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3 Ways to Improve Quality of Life in Your Workplace

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Life in the Workplace|3 Ways to Improve Quality of Life in Your WorkplaceThe average employee spends almost a third of their adult life in the workplace. You only get one life, and all this time sitting at a desk, sending emails, and working for someone else’s dreams is stealing valuable minutes away from it.

Although paid work is essential for survival, 64% of employees are unhappy with their job. So why spend so much of your precious time on Earth doing something that makes you miserable?

As a small business owner, the wellbeing of your staff should be one of your top priorities. Some bosses see their employees as mere tools to help the business grow, but any good employer will treat them as humans and do what they can to make them happy. After all, a happy worker is a productive worker. You have a great deal of power in your hands to greatly improve your team’s quality of life. With a few simple changes, you can transform the way they feel about work, and make them enjoy coming into the office each day. As a result, they will work harder and better, and the atmosphere in the workplace will change dramatically. Their physical and mental health will improve, and you will find it much easier to attract and retain the top talent.

To get you started, here are three ways to improve the quality of life in your workplace.

Embrace flexible working

Every single one of your staff members has a life outside work. They will have family, hobbies, side projects, and other concerns that they struggle to fit in around their work. One of the biggest changes you can make to your employees’ lives is to give them more flexibility at work. By allowing them to choose their hours or work remotely when needed, they will find it easier to pick up their kids from school, go to the gym, visit the doctor, and do all the things that make their life fulfilling. And if you’re worried they won’t get as much work done, relax. Studies show that flexible working actually boosts productivity.

Promote good health

You might not think it, but office work is one of the unhealthiest professions there is. Humans weren’t designed to spend eight hours a day slouching at a desk while staring unblinkingly at a screen. The sedentary and digital nature of the work can lead to weight gain, musculoskeletal disorders, and vision problems, not to mention the mental health risks of all that stress. Help your employees to look after their health. Invest in standing desks and ergonomic desk chairs to promote good posture, and talk to them about ways you can help manage their workloads and remove some of the stress.

Make them feel safe

No employee should feel unsafe in the workplace, so do what you can to instill a sense of security. Your office should comply with all fire and safety regulations. For example, fire exits should be signposted and unobstructed, while low voltage electric appliances will reduce risk. Ensure there is always a trained first-aider in the office and ask your team for suggestions about creating a safer environment to work in.

Easy Ways To Raise Capital For Your New Venture

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Raise Capital|Easy Ways To Raise Capital For Your New VentureAlmost three-quarters of new businesses and startups need a helping hand to get up and running, so if you are trying to figure out how to raise some much-needed capital, you are far from alone.

Sadly, money does not grow on trees – life and business would be so much easier if it did – but there are some ways to get the capital that you need to start up your new business venture without having to sell your soul. Let us take a look at some of them.

Launch a crowdfunding campaign

Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly popular way of raising money, and that is because there are so many success stories with it. It is a case of having the right business idea and the right pitch – get those right and you will have hoards of people wanting to help you out financially.

Using a crowdfunding agency gives you the chance to connect to people with like-minded interests and knowledge that you may not otherwise be in touch with. It also allows you to get an idea of the level of interest in your product or service and what resonates with people who may be your target audience. It also gives you an opportunity to practise your pitch and your marketing campaign and tweak it for the future. Most importantly, it helps you raise the capital for your new venture.

Find an angel investor

The general definition of an angel investor is an accredited business person or individual with a net worth of more than $1 million, or an annual income exceeding $200,000. In most cases, they work alone, but at times will work alongside other angel investors to build up a fund.

An angel investor works by providing capital for the business start-up in return for convertible debt or ownership equity – imagine along the lines of Dragon Den. These are usually used when a traditional investor will not take the risk.

Ask family and friends

Many people turn to family and trusted friends when they are trying to raise the money to launch a new business venture. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 5% of US adults have invested in a company started by someone they know. It is a tricky one though because it relies on a huge amount of trust and faith. You need to treat it like any other formal business transaction – draw up legal contracts with clear rules on how the money should be paid back, the time frame and what will happen in the case of late or missed payments. Be aware that it a risky way of getting capital, as if things do not work out as you hoped and you find yourself unable to pay the money back, it can irreparably damage your relationship.

Raising money to start your new business venture does not have to involve countless trips to that bank and meetings. It can be much more straightforward than that. The key is to have a solid business idea and a business plan to go with it.

Keeping Your Business Safe From Any And All Threats

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Keep your business safe|Keeping Your Business Safe From Any And All ThreatsYour business is constantly in danger. It might not be imminent, and it might be through no fault of your own, but you’ve got to make sure that you are protecting it. Make sure that you take preemptive measures, and this will ensure that you’ve given your business the best possible chance of staying safe. In this article, we’re going to talk about what some of these measures are, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Online Security

The first thing that we are going to look at is online security. Unfortunately, cyber crime is constantly on the rise, and your business needs to be protected as much as possible from it. Make sure that your network has firewalls, encryptions and antivirus software to allow for maximum protection. It’s essential that you hire an IT expert to set all of this up for you if you don’t know what you are doing. Don’t try to do it yourself to save money or for whatever other reason, because it must be done right.

It’s very easy to leave holes in your security if you don’t know what you’re doing, which leaves your business vulnerable. The whole point is that we are trying to keep your company safe, so all of that goes out of the window if you try to save a little bit of cash by not using an expert.

