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3 Things Every Office Needs To Be A Productive And Safe Place

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Office Safety|3 Things Every Office Needs To Be A Productive And Safe PlaceAs the UK’s third lockdown continues, the efforts to vaccinate the population against COVID-19 are ramping up. This means that it is crucial for employers to start looking to the spring where, hopefully, many offices that have been closed for weeks or months will be able to start opening up again.

While the vaccine will do a big part in reducing the threat of COVID-19, there is the need to ensure that social distancing and safety practices continue. In order to be productive employees will need the assurance that their safety is their boss’s top priority.

A Clear Social Distancing Policy

Many people will be heading back to the office following the latest lockdown. It is vital that your employees feel safe in your office to be productive. This means that any office, no matter what type of work is done there will need to ensure they have a clear social distancing policy.

This should include a requirement to wear face coverings when moving about the office, staggered working times to limit the number of people in the office at one time and clear barriers between desks if your office space is open plan.
If your staff do not feel safe and protected at work, it will affect morale and undoubtedly lower productivity and staff retention. It has never been more vital that you prioritise the safety of your staff members.

Professional Cleaning Services

The need for professional cleaning services has never been greater. While every staff member can do their part to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 by regular hand washing and cleaning their own workspace, it is vital that you engage the services of a professional cleaning company for deep cleaning.

An expert commercial cleaning company will have the tools and equipment needed to do a deep clean of all areas of your office space. Ideally, you should choose a professional service that is accredited by major UK bodies like SMC Premier. This company is registered with a number of UK institutions such as the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICsc), and their company priority and ethos puts safety first.

An Open Dialogue

These are uncertain times, and your employees will be feeling the strain of the ongoing pandemic. It is essential that you check in regularly with your employees, so they feel heard and kept in the loop on business developments.

You should discuss with your team the steps you are taking to keep them safe and let them know what is expected of them while they’re in the office. It would be best if you also kept them update on business operations to provide reassurance that their jobs are secure.

Your staff may also be struggling with their mental health during these challenging times, so as their employer, you should try to do all you can to help promote mental wellbeing. Engage with open discussions about mental health to remove the stigma and provide signposting to mental health resources they can use if they feel they are struggling.

5 Ways to Boost Collaboration within Your Remote Team

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Collaboration with Remote Team|5 Ways to Boost Collaboration within Your Remote TeamWhether you’re working out of a shared office space or remotely, effective collaboration among your team is vital to your success. It’s important to facilitate communication between coworkers and ensure you’re approachable as a manager. If your employees are currently working from home, you need to maintain a certain level of collaboration remotely. There are several advanced tools you can use such as task or project management software, or video conferencing. You could also consider renting a coworking office space, to work together in person. Here are five ways to boost collaboration within your team.

Invest in the right tools

If your team is working remotely, they will need access to the best online communication tools. Ensure each employee is comfortably set up at home with an ergonomic workspace and strong internet connection. You also may need to consider supplying them with updated equipment. Train your team and make sure they’re confident using video conferencing and cloud-based software.

Consider a coworking space

You could also consider renting a coworking space on a short-term basis. You can choose whether to hot desk or rent a semi-private or private office. This way you can work together in person but you won’t have to worry about renting or buying an office permanently. You and your team will have access to all the necessary amenities without any extra expense. It’s an ideal solution for startups and small businesses.

Daily catchups

There are many benefits of daily standups and you can recreate these remotely. Have a set time in the morning to check in with the entire team. Ensure everyone is aware of their daily goals and give them the opportunity to ask any relevant questions. Daily catchups are also a nice way to start the day, maintain a friendly environment, and boost morale. If you prefer, you could include a quick quiz or a game as an ice breaker.

Task management software

If you invest in the latest task management software, you’ll be able to track your remote team’s schedule and daily activities. This is a useful way to judge whether each member of your team is spending the right amount of time on tasks, or if they need more time. You can also use this data to learn ways you can be more productive and look for areas of improvement. Your staff will also be able to communicate through this cloud-based application and update their progress as and when in real-time.

Communicate your mission

In order to successfully grow your business, you need to communicate your mission and vision to your employees and get them on board. The best mission statements are inspiring, not only to potential customers but also to the people that work for you. Articulate your company’s values and your plans for the future. Employees prefer to feel part of something important, that also aligns with their own principles. Make them proud to work for your company. This will help to create more engaged and motivate staff and boost collaboration.

Here are Some of the Biggest Reasons why your Start-up Could Fail

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Start-up|Here are Some of the Biggest Reasons why your Start-up Could FailA lot of entrepreneurs often get swept up with their own ideas and they forget about some of the most common mistakes out there. If you are going to be going out on your own, then you may find that you underestimate the main mistakes that most people make. If you do this then you may find that you experience serious cash flow issues later down the line. This is the last thing that you need, but if you educate yourself now, then you may be able to come out on top.

