Successful Blog

Exciting Ways to Boost Morale in the Office

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By Kayla Matthews

Workplace morale boosters are valuable to any company. They show your employees you care. If you have high employee morale in your office, you’ll have better performers. There’s less stress, which decreases turnover and increases productivity.

Engaging your employees is always a win-win, but you don’t have to break the bank to do it. The funds and effort you do put toward it will pay off in the end, so why aren’t you participating? Check out the following six simple and affordable ideas for boosting morale in your office.

Provide Healthy Snacks for Employees

Healthy office snacks and meals have the power to raise productivity levels and your employees’ overall spirit. Staff members often feel they don’t even have the time to stop and feed themselves. They may have too many back-to-back meetings and just too much work to do.

Make it convenient for your employees to be healthy and well-fed, and keep your office stocked with easy-to-grab snacks like granola bars, nuts and individual popcorn bags. If you have the means, order a healthy lunch spread for your office. Employees appreciate these kinds of gestures more than you realize — especially since they’re able to keep working and still eat.

Have an Office Dog Day

This one is a bit tricky if your building has rules against pets, but many office buildings now allow them, with restrictions that pertain to certain breeds. Check with your landlord or building owner, then consider one day per week, like Fridays, or even just one day a month, to allow employees the option to bring their furry friends to work for the day.

Of course, employees will be held liable for any potential issues that may arise, but with good judgment, this strategy could be a great way to reward your employees. Dogs can also strengthen bonds between colleagues and improve mental health. They can motivate employees to go outside, decrease stress and promote mental breaks — as well as a load of other positive results.

If you have employees who are allergic to dogs or are not particularly fond of their presence, there are plenty of ways to get around it. Try planning an office picnic where employees can bring their dogs. This way, those employees who are allergic won’t be confined to a closed-in office with pet dander.

Throw an Office Party

Yes, every office usually throws a holiday party once per year, but you shouldn’t wait 12 months to get all of your team members together on a more casual and comfortable level. Plan fun events for employees, like a chili cook-off, lunch potluck or holiday party to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving or another occasion that’s coming up. Have fun and set up an ugly sweater contest. The options are endless.

This time gives employees a chance to mingle with one another, enjoy great food and bond more with colleagues and as a team. If you decide to have a party or gathering after hours, give employees the opportunity to invite their spouses or significant others.

Set up an Office Happy Hour

Happy hour doesn’t always have to entail alcoholic beverages. You can hold a happy hour once a month. Try a Thursday or Friday at 4 p.m., before employees leave for the day, in the office lounge area or break room.

Serve an array of wine and beer, or opt for soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages. Order or pick up some tasty snacks, like nachos and queso from your favorite Mexican restaurant nearby or pizza for everyone to munch on. You can even go off-site to someplace fun so that you’re away from your typical work environment. This plan is yet another great way to encourage employees to get to know each other more outside of meetings and other projects.

Provide a Food Truck Lunch

Everyone loves a good food truck, and the great thing about them is that they’re mobile. Many offices have been trying out food trucks during employees’ lunch hours. This move is easy and convenient because people don’t have to go off-site, but if they didn’t bring their lunch, they still have the option to eat something different.

Book a taco truck for taco Tuesday or a BBQ truck during the summertime months. You can even book an ice-cream sandwich food truck or perhaps a coffee truck. If it’s in the budget, this option is also a great way to give thanks to your employees and let them choose a treat without having to pay.

Do Fun Team-Building Activities

Having a strong team vibe in your environment is essential to success. If employees aren’t connecting, their performance won’t be as great as it could be. Send out an email to everyone to ask if they want to go to a football game together or maybe lunch off-site. Escape rooms and Top Golf are also great team activities that everyone can enjoy. Consider an activity where employees can volunteer together.

Whatever you decide to do, bringing the team together will definitely make employees feel engaged and connected. Help to make your staff feel like work is more than just a job. If they feel they have a higher purpose, they’re more likely to perform better in their day-to-day duties. Empower your employees, and make them feel respected, appreciated and valued.

Boost Morale for a Better Work Life

Show that you care with necessary actions like rewarding good work and granting time off, but also take it a step further. The above six ideas are not only affordable, but they’re also sure to make your employees feel good.

Whether you choose to add healthy snacks to your break rooms, launch an employee dog day or plan a team activity at a local shelter, you won’t regret making the extra effort to boost morale in your office.

