Successful Blog

4 Ways Your SMB Can Invest in Technology

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By Kayla Matthews

 

Spurred by new breakthroughs, technology is growing at a rapid pace, reshaping the way customers shop and how businesses are run. Right now, technology is more important than ever for small and medium businesses. If you want your SMB to stay competitive, you’ll need to take advantage of the latest developments.

Here are 4 different ways that your SMB can invest in technology.

1. Mobile-Friendly Web Presence

Mobile traffic dominates the web — by almost any measurement, customers prefer to shop, interact with brands and browse using mobile devices.. If your web presence isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you could be losing out on mobile-only customers to businesses with more mobile-friendly web presences.

Most business services, like e-commerce platforms and content management systems, are built with mobile in mind, so it’s not usually costly or difficult to optimize your web presence for mobile devices.

SMBs should also be sure that they are taking advantage of mobile features, like mobile web payments, click-to-call buttons and apps.

2. Take to the Cloud

For almost every service that an SMB needs — payroll, accounting, HR — there is a cloud-based tool or solution available.

Cloud-based tools allow SMB managers and team members to view essential business data, no matter where they are or what kind of device they’re using, so long as they have access to the web. As a result, these tools allow for a much more flexibility and power than you’d normally have available.

These cloud-based services are especially good for SMBs whose team members and managers are often on the move and don’t always have access to critical business data. If you need to quickly make financing decisions to improve cash flow, set up a new team member on payroll or re-evaluate a quarterly budget, you’ll be able to do so from just about any device with an internet connection.

3. Plan to Cycle Computer Equipment

Technology is always advancing, and if you’re not consistently investing in new technology, you and your employees could be losing out on the benefits that advanced technology can provide SMBs.

Some employees — especially if they’re working with large amounts of data or advanced technology like machine learning — may need more processing power or specialized equipment.

To get these employees the equipment they need — while spending smartly on equipment — your SMB can plan life-cycle rotations its your computer equipment in which your business phases out — or phases down — old technology and phases in new equipment. Old technology can be sold, recycled or passed down to users who don’t need specialized technology.

If you’re unsure about how to best cycle out equipment, or which device investments to prioritize, you can consider working with an IT consultant or other tech professional who can help your SMB plan its equipment rotations.

4. Invest in Points of Contact

With the right technology, SMBs can make getting in touch as easy as possible.

Small web changes, like adding a chat widget or click-to-call button to your site can provide customers with an easily accessible point of communication with your team that can quickly move them further along the sales funnel. Even if your SMB can’t put an employee or team member in touch right away, there’s often technology available — like advanced AI chatbots and dynamic phone menus — that can field new customers and direct them to a live agent when possible.

Improving an SMB with Technology Investment

Technology is one of the most powerful tools an SMB can have — but you will need to carefully select the technologies your business pursues if you want to get the most out of your investment.

Cloud-based tech can help keep business operations running, even if key management members don’t have access to business computers. Mobile-friendly web design and contact methods can help your business secure customers, who are more likely than ever to be visiting your business’s web presence and interacting with your brand using  a mobile device.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Featured image by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

Should Your Office Go Green?

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By Kayla Matthews

Environmental friendliness is increasingly popular topic, and more and more businesses and consumers are coming to value sustainability and green practices. Business that want be eco-friendlier can use sustainable policies and practices to reduce waste and make their offices greener — and they can reap some major benefits for doing so.

Below, we’ll cover some of the main advantages of going green, and how you can make your office space eco-friendlier and more sustainable.

Why Go Green?

Going green can secure offices a few different benefits. Businesses money by reducing waste and trimming operation costs. Implementing office sustainability initiatives — like programs that reduce waste or the amount of energy your office uses — can help office managers spend less on keeping the lights on and the office heated.

Buildings with eco-friendly certifications, like the ENERGY STAR certification, are more likely to find tenants and go for higher prices on the market and are generally seen as more valuable than less sustainable buildings.

Going green can benefit your employees’ health — green cleaning products are less likely to contain chemicals that are irritating or harmful to the health of your employees.

A green office space could also be a huge boon if you want to advertise your brand as being sustainable or eco-friendly.

Customers, especially those from younger generations, prefer to shop at businesses that align with their values — and more and more often, those values include sustainability and consideration for the environment. These customers want to feel like they are making a positive change in the world with their purchases and habits. As a result, sustainability sells — customers are willing to pay a premium for products from brands with eco-friendly images.

