How to Further Reduce Your Company’s Carbon Footprint

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Carbon Footprint|How to Further Reduce Your Company’s Carbon FootprintThere’s no denying that we all have to look at making changes if we’re going to overcome the problems that climate change poses to the world and the people in it. While there are things that individuals can do to have a more positive impact on the natural world, the truth is that the most important changes will be the ones that companies make. They are disproportionately responsible for causing damage to the environment — indeed, only twenty firms are responsible for a third of all emissions. If you’re a company owner, then it will, of course, be nowhere nearly as impactful, but it’s still important that you’re taking steps to make your company greener. It’ll be better for the environment, and for your business, especially as consumers are increasingly likely to avoid companies that cause harm to the environment.

But how can you do this? We take a look at a few helpful tips below.

Find Your Flaws

First thing’s first: you’ll need to find your flaws. You won’t be able to figure out how you can improve things until you know where you’re going wrong. Begin by taking a look at your current operations and identify the practices that are causing environmental damage. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, then you can hire an outside expert to do it for you. It might be that you have one especially bad practice that is severely harming your company’s green credentials.

Working From Home

There are many benefits to initiating a ‘work from home’ program at your company — it can boost employee happiness and productivity, and it’s also better for the environment. How so? Well, it takes a lot of energy to have people in the office. Apart from the energy for lighting and electricity and so on, there’s also the impact of having all of your staff members driving to work. If your staff can work from home, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint, and your company’s finances will receive a boost too.

Green Initiatives

If it’s not possible to have staff working from home, then take a look at starting initiatives such as cycle to work and ridesharing programs. It’s much better to have four people riding together in one car, rather than in four cars!

Reduced Packaging

Even companies that are generally green can run into problems. Take, for example, the packaging for their products. This is normally a secondary concern for most companies, and, because of this, is where many fall down. To ensure you’re not using more materials than necessary for your packaging, take a look at the services that product packaging companies can provide. They’ll help to make your packaging more efficient.

Reviews and Updates

Finally, remember that your move towards having a greener company is never finished. There are always ways to improve! The best way to do this is to periodically review and update your operations, so that they eventually move to become carbon positive — that is, they have a positive impact on the world!

Techniques to Improve Employee Efficiency

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Employee Efficiency|Techniques to Improve Employee EfficiencyThe success of every business depends on the efficiency of employees. If you are facing some challenges due to inefficiency, it is possible to change the situation. Achieving maximum efficiency in employees is the greatest challenge for most business owners and managers. These are people with different temperaments and views; therefore, you expect clashes before finally convincing them on how to be better. However, the benefits of efficiency in business are greater than any challenges you may encounter.

How to Improve Employee Efficiency

Be bold enough to delegate

Delegating work in your business is not as easy as it sounds. You want to know how everything is running. Although handling everything by yourself is an excellent way to ensure quality, in the long run, it becomes a waste of time.
Give some of the responsibilities to someone who is qualified and consider training or guiding them on how to handle the job. You will not only create time for yourself but also allow employees to gain leadership skills.

Invest in team building activities

While most businesses focus on making their customers happy, it would also be a good idea to give employees a good treat. Keep in mind that your employees are the lifeblood of your business. Therefore, you can talk to professionals from camp staff training Dallas offer team building activities. These activities will bring your workers together, help them communicate better, build trust, resolve conflicts, and enhance cooperation in teamwork.

Ensure communication is effective

Communication is the key to the success of any business. Nowadays, it’s even easier, thanks to advanced technology. You can install several apps and reach everyone working for you with just a single tap on your smart gadget’s touch screen. Apart from easing communication, most of these apps are free and allow low-cost voice calls. What’s more, you can have meetings and conferences online.

Set goals and stay focused

Goals keep employees focused. If your business has no goals, there is nothing defined to achieve. This will make them less productive. To increase efficiency, have a list of things that must be accomplished in day or week and check to see if they accomplished what you expected them to.

Incentivize employees

According to a recent study by Harvard Business Review, employees are driven to increase efficiency when offered incentives and rewards. You should take time to recognize and appreciate employees who perform exceptionally.
Most business owners think of increased budgets when incentives are mentioned. However, appreciating employees is not just about money; you can do it in many other ways. This may include:

  • Additional holiday days and paid sick leaves
  • Allowing them to go home earlier or buying them lunch
  • Always mention someone who performs very well when addressing annual meetings
  • Honor efficient employees publicly
  • Get them good parking spots
  • Upgrade work equipment for them

Empower Your Employees

While you may have the authority to decide what needs to be done to increase efficiency in your business, it is always a good idea to consider what your employees want. Have meetings or discussions to iron out areas that may be raising concerns. It’s also important to boost employee morale to get the most out of them.

