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Why Your Business Should Become More Like Orwell’s Big Brother

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Monitoring your business, whether you’re a sole trader, entrepreneur or small business owner is essential. It’s often the difference between turning a profit and failing to break even.

But what does “monitoring your business” mean in practice?

In general, when gurus talk about monitoring, they’re referring to the ability of your firm to optimize its workload and achieve greater productivity simply by analyzing and refining its processes. It means going over your processes with a fine tooth comb and trying to find whether there is anything that you can improve using the data available to you. Here’s how to make your business more like Orwell’s Big Brother.

Analyze How You Spend Your Time

The biggest problem most businesses face isn’t their toxic workplace “culture” or their lack of skilled staff: it’s how they’re spending their time. Most managers just assume that their employees are working for the entire 7 – 9 hours they’re in the office every day. But when you actually look at how they are spending their time, you’re lucky if you even get 6 hours out of them.

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The reasons for this are twofold. The first is that employees spend a lot of time doing unproductive things in the office, like walking from their desks to the water dispenser or yawning during in meetings. Most of this can’t be helped, so it’s not an obvious target for monitoring.

The second reason is that employees are wasting a lot of time performing tasks that could be done more quickly and efficiently by either another team member, software or a different department. Sometimes, the issue is training – for instance, employees not knowing how to save time filling out cells on spreadsheets. These are the types of activities for which it is worth collecting data because it can result in a substantial uplift in productivity.

Monitor Your Accounts

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Getting paid is another major headache for businesses. Clients often pay late or not at all. Monitoring and managing accounts receivable, therefore, is essential. The problem for most small businesses, however, is that they are still relying on old-fashioned methods which make it difficult to keep track of clients. With monitoring, however, you’re immediately able to view client payment histories and get alerts if a customer is late with a payment. By monitoring your accounts, you’re able to identify patterns in high-risk customers and alter your premiums accordingly.

Monitor Staff Performance

With more and more work being completed online, it’s getting easier for companies to monitor staff performance. Monitoring workers is key to ensuring that you get maximum performance out of them every day, not just when they know you’re watching.

But it’s not all about Orwellian monitoring of their daily activities: it’s also about finding strategies to boost their productivity and waiting to see whether they have any effect in the real world. Something as simple as having a policy of saying “please” and “thank you” to workers could have a measurable effect. Find ways to keep your team feeling valued and help new recruits slot into the organization. Track the effects of guidance and training and find out whether it has any positive effect on your bottom line.

Staffing Problems: How To Start Hiring The Right People

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Forget the advancements in tech, the improvements in your management systems, and the upgrades you have made to operational functions; there is only one place true success comes from in business and that is your employees. It may not be easy to measure, but that is a fact by the way. Unfortunately, hiring the right employees isn’t easy, which is a slap in the face because getting your staffing wrong can have a negative effect on both your bottom-line and your reputation (which then affects your bottom-line).

So, to help you land the talent your business is absolutely crying out for, we have come up with some strategies that can make your recruiting process really work, and here they are:

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Think About You

You cannot possibly hope to land the perfect employee if you don’t know what you want from an employee. It’s that simple. As such, always start by figuring out what it is your goal is. Could be customer service mixed with adaptability, proactive mixed with technical skills, friendly but dedicated. Once you know what you are looking for it becomes much easier to find it.

Honest Job Descriptions

The more detailed and honest your descriptions are the more chance you have of walking into an interview and knowing they understand exactly what you want. Just look at Applebee’s application information at jobapplicationcenter.com. They give it to prospective applicant straight – hours, wage, positions, experience, training etc. Don’t be scared that your description may put a lot of people off because that is what you want. You want to find those that meet your very specific needs and wants so that you know you are getting the right person.

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Look At Social Media

When you get an application, it is going to be tailored to meet your needs and say the thing you want to hear. That is why it is so important that you have a little look at their online profile and find out a little more about their personality as businessnewsdaily.com explains. This will give you an idea of how they may fit in with your other employees, which is crucial to your success.

Two-Way Interview

It is so important that you don’t paint a picture of green fields, red roses and the sweet smell of a fresh bread when describing your company because that won’t weed out the chancers from the serious candidates. Instead, give them the reality so that they can paint an accurate picture in their head and decide for themselves whether they will be a good fit. Interviews should be two-way, and the person in front of you will only excel if they want to work in your company.

