Posts

Save Money on Maintaining Your Business Equipment

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Business Equipment|Save Money on Maintaining Your Business EquipmentYour business most likely needs some type of equipment to enable it to run. It could be office equipment that you need, or perhaps you need power tools or large machinery. Whatever the equipment is, you need to keep it in good condition so that it helps you to run your business efficiently. That requires regular maintenance so that you can avoid problems that might shut down your business unexpectedly. Maintaining your business equipment can get costly and take a lot of time too. However, there are ways to save money and even save time on taking care of your essential equipment.

Learn Some Maintenance Skills

Some people might decide that the best way to save money on equipment maintenance is for them (or their employees) to learn some maintenance skills. There are often maintenance tasks and repairs that you can do yourself, rather than calling out a service to have it done for you. Knowing how to fix a printer jam or get the parts to fix your tractor could save you a lot of time and money. Plenty of basic tasks can be completed by just about anyone, so it’s a waste of money to get someone with experience to do it for you.

Prevent Instead of Repair

Making repairs to your equipment can be pretty expensive, especially when extensive repairs are required. If you want to avoid expensive repairs, one of the best things that you can do is prevent problems in the first place. Good maintenance can help you to avoid the need for repairs by keeping your equipment running smoothly. Even just keeping your equipment clean can be a smart way to maintain it and prevent any issues that might require costly and time-consuming repair. Create a schedule of maintenance and servicing for your equipment to keep everything running.

Hire Some Equipment

The more equipment you own, the more you have to maintain. But you don’t necessarily have to own all of the equipment that you need to use. You might only need to use a piece of equipment a couple of times a year, and the rest of the time it could be taking up space while being neglected. If you don’t need something very often, consider hiring it instead. You’ll have to take care of it when it’s in your possession, but you won’t be responsible for its long-term maintenance. Plus, it can save you money.

Know When to Replace

As an asset gets older, it can require more and more maintenance. Eventually, you could end up spending more on maintenance than the cost of replacing the item. Knowing when to replace something instead of continuing to repair it is essential if you want to save money on your business equipment. Having to carry out constant maintenance and repair not only wastes your money but also wastes your time, so make sure you consider whether replacement is a better option.

Maintaining your business equipment should be affordable. You can save money if you need to maintain equipment more efficiently.

The 4 Best Ways To Stay Connected to Your Team

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Stay connected to your team|The 4 Best Ways To Stay Connected to Your TeamIf there’s one thing the best companies to work for all have in common, it is ensuring their team is well-connected at all times. This connection helps build cohesion between your employees, which may reach the point where they know what the other is thinking, boosting synchronicity and cultivating an office that is more productive than others. As a manager, you need to find a way to match this, so how can you stay connected to your team?

Team Building

Team building is a superb way to bring your office closer together and help people stay connected. There are numerous ways to achieve this, too, including weekly quizzes or activities like golf, laser tag, or other fun things that will bring people closer together.

These team-building efforts can be the difference between an office that goes above and beyond for one another, and one that will ditch their team as soon as another offer comes around. It will improve teamwork and satisfaction, giving you a more robust office culture that will have a direct impact on productivity and performance.

Casual Connections

Professional communication is vital in the office, but you can also help your team develop casual connections. Many people consider their work friends important but it can be tricky to improve these connections outside the office.

To encourage this, consider one of the best alternatives to Telegram and Discord that will give your employees the chance to chat and connect even outside the confines of your office. The various rooms and features allow them to connect on a different level that isn’t related to work, which will allow them to develop more authentic relationships. From this, you’ll see a direct improvement.

Exchanges

If your team is working remotely more often than not, there’s a chance they may feel disconnected from their colleagues and may not have the drive they once did. Loneliness and isolation are two significant issues with working from home, so establishing exchanges each week can remind everyone they are still thought of and cared for.

These exchanges can include whatever you want. Previously, businesses have tried baked goods or books, but there is no right or wrong answer, so consider whatever you think will work best.

Company Contests

Office competitions always go down well. They are ideal for celebrating the end of the year or season, and they are often easy enough for everyone to get involved, even those who don’t normally feel like partaking in activities.

Establishing company contests or competitions will allow everyone to win something, whether a voucher or even a day off whenever they feel like it. Like exchanges and activities, there is no limit to what you can choose, so feel free to get creative.

Connected

Staying connected is essential for building rapport with your team. However, as beneficial as it can be to get in touch with your employees at all times, you must also understand boundaries. By respecting when they are off the clock, you can maintain a positive attitude towards their duties. So, embrace the benefits of simple communication, but establish limits, also.

How to Improve the Aesthetics and Professionalism of Your Company

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Improve Aesthetics|How to Improve the Aesthetics and Professionalism of Your CompanyWhen it comes to shoppers, investors, and even future employees, initial impressions can make all the difference. If you want to move up the corporate ladder, you will have to comply and make your company more visually appealing as well, even if the way you operate it is what matters most in the long run. Let us lend you a hand by suggesting some excellent methods by which you might accomplish just that.

Staff uniform

Make sure your employees look their best so that they can represent your company as well as you do. Ensure that all of your employees are dressed in the same uniform, regardless of the type of task they’re engaged in. Customers will be able to recognise a representative of your company if they need assistance, in addition to giving you and your company a more polished appearance.

In industries where uniforms aren’t required, such as construction, having a line of items for your employees to wear can help them look more professional while simultaneously advertising your business. Consider the following:

  • T-shirts
  • Sweatshirts
  • Hats

Even knitwear such as scarves and gloves can help you all maintain a professional appearance.

