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How To Minimize Your Business To Maximize Growth

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When people start a business, they all head into it with a mindset of owning an empire that sees growth years on year. Now, unfortunately, reaching the level of a global empire isn’t something many of us will achieve, but there is no reason we cannot see constant growth throughout the years.

In this post, we are going to be looking at some very simple things you can do with your business that can show enormous amounts of growth very quickly.

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Business Growth | How To Minimize Your Business To Maximize Growth

Why You Are Not Growing

If you have noticed that your business has reached a point where it has hit a metaphorical wall, then the time has come that you need to acknowledge that something is wrong with your business and needs changing.

One of the main issues is possibly that you are allocating your business funding correctly, and you are more than likely spending too much. While you may plan your spending carefully, more often than not, most businesses tend to spend money on things that they just don’t need to.

In the next section, we are going to be looking at a few of these, and hopefully, you will be able make a few changes that see your business start to grow overnight.

Stop Doing Everything

One of the biggest mistakes that businesses seem to make today is that they believe they have to have every department in house. While it used to be the way that your business would require many different departments, the modern world has a solution for this.

You can now take some of your most expensive departments and look at outsourcing them. You can easily find managed IT services and even outside call handlers. If you think logically, you can save up to 80% of your yearly wage budget by simply outsourcing some of your departments.

For many companies, this is a huge amount of cash, once you tackle this problem, think how much your margins change overnight.

Save On The Small Stuff

Other areas you can minimize are things like your workspace and your bills. There are many businesses now opting for shared office complexes. By taking on one of these, you lose the massive bills that come with leasing an office building, and you just pay a set rate monthly.

These complexes are often frowned upon, but the truth is that often they promote so much more productivity than your regular office, and the atmosphere is always amazing.

Sure, these solutions may seem incredibly simple, but you should realize that put together, they can take your business to brand new levels of success. If you are truly looking to make a difference to your end of year figures, then both of these can get you well on your way.

You may also find that once you have started, you will find brand new ways to save money. Just remember, just because you are minimizing doesn’t mean you are failing, it simply means you are thinking outside of the box.

Ways To Help Support Your Staff More

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Helping support your staff more in the business can be really beneficial to your company. Looking after your employees and making sure they’re happy at all times is the secret to a productive work environment. Here are some ways to help support your staff more when they’re working for your business.

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | Ways To Help Support Your Staff More | Talent Management | Entrepreneurship | Staff Support

Listen To Their Needs

Their needs should always come first, and as a result, you’ll likely see a change in the way they see the company and the respect they have for you as an employer. Listening to their needs and what they want can be done in a number of ways, the most important being through regular meetings with them on a one-to-one basis. This can be helpful in getting them to talk through their concerns or what they want to change. If they’re seen as a valued member of staff, rather than just a number, that’s going to help build work relations across the company. Try to change what you can in order to make their working environment more enjoyable at all times. Obviously, not everything can be honored, but at least you’re trying.

Improve IT Services

IT problems tend to be something that a lot of businesses have a problem with, and if there are problems with your equipment and staff workstations, then you’ll find productivity levels are going to dip. Staff need to be able to get on with their work with little distractions or disruptions. Otherwise, you’ll find the concentration for them to continue with their work will be severely depleted. IT services & support are in constant supply, so if your current situation isn’t working for you, look at other companies who might be able to help.

Encourage A Work-Life Balance

A work-life balance is one thing that many of your staff members will probably want in life. After all, we spend so much of our time working, it’s important that we are able to get the most out of life outside of work too. Try to encourage a better work-life balance and change the benefits that some of your staff might not currently be getting. A mental health day can be good for those who need a break every now and then to reset the batteries. Being flexible with working from home can also help.

Assist With Company Progression

Company progression might be on the cards for some of your employees, and so if they wish to rise through the ranks, it’s good to help them in whatever way possible. That might be offering them extra training or courses to improve their resume, and it might also be offering promotions and career opportunities both inside and out of the company.

Supporting your staff as a company is important to maintaining happiness levels and overall job satisfaction. So, keep working on ways to make the working environment better. Improve job prospects and encourage a good balance of work and personal life. Improve what’s not working properly and listen to their needs whenever you can.

Entrepreneurs: Try These Productive (And / Or Lucrative) Ways To Spend Your Coffee Break

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The life of an entrepreneur is many things, but relaxed and leisurely it is not. Rarely do entrepreneurs get to enjoy downtime in the same way that their salaried peers do. The entrepreneurial mind is never at rest and is constantly striving for new challenges and new ways in which to hone its skills while developing new ones. Entrepreneurs exist in a constant state of self-improvement and self-development. So even when they take a few minutes for a coffee break, it’s not uncommon to see them restlessly tapping their fingers, twitching their legs and scrolling through their phones.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Entrepreneurs: Try These Productive (And / Or Lucrative) Ways To Spend Your Coffee Break

If you find yourself restless, try these productivity boosting and / or potentially lucrative ways to spend your coffee break.

