you’ll also know, there are no guarantees when it comes to construction. Competition for jobs can be fierce, and, as such, you’ll need to ensure that your operations are as watertight as can be. There are a few key components that can contribute to making your venture as good as it can be! In this blog, we’ll take a look at a few core areas to focus on. Revisit Your Operations
To begin, take a look at your current operations. It’s normal to fall into a groove of working, to the point where you don’t even think about it. However, it’s always worthwhile looking at things with a critical lens from time to time. It might be that one aspect of your company isn’t quite up to speed. You should also remember that there are always new tools being made available that can help you to work better and more efficiently. Just because you’ve been doing things one particular way for years, that doesn’t mean that you have to keep working that way! Build a Team You may be the most important player at your construction business, but it’s not as if you’re the only one. Your team, collectively, could be even more valuable than you are, since they’ll as a whole likely do more work than you do. As such, it’s important that you’re taking the time to put together a great team of workers. Once you’ve assembled a team, you’ll have the potential to work together for many years to come. This all begins with your hiring process, so take a look and ask yourself if it pushes the best candidates towards you. Once you’ve got your team, work hard to keep it together -- you can reduce employee turnover by paying well, treating them fairly, and offering avenues to progress. Robust Safety You might think that it’s the quality of your work that counts the most, but that’s not true -- safety is the most important dimension. If this isn’t watertight, then you’ll find that you run the risk of all kinds of problems. Accidents, even small ones, can be disastrous for a construction company. Could it be time to upgrade your lifting equipment? Then take a look at Ranger lifting equipment. You may also want to revisit your employee safety training programs. Ultimately, it’s your company's safety that counts! Job Selection You’ve only got a finite amount of time and employees. As such, one of the best ways you can improve your operations is to get better at your job selection process. You don’t automatically need to take every job that comes your way. You might find that waiting a little while can bring work that both pays more and is more interesting. You may also consider working with other companies that have different skill sets, so that you can take on more jobs.  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: Scott Graham on Unsplash Having a disaster-proof business means you can keep things running smoothly in the face of problems of all kinds, from data leaks to the current pandemic. With proper crisis planning, you’ll be able to keep serving customers, helping clients, and most importantly, keep your business going. Step One: Determine The Scope Of The Business Continuity Plan
Business continuity scope includes identifying what areas of your business could be hit, how badly it will be hit, and the right plans to address the risks. For example, you should consider how you’ll manage payroll, communicate with customers, and keep services going. Being proactive means doing everything you can to protect the business from adverse impacts, instead of reacting to recover. Your plan should include a communication plan, budget, timeline, and roles and responsibilities. Your communication plan should include what you will tell customers, employees, the public, and stakeholders in your business. Step Two: Identify The Business Functions At Risk What functions of your business would be most at risk in a disaster? This could include your network, data, and communications devices (a Managed IT service could help with these areas). Your overall operations could be hit by disasters that affect your physical office or storefront. If you know what is at risk, you can plan to protect it. Make a list of all your hardware and software. Include all the serial numbers, license keys, passwords and technical manuals so you can restore systems. This also helps to process insurance claims faster. Keep these details on the cloud. Step Three: Define The Disaster Risks Disaster risk varies by location. For example, if you’re based in California, you’re more likely to be hit by an earthquake than an office in Illinois. What local risk is there of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, or other extreme weather? Plan around those risks. Risk like fires, electricity outages and hacking can hit any business, anywhere. Step Four: Develop And Test Tactical Components Find an alternative place for your employees to work. If you have the infrastructure for remote workers, make sure they can keep doing this and take over more business functions. Find co-working spaces and costs that you could use if you needed to. Backup your data in the cloud. Make sure key business processes are on digital and cloud services, including payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable, customer service, customer relationship management, and others. What equipment might you need? Do you need a backup generator, for example? Where you will get this equipment if you need it? For cybersecurity risks, undertake a security assessment to review your processes and network to find any weaknesses. Step Five: Assess, Refine, And Test Share the recovery plan with your team. They might have ideas to improve it or spot areas that you’ve missed. If they know the plan, they’ll be ready to go to work if a disaster does occur. The faster the team can react, the less downtime you will have. Use testing the plan as a training session. Test the plan a couple of times a year to make sure it is still relevant and keep everyone’s memory of the plan fresh.  Image credit: Image by Nietjuh on Pixabay Can you make a hobby into a career? Well, it depends on how passionate you are about your hobby, and how hard you’re willing to work at it. There are other variables as well; if your hobby is web development, you’re going to be able to turn it into a career a lot easier than someone whose hobby is painting frogs. Sure, there’s likely a market for it, but you’ll have to find the niche industry in which you can use that talent and hobby to make a whole career from it. In a recent blog, product development cycle was discussed. One of the key tips was, “Find Out How Much The Opportunity Is Worth.” Is the opportunity that you’re creating really worth enough to invest time and money in? If you’re willing to do the leg work, and continue even when the going gets tough, then potentially yes. Again, life is more than about the income you’re receiving. Having said that, you still need to pay the bills. Let’s take a look at how to decide if your hobby would be a good career path. 1. Do you know the goal? If you simply say, “I like to garden,” then that’s not enough of a goal. Millions of people enjoy gardening; what is the goal though? Is it to sell your own hybrid plant? Could you potentially create a new fertilizer? You may need to think a little bigger than just your own home or backyard when trying to think of the end goal of your hobby-turned-business. 2. Will I enjoy it when it is no longer just a hobby? This a key question to ask. If you’re suddenly forced to do your hobby for hours no end, will you still derive joy from it? If you love spending time wrenching on car engines at the end of the day because you sit behind a computer for work, is it really something you want to switch up? Be honest with yourself: if you suddenly had clients relying on you to perform your hobby, would you still enjoy it? If so, maybe it’s work looking into as a career. Just remember, the only person that can answer this question is you, so be honest with yourself.  Image credit: Free-Photos on Pixabay 3. Would it be better as a “side hustle?”
