Strategics360

Strategies to Lead, Manage, and Succeed in Business

SusanRanford

Why Your Business is Failing to Motivate its Workforce

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Providing your team with the right environment to help keep them motivated is the responsibility of every business. Sure, businesses expect their workforce to do their bit when it comes to their own attitude and enthusiasm, but as the employer there’s a lot that you can do to help nurture this.

Office suppliers Viking have spent the last few years researching exactly what it is that keeps staff motivated, asking almost 14,000 people. From this research they were able to ascertain the biggest problems employees face when it comes to motivation, and how employers can take positive steps to improve it. So how can you motivate your workforce, and what are you doing that’s potentially having adverse effects on your team?

Your Working Day is Set Up Wrong

These days, the traditional nine-to-five is a thing of the past. Employers are frequently leaning towards modern ideas such as flexible working hours and remote working. From the research, it seems clear that most employees would appreciate a change to their working day.

60% of those surveyed said that they’d like to work from home, and those workers said that they’d like to spend as much as a third of their working week outside of the office, working remotely. It’s not always possible to facilitate this, but if your business can allow staff to work from home, it could bring about a boost to your staff’s wellbeing.

In general, there’s an obvious trend for people wanting to work a shorter week with longer days. Often known as compressed hours, half of people asked said they’d prefer to work a four-day week, with the ideal working day being between 8 am and 6 pm.

You’re Not Focused on Mental or Physical Health

Employers have a duty of care to employees to make sure their working environment doesn’t have any negative effects on their health – be it physical or mental. This is only further emphasized in the research, where six in ten employees said they are worried about the effects of constant sitting at work, with a further six in ten saying they have negative thoughts about their job on a weekly basis.

The fact that half of respondents admitted to regularly working over contracted hours could be a big factor when it comes to these negative feelings. Two-thirds saying they work through their lunch break, and 43% said they feel an unpleasant level of pressure to succeed. These negative indicators are all things that employers can influence.

The fact that over two-thirds of managers said they’d received no mental health training, despite 65% of them being approached with concerns, shows the gap between the need for support and the tools given to managers. It’s a similar story for physical health, with 43% of those surveyed saying they don’t feel informed about how to protect their health from the office desk.

Education is the best solution to the problems of mental and physical health in the workplace. Ensuring that all staff, throughout your entire company hierarchy, are trained in how to recognize and deal with problems is vital.

You’re Not Clear on Social Media Use

We all know how easy it can be to lose hour upon hour on social media, mindlessly scrolling and getting little else done. Rather than making sure we give our full attention to our jobs and steering clear of sites like Facebook and Instagram during our working day, over 85% of office workers said that they still access social media and other mobile apps whilst at work.

It’d be quite easy, and understandable, to presume that a company-wide ban on mobile phones or social media sites during work time is the solution. However, your workforce disagrees. 60% of people asked said that social media usage at work is either banned or strictly limited. Compare with the figure above and you can see many workers are side-stepping the rules to get their fix.

Further to this, 29% of people said they would be less productive if social media was banned. Social media can act as a good way to switch off for five minutes throughout the day. Banning it could lead to employees thinking you don’t trust them, a demotivating problem for businesses. 

Employees just want their employers to be clearer when it comes to social media policies. Half of people said that they either don’t have a social media policy or are unaware of it. Fixing this and creating the right solution for everyone is incredibly important.

You Need to Create the Right Environment

From office décor to bad colleague habits, ensuring you have the right environment for your team to work in plays a big part in staff motivation. Art could be the answer, with 54% of employees say every workplace should have artwork and half claiming they think it would reduce workplace stress and contribute to making them happier.

The habits of our colleagues can be frustrating, but you might be surprised to hear that one in four people have considered leaving their job due to a testing co-worker. The biggest issues raised were with those who are regularly late and those who complain all the time, with 28% of workers highlighting these as big issues. 24% claimed that their biggest pet hate in the office is the old classic – colleagues eating smelly food.

Having a clear policy on lateness and ensuring that staff have somewhere separate to eat meals could be a quick fix. When it comes to staff complaining all the time, it’s up to you as the employer to create a positive mood from the top, letting this filter down throughout the business.This research serves to highlight the most common problems experienced by employers and employees, showing that there are numerous common themes that occur across numerous workplaces. Taking steps to improve these will not only have a good effect on your employees working lives but also contribute to improving results for your business.

Why Your Small Business is Failing

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Starting a small business is difficult–so difficult that 66% to over 90% depending on your sources–don’t make it past the first 10 years of business. How can you prevent this from happening to your business?