Trade Show Setup: 5 Best Tips for Preparing for a Trade Show

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |trade show setup|Trade Show Setup: 5 Best Tips for Preparing for a Trade ShowIf you’ve been to trade shows then you know just how valuable they can be. This is even truer if you’re a small startup or a growing business.

These shows provide an avenue for you to promote your brand, meet and network with prospective clients as well as to gain some sales. That’s the upside, but it’s also easy to not have as much success as you’d like.

This can either be due to a poor exhibition in comparison to competitors or simply a lack of overall planning and execution.

Are you trying to figure out how to have a great trade show? Read this article to learn the best tips for trade show setup and how to prepare for the show.

1. Preparing for Your Trade Show Setup

There is an old adage that says, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”Never has it been truer than when it comes to trade shows.

Sit down and make plans with your team so they will be ready for everything well in advance.

Book your flights early and reserve your hotel rooms well ahead of time. Make plans for any news release and be sure to get giveaways ready for the show.

2. Strong Social Media Presence

Inform your customers of your participation in the trade show via social media platforms. Do teasers, announce the latest news, and offer to let them meet the team.

On the day of the show promote your booth using social media and invite customers to stop by, visit, and shop.

3. Be the Talk of the Show

Use a vast array of colors and decorations to make your booth stand out. Be sure to include company colors and your logo.

Use a presentation board to display your company’s name and logo. You can even include pictures of products on your display board.

As an added bonus, have a slide show or show images of products and clients’ reviews. Distribute pamphlets, brochures and print outs of products, achievements, and other important information.

4. Prizes and Surprises

Giveaways, especially company-branded ones are vital. Pens, buttons, and business cards are a few of the best items you can give away.

Having a hospitality suite where you serve light refreshments is a plus. Gift certificates are always a good idea for your customers as well.

Get your visitors to sign in a guestbook, get them to add their email addresses or phone number in the book too.

5. Warm Welcome

First impressions last!

Put on your best customer service game and focus on what you can do to help the customer. Avoid being too pushy about your product.

Simply welcome each visitor, make conversation, and be sure to introduce yourself and your brand briefly but make it fun.

Ready to Shine!

Knowing what to do for a trade show setup is key. Use these tips to be the highlight of the show. Remember advanced preparation is vital.

Social media is your best friend too. A great display and prizes will also add some much-needed flair and make great Instagram pics.

If you would like more tips to help you succeed in business, please contact us.

Manufacturing Mistakes You Must Avoid

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Manufacturing Process|Manufacturing Mistakes You Must AvoidGot a product that’s ready to manufacture? Here are a few mistakes to avoid before you start the manufacturing process.

Rushing the prototype

A prototype is necessary before putting any product into mass production. It allows you to make any tweaks before finally manufacturing your product on a large scale. Rushing the prototype phase could result in you manufacturing a product that still has flaws. All these products you’ve manufactured may then need to be discounted or recalled, depending on how bad the flaws are. Take your time when prototyping and don’t be afraid to build multiple prototypes until you have one that is as perfect as possible.

Prioritising cost over quality

The manufacturing process can be expensive. While you can find creative ways to cut costs, you should be careful of prioritising cost over quality. This could include using cheap materials that break easily or using cheap machinery that doesn’t provide as smooth a finish. You may be able to make a bigger profit off a cheaply-made product, but if it’s built to a low quality you could find that customers respond negatively – which could mean demands for refunds, cancelled orders from retailers and negative reviews. In the long run, sacrificing quality could end up costing you more.

Ignoring your carbon footprint

Modern customers are starting to care more about the environmental impact of their purchases. If your manufacturing process isn’t particularly green, it could have a negative impact on your reputation. There are also other negative implications such as the cost. More energy consumption could mean higher energy bills, while wasted materials could result in higher supply costs. In some cases, there could even be higher taxes of fines for using non-eco-friendly methods.

Not taking advantage of outsourcing

It’s possible to design and manufacture your own product in-house. However, outsourcing the manufacturing process is generally cheaper and more time efficient. Processes like sheet metal fabrication could require purchasing specialist machinery and training up people to operate them if you were to do it in-house – by outsourcing the task, you can save yourself this hassle. Some companies outsource multiple manufacturers to build separate parts.