If you’re finding that you’re not sure how to turn your hobby into a full-blown career, what about the option of turning it into a side hustle, or a side gig? If, for instance, you enjoy collecting rare coins, you could consider going a step further to trade metal CFDs. Instead of spending all your time with your hobby, you can allow it to ebb and flow as you see fit. Additionally, if you know you can’t pay the bills with your hobby, you may be better off keeping it as a side hustle and trying to find a different career to find joy from. Be honest with yourself If you are stuck in a career that isn’t fulfilling, you don’t necessarily need to just go find a similar job. Think creative, but be honest with yourself when you’re thinking about trying to change a hobby into a career.  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: Conrad Marshall on Pexels If you ever wondered what could be heating your home or what could be powering the tractors that you pass by on a road trip across the country, chances are you would not know red diesel is the culprit behind all these scenarios.
Ultra-low-sulfur diesel makes up the second-largest portion of a refined product barrel, according to Breakthrough, equating to about 11 gallons of the finished product. Red diesel is the fuel that is mainly used for machinery and off-road vehicles used in all kinds of industries including agriculture and construction. It can also be used to warm homes. It is chemically just like regular diesel, except for its red dye. If you want to know more about the uses of red diesel and what it is, here are all your questions answered. Why Is It Red? Red diesel is red because it has to be easy to identify. In some places using red diesel is illegal unless used in off-road vehicles that are not on public roads. Red diesel is also subject to specific fees and taxes. Red diesel is also typically sold a lower price point than that of regular diesel. As a way to deter people not qualified to receive those tax and fee exemptions to use red diesel fuel, it is required that it is dyed red so law officials can easily identify when someone is using the fuel in their automobiles. What Is Its Purpose? Since red diesel is not chemically any different than regular diesel, it is best to use it on farms and construction sites to power equipment like cranes, combines, bulldozers, harvesters and generators. It is also used for things like carnivals and state fairs to power generators, private watercraft, freight trains, back-up generators and other small scale machinery. Red diesel can also be used to heat up things. It can be kept in a storage tank for residential properties. The diesel in the storage tank can be used for furnaces and stoves. If used for heating up the home, it is recommended that you do not keep diesel fuel for longer than six months at a time. It degrades in quality and in turn, becomes very unsafe. For the most part, using diesel to heat your home is a safe option as it has a lower chance of it exploding, will not get hot enough to catch on fire, and will not burn in a liquid state. Can I Buy Red Diesel? Yes, absolutely. You do not need a special license to buy red diesel drums. Do some research on your location and figure out if there are requirements that must be met in order to purchase. It is usually bought by construction companies and farmers, but everyday people can buy them too. In some cases in the United Kingdom, all that is needed is a signed RDCO form. The company selling you the red diesel may also have to be registered with HRMC.  Image credit: Fauxels on Pexels No matter how strong our business plans, at some point we are going to run into a problem. Often this will be something that wasn’t of our creation, such as a recession or even the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t get through life without hitting a little turbulence on the way, but we can control the severity of impact if we are prepared.
