5 Ways to Raise Employee Morale

July 26, 2017 / nancyrubin / 1 Comment

As a business owner, employee satisfaction should be one of your top priorities. You should never neglect any of your employees’ needs and requirements. If you fail to provide your workforce with the basic working conditions, you are in a threat of losing them. Read through these tips carefully and see how you can be the good boss, that is favored by their employees and that drives their company forward.

#1 Communicate Openly

The channels of communication between the employees and the management must become and remain open at all times. You should foster healthy and transparent communication in the workplace, because your employees also have valuable information to share, as well as ideas and opinions. If you communicate openly with your employees, they will see you in a positive light, which will in turn improve their productivity levels.

#2 Set Clear Goals

You need to set clear goals for your employees. Experimenting will only get you so far, but if you change the goals too often, and noticeably experiment on the employee without them knowing why can reflect hideously on their performance. Understand that your employees’ skill get better with time, and leaving them to work toward a single goal without interruption will help them get better and achieve success more often.

#3 Maintain a Healthy Workplace

This is probably the most important thing you can do when it comes to raising employee morale. Nobody likes to work in an unhealthy environment, especially if the business in question is lucrative. When working in Australia, I remember our boss buying the best air conditioning Sydney has to offer. He even made a point out of it. This, along with other things he did for us led the whole company to become loyal and take greater responsibility.

#4 Recognize the Potential of Your Workers

If you fail to discern the employees that are really valuable to your company, from those that are here just to have a steady job, you might end up with an incompetent workforce. Sure, anyone can repeat simple tasks, but you need someone innovative, who can think for themselves – a problem solver. If you do not recognize the true potential of some of your workers, they will rush to your competitors in no time.

#5 Avoid High Employee Turnover

You must hire the right candidates. Devote as much time and energy as possible on recruiting the best talent you can find. If you employees constantly come and go, it is a sign that something is wrong. There are many things that can go wrong, for sure, but it is no coincidence if it happens all the time. Make sure you know what your employees think when it comes to working for you, how they feel, and whether they are satisfied. If you fail to do this, you will experience a complete disaster.

Take Care of Your Employees

They are your allies in this tough, oversaturated, furious world of doing contemporary business. If you treat them well, they will return the favor, and when that happens, you got yourself a business that will shake up the market.

Guest Author, Tony, is a writer and the senior editor at MediaGurus with several years of experience in writing content for the web. Tony does research and writes articles across various industries, such as business, technology, marketing, lifestyle, etc.

A Fresh Start: 5 Ways To Revive Your Business

July 26, 2017 / nancyrubin / 1 Comment

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Every business needs a regular reboot. It can help you to take your business to the next level, redefine your goals or simply re-motivate you if you’ve been starting to lose inspiration. Here are some of the top ways to give yourself a fresh start.

Remodel your business services

The services you’re offering may be out of fashion and no longer getting the clientele. They be getting the wrong type of clientele in and damaging your aspirations. Alternatively, the services you offer may be too demanding and simplifying them could be in order. Take the time to really consider what’s working for you and what’s not. Talk to your staff to better understand what they think your company could be offering.

Introduce new expertise

It may be time to learn some new skills. This could include paying for you and your team to take a course and gain some new expertise that could help you expand your services. There are even day workshops out there in topics such as accountancy, marketing and HR that could be useful for modernising and simplifying your business. Alternatively, you could try hiring someone experienced that can bring new skills to this business. This might allow you to access a new niche in the market.

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Move premises

Your premises may be too small, too costly or badly located for your business. Moving will not just provide new practical benefits but could mentally provide that fresh start that you need to re-motivate you and your team. Make sure to budget for other costs such as moving companies and legal paperwork. Also consider the practicalities that your current premises has that your new one will also need. This could include a good storage area, good disabled access or free parking.

Have a refurb

Alternatively you may be able to stay in your current premises and simply reorder things around. If you’re in retail, this might include hiring a shop remodelling company to brighten up the décor and add more space. If you work from an office, it may be a case of reordering desk for better practicality. This will mentally reinforce the idea of a fresh start as with moving but allow you to still keep the comforts and practicalities of your current premises.

Invest in your own custom software

Digital technology is allowing us to become more efficient and more organised. Investing in your own custom software might allow you to better monitor your staff and projects whilst also making life easier for them. This could be anything from a digital till display to an infrastructure organiser to an app for clients. Creating your own software isn’t cheap, so you should consider first whether the added efficiency is worth the money spent. Check first that there aren’t any software solutions already out there that could benefit you – this is likely to be much more affordable.

