Successful Blog

Ways to Retain the Best Workers

by

ahappyemployeeYour employees are the lifeblood of your business.

The right team is the difference between brilliant ideas and lackluster ones; excellent planning and management, and costly failures; great customer service and customer service that get you noticed for all the wrong reasons.

Finding the right employees can be time consuming and costly, so once you find the right people, you’ll want to hang on to them.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that workers in the U.S. stay in a job for around 4.6 years.

What can you do if you want to retain your best employees longer than that?

Start with these steps:

1. Offer Great Benefits

Let’s be blunt. If one of your best employees is offered a similar position with better pay, they’re likely to take it. By the time you make a counter offer it could well be too late. Instead, offer your employees a good remuneration package from the start, paying well for their type of role.

Benefits go beyond wages. From medical and dental to life insurance and pensions, or even small perks like free tickets or discounted gym membership, a good benefits package can make all the difference.

Don’t forget about flexi time, telecommuting or other flexible working to show your team that their work life balance matters to you.

2. Get Real Feedback – And Listen

Happy, fulfilled employees are more likely to stay with you. Set aside regular time to chat with your employees, or ask their direct manager or team leader to do so. Find out what they like about working with you, and what they don’t. Follow up with an action plan you both agree on.

To learn more about how your employees feel about their jobs, foster open communications between employees and management. Make it easy for your team to have a chat with someone, and have their concerns heard and valued.

Consider using “stay interviews”.

Talk to your longstanding employees about why they stay, what they love, what you’re doing right and anything you’re doing wrong,  to gain insight into what you’re doing that encourages people to stay.

3. Encourage Your People to Develop

Keep working life interesting by encouraging your employees to develop within their roles. Start by looking at their daily tasks and offering further training if appropriate to help them learn new skills.

You can also invest in your employees’ education.

By funding a course of study that’s related to their jobs you’ll be helping them to grow their skills, and encouraging loyalty by showing them that you value them enough to invest in them.

If you think one of your team is a great candidate for taking on new responsibilities, talk to them about it. Showing that you want to help your employees grow within your organization is an important part of retaining them.

4. Get Clear on Growth Pathways

As pointed out in the article “5 Ways to Retain Your Best Employees“, if your best people only see stagnation on the horizon, they’ll look elsewhere. Your employees want to know that they have a future with you. Make sure you plan for that future from the start.

Having a growth pathway is particularly important when it comes to retaining the best of the best. Talk to your employees regularly and agree on a growth path that suits you and them – and then stick to it.

Good employees have immeasurable value for your business, helping it to grow, to run effectively, and to increase profits.

Value your employees and support them to grow within your organization – show them that they matter to you and they’ll be more likely to stay loyal and use their skills to benefit your business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a wide variety of topics, including social media, SEO, benefits packages and employee retention.

Big Data Could Mean Big Savings

by

abigdataaaaIs your business looking to save money?

Chances are the answer is a resounding yes. Look no further than big data.

The current darling of the business world offers many advantages to businesses of all shapes and sizes, including yours.

So just how can big data save you money? And what can you do to give your businesses the biggest chance of succeeding with big data?

Big Data and How to Use It

Businesses these days have access to huge amounts of data, from sources such as website metrics, customer histories and social media stats.

These sets of data are too big to handle using everyday office software, and so are known as big data. Analyzing big data can offer insights on many aspects of your business. When it comes to your budget, analyzing big data offers insights that make things easier on the purse strings.

Saving Money by Spotting Leaks

When UPS started using big data to make sure their drivers were following the most efficient routes, they saved an impressive 15 million gallons of fuel during the first year. You too can use big data to see where your business is leaking money.

For example, you might track your sales over the course of a year and notice that during November you are buying in more stock than you need, some of which is going to waste. Now you can adjust how much you buy during that month, and save money.

Or perhaps you’ll compare the amount spent on a specific marketing channel with the revenue that comes back as a result of it to find out if the outlay is worth the return.

By using big data to track in-comings and outgoings or, like UPS, to spot inefficiencies in the way your business is run, you can spot potential leaks and take action.

Save Money by Knowing What Works

One of big data’s strengths is its usefulness in tracking customer behavior, and this can certainly save your business money.

Take for example your social media stats.

By getting an overview of which updates are the most liked and shared, which topics are the most popular, you can see what matters to your customers. That means you can give them more of what they want and tailor your business to match their needs, which is a more efficient use of your resources.

By using big data to analyze what is most liked, what provides the best return on investment and what is most popular with your customers; you can save your business a considerable amount of money in the long term.

How to Succeed With Big Data

To make big data work with your business, start small.

As pointed out in “Big Data Meets the Little Drone“, it’s often best to integrate big data with your existing systems at first, rather than going all-out on new technologies.

By starting small and honing in on one specific area, you can reap the rewards of big data without emptying the coffers.

When planning your big data adoption, don’t forget person power.

