Achieving Happiness in the Workplace with these 3 Steps

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Happiness in the Workplace|Achieving Happiness in the Workplace with these 3 StepsHappiness in the workplace might sound like a pipe dream to many, if we are honest, but it does not have to be all doom and gloom, especially if you are just in a rut.

When it comes to work, there are some things that are just not within our control. This includes dealing with difficult clients, staff shortages or disagreements, or sometimes you are just having a bad day.

If you are working in a toxic workplace, then use these steps as best as you can before you can move on, but for those who are just finding things a little boring or lacking at the moment, these steps should help you get into a happier headspace so you can face the day head-on.

What is Happiness in the Workplace?

Happiness in the workplace can be characterized in a few ways, though some factors will, of course, be subjective to each employee.

Ideally, for an employee to be happy, they will need to enjoy the tasks that are assigned to them, especially if they are the main part of their job role. They will need to feel comfortable around the people they are working with, including being respected and valued as the bare minimum. Have the chance to improve skills and gain new skills at work so the job does not become stagnant and they can progress. Have a decent salary or wage that can cover their basic needs and allow them to live comfortably and more stress-free. Finally, they have their hard work and contributions to the role, and the company acknowledged.

Be Mindful and Meditate

You do not have to sit cross-legged on the staff breakroom floor to get a piece of zen – in fact; we actively advise against that unless it has been mopped. Being mindful and meditating is much about finding a quiet or happy space in your head and vacating there for a few minutes to take a few deep breaths. You do not even need to leave your seat if you need a moment’s peace where you are – Just find something small to focus on, such as typing, listening to the sounds, and paying attention to the feel of the keys. This can give your mind a rest.

Rewards Go a Long Way

If you are a business manager reading this piece on a quest to find out how you can help your employees become happier, then not only focus on making the workplace a relaxing and comfortable space but also incorporate some treats and rewards into the mix too, to let your employees know they are valued. This can range from a personal touch to something such as fun office merch. But make sure to choose your products from a quality company such as anthembranding.com.

Value Yourself

It can be particularly easy to forget to value ourselves if we always wait for praise from others. If you work somewhere that is particularly underwhelming when it comes to acknowledgment and praise, do not forget to remind yourself of everything you have done, who you are, and how much you bring to the table.

4 Considerations Before Starting a Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a business|4 Considerations Before Starting a BusinessBeing the boss is a fantasy a lot of people have because it’s nice to feel in control and like you’re in a position of importance. The idea of developing a business is also very impressive and satisfying, knowing that your hard work paid off and has given you that independence, allowing you to break free from working under someone else. However, although starting a business is an incredible feat and very rewarding, it is also very challenging and can be risky. If you have been contemplating whether or not you should start a business, here are four considerations you need to make before you do it.

1. Is Your Idea Any Good?

Firstly, is your idea any good? To answer this question properly, you will need to do some market research to get a better idea of how your business will meet consumers’ demands and how it will stand out from other companies offering the same as you. Your idea might be reasonably good, but if the market is already saturated with businesses doing the same thing, you might not have much luck getting noticed unless you have excellent branding and a plan to bring something new to the table. Additionally, if your idea is not that common, are you sure this is something consumers want? Research! Research! Research! That is the only way you’ll know whether your idea is bankable.

2. How Much Help Do You Need?

Running a business is a lot of work, and although you might think you can do everything yourself, the reality is that you are going to need a bit of help somewhere along the way. How much help you need will depend on your business’s nature, but it’s important to think this through and whether you have someone who is willing to help you out voluntarily, like a friend or relative, or if you need to hire some staff. The latter is better if you can afford this, as you’ll get more out of people if you can pay them for their time.

3. How Will You Keep Your Business Safe?

It’s easy to get carried away with your idea and start thinking about marketing strategies, branding, renting office or retail space, designing a website – all of which is important. However, one of the most essential things you need to worry about is how you will keep your business safe? You must get business insurance as soon as you incorporate your company to make sure you have the right cover to protect you from accidents, lawsuits, damage, etc. You should also make sure your Cyber Security is impeccable, as protecting your company’s data and customer data is a top priority.