Curb appeal

To make a strong first impression, you should consider strategies to make your business more visually appealing from the outside. Possibly you’re in a shabby-looking old building? Or has your company been there so long that it has faded into the background? Regardless of why you’re trying to boost your office’s curb appeal, here are a few simple ideas:

  • Design and develop a new design for your company’s logo. Bright and bright colours perform best when combined with basic logos, but the final decision is up to you and what works best for your company.
  • If you have a space for outside seating, if you run a cafe for example, consider installing a commercial patio canopy to provide shade and a nice area to sit.
    Debris-free parking lots and other outdoor areas are a quick method to boost your company’s image.
  • Cleaning your business’s windows is more beneficial to you than you might expect!
  • Consider repainting the structure to give it a fresh appearance and to attract the attention of onlookers.

A reception area

If you own a company where visitors are welcomed by a secretary, it’s important to establish a positive first impression. Customers and visitors alike will be impressed if you design an entrance hall that’s the best of the best. Here are some ideas:

  • A big, welcoming greeting area with a cheerful and welcoming staff member at the ready.
  • Walls painted in light, airy tones, and polished concrete or marble floors add refinement and sophistication to the space.
  • Plants can be strategically placed throughout your entrance hall to keep the air fresh and to give a burst of colour.

Staff room

Finally, what’s behind the scenes can have a major impact on whether a prospective employee accepts your job offer if it’s presented to them during an interview. They’ll spend a lot of time in the staff area during breaks and even before work if they arrive early enough. Providing comfortable chairs, paintings, coffee and snack machines, and maybe a radio or television will appeal to new workers.

Extending Your Office in 2022? Here’s What You Should Know

/in /by

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Extending your office|Extending Your Office in 2022? Here's What You Should KnowThere will come a time during your professional career where your current office space simply doesn’t seem large enough. You may be thinking about extending the company and employing many more bodies and this can of course take a lot of time and resources to do.

Today we are going to take a look at some of the things you should think about when extending an office space from the bare bricks to the final touches, and even to the colours you put on the walls. There are always a lot of things to consider so it is well worth taking into account before you launch a big project.

Cash

Look at your business capital right now. How much profit are you making each month? How much of this money goes towards operations of the business? If you have a lot of expendable income for the project then go ahead and get started, but if not, it is important to consider whether it is worth spending.

Try not to overface yourself

Extending the office will be a big task to take on and it is incredibly important that you are able to put the time into the project when it begins. The worst thing you can do is choose to build a new part of the office during a busy period of sales because this will overwork everyone in the office.

Prepare a budget

The most important thing to do when you are thinking about extending the office is to make a strict budget and stick to it. This budget will tell you how many stories you can afford to build and what kind of facilities you will be able to place into the office this year. It is incredibly important to pay attention to every little detail when coming up with a budget and prepare for any issues which may arise during the project, including tools like Accupro to licenses.

Diversify

When you are looking to extend your business and your office space, this is the ideal time to think about diversifying the products or services you provide. If you are building an extra office space or a workshop to create products, you can consider new equipment and supplies to make unique products for your customers.

Don’t forget infrastructure

When expanding a business you need to think about more than just the bricks and mortar. The business itself will change as you grow and it is important for you to place some solid infrastructure in place so that things don’t become confusing when you do expand and branch out into new areas.

Delegate

The best resource you have as a business owner when it comes to a project like this is extra hands. There is no need for you to hire a whole new team of people to complete simple tasks when you can get your staff to work on the project with you during office hours.

Add light

There is nothing more depressing than a dark office space and as a business owner it is your responsibility to take a stand and make sure that your workers are happy. Add lots of natural light sources and this can brighten a mood in your new space.

Strategies to Improve Your Online Presence

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, Strategies to Improve Your Online Presence

The world is online, even if your business isn’t. Refraining from having a website, and associated local listings and social accounts is how you remain invisible to all but your locals. Now, this might seem like a great thing, when you’re, say, a local mechanic, but there are people just outside of your neighborhood who could use your services as well, only because you aren’t online, they can’t find you. Improving your online presence is how you’ll be found, it is how you’ll increase business, and it is how you’ll further your success. To improve your online presence, follow these tips:

1. Start (or Improve) Your Website

You need a website that uses cloud hosting. This is how you’ll ensure that you have miniscule chance of downtime, and how you’ll gain full customization options. You need your website to not just look good, but you need it to be fast and you also need it to be on-site SEO friendly. These three traits are what make a website perfect. Google will rank you based on your speed, and users may not go through your site if it takes ages to load. Similarly, you need the website to look great in order to convey professionalism, so that users can trust you before they even know you.

StrategyDriven Online Marketer & Website Developer Magazine

2. Grow a Genuine Community

Buying followers and likes on Instagram, Facebook, and any other social site is a waste of money. Keeping up the appearance is nowhere near as important as creating an organic, genuine community. You can use social media to increase your website visits and even your sales, but you need to do it the right way. This means crafting bespoke, unique posts with great pictures. It also means engaging with your community at large, before and after they follow you.

A great social media marketing campaign can get you the awareness you need, but you need to respond and be engaged with what your community is saying and doing to be on top of trends, and to nurture these relationships. A repeat customer is more valuable than a one-off sale any day.

3. Get Listed

If you are a local business, you have so many options to be referenced, referred to, and listed. This is great both for the organic hits from these second-party sites, and it’s also excellent for SEO. For instance, if you are a local boutique retailer, you can easily list your business on all directories, like Google or even TripAdvisor. You can also provide your local news agencies of any events you might be holding, since they are more likely to publish a local piece that promotes their neighborhood. This means that you’ll not only gain more traffic from these sites, but Google will rank your website higher due to the number of back-links. Additionally you have to learn local SEO tactics and strategies to increase traffic.

Being smart about your online presence is how you can not only be found by more people, it’s also how you’ll be trusted by more people. Trust, and greater visibility, will lead to success.