You Don’t Start with the End in Mind

Entrepreneurs often start out with optimism and excitement. They think that they will do whatever is in their power to succeed, but at the end of the day, they don’t think about the future. You need to take the time to plan out your values, your mission and your vision. You also need to think about how your service is going to differ from the rest as this will help you to maintain your focus and your overall effectiveness. If you adopt a bigger picture approach right from the get-go, then this will help you to ask some tough questions now rather than later and this will give you a roadmap when things get tough.

You Don’t Research your Competition

Although this may seem somewhat counterintuitive, at the end of the day, you do want competition. You don’t want so much that the market becomes saturated, but you do want enough that you are able to keep on pushing forward and improving your services overall. Competitors validate the market for you and if there aren’t any, then you need to ask yourself a few key questions. You need to ask yourself if the problem that you are trying to solve is actually there, or if the problem is widespread enough to actually warrant a business being created.

You Fall in Love with a Difficult Idea

Founders of a company often fall in love with their ideas and they don’t do the hard work that is required to find out who else actually loves what they are selling. Sure, you need to be passionate about your company but if you are far too emotionally involved or invested, then you may find that you end up missing the mark. This is the last thing that you need, so make sure that your customers love what you are doing as much as you do.

You Don’t Evolve

You have to stay objective and you also need to make sure that you read the market as well. Never be afraid to change things up if you find that your original idea is not taking off as well as you had hoped. Instead, respond to what the market is asking from you as opposed to what you want to offer. YouTube started out as a dating website, but the founders soon came to the conclusion that the market didn’t want to see dating videos. They simply wanted the option of being able to upload their own videos whenever they wanted and now the rest is history.

You Don’t Seek Legal Protection

Start-up founders have to make sure that they make a special effort to try and prioritise any legal procedures. When you start a business with a college friend, you may well have written your plan on the back of a napkin and then sealed the deal with a “cheers” or a clink of a glass. This is great, and this is often how the best ideas are formed. The problem is that people are often so excited about getting their business up and running that they forget to do important things, which can include founders’ agreements or even early employee arrangements. If you do not address these steps at the beginning, then you may find that they come and bite you later down the line. Sometimes, it won’t be until years later when you feel the impact but at the end of the day, you have to make sure that you do everything you can to try and avoid this.

Not Raising Enough Capital

Entrepreneurs often think that they need to raise enough money, before they start their business. Ultimately it comes down to the fact that you are better off earning money on a much smaller scale if possible. At the end of the day, there is always a way for you to validate your concept on a small scale whether it’s by having a digital campaign or investing in Kickstarter. Until you have 100 users who are passionate about your company, you are truly not ready to grow. When you have been able to prove that there is some degree of market demand for your product, only then will investors see your company as being valuable and it is at this moment when you can begin to raise some serious money. If you want some help with raising capital, then make sure that you check out this capital raise toolbox so you can find out more.

If you are sure that your start-up is doomed to fail but you feel as though your idea is solid, then it may be worth trying to hire a mentor. When you do this, you can count on them to give you all of the advice you need to feel confident in your idea and you can also trust in them to help you to avoid some of the many mistakes that many people make when beginning their business too. Other options include freelancing and gaining as much experience in the industry as you can before you go ahead with your full idea. The great thing about doing this is that you can then push the boundaries to your career, and you can also network with others too. Any contacts you make can then be taken with you when you go to start your own company as well so make sure that you keep this in mind as it may end up serving you well.

5 Tasks Your Startup Business Should Outsource

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Outsource|5 Tasks Your Startup Business Should OutsourceFirstly, if you have decided to launch your own business, congratulations. Being an entrepreneur is a rewarding and exciting way to earn a living, but the early days are certainly the hardest.

When starting a business from scratch, it is important to understand the advantages of outsourcing certain tasks and operations, but far too many entrepreneurs try to do it all. Of course, it is natural to want to maintain control of your venture in the early days and keep overheads to a minimum. But while entrepreneurs are busy with the administration, strategy, payroll, and technical aspects of daily operations, they do not focus on growth. This guide outlines not only why startups should outsource but also the five tasks that are most commonly outsourced.

Why startups should outsource

There are several reasons for startup businesses to outsource tasks, but here are some of the most compelling.

  • You can benefit from expert advice and talent from all over the world. Many companies offer their services virtually, which means that you are not restricted to only working with people in your local area.
  • By outsourcing tasks that you are not experienced in or which are time-consuming, you can free up more time to do what you do best and focus on growing your business. This should result in greater efficiency and therefore reduced overheads.
  • Outsourcing simple but laborious tasks will enable you to focus on the tasks which require a more personalized approach giving you greater control over your business.
  • Outsourcing can save you money as you will not have the expense of hiring employees or need to divert internal resources.
  • In conclusion, outsourcing can enable a business to grow at a much faster rate.

If you are almost convinced that outsourcing could help your business to grow but are not sure where to begin, here are five tasks that you might consider outsourcing.

1. IT infrastructure and support

Unless you are starting an IT business, it is unlikely that you will have much expertise when it comes to setting up a secure and intuitive computer network. Once you are set up, you will also need adequate security, which is monitored and updated regularly. It is also wise to have access to a local IT support company so that should you run into an IT issue, you will be able to call on an expert to get back up and running as soon as possible.