 

 

 

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 Photo by Matty Sievers on Unsplash

How To Change the World: Revisiting The Question 10 Years Later

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This post is an update of:  Change the World: Help Others Pursue the Passion

 

By Brett Farmiloe

 

You ever wonder what you were thinking ten years ago?

Well, the Internet is a wonderful place that documents all types of things, including random blog posts like the one I contributed to this blog 11 years ago.

 

Hey, Brett, How Can We Change the World?

That was the question that inspired this blog post from my 22 year old self. I think it’s a great question to revisit every so often.

So, let’s revisit it. How can we change the world?

Ten years ago, I purchased an RV to travel around the country and interview people about their career paths. Today, I own and operate a digital marketing company that is experiencing Inc. 5000 types of growth. Along the way, my perspective on how to make an impact has evolved.

Let’s take a section of the blog from my 22-year old self.

My idea of changing the world is tapping into a powerful, yet largely ignored natural resource — passion — the passion of people who do what they love.

Yet the model we’re living is not designed to produce passion. It leads us down well-traveled career paths of 8 to 6 jobs that promise bonuses, promotions, and job stability. The model does not place importance on an individual’s love has for the work, but on the quantifiable measurements an individual brings.

I’m not buying that model.

Yikes! Strong words, young Brett.

But, older, more realistic 33-year old Brett has this to add: Money matters. When you have kids, a stay at home pregnant wife, and ba-ba-bills – you need something more stable to stand on…income.

Which brings us back to the question: what’s the way to change the world?  

Let me weigh in. To truly change the world, I believe you need to create something that produces a net positive. For me personally, it’s a profitable business with a work environment conducive to bringing out the best in people. For others, creating something can range from writing a book to raising a beautiful family to generating positive results within a job function.

Yes, I said it – you can change the world within a job. As long as you are a “net positive” for your employer, and your employer effectively applies your contributions to maximize the collective efforts of it’s workforce.

The key is getting clear on the definition of a “net positive.” In other words, the “change” in “change the world.”

 

Net Positive Formula:

Change \ Consumption = (Greater than 1 = You’re changing the world; Less than 1 = you’re temporarily draining the world)

That definition for me has shifted to two parts: “how many people do we employ who are actively engaged with their work” and “what is the impact our efforts have for our clients.” Starting a business multiplies the net positives because of the internal (number of people employed) and external measurements (impact of our work) of the change we’re looking to make. That to me, is changing the world.

For others in a job, a definition can be “do I produce a benefit for my employer that exceeds my salary & associated expenses (benefits)?” For speech givers, ditch diggers, or any position – is the change greater than your consumption?

What does changing the world mean to you? What are you creating? What is the “net positive” you’re measuring to see if what you’re working on – and are passionate about – is making the intended impact?

I’d love to hear it in the comments. And hopefully, let’s revisit this question again before 2028.

 

Brett Farmiloe is the CEO of Markitors an an advisor to an organizational leadership degree program. He has owned 3 RV’s in his lifetime. The last one he traded on Craigslist in exchange for wood floors in his house in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Featured image: Photo by Eugene Quek on Unsplash

7 Ways to Quickly and Efficiently Re-Brand Your Small Business

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By Nathan Sykes

You may be thinking about a re-brand for your business for many reasons, but the most common one is because you’ve hit a rut. No matter why your company isn’t growing, updating your image, changing your audience or selling new products could all be excellent solutions.

However, changing your business around won’t happen overnight. Some ways to go about rebranding are quicker than others, but keep in mind that this isn’t an instant process. Nonetheless, be sure your new brand is right for your business before investing time and money.

Here are seven of the quickest, most efficient ways to make sure the public knows you’re going in a new direction with your business.

1. Get a New Look

The first step in making your business different is to redo your look. Even if you don’t plan on renaming the company, make sure you invest in a professional artist to create a new logo. Try to get your logo to look as modern as possible — unless you’re marketing to a more traditional audience.

With a new logo comes new promotional material. You’ll need to remake all your pamphlets, billboards, uniform shirts and storefront signs, to name a few. The most important change is going to be your business cards. Update cards with your new logo as soon as possible. Often, a business card is your first contact with new customers and clients. You’ll also need to update your website to match your new brand.

If your brand is changing because of shifting audiences, be sure to look into new avenues for advertising. Try taking out ads on popular websites like Facebook or Reddit that can reach your audience.