4. Why Are You Doing it?

Finally, why do you want to start this business? As this venture will demand your attention and commitment, you need to be doing it for the right reasons. Are you passionate about your business idea? Is this something you have always wanted to do? Don’t try and start a business just because you’re bored with your current job or think it will be an easier way to make money. You will need to have the passion and ambition to drive your motivation and get you through the tough times.
Starting a business can be very exciting, but before you do, ask yourself these questions to make sure you’re thinking it through.

Starting Your Own Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting your own business|Starting Your Own BusinessYou’ve had a business idea in your head for some time and you’re just now ready to put it into action. Maybe you have a fresh, new startup plan that you’re ready to build from the ground up. Or, perhaps you plan on buying an established small business. Either way, starting your own business is an exciting, albeit challenging, life journey, that can be very fulfilling.

There are several considerations when it comes to starting your own company. While there are many technical and legal steps you need to complete to open your doors for business, this article is focused on the personal qualities necessary to be a CEO. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when chasing your entrepreneurial aspirations.

Make sure you’re ready.

Timing matters, but at a certain point, there likely will never be the perfect time to start your own business. For every reason to take the leap, there might be several factors that point to why you should wait. That is why it’s essential to ask yourself if you’re in the right mindset to take on the challenges that come along with owning a company. Are you ready to turn your career into a 24/7 lifestyle? If the answer is yes, then shoot for the stars.

Say goodbye to your 9-5.

Speaking of adopting a 24/7 schedule, understand the limitations of a work/life balance when you become the owner of a business. When you eat, sleep, and breathe your career, time becomes a lot more valuable. You’ll always be on the go, forcing you to adapt your old ways of doing things. To avoid over-scheduling yourself, you’ll want to find time-saving solutions to give yourself more hours in the day. For example, you can use a household delivery service and have your weekly staples brought to you, saving you time otherwise spent at the store. And with a personal assistant app, it’ll be easier to keep track of your daily to-do. Finding little ways to save you even just a few minutes will add up over time.

Set reasonable and realistic goals.

Especially if this is your first venture as an entrepreneur, being realistic about your goals and expectations is fundamental in maintaining your sanity. Optimism is important, but naive optimism can hurt you. Owning your own business has a steep learning curve and every day will have its own lesson. Your company probably won’t outsell your competitors in your first month of business, and that’s okay. Set goals that will encourage you to create the best company possible, and if applicable, be a great leader to your team. Perseverance and patience are key in helping you learn and grow as an entrepreneur, and will pay off in the long run.

Find a mentor.

The only people who will understand the trials and tribulations of starting a new company are other entrepreneurs. Because of this, surrounding yourself with others who have had similar experiences as you can prove to be an excellent resource for you to consult. You can bounce ideas off of them, share goals, and receive constructive feedback, a fundamental component of success and growth. If you don’t know any other business owners in your immediate circle, you can still find people to connect with by other means. Go to networking events, check out your city’s startup incubator, utilize a mentorship network like SCORE, or turn to LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networking sites to find like-minded individuals. You can find a mentor practically anywhere. It’s up to you to invest in the relationship so that you can benefit from the knowledge and experiences that they have.

Have a stable financial footing.

It should be no surprise that starting a business costs money. While it can pay off tenfold in the future, there is significant financial risk involved. You’re likely leaving a well-paying and stable job when starting this journey, which is already a risky endeavor. Not to mention there are plenty of startup and ongoing costs required to keep your company afloat. You’ll never eliminate the financial risks associated with entrepreneurship, however, you can protect yourself from too much financial harm. Best financial practices are to minimize your personal expenses, reduce or eliminate debt, improve your credit score, and have an emergency fund ready. Additionally, considering the type of business structure you want to implement, such as an LLC or S Corp, can have lasting impacts on your personal liabilities and taxes. Taking the time to determine what structure fits your company best will help ensure that your finances stay in check.