The first step to anything is to be informed. Here are some of the pitfalls that small businesses run into and what you can do to avoid them. This way, you can ensure the success of your own small business:

You Don’t Offer Your Customers a Unique Product or Service

First, making your business survive starts before you even open your doors. In fact, you need to make sure your business is unique before anything else. You won’t draw in customers otherwise.

For example, there are plenty of places out there that sell coffee so you would need something to set your cafe apart from the rest. Even better, be innovative and start a business that isn’t a flooding the market–something new and exciting.

If you can’t come up with an amazing idea and want to stick to what you know–that’s fine too. Just make sure your work is being done as efficiently as possible, and you’re keeping your customers happy.

You Don’t Know Who You Are or What You’re Up Against

This is a crucial question; who are you as a business? Are you here to provide a good, a service, or both? Who is your target demographic? What’s your business’s story?

All of these questions need to be answered before you can run like a company should. These questions will give your company character and help you to strategize. Having a story, especially, will give your company character that customers can add to what they are buying, personifying your company.

To grow and succeed as a business, you need to know what you’re up against–this means knowing the technology that your competitor is working with. For example, if your competitors have automated its invoicing process, or invested in data recovery software–look into it, and see if it meets your needs for your business. Most likely, it does.

Whether this means an in-depth look for a tech company or just keeping up with the social media marketing, you need to pay attention to your competitors and keep your edge against them so they keep coming back for business.

You Don’t Have Name Recognition

It is important to have name recognition for your business. After all, if your customers can’t name your business, they can’t spread their love for you by word of mouth and they may not even remember you themselves.

A good way to get name recognition is to work with your community. This tip is especially important if you are cultivating a business in a small town.

You can also work with other small businesses in the community. Think about it, you don’t have to just compete with these other businesses, you can build each other up as well. You can also pair up with other organizations in the community to build up your name recognition.

You Don’t Stay Up-To-Date On Marketing

You might not be a full on corporation but you still need to market your services. One of the best ways to stay on top of marketing is to use social media–especially for smaller companies.

Using a platform like Facebook is a good way to keep your audience informed of sales and updates. In addition, many companies use platforms such as Instagram to post pictures of new products they are selling.

Your Expenses are Rising

This is one of the most common problems with small businesses. There are a lot of expenses that go into starting a business and even more fees and costs in maintaining one.

This can be overwhelming, especially if you aren’t properly prepared. Of course, if you can be proactive you should. Balance your budget carefully and have money saved up when you open up your business.

However, sometimes we do get ahead of ourselves and get into debt. Getting yourself out of this as quickly as you can is important–especially so you can avoid filing for bankruptcy. There are ways to survive this, though.

There are agencies that can help you with debt but make sure you’re staying on top of everything. If you have late-paying clients, this is when you want to call them up and cash in. You might even want to try rebalance your budget yourself, or turn to automation for additional help.

You Aren’t Consistent

If there is anything you have to be when you are establishing your business, it’s consistent. You need to establish exactly what your business is and what it offers. This means that you need to keep your marketing on an identical or at least similar track no matter what outlet you are advertising through.

Being consistent means that you aren’t going to confuse your potential customers about why they would come to you. This also means that you should carefully consider your advertisements and make sure they capture exactly what your business is about.

It Takes Some Time

If you’re opening a business with no background or experience in the industry –you’re going to need a lot of help. Don’t be discouraged if it seems like it’s not as good as it should be, it’ll get there if you keep making improvements.

When you open up your business–it’s likely it won’t have as much volume as you originally anticipated. Keep persisting and you will get to a place where your business is succeeding and less likely to fail after a few years.

Why Are We In the Midst of Such a Huge Marketing Shift?

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For a company to be successful, they need to market their business, products, services, and their brand. We all know this, right? But did you know that there’s a major marketing shift right now?

I had the opportunity to talk with Mathew Sweezey, one of the new breed of marketing thought leaders. During our conversation, Mathew explained how and why the marketing environment is changing.

Understanding this will help businesses determine which marketing strategy is best for their customer base and business goals.  

Why Is Marketing Changing So Much Right Now?

Marketing is changing because our environment has changed. 

In the past, businesses with a lot of capitol controlled the media. They relied on advertisements and messages about their service/product. 

Then, we entered the digital age. Still, the approach was the same – telling people why they need to purchase our product or service. 

Nowadays, we’re not only digital, we’re social. This means we can’t approach marketing the way we used to. People don’t simply take a company’s word for it that they need a particular product or that theirs is the best on the market. 