2. Remodel Everything

If you want or need an entirely new look, remodeling your brick and mortar stores is an excellent place to start. While not exactly instant, remodeling your stores will be the quickest way to tell the public you’re taking a new approach. One of the easier ways to remodel is to redo the wall panels and siding of your business. Changing the siding isn’t as drastic as tearing down walls, and the new look will speak volumes.

During the age of technology, you may have a lot of customers who never walk into your store. That’s why remodeling your website is just as important as the building. Make sure to streamline and update your site as much as possible. Don’t add programs that will make your site complicated or slower. Hire a professional to do the job for you, or remember to use minimalism to your advantage.

3. Launch New Products or Services

Even if you’re not rebranding because of a new service or product line, introducing at least one new product or service as you’re rebranding will help. Having a new offering shows the public you’re changing along with your look. Bringing in a new product or service may also prevent you from having to rebrand completely.

The new product or service you launch will depend on your business, but keep in mind that this is partially an advertising campaign — new offerings will bring in new customers.

4. Join Social Media

Changing your tone and image on social media is one of the first changes you should make, as customers worldwide will have access to the new you. More importantly, social media allows you to interact with your audience and promote advertising. You can get involved with current topics and trends, address customer concerns immediately and show off your new brand message.

If you already use social media for your business, customizing your profiles to fit your new image is easy on most sites. Vowing to get more involved on Facebook and Twitter is one of the best choices you could make when rebranding.

5. Network All Over Again

If you thought your business graduated from the world of networking, think again. When you rebrand, you’re redoing everything about your business. You’ll have to reinvent your image from the ground up, which includes the basics of networking.

Touch up your LinkedIn profile and attend more networking conferences. Keep in mind this is for your business, not a personal rebrand — you’re trying to build connections all over again. This directive is a lot less important for companies in retail than for a client-centric or contract-based business, but networking may be something to look into if you want your business to move up no matter your industry.

6. Invest in Photography

Finding a good photographer might sound like a strange part of rebranding, but it’s crucial. If you haven’t shown off your employees and staff before now, this is the best opportunity to do so. Customers love seeing small businesses honoring their employees. Bringing everyone to a professional studio and spending a little money can go a long way with making the human connection with consumers.

If you already have photographs of everyone, updating them during rebranding is a must. Don’t bother taking the pictures yourself with a smartphone or even a decent camera — you want your business to look professional. If all goes well, your new photos won’t be outdated for several years to come.

7. Donate Locally

This might sound like another odd piece of advice, but donating to local charities is a fantastic way to get your name out there and shed a favorable light on your company. Ethics matter to customers who research businesses — if you haven’t participated in local charities or fundraisers before, consider doing so as you rebrand.

On the off-chance that there’s nothing local to participate in, consider starting an annual fundraiser. Hosting food or toy drives during the holidays can go a long way with making a good name for your business — not to mention, you’ll be helping your community.

The Finishing Touches

Rebranding a business is not cheap or easy. You can complete some steps more immediately than others, such as joining Twitter or getting a new web domain. Other measures, like remodeling your office and networking, will take patience. If you want an effective rebranding of your business, these are some of the best places to start.

No matter your rebranding goals, the most critical step is to remember why you’re changing in the first place. Keep your mission in mind, and the rest will fall into place.

About the Author: Nathan Sykes writes about the latest in business and technology from Pittsburgh, PA. To read his latest articles, check out his blog, Finding an Outlet.

 

Photo by Lonely Planet on Unsplash

Seven Easy Ways to Fundraise for Your Startup

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By Kayla Matthews

You have an amazing idea for a new startup. However, there might be a slight problem. You don’t have the funds to get your idea off the ground or the money to do a lot of advertising. Enter fundraising as a good solution to get you where you need to be.

About 28 million small businesses reside in the United States, and about 543,000 new ones start every month, though not all of them survive. The average cost to get a new business going is sometimes daunting. Startup costs vary widely by industry and can run anywhere from $10,000 to $80,000 on average. Here are some easy ways to fundraise for your startup.

1. Enter Competitions

Large corporations sometimes hold competitions to help small business startups. Set up a Google alert to notify you of any “startup competition” or “new business contest” posts. What contests are available varies from month to month and year to year. Seek out competitions that will provide a big chunk of your startup money.

2. Find an Angel

The amount of angel investment is on the rise in recent years, and the tendency is to invest more money into startups rather than constantly adding new companies. If you can find an angel investor, they’re likely to stick with you for the long haul.