Starting a new company is an exciting and fulfilling journey. However, the challenges that come along with it make it so that it isn’t for the faint of heart. Take the appropriate steps to prepare yourself mentally and financially for this new trajectory in your career.

Services Your Business Should Be Using

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business Services|Services Your Business Should Be UsingRunning a business isn’t easy. Especially during times like these. Right now, companies are doing everything they can to stay afloat and keep their head above the water. Of course, when we first start out in business, we tend to run everything ourselves. We bear the bulk of the weight of business operations on our own shoulders and take care of operations independently. But as time goes on, chances are, you’ll find that you need a little help to keep expanding and advancing and to provide the best products, services and customer support as possible. Generally, this means taking on part time or full time employed staff. Of course, this isn’t where things end though. The vast majority of businesses need a little extra help from third party or outsourced services that can make all the difference to their operations. The perks of these services is that you don’t necessarily have to create an in-house team, which means more financial commitment and responsibility. Instead, you can often just use these independent parties as and when you need them. Here are just a few that you might want to take into consideration!

Consulting Services

No matter what industry you are operating in and no matter what products or services you’re selling, chances are, you can benefit from consulting services operating in your area of expertise. You can find business expansion consultants, financial consultants, a CARF Consultant, customer experience consultants, market research consultants and all other sorts of consultants. Make sure to use their services. They can give you the insight you need to make sure that your business is always running as it should be. This can also give you confidence in your actions too!

Property Maintenance

First, let’s focus on maintaining your commercial premises. Whether you run a traditional brick and mortar store or an office space, you’re going to have to invest in maintaining this space on a regular basis. Why? Well, if you rent the space, you don’t want it to become run down, as you can lose your deposit when you eventually decide to move out of it. If you own the space, you want to maintain its value. On top of this, you need to make sure that the space is clean, safe and pleasant fro your staff to spend time in. This can improve happiness levels, ensure that you are running everything in a compliant manner and maximise productivity. This is where a property management company can come in pretty handy. These individuals tend to cover every area of your business’ operations, ensuring everything runs as smoothly as possible.

Property maintenance companies can often provide cleaners to ensure that your business is clean. They can provide removal services if any animals die on the property’s land. They can grit your carparks in the winter. They can provide electrical maintenance, plumbing maintenance and other professionals who can generally ensure that everything is running as it should be. Make sure to browse a variety of options in your local area and to select the one with the most positive reviews and recommendations.

PAC Testing

Another extremely important service you need to be using is PAC testing services. Nowadays, it’s highly likely that a significant proportion of your staff are using technology and gadgets to get on with their work. The most popular tend to include computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. When these are used as part of their day to day work, it becomes of the utmost importance that you have all of this equipment and these electrics tested regularly. This will make sure that they aren’t a risk to your staff and that nobody becomes hurt as a result of their use. The best way to do this is generally through a PAC test, which will ensure that everything is safe and ready to use. These tests should be carried out regularly by qualified testers.

IT Services

IT support is one of the most important services your business needs to make use of nowadays. Why? Well, as we briefly highlighted above, the vast majority of businesses nowadays are online. They have websites online. They take sales online. They process orders online. They communicate with customers online. Plus, business operations such as emailing, video calls and other internal communications take place online too. The problem? Cybercriminals are aware of this and are seeing many small businesses as easy targets for infiltration. Sure, major companies may have more money or data to lose. But they also have some of the best cybersecurity in the world. Smaller businesses or often not so well set up to defend themselves against attack, so cybercriminals tend to have more success with them. You need to make sure that you avoid data breaches to maintain your reputation and to comply with data compliance laws. You also need to avoid infiltration wherever possible to maintain operations and maximise productivity. This is where IT services come in. The vaedt majority of businesses use IT services to help maintain their tech and keep everything up and running in the safest and most effective way possible. Having an IT company at hand can also ensure that if your team ever have any problems with their software or hardware, they can simply get in touch with the IT services you’ve signed up for and get all the advice they need to resolve their problems and to get back to work. when they experience any issues and the IT company can quickly resolve them, getting employees back to work and productive as quickly as possible. IT services can also provide protection against hackers, helping your business to avoid security breaches.

