Successful Blog

What Practices Keep Your Business Humming Along?

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Jobs Job Career Occupation Human Resource Recruitment ConceptIn today’s business world, companies have as many opportunities as ever to become prosperous and go on for decades to come.

On the other hand, many companies can also see their dreams go up in smoke, albeit through bad economic times, improper job hires, marketing and advertising campaigns that go astray etc.

With that in mind, what are you specifically doing to make sure your business keeps humming along?

Don’t Take Business Success for Granted

So that your brand can always have the upper-hand when it comes to business success, know what your strengths and weaknesses (if any) are.

For the man or woman running a business, it is important to make the right decisions at the right times.

Among those decisions can be deciding if either PEO or ASO services are best for your company.

In the event you’re not fully up to speed on one or both of these services note the following….

PEO services can assist your brand with the all-important aspect of human resources.

Face it; your business (and many others for that matter) can at times have issues regarding employees. When those happen, having a sound HR regimen in place is critical.

Your HR rules should be in place from day one of an employee joining the company.

Whether in a publication or provided online, the HR information should include important items involving work hours and responsibilities, if/when an employee is eligible for health insurance benefits, and more.

Meantime, ASO services are also important for business owners, so know them from start to finish. You need to be sure your company is not missing out and/or cutting corners on various tasks at hand.

ASO services typically work with business owners in the all-important areas of payroll and tax filings.

In the event you have a midsize to larger-sized business, keeping your payroll in order and on time can prove tricky to some business heads. Having the ASO service available can be a great relief, especially since you want your employees to be paid on time and with the correct amount of compensation.

Meantime, one task that can keep business owners up at night is making sure their taxes are done on time in the spring, not to mention correctly. Once again, the above-mentioned service can be quite fruitful in making sure you meet all your tax obligations.

Mid-Term Business Report Card

So, can you say with the utmost confidence that your business is where it wants to be nearly midway through the year?

If not, check to see if you are falling short on these areas:

  • New hires – Have you been making the best of hires in recent times? If not, consider changing the way you go about the hiring process in the first place. Some companies opt for experience over personality, others do the reverse. Always look to get the best of both worlds when hiring. It doesn’t hurt to have one or more of your better employees’ sit-in on some interviews. This way they can provide you with some solid feedback on if he or she is the best candidate to join the team;
  • Promotional campaigns – Whether it is advertising or marketing, are you doing everything possible to put forth the best campaigns each and every time out? Yes, you may have shoe-string budgets for one or both areas, but you need to get your brand’s name out in front of the public as often as possible. If money is tight, look to more “free” marketing and advertising opportunities. Even though it can cost you in terms of getting the right individual or individuals to post for you, using social media can be relatively inexpensive, not to mention successful. When it comes to social networking sites, your brand should be all over the tops ones, ones like Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Linked In etc. Use social media to not only promote your various marketing and advertising campaigns, but also to listen to what the public is saying about your business.

From working with the right service personnel (PEO, ASO) to hiring the best workers, there are many facets of your business that you can do correctly from day one.

As a business owner, your number one job is to keep your business humming along, allowing you and your team to regularly see success right in front of your eyes.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

Sometimes entrepreneurs need to slow down to speed up – #GeniusShared

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A picture I posted on Instagram 2 years ago -- I was on my way to the airport to pick up Liz Strauss in Vancouver. (No I was not driving when I took this.)
A picture I posted on Instagram 2 years ago — I was on my way to the airport to pick up Liz Strauss in Vancouver. (No — I was not driving when I took this.)

Two years ago yesterday I was heading to the airport to pickup Liz Strauss here in Vancouver. During her week long visit, we conspired, we planned and we pushed through a ton of things to build the foundation for what now exists between us — and for what we want to build through GeniusShared over the long haul.

Today? Well — today we are in the midst of reviewing the galley proofs for her new book – Anything You Put Your Mind To, which is set to publish September 21, 2016 through GeniusShared Press. And we are getting ready to roll out several other initiatives too.

