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5 Ways To Create A Workspace That Enhances Your Productivity

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StrategyDrive Practices for Professionals Article |Enhance your productivity|5 Ways To Create A Workspace That Enhances Your ProductivityWith the COVID-19 pandemic winding down, businesses have been keen on getting their people back into their offices. Of course, getting used to remote work for the past two years, some won’t take this lying down.

A recent Gallup survey of over 8,000 remote employees found that preference for onsite work has tanked, from 60% pre-pandemic to just 23% moving forward. Meanwhile, hybrid work is seeing a fruitful rise, from 32% pre-pandemic to 59% for the foreseeable future. In short, most people don’t mind coming to the office as long as they still get to work from home.

Not all businesses can adopt a hybrid arrangement, but no matter the setup, they’ll have to make up for all the lost time. Increased productivity will be one of three fundamental characteristics of the future workplace, alongside flexibility and improved communications. Here’s a look at five reliable ways to create a workspace that enhances productivity.

1. Monotask, not multitask

For decades, people considered doing multiple tasks simultaneously the epitome of employee performance. But to quote Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame: “Multitasking is the ability to screw everything up simultaneously.”

You may think otherwise, but a study published at Materia Socio-Medica discovered that just adding a new task on top of the current one reduces attention span. Experts say that the human brain isn’t designed to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Dividing your full attention results in lower work quality, and pressure to improve may lead to burnout.

Focusing on a single task, known as monotasking, results in increased focus and better output. One way to design a workplace for monotasking is to have one computer monitor instead of two, except in unique circumstances. Getting fully-integrated business software such as Jobber and others also works, as users would have multiple functions in one program.

2. Reduce repetitive tasks

Contrary to popular belief, repeatedly doing the same task doesn’t always mean getting better. If the worker doesn’t find the job fulfilling to some degree, they may feel detached from the rest of the workplace. Such feelings can culminate in burnout and, worse, turnover.

Work feels more satisfying when it subjects the mind to new challenges or a change of scenery. To allocate more manpower to these tasks, repetitive ones must be automated; a good example is custom template files like a handyman estimate template. They save businesses time and money by only requiring filling out the details.


3. Get standing desks

Spending eight hours a day on your seat can be unhealthy. In fact, the Department of Labor has a term for such work: sedentary roles. These jobs involve sitting on their workstations for most of the day and carrying no more than 10 pounds of office weight.
Employees feeling back pain and other common work-related health problems most likely stem from sitting all day. Doctors believe such a lifestyle has the same risk of dying as smoking and obesity. As if that isn’t bad enough, they also say that sedentary work accounts for an estimated 60% of a worker’s waking hours daily.

As such, the workplace must enable employees to stretch their legs in between work. However, standing desks take it one step further by getting the body to burn calories by standing—though some designs feature a treadmill underneath. Having these in the workplace doesn’t mean not needing sitting desks; they produce better health benefits when together.

4. Allow midday naps

If this post gave you this tip several years ago, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s preposterous. But now that people have gotten a taste of the benefits of remote work, specifically more control over their time, they’ll undoubtedly demand their bosses adopt this.

In truth, midday naps have been around since before the pandemic. Some businesses have a nap or quiet rooms for their employees to rest before returning to work. While a welcome convenience, these rooms aren’t a requirement. For the budget-strapped company, simply allowing employees a brief rest after lunch will suffice.

5. Have a stocked pantry

If there’s one thing soldiers and office workers have in common, they march on their stomachs. Lunch breaks are a given, but stocking the pantry with healthy snacks can enhance productivity. Experts recommend foods that can be consumed on the go, such as dried nuts, tuna pouches, fruit slices, vegetable sticks, and clementines.

If possible, avoid commercially-made snacks like candy and granola bars, as they’re loaded with an unhealthy amount of sugar. Settle for homemade ones instead.

Conclusion

The importance of productivity has barely changed. If anything, the COVID pandemic has only underscored it even more. Whether returning to the office or keeping the pandemic-induced status quo, businesses must plan to enhance productivity moving forward.

How Can You Improve Your Marketing Strategy?

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StrategyDrive Marketing and Sales Article |Improve your marketing strategy|How Can You Improve Your Marketing Strategy?The idea of marketing being instrumental to the success of your business is likely nothing new to you, and one of the first things that you probably did when you started out may well have been to get your professional social media pages up and running as such platforms allow you to access huge audiences for little to no cost. However, this technique might have only taken you so far, and finding yourself seemingly unable to progress further can be incredibly frustrating.
When this happens, it’s important to take a step back, inspect your marketing strategy and understand the full breadth of options at your disposal in order to gain the kind of recognition that your business deserves.

Enlist Relevant Professionals

Sometimes you’re going to encounter a situation where you want to expand your business into an area where you potentially lack the experience to make the leap as effectively as possible. Fortunately, there are any number of other businesses that aim to help companies like yours in this exact situation. This means that you can work with them to achieve the result that you want while learning everything that you need to about these new frontiers.
Marketing is no different, especially when it comes to options such as search engine optimization (SEO), which can help to spread brand awareness by making your name appear more broadly across various online searches. Professionals, such as those at Ticode, can help to make this transition smoothly and effectively, helping you to acquire a larger audience while you focus on your output.