Big data needs someone to harvest it and analyze it. By having a good idea of who will do that and making sure they have the skills, time and support necessary to carry out the task, you’ll be giving yourself a better chance of getting what you need from big data.

Plan carefully, figure out where it’s best for you to begin, and work in enough time and support for you and your employees to get the job done, and you will soon be using big data to make big savings in your business over the long term.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a wide variety of topics, including social media, SEO, big data and saving money in your business.

Have a Good Business Idea?

by

abizideaThe business world changes every day and if you want your business idea to succeed tomorrow, then you should pay attention to what’s trending today.

That’s right, by keeping an eye on the current market and successful business ideas; you can make an informed decision based on changing consumer needs.

When it comes to learning from current business trends, here are just a few types of businesses that are expected to grow for years to come:

Accounting

Whether it’s for small businesses or individuals, everyone needs help running numbers. If you have a knack for the financial side of life, then starting an accounting business is definitely a promising career. Accounting is a growing business landscape that offers plenty of job opportunities. The field of accounting isn’t something you can just jump into. To become a certified accountant, licensing and training is required. However, if you do have experience, turning your accounting business idea into a reality is a relatively easy and affordable process. From handling company balance sheets to general tax accounting, there’s no end to the growth possibilities of accounting.

Computer and Smartphone Repair

The popularity of computers and smartphones is going to continue to increase exponentially as time goes on. With a little training and basic licensing, you can turn your computer and smartphone repair business idea into a full-fledged career. There are a growing number of repair businesses that specialize in on-site computer hardware and software repairs as well as smartphone screen repairs. In addition, there are also a number of mobile repair businesses that can take care of repairs quickly and on the spot. No matter which direction you take, the computer and smartphone repair industry is really taking off.

Business Planning

If your business idea involves helping others develop their own business plans, then you’re on the right track. As the following article shows, starting a business plan service is 1 of 3 business careers that are actually fun and rewarding for both parties involved. The startup costs for a business planning service are minimal, but the career opportunities are huge. From preparing and formatting business plan layouts to creating financial outlooks, helping others plan their business will provide you with steady work for the foreseeable future. You can even offer add-on services like ongoing business consulting, which will provide you with a steady workflow as opposed to a freelance-style business approach.

Editing

Editorial services take a number of different shapes and forms nowadays. Whether it’s copyediting for online publications or proofreading company documents, businesses and individuals are always in need of quality editors. The best part is, being an editor means you’ll have a flexible career that you can take on in a full-time, part-time, or freelance capacity. Copyediting and proofreading are probably the two main editorial services that come to mind, but you can expand on your business idea to include other services too. Developmental editing, indexing, copywriting, blog writing and editing, ghost writing, and book doctoring are all much-needed services that fall under the editorial services umbrella.

If you want to know your business idea is a worthwhile venture for the future, then take a tip from the top trending businesses above.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of ddpavumba at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including business planning and career outlooks.

Give Yourself Credit in Finding the Right Business Credit Card

by

asuccessfull

When you run a business, you have a plethora of responsibilities that must be covered.

Hiring the right talent, keeping your company on budget, making sure your customers are happy etc. are just some of the things that can leave business owners counting sheep at night.

One area of importance that may oftentimes get overlooked is finding the right business credit card. Whether you are using a merchant card for customer transactions or one for business expenses that you and/or your team will use, means finding the right credit card provider that offers both stellar customer service and a price everyone can agree on.

Know the Numbers

First and foremost, make sure when selecting a card for your business that you do your research.

Keep in mind that not all cardholders are alike. Some may state they have great deals for you, but you will find after reading the fine print that it is not that great after all.

Ways to go about landing the right card include:

  • Research – Take to the Internet and review a half dozen or more card provider websites. Make sure the information they report jives with what you need. Also view their social media pages to see if they have courteous and prompt responses to customer inquiries;
  • Pricing – Look to see what their APR rates are (see more below). Given these numbers can and oftentimes change over time, you do not want to get locked into a card that will ultimately be bleeding you money over time;
  • Referrals – Check with others (family, friends, businesses you are on good terms with etc.) to see who they recommend. In today’s financial world, a business recommendation can go a long way.

According to Jeffrey Weber of SmartBalanceTransfers.com, for most consumers, especially those intending to use their new credit card for purchases, a 0% APR credit card for balance transfers and purchases can provide the best value. “Unfortunately, the number of credit cards offering a 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers has become somewhat limited in recent years. However, a few credit cards still offer these deals,” Weber noted.

For the man or woman running their own business, credit cards are all but a necessity in today’s financial world.

Online Shopping Continues to Grow

Take note that many more consumers are now turning to online shopping to make product and service purchases. If you don’t have a credit card option for them, you can be missing out on a substantial revenue collection.

Secondly, there is a very good chance when running a business that your employees will either need a business credit card to make purchases (office supplies etc.) or for when meeting with current and potential clients (meals etc.). Without a credit card in hand, these transactions can be made more difficult.

