business Archives - Page 3 of 34

Are You Hiring the Right People for the Job?

December 6, 2017 by Thomas Leave a Comment

Making sure you have the right people in place in your office may not seem as easy as you think.

First, you never know when hiring someone if their personality is going to be a good mix for your workplace.

Sure, someone may have a stellar resume and come across great during the interview. That said what happens when they end up working with dozens or more of your staff on a daily basis? Can you guarantee that harmony is going to follow suit?
In hiring and retaining your workers, you want to do all you can to make things fit the first time around.

So, are you hiring the right people for the job?

Put Different Resources to Work

So that you have improved odds of getting the right people more times than not, remember a few pointers:

Resources – Having good human resources consulting can help you hire the right folks. For example, are you following all the necessary human resources procedures? It only takes one slip-up to put your company in jeopardy of a lawsuit. By working with an H.R. expert or experts, you lessen the chances of making gaffes that can prove costly.
Interviews – Some companies use phone interviews before an actual face-to-face interview. Does that sound like your company? Those phones interviews can help weed out some candidates that are likely not a good fit for your office. With face-to-face interviews, not only listen to what candidates say, but watch them. Do they seem comfortable talking to you or your staff? Is their personality one that would at least now appear to be a good fit for your workplace? Are they anxious to be a team player and contribute from day one if hired? Watching and listening are two of the most important aspects of any interview.
Goals – What goals do you have in mind when it comes to hiring more employees? Some companies hire due to the fact they have a manpower shortage. Others will hire to fill an important chair at the company. Know ahead of time why you need to add one or more individuals to your payroll. Doing so will give you more clarity and improved chances of avoiding a revolving door.

Knowing When It is Time to Pull the Plug on a Worker

Knowing when and then having to fire someone is something most company heads do not enjoy. That said it is all but unavoidable in running a company.

To make the matter clearer on you and your team, look for these signs to know when it is time to pull the plug on a worker:

Employee is not doing the job expected of them
Employee is late for work on regular basis or abuses breaks
Employee does not get along with others in the office
Employee speaks badly about the company and even its customers

Although training new folks is costly and time-consuming, you do not want to keep someone around who is a bad fit.

In taking time to see if you are hiring the right people for the job, make sure your human resource person or team is quite involved.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business topics on the web.

3 Keys to Marketing Your Brand Without Mistakes

November 29, 2017 by Thomas 1 Comment

No matter what your brand may be, it is crucial that you do your best in marketing it to the public.

It is important to remember that your competition is more than likely doing all it can to get the upper leg on you. As a result, you may very well have to pull out all the stops to get ahead and ultimately stay in top.

That said are you driving ahead with all the right keys in making sure your marketing game is second-to-none?

Be Driven to Promote Your Products

In doing your best to promote your products, what marketing methods are you using? More importantly, are you using any and all of them without major mistakes in the process?

Among the keys to marketing your brand without mistakes:

Staying on message – To start, what message do you want to get across to consumers? As an example, if you are a vehicle manufacturer or you sell cars and trucks, how much of an emphasis do you place on vehicle safety? Without safe vehicles to fill the roads, most consumers would have to rely on public transportation and other means to get around in their daily lives. Your message to consumers in marketing your vehicles should be that safety never takes a back seat. If promoting backup camera systems in the vehicles you make or sell, show consumers how this technology can lessen the chances for accidents and even save lives. The backup camera will alert drivers when someone or something is moving behind their vehicle as they get set to go in reverse. With the message of safety in your marketing, you will get the attention of countless consumers.
Listening to consumers – One of the biggest marketing mistakes a company can make is not hearing what consumers are saying. Whether it is a current or potential customer, keep your ears open. Many consumers get frustrated with companies when it comes to customer service. If the former feel as if the latter is not properly listening, there’s a good chance they will go elsewhere. That means spending their dollars with someone else. So that you lessen the odds of losing potential business, be a good listener. Whether it is a problem with a product or a consumer is not pleased with the service you provided them, be attentive.
Socializing the experience – Last but not least, it is imperative that you have your eyes and ears tuned in with social media. Given there are millions of consumers on social networking sites at any given time, you certainly do not want to miss out on the possibilities of connecting with them. This means you need to have active participation on venues like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. Along with promoting your products and services on these sites, run links to relevant information about your industry. The more informative you are to the public, the better the odds more consumers will come your way. Also, be sure to interact when needed with consumers. One of the great things with social media is that you and your team can talk to consumers 24/7/365.

In doing your best to steer clear of marketing mistakes, make sure you are driven to connect with consumers on a regular basis.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.

Are Your Employees the Best You Could Get?

August 23, 2017 by Thomas Leave a Comment

Do you ever take a moment to look around your office at the hired help?

If things worked out the way you wanted them to, then there’s a good likelihood that you are happy with your team. In the event you are not, where do you think things may have gone wrong?

Hiring the right talent for your office isn’t always as easy as some may make it out to be.