When you’re an entrepreneur, speed matters — but so does taking your time. And when you’re used to moving at the speed of light — well it can be tough to slow down. And to build carefully. But — it matters — because when you slow down for the right reasons, with the proper care and commitment and with the best people — it can make a difference. And in the end — that can be your difference — personally and professionally.

I balance my need for speed with also slowing down every single day — and I tell you this — never, ever — EVER — underestimate the good that can come from putting the time, effort and energy into building the right relationships. Relationships that are based on truth, trust, vision and connection — because — when you get that part right you build foundation — which means everything else comes so much easier and faster.

Sometimes you need to slow down in order to speed up.

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.

10 Time Management Apps to Help Enable the Perfect Work/Life Balance

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By Outreach Mama

It’s undeniable that new and innovative technology has created immeasurable benefits for all of us. The high-tech lifestyle that we currently lead allows us to quickly connect with our peers, perform important tasks throughout the day, leverage resources and improve our productivity much speedier and simpler than we’ve ever imagined possible.

Are you currently using time management applications to help improve productivity with the completion of day-to-day tasks? Which apps are you using? And how many do you find useful for time optimization?

There are currently hundreds of apps and other tools to help with time management. If you choose to miss out on the advantage that they provide, you are making a big mistake and costing yourself hundreds of hours a year that could have otherwise been put to better use if time management productivity was taken more seriously.

With that said, we will share 10 time management apps that will make a positive impact on your time and schedule if you’d only begin using them.

Our Top 10 Time Management Applications

Here are our favorites in no particular order:

● Rescue Time – we often wonder and doubt whether or not we are using our time to our advantage. Rescue Time runs as a background application on your computer and/or mobile device. It tracks time spent on applications, websites, and shows you (through weekly reports) where and how you are spending your time online. You’ll find out your biggest time wasters and learn how to manage your Internet usage in a more productive way.

● Dropbox – this free and simple to use application allows you to store content in the cloud. This cloud server helps you quickly move content from one device to another. You can gain access to and share your most important files no matter where you happen to be while on the go.

● Clockspot – this app is a favorite of business owners in many industries. It is the perfect alternative to cumbersome timesheets. It makes it simple to track the amount of time spent on personal and business projects. Clockspot is the ideal tool to help manage and analyze projects and tasks quite effectively.

● Launchy – this easy, tiny tool will allow you to use a few simple keystrokes to launch project files, bookmarks, folders and documents. It makes it very simple to access programs without fumbling through your start menu.

● Universal Password Manager – if you happen to forget your passwords, and have Post-it notes piled up on your desk completely disorganized and out of sorts; this is the best way to keep your passwords stored and safe without compromising security.

● MyLifeOrganized – if you find it difficult to manage to-do lists and tasks, this app will help you get your life organized and back on track.

● Remember the Milk – this tool helps keep you organized and is compatible with computers, mobile devices, Outlook, Gmail and more.

● Evernote – keep track of articles, notes, images, voice messages and more with this free productivity tool.

● Focus Booster – based on Pomodoro technique principles, this application is perfect for those who continuously procrastinate and experience task management overwhelm. It helps improve your focus and relieve time related anxiety.

● Focus at Will – this application uses music and neuroscience to help enhance productivity. It’s perfect for those trying to stay focused while reading, working or studying.

Begin using these time management apps and get your life back on track without any further delay.

 

Featured Image Source: kaboompics.com

 

Don’t Be Afraid of Technology

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Market.Given all that technology has to offer your brand, why would you in turn run away from it and try to hide?

Unfortunately, there are businesses out there that do just that.

For myriad of reasons, some companies see technology as too cumbersome, too expensive, too much to try and teach their employees. As a result, they miss out on all the great things technology can offer a brand.

That said has your business embraced technology as it should. If not, are you in fact afraid of all technology has to offer?

Consultants Can Make the Difference

For some of those businesses that are afraid of technology, what if they hired consultants to implement and manage such needs?

While some brands may shy away from using consultants, many other companies see much benefit in using men and women who have extensive experience in the world of technology.

With that being the case, how can your business put I.T. consultants to work for you?

