Successful Blog

Is More Education in the Works?

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aeduEducation is at the heart of personal betterment in the pursuit of a richer life. But does going back to school make sense as an investment in your career and your business?

For many business owners and employees alike, it just might.

Why Business Owners Go Back to School

An article in Entrepreneur detailed a few of the many reasons business owners go back to school, other than intellectual betterment.

The reasons are as diverse as the businesses they own.

Research shows that more than three quarters of small business owners are older than 45. Since they were in school, the business world has changed dramatically.

Business owners may feel that they’ve fallen behind or missed out on the skills it takes to survive in the digital age – even if their business has nothing to do with computers, software or information.

A baker, a plumber or a roofer could decide that:

  • A course in digital marketing could help them expand their business and learn skills like search-engine optimization and back-end analytics.
  • A course in social media may enable them to reach out to new customers on networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
  • A course in graphic design could help them gain control over their website’s layout.
  • A course in personal finance may help them plan for retirement.

Why Employees Get Educated

For people who collect paychecks, the reasons for advancing their education may be directly related to a desire to advance their career and their income.

Findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show irrefutable evidence that there is a direct and dramatic correlation between education and income.

There is also an undeniable connection between education and job security. Highly educated people command far higher salaries and are far less likely to be unemployed during times of economic turmoil.

But it’s not just money.

Research from Six Sigma Aveta Business Institute shows that education leads to career advancement across the board, as well. The higher the worker’s education, the more likely he or she is to get a promotion and achieve a position of authority.

The article “Is it Time to go Back to School?” outlines even more reasons to crack the books, such as networking, prepping for a new career and sharpening up old skills.

Tips for Going Back to School

School is hard when you’ve got nothing else going on.

For full-time workers and business owners, it can seem impossible – but it’s not. Remember that you don’t have to pursue a degree. Learning valuable new skills can be achieved with a single course.

Consider online education.

Once a marginal niche that was frowned upon by the academic community, distance learning is now mainstream.

Offered by most colleges and universities, online education – or hybrid courses, which require some on-campus instruction – can be tailored to your schedule, it can provide more individualized attention and it can be significantly cheaper.

Education is worth pursuing for anyone who may benefit from the professional boost it can give.

It is not easy to work and go to school at the same time, but education can boost a career and a business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Pong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Andrew Lisa is a freelance business writer. He covers small-business planning and career advancement.

Are You Dialed-in to Telecommuting?

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Communications technology is making the notion of working from home or other remote locations commonplace in today’s business world.

If your business and its employees are missing out on the convenience of telecommuting, then it’s time to give the “work from anywhere” approach a shot.

To give you a better idea of how the telecommunications atmosphere works, here are just a few advantages of going the telecommuting route with your business:

Keeping up with the Trend

Businesses all across the country are adopting a telecommuting mindset and the trend is continuing to grow.

In fact, according to the Telework Research Network, nearly 30 million Americans from all walks of life telecommute on a regular basis.

In addition, the number of telecommuters in the U.S. is expected to increase by more than 50% in the five years.

If your business is looking for a convenient, effective work alternative to the 9 to 5, then telecommuting has a number of built-in benefits for both your company and its employees.

Cost Effectiveness

Sure, telecommuting saves your employees’ money in terms of lunches, office attire, and daily commuting costs, but it also saves your business money.

Not only are telecommunication systems affordable, but telecommuting employees also reduces your business’s overhead costs.

Telecommuting employees free up more space in your office, which means you’ll save money on leased square footage.

As the following article shows, in terms of “How business phone systems can make telecommuting work”, your business can also route calls directly to your employees’ home offices. This means each telecommuter will save you money on office energy costs and your clients won’t even know they’re dealing with someone outside of the office.

Improved Productivity

Ask anyone who works 9 to 5 and they’ll likely tell you the same: schedule flexibility leads to improved productivity.

Although it may not seem like it, working from the office comes with plenty of distractions, such as disruptive employees or an environment that’s not always conducive to continuous work.

But, telecommuting provides your employees the quiet comfort of working from their own home, which oftentimes improves productivity.