The biggest benefit of going green, however, is itself — with green policies, you’ll be reducing your office’s carbon footprint, creating less waste and helping to preserve the environment.

How Your Office Can Go Green

Going green isn’t the result of one policy change — instead, it will take a combination of many smaller tweaks and policy changes that come together to reduce waste and encourage sustainability.

An office can become greener by swapping out less efficient equipment for newer or more green models. For any given piece of office equipment, there’s likely a green alternative — desktops can be traded for more energy-efficient laptops, traditional light bulbs can be replaced with LED light bulbs and so on.

Smart thermostats and office temperature systems can intelligently manage the heating and cooling of your office in a way that will reduce energy use. For example, these systems can detect the parts of the office that are currently occupied and only heat or cool those areas, or automatically shutting off the temperature control when no one is in the building.

Smart power strips can intelligently put devices into sleep mode or shut down all devices when a main device is turned off. These power strips can be good for powering office computers at desks or cubicles, as most other devices can be safely powered down for the day once the computer is shut down.

Outfitting your office with products and materials designed to be sustainable and eco-friendly can help you reduce your office’s consumption of water and energy. You may also be able to ditch some products altogether — going paperless can significantly reduce both office waste and resources needed.

You can also provide training for employees on how they can help the office become more sustainable. For example, if your office is part of a recycling program, you may need to train your employees about special recycling procedures — like how plastic containers that held food need to be rinsed out before being recycled.

Greening the Office

More and more offices are going green, taking advantage of new technology and products to help reduce office waste and resource consumption.

When it comes to making an office green, businesses have a range of strategies to choose from — including adopting energy-efficient equipment, smart technology or switching to more sustainable products.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Photo by Crew on Unsplash

How to Cultivate a Happy Work Environment

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By Kayla Matthews

Businesses experience ups and downs throughout the years as a result of many different factors. Profits might decrease because of a sinking economy or clients may prefer to take their business elsewhere because newer businesses opened up nearby.

Sometimes a business fails to exceed quarterly or yearly expectations because of the work environment. When employees aren’t happy to clock in every day or don’t enjoy the 40 or more hours they spend there each week, the business will suffer from decreased productivity.

Prevent this from happening by reading about how to cultivate a happy work environment. A few adjustments to the current work culture could make all the difference between your business succeeding or failing this year.

Balance Work and Home Life

Most people don’t choose a career because they want to work long hours and rarely spend time outside of the office. Even employees who do what they love will still want to leave work at work when they clock out every night. When there’s no clear boundary between the two, it’s difficult for employees to manage their stress and appreciate the opportunities their job offers.

Make it clear to employees that management intends to help them balance their work and home life. Strategies such as cutting down on unnecessary meetings or enforcing quiet hours where meeting rooms open up for phone calls helps everyone focus and get more work done.

At the end of the day, employees will feel happier knowing they accomplished everything they needed to and get to mentally unplug at home. They’ll appreciate their job and management more, leading to more productivity and a positive work environment.

Create Workplace Perks

At a certain point, working hard isn’t as rewarding as it once was. Employees who give their all every day will experience burnout and produce lower quality work at slower speeds. Their low energy may also spread to other employees who could feel the same way.

Encourage your employees and thank them for their hard work by creating workplace perks that go beyond a small yearly raise. Raises are nice, but they rarely make a significant change in an employee’s financial life.

Instead, check out perk ideas that everyone will love. A few easy ones to start with include:

  1. Increased Paid Time Off (PTO)
  2. Free snacks or drinks
  3. Memberships at a local gym
  4. Monthly work-from-home opportunities

It may be useful to send an office survey listing potential perks and asking people to vote for their favorites. The accurate survey results will guide management to the most motivating perks without a trial and error process.

Reinforce Work With Positivity

There may be no better feeling than a rewarding show of thanks after hard work. It’s more personal than a nod in the hallway after weeks or months of dedication. Management should reinforce hard work with positivity, which will result in more customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction is the same thing as customer happiness. When customers feel that they’ve been treated right, their happiness is what brings them back in the future. Without happy customers, no business can succeed for very long. The happier customers become, the stronger the business is.

An effective way to ensure customer happiness is to create a happy work environment. Employees who love where they work and what they do will spread their happiness to the customers they interact with. That’s why many businesses know customer happiness is necessary to achieve projected success.

After implementing tips like showing gratitude to employees instead of saying it, their happiness will be felt by customers who come back for more of that positivity. Host a workplace lunch, order a special award or meal for the hardworking employees or create special perks just for the best performers to see this result in your workspace.