Instead, when people are considering making a purchase, they take to Google or social media to find out more about it. In fact, people are generally ready to make a purchase when they finally contact a company because they’ve already done their research. In the past, they relied on sales people to give them information and help them make a decision. 

How You Can Keep In Step with the Latest Marketing Trends

In this changing environment, how are business owners and marketers supposed to attract customers? 

“The best way to do this is to get onto social media. But once there, you don’t simply want to talk about your company. This is the old way of doing things.” – Matt DiMenno, Laser Focus SEO

Follow the example of companies like Kronos, a software company. They post two types of content on their Facebook page: Corporate blog posts and a series of comics. Guess which posts receive more customer engagement? 

That’s right – it’s the comics. People don’t go onto social media because they want someone to sell them something. Nor do they go there with the specific purpose to read content. 

People go onto social media to escape. When you post things online that are a mix of business, humor, and inspirational, this makes consumers feel like you’re not just trying to sell them something. It makes them feel like you get them. That, in turn, makes them more curious about your brand.

Marketing Will Always Evolve – Make Sure You Keep Up

The latest trends in marketing have taken some people by surprise. Keeping up-to-date on the latest trends is vital, though. 

In doing so, you’ll be able to improve your online visibility when it comes to your target market. And when you give your customers an authentic, personal experience, they’ll be more likely to check out your product/service. 

So, make sure your marketing team approaches their strategies thoughtfully, thinking about what the consumer wants or needs. 

Continually doing this will ensure that your business continues to grow. Do you want to stay on the cusp of the latest marketing trends? Follow Mathew on Twitter and make sure to check out his book Marketing Automation for Dummies.

5 Tools Your Small Business Should Be Using Today

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Have you ever had difficulties in your small business regarding organizing management systems? The answer is probably yes. Lots of small businesses go through management issues because they are not yet established. Mostly, people running small businesses are usually beginners; hence they encounter different kinds of questions.

 

The problems may range from ‘what kind of equipment to purchase’ to ‘what tasks to outsource.’ Outsourcing is not always a good idea for a small business. To solve such matters, it is crucial to consider some of the tools outlined in this article.

 

Management Manual

First, a management manual is the first tool you need. As a newbie in business, a handbook for management systems can be of great help. Such a manual contains all the necessary tools and templates to aid you in organizing your small business enterprise. With this, you can arrange your business policies, procedures, and mechanisms to form the best framework, which can, in turn, facilitate the fulfillment of all the tasks for objectives-achievement. Management manuals can also help you identify the rules and regulations governing the business field you have ventured in, helping you to set appropriate policies.

 

No business thrives without the aid of a management manual and therefore systems must be put in place for every business. No one entered the business field with all the management skills, hence, this is a tool widely used. There are quality management manuals that you can purchase from the market. For example, the ISO 9001 quality management manual is an all-inclusive template with customization instructions that are detailed and integrated.  The entire ISO 9001:2015 is included in this document.

 

With the quality management manual, you can set up a management system for your small business without seeking expert advice. It contains all the ISO standards that will guide you in formulating policies and guidelines for your business. It is also business friendly and specially made for small business enterprises.

 

Beginners are best suited for it because of its clear language with detailed explanations and images. It majorly focuses on efficiency and all its requirements add operational value. You should think of acquiring one for your business.

 

Software Packages

Apart from a quality management manual, your small business needs software packages to help you in performing some tasks. Being a small business, paying for premium packages is another expense altogether. You may consider having free versions for a start before you upgrade to the premium after establishing your business well.

 

Some of the packages you may consider are; antiviruses, project management software, the applicant tracking tool, the Human Resource Management tool, business planning software among others. The Human Resource Management tool is vital in the running of your business. It can help you in activities like making announcements to your employees and managing tasks.

 

Accounting Software Package

Furthermore, an accounting software package is a fundamental necessity. You cannot rely on manual calculations, however small your business is. The software will help you performing calculations, keeping track of what clients owe you, the total number of invoices sent, the number of clients that have paid, among other benefits.

 

Managing your finances should be an integral part of the management system you need to set up for your business. Having a system that performs all tasks well apart from generating profit is good for your business fruition. This is because, apart from customer satisfaction, the primary objective of every business to making a profit. You can find such packages online for a small fee, suitable for your business.

 

Web-Based Tools

Your business also needs Web-based tools that can offer customer care services. Such tools can help in collecting, assigning and tracking communication pertaining to a product or a customer. It is quite frustrating and time-consuming for a customer to buy a product, go home and send you an email asking about how it works.