How to Rock Your Business Presentation

July 25, 2017 / nancyrubin

Business meetings are often long, and the majority of people dread having them because important decisions need to be made, or they have to speak publicly and give a presentation to potential business partners or clients. There are, however, some simple tricks that you can undertake to make sure your presentation goes smoothly. If you follow these tips, you’ll be sure to boss your presentation.

Dress in the correct attire.

Smart is always best, but depending on what kind of business you’re in, it might be better to wear what your client would typically wear. If you’re a clothing brand, for example, it would be a good idea to showcase your clothes wherever possible.

For some fantastic ideas on what to wear to your presentation, check out these tips on how to dress for the occasion.

Image from Pixabay

Wear lanyards.

Lanyards not only promote your business but show professionalism at the same time. Another thing you could do it give your lanyards to your audience as a gift for coming to your presentation. It’s unlikely they will be discarded of, and the constant reminder of your company will be with them. Visit dynamic gift for info on how you can personalize them for your business.

Practice.

A great way of nailing a presentation is to practice either in front of the mirror, or a family member. That way, you’ll get a good idea on how you look while talking and can make some improvements. This could range from how clearly you’re talking to your posture. Both important things to concentrate on. Coming across as confident will help you win over your audience.

Image from Pixabay

Props.

Making your presentation visually stimulating will prevent your potential clients from becoming disinterested. You may have chosen to do a slideshow for visual effect. Or, if it’s a particular product you’re selling, bring it along to the presentation for people to look at and touch. It’s much more effective to do this than just having it on a piece of paper.

Bring food.

Even if the meeting is set to have food there already, bring something that will ‘sweeten them up,’ so to speak. A delicious treat like some cream cakes will definitely put you in their favor and again, add likeability to your presentation. Even if your clients don’t eat them, the fact that you made an effort and thought about them beforehand will help no end.

Image from Pixabay

Wherever possible, add comedy.

As mentioned earlier, people often dread meetings because they’re boring and serious. Wherever you can, add some comedy. This may be a short story about something funny that happened while you were designing what it is you’re trying to sell. It will lighten the mood of the presentation, and you will gain likeability with your clients.

Smile!

Giving a presentation can be nerve racking for the most confident of us, but remember to put on a smile while you’re talking. If you don’t seem interested in what you’re presenting, or even happy to be there, this will put clients off.

Should You Respond to That Text or Not?

July 22, 2017 / nancyrubin

About how many text messages do you think you receive on a daily basis? If you’re like many people, it can be anywhere from a handful to dozens. Of course separating those messages between personal and business comes into play too.

Knowing who is on the other line texting you can prove challenging at times for many individuals. So, why is it important you know who might be reaching out to you.

Importance on Both Professional and Personal Levels

When it comes to how many texts you get on a regular basis, you may not think it is all that important. In reality, it can have an impact on your ability to manage your time.

In your quest to find out who’s texting you, remember the following:

Worthwhile

Some texts you get are definitely worthwhile. For instance, what if you’re in the middle of a job hunt at the moment? In today’s digital age, more employers are reaching out to potential candidates via texts.

The “old” days of letters and even phone calls still exist, but they are dwindling. Once an employer has your phone number, he or she may very well send you a text about an interview. If you don’t answer, will you lose out on hopes of getting that job? With a reverse text number search, get better clued in on who is trying to reach you.

Do your best to know who is texting you, especially when your job hunt could depend on it.

Not Worth Your Time

Anyone who owns a cell phone can tell you that they’ve received their share of “junk” texts over time.

If you are someone who is always trying to be cognizant of time management, those junk texts waste your time. Even if it is only a few minutes a day, you can likely do better things with that time.

To cut down on unwanted texts, doing a reverse text search allows you to single out numbers you do not want to hear from.

Possible scams

As part of unwanted texts, what if scammers got ahold of your number and want to text you?

Although everything has to fall into place for scammers to pull one over on you, the potential does exist. As such, it is important for you to protect yourself as much as possible. Otherwise, you could become a scam victim.

If you get continuous text messages from a number you do not recognize, don’t respond. Even more important, never give out personal information. This includes where you live, work, and bank account details. This is even more important for senior citizens, oftentimes the victims of such fraud.

For millions who depend on cell phones, unwanted texting can prove frustrating. When you wonder about responding to that next you receive, think about the pros and cons of doing so.

So, how do you go about deciding which text messages deserve your attention?

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business and technology issues on the web.