Pay Back Any Loans

If you have borrowed any money, then you need to make sure that you are paying it back in a timely manner. We’re not saying that people are going to come round with baseball bats and trash everything, but the person you borrowed money from could take you to court if they don’t get it back. Don’t think that they are going to forget about the people that owe them money, because this is not going to happen. In fact, they use exception tracking and other methods to ensure they always know who owes how much.

You need to be careful about borrowing money in the first place, because you wouldn’t want to be in a position where you can’t pay it back. Stick to your payment plan and everything should be fine. You don’t want to lose your business over something like this, and you very well could if you aren’t careful.

Have People On The Door

The final thing that we are going to mention is that you should always have people on the door of your business premises. Nobody should be able to get into your business building without the proper clearance and authority to do so. That is where teams like this come in handy though. Having security on the door will act as a deterrent to those who would seek to do something harmful to your business premises or anyone on it.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you are going to need to do if you want to keep your business safe from any and all threats. Of course, there is more that you can do but this is just to give you an idea of a couple of them. We wish you the best of luck, and hope your business remains safe for years to come.

New Career Changes Often Need Assistance

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Career Change|New Career Changes Often Need AssistanceMany people work at a job they do not like, to say the least, which makes them want to get up for another day of work and feel real sadness and frustration at the beginning of the week. Now, we are working from home, but this may not always be the case. Soon the 9-5 will return…possibly. In some form.

The reasons for this are many and varied, from the precarious political situation, through the fear of going out into the world of job interviews again to the fear that they will not be able to find a new job at all, and especially not one that will offer the same conditions as the current job. However, whatever the reasons may be, the very fact that a person chooses to stay in a job he does not like may cause more harm than its monetary value. Plenty of people have been laid off during this pandemic and unemployment is rising everywhere. With Unemploymenttracker.com you can see how.

Self-realization and love of the profession are necessary for every person and are not interchangeable. Therefore, over the years, a selection of types of personal training have been developed, designed to help create career changes. What is the same career training for change and how can it be used?

What is personal training and do I need it for a new career?

Before examining personal coaching focused on the career field, it is better to first examine what personal coaching is all about. Over the years, it has evolved into other areas as well, relying on different methods, whether psychological and cognitive or spiritual. However, this is not a psychological treatment, as personal training is not meant to understand the trainee’s past and motives or change their personality. Personal training helps a person set certain goals and objectives, and with the help of the coach strive to achieve them. Therefore, personal coaching can help in many areas, from relationships and family to profession and career.

It’s time for a change!

Personal coaching in the field of career is usually divided into two main types – career retraining or professional advancement. When the current job is restrictive and does not match the employee’s dreams or goals, then it needs to be changed. If you have your own business, then other goals and objectives must be set than if he wants to continue to be an employee but engage in another field. When changing careers, coaching can focus on the smallest details, including upgrading and changing resumes, conducting job interviews, registering for studies required for the new profession, business guidance, contacting business start-ups and more.

If you want to advance in the company in which you work but are not successful or know how to do it on your own, then it may be time to troubleshoot. What skills do you have? What skills do you need? Listen to your intuition and heart, as it is better to change your mind at first, than to walk the path you are unsure of in the guide. If you are unsure, you can ask for recommendations, whether from previous customers or friends or acquaintances from your family. It’s time for a change.

3 Tips to Take Charge of Your Finances

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | 3 Tips to Take Charge of Your FinancesIf you feel as though you’re not doing enough to save and plan for the future, you’re probably right that you could be doing more. It’s surprisingly common for people to let years elapse before making any life changes that will affect their financial status. In many cases, people simply aren’t able to exercise forward thinking because their expenses are continually in excess of what they earn. The cost of living continues to rise, yet wages remain fairly static. Nevertheless, even when people aren’t earning enough to pay for basic necessities, they often put money towards less important expenditures. Also, they don’t look for savings where they can or make an active effort to achieve better financial health. They simply accept that money is tight and they give up on trying to effect change.

Despite the difficulty of making changes or the realities of having to go without the things that you want, there’s a lot that you can do to take charge of your finances. You can start by viewing material about financial wellness for women that might give you an edge on saving. Small steps towards being more attentive to spending and saving will ultimately give you better control of your financial future.

1. Preserve Your Credit

Even if you’re not planning on buying a home or taking out a loan, your credit score can be a huge factor in your overall financial health. When you apply for a new higher paying job, a poor credit score may be a red flag to a hiring manager. If you want to move into a more affordable apartment, poor credit may make you an unappealing tenant. Furthermore, your credit score can subject you to higher interest rates on monthly expenses such as your credit cards or car payments. Make it a point to check your credit regularly so you can stay on top of any reporting mistakes. Pay your bills on time, and avoid letting outstanding account balances fall into collections.

2. Plan Ahead

Even when you have a lot of outstanding expenses, you still need to think about savings. Having some money put away is extremely important to your financial security. You need two different types of savings accounts. First, you need a rainy day fund that can go towards emergency expenses or help you withstand a sudden loss of income. Second, you need to save as a part of your retirement planning. Although retirement may still be many years away, your efforts to plan for it now will have a considerable impact on when you can retire and how comfortably you can live when you do. Determine what percentage of your income you can set aside each month for both accounts, and don’t deviate from your savings plan.

3. Avoid Frivolous Spending

It’s okay to get yourself some of the things that you want, but you simply can’t buy everything that you want. Put some reasonable limits on unnecessary expenditures. In particular, it’s essential that you don’t spend more for things than you really need to. Avoid paying full price for items that you can purchase at a discount by shopping around or waiting for a sale.