Author: Ethan Theo

Abe WalkingBear Sanchez is an International Speaker / Trainer / Consultant on the subject of cash flow / sales enhancement and business knowledge organization and use. Founder and President of www.armg-usa.com, WalkingBear has authored hundreds of business articles, has worked with numerous companies in a wide range of industries since 1982 and has spoken at many venues including the Shakespeare Globe Theater in London.

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Home-Based Business

6 Must Haves For A Home-Based Business

Every 12 seconds, another American launches a new home-based business. These men and women start out with a dream, but it takes more than that vision to help their companies thrive. To build a successful home-based business, you’ll need the following essentials.

A Quiet, Separate Workspace

Establishing a quiet workspace in a low-traffic area is crucial for the success of any home-based business. You’ll find you’re better able to focus on your tasks when you’re far from the sounds of playing kids and blaring TVs. A separate workspace also gives any clients who visit you the privacy they deserve. When your home office is distinct from the areas you use for relaxing with your family, you’ll find it’s easier to achieve the work-life balance you need. Once you finish for the day, simply shut the door to switch gears to family time.

Good Lighting

A well-lit home office is a must-have. When your workspace is light and bright, you’ll see what you’re doing more easily so you can increase productivity and minimize the risk of eyestrain. But that isn’t the only benefit of good lighting. Bright lights also boost your mood, keep you awake, and reduce your risk of headaches.

Ideally, your home office should have a window that casts a lot of natural light. If you can’t find such a space, add sufficient manmade light sources. Warm lights make offices feel more comfortable and less harsh than cool lights. LEDs are the best manmade option. In addition to being cost-effective and environmentally friendly, LED lights can also boost workplace productivity by as much as 5 percent, according to research from Cornell University.

A Reliable Smartphone

Smartphone apps can assist you in all aspects of business operations, from communication and marketing to scheduling and accounts. Many leading applications won’t work on early smartphone models, though. Consider upgrading to an advanced device like the iPhone 6s Plus available on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network when you launch your home-based business. This network is fast and offers wide coverage, so you can rely on it for smooth video conferencing over coffee at a café or responding to social media queries on the train.

Some people find themselves reaching for a smartphone throughout their workday, while others only use mobile devices while they’re out of the office. Whatever you choose, you’ll find that a smartphone will become a key tool for your home-based business.

A Powerful Laptop

Some experts say that a smartphone is the only tech tool you need to run a home-based business, but you’ll work more productively if you have a laptop as well. Composing emails, reports, and other documents is much easier on a laptop’s full-sized keyboard. The larger screen also helps minimize eyestrain. While a desktop computer offers similar perks, a laptop ensures that your files and documents are accessible on the go. This is ideal for business trips or whenever you need a change of scenery.

Make sure you choose a newer laptop that’s powerful enough to run the programs you regularly use. Graphic designers and other professionals who work with complex programs require more powerful laptops than those with simpler needs.

A Mighty Wi-Fi Router

A Wi-Fi router takes the information from your modem and delivers it to an internet-enabled device like a laptop or smartphone. It lets you share your internet connection with others, so the kids can use their tablets in their rooms while you’re working in the office.

The best Wi-Fi routers are built for streaming high-definition media. Choose these over cheaper alternatives if your family puts pressure on your connection with interactive games and streaming video.

Personalized Decorations

One of the greatest perks of working from home is having a workspace that you can call your own. Adding personalized decor with special meaning will help you feel more comfortable and happier in your office space. Think of potted plants on the desk and unique artwork or a favorite color on the walls. Choose decor carefully because too much clutter can negatively impact your performance.

With the right tools at your disposal, you can look forward to all the benefits that come from running a home-based business.

Categories
How-To Guides

How to Maintain Positive Office Morale

Office morale is a term that has been bandied about of late. So what does it really mean? Basically it refers to the state of energy and excitement generated in the work environment.  We all know that the more pleasure we feel in coming to the office each day, the more prolific we will be. But all things being equal, unless morale building is actively pursued, the hours spent at our desks become boring and uneventful and eventually we start staring at the computer screen bleary eyed. Satisfaction starts to drop, motivation wanes and productivity begins to spiral downward.