With the right home environment, telecommuters can work continuously and without interruption, which means tasks, projects, and daily assignments will be completed much faster.

Increased Availability

The schedule flexibility and improved productivity that telecommuting provides leads to an increase in availability.

Telecommuting employees are able to get work done faster and more efficiently, which means they’ll have the opportunity to increase their workload. Likewise, by working from home, your employees will have the opportunity to take on assignments at any time without any 9 to 5 constraints.

Setting up the Ground Rules

As with implementing any new protocol into your business, you will need to set up some telecommuting ground rules for your employees. These might include requiring your employees to have an adequate, dependable workspace in their home.

Additionally, you may have to require your telecommuting employees to check in with you or their supervisor at least once a day. This will cover any accountability issues that may arise with employees who might take advantage of their newfound freedom.

When it comes to workplace efficiency, it’s plain to see that telecommuting can improve your business and the lives of your employees.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including employee health and workplace productivity.

Plug in to Importance of Computer Knowledge for Your Business

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asuccess82714As a business owner, what are your greatest needs?

Safe to say, many running companies these days still lack all the resources necessary to run their office computers, business website and more.

Whether due to finances or not seeing the bigger picture of how important computer knowledge is to a company’s fortunes especially in 2014 and beyond, some business owners need to stop and rethink their approach to technology.

If you’re running a business where technology is on the back burner, consider the following:

  • Not being computer savvy and relevant likely means you are losing potential and even some current customers to competitors;
  • You are missing out on chances to promote your company website, interact with consumers on social media and more;
  • Your employees are not as useful to you as they could be if you had the latest in computers and approaches to using technology at your disposal. Many people applying for jobs today have computer experience either from school and/or prior jobs, so use that to your company’s benefit.

With those three among a number of reasons computer experience is important to your business, how do you go about finding the right people for the job?

Computer Science Backgrounds Pay Off

According to a salary survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), those who graduated college just in the last year with a degree in computer science can expect to make in the area of $60,000, an increase of more than four percent from 2012. Surveyed employers to the tune of a little more than 65 percent indicated they would hire graduates in this major. For those with expertise as senior software engineers, $98,000 is the average income.

As more and more businesses are discovering and addressing, being Internet savvy is not enough in today’s world. Taking a mobile approach to promoting your brand and meeting the needs of customers is critical too.

Whether those you hire are in the areas of computer programmers, software developers, computer technicians or even SEO strategists, there must be a sizable degree of computer knowledge involved.

As your business grows its computer operations, make sure those you hire are effective communicators, team members and leaders that bring not only a high degree of computer science knowledge to the table, but also the ability to look to the future. Remember, your business must always be thinking about tomorrow and not yesterday.

Computer science jobs are only likely to increase in the years to come, with more employers coming to the realization that this field is a necessity and not an option in order to compete.

The question then becomes, is your business plugged in to the importance of computer knowledge?

If the answer is no, act today and not tomorrow.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers a variety of topics for various websites, among which include small business and technology.

How to Create a Healthy, Successful Work Environment

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asuccess blog 71614

There are plenty of factors to consider when it comes to business success: finances, networking, expansion, etc.

However, while these are important matters, there is one matter that is usually overlooked even though it has the ability to make or break the company—your workplace’s atmosphere.

The health of your company is dependent upon the health of your team, for your business will only go as far as your team promotes it.

Here are a few tips to creating an inviting, successful work environment:

1. Organize

Because there often feels like there is too little time in a day to accomplish everything you need to, you often spread yourself and your employees too thin. Instead of focusing 100 percent of your attention on one task at hand, you spread your focus over too many issues, which leads to disorganization and poor business performance.

Instead, set a schedule and stick to it. Be organized about what needs to be done, when it needs to be, and how it should be done. Set the precedent for your workplace by being organized and delegating tasks efficiently. Do an online company check to see how other business competitors are managing and learn from their actions.

2. Reduce Stress

Whether your business is a brand new start-up or a well-oiled machine, it is crucial to alleviate employee stress. A chaotic atmosphere is overwhelming, which can lead to severe stress. When you and your team are under duress, you are more susceptible to sickness, to financial errors, and business mistakes, among others. According to a Harvard Medical School study of stress, stress can often harm a person “physically, emotionally, and psychologically.”