2. Social media

Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools a startup business can use. Setting up accounts and publishing content is free, and advertising on social media platforms is flexible and relatively low cost. However, to make social media marketing a success, you need to invest a lot of time and creativity to create content and build up an audience. Luckily, social media is a task that can be easily outsourced to someone with experience in building a following on social media. The person or company you use can create and schedule posts and spend time interacting with followers.

3. Website design and development

Every business in all sectors should have their own website, whether planning to sell products online or not. With the exception of website design startups, most businesses will need help when setting up their website. Designing and developing a website that is not only functional but also easy to navigate, quick to load, attractive to look at, and optimized for search engines is a complex task best left to the professionals.

4. Customer support

While businesses should always be in touch with their customers, the administration involved in monitoring and responding to every query and reading feedback can be arduous. This is particularly true if most of the queries you receive are on the same topic. To avoid having to hire a full-time customer service representative, you can outsource customer support. The person or company can monitor all your customer feedback and correspondence. Armed with the relevant information to respond to frequently asked questions, they can relieve you of a lot of the administration. They can also collate all relevant feedback into a synopsis so you can get the key information you need in order to grow.

5. Digital marketing and PR

The internet has taken the business world to another level, and businesses that are not investing in digital marketing and PR are missing out on a huge chunk of the market. To increase the likelihood that your website appears in search results for relevant search queries, you need high quality and relevant content on your website such as blogs, e-books, and infographics. Creating and promoting this content takes time and talent, which is why so many businesses turn to freelance content marketers and digital marketing agencies.

Top Reasons to Consider Opening a Franchise

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Open a Franchise|Top Reasons to Consider Opening a FranchiseAll sorts of people love the idea of owning their own business. However, starting from scratch requires a huge amount of time and effort, and there are simply no guarantees of success. This doesn’t mean that you can’t become an entrepreneur. A common approach that people take on is to open a franchise of their own. This way, you can become part of a larger organization that has already stumbled upon a formula for success. Essentially, you can then replicate this by opening up a branch of your own. The rewards are often there to be taken, but the risks are minimized. Take a look at this list of other reasons to consider opening up a franchise.

Allows for a Combination of Independence and Guidance

One of the most attractive parts of running a business is the opportunity to be independent. However, a lot of people don’t like to think that they are entirely on their own. So, having some guidance can be a majorly attractive proposition. This is where educational franchises come in. Some examples of specialized educational franchises include tutoring centers, therapy providers, and schools for children with learning disabilities and etc. These types of franchises can be a good option for those interested in franchising but who want to avoid the risk and uncertainty of starting a business from scratch. Apart from it, specialized niches can be successful with less demand, and a strong reputation can control more market share. Plus, many specialized educational franchises also provide a strong sense of community and camaraderie among franchisees, which can provide additional support and motivation.

Franchises come with a clear set of rules and regulations of what you can and cannot do. There is also all sorts of information offered with regards to promoting your outlet as widely as possible. At the same time, there are also plenty of other executive decisions that you can take, whether you are looking to run a Superior Vapour franchise opportunity or a food and drink outlet.

Big Company Benefits

Many franchise businesses are already well-known, so a big part of the marketing work is taken out of your hands. One of the toughest parts of running a small business is making yourself stand out, and this is a hurdle that a lot of entrepreneurs simply cannot overcome. You may also get other benefits like the opportunity to get discounts from suppliers. Also, you don’t have certain challenges like having to come up with your own recipes, etc. At the same time, you still get a good feel of what being in charge of a business is like, as well as the number of plates that you have to keep spinning at the same time. As a lot of financial projections have already been taken care of, things like applying for a loan suddenly start to seem a lot less daunting.


Less of a Risk

One of the scariest parts of running a business is the level of risk that you are naturally going to have to take on. However, being a franchisee mitigates against this and puts you in a position in which you are more likely to succeed and less likely to fail. Essentially, you are already starting with a blueprint that has been proven to be effective on a wide scale. Of course, this doesn’t mean that there is no element of risk at all. However, when you take a smaller risk when you start up a franchise, this may give you the experience and willingness to launch a company of your own at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Help is Available

Many entrepreneurs get started all on their own. As a result, they feel like there is nobody that they can reach out to along the way. However, when you are part of a franchise, you are involved in a bigger organization. This means that more help is available should you need it along the way. As well as the parent company itself, there are also plenty of other people who have been in the exact same situation as yourself. They have likely encountered many of the problems that you have found yourself up against and can offer you the best advice on how to proceed successfully in the future. In fact, they can help to prevent you from making many of the same errors along the way.

Access to Proper Training

When you start a business on your own, there is nobody there to train you and tell you how to do it well. However, a franchise company knows that there are plenty of new entrepreneurs that are getting involved in their business. As a direct result of this, they will have set up a training scheme that incorporates many of the main elements of running the business successfully. Of course, training is always going to be somewhat limited based on the fact that you learn a lot more on the job than you do simply reading about it.

Have you been convinced to run a franchise business yourself?