These are just a few suggestions that can make all the difference when it comes to running your business. Each of the above services can really help your business to tick over smoothly safely and in a compliant and profitable way. Invest in them to benefit from them sooner rather than later!

6 Ways You Can Market Yourself Effectively

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Market Yourself|6 Ways You Can Market Yourself EffectivelyA lot of marketing advice discusses ideas based on your business including how to maximize sales or get the most out of your employees. This advice is crucial, of course, especially for entrepreneurs who are always looking for more out of their professional endeavors. However, this big picture is not always where you should direct your focus. As much as improving your company is important, you’ve got to remember how essential marketing yourself is, too.

Marketing yourself will vastly improve your chances of finding the best business opportunities, which will help you grow your company in ways that everyday marketing can never live up to. If this sounds appealing, but you aren’t sure where to start, consider these ideas.

Know Your Worth

Finding your self-worth is one of the most challenging things, no matter how confident or successful you are. But, you will not be able to market yourself effectively if you do not understand what you can offer people in a professional and personal setting.

This is the first step you need to take when looking at ways to market yourself. If you know what you can offer by understanding what you are best at, you will be able to set yourself apart from others. Through this, you can push yourself ahead of the competition and make you the most appealing individual around.

Get to Know People

Networking is always a vital element of business success, and this is why getting to know people is more beneficial than you might believe. The problem here is that some people are not as outgoing as others, which could affect your chances of meeting the right people.

So what can you do? Swallowing any nervousness and acting as you belong in any scenario is useful, but it can be exhausting to keep up. Besides this, look for influential people who are similar to you, as this can make you feel more comfortable in their company.

Remember the Details

Marketing yourself is not always about how you speak or feel about yourself. You also need to consider the details. These details can apply to anything physical, whether your attire or holographic business cards rather than traditional but ultimately drab alternatives.

As you want to stand out in any situation, especially in competitive industries, these details could be the difference between winning promotions, new jobs, or increasing your influence. They will prove that you can match your substance with some style, and although you need substance over everything else, it’s always worth trying to impress others, as long as you don’t try too hard.

Trust Your Knowledge

Imposter syndrome can affect anybody. It’s easy to feel like you don’t belong and that you’ll be found out one day. But, you need to understand that you are much more capable than you give yourself credit for, and you can use this understanding to establish yourself as someone worth hiring.

While you needn’t spend all your time making bold but baseless claims about things you don’t know anything about, you can still trust what you know. If you want to be even more certain, make sure you prepare for interviews or casual meetings, as this will boost your confidence even further.

Put Your All Into Everything

If you want to build your reputation, you need to make sure you are someone who puts their all into everything, no matter how small a project might be. While it might feel like you’re doing too much, it demonstrates exceptional work ethic, and this will make people take notice.

It’s never a good look to merely go through the motions, especially if you want to increase your standing in the industry, and the harder you work now, the easier it will all be later.

Be Consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to finding success, and there are many aspects of consistency you need to remember. High-quality work is one area, but you should also remember that consistency across social media is an important tool for marketing yourself.

This means making the most of the platforms available to you. Use the same picture across your professional profiles so that people recognize you and develop a brand voice that ensures your audience knows who is talking.

Your Time

Marketing yourself is one of the most effective methods to increase your chances of finding new opportunities. Whether you want to grow your company or look for a new position in another industry, you will discover significant success by establishing what makes you a valuable asset to any company.