Among the ways they can assist:

  1. General website production and upkeep – Your website should know no boundaries when it comes to promoting your brand. That said your website must always be maintained so that not only is it working as it should, but also giving visitors to the site what they need. You can opt for a provider such as Maryland I.T. services or others that are out there, searching for the one best suited to your needs and financial means. Don’t just automatically opt for the one offering the cheapest price. Then again, the most expensive one doesn’t automatically guarantee the best service. When you combine great experience with an affordable price, you typically hit the nail on the head. Speaking of upkeep a minute ago, your site’s I.T. pro or pros should review the website regularly, looking for any errors. Some of the typical gaffes can include 404 errors, pictures that do not match with the content, headline typos etc. While the occasional error may slip through from time to time, a website filled with errors is likely going to give many visitors the wrong opinion about your brand. If they feel like your site is nothing short of a joke, can you really expect them then to fully trust your products and/or services? Don’t let visitors be the ones to routinely find gaffes on your site;
  2. Blog content – Assuming your website offers a blog, that blog is some of your best marketing means available. With the right focus on the blog, you can write and/or include guest posts that revolve around your particular industry. The number one rule here regarding content is that it must be informative and authoritative for the reader, not trying to sell something every other sentence. The content should also have a call to action, thereby leading you to potential sales at each and every opportunity. Finally, the content should be shared (see more below) as often as possible, allowing you to get it in front of as many eyes as possible;
  3. Social promotions – If your website has been lax at promoting itself on social media, that needs to change immediately. Your presence on social networking sites can open so many different doors for your brand, so don’t hesitate to use it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc. are all great tools to give your brand the social exposure it truly needs. Make sure your site has its respective social media icons in an easy to locate area, allowing those wishing to an opportunity to follow you. Yes, some business owners will lament that they have trouble truly figuring out if social media provides a good return on investment (ROI), but the overwhelming evidence shows that it does.

These are but three of the ways I.T. consultants can educate business owners on improving their technology efforts.

If you have been only a so-so player in the world of technology, perhaps it was because you didn’t have the right consultant help available?

When you stop and think about it, technology is only going to get bigger and better in the years to come.

That said don’t be afraid of it and lose out on all sorts of potential business.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and technology items on the web.

Why Successful People in Business Lean on Their Friends

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By Mindy Mackenzie

Celine Dion singing “All By Myself” is one of the great clips on YouTube of all time. [Click here for a little spine-tingling inspiration.]

But as Celine sings about how she doesn’t want to be all by herself I can’t help but think about the CEOs and executives I advise who feel exactly the same.

Being a senior business leader can be a notoriously lonely place. But all the successful people in business I know have a group of advisors they rely on and most have had this group for many, many years.

Why? Because going it alone in business is a bad proposition.

You need what I call a personal pit crew: a handful of trusted, credible people who can give you insight, advice, counsel, and painful feedback, when you need it. This is a crew committed to your success in your business and personal life. And while these folks may have started out in a more advisory capacity, they ultimately become dear and lifelong friends.

Here’s the painful truth: the more senior you get the less the people around you will tell you the truth. Messages start to get managed. All your ideas begin to get agreed with –enthusiastically. Those around you are more careful in handling you because they want or need something from you. As the parable of the nude emperor indicates, the process that resulted in him traipsing around town in his birthday suit did not occur in a day.

It is these very factors that successful people are aware of. Because they are self aware. Which gets increasingly difficult the more powerful and successful you become. Friends by their very definition are people who love you in spite of yourself. For who you are inside and out. Not just for your public personae.

There’s another aspect to why successful people in business lean on their friends: they are smart enough to know they don’t have all the answers. They know they need a fresh perspective or a challenging point of view. And they crave and value that degree of truth.

Finally, at the end of the day, the friends and advisors who have known and supported your journey the longest are also your biggest cheering squad. They know from whence you came and are proud of all you have accomplished and their part in being able to help you get there.

They have observed firsthand the growth and evolution. They know the struggles, insecurities, fears, failures and flops. They are truly your pit crew.

Like all successful business leaders, you need an external group of people committed to your success in your work and your life.