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Skill Isn’t Enough

Too many employees get it wrong by focusing on technical skill and past experience. What you want to focus on is personality traits so that you can understand what their future with you may look like. That’s how to nurture leaders from the get-go. You can teach someone new skills, but you cannot teach them how to be responsible, respectful and great to work with. That’s another hard-to-measure fact.

Making A Blog Your Business

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Starting a business has never been easier and harder at the same time than in 2017. You see, the resources you need to start a company are available at the click of a button. Take a blog as an example. By signing up to WordPress and playing with the themes, it is possible to go live within half an hour. However, the hard part comes when you try to turn blogging into a business. Because the industry is saturated, it is almost impossible to stand out from the crowd and become a market leader. Well, it is until now. Here are the tips that will help you turn blogging into a viable business model.

Go Narrow

Going narrow has nothing to do with the shape of the blog. It does, however, have a lot to do with the content. Thanks to all of the sites on the web, there is an originality issue because the content overlaps. It is your duty, then, to try and be unique as possible when you come up with an idea for a post. Although it sounds easy on paper, it is devilishly hard when push comes to shove, which is why the content should be as narrow as possible. Why? It’s because the more specific it is, the more chance you have of being an expert. Also, there should be fewer articles online about fly fishing in Africa.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Revenue Basket

Of the success stories you hear, most of them revolve around wealthy advertisers that funded the site. So, because it’s human nature, bloggers attempt to replicate this model to make money. It is worth noting that money for advertising is a viable option, but it isn’t the only one. To make blogging a successful business, there needs to be a variety of revenue options. For instance, don’t be afraid to sell products and services through the site. This tactic gives the customers the opportunity to spend money instead of only converting via a signup form. And don’t worry because it isn’t tacky as long as you don’t shamelessly promote at every opportunity.

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Choose A Good Host

There is a reason people want to know who the best WordPress hosting company is, and it’s because a host can make or break the business. Although you are the one in charge, they have the power to limit your ability to do business. It might not happen on purpose, but it happens all the same. Think about the cost, to begin with. A host might want a lot of money to play the hostess with the mostess, and you might not have the cash. Then there are the issues of security and support. A bad host could leave you open to attack if they don’t take online safety seriously, while some are not available to fix issues. Before you sign on the dotted line, you need a host that will cover all of the bases you find important.

Build A Community

Have you ever wondered why social media platforms are effective? If you haven’t, the answer is simple: they are a small community. Yes, people can talk to their favorite celebrities, but that is a bonus. The reason most people sign up for Twitter and Facebook is to interact with other users and check out shareable content. And, it is a business model you should try to replicate. If people can come to the blog and mingle digitally as well as consume content, they will have a reason to return. Not only is it as an excuse, but it is also a compulsion because people get addicted to interactive features.

Play The Long Game

One sure-fire way for a blogging business to fail is to expect too much too soon. Why? Well, it’s because the mentality forces you to make decisions that are bad for the business. The obvious example is changing the model after a couple of weeks. After six months or a year, there is an argument to re-evaluate your strategy to improve and expand. However, that isn’t the case after a short time as you need to give the blog time to grow organically. The most lucrative bloggers in the blogging industry make money now, yet that wasn’t the case in the first place. In fact, it can take up to 18 months to make enough to live off and be comfortable. If that is too long, then blogging isn’t the business for you.

As you can see, it is possible to make money from blogging, but you have to be ready to work hard and make savvy decisions.

8 Things Freelancers Need To Think About Before Something Critical Happens

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Being a freelancer has some incredible perks, but it can also be tough at times. You don’t always know if you’re going to get paid, and what exactly are you supposed to do if you fall ill and can’t work? Here are 8 things freelancers need to think about before something critical happens!

Getting Insurance

Getting insurance is possibly one of the smartest things that a freelancer can do. Insurance can help to cover you when you’re ill, even in the hospital, and you won’t be left in the lurch so badly if you can’t work. It’s a small expense to pay each month for long-term peace of mind!

Knowing Your Worth

Knowing your worth is crucial as a freelancer. Have you ever considered that you could be undervaluing yourself? Many freelancers make the mistake of offering really cheap rates to get clients, but this could be a huge mistakes. Your clients will want quality, rather than to save money. They want to make sure they get the most out of their money, so rather than trying to do the cheapest price, figure out your worth and make sure they get the best value for money. If they give you $3000 to design their new business website, make sure you design the best business website for that price imaginable.