Getting a handle on stress is the first step. Find a technique or activity that relaxes you and work that into both your routine and your team’s routine. Even in a high-pressure work environment, make sure you emphasize the importance of taking breaks during the workday and relaxing.

3. Goal Oriented

Establish goals and deadlines for you company. You can easily track your company’s success when you have goals that are measurable. Moreover, goals and deadlines help to keep you and your team focused on the tasks at hand. Begin by establishing (on paper) goals you want to accomplish six months or a year from now. Create incentives for your team to keep them working hard and focused. For example, offer your team a bonus if you reach your financial goal. It will keep both you and your team motivated while furthering your business’s success.

4. Comfortable Environment

An environment conducive to success will motivate you and your team. The workplace should be efficient and comfortable—emotionally and physically. Keep the office space at a comfortable temperature and at a comfortable mood. Stress the importance of being a team, which will hopefully dispel any negativity or competition amongst co-workers. Additionally, try to make the office space relaxing by making it as bright and airy as possible and having a designated area as a break room.

Image Source: www.wgal.com

About the Author: Ted Levin is a freelance journalist covering business topics for a variety of websites. He enjoys writing about startup challenges and company culture. 

The Formula for Better Business Productivity

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asuccesssFor your business to truly prosper and ultimately achieve its goals, you must look for ways to increase productivity or, simply put, find ways to get more done without sharply increasing your expenses.

Before exploring measures you can take to boost productivity in your workplace, it may be helpful to look at some of the things workers consider major obstacles to achieving optimal productivity.

Workplace Productivity Survey

Harris Interactive, a market research firm best known for its Harris Poll, in late March 2013 conducted a survey of just more than 2,000 professionals to get their views on productivity. The survey, commissioned by Ask.com, was designed to gather input on the factors that both hinder and maximize productivity in the workplace.

Reporting on the survey’s results in “Forbes,” Jacquelyn Smith said more than 60 percent of respondents cited noisy co-workers as a major productivity killer.

Somewhat surprisingly, 63 percent of those surveyed said they feel they can be more productive in a quiet personal workspace in the office than if they were working from home. The emphasis here is on quiet and personal.

Cubicles Rejected

More than a quarter of the survey’s respondents said they believed they could be most productive in an open office setting as opposed to a cube farm or a workplace that consists of separate offices.

The opposition to cubicles came as no surprise to Lisa Ross, vice president of human resources at Ask.com.

In the interview with “Forbes,” she said cubicles “are great for maximizing office space, but cubes are not known for being particularly exciting or inspiring. Your personal workspace is where you spend the bulk of your time, and I think office workers in general are hungry for something different.”

Impromptu Meetings

Another widely cited productivity killer is the impromptu meeting that occurs when co-workers drop in at another employee’s workspace.

Although these so-called meetings may begin with a work-related matter, they all too often devolve into conversations about issues that are totally unrelated to business. Nearly half of all survey respondents said they prefer to hash out work-related questions via email, instant messaging, or by telephone.

Other obstacles to productivity cited by survey respondents include group projects and sitting next to a supervisor.

Eliminate Productivity Killers

Hopefully, you can realize some productivity gains by eliminating some of these productivity killers in your workplace.

To do even more, here are six ways to take your office productivity into the next generation:

Five of these suggestions for increasing productivity come from Odessa Hopkins, owner of a marketing and advertising consultancy in Greenbelt, Maryland.

She shared her tips with writer Kelly K. Spors, who summed them up in an article for Entrepreneur.com.

Prioritize To-Do Lists

1. Prioritize projects based on their revenue-generating potential. It’s also helpful to take complex projects and break them into more manageable segments and attach a deadline to each.

2. Delegate or outsource tasks that don’t generate revenue. As a business owner, you may be tempted to try to juggle such essential tasks as bookkeeping, copywriting, and payroll, even though you may not be fully qualified to handle these responsibilities. This creates a time-consuming distraction from the all-important task of making money, which should be your top priority.

