No Comments

5 ways to improve the quality of employees working at your company

2012
11.29

 

One of the hardest aspects of being a manager or owner of a company is trying to motivate your employees to work at their maximum level of productivity. This problem area can be solved by taking a few simple measures and being consistent in them. Here are five ways to improve the quality of the employees working at your company:
1. Start with Recruiting.
Getting the right candidates in the door in the first place is key to improving the quality of employees at your company.  There are many ways to make this work for you whether it be recruiting software, hiring agency or job board.  Make sure you make your job posting as specific as possible.1. Learn to praise your employees on a consistent basis

It has been said that praise is much more effective than criticism. While it is easy to notice what your employees do wrong, make sure to take the time to notice what they do right. This will encourage your employees to give their full effort to the given task before them.

2. Offer different incentives and rewards

Everyone loves being rewarded for a job well done, and rightfully so. Make sure to notice and reward those employees who go the extra mile to make sure a project is completed correctly and accurately. Think about giving a regular weekly or monthly cash prize for the employee who performs above and beyond expectations.

3. Be flexible with giving time off

Remember, your employees have lives outside of their work. Be as flexible with your scheduling as possible and allow for ample time off. Your employees have health needs, emergency situations, and vacations they need time off for. Do your best to work with them when these items come up. A rested employee is a much more effective worker than a tired one.

4. Promote from within your company if possible

Promoting from within your company gives your employees another incentive to work hard at their job, knowing they may have the opportunity to move up in position, pay, and benefits. No one wants to be stuck at a dead-end job with no hopes of promotion. Dead-end jobs are rarely long-term jobs for employees.

5. Make sure your employees know exactly what you expect of them

There is no better way to frustrate your employees than being disorganized in the delegation and completion of your projects and tasks. Work constantly on being organized in each area of your work. This will provide a work environment that is conducive to efficient and productive synergy.

By working on these items as an employer or manager, you will greatly improve the quality and productivity of your employees. The sky is the limit for how far your company can go if you consistently work on these essentials to having high-quality employees. Without your employees, there is no such thing as a successful company. Learn to look for ways to treat your employees in the way you would want to be treated if you were in their position.

Category Corporate Success, Operations |

No Comments

WordPress Mobile Theme Plugins

2012
09.12

There are tons of reasons why you should incorporate WordPress mobile theme plugins on your site. Your website should always look great whether your readers are using ordinary PCs or mobile devices. It’s essential that you keep up with the speed of development, which is always moving at a high speed.

Designers and developers have been creating WordPress mobile theme plugins for a long time now, and because of this, it’s easy to make WordPress sites friendly to mobile devices.

It is important to take mobile surfers seriously if you want your website to remain competitive. Their mobile experience needs to be on par with what they would be reading on a desktop or laptop computer. More and more WordPress mobile theme plugins are popping up, and the best choice for your site depends on what your needs are.

Here is a list of the five best WordPress mobile theme plugins.

 

  • Your main site design need not be affected by your mobile theme. WordPress Mobile Edition is an easy to use plugin for mobile devices that automatically detects what browser the reader is using. This plugin enables the theme you choose to load for specific mobile devices.

 

  • Mobilize is a really handy plugin. It will detect any mobiles phone having access to your site and it will redirect it to its server called Mippin, which will reconstruct your site to suit the needs of the smart phone. Mippin will re-size images and convert any videos that you have on your site.

 

  • Mowser detects when a reader is accessing your site using a mobile phone and it will automatically redirect to the optimized mobile version of your blog, which you can manually set.

 

  • WP viewMobile will detect when a reader is accessing your blog using a mobile phone. It automatically re-sizes images, or will remove the images completely if it detects that the mobile devices does not support images.

 

  • The Wetomo plugin will also automatically detect when a blog reader is using a smart phone to get to your site. Wetomo will act as an emissary between WordPress and the user, modifying your site to be compatible with the mobile device being used.

 

  • There are apps for administrators, too. Official WordPress for Android is an Open Source app that empowers you to write new posts, edit content, and manage comments with built-in notifications. WordPress for iPhone and for Blackberry work in the same way.

