Now this is something you should be focusing on more often than not. But is it? No, not really. A business is all about making money, selling products, and spending money. We do think it’s rare that a business owner actually stops to think about what the public think of the business. Not just the products that they sell or the way they sell it, but what the actual business looks like. What the brand looks like, what the offices or shops look like, and everything else in between. Because when your customers are making a decision about whether to use your company or not, whether it be for the first time or not, they will take all of these things into consideration. They won’t spend days mulling it over, but they will have a quick flash look at your business, and make a decision in seconds just by checking out a few different things. So, considering you only have a couple of seconds to make your business look perfect in the public eye, let’s try and make your business one that’s going to stand out!
What Do They Think Of Your Premises?
Now this is a big one that we feel a lot of businesses without an actual bricks and mortar shop think about. A business premises is easily going to sway the decision of people who might want to buy your products or use your services. If you’re operating from some run down building with hardly any character, it’s just going to give of a bad vibe to potential customers. People like to see modern class when it comes to business, it just makes things so much more appealing. So you might want to have a look into things such as commercial roofing, office renovation, and just giving your whole premises a revamp, no matter what it is that you have. Not only will it make you more appealing to the public, but it’ll give you and your employees such a better place to work from!
What Do They Think Of Your Brand?
Brand image is huge with business. If your brand is something that sticks out like a sore thumb, it’s going to be so hard to actually get yourself noticed. Even if this means you have to make a couple of little changes to your brand, it’ll all be worth it. You need to be bright, you need to be exciting, and you need to have something memorable that potential customers can relate you to. It could be something like a logo with a funky slogan, or a really good brand ethos that’s changing the world. Just be different, and be everything that your customers need you to be.
What Do They Think Of You?
This is definitely one that you might forget about, because it’s easy to think that you’re perfect and wonderful, and that no one could have a bad view of you. But if you do anything wrong as you start becoming a bigger business, it will be seen in the public eye. You need to focus on being an ambassador for your business, and giving back to the public so that you look like a person with the public in mind!
Setting up and managing a business from home can be ideal for many people, allowing them a great deal more job satisfaction, flexibility over their working patterns and choices over how they organize their professional life. Many of the benefits for choosing your home over an office or other workspace are monetrary – it doesn’t cost money to travel to work, the premises and all the other costs, such as insurance and utility bills. However, there are some negatives to running a business from home, a lot of which are to do with remaining productive and being motivated. Here, we look at how you can work from home and still be efficient.
Create a workspace
The tempatation of sitting in your pajamas and working on the sofa in front of the TV can be strong when you work from home. While this is one of the benefits, it is not necessarily the best way to work, certainly not if you want to be productive. Take the time to create a dedicated workspace, even if it jut a nook in your bedroom where you can work in comfort with few distractions. If you do not have the space inside your house, look at converting the attic or garage, or even erect a summer house.
You don’t need many things; a decent chair, a desk, some shelves and cupboards and good lighting. You can always add a few homely little touches such as prints and plants to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
If your business involves food preparation – perhaps you work in catering or bake cakes – make sure that wherever you are working meets any hygiene regulations.
Inform the relevant people
Making sure that you have registered and told all of the necessary people that you are working from your home as soon as possible can take away a lot of worry and stress. One of the most essential departments to tell is the tax office so that you do not accidentally commit any sort of tax fraud or evasion. For certain businesses, you may have to register with certain regulatory bodies. Your mortgage company or landlord may need informing as well, as they may need to take out extra insurance to cover you.
Stay on task
As we mentioned above, it is really easy to get caught up watching TV, or doing the hoovering, or making the beds or any other job other than the one that you are supposed to be doing. Before you realise, half of your working time has gone, and you have achieved next to nothing. Start off the day creating a list of tasks you need to complete by the end of the day, and make sure that you do them.
Take a break
When you are absorbed in thinking about how much money you can make working from home and how much easier it would be, it can be easy to get completely lost in your work and let it take over your own time or time with your family. This is not healthy for anyone and can be counterproductive. When you are tired you are not working at your very best. Try using the Pomodoro technique. This method involves you working for 25 minutes, having a five-minute break away from the computer or the task, and then working for another 25 minutes to help you take short, regular breaks. If possible, move away from your desk and stretch your legs or go outside for a few deep breaths of fresh air.
Keep hydrated
When you are sitting at a desk, bashing away at a computer, staying hydrated can be something that slips our mind. Drinking gallons of coffee may seem like it is helping, but it really isn’t. Keep a bottle of water at your desk and try to drink it all before the end of your working day. Add slices of lemon or lime to give it a bit of zing if you don’t like plain water.