There are several indications that office morale is worming its way among the staff. These include fewer interactions and reduced cooperation among the team members, fewer employee initiatives and negative attitudes towards management or fellow workers. A high rate of turnover is certainly another warning of office dissatisfaction.

Preventing low morale from taking over is crucial and it is wise to nip the problem in the bud. Thisreally isn’t very difficult to deal with and it is mostly up to the owner of the company or the office manager to take responsibility for putting creative ideas into action.

Appreciation and Recognition

The most obviousmethod of boosting office morale is to show employee appreciation for a job well down.  Whether it is an individual worker or a group of workers, warm congratulations and public recognition can go a long way in elevating team motivation. A warm ‘thank you’ is always valued.

Equally important is for you to actually “hear” what each team member has to say. Employee engagement is often ignored but knowing that their voices are heard can keep workers from becoming disgruntled and dissatisfied. While you’re at it, how about a weekly ‘huddle’ or ‘mash up’ where workers can say what’s on their mind without feeling that their jobs are on the line?

Fun and A Break in Routine

Since morale is the first thing to go when the hours spent in the office on a daily basis become boring and routine, introducing different ways to change things around can provide a break in the monotony of the work environment. Subtle changes such as a switch in lunch hour, a new painting on the wall or even a Monday morning come-in-late schedule will wake up even the sleepiest worker.

Injecting a little bit of fun into the day also works to break up office routine and keeps workers happy. You may not have a spare room that can accommodate a dart board or a ping pong table but that shouldn’t stop you from bringing in a yoga instructor for an hour of mental relaxation or even a massage therapist who can knead out those stiff shoulder muscles.

These few minutes of ‘free time’ can improve productivity for hours and are well worth the cost in terms of a lost work minutes.

Friendly Competition

A bit of friendly competition among workers is another way to boost morale. Dividing up the workers into teams to work on a particular project and offering a generous prize to the winners can certainly instill a sense of office spirit and motivation into the work atmosphere

Japanese Inemuri

How about allowing for a short nap after lunch? In Japan, it has become culturally accepted for all workers to put their heads down on their desks for a 15 minute break (inemuri).  These 40 winks are considered rejuvenating and often very necessary in order to maintain a high level of office productivity.

At the end of the day, if you want your workers to have a positive attitude, you must have one yourself. Negativity is contagious and the team takes its cues from you.  Reduce the complaints and use a low-key, accepting outlook and your group will follow suit. Oh, and of course—keep smiling.

 

Categories
Networking

Why Businesses are Abandoning Travel and Turning to Video

Reduced travel is one of the biggest benefits of video conferencing. Less travel to conferences means that businesses do not have to spend enormous amounts of time and money on travel. However, less travel is not the only advantage of using a video conferencing app to speak to your colleagues, clients and partners.

There are a number of benefits of speaking virtually to your coworkers, including increased productivity and efficiency, better communications, enhanced business opportunities and advantage over your competitors. Read on to learn more about the advantages of turning to video for your business needs.

  1. Your business will see increased productivity and efficiency.         

According to Life Size, video conferencing is one of the best ways to increase your business’ productivity. While a reduction in travel costs is an obvious plus to using video conferencing to liaise with long distance partners and colleagues, you will also save time by using video conferencing rather than traveling, which in turn will increase productivity. You will have reduced travel risk, less unproductive travel time and more productive time spent in the office working on projects, whether alone or in groups video digital video communications.

In addition to the reduction in travel costs and time, your business will also have shorter, more structured meetings and participation from more colleagues and partners, because more people are able to dial into a video call than travel physical long distances to meet you. You will therefore optimize the attendance at your video meetings and receive a more immediate exchange of information. With faster response times, quicker access to experts and speedier decision making, your business will boost its productivity and efficiency in no time!           

  1. Your business will improve its management communications.

In addition to increasing your productivity, you will also be able to improve communication with your coworkers, colleagues, partners and clients and reinforce those relationships, according to Mashable.