Don’t Over Check Email

3. Don’t interrupt your workflow by constantly checking your email inbox. Set your email server to retrieve messages only manually or at less frequent intervals — such as every 90 minutes. Respond immediately to email messages that require only a simple reply so that you don’t end up reviewing the same message two or more times.

4. Maximize your use of technology shortcuts. The inexorable advance of technology means that new tools become available every day that can streamline office and other workplace procedures significantly. Try to stay abreast of such new technology and the time savings it offers.

Train Employees Well

5. Train your employees well. While it may take a bit more time during the employee orientation process, it will save a great deal of time in the long run. Make sure your employees fully understand the jobs they are to perform and all the individual tasks involved. Otherwise, you and other workplace supervisors will be constantly interrupted by questions from employees who are unsure of themselves and how to proceed with various tasks.

Our sixth suggestion comes from an article posted at NevadaSmallBusiness.com and focuses on the importance of keeping your employees healthy.

6. Move proactively to increase workplace health. This might include the establishment of programs to help employees quit unhealthy habits, such as smoking, or the replacement of high-fat, high-sodium vending machine options with healthier choices. As a business owner, you can also encourage exercise programs and make sure that employees have adequate protection against workplace safety hazards. Cutting down on absenteeism due to illness or injury is a sure way to keep productivity at high levels.

Photo credit: newlifeoffice.com

About the Author: Don Amerman is a freelance author who writes extensively about a wide array of business and personal finance topics.

 

Quality over Quantity with Big Data

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dataBack when computers were still a new technology for businesses, there was a simple acronym going around: GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out.

Basically, if someone fed a computer system flawed or mixed up data, they probably wouldn’t like the result very much. That wisdom still holds true in the newer and fast-moving field of big data.

Big data is exciting.

Used well, it grants the ability to analyze customer trends and wants, customer interactions, lead generation, sales patterns and so much more.

The result? Better understanding of customers’ behavior and desires, a better overview of what is working well in a business, and an opportunity to hone everything from content to products for greater success.

But big data can also be overwhelming and in the rush to adopt it, businesses might find they have a lot data but not a lot of quality. Flawed, irrelevant or inaccurate big data won’t serve them as well as they hoped.

When it comes to big data quality: GIGO lives on.

Businesses can clean up their big data act and access better quality data by paying attention to five key areas:

1. Planning
When it comes to keeping garbage out of the big data stream, prevention is definitely better than cure. Businesses would do well to shun rushing at big data in favor of good solid planning. Before harvesting anything, it’s vital to know what the aim of it is. What business area is being looked at? Sales? Engagement on social media? The behavior of a certain demographic? Knowing exactly what data is needed and why will make it easier to plan out a big data strategy that is focused on collecting exactly what is needed.

2. Collection
Data can come from many different sources. The more sources, the more chance of unhelpful or irrelevant data getting in. Businesses can prevent problems at this stage by figuring out how their big data is to be collected. What are the sources? Who will collect the data from them and what will they do with it? Before including a data source in your overall plan, check out the quality of the data that you’re going to get from that source.

3. Checks
Rigorous and regular checks of data quality are vital in building up a defense against bad data. When it comes to analyzing big data, the lower the quality of data fed into any analytic tool, the less helpful the results will be. To that end, businesses need to set in place a system of checks and balances to make sure the data that goes into the system is of good quality. To make the most of big data, quality control of the incoming data needs to be standard.

4. Training
Sources and stats are important, but to really make the most of big data businesses need to remember the human touch. At some point in the data collection process, employees are going to be responsible for collecting, sending, or analyzing data. Human error can and will happen, and it can lower data quality. Businesses can reduce the risk with training and education and by fostering team work when it comes to their big data plan.

5. Collaboration
From the IT department to the person analyzing the data, to a customer service agent taking details to fill out a form, getting employees working together is good for big data. The more everyone understands about why it matters and what their part is, the better. The same is also true of technology and data channels – the more a business can match up their sources and standardize their data collection procedures, the better.

Big data is big news, no matter the business size. Good quality big data is where the really useful information lies.

For businesses looking to big data, quality really must come before quantity.

Photo credit: Forbes.com

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn is an author who writes on subjects as diverse as health, marketing, business, and SEO.