Take a trading break

In the digital age, trading is no longer the sole preserve of high flying Wall Street types. In fact, virtually anyone can become a trader in their free time. Using trading apps like Metatrader 4 can help to demystify the world of trading and allow you to trade all kinds of commodities with reasonable commissions and very little financial commitment on your part. Instead of spending your downtime on mobile games, why not try your hand at something that could become a potential revenue stream?

Compose some thought leadership articles on LinkedIn

Entrepreneurship is all about building your own personal brand to supplement the brand you’ve created for your business. The more people like and trust you, the more likely they are to see value in your business. Take the time to write thoughtful blog posts on LinkedIn which demonstrate your knowledge, experience and expertise to your target audience and other business leaders. Of course, you can use the same content to post on the blog section of your own business’ website. However you choose to present it, commiting your insights, reflections and musings on your industry to writing can be an extremely useful and potentially profitable way to spend your downtime.

Learn a new language

The world is getting smaller every day, and even if your business doesn’t yet have its sights set on an international market that’s no reason not to be prepared. Learning a language isn’t just a great way to help your business on its way to international domination it’s also a great way to keep your brain healthy and feeling young (just like learning a musical instrument). You’[d be surprised how quickly you can learn the fundamentals of a new language in just 15 minutes a day.

Listen to business audio books and podcasts

We all know what a prolific reader Warren Buffet is, but if you don’t have the time to consume his massive reading list in your downtime, listening to business audiobooks and podcasts may be a more readily digestible alternative.

Try mindfulness meditation

Finally, the busy mind of the entrepreneur is like any other highly efficient machine. It needs to be well rested and maintained to remain at peak efficiency. As such, it may be worth taking a few minutes in your downtime to practice mindfulness meditation. It can not only help you to manage stress and quiet your mind, it can also help you to work more efficiently and prevent the rush of entrepreneurial life from feeling too much.

Can Your Employees Sue You for Emotional Distress

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Suing for Emotional Distress|Can Your Employees Sue You for Emotional DistressAny business should consider the mental wellbeing of its employees. Work is stressful enough without people having to deal with the outrageous behaviors of others. Major depression and burnout cost companies billions of dollars every year. In this context, the stress in the workplace is not something to neglect. From a legal standpoint, employees have the right to sue a business for emotional distress. Here is what you need to know.

Employers Have Double Legal Duties

As an employer, you have the legal duty to avoid inflicting emotional distress to other people. You must use reasonable care to prevent such issues. You are responsible for all your employees’ conduct. Say an employee causes emotional distress to another employee or a client. If you knew and did nothing about it, you are vulnerable to a lawsuit.

Making the Difference between Legal Types of Emotional Distress Cases

An employer must follow the letter of the law and its spirit. You may do everything right and face legal exposure. Some of your employees may have asked themselves, “can you sue for emotional distress” at least once. The answer is “yes,” but it depends on the situation. Most people will not sue you because you are annoying as a person. They will if:

  • you are a negligent manager;
  • engage in reckless/outrageous behavior towards them;
  • your management led to workplace accidents and injuries;
  • you ignore their complaints.

With burnout syndrome, depression, or sexual harassment, the law is intricate. In this context, you need to know the difference between NIED and IIED.

The best way to move forward is to hire legal aid. It may be hard as a small business to find the right law firm. But, it will save you money in the long term. Most likely, it will protect your reputation.

NIED – Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress

Employees can sue for NIED when someone else’s negligence leads to their emotional distress. The proof varies from state to state. These are the general provisions when making a case:

  • The employee must prove that the defendant (employer) engaged in a negligent activity.
  • The employer is open to an NIED suit if he/she willfully violated a statutory duty.
  • The plaintiff suffered significant emotional distress (as described by the law). They must prove its occurrence, persistence, symptoms, etc.
  • The plaintiff’s emotional distress is a direct consequence of the defendant’s negligence.

Example: Employees can sue within an NIED framework if a piece of equipment fell and nearly crashed them.

IIED – Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

Bad behavior opens the door to an IIED suit. There are no guidelines on what represents extreme, reckless, or outrageous behavior. It is why IIED is hard to prove in court. Don’t misjudge the courts and lawyers, though. An IIED claim must target conducts that go beyond the usual workplace insults, threats, or annoyances. They should not exist, either, but they do not pack a big punch in court. What comes with heavyweight is the following combination of factual elements:

  • The employer/their agent’s conduct was deliberate and reckless. And there is proof to back up this claim.
  • The defendant/their agent engaged in extreme or outrageous behavior (and the plaintiff can prove).
  • This conduct led to an employee’s emotional distress.
  • The employee can prove the causality and the severity of the distress.

