StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Commercial Building Maintenance|Maintenance Tasks You Should Always Complete On Your Commercial Building

Maintenance Tasks You Should Always Complete On Your Commercial Building

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Commercial Building Maintenance|Maintenance Tasks You Should Always Complete On Your Commercial BuildingMaintaining a commercial building is no easy task. There are many things that you need to keep track of in order to ensure that your building is running smoothly. From cleaning the windows to installing a new roof, there are a lot of tasks that need to be completed regularly. The following blog post will outline some of the most critical maintenance tasks that you should always complete on your commercial building!

Inspecting And Repairing The Roof

One of the most critical maintenance tasks you must complete on your commercial building is inspecting and repairing the roof. The roof is one of the most essential parts of the building, and it must be kept in reasonable condition to protect the rest of the structure. Make sure to inspect the roof regularly for any signs of damage or wear and tear. If you notice any issues, make sure to repair them as soon as possible!

It’s also important to keep an eye out for any leaks in the roof. Leaks can cause severe damage to your building if they’re not fixed right away. So be sure to check for leaks after every heavy rainstorm and have them repaired immediately if you find any!

If you are not comfortable inspecting and repairing the roof yourself, you can always hire a professional to do the commercial roofing installation for you. Just be sure to get multiple quotes before making a decision.


Cleaning The Windows

Cleaning the windows is one of the most essential maintenance tasks that you should always complete on your commercial building. Not only does it make the building look more presentable, but it also allows natural light to shine through, making a big difference in energy efficiency.

To clean the windows properly, you will need to invest in a good quality window cleaning solution as well as some soft cloths or sponges. Once you have all of your supplies, follow the instructions on the window cleaning solution and be sure to rinse off any residue with clean water.

If you have large windows, you may want to consider hiring a professional window cleaning service to come and do this task for you regularly.

Checking The HVAC System

Another essential maintenance task you must complete on your commercial building is checking the HVAC system. The HVAC system is responsible for keeping the building comfortable all year long, so it’s essential to ensure it’s running properly.

Be sure to check the air filters regularly and replace them when they get dirty. You should also have the entire system serviced by a professional at least once a year to ensure that everything is in good working order.

In conclusion, these are just a few essential maintenance tasks you should always complete on your commercial building. By keeping up with these tasks, you can help ensure that your building stays in good condition for many years!

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Protect your business|Safety Choices You Must Make To Protect Your Business

Safety Choices You Must Make To Protect Your Business

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Protect your business|Safety Choices You Must Make To Protect Your BusinessAre you looking for ways that you can improve your business? If so, then you might want to consider some of the key steps that you can take to make your business safer. These are some of the options worth exploring.

The Right Checks

First, you need to make sure that you are completing the right checks in your business. For instance, you need to ensure that the sprinkler systems are in the right condition. You might also want to explore gas leak detection and emission monitoring solutions. This could be beneficial depending on the type of business you are running and the industry that you are part of.

PPE

Next, think about the type of PPE you may need within your workplace. For instance, if you are working on a building site then you will need to supply hard hats and Hi-Viz vests. PPE is there to keep eveyone safe and if you are found out not to be using it correctly then you could get yourself and your business in quite a bit of trouble. Although not a true piece of PPE, it has become the norm to wear face masks due to the risk of contracting or passing on Covid-19. It might be helpful if your business had a box of masks at the entrance for anyone who has forgotten their own.


Health And Safety Officers

You might also want to consider hiring one or two health and safety officers. Health and safety officers will check your business for signs of an accident or incident occuring. Essentially, they will pinpoint and point out hazards that could lead to a disasterous situation. This could include wires that are strewn across the floor or a piece of equipment which isn’t functioning the way it should be. You can hire an in-house member of your team as a health and safety officer. Alternatively, you can also consider hiring someone outside of your business to fill this role. If you take the latter step then you will be able to hire someone who already has the right levels of training, qualifications and experience to fill this vital role.

Training

Finally, you should think about training for your team members. The majority of injuries and accidents in your business are going to be due to human error. That’s just a fact and the sooner you come to terms with this, the sooner you can take steps to deal with the problem. Specifically, you should make sure that you are exploring training for every employee. This will help them avoid critical mistakes while also ensuring that they know what to do if an accident does occur.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you can take to ensure that your business is safe and has the right level of protection in place. By exploring the best options here, you can avoid a situation where you are inundated with PI claims and guarantee that your company does not develop a poor reputation due to the lack of care for your team.