Provide Professional Growth Opportunities

No one enjoys working a dead-end job. People always look for new opportunities to grow and dream about what their future holds. Even if your business is small or just starting out, you can still provide professional growth opportunities through things like online training or simply rotating job responsibilities. As your employees grow, they’ll become more invested in what they do and where they work, resulting in a happier work environment.

Communicate With Employees

Every workplace is different, so communicate with your employees frequently to learn what they’re dissatisfied with or where the office could improve. They may be more interested in more training opportunities or need encouragement after they’ve completed a project. Work with them to improve the work environment and achieve happier employees and customers at the same time.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

 

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

30 Ways to Thank Your Employees for Their Hard Work

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By Kayla Matthews

Running a company or department is no small task, but making time for employees is always essential. The mark of a good leader is one who encourages and inspires — aim to do this for your colleagues.

Your workers perform at their greatest when they feel appreciated and acknowledged, which leads to overall improvements within the organization. You have a world of options on how to thank your employees, so go with ones that function best for boosting company morale.

1. Listen to Their Suggestions

If you don’t already have an established rewards policy, create one by getting your employees’ input. Listening to their suggestions can extend to regular business operations as well — no one wants to feel ignored at their job.

2. Send Emails

Send emails expressing your appreciation for exemplary work on a project or new business venture. Personalizing them for each person involved shows the extent of your gratitude.

3. Acknowledge Them During Company Events

Company events bring together colleagues, friends and family. Recognize your employees in front of their loved ones to show your appreciation.

4. Allow Flexibility

Eighty percent of U.S. workers prefer a flexible schedule, whether it be at-home work or a coworking space. Implement remote work within your rewards program if possible.

5. Write an Article

If you want to disseminate information, write an article. You’ll get eyes on your company while promoting your best and brightest.

6. Give Awards

Being acknowledged makes anyone feel proud, but giving employees awards goes the extra mile. Awarding commemorative gifts to hard-working employees can help emphasize their achievements.

7. Provide Free Food

Most people adore free food, and your employees are no different. Provide snacks around the office or set up a food and beverage station.

8. Give Bonuses

Everyone loves extra money in their pockets. Give bonuses to workers who’ve been performing at their peak.

9. Host a Celebration

Holiday parties are the norm, but you don’t have to wait until then to celebrate. Host an event after a major team accomplishment.

10. Allow Extra Time Off

Close the office the day before a holiday or let everyone out early one Friday a month.

11. Offer Paid Family Leave

Family planning can be difficult with a lack of workable options — 89% of civilians make do with unpaid leave — but you can give your employees a break by offering paid family leave.

12. Pay for Lunch

Take colleagues out to lunch on the company’s dime or have food brought to the office.

13. Write Notes

A handwritten note feels even more personal than an email or article, and your employees will know you put in thought into it.

14. Acknowledge Birthdays

Have a celebration for them during the lunch break or provide small gifts.

15. Plan a Company Trip

A trip to the movies or a hiking trail encourages team bonding and lifts everyone’s spirits.

16. Involve Other Coworkers

If you’re congratulating one employee, have the department sign a card to show everyone’s appreciation.

17. Have a Pizza Party

Pizza is a fun treat you can adapt to fit anyone’s taste. Put in some orders and serve it during a lunch break.

18. Share Accomplishments on Social Media

Honor your employees on a wide scale by sharing their achievements on social media.

19. Get to Know Them

Every individual has dreams, likes and dislikes. Get to know more about your employees so your gifts will be personal and genuine.

20. Send an Edible Arrangement

Gift an employee with an Edible Arrangement filled with their favorite fruits and chocolates.

21. Offer Support

If someone is having a baby, have the team chip in with monetary gifts and baby shower presents.

22. Establish Employee of the Month Awards

Commend someone each month for their dedication and hard work. Offer additional perks such as a reserved parking space.

23. Have a Casual Dress Day

Wearing heels and slacks around the clock can get tiring for some, so allow your team some respite by letting them dress casually one day each week.

24. Do a Giveaway

People love free goodies — host a giveaway of prizes your employees would love to win.

25. Film a Video

Film a quick video expressing your gratitude and recognizing your employees’ achievements. This tip works well if you have remote workers who don’t live nearby.

26. Donate to Their Favorite Charities

Give a corporate contribution to an organization your team picks, or let the whole company decide on a charity.

