Posts

Why Professional Development Is Important

/in /by

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Professional Development|Why Professional Development Is ImportantMany professionals think that if they have years of experience working in their domain, there is nothing left to learn. But this assumption is wrong, as technology and the world are constantly developing and evolving. And professional development cannot only benefit your career but your personal life too.

On the other side, there might be many employees that want to develop more professionally but their employers do not see this as a necessity. As long as employees have graduated, they know everything they need and nothing new can be learnt.

This is a wrong assumption and businesses which do not see good reasons to invest in the professional development of the employees are halting their development. Professional development is important and it can bring benefits not only to the people who decide to take this step in their career but also to employers. Committing to becoming 1% better every day can change everything and this is valid both for leaders and their teams.

So, why is professional development important?

You Gain More Knowledge

If you take a look at how the state of the world is now, you will notice that almost everything has improved. We have almost eradicated extreme poverty and the entire quality of life has increased. Societies, businesses, and people and improving and evolving. And technology does this too.

Continuous professional development helps you gain more knowledge on the topics that are essential to your career. More knowledge allows you to get a new and fresh perspective on some topics, and this is important when dealing with complex issues or problems. Applying the knowledge you get through training or participation at seminars and conferences in your organization contributes to its development. More knowledge means more resources and perspectives, things that are essential both for leaders and employees.

Gaining more knowledge is a professional goal that can enhance your career, a thing that is true both for leaders and team members. A leader should always seek improvement because he is the person many people look up to, the human that has the power of inspiring and motivating the team.

And also, the one who leads the entire activity and coordinates the team, supporting team members in their efforts of accomplishing the team’s goal. If the leader of a team thinks that professional development is important and he seeks it, the team will follow. And this brings us to the next benefit.

Improved Skills

When looking at job requirements, you can easily notice that you need both hard and soft skills. Almost all jobs imply working in a team and collaborating effectively. Not all people have the opportunity to get involved in activities that help them develop their skills. And even though the actual job means accomplishing your tasks, there might be things the process of solving tasks does not teach you.

But why would someone want to improve their skills? Improved skills help employees organize their time more efficiently which leads to increased productivity. At the same time, they can learn strategies to diffuse and handle conflicts, give feedback, and communicate and collaborate across teams.

If people improve their skills continuously, it helps them work better in a team and boost their productivity and efficiency. This is important not only for their morale but also for the organization. Businesses that put an emphasis on the importance of professional development and encourage their employees to engage in it can save costs and come with new and fresh ideas.

More Engagement, Inspiration, and Loyalty

People like employers that care about them and their opinion and that are ready to invest in them. As knowledge and technology are constantly evolving, more and more employees feel that upskilling is necessary and essential in order to meet job demands. Developing yourself professionally helps you become better at what you are doing.

Of course, when your employer supports you in your quest of improving yourself and continuing your professional development, you get closer to it. Businesses and leaders that choose to invest in their employees can only benefit from it. Employees will be more loyal to the organization and their engagement level will also rise. Companies need to value their employees and support them in their goal of developing professionally.

Employees can get more inspiration from the development opportunities they will benefit from. They will be more open to going the extra mile and put in more effort to solve complex problems at work. At the same time, leaders who continue their professional development will become a source of inspiration for team members. All these contribute to higher job satisfaction that can increase the productivity and efficiency of employees. Studies have found that employees who report being more satisfied with their job are more creative, more open to outside ideas, and more productive.

Achieve Goals

Goals are an essential part of every business strategy and working team. The process of setting goals helps people from the same team be on the same track, find ways to accomplish those goals, and track progress. Goals can keep you motivated and persevering. But as the projects of the team grow in difficulty, so must the skills and expertise do. People need to develop professionally to update their knowledge and gather a new one. This new information will help them achieve their career goals because they gain more expertise in the field.

At the same time, more expertise gives you more self-confidence and motivation. This is something every employee deserves and needs to become a better one. Achieving goals might be a process full of obstacles, and knowing how to handle these complex moments can make the whole situation more approachable. People who continue their professional development develop skills that will help them achieve their career goals. They will also be great and committed team members that will lead the team to the next level.