This can allow you to hire the best talent for each task, however you do need to be able to juggle these multiple suppliers. When choosing a manufacturer, always do your research by reading reviews and checking out their products so that you can guarantee that they will get you the results you need.

Manufacturing too few units

When it comes to the quantity of units, a lot of companies make the mistake of going too small. Unless the ‘limited edition’ status is part of the appeal and it allows you to price the product higher, it’s unlikely you’ll make much of a profit from only a few units. Manufacturing batches of hundreds or thousands of units is much more likely to pay off the cost of any machinery you use – providing that you can shift these units (which all comes down to marketing and sales tactics).

Employee Wellness: Tips To Make Employees More Productive At Work

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People ArticleAny company will reap many benefits when they have healthy and engaged employees. An employee wellness program curated and designed correctly will boost morale, increase productivity, and reduce stress. Wellness programs have always been thought of as something nice-to-have rather than a must-have. What employers don’t think about is the benefits in the long term. In the long run, the company will see the results. Wellness programs help employees to stay healthy and lessen absences. The cost of having this employee wellness program will just be minimal compared to the benefits in the long run. Listed below are some tips to make employees more productive at work.

1. What is a Wellness Program?

Before crafting and designing your employee wellness program, you first have to understand what it is. A wellness program is any program with the goal to improve the health and well-being of the company’s workforce. Wellness programs are supposed to help employees overcome general health issues and educate them about what they should do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Usually, companies hire third-parties to conduct the program and seminar depending on the need and expertise. There are many great ways to increase productivity, and wellness programs are one of them.

2. What improvements to target?

The way to design your wellness program should address specific needs and target personal wellness. Programs structured can target physical fitness and stamina through regular exercise, Zumba, or yoga classes for employees. This doesn’t only increase welfare but also improves self-image and self-esteem, which you want in your employees. At the same time, this also reduces the stress that your employees feel. Targeting specific health-related issues will translate into a more reliable workforce and smoother workflow.

3. What are the kinds of wellness programs you can implement?

There are tons of programs that a company can implement for the well-being of their employees. Be sure to provide flexibility in the programs so many of your employees can join in. Here are just some suggestions and recommendations for great employee wellness ideas:

  • Zumba Classes
  • Diet Guidance Programs
  • Physical Fitness Programs
  • Quit-Smoking Programs
  • Physiological Testing Programs
  • Stress Management Programs
  • Nutrition Classes
  • Blood Pressure Screening
  • Cholesterol Tracking
  • Fitness Tracking
  • Gym Plans
  • Guided Meditation Classes
  • Cooking Classes
  • Team Building Activities
  • Anxiety Workshop
  • Annual Corporate Flu Shots
  • Healthy Lifestyle Education
  • Mental Health Days
  • Emotional and Mental Health Education and Resources
  • Book Clubs
  • Healthy Potlucks

4. Healthy Snacks

With working for at least 8 hours a day, employees will grow well into the snacking culture in no time. Unfortunately, most companies only have low-quality vending machines that offer junk food such as soda, candy, and chips loaded with fat and sugar. These snacks not only decrease productivity, but it also makes a serious dent in the health and well-being of an employee. An excellent way to improve the nutrition of your employees is to provide easy access to healthier snack choices throughout the day.

5. Launch Health Competitions

Nothing else gets people off their chairs than incentives. If economics taught anything, it’s that people respond well to incentives. Why not incentivize health? Gamify employee fitness by starting challenges and giving incentives. For instance, you can start giving out gift certificates for the employee with the most visits to the gym or went running. You can also provide employees with fitness trackers to keep them in shape and encourage them. Another competition you can start is a step competition or walking challenge. You can give out cash incentives to those who hit step targets. The goal is to keep your employees in good shape, keep them motivated, and up on their feet.

6. Pet-Friendly Office Initiative

Another way that has been proven to keep employees motivated and increase productivity is to bring in your furry, four-legged friends to the office. These are tested and proved to improve collaboration among employees. Some offices even encourage to bring pets and have pets running around the office.

Keeping your employees healthy and educating them about well-being does reduce not only absences but also boosts productivity and efficiency in employees. Even though it costs very low, this initiative from companies can go a long way in helping out employees while benefiting the company. The connection between employee wellness and productivity has already been proven and well-established. Hope this guide was able to give you some tips on how employee wellness programs can help in boosting productivity and effectivity.