When you’re speaking with long-distance colleagues and partners over the phone, much of the body language that indicates how the other person is feeling about the conversation is lost. During a video conference, you can easily see your coworkers’ facial expressions and body language, which improves communication over a basic phone call.

If you are the owner of your business, you might consider holding a company-wide meeting with remote offices across the world to help remote employees feel closer to home. Of course, you will save plenty of time and money being able to communicate with your Chinese colleagues via video conference rather than making a trip there or having them come to your office. You can instead liaise from the comfort of your own computer.

  1. Your business will see enhanced opportunities.

You will also see enhanced opportunities by maintaining a competitive advantage when you communicate with your team members over video, because you are able to share knowledge faster and therefore be more informed. Interacting over video conference reduces the time needed to deliver a new product or service to your customer base. Customer support departments can also establish better and more personal relationships with customers, because they are able to read the customer’s facial expressions and body language. This improved communication in turn leads to deeper customer loyalty.

When creating your company’s product, you need to be able to quickly and efficiently communicate with your manufacturer to verify that product quality is excellent, make any necessary changes and ensure and improve accuracy throughout the cycle of your product’s life. When you are able to video conference with your manufacturing team, you save time and quickly verify the quality and make changes in 1 percent of the time it takes your competitors to do so when shipping the product for review.

  1. You can improve your employees’ work-life balance.

Before video conferences, telecommuting was much more difficult and less accessible to employees. Now, with a video conference system like BlueJeans, it’s much easier for employees to work remotely and they can travel less as well. Excessive travel time used to burn out employees of the corporate world. Now that your business has reduced the need for frequent travel through video conferencing, your employees can be more productive and focus on the important projects rather than burning out on travel. They can also easily work from home and improve their overall work-life balance, reducing commute times and giving them more time to dedicate to both work and their social lives.

So there you have it! Reduced travel is clearly a huge benefit of video conferencing with your colleagues, partners and clients, but it’s certainly not the only benefit. Video conferencing also gives your business increased productivity and efficiency, improved management communications, enhanced opportunities, an advantage over competitors and a better work-life balance for employees.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Networking

The Business Side of Gifting: How to Strike the Perfect Balance with Your Presents

When it comes to the corporate business world it can be difficult to decide on gifts, especially when considering important clients. Giving something too personal and ‘over-the-top’ might put them off and make them think you’re not serious, but giving something too indifferent and cold might give the impression you don’t care enough.

Getting the balance right with corporate presents is tough, but it can be done. There are often significant benefits to be gained from giving business gifts, and here are some top tips on how to do it properly.

Get gifts specific to the receiver

Within businesses, there’s a huge variety of people that gifts can be given to, which is why it’s important to tailor your choice of gift to the exact person who’s going to be receiving it. You wouldn’t give the same present to both your top clients and employees, would you?

With regard to employees, it’s courtesy to give a gift at least once a year as a sign of appreciation for their hard work; Christmas is usually a popular time for this. Whilst most employees would undoubtedly prefer a seasonal pay rise, gifting small vouchers for a generic store/restaurant to each member of the team is a very safe yet thoughtful option that’s guaranteed to create a happy and grateful workforce.

When it comes to clients, it’s a whole different ball game. Gifts need to be carefully thought out, especially if it’s a high-flying client that brings in a lot of business. First, it’s important to analyze your previous experience with them, and establish any habits or snippets of conversation where they may show interest in a specific topic. If you’ve seen a client ordering a particular food at a corporate dinner, a gift involving that food would be a great option. For example, if they’re a lover of seafood or seasonal harvest foods, Citarella offer bespoke gourmet gift baskets that are sure to impress. Or, if you’ve heard your client mentioning they like a particular sport, a small voucher for a local game will be greatly appreciated.

However, it’s vitally important to establish your budget and, if you work with a large number of clients and are unable to afford personalized gifts for everyone, smaller items will suffice such as handwritten cards.

Stay in touch once your gift has been sent

If you opt for a Christmas-related gift for the holidays, or perhaps a more personalized birthday alternative, staying in touch with that client will be much easier and hugely beneficial.