For starters, what you see from someone in an interview and what they do once hired can be two different things. That said you oftentimes end up having to go with your gut when it comes to bringing someone on-board.

With that in mind, do you feel as if your employees are the best you could get?

Hiring and Managing Top-Notch Employees

To best improve your odds of getting the right talent time and time again, remember a few pointers:

Resumes do matter

Be honest; do you pay attention to all the resumes coming across your desk?

Sure, you may not even be in on the hiring process until the very end or in some cases at all. At times, you may delegate that authority to the H.R. department or even a manager or two.

That said someone needs to go over those resumes with a fine tooth comb. To do otherwise would be negligence on the part of the company.

Did you proceed with background checks when you hired these people now employees? If not, you could be setting yourself and your company up for trouble.

By combing over resumes and background checks, you are more likely to get the right people on board.

Tasks outside the office

As part of the checks of those you consider hiring, work activities outside the office matter.

What if you need to hire someone for deliveries or meeting with clients? Something as simple as their driving skills becomes a much bigger deal.

Like the background check one hopes you did on them, this is why in fact a license plate search matters.

Stop for a moment and ask yourself the following questions:

Would you consider hiring someone with a reckless driving record?

Would you consider hiring someone who has one or more DUI’s to their name?

Would you consider hiring someone with a vehicle that is unsafe to be on the roads?

When workers go on deliveries, networking, and to meet with clients, they represent you. As such, you want to make sure they’re responsible and have solid driving records.

Character references

Although some potential hires will put down best friends or relatives to vouch for them, be smart.

The people you really want to talk to would be former or current co-workers and even a boss if at all possible. These types of individuals know how someone is to work with. Best of all, they more times than not will give you an honest opinion.

If you’ve not be one to ask for references in the past, change that moving forward.

To improve the odds of getting the best employees, character references can go a long way in that process.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

3 Reasons Why Proper Project Management Can’t Be Overlooked

August 11, 2017 by Thomas 2 Comments

No matter your business size, you know that managing various aspects is crucial.

With that being the case, how would you assess your company’s project management skills?

If you’re running a one-person show, you know that the project decisions fall on your shoulders. While you may get a few wrong, it is imperative the bulk of project management decisions you make come out on top.

When you have many employees, finding the right one to direct project management is key. By having the right minds in the right places, you can make the right decisions time and time again.

So, is proper project management a staple in your business world?

Review Your Project Management Efforts Going Forward

So that your project management efforts are always moving forward, remember these keys:

Knowing who to pass responsibilities to

Whether you make the final call or a manager does, make sure the right person or persons end up with the projects.

For instance, you have a big customer service initiative coming up that you’ve been waiting to unveil. The one catch is that the project is going to need some heavy marketing, especially in the area of social media. While the individual you’d like to head the campaign is great at many facets, he or she is not strong with social media.

So, do you still give them the keys to the project despite the social media shortcomings? Or, better yet, do you trust them to find the person who gets social media to collaborate on the initiative?

The answer depends on if you trust that lead person to do whatever it takes to promote the project. If you do, there should be no worries moving ahead. If you don’t, you may need to intervene at some point.

The bottom line is to know the strengths and weaknesses of those you put in charge to execute any project.

Some people can think on their own two feet and will not need guidance. Others, meantime, may need some extra nurturing to get the job done that you’ve entrusted them with. This can at times include finding the best product support.

Prioritizing the Right Projects

Depending on the number of projects your business has on its plate at any given time, things can get quite busy. That said a busy company tends to be a healthy one.

With that in mind, always do your best to review each project and where it falls on the importance totem pole. To do otherwise is putting your company in a dicey position. Without the right project structure, you can end up with a free-for-all on your hands before you know it.

In prioritizing those projects, look at the following:

Customer needs and expectations
Which projects have the greatest potential for financial return?
Those projects your team can handle with nary a concern

The better you do at prioritizing projects, the faster you become a consumer favorite.

Getting Customer Feedback

Although you make the final decisions, taking customer input is important.

For example, a new project you unveiled recently was a huge hit with the bulk of customers. In not resting on your laurels, get some feedback from customers on why they liked it and how it benefited them.

On the other end of the spectrum, another project you recently put in motion met with muted applause. Customer feedback is essential on why this project did not work as others have.

Once you have all your feedback, both positive and negative that is, be sure to meet with your staff and discuss it. In doing this, you are better prepared when you move on to upcoming projects.

Often, top business owners and project managers learn from yesterday and act today.

In dealing with many projects and people at once, you have your hands full as the company owner.

Step back for a few moments and assess how things are going.

If you’ve for the most part made the right hires and the correct decisions, your company should be doing fine.

So, does that sound like you and your business?

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business topics on the web.

Should You Sell Your Business?

July 28, 2017 by Thomas 1 Comment

There will come a time in most cases where small business owners have to make a difficult decision. Should they sell their business or if possible, keep it within the family?

If you find yourself in such a situation, you may find yourself dealing with some restless nights.

Of most importance, making the right call can set you up for years of stability if all goes well. If you make the wrong decision, all that hard work up to this point could go away.