Investing in the Future

Many businesses and organizations that choose to support their employees in their professional development are choosing to invest in their future. Professional development enhances the skills of the employees and leaders alike. It is a journey many employees want to embark on, but the results are not immediate. Organizations that understand this will benefit the most.

Professional development will easily be noticed in the way employees approach complex problems. It will be seen in the way team members collaborate and communicate within the team and across other teams. Leaders will be more inspiring and encouraging and the execution of tasks will be better. Employees who will see that employers care about their professional development will be more loyal to the organization and will experience a boost in morale. Their job satisfaction will rise and so will their productivity and performance.

Professional development is important because it helps employees and employers alike to grow. And this growth brings only benefits. It is an investment in the future of the business and its people. Keeping up the pace with the knowledge and technology updates will help employees and organizations adapt easier to challenging times and handle complex tasks more efficiently. At the same time, the constantly growing level of expertise within the business will support the complex processes of building the business strategy, executing, and managing it. The business will grow along with its employees who invest in their professional development.

About the Author
StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Tiffany HarperTiffany Harper is an experienced writing guru who’s been working in the B2B sector for several years now. She loves to share her thoughts through blogs and social media, sometimes she helps when somebody needs to get assignment help like SuperiorPapers. For her love of writing, she also provided some consultation while working with the best assignment writing service. Tiffany’s hobbies are playing board games with friends, going to rock concerts, and exploring nature’s marvels.

Why SEO is important for SaaS businesses

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, Why SEO is important for SaaS businessesSEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is vital for any company with an online presence. It refers to the process of improving the visibility of your website in the organic results of search engines such as Google. Many factors go into the algorithms that generate search engine rankings, including keywords, links and mobile optimization, which means there are lots of techniques you can use to improve your website’s position. If you run a SaaS business (one in which customers pay for access to a software product), SEO is going to be particularly important for you and your company. Here’s why.

Drive traffic to your website

This is perhaps the most obvious benefit of having a good SEO strategy. The higher up your website appears on Google when people search for a relevant keyword or phrase, the more likely they are to click through to your page. It’s estimated that over 25% of people click on the first organic search result on Google, and people rarely go on to even the second page of results. Combined with the fact that most online experiences begin with a search engine, it’s easy to see why SEO is a vital part of getting customers onto your site.

Publicize your business without spending money on advertising

Lots of SaaS companies turn to paid advertising to promote themselves, which is a completely valid strategy but can take up a lot of your budget. Therefore when it comes to SEO SaaS companies have a cost-effective alternative to help generate more web traffic and gain more customers, particularly in the long term. This is especially helpful for newer SaaS businesses that perhaps don’t have a large budget for advertising, or who are happy to invest some time in creating the sort of high-quality content that ranks well. In the highly competitive world of SaaS, this can be a fantastic strategy.

StrategyDriven Online Marketer & Website Developer Magazine

Stand out from your competitors

As mentioned above, the SaaS market is a very competitive one. It’s rapidly growing and expected to be worth over $140 billion globally by 2022. Standing out in such a crowded marketplace can be difficult, but a good SEO strategy can be a big help. By consistently appearing at the top of search engine results, it’s more likely that potential customers will remember and recognize your company name – even if they don’t click through to your site at first. Plus your main competitors will probably be utilizing SEO themselves, so you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage if you don’t do the same.

Get more customers

Essentially this is what it’s all about. The reason that you want more traffic to your site and greater brand recognition is all to help get more people to subscribe to the software you’re offering. Appearing at the top of search engine listings doesn’t just encourage people to click through to your site, it also helps boost your company’s credibility and trustworthiness. Organic content such as blog posts and videos tends to be viewed more highly in comparison with advertising, so packing your pages with great content not only helps improve your rankings, it also builds you a better reputation. It’s a win-win!

Six Ways to Improve Your Business’ Efficiency

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business Efficiency|Six Ways to Improve Your Business’ EfficiencyTime is money, and for that reason one of the single best ways to improve your bottom line is to improve your business’ efficiency. This applies to every single aspect of your company, from supply chain all the way to employee management. Some will require trial and error, yes, and you will learn as you go (even if you are an established business). Other efficiency solutions, however, come in the form of new business management tactics and tech tools.