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Profitable Organization|The Secrets to Building a Wildly Profitable Organization

The Secrets to Building a Wildly Profitable Organization

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Profitable Organization|The Secrets to Building a Wildly Profitable OrganizationIt’s no secret that every CEO and executive leader wants a profitable organization, but reaching that goal may seem elusive. With companies going through high turnover rates, you might wonder what causes some leaders to struggle with building their organizations.

I’ve witnessed highly intelligent CEOs start companies with excellent ideas. Some would make a great start but flounder around and not really gain the momentum of success. At the same time, others with similar skills and intellect would take off like a rocket and be wildly successful.

What was the difference between the two? Was it just “luck?” Was it the “timing?” Was it “location?”

No! It all boiled down to the fact that one CEO knew how to create and leverage a talent-centric organization (TCO).

You can have the same success with your company by learning these five secrets to building a wildly profitable organization (hint: they all build a TCO, too).

Create an Amazing Work Environment

Let’s start with the basics that many CEOs may overlook. You must have an amazing work environment. You need a place that attracts talent and makes them want to be at work. Maybe you already have this. If not, you need to find out why. What is in the way of the company being a place where employees love to work? Then, create an amazing work environment that draws in and retains top talent.

When you talk to potential candidates or new hires, the enthusiasm will shine through if you believe the company is a great place to work. Others will feel it and buy into your sales pitch.

Have a Clearly Defined Workplace Culture

The workplace culture is how things are done within the organization. Culture is like a company’s brand image. It consists of its vision (where they are headed, its goals) and its mission (how it will get there, the strategy).

When the culture is well-defined, it gives the company character and purpose. It provides a sense of calm and organization. Some leaders may not think culture and vision are that important. So, they come up with a vision statement that doesn’t indicate who the company is.

Over time, it will be evident that the culture is haphazard when it changes with the circumstances. You don’t want to be all over the place with company values and vision. Instead, think it through carefully; then establish what culture is and put it in place across the board.


Bring Talent On Board That Aligns With Company Culture/Vision

Once you know what your company is all about, you’re ready to focus on the best talent since you have its culture and vision spelled out. The best talent doesn’t necessarily mean that person with the most skills and experience. You want to ensure you bring people on board who align with the company’s culture and vision.

Not every person will be the right fit for your culture, and that’s ok. Don’t try to make your culture work for everyone. Establish what your culture is, then recruit talent that matches it. You’ll find much less turnover when you find talent that is an ideal fit for your company.

Encourage Employee Feedback and Communication

Nurture an environment of employee feedback. You don’t want to stifle communication from your employees. Their thoughts, opinions, and perspectives are highly valuable to CEOs.

Employees need to feel that they can speak up (respectfully) without fear of reprisal. This cultivates transparency and open dialogue that can be helpful for CEOs. Remember, they are not dealing with the same things the employees are, or if they are, it is from a different vantage point. SoThis enables them, they can to glean information about changes they may need to make or as well as areas that are working well.

Invest in Your Talent with Development and Training Opportunities

Once you find talent that is aligned with and ideally suited to the company culture, you want to develop their skills and abilities. Provide them with development and training opportunities. Most people thrive on challenges and learning new things and are bored when there is a lack of stimuli.

Go ahead and give your employees the chance to move beyond their comfort zone and excel. You will be doing yourself a favor, too, because you are training the lower-level talent to take over higher positions as they become available. In other words, you are training to retain.

As you provide team coaching and leadership development opportunities (where appropriate), you create the building blocks of a wildly successful organization.


About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Carol SchultzCarol Schultz, founder and CEO of Vertical Elevation, is a talent equity and leadership advisory expert with 30 years in the business. She’s helped hundreds of companies transform their organizations and create sustainable, talent-centric cultures that run at maximum efficiency. Her new book is Powered By People: How Talent-Centric Organizations Master Recruitment, Retention, and Revenue (and How to Build One). Learn more at verticalelevation.com.