So, what factors should go into whether you sell your business?

What Makes for the Right Sale?

In considering selling your small business, note these thoughts:

Who are they?

If you ponder selling your small business, will you find the best person available for the deal?

There is a lot that goes into such a decision, so expect to do some soul-searching and of course research.

One of the reasons why background searches can make a difference is the information.

Given all the information that is floating around the worldwide web these days, one can learn a lot of details about others. From potential business sales to whether or not the person you are dating is who they say they are, the Internet can be your best go-to information source.

For instance, what if a prospective buyer has past money issues?

Although once you sell any problems are those of the new owner, you likely don’t want a negative impact on clients. Another potential issue is what if the prospective buyer’s money issues kill the deal at the last minute?

By going online and researching, you can get a full dossier in the person who might be buying your company.

Is it time to sell?

Before you look at potential buyers, there is of course the need to decide if selling now is the right decision.

Depending on your age, you may be thinking about calling it career. But, this decision to sell might be you wanting to do something else in the business world.

Among the possibilities:

Starting a new small business venture
Going to work for someone else
Investing your money in other businesses

No matter what path you choose, know that selling your business isn’t something you need to make a rush decision on.

Take your time to weigh the pros and cons of unloading your business. Over a period of time, you might come to the conclusion that selling now is not in your best interests.

Being financially sound

In the event you do sell, will you be alright with financial stability moving forward?

Keep in mind that the age you decide to sell out can very well have an impact on financial health down the road.

If you sell later in life, the money you receive in return can likely set you up for a nice retirement. In the event you sell earlier, will that money last? Remember, you still have personal expenses to handle. You also might have the need to go out and work again or look for another business venture.

Yes, you are likely to have much to think about when deciding if selling your small business is the right call or not.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

8 Key Traits of Fantastic Project Managers

July 15, 2017 by Thomas 1 Comment

The key to successful project portfolio management revolves around dynamic project managers.

The pivotal role of the project manager is to plan and execute a project from start to finish, overseeing (and motivating!) a team of people in the meantime to set all the pieces in motion at the right time.

Successful project managers are a rare breed.

If you’re curious about making a career move to project management or you are trying to pick out the best match from a slew of candidates, these 8 key traits set the good project managers apart from the lousy:

The Ability to Delegate. Good project managers know that their role is to manage, not do, the project. The project manager should have a high-level overview of the project and the tasks that need to be accomplished in order to achieve the end goal. Then, he or she should delegate those tasks to the best employee for the job.
Motivational and Coaching Skills. A poor project manager might get frustrated after delegating tasks and seeing that the work has been done substandard. Such a project manager might say, “Never mind, I’ll just do it myself!” But in the long run, this strategy will backfire over and over again. The same problem will crop up until the project manager coaches the employee(s) in how to do the work to meet expectations. Good project managers recognize weak areas and bolster their employees to help them grow, not tear them down for their honest mistakes.
Enthusiasm for the Project. Enthusiasm is contagious, and a positive attitude has to start with the project manager. If the manager is bored with the project, the employees will be too. If, on the other hand, the manager exudes optimism and fully supports the work of his or her team, then employee satisfaction is more likely to be high.
Excellent Communication Skills. There’s no room for a wishy-washy or vague project manager in businesses that value efficiency. Managers need to communicate well not only with the employees they manage, but also the higher-ups. Frequent and very specific communication is key. Action items should have clear due-dates and assignees, for example, and negative feedback should be delivered with tact but never avoided altogether.
A Knack for Organization. This is where a project portfolio management tool can make all the difference. When there are multiple ideas and projects that require attention, project managers need to know what’s happening at all times. Even the most focused and organized individual can lose track of important information. Successful project portfolio management hinges on a dynamic organizational system and an ability to use such a tool to its maximum potential.
The Ability to Stay Level-Headed. When conflicts or problems inevitably arise, it falls to the project manager to work out a solution. Knee-jerk reactions have no place in the meeting room. A level-headed response to challenges helps keep projects moving ahead while also maintaining employee morale.
Persistence and Perseverance. As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” A project manager should be the last person to back down to a challenge. When emails are ignored, the manager should pick up the phone or arrange to speak in person. When product testing feedback is negative, a solution-oriented mindset is necessary to revitalize the project. In short, a good project manager naturally has a “never say die” attitude.
The Ability to Creatively Problem Solve. A persistent and persevering person is also a problem solver. When a bump occurs in the project’s original road map, the project manager smoothes it out. It does not matter if this problem relates to funding, human resources or any other aspect of the project; the manager’s mission is to see the project to completion (and to uphold the highest standards possible).

Being surprisingly hard to come by, successful project managers are worth their weight in gold.

They have a track record of high-quality projects on their roster and are respected by the people who work with them—both above and below them on the corporate ladder.

If you’re looking to promote a current employee to the position of project manager, their leadership skills may have already bubbled up to the surface; if not, look for these 8 traits to pick a great candidate.

Photo credit: Pixabay