There are so many ways that you can improve your business’ efficiency, and this guide will help you get started:

1. Software to Manage Remote Traveling Teams

If your business operates via house calls (plumbers, electricians, movers, tech experts, etc) then you need a unique, effective solution to manage your team on the go. There are so many applications to service dispatch software that go beyond just team management as well. You can provide customers with live updates, provide map directions to your team, and add new or recurring jobs without causing any schedule conflicts.

2. Software to Manage Remote Work from Home Teams

The best option to keep track of what your work from home teams are doing is through a simple project management solution. Have each team create a set of sub-goals for their task, so they can easily update you, the manager, on their progress. This way you don’t have to check in and interrupt the workflow just to get a sense of where they are at with their task. You can just look online, and make note of what teams are making good progress, and which ones seem to be struggling.

3. Cloud Technology

The reason why you will want to use cloud technology is that it enables the same data and tools to be shared to all of your remote employees without requiring them to download that information or those tools directly to their own computer. Furthermore it also allows for instantaneous collaboration, so your employees can get work done in live time, rather than interrupting themselves with long email chains.

4. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Separate cloud systems are not perfect. Ideally they need to be able to talk to one another so that you can set up automated tasks, updates, and reminders. The most extensive option that will allow for this is an ERP system. Enterprise Resource Planning is meant for large, multi-national corporations, but there are plenty of smaller-scale options that fulfill the same basic functions: collaboration and automation.

5. Supply Chain Optimization

If 2020 taught businesses anything, it is that complex supply chains are not sustainable. There are too many variables that come into play that could interrupt the supply chain and put everyone down the line in a vulnerable position. Try to optimize your supply chain by removing unnecessary steps, and even by working with more local suppliers to ensure steady shipment.

6. Redesigning Waste

It isn’t just time you can work to improve. Redesign packaging, your printing model, and even the raw materials you use so that you can reduce waste at its source. Save by minimizing waste, and be a better business for it.

When Is The Right Time To Hire Your First Employee?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Hiring Employees|When Is The Right Time To Hire Your First Employee?Although it’s entirely possible to run your business by yourself for as long as you want to – maybe even forever – that’s not what every business and every business owner needs. In fact, for some businesses, not taking on staff can be detrimental and reduce growth, or even cause the business to stagnate.

Knowing when it’s the right time to hire your first employee, however, can be difficult to determine, especially if you are nervous about doing so. Move too soon, and you won’t be able to afford it, wait too long, and you’ll have missed too many opportunities. Read on to get a better idea of when to start the hiring process.

You’ll Make More Money

It is an expensive time when you hire someone. Not only will you be taking time away from the business to read through resumes and interview candidates, but you’ll suddenly need to be paying someone a regular amount of money each week or month. If you are unable to do that, your employees won’t stay around, and they might even take the matter further and sue you for their money. Plus you’ll need to pay taxes, insurance, and maybe contribute to pensions schemes.

You will need to add this all up and determine whether or not you can afford to take someone on. You will also need to work out how much additional revenue you can bring in by hiring someone. It might be that they can pay for themselves and then some. You should wait until you are financially stable, however, as it is a gamble that might not pay off.

You Can Do It Right

When we say do it right, we don’t mean all the admin and other exercises that need to be done when you hire someone. You can outsource much of this and TriNet’s payroll services can take on what you cannot such as managing your payroll for you or simplifying your taxes.

What we mean is that you need to be able to find the right person for your business, and, when they are hired, you need to be able to ensure that they are looked after. Getting these aspects right will help you immensely. You’ll have someone you can trust who, because they feel happy and satisfied in their work, will be loyal. Loyal employees are wonderful as they will mean you don’t have to start all over again and spend more money looking for other workers.

You Need Something Specific

As noted above, outsourcing can be a wonderful way to ensure that work is done accurately and professionally. You can do this with many aspects of your business, and it will mean that anything specific that needs to be done and requires a certain skill set can be completed.

In time, however, you may find that it would be easier to hire someone to do the work in-house. Some business owners prefer to have someone working just for them, and if this is the case and you no longer want to outsource yet can’t do the work yourself, it could be time to hire your first employee.

How to Reduce Business Costs

/in /by

Every business will have various costs, which are, unfortunately, unavoidable. While many expenses are inevitable, there are always ways that you can reduce them which could have a significant impact on your bottom line. Even the tiniest alteration could have a considerable impact in the long run, so it is certainly worthwhile making a few changes – provided that it does not impact the quality of the product or service that you offer to your target customer. Additionally, it is important to re-assess your costs regularly to make sure that you are not overspending. Here are a few ways that you can reduce your business costs.

Outsourcing Work

It can be helpful to have employees, and in some cases, you will need staff that you can rely on, but for certain aspects of the operation, you may be able to outsource the work. Doing so is beneficial because you do not have to pay a salary and instead it can be on a per-project basis. This could free up a tremendous amount of cash and drastically reduce your costs without impacting the quality of work (just make sure that you use specialists!). You can also use interns so that you have staff onsite but without the costly salary.

Encourage Remote Working

Another good way to save money when it comes to staff is to encourage remote working. What this means is that you are using much less energy in the office, plus it can also bring various other benefits for both the company and the employee. Technology has made remote working a viable option and should be encouraged by all employers.

Use Time More Effectively

Wasted time means wasted money so it is worth identifying a few ways that you and your staff can use your time more effectively. This could include:

  • Eliminating unnecessary meetings
  • Minimizing distractions
  • Using software to track time usage
  • Setting goals
  • Incentivizing staff
  • Creating a weekly schedule
  • Using technology to streamline/automate specific tasks

Lease Equipment

Most businesses rely very heavily on equipment and technology for their operation. It can be expensive but often the technology and equipment will quickly become dated, plus there could be maintenance costs to factor in. Leasing equipment will prove to be cheaper in the long run, and it gives you the chance to upgrade to the latest technology when developments are made (which is often in many cases).

Software

Again, most businesses rely very heavily on software for their operation, and this can be a considerable expense. While there may be specific software which is essential for your business, you will find that often there is a free open-source alternative available. This option can sometimes be better than expensive software packages.

Switch To Alternative Energy

In a time where environmental damage is a significant talking point, it is crucial for businesses to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One of the most effective strategies for this is to switch to alternative energy. In addition to the environmental benefits, this will also prove to be cost effective in the long run despite the initial price.

Go Paperless

Similarly, going paperless is vital in terms of reducing environmental damage, but it can also bring a few benefits to any business. First, you can cut costs as paper and printing can be costly over the course of a year, but it can also improve the organization of your operation. This is because digitizing documents can free up space in the office and make it much easier to find what you need (just be sure to backup regularly and having a digital storage system in place).

Switch Providers & Suppliers

It is also worth listing all of your utility providers and suppliers to see if you could be making any savings by switching to another company. It can be a complicated process, but if you can make long-term savings, it is certainly worthwhile considering.

Do Your Own Marketing

One of the most significant yet most important expenses is marketing. Every company needs high-quality marketing in order to increase awareness about your brand and to increase your visibility online, but this can be expensive. It is for this reason why it is a smart move to do your own marketing. You can complete an online MBA in marketing which will teach you everything that you need to know to market your business across multiple platforms. This, in turn, should help to boost your sales, making it a highly valuable and worthwhile course to complete.

Purchase Second-Hand Furniture

It is crucial that you create a comfortable and practical work environment for your employees so that they can be productive each day and to keep morale high. Office furniture can be expensive, and it is important to have quality items, but you could make significant savings by merely buying second-hand furniture or by searching online for free furniture that people are giving away.

Insurance

Having insurance in place is an absolute necessity as it could be devastating to the company if you do not have this and something were to happen. There are a few different ways that you can save money on insurance. These include:

  • Comparing providers
  • Asking your current provider to match the best rate that you find
  • Consolidating insurance policies
  • Making sure that you are not overinsured or have duplicate coverage

Downsize Business Premises

It is nice to have a big open office, but this can be a considerable expense and often is not necessary. Especially when first starting out, it is a good idea to opt for somewhere smaller which will still allow you to work comfortably and you could then look to upgrade when you are in a healthier financial situation or if you are going through an expansion.

Every business owner should regularly look at their operation to see if there are ways that they can reduce costs in order to maximize profit. In most cases, you will be able to find a few ways that you are able to cut down on costs and even a small change could have a big impact in the long run.