 

There are many reasons why you should incorporate WordPress mobile theme plugins on your site, and these plugins will make really easy for you to make sure that all of your readers have a pleasant experience on your site. If possible, it’s a good idea to test your website on as many different mobile device browsers that you can get your hands on. You can rest assured that no matter where your readers are and no matter what device they are using, your site will always look great.

Category Uncategorized |

No Comments

Smartphone apps that increase productivity

2012
05.29

Sure, a lot of people use their smartphones to play Angry Birds or browse Facebook all day. However, there are plenty of apps that can help you to tackle your to-do list. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or work hard from the office, these apps can increase your productivity.

1. Evernote

Evernote has quickly become the go-to app for college students you need to take notes during a lecture or while reading from a textbook. It’s not just a note-taking application, however. You can also attach photos and voice memos so everything is always in the same place. Plus, this nifty little app is compatible with Android phones, the iPhone, tablets and even your desktop computer.

2. Dropbox

Dropbox isn’t necessarily intended to increase productivity, nonetheless, it does. Dropbox is a cloud-storage solution that allows you to upload files to a central location and access them from any computer or device with that Dropbox app. It saves you all the time of writing files to a disk or drive and having to keep track of those removable media solutions on your way to and from work or school. One version of one file in one location — we like it!

3. ReQall

No list of time-saving apps would be complete without a mention of ReQall. This app is great because it allows you to set reminders. Available for both iOS and the Android platform, it’s the modern-day version of the post-it note, if the post-it note had a native timer.

4. SpringPad

While similar to some of the apps already on this list, it excels at allowing you to note different types of things. Places, recipes, movies and more are all at home in the SpringPad app. Once you sync the app from your phone, you can also access your notes via the Web.

5. SwipePad

If you want something different for your Android phone, try SwipePad. This launcher overlay adds a menu so you can open any app from any other location on your phone. No longer do you need to return to the homescreen to launch a new app. SwipePad will consistently allow you to decrease your tapes, and the time spent tapping. Little by little, you’ll become more productive.

6. Ambur

Business owners, specifically restaurant owners, will really like this one. This app will turn your  iPad into a payment processing system. Amburapp’s PoS for restaurants will help any restaurant save money and streamline their business.

Whether you need to organize your shopping list or find the best way run all those errands that your boss assigned to you, there’s an app for that.

Category Operations, Success |

No Comments

Best ways to make your business more efficient

2011
12.14

There are so many different ways that business can become more efficient and here is the list of the best ways we believe work.

  1. Transparency. Employees love being in the know and love the ability to see what every level within the organization does.  It allows them to grow within the organization and explore other areas where their expertise can be beneficial to the company as a whole.
  2. Collaboration. When employees can work together without coercive behavior is one of the most important working environments that make any business more efficient.
  3. Adapt to Technology. The world is always changing a technology is a huge part of any business.  Make sure to advanced systems such as web help desk software, high tech business phones and computer operating systems, and cloud services.
  4. Employee Satisfaction. Sometimes the simplest problem is the most stressful and irritating. Keep you employees satisfied and stress free. For example, a slow computer or other technical issues can easily be solved before an employee becomes unsatisfied with working conditions.
  5. Fun.  It’s important to have a culture that allows sometime for fun.  Yes, it is important to get work done and meet deadlines but it is also important that employees have a time to relax, laugh, and let some seriousness out.  Schedule events outside of work that your employees want to go attend or have an event during the working day that your employees will enjoy.

Making businesses more efficient will be beneficial to all parties involved.  Top level executives will be happy with the increased bottom line.  Lower level employees will be more productive and happy with the way the company is being run.  Follow the tips above and you should be on your way to a more productive and more efficient business.

Category Corporate Success |

No Comments

Must Have Characteristics of an Entrepreneur

2011
12.09

From the time you were little, you may have known that you would one day be an entrepreneur. From your first lemonade stand, to your “pet rock” company, you were learning the basic skills needed in order to be an entrepreneur.

Get your name out there!
Having strong communication and social skills might be the MOST important skill to posess when starting up your own entrepreneurial career or business. In order to “get the ball rolling” in your new endeavour, you must be willing to confront all parties that may be involved and spread the word about your upcoming business. Meet with local businesses throughout your community and build relationships with them as they may become crucial in supporting your business down the road. Just as good communication and social skills are crucial to your personal life, they may be even more important in your business life, especially when starting from the bottom and trying to build your own project or business from scratch.