Customer Interaction

Word-of-mouth marketing is a difficult thing to control yourself, despite how positively it can impact your brand when it goes the right way. This is frustrating, but it doesn’t mean that there’s absolutely nothing you can do to push it in a direction that you’re happy with. Your interactions with your customers are perhaps the most surefire way to do this, and trying to consistently maintain a helpful, friendly, and accommodating tone when communicating with them could be the simplest place to start. This is true regardless of whether you tend to engage with your audiences online or in-person, but alternative methods, such as asking them for feedback and implementing changes based on suggestions, can show them that you’re a business that truly values what they have to say.

Make it an Event

Sometimes, when you’re trying to think of a way to rally your customers together and get some momentum going for your brand, the most logical answer can also be the simplest. Events, such as a competition that offers some sort of prize for the winner or promotions that give your audience members access to a limited-time offer, can help to get people excited and spread word to those who might normally not use your services. Promotional offers are especially useful here, as they can get people like this on board, giving you a chance to really wow them and have them come back afterward for the real deal.

Top Cybersecurity Tips To Better Protect Your Business Online with mTame.com

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Cybersecurity tips|Top Cybersecurity Tips To Better Protect Your Business Online with mTame.com1. Consider Yourself a Target

It’s important to put yourself in the shoes of a target. If you go around thinking, “it can’t happen to me,” you will never take things seriously. The fact is, if you are online, you are a potential target. It’s not only important for your business’s reputation but also for your customer’s security.

Maintaining optimal cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone must play their role to keep each other safe.

2. Keep All Of Your Software Updated

Updates are imperative when it comes to maintaining good online security. Software vendors are constantly releasing new updates not only to patch flaws in the code that impact the end user’s performance but also to patch security vulnerabilities. While some updates are more important for security than others, you want to enable auto-updates to ensure that all of your software gets updated regularly. You don’t want to be using outdated software because it could compromise your security.

It’s best to turn on automatic updates for even your browser. Your browser is a place where you spend the majority of your time online. As a result, you need to ensure it’s updated at all times. This includes the browser itself and all of the third-party extensions you are using along with it. Always keep the plugins for your browser updated because they are commonly targeted by bad actors.

3. Avoid Phishing

Phishing is one of the main things you need to look out for when you are trying to stay safe online. It’s hard to believe you could fall for a phishing attempt until you see one that’s inconspicuous. Even some professionals have a hard time telling what’s real and what’s fake as many bad actors have become very good at disguising things. Phishing attempts are a constant threat. The phishing attempts are constantly evolving too. You want to be wary of any email or phone call from an unknown sender. Never click on a link or call a number from an email. If your bank or financial institution needs to contact you, go to their website and call the number on it. Otherwise, you can call the number on the back of your credit card or debit card.

A phishing attempt can be carried out in numerous ways. The most common is through email. However, more and more are being sent out via text and even using phone calls. You can check out our phishing resources to get more information on how to effectively identify a phishing scam.


4. Manage Your Passwords

Passwords are inherently insecure. Because of this, you want to be proactive about optimizing their security. The best way to do this is by having a unique password for every account. However, this can be impossible if you had to remember them all. That’s where a password manager comes into play. Using a password manager, you can easily create unique and strong passwords for all of your online accounts. That way, you don’t have to worry about your passwords getting socially engineered or brute-forced. A password manager can be one of the best tools you use for improving your online security. UC Berkeley offers a free LastPass Premium subscription for any user that has a CalNet ID.

5. Don’t Click On Everything

You want to try to avoid clicking on any websites that have obscure links. Also, avoid clicking on unknown links from unknown senders. When gaming online be aware of pop ups, use safe sites such as www.mtame.com. A website could contain malicious software or attachments on it. A lot of these websites will silently install malware or viruses onto your device. If there is an attachment in an email from an unknown sender, avoid clicking on it. Even if one of your friends or family members sends out an email with an attachment, try to avoid clicking on it unless you knew it was coming. You can speak with them and ask if they sent an attachment for extra verification.

6. Avoid Leaving Your Devices Unattended

You need to keep your devices physically secure too. If you are planning on leaving your mobile phone or laptop anywhere, ensure that you have a password on it. You want to password-protect access to it. You also want to keep any data you have with you encrypted. Have your flash drive or external hard drive password protected.

7. Safeguard Any Protected Data

You will want to ensure that you are safeguarding all of the protected data that you come into contact with. This means any personal information needs to be protected. This includes credit card numbers, student records, health information, and more. All of these things must be treated securely. Always securely remove data files from your devices when you don’t need them any longer. Using encryption is a must when you are transporting, storing, or transmitting sensitive data.