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Finding Somewhere Suitable To Work

Finding somewhere suitable to work is imperative as a freelancer. Working from home is relatively cheap, but it can come with many issues. You can experience interruptions, find distractions, and find it difficult to separate work and home life. It could be better to lease an office – there are sites out there that make leasing offices easy for you. You need to consider what’s more important; getting things done in a healthy environment, or working in your pyjamas?

Keeping Accurate Records

Keeping accurate records is something every freelancer must do to avoid getting into trouble with the government. You must make sure you accurately record what you earn, what your business expenses are, and every other relevant piece of information that impacts your business. When it comes to filing your tax returns, you’ll need this information, and you’ll wish you had it if you ever get audited!

Building A Wonderful Reputation

You get a wonderful reputation by consistently producing quality work, pure and simple. You must do your best for your clients again and again, and this will help you in terms of recommendations and things like that. If you cut corners, chances are, your reputation will be mediocre at best.

Developing A ‘Paid Up Front’ Policy

A paid up front policy can be a little scary to reel out, but it makes sense when you have unpaid invoices to worry about. You should ask for a deposit at least from new clients or those who haven’t been to you in a while. This not only ensures you get your money, it shows you that a client is serious about the work.

Turning Clients Down

Turning clients down is sometimes something you have to do if you’re going to be true to yourself. You must be honest about limitations if a client asks you to do something you’re not comfortable or confident with. Clients are not as scary as they seem, and will respect you for being honest. You could even offer to refer them to somebody else who can do the thing you can’t. Who knows, the client might hire you anyway!

Knowing When To Take A Break

It’s too easy to exhaust yourself mentally and physically when you’re a freelancer. You must set boundaries for yourself and only break them in exceptional cases if you’re going to produce the best work and have a great work/life balance. You should take at least one day off and do not work on that day. Everybody needs some down time and a day off! During your work days, make sure you get up from the computer, stretch, meditate, go for a walk, or do something else to give you a break from the screen. It can be tempting to sit there and plug away to get things done as quickly as possible, but sitting in front of a screen for 10 hours without even having eaten lunch isn’t healthy at all. Never feel bad for taking a break!

If you’re a freelancer, make sure you make a note of these things today. The sooner you take them on board and implement them, the more your quality of life should improve and the safer your business will be!

Make Your Business Go Green And Save Money

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As a company being aware on the certain requirements needed of you to the environment is important. Ignoring these can lead to fines and legal issues.

With so many products and services to choose from, it has never been more important to differentiate you from the competition. Going green can land you on the Greenest Companies list making you stand out from the crowd.

As a company, you want the best for the environment but you also don’t want to get sucked into a money making scheme. This guides you to being able to go green and sustain an eco-friendly business.

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Recycling paper is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of being environmentally friendly. Reducing waste is the best step into reducing the amounts of waste produced through offices and operations. However, sometimes this isn’t always possible, and you will produce an excess amount of waste if this happens, look into an environmentally conscious rubbish removal company that will be able to recycle it for you. It’s a large and crucial part of beginning the business set up.

There are easy to use methods to put into practice for you to make your business greener. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s Greening now offer guides on what you and your staff can do together.

Equipment that isn’t in use can reduce energy by up to 25%. Computers that aren’t in use and switching off completely at the end of the day saves an extra 50%.

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If something doesn’t need printing then don’t unless it’s necessary. Communicate through emails and read on screen with devices instead of printing. Reducing use of fax- related paper rubbish. Start using a fax-modem as documents can be sent directly without requiring a hard copy.

waste carriers can hold more waste, think of using a commercial waste disposal. These hold more waste and are more environmentally friendly, not only this but the costs are more beneficial to the company.

Even if you’re located in a drought-stricken area, reducing water is an obvious way to saving money whilst conserving a valuable source. There is various way to reduce water usage, start by checking anything that needs fixing such as dripping taps and plumbing leaks. Instead look into low-flow toilets, another thing to consider is the use of eco-friendly hand dryers. There are plenty on the market that conserves energy by being efficient with the air usage.

If you plan on renovating the offices before you consider chucking away electrical items think about where to distribute them. Computers, monitors, tablets anything that is less than 5 years can be reused in the area by schools, other offices or charities. Be sure to check with what you can do with certain electricals before giving away.

Doing little things around the office can greatly improve the area you work in but efficiently helping on costs for your business. Over time you’ll see how they can benefit your company, you’ll also feel good knowing you and your team are working together to better the environment for years to come.