Posts

The Environmentalist’s Approach To Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Environmentalist|The Environmentalist's Approach To BusinessRunning a business and being an environmentalist are two things that might not seem to naturally go together, but they can actually work together pretty easily if you know how best to approach it. The truth is that there is a way to run a business which is good for the environment, but you do have to make sure that you are specifically doing that, otherwise it won’t just happen on its own. Let’s take a look at some of the things to bear in mind if you are keen to run your business in this way. You might find some of these things make a huge difference.

Be Honest With Shareholders

One of the things you need to do is to make sure that you are being honest with your shareholders about what you aim to do regarding the environment and your business’ approach to it. If you are not honest about this, it only means that you are going to attract the wrong kind of shareholder, so that is something that you’ll find doesn’t pay off anyway in the long run. Be honest with them upfront, however, and you should be able to get a lot more out of it.

Take Care With Construction

Essentially, anything new that you create you have to make sure that you are doing so as sustainably as possible, as otherwise you can’t really be sure that you are genuinely helping the planet as much as you would like to. You should therefore consider it a general rule of thumb to take care with your construction of products, buildings and whatever else, and to ensure that you are sourcing your resources sustainably and using them appropriately too. That is going to really make a huge difference, so it’s something you’ll want to think about.

Reduce Waste

That feeds in nicely to our next major point – that you should be aiming to reduce your waste as much as possible as you go about running your business. The less waste you produce in business, the better for the planet it is, not only because it requires energy to have it disposed of, but because it helps to reduce the amount of leachate in landfills and other such toxins that you would rather avoid if at all possible. Do all you can to reduce waste and you are going to be helping the environment a lot.

Take Responsibility & Hold Yourself Accountable

Above all, you need to make sure that you are actually taking responsibility for what you do, and that you are making a point of holding yourself accountable at all times. As long as you are doing that, it should mean that you are going to have a much better chance of doing right by the planet at all times. This is something that you can then do better and better as time goes on and as your business grows – just as it gets more important to do it, too, as your impact grows as well.

Let the Data Decide: Using Wifi to Inform Your Hybrid Workspace

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Hybrid Workspace|Let the Data Decide: Using Wifi to Inform Your Hybrid WorkspaceAs organizations talk about the pivot to hybrid work and what it means for workplaces themselves, let’s look back at where our modern-day concept of 9-5 work even came from.

In 1908, according to this Atlantic piece, a New England factory started to give its Jewish workers two days off around Saturday sabbath. That is believed to be the start of our “weekend” concept. A few decades and a Great Depression later, the trend of working five days a week took hold across the U.S.

Even as office work started to evolve, and technology started to accelerate decade by decade, that old notion of when we work continued strong. This century it seemed like we might be edging toward possible acceptance of a four-day week as even big companies sparked conversation. Google’s Larry Page wondered aloud if by dropping one day from the workweek, would it be better for employees and businesses. Entire countries have trialled the concept.

Today all that seems forever ago. Because a pandemic has compelled corporate chance as it lays bare the foundations of how and when we work. Companies now have to see how they can navigate change and make hybrid workstyles work for them.

The Office Must Serve A Purpose

Employees now seek the flexibility to commute to offices on specific days for specific purposes. The office is no longer a place to simply perform work. Instead, it is the destination to serve a wide range of specific needs for each employee, and each department.

It naturally follows then that an office space designed to serve the “office as a factory” mindset can’t adequately serve the “space as a service” mindset that’s now front and center in a hybrid work model.

Hybrid employees require spaces that drive efficiency, promote collaboration, and enhance comfort – elements your typical office was not necessarily designed to do. For some, this rethink of space is an opportunity to right size real estate portfolios. Others are seeking to reconfigure in new and better ways, being flexible and thinking holistically about what a business and its many different teams need from that real estate – now and into the future.

To that end, it’s important to know:

  • Do you have the space you need to support your teams?
  • How could your existing office space in fact serve more people?
  • How can you make the greatest, and most cost-effective impact to your workplaces?
  • How can your real estate best serve employee experience, helping the team be productive and working together?

Data For A Functional, Efficient, Strategic Space

Understanding how people use a space is essential. This is where data is invaluable. Insights such as visit frequency, new and returning visitors, and the levels of interactivity between employees provide a rich tapestry to design the office, assign resources, inform policies, and, if needed, rationalize the overall portfolio.

The good news is the infrastructure to strategize efficiency and empower growth is already available using always-on WiFi-powered indoor location technology.

Since WiFi already exists in most workplaces, these solutions are quick to implement and easy to scale across large portfolios. A solution from InnerSpace works by tracking the movement of anonymous smart devices throughout a building from the time that device enters to the time it leaves. As you can imagine, patterns in how people are using the space are quick to emerge, challenging assumptions or validating changes to layout or function.

The platform was recently installed in the main office of a global leader in lodging and hospitality. The client wanted to design the space efficiently, putting resources where they were needed most.

But first they needed data to understand the true needs of their teams. Using WiFi signals, we identified how two distinct teams of employees used the space differently, demonstrating unique needs for their environment. In fact, we also identified sub-teams within those departments whose movements etched predictable patterns over time.

In this particular case, the client was able to use these insights to inform office design, resourcing and seating assignments and notably, to find room within its existing footprint for 100 additional people, saving themselves the enormous cost of office real estate expansion.

In any workplace change project, it is essential to measure and continue to adapt the office space as needed. In a hybrid scenario, this typically means collaborative space must increase and office designs made as flexible as possible, with room versatility a priority. To both chart course now and tweak direction over time, WiFi-based indoor location data can paint a clear picture and provide a strong foundation for all future transformation.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor |James WuJames Wu is the CEO and Founder of InnerSpace, a thorough space utilization and analytics platform that goes beyond people counting backed by proprietary technology and advanced data science. InnerSpace enables their enterprise-class customers to optimize their two most valuable resources: people and property. Download Blueprint for a Hybrid Workspace to learn how indoor location data can empower you to make better decisions about your workplace.

Entrepreneurial Ideas for College Graduates

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |College Graduates|Entrepreneurial Ideas for College GraduatesGraduating from college is one of the biggest milestones in a person’s life. While some graduates will move straight into a chosen career, others will be exploring options like starting their own business. If you’ve just completed college and are interested in being an entrepreneur, below are some ideas.

Clothing

If you have a passion for fashion and want to be an entrepreneur, one lucrative idea is to start a clothing business. While you could acquire specialized training, you could easily start an independent clothing company with simply some business acumen. If you’re passionate about this industry and need a few extra skills like silk screening or pattern cutting, you could always take additional courses.

Catering

For grads who are passionate about cooking, catering is another way to go. While it can be a stressful business, it has one of the highest ROI rates. If you’re interested in pursuing this type of business, you’ll want to specialize your services. For example, will you cater to businesses? Weddings? Funerals? Whatever you decide, it’s important that you build a solid team and shape your business around your niche so that you can stay competitive.

Handmade Crafts

Do you have a talent for sewing, jewelry, or other crafts? If so, you could turn a hobby into a thriving venture. Whether it’s a knitting business, a soap-making business, or a bespoke company that makes college cornhole boards, turning your talents into a business can be exciting and highly rewarding. Start-up costs for handmade businesses can be fairly low, depending on what craft you decide on. Once you’ve established your niche, sites like Etsy and ArtFire are great places to start selling your handmade wares.

Content Creation

One notable skill that college trains you in is writing. From essays to reports, most college students will have honed their writing skills over several years. If you love writing and are interested in turning it into a business, content creation is one of the fastest-growing industries online.

As with all businesses, you’ll want to specialize and decide whether you want to create content for a specific industry or a range of them. You’ll also want to decide what type of content you’ll specialize in, whether it’s articles, blog posts, social media copy, etc. While it can take time to make consistent money with content creation, it is a good place to start when you’re fresh out of college.

Event Organizing

If you spent a lot of time in college organizing workshops or conferences, you might be well-positioned to turn event organizing into a career. While this industry is demanding and fast-paced, it will suit those who love the buzz of gathering people under one roof. If you have a talent for setting up events, you can set yourself up as a freelance event organizer or team up with other people and create a company. As event organizing is quite broad, you’ll also need to decide what types of events you’ll organize. The options are endless, ranging from corporate events to private parties. While you may need special training, many event organizers use their experience as a starting point.

7 Ways To Improve Your Personal Credibility As A Business Owner

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Personal Credibility|7 Ways To Improve Your Personal Credibility As A Business OwnerIf people don’t trust you, they won’t trust your business. This is why it’s so important to not just prove that your business is credible, but that you are credible too.