4 Ways Management Can Use SMS to Optimize Workflow

July 19, 2017 / nancyrubin

SMS texting is a valuable tool to manage your HR team and optimize communication throughout your company. When you implement an SMS texting platform, you will see how text messaging boosts HR functions and makes communication easier. When you have a busy company, you’ll be able to send out meeting reminders to staff, let everyone know in an instant if you need to close, and even communicate to employees who are working off site with ease.

Send Out Meeting Reminders

In a busy company, it can be easy for your employees to get overwhelmed with the number of meetings being held. When you want to be sure that employees attend all necessary meetings, a quick text message reminds your employees that a meeting is about to occur. In addition, if you have an employee that has to attend specific trainings, you can keep them up to date using an SMS platform. You’ll be able to send out a reminder to specific employees about a training coming up and make sure that everyone has the trainings that they need.

Use SMS Texting for Emergencies

Text messaging boosts HR functions and allows you to reach all of your employees in an instant. Text messages are opened at a rate of more than 98%, which makes it clear that this is the best way to reach your staff in an emergency. If you have a security risk, a quick message sent out to your employees can let everyone know that they need to shelter in place. When you want to close for the day because of weather, you’ll be able to reach your employees fast before they leave for work in the morning.

Survey Employees to Make Your Business Stronger

You can send out a text message that includes a link to a survey to learn more about how satisfied your employees are. You can send out a text message after implementing a new strategy, asking your employees for feedback. When you want to know what your employees are thinking, a quick SMS survey can give you the answers you are looking for. When you aren’t sure if a new technique is working, just ask your employees and they will let you know.

Send Out Job Notifications Through Text Messaging

You can share job notifications with potential employees who have shown interest in your company through text messaging, or you can send out a message internally first. A text message can share a link to a new position you have open, and anyone that wants to consider the job can apply right through the link. It’s a great way to share internal job postings, as everyone will get the same access to the text message. When you use a job board website, anyone that signs up to receive text messages from your company will receive messages about new jobs.

Make Decisions Through Polling

When you have decisions to make for your company, send out a poll to your employees for input. For example, a quick survey to find out what your employees prefer for lunch at a training can make your employees feel taken care of. It’s easy to send out a quick text message, and it’s even easier for your employees to answer. While you can send out an email to poll your staff, text messages are read more quickly and more often.

Text messaging is an easy way to reach your employees and improve communication. Send out a quick survey, or let employees know about an upcoming training. Keep your employees informed through text messaging.

To learn more about how integrating an SMS software can improve HR communications, click here!

Author Biography:

Ken Rhie is the CEO of Trumpia, which earned a reputation as the most complete SMS solution including user-friendly user interface and API for mobile engagement, Smart Targeting, advanced automation, enterprise, and cross-channel features for both mass texting and landline texting use cases. Mr. Rhie holds an MBA degree from Harvard Business School. He has over 30 years of experience in the software, internet, and mobile communications industries.

Powerful Ways To Push Your Online Company Forward

July 17, 2017 / nancyrubin

Online businesses have become a huge part of today’s market, and running one successfully requires you to stand out from the ever-growing competition. With many businesses selling a similar product or service as you, you have to find what separates you from them and use it to attract customers. There are several ways to help you differentiate yourself from your competitors and expand your business, but it completely depends on the type of product or service that you’re selling. This guide was made to help you turn things around if your business is stagnating, or even if you’re just starting a new one.

Get to Know Your Competition

Every successful business owner will be able to tell you their main competitors from the top of their head. To be able to know where you’re heading, you need to know what you’re up against. The reason for this is because you want to stand out. If your competitors are using certain keywords or slogans, you want to stay as far away as possible from those because it’s going to be bad for you and them both. Since building a brand requires you to stay unique, it’s always good to know what your competition is doing and do it better.

Invest in Your Customer Service

Getting an audience is a tough task when you’re just starting an online business. But that’s not where it ends, because now you have to retain the audience, and the best way to do that is to have a great customer support. Treat your customers better than your competitors and they’ll most probably remain loyal to your product or service. People often underestimate the power of reputation, and word of mouth advertising is actually a great way to build it. An honest recommendation from a satisfied customer will guarantee you new customers, especially in the age of social media.

Build More Traffic

You can have a great product, excellent website, and wonderful customer service, but if you don’t have enough traffic you won’t be earning money. Building traffic is a process that requires focus, strategy, and persistence since you’ll potentially need a lot of trial and error to get it right. If you do manage to build lots of traffic, it will become considerably easier to generate income. If for some reason you can’t commit to this task entirely, there are companies out there like Agseosydney which will guarantee increased traffic on your website. They’ll optimize your SEO and help you manage your online reputation, thus directly increasing your income.

