How To Thank Your Employees

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employees|How To Thank Your EmployeesWhere would you – and your business – be without your hard-working employees? If it would be impossible to run your business without them, if you’re happy you have them, if they are the ones making the engine run, so to speak, then it’s a good idea to let them know and to thank them once in a while. Employees who know their bosses appreciate them and the work they do are much more likely to stay loyal, and they will be more productive, going above and beyond what would typically be expected of them. So it makes sense to thank you for a number of reasons. Here are some ways to do it.

A Thoughtful Gift

Getting someone a personal gift to say thank you is one of the best things you can do, but you need to ensure you get it right, or it could turn into a big mistake. Rather than generic flowers or chocolate, if you’re going to give a gift that shows how much you truly appreciate someone who works for you, it should be something personal to them. This means you need to know them well, or at least know their interests and passions outside of work. You might, for example, buy restaurant vouchers so that an employee can eat at a restaurant they’ve always wanted to go to, or you could find an autograph or other piece of memorabilia of their favorite movie star. The list goes on.

Get this right, and it’s an impressive feat that won’t go unnoticed. Get it wrong, and it will be a waste of money, and your employee will feel embarrassed. They might even decide that they need to look elsewhere for work as you don’t know them at all.

Do Up Their Workspace

Something you will know for sure about each and every one of your employees is where they work. You’ll know what their office looks like, you’ll know what the cafeteria is like, you’ll know what the outside spaces are like. If you really want to thank someone – or an entire team – making these spaces look and feel better is a great way to show how appreciative you are.

For an individual, a new office chair or computer, or even moving them from a small office into a large one might work well. For the whole team, organizing a renovation of the office itself or installing aluminum patio cover kits outside so they have a place to go to get some fresh air all year round are great ideas; there are many more.

Write Them A Recommendation

Although writing your employees a recommendation might make it seem as though you’re encouraging them to look elsewhere for work, the fact that you’ve done it – and perhaps posted it publicly on a site like LinkedIn – often has the opposite effect, and your employees will be more likely to stay with you.

A good recommendation is a great way to say thank you. It’s personal, it tells them exactly what you thought of the work they did, and it will make them want to do more to receive even better praise.

How to Build a Team for Your New Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Build a Team|How to Build a Team for Your New BusinessStarting a business comes with many milestones, all as exciting as the last. You will make your first sale, rent your first workspace, and, eventually, hire your first team members. Giving new employees the responsibility of looking after your business can be daunting, especially if it is your first time, but it’s a crucial part of growth. Here’s how to build a team for your new business.

Consider Outsourcing

First of all, it is important to know that you don’t have to hire a person for every part of the business. For example, if you need an accountant, there’s no rule saying you need them to work in-house. There are plenty of companies offering accounting services for much cheaper than full-time staff, and if you want to save even more money, visit https://givingassistant.org/coupon-codes/legalzoom.com for Legal Zoom coupons.

Post Job Ads online

Most people look for jobs online, so write an inviting job ad to appeal to more talent. Make sure you include exactly what you are looking for, such as experience and education levels, and don’t be too vague about the job type. If you want an all-rounder, simply state that!

Know What You’re Looking for

One of the biggest mistakes new business owners make when hiring their first employee is not knowing what they’re looking for. This uncertainty could lead to confusion and an unhappy staff member, so make sure you determine what you want in an employee before you begin your search.

Decide on Interview Questions

Your interview questions don’t need to be deep or complicated; after all, your goal is to get an open conversation rolling. You want the interviews to have direction, though, so come up with interesting questions that are relevant to your business and will get the ball rolling.

Provide a Great Space

You want to give your team members a pleasant work environment, so make sure there is enough space and that it is well decorated before their first day. You should also consider natural light, break area, how much noise there is, and the temperature – no one wants to work in a cold, dark room! By providing a comfortable workspace, you increase employee retention.

Keep an Open Mind

Who you hire might not be who you envisioned when you first started the hiring process. Often, business owners have an image in their head of their ideal candidates, but in reality, the person who will perform the best won’t match your exact description. It is also worth considering giving someone with less experience a position, as they can learn and grow alongside your business.

Up Your Leadership Skills

As a business owner with a team, you have more responsibility than you did previously, which means increasing your leadership skills. Some points to focus on include your communication, empathy, listening skills, and influencing ability.
By giving thought to each step, you ensure that you save money, find great talent, and provide your team with a great place to work.

4 Key Things to Think About Before Starting Up a Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a Business|4 Key Things to Think About Before Starting Up a BusinessThere are many things in life that do not require much thought or planning, from daily tasks such as washing the dishes to getting dressed; there are a lot of things people do without much consideration. However, setting up a business is very different and is a task that requires a great deal of thought and preparation. You wouldn’t get into a bath without testing the water, so why start up a business without testing its practicality?

Let’s dive right in. Here are four key things to think about before starting up a business:

Finances

One of the most important things to consider before anyone sets up a business is finance. How much money do you need to start your business? Do you need to take out a bank loan? How are you going to manage your finances? These are some of the key questions you should be thinking about before you set up a business.

If you are setting up an online business, you may not need to consider the cost of a business premise; however, you will more than likely need to consider a budget for advertising, for example.

If you are reading this and you know you struggle with numbers and organizing finances, it could be beneficial to contact an accounting firm for assistance in sorting out the figures of your business.