If you do not already have a business credit card, take the time now to shop around and sign up with the provider that offers the best service and prices.

When you do, take credit yourself for making a good deal for your business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as human resources and running a small business.

 

Ice More Business with Solid Digital Marketing

by

amarketerUnless you crawled out from under a rock, you had to have heard about the recent ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

You may have known someone who participated. You may have even been challenged yourself. It was so widespread that you couldn’t miss it, especially if you spent any time on Facebook or YouTube.

Businesses should pay close attention to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

They can learn something about marketing from it. In fact, it was a brilliant way to promote a cause.

Here are some tips you can take from the challenge and apply to your own business….

1.  Single Goal

One main reason the campaign was so successful is that it focused on a single goal – to raise awareness and money for ALS.

The early expectations were not that it would go viral but that it would benefit a cause the originators cared about. They were personally involved and knew someone with the disease.

Businesses must set goals they care about and focus on those instead of getting sidetracked with too many ideas.

2. Simple Rules

The Ice Bucket Challenge was simple.

You didn’t need a lot of fancy equipment or to go to a special place. Just a bucket of ice water and a video phone would do. Since most people have a social media account, it was easy for them to participate.

Businesses must make their marketing campaigns simple with rules that are easy to follow. They can appeal to more people if the challenge isn’t difficult. It gives the mental message of “anyone can do this.”

3. Short Deadline

Perhaps one of the biggest secrets to the Challenge’s success was that you only had 24 hours to do it. This was long enough that anyone could find time to participate but not so long that it would be forgotten.

Businesses must promote a sense of urgency with their marketing methods. If there is no deadline, there will be little motivation to do anything. In the person’s mind, he or she can always do it later. This often results in not doing it at all. Any successful marketing campaign should include a deadline.

4. Make It Fun

As the article, “18 Reasons the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is Your New Standard in Digital Marketing”, says, it’s important that the challenge is fun. After all, who wouldn’t want to be doused with ice cold water on a hot summer day?

The fun doesn’t stop there.

Every participant can be a little creative in making the video as long as the basic criteria are met. And when it is over, you get to challenge your friends to do the same thing.

Businesses must remember that it is easier to get people to do something that they want to do. Convince them that your challenge is fun and they will get on board.

You may never achieve the level of success with any digital marketing campaign that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge had, but you can learn a lot from it.

Use those tips in your own marketing efforts and you will see better sales results.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including business and marketing.

Fly Past These Cloud Computing Concerns

by

acloudyCloud computing has been seeing rapid adoption around the world over the past few years; because it is a truly beneficial IT solution that can help businesses achieve greater growth and success.

While many businesses have already jumped on the Cloud bandwagon, others prefer to take a cautious stance. Despite its many advantages, Cloud adoption comes with certain risks and challenges.

Here is a look at the five biggest Cloud computing concerns and how you can overcome them….

Security and Privacy

Security is one of the top priorities for businesses, especially those that have to deal with sensitive data on a regular basis.

Many businesses are hesitant to adopt Cloud computing because having their sensitive data residing in the Cloud means leaving it in the hands of outsiders.

However, most Cloud service providers are now able to offer the same level of protection as on-premise computing systems.

When you are choosing a Cloud service, it is important that you find out about the security solutions that the provider is using and the assurances that it is willing to provide in the event of a data breach.

Also, you can make your data more secure by implementing a strong user authentication solution.

Regulatory Compliance

According to an article entitled “The 5 Biggest Security Concerns with Cloud Computing“, businesses in North America are required to comply with certain data security regulations.

There are numerous regulations that apply to the handling of sensitive data, and this makes achieving and maintaining compliance a daunting task. Make sure you select a provider that is truly compliant.

Loss of Control

When you are using a Cloud service, you have to rely on your provider to keep your workloads up and running, protect your data and perform backup and recovery.

The lack of visibility and control that comes with Cloud computing can make you feel vulnerable.

You can alleviate this concern by choosing a provider that has an excellent track record and using management tools that enable you to gain good visibility into your entire Cloud environment.

Reliability and Availability

Service disruptions used to be a relatively common part of the Cloud experience, but most Cloud providers have improved their uptimes dramatically over the years.

Many providers have created multiple redundancy levels in their systems to enhance the reliability and availability of their services, and they have also developed excellent backup and recovery plans to mitigate the impact of Cloud outages. Selecting one of these providers will give you a better Cloud experience.

Interoperability

Being locked into a Cloud service is another challenge that you may face after you switch to Cloud computing.

Businesses value the freedom of being able to move data and workloads in and out of the Cloud with minimal issues, and lock-in is one of the factors that make them think twice about adopting the Cloud.

In order to overcome this challenge, you need to make sure that your provider can seamlessly integrate your Cloud computing needs with its IT operations.

Once you get past these concerns, you will be able to take full advantage of the benefits of Cloud computing.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Pixomar at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: John McMalcolm is a freelance writer who writes on a wide range of subjects, from social media marketing to Cloud computing.