Regular crisis planning can help your business to avoid tricky situations and will prepare you for anything that crops up. The military uses a great strategy called the War Room Technique. Essentially they sit down in one room with all the critical personnel in the business. They discuss all possible threats and then work through all the potential outcomes. They then create a plan for each and every one of these. It can take some time, but the results will leave you with a set of solutions and actions, regardless of the situation. If you have a small business, then you could outsource to help you highlight any potential issues. Look at IT support companies, specialist business accountants and PR consultants. These people can come to your business annually and work through all the areas of your yearly business plan that could be an issue. For IT, you could utilise the experience of an ethical hacker. This is someone who operates like a criminal hacker, but they are on your side. Their job is to expose any issues within your online setup. They will find weaknesses and then come back to you with a report to show you what they were able to access and how. They can then work with an IT company to reduce your risk and help you stay one step ahead of any cyberattacks. A PR consultant will run through your marketing plans for the next year and help you create a PR crisis plan. This will include a list of questions that could be asked of your company in the event of a crisis. Having this list pre-prepared with answers allows all of your key staff to speak in the same voice. It will help you to overcome any tricky media or consumer enquiries regardless of the crisis. Finances are essential for your company, so speaking to your accounts team or outsourcing an independent business accountant could help you prepare for any unforeseen issues. Many businesses invest profits back into the company or into assets. This is great for growth, but in the event of a crisis can be a mistake. Your business should always have accessible savings to help secure the company in the event of an unexpected situation. Be this a cyber attack which takes you offline, a pandemic which causes you to close, a fire on your premises or even ill-health. Building a strong crisis plan and reviewing it annually will help ensure you are prepared for anything that life throws at you, even through unprecedented times or unchartered waters.  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: 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.  Image credit: mentatdgt on Pixabay Your business is something that you’re going to pour a whole lot of hard work, time, effort and money into. You’re going to want it to be the best it can be. After all, the more successful it is and the better established it becomes within its field, the more money you will make and the better quality of life you can lead. There are also great feelings of success and fulfilment that can come hand in hand with watching your business grow and expand. It’s not all too surprising, then, that every once in a while we need to turn to our management styles and processes and reflect on whether there’s anything we can change or anything further we can do to manage our businesses even more effectively. At the end of the day, there’s always room for improvement, and what will benefit your company in particular may differ from what may benefit someone else’s. But to help you along the way, here are a few tips that you can take to manage your business even more effectively than you may be doing at the moment!
Consider Training Programmes Sometimes, the most glaringly obvious routes for improvement will be invisible to those who work within a company and have become set in its ways. Sometimes, it takes an expert with an outsider’s view and stance to be able to identify exactly where you can make changes that will prove beneficial all round. This is why you should consider Training Programmes specifically designed for helping entrepreneurs and business owners in your position. You can really benefit from an alternative approach or stance on what will help your business prosper! Outsource Sometimes, you’re better off outsourcing than keeping everything in house. If there are tasks that need to be completed, but you don’t require full time help within that area, or you don’t want to invest in the equipment or machinery required to complete the task, outsourcing can be the perfect solution. Here, you can collaborate with a professional on a project by project basis, rather than committing to providing ongoing and consistent work to a full time or part time employee. Keeping Staff Motivated Your staff are going to be the backbone of your company. You need to make sure they’re motivated and in the best spirits at any given time. This will increase their productivity and boost your profits. It will also make a much nicer working environment to spend time in. Now, there are various ways to manage staff. Some go for a route of intimidation, pressure and punishment. But this is no way to lead. It may keep staff in line but satisfaction will be low and productivity will be limited to the bare minimum. If you treat your staff well, respect them, reward them for their achievements and are generally positive, they’re much more likely to work hard and try to achieve for your company. These are just a few different areas to focus on. Hopefully, they’ll help you to manage your own business as effectively as possible!  Image credit: jarmoluk on Pixabay Innovation in business, refers to creating more effective processes, products, and services as well as implementing these new ideas with conviction and promise. It is a great way to improve your brand and create dynamic products. Innovation allows you to change your business model and make necessary changes to the pre-existing business to ensure it delivers better, often and accurately.
Innovation is a great way to grow your business but as an SME you may be wondering how this can help you in such a way? Innovation is not an overnight success but rather a set of steps that lead to an end result. The successful implementation of new ideas is crucial to your business. You need to constantly look at ways to be able to improve your businesses’ processes and functions and bring new and improved ideas to the table. Innovation can also help increase its efficiency and, most importantly, improve its profitability in the long run. Where Do I Begin? Innovation is different with every company because they all have different niches and goals. Work out what your goal is and what you want to achieve first and then you can work on how to improve it. Then you begin with looking at a list of things that you can do to change things up and start to work through them one by one.