 

Sometimes you need feedback from the client concerning the working of the product. You may also need to have a live chat or send direct messages that can be indexed and searched, tagged and sorted. Customer care tools can provide all these services to ensure satisfaction and well-being of your customers. You need to consider integrating the tools into the management system of your business.

 

Time Tracking Software

Finally, time is an essential factor in all fields and situations. It is an asset that a business, especially a small one, should manage well. All the activities, projects and processes included in your systems cannot be accomplished without time.

 

For this reason, a time tracking software can help you manage your time well to ensure full utilization. You can track the time spent on a project, calculate project estimates, allocate resources, and calculate fair billing using this software. Search for time tracking apps available in the market and choose the one that suits your business needs.

 

Having gone through this article, your worries as a newbie in the business field should have subsided. You can choose the tools you feel are suitable for the type of your business.

 

Make sure you develop a solid management system with a combination of all these tools. With this, your business will leave the ‘small’ category within an amazingly short span of time.

How to Handle Being Bullied at Work

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So often we think that when we leave high school or university, the turmoil of bullying is left behind upon entering the real world – the truth of the matter is, no matter how old one gets, bullying never ceases. Bullying is one of the few things that no matter how old we get, no matter where we go or what we do, will always exist.

When we enter the workplace, we go in with, at times a sense of naive as we think any bullying we experienced when we were younger will stop now that we are older and wiser. Though we can wish and we can hope, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are not only uncomfortable but also unwarranted.

In America, it is estimated that 60 million experience some form of workplace bullying while 61% of those claim their bullies were upper management. From that staggering number of 60 million victims, 40% will go on to experience stress-related health problems, such as anxiety or panic attacks and even depression.

Set Your Limits

It is not always easy dealing with bullying – for some it is hard to know the lines between jovial and office banter to workplace bullying. At times, it can be a fine line but that is where one must set the boundaries and limits to what they consider to be bullying and what they consider to be just locker room talk. Though at times it can be intimidating and hard, it is important to set the limits of what you tolerate and consider bullying. Sometimes openly expressing what makes you uncomfortable is the first step to preventing if not stopping workplace bullying.

If openly expressing your limitations and what you consider bullying is still not respected then its important to start documenting.

Keeping Record and Keeping Track

With many identifying management as their workplace bully – it can be hard to not only stand up to them but to also report the bullying itself. Sometimes the best thing that can be done is to record and document the instances of workplace bullying. Keep a journal with the dates, times and instances of the bullying. It may seem as though this will do nothing – but when you need to file a report with union reps or to confront your bully, it wont be just your word against theirs, it will be documented and proven.

Bullying isn’t just verbal – it’s emotional and psychological

We often associate bullying with words; however, some of the worst forms of bullying and the ones that can have the most impact is the type of non-verbal and emotional bullying that is often associated with women in the workplace. More often than not, women are subtle with their bullying unlike men who tend to be explicit and direct.

The stress we experience in work can sometimes be enough to drain a person, add in bullying and sometimes you can find yourself exhausted emotionally and physically. Sometimes the best thing a victim of bullying can do is to ignore the bully’s advancements. Easier said than done but trying to keep your head up and ignoring their words, their actions can be a step towards silencing the bullying.

You aren’t alone – Don’t tackle bullying alone

With 60 million victims of bullying it’s important to remember one isn’t alone. In a workplace environment, we often may feel ashamed or even embarrassed that we, as an adult could be a victim of bullying but what one has to remember is that bullying does not discriminate. Bullying does not stop because we enter to workforce or that we are no longer on the playground – bullying can actually be worse as adults. More importantly, bullying when it happens in adulthood can have more repercussions on our health, especially with regards to our emotional and mental health.

Sometimes we don’t always know or want to deal with bullying – we think that it’s below us or that no one will want to help but the reality of it is, bullying is as much a mental health matter and issue and the impacts of it can have consequences that not only impact the workplace but also ones personal life. From esteem to confidence, bullying, when it is not addressed can push a person to their limits.

Bullying in the workplace can slowly break down one’s moral and it can be poison to the environment. If you feel as though you are a victim of bullying or maybe you know someone who is a victim of bullying it may be time to reach out to management to put a stop it to it. Depending on the severity and the situation, you may find yourself needing to take a mental health break, which could result in you looking into social security disability.  Don’t wait for things to escalate and don’t risk your well being for a joke – you never know when it may be too late.