Switch off at the end of the day
Don’t give in to the temptation to check your emails before you go to bed, or to make that phone call just before you chill out after your dinner. Before you know it, you have worked for several more hours, often unpaid, and have had no down time at all that day.
It is important to set yourself working hours – and make sure that you stick to them! Swicth on an automatic out of office reply for your emails and switch the messaging service on your phone when you finish for the day and deal with them in the morning when you are back at your desk.
Outsource and delegate tasks
To try and save some money do everything yourself. However, this usually end up costing you time – and therefore money – especially if it is a job that someone else can do more effectively. Many people can offer services such as marketing, accountancy, design, photography and virtual administration on a freelance basis. Delegate these tasks and spend your precious time on growing and developing your business.
Get out of the house.
Working from home can be ivery lonely, especially if you are used to working in a busy and bustling office. Ensure that you take time out to meet up with friends and get out of the house for a walk, even if it is just grabbing a coffee or sandwich in a cafe at lunchtime.
Stay organized
If you have worked in an office before, you might be used to someone managing a schedule or your diary for you and telling you when you need to be and when. When you are working from home, unless you have employed a virtual assistant, this is something that you have to do. Keep a big planner on the wall in front of you, so you can be sure not to miss anything. You may also want to add appointments, deadlines and meetings to a digital calendar, such as on Google, which you can access when you are out and about.
It may also a good idea to create some sort of organisational system, so that your office isn’t covered in bits of paper and receipts. By filing away important documents, you will know where everything is when you need it.
Of course, if these tips don’t help you to stay on task and be productive at home, you might want to look at Finding Startup Office Space | The Complete Guide for some office spaces that give you the benefits of working for yourself without any of the negatives.
If you have an office space that you use to work from home, when was the last time that you gave it a bit of an update? Have you just been using it for a while now and really reexamined with a pair of fresh eyes? It could be a cluttered space, an uninspiring space, a dull space, and not one that is going to be very conducive to a productive work environment. And if you solely work from home, then an office space that allows you to be creative and get your work done is definitely going to be what you should be looking out for.
So with all of that in mind, here are some of the things that you could be doing to your home office to make sure that you have a space that boosts some creativity, energy, and productivity.
Use Color Wisely
There is a lot of psychology behind color, and when you want a space that is going to help you to be productive, then you need to use color wisely. Color can really have an impact on things like stress levels, focus, and emotions. Calming colors are colors like yellow and neutrals, and blues can be quite calming, although they can leave a cool feeling which may put you off from being productive. Red shades can feel quite chaotic and can raise your stress levels, so they might not be the best for a home office space.
Decluttered Space
If you are in a cluttered space then it can be really counterproductive to getting things done. So being able to clear your space is really important. It might be that you simply need to have a clear out, but you might need to get some storage for your office space. You might also need to get your own storage, perhaps even something like looking into prefab metal buildings if you have a lot of inventory that is taking up space. You will know where everything is once it has been organized, and it will mean that your working day can be improved as you won’t have to search for things and spend a while doing so.
Light the Way
The benefits of natural light are really undeniable. Natural light can be really important for helping to life mood, as well as helping you to be happy, alert, and even more focused. It is better for your eyes as well too, when you don’t have to strain with unnatural light. That can lead to headaches and other things that can hinder how productive you are, if you don’t have adequate natural light.
Bring the Outdoors In
There have been many studies that support the claim that bringing the outdoors inside, such as plants and natural materials, can provide better air quality, as well as having psychological benefits. So the science suggests that if you have plenty of plants around the home, then it can decrease your number of sick days, as well as increase your productivity.
Creativity is a really important aspect of business. Only when your employees are feeling creative will they come up with brand new ideas and directions for your business. And yet, the vast majority of offices and businesses completely fail to inspire any kind of creativity.
Creativity doesn’t come from nowhere. It is actually a combination of things and usually, the first spark of an idea happens when you find the right inspiration and you are relaxed enough to let the thought through. This is why a dull grey cubicle in an open plan office is rarely a place for great ideas!
Transforming Your Office
It might sound superficial but everything from the color of your office to the layout will have an effect on the way you work. Whether you are looking to boost your creativity or you want your team to be more productive, you should look at your office design first.
A bright space where employees feel that they can express themselves is really important. Indeed, being able to play – whether that means adding a foosball table or a stack of video games – is also really important. Adults learn through play just as much as kids do and being able to relax is vital for clear thinking.
If you can create a flexible space where your employees can make the room into what they need for their project, that would really help too. It’s incredible that something as simple as moving some furniture around could make a difference but, hey, at least that’s a fairly simple problem to fix! Have a look at Rieke.com to see what your office could become.