Your website is an important part of your marketing. A well-maintained website can help you gain an advantage in your niche. It will also improve your business image and give you a head start on other businesses, especially if it is well designed and looks good. Once you have achieved this, you will want to market your website to the best of your ability and this begins with SEO. With technical SEO you can really get to the core of what you need for your business. Technical SEO refers to websites that assist search engines and will index your site effectively. This is how your website can organically rank on Google searches. The higher up your ranking, the more likely chance of people seeing you as well as people putting their faith in you. This is important because when your website is faster, and user friendly as well as being understandable for search engines you are improving your business in general and innovating your marketing efforts. An SEO specialist will be able to bring you your target readers more effectively as well as being able to help your content rank higher in search results and drive good quality traffic which could translate easily into sales and more clicks. It is number one on the list for business innovation. Without a good digital presence there is very little chance of having a huge success. Most people look for companies online now, there is very little need for the yellow pages anymore; with everything going digital, this is also a positive to the planet. Less waste and consummation of materials. Digital is the future and it’s time to jump on the bandwagon, if you haven’t already. Making a new product or service This is definitely one form of innovation that can lead to big results. As long as it is a product that someone actually wants. This is exactly why market research and databases can help you to determine what may work and what won’t. First of all you should consider the following for any type of innovation before you start the process. How to:
When creating a new product or service it is going to take time and effort and possibly money to invest in either new products or new people to help bring it to life. You don’t want your product rejected, although this could certainly be a huge learning curve, but you need to take the right steps. Just like most products you are going to want to create what is known as a prototype. The first product that can be tested on the public before it goes into production. You need to take many things into consideration. Such as development and manufacturing costs? Without the prototype you could lose thousands on an unsuccessful product. After this you must try to maintain a balance between the costs and the capacity of the product in order to see a return. Once the product is in production it is the distribution costs which then must be evaluated. If you sell an item in your local area just to your small town, then you could look at keeping the costs down by selling locally. Finding a sales distribution company willing to sell your products to retailers is an option but this will incur further costs and depends on what your goals for the product are. Upgrading your entire business Upgrading is a massive part of innovation. Improve your business technology to start seeing positive changes. Technology gives any SMEs the ability to connect with their customers via the internet. Small business owners can take advantage of this instant communication but if the tech isn’t up to scratch, you aren’t going to be seeing those changes. You want to see changes within your technology so that you can connect even quicker and be able to store information well. Improving technology is a great step for innovation. Getting new systems on your computer that serve you well and are quick paced, is fantastic. It assists with:
This will be able to assist you with keeping on top of trends quicker. New computer systems and advanced security is really important when it comes to keeping your business safe too. The bigger your business grows, the more chance of having some type of attack. The more numbers and information relating to business and finance, the bigger the chance of someone trying to hack you. You could also look at new and improved telephone communication especially if you have a phone line that people call, or any type of helpline, a good fast system will keep customers happy and will make your productivity much more improved. Having a great and efficient Accounting System is also vital to keep on top of what you’re spending and how best to budget month by month. Innovation starts with you but it does take a little time to figure it all out. Don’t be despondent though. Have chats with your team and brainstorm ideas for the future. It’s time to get things on track. Improve your SEO, look at new ways to move forward, keep in communication and watch your business grow.  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: Carlos Muza on Pixabay.com Running a business is hard work. Many entrepreneurs or small business owners find themselves wearing many hats. They spend so much time working in their business they never get the opportunity to work on their business.
Using automation intelligently can not only improve your business processes, but it also frees people up to work on core business priorities. A study in the UK showed that business owners spend up to a third of their time on business admin. Automation can be used in most areas of a business, but here are a few of the main ones that will make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time. HR & Payroll Systems Even businesses with only a few employees have a number of legal and financial obligations to their employees. There are a number of great cloud hr systems coming onto the market which can run your day to day recruitment, HR and payroll services. These are cloud-based so won’t need to invest in any IT or data storage systems. They’ll save you time, money and make sure that you stay legally compliant. Employees can update their personal details, access policies, request holiday or communicate feedback all directly through an online platform. Running payroll through one of these systems can save your money on accountants and still let your remain compliant with the government tax systems and online banking facilities. Task Management An efficient, well-organised team can do wonders. Rather than relying on emails and handwritten scribbles, why not run all of your tasks and projects through specialist software like Asana or Trello. These programmes both have free versions that you can use to set up recurring tasks to keep your team and your business on track. The amount of time saved on unnecessary meetings or emails will transform your business. Marketing A great deal of your marketing funnel can be automated through software such as Hubspot or Zoho. Once you’ve set up your campaign materials, you can rely on your software to push prospective clients through your marketing funnel without the need to manually trigger actions every step of the way. Content, email and even social media content curation can all be automated in line with your campaign goals. A well-designed chatbot on your website can drive enquiries through without you needing to speak to people. The good news for small businesses is that you don’t need huge huge budgets to begin automating your business. Most of the larger software companies offer a freemium model, allowing you to access a range of features for free in the hopes that once you expand, you’ll move directly to the paid version. Conclusion Automating processes in our business can save you time, money and allow you to spend your precious time on actually running your business. Increased productivity leads to better margins and an improved bottom line. Not adopting an agile approach to your business can lose you that competitive edge if your competitors do embrace automation.  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!
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