27. Surprise Them With Gifts

Stick a pair of movie tickets or a gift card in their desk drawer as a token of your gratitude.

28. Grant Wishes

If you notice your employees make offhand comments about things they desire, accommodate a few of these requests each week. They can be fairly small wishes, such as someone wanting their favorite brand of coffee or an office fan.

29. Supply Drinks

Bring your employees champagne or wine to enjoy in their after-work hours. Offer non-alcoholic options for those who don’t partake.

30. Send Them to a Conference

Provide opportunities for your employees to attend conferences that suit their tastes as well as the company’s interests.

Appreciate Your Colleagues

You employees put in a tremendous amount of work to sustain and nurture your company. Pay them back for the good deeds they do and the talents they display. Your gratitude won’t go unnoticed — it’ll make for a better atmosphere all around.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash

What Is Ergonomics, and Why Is It Important for Productivity?

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By Kayla Matthews

Some may ask why is ergonomics important, but the reasons become apparent if you’ve worked in an office that doesn’t accommodate for it. Harsh lighting, excessive ambient noise and loud, multi-colored walls can all be the downfall of employee productivity.

Efficiency is king in the modern world, and many employers implement new technologies and methods to maintain it — but employee comfort isn’t always at the forefront. Reconstructing a workspace for ergonomics is simple, though, and it benefits everyone in the long run.

Learn about the core elements of ergonomics and why they’re important — then check out some ways to make your workspace more bearable. Wave goodbye to the days of lost productivity, because you’ll be back on the ball in no time.

The Basics of Ergonomics

Ergonomics studies efficiency, productivity and comfort within the workplace. It looks at what makes employees comfortable and what doesn’t, allowing employers to adjust the environment accordingly. When you think about ergonomics, you consider elements like lighting, temperature and desk positioning. All of these can make or break a workplace, taking it from a warm, friendly environment to a chilly, dimly lit dungeon.

Consider the different ways that acceptable or poor ergonomics can impact your environment:

  • Lighting: Natural light is better than harsh fluorescents or dim bulbs. It reduces stress and anxiety, promotes better concentration and improves your mood. Dim lighting causes eye strain and fatigue, while fluorescent lights cause blurry vision and migraines. Natural light boosts your vitamin D levels and regulates your circadian rhythm, helping you sleep better at night.
  • Temperature and humidity: You know how it feels when you’re freezing and can barely move your body — now imagine that while trying to complete office tasks. A cold workplace can impede typing, writing and verbal and mathematical tasks, which hurts efficiency even if you don’t immediately notice it. Warmer is typically better, but a hot, humid space makes workers sticky and uncomfortable. An appropriate temperature balance is crucial.
  • Color: Anyone with a history in marketing knows the importance of color schemes on the human psyche. A lack of color can make employees feel like they’re in a sterile, cold environment. Red can seem angry and bold, while pink and orange are fun but distracting. Blue is the safest option for many companies due to its calming, dependable characteristics.
  • Desk, chair and computer positioning: Sitting all day — especially with improper posture — can cause back and shoulder strain and fatigue. Prolonged sitting has ties to premature death and cardiovascular disease, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture when compounded with the sedentary lifestyle many people already lead. Plus, a monitor that’s too close can headaches and myopia.

Employee Comfort and Productivity

Although every employer doesn’t plan their workplace around ergonomics, it displays its importance with efficiency rates. It’s difficult to concentrate in an office unsupportive of employee satisfaction. An open-plan office works for some, but others struggle to focus with so many distractions around. Others like a cold space, but some freeze and find it hard to accomplish tasks. Pleasing everyone is unrealistic, but your work environment should at least aim to heed the requests of the majority.

A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information revealed that workers spend 62% of their day in a chair. This percentage alone raises concerns, but worries become greater when considering how many workers have improperly aligned chairs and desks. Your computer should ideally be 20 to 30 inches away from your eyes, and your arms and hands should be parallel to the floor. Your chair also needs to provide adequate lumbar support and a proper recline level.

A study of 388 special education teachers and teacher’s aides showed that 86% of them suffered musculoskeletal disorders resulting from their work. Caring for disabled students often involves lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling, which results in teachers sustaining similar injuries as more labor-intensive jobs.

Any job involving repetitive movement and awkward positions — such as manual labor, office jobs and nursing and doctoral professions — pose a risk for musculoskeletal disorders. This risk increases when ergonomics are ignored.