Follow the Latest Trends

There’s a new meme circling the internet that has millions of people jumping out of their chairs? Then you absolutely must know about it. If you’re to be successful in advertising your product, especially when it comes to social media, it’s imperative to keep track of current trends and potentially use them to your advantage. Being uninformed is no longer acceptable, especially when it comes to online businesses. Talk to your employees and encourage them to share their insight when it comes to current online trends.

Specialize Your Products

Ask yourself, what kind of problem will your customers solve if they pick you over your competitors? Let’s imagine that you’re selling cleaning products. If you advertise your company just as a cleaning products seller, how does that put you in an advantageous position compared to your competition? However, if you’re selling eco-friendly cleaning products that don’t negatively affect our environment, you’re good to go. Why is that? Because you just solved a problem for someone who lives by the green living philosophy and needs to clean their house. And by doing it, you effectively made yourself stand out from the crowd. So think about the ways on how to customize your products, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor too.

Conclusion

It takes time and focus to launch and grow a successful online business. This guide was made for you to help you make your business stand out from the crowd and show your unique qualities to your customers. Sometimes, an idea will fail and you’ll need to recognize that moment and learn from the experience, so that next time you may succeed. Just remember that if you have a strategy in place for both your products and your customers, you’ll already be a few steps ahead of your competition.

Moving to Another Office: How to do it Smoothly

July 10, 2017July 10, 2017 / nancyrubin

After finding the right place for your business, you will also have to move everyone and everything to the new location. Relocating office space may be a challenge but with good planning – moving can be efficient and stress-free. The following tips should help you to move your business as smoothly as possible.

Take Time to Plan

The first step to an efficient move is to create a bulletproof plan. Try to plan your move at least 6 months ahead. You will have to organize much more than a few boxes and to do it productively you will need time. Your planning should include as much information as possible, from the most general, such as the moving budget, to the more specific, such as the layout of the new offices. It would also be beneficial if you could predict likely problems and think of a few solutions.

Organize Staff Into Teams

Though you will coordinate the move, it might be efficient to organize your staff into teams. The most natural way may be coordinating them according to their departments. Also, you may want to use senior staff as leaders of specific teams. They can communicate more easily between movers and team members. Each team should be responsible for labeling objects that will or will not be moved but also they may express their own needs and requirements for the new space in a more efficient way.

Check the Dates

The essential part of the moving plan is sticking to the scheduled dates, which might include one of the following:

the date until you have to leave the present location,
the date when you will be able to enter the new location,
the date or dates when you move and
the date when you (re)start working.

The rest of the dates, such as clearing out the office, may not be as specific but should be completed until set dates.

The list of dates should be provided to all employees and on time.

Let the Professionals do the Moving

Hiring a moving company may seem a luxury but it is actually a necessity. Using professional help will lower the possibility of injury and raise the level of productivity. Keep in mind – the sooner the move is over, the sooner you can proceed with work.

It is useful to start searching for the movers a few months before the move so as to find the best price. In that way you can also find the ones that provide for additional services that you may want such as moving insurance. From personal experience I know it can really get expensive. I was lucky enough to work with the good guys from Supercheap Storage New Zealand – very affordable and efficient service.

Create a Layout

Try to organize a layout for the new office. This will be beneficial both for you and your staff but also it will help the movers. If manageable, let your employees organize their own working space.

As the new office will have a different layout, make sure you mark the equipment and furniture that can be relocated and dispose of the items that cannot be moved. In addition to reducing stress on the moving day this will also lower the cost of your move. It is advisable to create a list of the items, for the sake of organization but also for insurance reasons.

Let Everyone Know

Notify everyone on the change of location. This would include not only your clients or customers but employees and suppliers alike. In addition to changing your address on your website, you should also change it in all other databases as well as on office supplies, business cards, etc.

Arrange Your Work Around the Move

It is advisable to move during a period when work is slower. However if this is not a possibility, and you also cannot pause your work during the move, it is important to arrange your work around it. Postpone all work that can be postponed on time and finish all the deadlines. This will guarantee the least amount of inconvenience for the clients or customers and less stress for the employees.

Hard Work Will Pay off

Moving a whole company is no fun, but with a solid plan and a set of clear objectives, a dedicated team and enough time, the move can be almost seamless and effortless. Remember though, you cannot do it alone, it is too stressful, so get some help and smoothly move to another location and you will be up and running just like before the move. Good luck!

Guest Author – Tony is a writer and the senior editor at MediaGurus with several years of experience in writing content for the web. Tony does research and writes articles across various industries, such as business, technology, marketing, lifestyle, etc.