Be an Inclusive Office
Inclusivity is really important in any office but if you want to be more creative, you must ensure that you foster the right culture. Diversity is key to creating a team but we’re not just talking about socio-economic diversity, here, deep-level diversity including personality, values and abilities are also essential.
Though a group of people who all approach problems in different ways can be difficult to manage, they are much more likely to have a lightbulb moment than a group who all think in the same way. This is because as they discuss their ideas, they will be able to bounce off each other, finding flaws and solutions as they go.
But inclusivity is about more than diversity. Inclusivity is about giving people the chance to speak and to shine no matter whether they are a junior in their first week or a manager with years of experience. This article from Entrepreneur has some interesting ideas but the one that stands out most for creativity are the simplest: talk about something other than work.
Inspiration can and should come from anywhere and, though the office might be the most logical space for a business, you must adapt that space to make it work for you. Transforming your office is a good start to this process but you must also transform your culture to succeed.
We all know that making our money last until payday at the end of the month can be a bit of a struggle at times. For instance, months like December when there is so much to buy can be extra difficult to get through. But it doesn’t always have to be so disheartening once you do get to the end of the month. There are plenty of ways you can make your money last a little longer, no matter how big or small your wages may be. Read on to find out more.
Always Set A Budget
One of the best things we can all do to help us save a bit of extra money is to write up a budget. In this budget, you should include your monthly income as well as any regular expenses that you know you will face over the coming month. This should give you a good idea of how much cash you should have left once you’ve paid for all your usual bills and other expenses. Once you know how much money you have left for the month, you should find it easier not to overspend.
Consolidate Your Debt Repayments
If you are trying to pay off various credit cards and other loans, you might find that saving when trying to make a number of different monthly repayments is very difficult. There is one solution that will really help, though – you just need to consolidate all of your debt repayments. If you take a look on the CardGuru website, you should find the perfect credit card that you could use to pay off all your current debt. You will then only have to deal with one consolidated debt repayment each month. Many people find it easier to save once they do this.
When you are writing up your monthly budget, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at your expenses and see if there are any that you could do without. For example, you might still be paying for a subscription service that you no longer need. If you do find a few expenses that you no longer need to pay for, it’s important that you cancel them as soon as possible. Then you should find you have a bit more money to play with throughout the month!
Save At The Start Of The Month
Another really useful tip that many people use to help save a little bit more each month is putting some savings away as soon as they are paid. If you know you can afford $100 each month, then move that over to a savings account straight away. Then the rest of your money is to live off. You should find that this prevents you spending your savings on accident.
Always Sleep On Big Purchases
Buying things spontaneously is most people’s downfall when it comes to making their money last. If this sounds like you, then this tip may help you last until payday – simply sleep on large purchases.
Protecting your business should be high up on your list of priorities. No matter how safe you think your business is, there is always going to be something that you will miss, and this is not going to bode well when it comes back to haunt you. As such, we have written this article to ensure that you know the steps that you can take to protect your business. What are these? We’re glad you asked.
Keep It Secure
The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that your business is secure. There are many issues with security both physical and online, but you need to have the best possible protection in place. For example, your business building should have some sort of security whether this is people or security cameras is up to you. As long as you have something or someone watching out for your business at all times.
When it comes to the online side of things, you need to ensure that you have encryptions, passwords, firewalls and antivirus software up and running on all aspects of your network. This way, you are going to know that it is secure, and you will have the peace of mind that you need to keep everything running smoothly.
Insure It
The second thing that you are going to need to do is to check that you have all of the necessary insurances in place. There is a long list of policies that you need which include but are not limited to premises liability, employers liability, workers compensation, and public liability. These are just a few of the policies that you need to be looking for if you want to protect your business. If you don’t have the necessary coverage, you are going to find that your business is left vulnerable and unprotected.
Hire The Right Team
If you want to keep your business safe, you need to make sure that you have hired a great team to have behind you. Without this, your business is never truly going to be safe. Even if you trust every single member of staff in your company, you still should have them sign some sort of confidentiality document that says they are not going to share private information about your company with anybody else. This is the only way that you can be sure this isn’t going to happen.
As well as this though, you should talk to your employees. Let them know what data is confidential and what isn’t. Speak to them as though you are their equal and they will respond in kind by protecting your business. Your employees are going to be the backbone of operations of your business, if you don’t have them on your side, you need to get them there quick.
We hope that you have found this article useful, and now know some of the things that you are going to need to keep your business safe. If you follow the advice laid out in this article, your business is going to stay safe and secure for years to come.
Recent Comments