Once your gift has been received, it’s highly likely that they will contact you to say thank you. This will open up further lines of communication and not only allow you to ask if they enjoyed their present, but also negotiate further work for the future.

Choose a theme

If your clients are high-flyers within their field, it’s likely you’re not the only one who will be sending them gifts. In order to make an impression and reap the benefits, it’s essential you stand out from the crowd whilst still getting the balance right and not going too overboard.

This strongly relates to the earlier point of tailoring your gift to the receiver, but tailoring your gift to reflect the entire company is likely to go down very well. For example, instead of just buying a gift for the particular client you deal with within that company, perhaps buy smaller items for their entire team as well. This will not only impress your client, but will also have an extremely positive effect on everyone else within your client’s close proximity at work which is sure to work in your favor.

So, if you’re thinking about sending gifts within the world of business but were unsure of exactly how to get it right, hopefully you’ve now got all the ideas you need to please everyone from your top clients to your hard-working employees!

Giving corporate gifts sometimes has a negative stigma associated with it, where people assume it gives the impression of ‘sucking up’ to your clients and is highly likely to put people off. That may be true if you give the complete wrong gift but, with our tips above, you’re almost guaranteed not to have any negative responses. So whether your target client is a lover of seafood, wine, or simply likes the odd football game or two, take into account the characteristics you know about your client, and use them to your advantage when choosing the perfect gift.

Louise Horton works in the giftware industry and can often be found typing up an article for an industry or business blog. Outside of work she enjoys baking and cycling.

Categories
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial Lessons from Nature

When beginning your own business, it is natural to be intimidated. You may be unsure of how much money to invest in various components or be afraid to announce the new venture. One way to help make the transition from launch to confident entrepreneur is to take notes from the adventurous and indomitable attitude that abounds in nature.

Fake it Until You Make It

This is popular advice for anyone who is nervous about trying something new for a good reason – it works. It is also a common tactic used in the animal kingdom. There are many animals that will change their shape to attract a mate or prevent an attack. The fur of a feline can stand on end sometimes doubling the size of the animal when it becomes afraid. This is to make itself appear larger and less susceptible to the perceived threat. Other animals have similar tactics such as the cobra, the puffer fish, toads, and the great horned owl.

The lesson here is: you don’t have to be the biggest business in your field to look as though you are a force to be reckoned with. There are several ways to accomplish this. Professional business cards, website, and email address all indicate a company that has structure and purpose. Even if you are running the entire operation out of your home, you can appear to the world as professional as a competitor with downtown office space. If you want to further the illusion and keep your home and work addresses separate, you can opt for a virtual PO box address.

Weather Patterns

Take some time to learn about various weather patterns in other areas of the world. You will notice that weather patterns are constantly fluctuating within a given area and vary greatly from region to region. This is very similar to the way trends come and go within a given niche and can be completely different from one industry to the next. The wonderful thing about weather is that it changes and by paying attention it is possible to prepare for adverse conditions.

In the business world, this means following all of the industry leaders, trends, and news. This can be done on social media, following trade publications or websites, and through various networking efforts. This can help you prepare for incoming trends and know when it is time to adjust your strategies and business plan.

Save for Winter

Unlike modern humans, animals do not have the luxury of going to a local shop and ordering food in the middle of winter. Instead, they use a variety of ways to prepare themselves for times of shortage. Small animals like squirrels hide acorns and other nuts to sustain them through months of snow. Bears stuff themselves for months and use that fuel to help them wait out the long months until the abundance of spring arrives.

Businesses all go through seasons. During the spring and summer sales are great and cash is abundant. Fall may bring forth a slower time of reflection and revision and winter consists of the weeks or months when sales are slower than expected or even nonexistent. It is important to put funds aside during the bountiful months so that when the winter arrives you are able to survive without panic and unmanageable stress.

Take time to observe the natural world and find inspiration from species that have taken millennium learning how to go with the flow. Once you begin to notice the similarities between the business world and that of nature, it becomes less intimidating and easier to confront and solve issues as they arise.