3. Sell Stuff

No matter who invests in your startup, they’ll want to know what you’re contributing. If you need only a small amount of seed money, you might even be able to raise it all on your own. First, look around at what you own that you aren’t using or could downsize.

For example, do you really need that car with the $700 per month payment and high insurance rates? Or can you sell it and buy a more modest one, freeing up a few hundred dollars a month? That might not sound like a lot of money, but over the course of six months, it’s a couple thousand dollars extra to put toward your business.

4. Pre-Sale Your Product

If you want to avoid venture capital (VC) funding, because of the restrictions and demands involved, you have to think outside the box. Crowdfunding is one way to achieve this goal and is often done in the form of pre-saling a product to a captive audience. For example, Pebble E-Paper Watch raised over $10 million on Kickstarter in just over a month with the promise of an affordable smartwatch in the future.

5. Talk to Universities

Universities sometimes fund business startups, particularly for former students and the local community. If you have a product that you believe changes the world, reach out to universities in your area to see what grants they offer. For example, Stanford provides funding for non-profit startups that are in some way affiliated with the university.

6. Throw a Party

Do you have a big family or wide network of friends? Throw a business startup party, and ask the guests to pay $100 a head to attend. Of course, you’ll need to invest a bit in a meal, but you can easily feed each person for under $20 and keep the rest for your business. Even better, ask your closest family to pitch in with their favorite dish, and keep the entire $100 for your business fund. You could raise $10,000 with only 100 guests.

7. Rent a Room

Do you and your co-founders have extra rooms in your home, a small guest cottage out back or a mini apartment over the garage? Rent out extra rooms — especially if you live in a city that’s hosting a big event — through sites like Airbnb or VRBO.

If you don’t mind a long-term situation, you might rent out a room to a local college student during the school year and know you’ll have that monthly amount coming in. If every co-founder does the same, you could easily earn $1,000 or more every month toward your startup.

Get Creative

These are just a few ideas for ways to quickly and easily raise money for your new business. Pay attention to how other startups raise money, and watch the online trends. You’ll likely come up with additional fundraising ideas and ways to reach your goals. Together, these tips just may lead you to the biggest success of your life.

 

 

 

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 rawpixel on Unsplash

4 Ways the Public Library Can Support Your Small Business

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A few days ago I went to the library. You know — one of my local public libraries. I went there to borrow some books that I had placed a hold on. For research. As in — business research. That’s right. I went to the local library to borrow books to support research I was doing for a client project.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve come to realize that the public library system is actually a great resource for my small business. Over the years, I’ve used library services across the Metro Vancouver area for a multitude of business reasons. Here’s 4 ways I have found that local public libraries support small business:

  • They often provide great access to affordable meeting spaces for small (or large) group gatherings.
  • There’s usually quiet (in some cases — virtually silent) and comfortable areas to read, work or conduct research.
  • Most libraries provide free access to good quality,  wireless high-speed internet. This can be especially handy when I’m traveling and don’t want to spend a ton of  time working in noisy coffee shops.
  • And, most importantly, there are all the books and resources that libraries have to offer. Over the last while, I’ve found myself ordering more and more physical books to read and review for various client projects, for business research and for general planning purposes. Of course, many libraries also offer e-book borrowing as well. All in all — libraries are a super affordable way to access a huge range of resources, reading materials and reference items.

So, as you can see there are lots of ways that the local library system plays a role in supporting the work I do through my small business here in Canada.

As an entrepreneur, I’m just one of the many different types of people that public libraries serve. In reality, today’s libraries are busy offering programs and services to an absolute multitude of people! For example, on any given day 50,000 people come through the doors of the Toronto (Canada) Public Library’s 100 branches, while 85,000 make an online visit.  And — just in case you thought Starbucks had cornered the market on access to free high-speed internet in the United States, think again. According to American Library Association there are more public libraries than Starbucks in the U.S.—a total of 17,566 including branches. Nearly 100% of public libraries provide Wi-Fi and have no-fee access to computers. Plus, many libraries have local coffee shops located very close to them. Some libraries even sell coffee right inside the library.

Isn’t that amazing? Wow.

With respect to business and careers, I came across this other bit of interesting information from the American Library Association. Did you know that libraries actually strengthen local economies? For example in the U.S. –

  • 73% of public libraries assist patrons with job applications and interviewing skills;
  • 68% help patrons use databases to find career openings;
  • 48% provide access to and assist entrepreneurs with online business information resources;
  • More than 36% offer work space for mobile workers.