How To Choose The Right Automation Solution For Your Small Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Automation Solution|How To Choose The Right Automation Solution For Your Small BusinessThe benefits of automation in business are undeniable. It saves time, allows your staff to work smarter, increases profits, improves productivity, reduces the risks of errors, and increases operational efficiencies, among other benefits. However, for your businesses to experience the benefits of automation, you need to identify the right automation solution best suited for your business, as there are different types of automation to choose from. So, if you’re considering introducing an automation solution to your small business operations, here is how to choose the right one.

1. Understand what your business needs

Implementing automation in the right places is impossible when you don’t know your business’s challenges regarding efficiency, productivity, and error margins. The best way to understand your business needs is to survey your workers. Find out which departments are more error-prone due to too much human intervention. Identify the areas of your operations that use employee time the least. Doing this will help you identify your business’s biggest operational bottlenecks.

2. Service and replacement parts

As indicated earlier, there are different types of automation – fixed, programmable, and flexible. Fixed automation solutions are mostly found in manufacturing and production lines. Typical examples are industrial robots performing various manufacturing and production line functions. These types of automated solutions need service and replacement parts. And it’s important to consider how easy it is to find such replacement parts if needed. For example, before you invest in any FANUC automation or robotics solution for your business, you need to know how and where to find the necessary FANUC robot parts.


3. Is there an opportunity to scale?

As your business grows, your operational needs will also increase. That means your automation solution should be able to grow with your business. The last thing you want is to invest in a solution that does not allow you to make changes or expand to meet increasing business operational needs. When considering scalability, it makes sense to also keep the cost in mind. You want an opportunity to scale, but you also want to do so more cost-effectively.

4. Consider what other systems you may need to integrate

Will your automation solution work alone, or will you integrate it with other business systems? If integration is required, you must consider how cohesive your ideal automation solution will be with other systems. Thankfully, most automation solutions allow for easy integration with other third-party systems.

5. Programmable features

Another important factor to bear in mind when choosing the right automation solution is programmability. Does it come with programmable software? That is important because different businesses have unique needs. It’s important to have a solution flexible enough to accommodate your company’s specific needs.

6. A well-trained staff

Regardless of your automation solution, you’ll need an employee or a team equipped with the right training to operate or use it. You can do this in two ways. You can hire workers who have the expertise or train already existing employees to take up the extra responsibility.

4 Things To Consider Before Renovating Your Commercial Premises

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Renovating your Commercial Premises|4 Things To Consider Before Renovating Your Commercial PremisesWhen you think about renovating commercial premises, a series of questions rush to your mind. Where should you begin? What should be the target budget for renovations? How many contractors do we need for this project? And above all, where can we find trusted renovation specialists in our area? These are some key considerations when it comes to renovating commercial premises. Here is an insight into 4 things you should keep in mind before moving ahead with your renovation plans.

Do you need a project manager?

Having a clear idea of what you want to achieve from your commercial space can help you decide whether you need a project manager. A project manager can help you in the effective management of the project. This can help determine the type of finishes, resources, and budget you are looking to spend. The project manager can also help find the best contractor in your area who can give you a design that blends well with your commercial space.

Do you require permits or permissions to make changes?

If you’re looking to build new commercial premises or make changes in the existing commercial space, it is essential to know if you need a permit. If you want to alter or add new things to the existing commercial space, such as plumbing, electrical, and structural changes, getting a permit for the same is important. This is essential as it will ensure safety and give you the added advantage of getting the project done faster. A permit also ensures the construction or renovation project is done according to the building codes. You would not require a permit if you want to make changes, such as adding new doors or modifying the windows or doors. However, if you make structural changes, such as adding a new floor, changing the roof, or adding columns, you will be required to get a permit.


Is there asbestos in the building?

Asbestos was a dangerous material used in construction and renovation projects until 1990. It is mainly found in insulation materials such as pipes, ducts, ceiling tiles, sprayed-on insulation, joint compound, and floor tiles. If your commercial building were built before 1990, it would likely be made with asbestos-containing materials. If your commercial building has asbestos, it is essential to hire a certified asbestos removal contractor. However, before starting the renovation process, you must take proper precautions to prevent the asbestos from spreading. You must also ensure that the employees and contractors working in the building are aware of the safe work practices with asbestos.

Can you continue to operate during the work?

Renovations are a continuous process, and it may only be possible for you to shut down the commercial premises for part of the project duration. If you’re planning to do renovations of a commercial space that is currently in operation, you need to ensure that the project is done in such a way that it does not impact the day-to-day business operations. When planning renovations, you must decide at what stage you want the work to stop. It may not be possible for every business to shut down for the entire duration of the renovation project. Therefore, deciding at what stage you want the work to stop or move to another part of the building is essential. You can hire an architect or designer to suggest the best plans considering your commercial requirements.

Conclusion

Suppose you’re planning to do renovations of a commercial space that is currently in operation. In that case, you need to ensure you have the proper permits in place, have done all the appropriate research, and have taken precautions to ensure the work runs smoothly without impacting your day-to-day operations.