Patience is key!
If starting your own successful entrepreneurial business was easy, everyone would be doing it. It is very important to keep your long term career goals in mind, but not be let down if you do not get the results you are working so hard for immediately. Just like studying for a hard exam, you must keep focused and dedicated if you want to see the best results. San Francisco and New York are the areas in this country that are densely populated with entrepreneurs and a lot of them search for “personal assistant San Francisco” when they need someone to unload miscellaneous tasks on. You may fail a million times before seeing your business picking up off the ground, but if you just remember why you wanted to start it in the first place, then seeing your way through the hardships will leave you suceeding in the end.

Think Realistically!
It is easy to have grandiose visions and ideas when starting to be an entrepreneur, and often times we give up if we do not reach the high levels that we pictured. It is extremely rare, if not unheard of, to become an overnight millionaire when starting your own project or business. This does not mean you will not reach those dreams one day, but it all takes work, and A LOT of time to get there! You may have to sacrifice your own time and comfortable way of life in order to reach the ultimate goals of your project. Do not be surprised or discouraged if the first year of your entrepreneurial project or business concists of you living off ramen noodles and working around the clock, but again, you will see the results you want if you can go into the project with a clear mind and realistic thoughts.

Being an entrepreneur is hard work, but you can see the results you wish to see if you can just remember to get your name out there, that patience is key, and that it is critical to think realistically! Goodluck on your new entrepreneurial journey!

 

Category Success |

No Comments

Easiest Businesses to Operate

2011
11.15

Vending has to be one of the easiest businesses to operate. Most people associate the vending business to just soda pop machines. But in truth, almost all the products we consume on a daily basis are brought to you by a vendor. And in most cases, vendors are only middle men between the manufacturer and the consumer.

Think about all the products you come across just going into a convenient store. Or better yet, think about a product you don’t see in your local store but wish there was. This could be a product to get your vending route started with.

When looking at it from that angle, you begin to see, there is a lot more opportunities to get into vending than just soda cans. All you have to do is find a product that people want and will buy at a price you set. The difference between the sale amount and the cost you have from the supplier, is yours as a profit.

Corner store owners are just people too. If you have a product that you can offer to vend to them, and they can still make a hefty profit by carrying your product, then you’re in business. From experience, if you can back it with a guarantee, then you will really get their attention. What this means, is that you offer to buy back any products that don’t get sold. This does add a little more risk on your end. But it will also open a lot more doors if owners know they can’t lose money by carrying your product in their stores.

All this, of course, depends on weather or not people will buy your product at the end price. Good luck trying to sell a small pack of gum for 3 dollars a piece. But if it’s priced low enough that customers will buy, then everybody wins. Even small profit margins can add up to big money if your product is in high traffic areas.

A vending route has many other benefits as well. For starters, most are cash businesses. Everybody loves cash. There’s also some really great tax breaks operating a vending route. If things don’t look so good for your business, you can file for a tax extension and hope to pay off your taxes. Certainly not last on the list, is the networking aspect that goes with the territory. A positive attitude and good customer relations, could open the door to many opportunities that most people don’t have the inside track on.

If you’re looking for one of the easiest businesses to operate, then a strong case could be made for a vending route. With the ease of entry point, coupled with low overhead and operating costs, this one should definitely be considered.

 

Category Operations |

No Comments

Marketing Your Products in the United States

2011
10.07

In the United States, marketing is essential in the competitive market. Regardless what type of service or product your company offers, you must get the word out there. Though business marketers go to school to obtain a degree in efficient marketing, if you run a small business you can do marketing right from your office. Just start your own webpage; today, using technology, there are a number of free or inexpensive tools at your disposal. Before starting a marketing campaign, sit down and write your goals and plans for marketing. Decide if online or traditional marketing are best for your company before deciding what marketing techniques you will tackle.

Traditional marketing is not always the cheapest way to reach potential clients and customers, but it can also be most efficient. If you have a budget, choose marketing devices that not only fit in the budget, but allow you to use the budget for multiple projects. For example, use techniques like handing out pens to customers with the company’s name on it. When choosing pens, go with an inexpensive brand and style instead of an expensive gel pen. Look at marketing campaigns that are currently popular. Evaluate what is working and what is not working, and incorporate this into your business model.