Scalability

An important consideration is whether your business can grow. If you are sitting in a very niche market, it may be hard for you to get recognition and stand out from overly saturated markets, where bigger businesses take the stage. When you set up a business, your main goal should be growth at as low a cost as possible to maximize profits.

Here are some things you can think about when considering scalability:

  • What will be my business model?
  • Do I already have a plan?
  • What will be the strengths of my business?
  • Is there room for my business?

Time

Setting up a business takes a severe amount of time, energy, and an extra bucket load of patience. If you are someone who struggles to find time to themselves most days and can only find an hour in the evening to relax, setting up a business might be particularly challenging, and it could become overwhelmingly stressful. It is recommended that you make sure you have time to manage and run a startup business so that you can meet its exact needs.

Competition

Before you enter any market, you should know your main competitors inside out. Your competitors are what could stop you from gaining more consumers, as established businesses will already have the traffic of your target consumer, which is why it is a task to get the consumer’s attention. You have to establish what makes your product or business different from your competitors and make this known to your target consumer. You must tell them why you are better. Simple!

Conclusion

As much as the thought of starting a new business venture can be exciting, it is crucial for you to understand it does not come without its challenges, and there are many aspects to a business that needs planning. Having said that, a good entrepreneur will take on a challenge. Best of luck!

4 Effective Ways to Launch Your Small Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Launch a Small Business|4 Effective Ways to Launch Your Small BusinessIt feels as if small businesses are popping up wherever you look, which is a welcome change from the monopoly of Big Box stores that stock just about everything you can think of. If you’ve spent the last year working on your business plan, you may be close to the big launch day. This lead-up is stressful for sure, but it’s also an exciting next step in life as long as you find the right way to launch your new venture.

Complete Your Research

No plan for launch day is complete without first completing your research. Understanding the market and what your customers want will put you in a superb position for success, and help you provide exceptional customer service that is leagues ahead of any other small business in the area. This research is also essential if there are logical competitors. You may not be concerned but stepping on toe3s, but you should focus on providing a better overall experience that serves as an alternative to what your customers know.

Drum Up Interest

No one expects a small business to go viral by drumming up interest in their product or service, but this doesn’t mean you can’t still get people interested. There is a range of marketing possibilities that can help your business stand out from the crowd, so consider both digital and traditional marketing efforts. If you want to work with established businesses, you could also think about offering taster products with their existing service. This will spread the word about your brand before launching and give you an initial base to work from.

Protect Yourself

As exciting as launching a business can be, you should also take steps to protect yourself. You need to think about risk prevention for intellectual property, and also remember that business and trading licenses are not merely recommendations, but instead necessities. The more you understand how to protect your business, the fewer roadblocks you’ll encounter. You should also consider physical ways of protecting your business, especially if you go the brick-and-mortar route. Security cameras, deadbolts, and alarms can all prevent burglaries and keep your store safe.

Work With Accelerator Programs

If you want to get all the funding and interest you need, local accelerator programs are something you must consider. While competitive, there are plenty of benefits to working with an accelerator program before launch. You can read this blog article from Treble about how effective previous programs have been, and how the cohorts have found success in whichever industry they operate. Through these accelerator programs, you get support and a financial buffer. Besides this, expert entrepreneurs can also provide crucial advice to help you manage your first year in business, giving you a better chance of success.

T-Minus

The run-up to launch day is going to be stressful, no one is saying any different. But, this is all part of running a small business. As long as you have everything in order before the big day, you’ll not encounter any issues during launch, and you can cement your company as one that will attract business from all over.

Give Your Startup A Great Start Online

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Startup|Give Your Startup A Great Start OnlineWhen you are setting up a new business, there are so many things that you need to be aware of in the first instance if you want to make it as successful as possible. One of the most important things that you will need to spend some time and effort on is the online side of things – your company’s presence, but also your ability to engage with people and convert their attention into sales and onward contacts. Let’s look at how you can give your startup a great start in the online world.

Build A Professional Website

The website is your major starting point, and the place that you are going to be aiming to direct people back to again and again. You need to therefore make sure that it is as professional as possible, and the best way to achieve that is to hire a professional to do it. You should absolutely be prepared to put some of your seed money towards this – as it will help to bring back plenty of revenue in the long run. A good website is going to help your business look the part online, so it is a sound investment.

Develop Your SEO

Now that you have a professional website, you are going to need to draw people’s attention to it as best as you can. All this comes down to a series of processes and methods known collectively as Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, and it’s something that is worth spending some time investing in, as it can really pay off in the long run. By hiring a good SEO company, you can expect your website to become hugely popular in the searches people carry out related to your business venture, and that will boost your visibility hugely over time.

Don’t Forget About Social Media

However you feel about social media, the fact is that it is an extremely effective marketing tool, and you would be foolish to ignore it. The main thing you can use it for, at the very least, is to provide plenty of backlinks to your website. You can also engage with customers and the general public there, and developing a brand identity which is somewhat socially aware or even just funny can really pay off very well on Twitter and Facebook and the like. Be sure to have a proper social media strategy, and dedicate someone to the task if you have the resources.

Forge Your Own Path

It’s important to bear in mind that these are just ideas, and you can achieve much more by making a point of forging your own path in some way. That means you should be unafraid to fail, if it means that you will ultimately come out better off for having tried. This is an important point that a lot of people overlook in their attempt to do all this ‘correctly’. Make sure you are doing what makes sense for your business above all. That is what is going to lead to results in the end.