And while we almost all turn to Google Search for the answers to a great many things, the reality is that many people also still relay on reference librarians in the public and academic libraries across the U.S. Did you know that collectively reference librarians answer nearly 6.6 million questions weekly in the nations libraries!

That’s another wow!

Here’s a few super helpful library websites that have been developed to support small business owners.

The Berkley Public Library offers a comprehensive listing of resources, events and research links to support small business as well as jobs and career planning.

The New York Public Library provides a great Small Business Resource Center that is packed with local, state and national links and information.

The Vancouver Public Library offers a super listing of recommended books for entrepreneurs to read as well as links to many different websites to help small business owners with planning, operations and much more.

So — the next time you are in need of some support for your small business, you need to do some research for the development of a new product or are trying to find the answer to that impossible business question — head to your local library. You might just be amazed by how much your local library has to offer! If you need help finding the public library service in your community check out this great listing of libraries around the world.

Jane Boyd is a Partner in GeniusShared. She is also the CEO of 45 Conversations Media & Education Ltd, a Canadian education and training company based just outside of Vancouver Canada. She works with educators, business, community and government in the areas of early learning, work-life, community development and employee engagement.

How Collaborative Tech Can Help Businesses Escape a Growth Rut

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By Kayla Matthews

While the rapid advance of technology is a boon to most business owners, others find it overwhelming, confusing and unnecessary. Adding to the confusion are workers who voice concerns over increasing automation, the increase of threats like viruses and malware, and next-gen systems that are too costly during their initial launch.

To ease the transition for these business owners, IT teams are turning to collaborative technology.

The Rise of Cobots

You’ve been hearing about robots for decades, but what about cobots? Instead of replacing human workers with AI-driven, fully autonomous machines, many business owners are embracing the modern cobot. Instead of working in opposition to your current staff or taking over their jobs entirely, cobots have one clear goal: to work with their human counterparts and strengthen productivity across the board.

It’s a winning situation for everyone involved. The majority of your roster will likely keep their jobs while your company benefits from the heightened productivity and efficiency that is only available through advanced hardware like cobots.

Next-Gen Software

Software solutions are a dime-a-dozen, especially in the business sector. It’s sometimes difficult to separate legitimate apps and utilities from viruses or malware — but there are some highly useful programs available to today’s business owners.

One such program, Encircle, is meant specifically for modern enterprises and highly collaborative environments. According to recent case studies, organizations that use Encircle boast a 65 percent reduction in administration tasks, a 160 percent increase in reporting accuracy, a 250 percent increase in workplace efficiency and more.

There are plenty of applications to choose from, depending on your software needs. Other popular collaboration tools include Skype, SharePoint, Office 365, Yammer, OneDrive and many more.

The Internet of Things

Both the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are gaining a lot of momentum in the 21st century. While the latter is relevant in industrial professions — like manufacturing, construction, mining and fossil fuel production — the generalized IoT has tremendous potential to transform how business owners run their enterprises in the future.

According to top experts in the field, the IoT has four potential benefits for modern businesses, including:

  • Greater operational efficiency
  • Better customer service and an improved customer experience
  • Decreased risk in everyday operations
  • More business value through new services and programs

Business owners who want to make the most of the IoT will need to collaborate with a knowledgeable and experienced IT team, because the scope of the IoT is too large, complex and involved for one person.

New Marketing Initiatives

The newfound emphasis on collaborative tech is creating some new marketing initiatives, too. Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are two methods that draw increased traffic to your website. In this case, SEO ensures your website is accessible via today’s search engines while SEM gives your site a higher rank in any search results.

For even greater effect, business owners turn to social media marketing. Today’s social media portals — including Facebook, LinkedIn and more — are the ideal platforms for testing out new marketing strategies, collaborating with partners and strengthening the overall customer experience.

How Collaborative Tech Benefits Everyone

Although the most obvious benefits of collaborative tech come to those on the frontlines, including IT officials, business owners and the modern workforce, greater collaboration on a professional level ultimately benefits us all.

Today’s customers can demand a level of personalization that wasn’t available five or 10 years ago, and owners can conduct business with their partners through high-definition video conferencing. It truly is a system that trickles down to benefit everyone involved.

 

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: Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash