It’s no secret that a happy employee is more productive in the workplace, and with many surveyed to be dissatisfied with where they work, businesses will not be getting all that they can from their team members. Therefore it’s worth investing in the welfare and well being of each member of staff, through your business, so that they are a productive part of your company. The following are some key areas, which as an employer you have the power to change, and have been proven to affect a person’s satisfaction in their job.
First and foremost, an employee wants to feel valued by their employer, and an essential part of the team. Investing in a team member’s development and training will not only benefit the business with a highly qualified member of staff, but will also ensure that the employee feels appreciated, and understands that they are an important asset to the company. It’s crucial that each member of the team knows where to go to seek help and support, both for business related issues, and for personal matters that are happening outside of the office, and may be affecting their work and progress. By keeping a constant and open line of communication with your staff, you’ll be able to understand why targets may not be being reached, and if there seems to be a drop in employee performance.
Aside from regular company meetings; one to one catch-ups with a senior member of staff are said to boost a person’s self-esteem and confidence in the workplace. A consistent exchange of information is also an effective way to communicate any constructive criticism, to help the employee develop, in a manner that doesn’t feel intimidating. Invest in the right technology and software for your business and office so that your team don’t feel devalued by certain tasks. Whether you look into a SATbill, invest in mailing software, tighten up your filing and admin process; your effort will not go unnoticed, and your employees will see how you’re improving their day in the office, along with the productivity of the business.
Space, Environment, And Atmosphere
If your staff members are dreading coming into the workplace, due to the uncomfortable temperature or the miserable lighting, they will already be in an unproductive mood when they begin their day. Therefore, it’s essential that you invest in the basics, to create a pleasant working environment. Look into air conditioning or heating options so that concentration levels remain high, and the business can function as normal. If your company doesn’t have the benefit of enough natural lighting; figure out what the best source of artificial lighting is for the space, and prevent a dull workspace and reduce the risk of headaches among the team.
Although you’ll want to maintain a professional working atmosphere throughout the day, you have to bear in mind that each person spends a large proportion of their week at work, so they’re going to appreciate a positive atmosphere when they’re doing their job. Time away from the computer screen, and inviting scenes to look at, reduce fatigue and stress in an employee; so consider investing in your office interior, and ensuring people get regular respite throughout their day. The happier your business environment is to work in, the more productivity it will achieve.
A couple of hundred years ago, not really that long in terms of time, we had to wind up the front of the car to get it working. Eventually, after days or weeks, we would get to our destination. Now, we have vehicles that can drive themselves and you anywhere you want. Progress is a beautiful thing, and the automotive industry is one of the best places to see great technology come to life.
Here are a few of the coolest tech gadgets that you can take with you on your next road trip, even if it’s just to work and home again.
Where once upon a time you would need to arrive bright and early at a dealership and spend most of the day finalising your car. You can open your laptop and bid on an auction and have your new car delivered. Sound like fun? Check out more from Equify Auctions today.
Dash cams have been protecting drivers for years. But, in recent years photographers and videographers have used regular road driving footage in their work. The devices are designed to give a crystal clear image of the road (either behind or in front), record your GPS location and automatically saves the video upon impact. The nifty kit that can keep you safe and provide support for your insurance, and you can also make really cool videos with too.
Coffee anyone? Most drivers spend ages at drive-thrus, either for a much-needed caffeine hot or a snack on the go. If it is the former, then this is something that you might want to invest in. If you wake up late, or you have a long day and drive ahead of you – say hello to the Handpresso. This little perky coffee maker plugs into your cigarette lighter or 12-volt port and hey presto – fresh java. It’s designed to work with your own ground coffee of ESO pods. Completely unnecessary, but much wanted.
An Automatic Car Adapter, this bit of kit plugs into your standard diagnostic port (ODB-II) on most cars. It then allows this device to pull useful data directly from your vehicles onboard computer. However, it doesn’t work with electric cars. You then will have a handy app on your phone that you can use to show a garage when it comes time for a service or if you’ve unexpectedly broken down.
If you were blown away in previous years by the 3D holographic dancers on the stage, then you’re going to love this. The Hudway Cast isn’t cheap, but it is incredible. It wirelessly displays your smartphone screen. This is perfect for people who use their phone in place of a dedicated GPS like a TOMTOM or a Garmin. You can still access the primary function you use on your phone (hopefully not while driving), and see the directions on the HUD the whole time. While it isn’t actually holographic, it does look it, the transparent lens focuses the virtual image around nine feet in front of you.
Right now, you could be sitting at your desk, doing a job that you despise and wondering if there is any other option for earning money without doing what you do right now. The answer is yes. Working for yourself and starting a business from home can be the ideal scenario for anyone who is wanting a taste of being their own boss. It can be exciting, fulfilling and overwhelmed all at the same time. Feelings you may not get working for someone and being just a number in a large corporation. However, what makes a successful home business? Here are some of the key ingredients you need to have.
It sounds basic, but you need an idea. There is no point giving up the day job only to work on this after. Your idea needs to be something that you are passionate about, that you believe in, and that ultimately could be turned into a business.
A place to work
Yes, you will be working from home, that’s the whole idea, but having a dedicated place to work can stop the lines of work and home blurring. It may seem like the perfect situation. Sit on the sofa, work from a laptop, heck you don’t even need to wear a suit. But this can negatively affect your mindset and make you less productive. Not to mention the distractions you might be faced with. It could be an office or just a desk, but it could help you concentrate a lot more with the time you have.
Thinking about the general day to day running
Now comes the fundamental factors of running the business, and the things you may want to consider to keep things ticking along and streamlined. At first, your costs will be a priority, so you may want to think about a low cost vps (virtual private server) to help you when it comes to software applications to use within your business. Other factors might be things like search engine optimization within the content on your website and your branding.
Time to create the foundations
Giving up the day job will be a scary prospect. After all, you are losing that guaranteed income and the job security that you have. Laying down the foundation of your business in your spare time is going to help you make an informed choice of when the right time will be to leave your job and do this full time. It may require evening work, or weekends, utilising every spare hour you have. But it will be worth it in the end.
Investment
You may want to think about investment options. Some business ideas will require you to think about upfront costs, such as creating products or having the tools you need to provide services. Speaking to your bank or an investor could help with this.
Courage
Finally, the last thing I think every budding entrepreneur and business owner needs is a bit of courage. It is something you never know you have until you take risks and show strength. Good luck.
If you are running a business in any kind of industry, it is important that you focus on what is important for your future; your assets and your reputation. Legal challenges might arise from anywhere, and they can cause not only disruption, but also make you lose your most important business partners and your clients. It makes sense to be prepared for legal issues and prevent them as much as possible by conducting thorough risk assessments. First and foremost, you should have a legal representative at hand who will be able to help you through any legal disputes that you may face. Next, you need to make sure that you are aware of potential threats that your business may face so you can avoid them at all costs!
If you are employing staff in your business, it is important that you take care of your human resources and put policies in place to avoid this type of claim. You need to have a clear workplace assessment and disciplinary policy in place, so you can make sure that people are not taking advantage of the gray areas. You might need to consult with an HR expert to make sure that you are covered.
Discrimination
Another issue that is hitting businesses all over the world is discrimination. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to prevent this from happening and make sure that you are able to enforce policies. You will need to have a system in place to record employee performance and treat everyone equally by subjecting them to the same training, procedures, and assessments. If you fail to address equality and diversity at the workplace, you might end up with a costly court case.
Preventing accidents and injuries at the workplace is also an important area you need to focus on. Having a health and safety training schedule in place and appointing representatives and first aiders is important for every business. However, it is also your responsibility to train your staff to keep the public safe. For example, if you run a delivery firm, you might want to enroll your staff to fleet training so they can address risks accordingly.
Copyright Infringement
If you invest in research and development, and are in a technology-driven industry, you will need to make sure that you have your copyrights and patents covered. You will need to talk to a copyright expert to find out whether there are brand names and inventions similar to yours already registered. Copyright infringement cases can damage your reputation and cost you tens of thousands, even more.
Non-compliance
It is important that you regularly review the regulations and requirements related to your industry and your expertise. A legal malpractice case can go on for long years and hang over your head. You might, for example, be charged with negligence if you don’t follow the standard procedures described by your local or regional government. An investigation of your company’s practices will itself reduce your share price and break the trusting relationship with your stakeholders. You can find a few examples of investigations at www.walkuplawoffice.com involving not following the risk assessment procedures.
There are several reasons why companies’ reputation can be damaged overnight. An accident at the workplace, ethical issues, non-compliance, and various employee claims can make you lose your market share and even your business.
When you set up a small business, you tend to have one thing at the forefront of your mind: profit. If you’re not all too interested in making major amounts of money, you are generally better off staying in an employed position, as this will come hand in hand with a whole host of benefits. Your employer will take on responsibility over your overall health and wellbeing, you will have contracted hours (which means that you will know exactly how much should be coming in each month), and you will work set hours and be able to relax when you finish each shift. The benefits that come hand in hand with being your own boss are being able to make a lot more money than you might be able to in an employed position, as an employer will not be taking a cut of the profits that you are generating. It’s not all too surprising, then, that if small business owners tend to be driven by profit, they try to cater to large demographics with their products and services. The more people that a product or service appeals to, the more sales you are likely to generate, and the more money you will earn. But you don’t always necessarily have to focus on catering to the masses to be successful! You can generate a whole lot of money from niche markets too. Here’s just a little more information on the subject!
Filling a Gap In the Market
If you are going to cater to a very niche market, you are likely to find it much easier to fill a gap in the market. Items that cater to huge numbers of people tend to have been done time and time again already. Items that cater to a need that the major market might not have tapped into means that you are likely to draw in more customers, as you are offering something that isn’t out there yet. If an item isn’t available to buy elsewhere, you can also generally put a higher price tag on it, as you won’t be competing with other companies who will be constantly attempting to undercut you in order to draw customers away from you and into their arms.
Conducting Market Research
Before you dive into the deep end with launching a product that caters to a niche market, it’s extremely important that you conduct extensive market research. Conducting market research is always important, but it becomes more important when you don’t have similar businesses to use as an example. You won’t be able to learn from others’ mistakes.
These are just a couple of steps that you can take when attempting to cater to niche markets with your small business. Incorporate them into your business plan as soon as possible!
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