Invest in the right qualifications and licenses

Qualifications and licenses are compulsory to work in certain industries (you can’t become a doctor without a medical degree or an electrician without an electrical license). In other cases, qualifications and licenses may be optional – but they could still be worth pursuing in order to prove to clients and employees that you know your stuff. Nowadays, there are so many flexible options when it comes to taking courses. Think about which qualifications and licenses could be a benefit to you.

Create a LinkedIn account and get people to endorse you

Every business owner nowadays needs a LinkedIn page. Certain clients may want to look you up on LinkedIn in order to get an idea of your credentials – if you don’t have LinkedIn, they may not trust you. Build a page today if you don’t already have one and start connecting with people you know. It’s worth asking these people to endorse skills as this will help you look more reputable.

Show off your achievements with a personal bio website

A personal bio website such as this one belonging to Jonathan Dax Cooke could improve your online credibility further. Such websites are a great opportunity to list your achievements in your own words and paint the best picture of you. It can be particularly good for SEO – when people search your name, they’re likely to see your bio and read it.

Join professional groups and organizations

It’s good to network with other professionals and influential people. By getting to know these types of people, you’re likely to get recommendations, which will improve your credibility. There are all kinds of groups and organizations out there that you can join. This could include local business groups or even industry committees.

Lead seminars and workshops

Seminars and workshops are a chance to pass on your skills and knowledge. This can help you to look more credible – if a client knows that you’ve run a workshop on a subject, it will show that you’re competent enough (or at the very least confident enough) to do a good job. You could host seminars and workshops in person, or you could host them online.

Give advice through blog posts or vlog videos

Blogging and vlogging is another way to pass on your knowledge and skills – and it’s much easier than running a seminar or workshop. Potential clients may read your blog posts or watch your videos and then trust you as an expert. Consider starting a blog or launching a vlog series today.

Make sure that you look the part

How you look can also impact your credibility. Make sure that you don’t look scruffy when meeting clients – keeping your appearance neat and tidy will give off the impression that you’re organized and that you take pride in your image. This guide from Marcus Lemonis explains more about how to look the part.

The Skills Every Entrepreneur Should Have

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Entrepreneur Skills|The Skills Every Entrepreneur Should HaveAn entrepreneur is someone who starts their own business and is responsible for building it up from the ground. As you might imagine, this is by no stretch of the imagination, but if you are determined to make it work, you have every chance of doing so.

Something else that will help you to have the best possible chance of succeeding as an entrepreneur is having the right skills. Some of the most common skills that entrepreneurs require are inherent, but most of them can be learned, so if you are willing to put the time and effort in, you could acquire abilities that will help you to run a much more successful business in the future.

With that in mind, here are some of the most important skills every entrepreneur should have:

Inquisitiveness

In order to come up with great new ideas and solve pressing new problems, you really do need to have an inquisitive mind that is always thinking about things, how they work and how they could be improved. This is probably the most important skill to have.

Communication

Successful entrepreneurs like Jonathan Sears, and Bill Gates if you want to be successful in business, you need to learn how to communicate as effectively as possible. From being able to pitch an idea to investors to directing employees how to handle a work project, and of course, dealing with customers, you are going to be doing a lot of talking one way or another, and the more eloquently you can put your point across, the more successful you are likely to be.

Time management

When you are turning a business, there really aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that you need to do. It is your job as an entrepreneur to find the time, which means you need to have excellent time management skills, Of course, you can hire other people to help you (and you should) but if you aren’t able to fit everything you need to do into your daily schedule as efficiently as possible, you really will struggle.

Resilience

Being an entrepreneur is hard. Not all of your ideas will land, some of your big dreams will fail, and you will fall short of many of your goals. If you cannot handle those things, you will ultimately be unsuccessful in business and feel terrible in your personal life. If, however, you can handle the rejections, stresses, and bad times and learn from them, you can come back better and stronger and ultimately lead your company to great success.

Mathematics

If you want to do well in business, you need to be able to raise funds, create business plans, work out your bottom line, and a million other things that require the ability to think mathematically, Obviously, there are lots of tools that can help you with this these days but if you have an innate understanding of mathematics, you will find it a whole lot easier to succeed.

If you have all of these skills or are able to work towards developing them, then you are fsr more likely to succeed as a modern entrepreneur.