Example: You are open to IIED claims if you neglected an employee’s complaints regarding sexual harassment. Your failure to respond to numerous notices for months will most likely put you in the defendant’s chair.

In IIED claims, fright or shame can fall under the umbrella of “emotional distress.” As we said above, you are responsible for the conduct of all your employees. Consider promoting a safe working environment. Remove any risks of sexual harassment, bullying, shaming, emotional abuse, social isolation, etc.

Can You Put a Price on Your Employees’ Feelings?

If an employee wins an NIED or an IIED claim, you have to pay for damages. The payment is relative to the severity of the emotional injury. You should consider legal advice in such cases, even if you are a small business. Many NIED and IIED cases settle outside of court. You need to know your rights, your employees’ rights, and the methods you have to make their lives better and safer.

Employee Wellness: Tips To Make Employees More Productive At Work

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People ArticleAny company will reap many benefits when they have healthy and engaged employees. An employee wellness program curated and designed correctly will boost morale, increase productivity, and reduce stress. Wellness programs have always been thought of as something nice-to-have rather than a must-have. What employers don’t think about is the benefits in the long term. In the long run, the company will see the results. Wellness programs help employees to stay healthy and lessen absences. The cost of having this employee wellness program will just be minimal compared to the benefits in the long run. Listed below are some tips to make employees more productive at work.

1. What is a Wellness Program?

Before crafting and designing your employee wellness program, you first have to understand what it is. A wellness program is any program with the goal to improve the health and well-being of the company’s workforce. Wellness programs are supposed to help employees overcome general health issues and educate them about what they should do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Usually, companies hire third-parties to conduct the program and seminar depending on the need and expertise. There are many great ways to increase productivity, and wellness programs are one of them.

2. What improvements to target?

The way to design your wellness program should address specific needs and target personal wellness. Programs structured can target physical fitness and stamina through regular exercise, Zumba, or yoga classes for employees. This doesn’t only increase welfare but also improves self-image and self-esteem, which you want in your employees. At the same time, this also reduces the stress that your employees feel. Targeting specific health-related issues will translate into a more reliable workforce and smoother workflow.

3. What are the kinds of wellness programs you can implement?

There are tons of programs that a company can implement for the well-being of their employees. Be sure to provide flexibility in the programs so many of your employees can join in. Here are just some suggestions and recommendations for great employee wellness ideas:

  • Zumba Classes
  • Diet Guidance Programs
  • Physical Fitness Programs
  • Quit-Smoking Programs
  • Physiological Testing Programs
  • Stress Management Programs
  • Nutrition Classes
  • Blood Pressure Screening
  • Cholesterol Tracking
  • Fitness Tracking
  • Gym Plans
  • Guided Meditation Classes
  • Cooking Classes
  • Team Building Activities
  • Anxiety Workshop
  • Annual Corporate Flu Shots
  • Healthy Lifestyle Education
  • Mental Health Days
  • Emotional and Mental Health Education and Resources
  • Book Clubs
  • Healthy Potlucks

4. Healthy Snacks

With working for at least 8 hours a day, employees will grow well into the snacking culture in no time. Unfortunately, most companies only have low-quality vending machines that offer junk food such as soda, candy, and chips loaded with fat and sugar. These snacks not only decrease productivity, but it also makes a serious dent in the health and well-being of an employee. An excellent way to improve the nutrition of your employees is to provide easy access to healthier snack choices throughout the day.

5. Launch Health Competitions

Nothing else gets people off their chairs than incentives. If economics taught anything, it’s that people respond well to incentives. Why not incentivize health? Gamify employee fitness by starting challenges and giving incentives. For instance, you can start giving out gift certificates for the employee with the most visits to the gym or went running. You can also provide employees with fitness trackers to keep them in shape and encourage them. Another competition you can start is a step competition or walking challenge. You can give out cash incentives to those who hit step targets. The goal is to keep your employees in good shape, keep them motivated, and up on their feet.

6. Pet-Friendly Office Initiative

Another way that has been proven to keep employees motivated and increase productivity is to bring in your furry, four-legged friends to the office. These are tested and proved to improve collaboration among employees. Some offices even encourage to bring pets and have pets running around the office.

Keeping your employees healthy and educating them about well-being does reduce not only absences but also boosts productivity and efficiency in employees. Even though it costs very low, this initiative from companies can go a long way in helping out employees while benefiting the company. The connection between employee wellness and productivity has already been proven and well-established. Hope this guide was able to give you some tips on how employee wellness programs can help in boosting productivity and effectivity.