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Handle Sensitive Data|How Businesses Should Handle Sensitive Data in 2022

How Businesses Should Handle Sensitive Data in 2022

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Handle Sensitive Data|How Businesses Should Handle Sensitive Data in 2022Mishandling sensitive data can be fatal for your business. Not only is this data usually given to you in trust by your customers, but it’s something that you’re legally required to protect, keeping safe and secure. In this article, we’ll look at ways in which you should be handling all sensitive data internally. The tips below will ensure that you’re able to keep handling sensitive data – whether that’s credit card details or personally identifiable information – without being at risk of data breaches or leaks that could damage your business.

Training

All good data handling begins with training. All your staff should be trained in how to keep data secure and how to keep their logins and passwords safe. This might take a training day, with you bringing in external facilitators to show your staff how to best handle data. Alternatively, you could appoint a data manager who is ultimately in charge of how your data is handled internally. They’ll have the master key for your sensitive data, and they’ll be an employee that you can trust to know how to handle data without leaving it at risk of being stolen or exposed.

Transfers

Sometimes, you’ll need to transfer sensitive data from place to place. That might be from one physical server to another, from your business to another business, or from a physical server into the cloud. During these moments of transit, your data is more likely to be intercepted and exposed, which means that you should concentrate on finding ways to secure your data when it’s in transit. Use Globalscape secure file transfer technology to ensure that your data is moved from place to place without the risk of being intercepted by bad actors or leaked accidentally when you need to move data to a new location.


Cybersecurity

Even when your data is simply sitting in a database without being moved, it could be exposed by bad actors who hack into your systems. This has happened several times in the past year, often via ransomware attacks that steal company data and demand a ransom payment to have it returned to them. The best way to protect from these threats is to install a reliable cybersecurity system. These are sold to businesses in many shapes and sizes, so it’s well worth doing a little research before deciding on which package you should purchase. Many are tailored to businesses just like yours.

Data Hygiene

The final tip in this guide is to keep your data clean and readable at all times. If your data is scattered across different platforms, is difficult to read, and will take a lot of manual editing in order to understand and leverage, it’s more likely that your workers will have to access sensitive data on their laptops and work devices, instead of leaving that data protected within files and databases. If you practice good data hygiene and keep your data machine-readable, you’ll never have to expose your data in the first place – it’ll be read and processed automatically, which means you’ll rarely have to access it in the first place.

Use these tips to secure your sensitive data in the future.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Business Strategies|The Best Strategies To Get Your Business Noticed

The Best Strategies To Get Your Business Noticed

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Business Strategies|The Best Strategies To Get Your Business NoticedOne of the biggest challenges that businesses have is getting noticed, especially in today’s digital age. These days, businesses across the board have to compete with many companies online, and this can make it hard to stand out and get noticed. This is particularly true when you are a new or small business competing against much larger brands. So, what can be done about this? There are a few effective strategies to try that will help you to stand out, get noticed and start competing at a much higher level. Keep reading for a few of the best strategies to get your business noticed.

Market Research

First, you should use market research as a way to learn about the market and how you can differentiate yourself. Market research is a key stage when starting a business, but markets change, so it is helpful to carry out new market research every few years. This should help you to find a way to differentiate yourself while still appealing to your target market.

Find An Influencer

These days, one of the best ways to stand out and get noticed is with influencer marketing. Having someone with influence in your industry recommend your products/services will help you to reach a much larger audience. Plus, this is a highly effective way to instantly build credibility for your brand. Influencer marketing can take your business to new heights and help you to compete at a much higher level.


Manage Partnerships with PRM

One of the best ways to stand out and get noticed is to strike up partnerships with other businesses. This can help you to raise brand awareness, tap into new markets and build credibility. Partnerships can take your business to new levels of success, but they can also be hard to manage when you consider how many tasks are involved with each partnership, including onboarding, enablement, and commission repayments. This is why it is a smart idea to use a partner relationship management (PRM) solution that can make partnerships easy to manage; learn more from Workspan.

Create Engaging Content

Every brand is creating content as a way to get noticed online, but few are creating content that is actually engaging and valuable. This presents an opportunity for your brand, so you need to think about topic ideas that will engage your target market and either entertain or educate them. You then need to bring this content to life with multimedia, statistics, quotes, and interesting viewpoints that will actually get your business noticed online.

Raise Awareness In The Community

It is not just the internet that you should be focusing on, as you can also get noticed by raising awareness in the local community. There are many ways that this can be done, including hosting events, attending community events, getting involved with schools, raising money for charity, and networking with other business owners.

These are a few of the best strategies to use if you are looking to get your business noticed and want to stand out from the crowd.