Here’s how to put your personal pit crew together:

  1. Have the right mindset by being willing to lower your guard, be vulnerable and ask for help.
  2. Identify people you trust and whom you respect and admire for their competence and character.
  3. Invest the time necessary to cultivate deep, lasting, open relationships. Reciprocate the support and remember to express gratitude.

There is no need for you to be all by yourself in business any more!

 

About the Author:

Mindy Mackenzie is an accomplished corporate executive, a highly acclaimed speaker, and CEO advisor. Before starting her advisory practice, Mindy served as Chief Performance Officer of Beam, Inc., where she earned the nickname of the “Velvet Hammer.” She was revered for being the truth teller amongst the executive team by exhibiting a bold combination of honesty and empathy. Her impressive career also includes five years at Campbell Soup Co, where she lived and worked overseas, and nine years at Wal-Mart, where she advanced through various Senior Leadership HR and Organizational Development roles. An expert on truth telling in the workplace, her expertise includes leadership and organizational effectiveness, transformational change, culture, and strategy. Mindy is the author of The Courage Solution: The Power of Truth Telling with Your Boss, Peers, and Team (Greenleaf Book Group, May 3rd 2016). For further information please visit http://mindymackenzie.com/.

Make Your Case of Being Innocent

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Take Action direction sign with sky backgroundHaving an allegation levied against you can mean a number of different things.

For the business owner, he or she can see their business dealings take a significant hit when someone has accused them of a serious crime.

One such crime is sexual assault.

Even when the allegations prove false, a man (sometimes the same charge could be tied to a woman) and his business can take years or maybe never to recover from the suspicions.

Was he really guilty and just got away with it? Could he be brought up on a similar charge down the road?

If you’ve been charged with such a serious crime, how will you go about making your case that you are truly innocent?

Stating the Facts to Clear Your Name

When a charge as serious as sexual assault is thrown at an individual, he must do all possible to fight it, especially if he runs a business and risks losing a solid business reputation in the process.

For starters, trying to clear your name begins with providing as much evidence as possible to what the prosecution is alleging.

If you can prove without a shadow of a doubt you were not where the alleged victim claims you were, use any and all evidence (witness statements, video surveillance, receipts from a business etc.).

The goal as in any case of this magnitude is to plant seeds of doubt on the story the prosecution is putting forth. If you can do that, there may not be enough evidence for your case to even go to trial.

The Business of Staying in Business

While your personal reputation is undoubtedly on the line, business owners charged with such crimes must also think about their brands, along with how the public relations fallout from such charges could hurt their companies.

The first thing you want to do is be as sure as possible that your brand remains viable and does not suffer in the public eye.

While competitors should always take the high ground in such cases, you might find one or more that will try and exploit your situation, seeking to take some sales away from you.

For those business owners who do not have a public relations firm either representing them or an in-house team or person dedicated to the company’s PR, it is imperative that the business be presented in the best possible light.

Secondly, assure customers that the business will continue functioning normally, even if you are away from running things for the time being. Nervous customers are never a good matter for a business, so do your best to promise them that things will be alright, with the brand continuing to operate as it has before.

Another area of concern is how your employees will take the news of such charges.

Given how serious allegations of sexual assault are, you may have some workers with questions, concerns etc. Those concerns and questions can be about you personally, but also how this matter may or may not impact their jobs with your business.

Whether you do it in-person or have your second in command speak to them, do your best to assure all of the staff that this matter will be resolved, along with the fact that no one is being let go at this time. While that could change down the road depending on whether or not there is a guilty plea or verdict, your staff wants to know now how the case could have a positive or negative impact on their professional lives.

Lastly, never paint the alleged victim in a bad light.

Even if you are 100 percent innocent (hopefully this is the case), sexual assault in and of itself is a serious charge to throw at someone.

It is important that the victim or victims are not shamed or verbally abused by you or anyone representing you, including your employees.

Take the high road as much as possible, all the while still vigorously defending yourself and proclaiming your innocence.

Avoiding a sexual assault charge can be done, especially when you demonstrate that you are innocent and have nothing to hide.

When all is said and done, will you make your case of being innocent?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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