How to Implement It

If you’re unable to suggest a workplace-wide revamp, do small things within your space to make work more comfortable. Keep a small space heater if your workplace is too cold or a fan if it’s hot. Some employees keep blankets at their desks, though you may have to ask your employer first. Dress warmer by storing a sweater or cardigan in your bag.

Buy a natural light lamp if your workplace is dim or painfully bright. Position your lamp to provide enough light without causing a glare on your screen — this prevents eye strain. Ask about turning your workspace into a standing desk set-up. Some offices integrate sitting and standing desks in the same area for employees to choose their preferable work style.

Keep your desk decor sparse, and leave only the essentials within view — such as your laptop, writing utensils and paper. You’ll save time searching for documents and help your mind flow by minimizing clutter. Any decor you decide to keep should be in colors that make you feel relaxed and ready to work, such as blue or purple.

Ergonomics Provides Numerous Benefits

Employee comfort has an undeniable impact on the workplace. Workers have been making small improvements at their cubicles for decades, but it’s time for many employers to catch onto the game. Ergonomics is important in maintaining happy employees, and happy employees make for smooth operations.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

 

Photo by Lee Campbell on Unsplash

5 Metrics for Measuring Business Process Improvement

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By Kayla Matthews

You’re well aware improving your business processes means a more profitable business with less downtime. Anytime you implement a new process, you should define some key performance indicators (KPIs) to help you see if your business and employees are meeting the correct criteria. Speed isn’t always the best indicator of productivity for example.

Around 99.9% of the businesses in the United States are small businesses. When you run a smaller company, not meeting one or more goals can be completely devastating to your bottom line. Tracking your success along the way is vital so you don’t spiral into failure.

Measuring how well changes work isn’t always an easy task. Fortunately, there are some metrics offering clues to how well procedures work.

1. Flowchart

A flowchart defines the entire process and how you move from Point A to Point B. Understanding the different ways your team accomplishes tasks can help you see areas for process improvement.

Make sure you follow the tasks from the beginning to the end and take careful notes so your flowchart is complete. Then, bring in a neutral party to look at the flowchart and identify any areas for concern.

2. Handling Time

If you aren’t reaching your goals and feel production backs up, look at handling time as a measure of productivity and see where things might be sped up. If you don’t have a concrete way of measuring handling time, talk to your employees about how long different processes take and if they have any ideas for speeding things along.

If there is one bottleneck in the system, you may need to hire more employees, upgrade equipment or offer more training. Think about the capacity for each person and each machine and if it meets your current inventory demands.

3. Return on Investment (ROI)

Every brand has some products or services that have a much higher ROI than others. There are many reasons you might implement a lower ROI product, including attracting new customers who then become rabid fans who buy additional products.

Factor in all the reasons you sell a particular item and then see if the ROI measures up or not. Look at the lowest-performing items first and their processes. What kind of manpower does it take to deliver that good and is the payoff worth it? Is there any way to reduce the cost and increase the profit? Knowing your ROI allows you to make tough decisions about products that need removing from your inventory.

4. Turnaround Time

How long does it take to fulfill a customer’s order? If you make a customer wait too long, you risk losing them to a competitor. Brands such as Amazon, who deliver orders within two days for Prime subscribers, have changed the landscape on how long people are willing to wait for a delivery.

In order to improve turnaround time, you have to look at the entire process of ordering and logistics. From the moment the order comes through until it leaves your building, you are in control of the process. Look at how quickly the order gets picked, packed and shipped. You should also consider the shipping company used and how quickly they deliver or if you need to make some changes in shipping carriers.

5. Error Rates

Measuring error rates is a little trickier. Your employees may fear their mistakes will result in a lost job. Start by bringing everyone on board and explaining why you want to improve your error rates for better customer experience (CX) and that you are measuring the rates not to reprimand them but to figure out how you can all work toward a better CX for your company.

You may never be able to completely track every error, but you can track when customers call in with a complaint. Fix any issues immediately. Think about the new Domino’s Pizza ad where they say they’ll replace a pizza if it isn’t right. You should have a similar attitude. Strive to get the order perfect and look at why it went wrong in the first place so you can avoid the same issue in the future.

Pay Attention to Detail

Measuring your business process improvement isn’t an easy task. Processes are ever-changing and there are dozens of different metrics available. Focus on the things you have the most control over which will afford maximum improvement to your business.

With attention to detail and a little effort, your business will become more successful and your processes smoother.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Photo by Thiébaud Faix on Unsplash