If traditional marketing is not for your business, consider moving the marketing online. Social networks are just one of many free tools online to market your business. Create a free website and interact with customers to get your company’s name out there. Send products to blogs and followers to review and talk about with friends. You can even run contests to give away items for free. The more you interact with customers online, the more online marketing will benefit your company.

The truth is that the younger generations are social consumers. This means companies in America must have a web presence. Without this, consumers will not research your product and are less likely to purchase it.

 

Category Marketing |

No Comments

The U.S.’s Largest and Most Successful Franchises

2011
09.25

It’s well known that many of the world’s largest businesses and franchises hail from the United States — but which ones have been the most successful and widespread? In this piece we provide a glance at some of the biggest of the American powerhouse franchises in operation today.

Subway
By some measures, Subway has become the biggest franchise not only in the United States but in the world. Started in 1965 with a single location selling submarine sandwiches by founders Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck in Bridgeport, Connecticut Subway today exists in nearly 25,000 locations in the US alone and over 9,000 locations elsewhere. The chain’s success is often attributed to being seen, in recent times, as a healthy alternative to other fast foods.

7-Eleven Inc.
Beginning in 1927 as a convenience store which sold basic food stuffs in addition to ice blocks in the same location (items previously sold separately), Joe C. Thompson’s business idea caught on and eventually allowed him to buy and establish the 7-Eleven chain in 1964. Since then over 40,000 locations worldwide have been established, expanding to offer a number of goods including gasoline.

McDonald’s
Famous the world over, McDonald’s was one of the first franchises to explode globally. The story of McDonald’s began in California where brothers Mac and Dick McDonald, against the common practice of the time, had their restaurant operating multiple milkshake mixers instead of one. This lead to customers being serviced much faster than other establishments, inspiring the McDonald brothers to begin the burger franchise in 1955. With just over 33,000 locations worldwide it’s not hard to see why McDonald’s is on this list.

KFC Corp.
In the 1930s Harland Sanders opened and operated a modest cafe in Corbin, Kentucky and quickly became renowned locally for his culinary skills. So famous was he that he was named an honorary Kentucky Colonel. Inspired by his success and popularity, Colonel Sanders began franchising his restaurant under the KFC name in 1952 and the first location was opened in Salt Lake City, Utah. Now in over 80 countries across the globe, KFC has earned a place among the most successful American franchises.

While these are only a few of the monster American franchises out there, it is clear that food service has been the cornerstone of what makes a modern franchise success, not only in the US but worldwide.

 

Category Corporate Success |

No Comments

What Clothes To Wear To An Interview

2011
08.02

If you are trying to prepare for a big interview, but you are not sure what to wear, you need to consider a few different tips and tricks to make the most of the interview. You need to make sure that you are dressing appropriately for your big interview, otherwise you may be throwing your chances right out the door. For example, you don’t want to show up with a Stud Muffin t shirt at your interview.

You need to make sure that no matter what job you are applying for, you dress in your best clothing possible. It is far better to be overdressed than it is to come into an interview looking like you just rolled off the street. You want to make a good first impression that will leave them wanting you to come back.

Some of the tips to take into account for how a man should dress for an interview include:

- Solid colored suit
- Long sleeve shirt, preferably white
- Darker colored socks with professional shoes
- Tie that is solid color or a conservative print
- Limit your jewelry
- Professional and neatly trimmed hairstyle
- Limit the amount of aftershave or cologne that you use
- Make sure your nails are neatly trimmed
- Carry your paperwork with you in a portfolio

On the other hand, women need to take the following into account for their interview:

- Solid colored suit
- Make sure your blouse matches your suit
- Limit your jewelry
- Professional shoes that are modest
- Professional and net hairstyle
- Light stockings
- Limit the amount of perfume, make-up and hairspray that you use
- Manicured nails
- Carry important papers in a briefcase or portfolio

There is no reason why you should go into an interview looking anything less than your best. Take the extra time and prepare yourself to the best of your ability. The more prepared you can be the better it will be for everyone involved. The majority of a person’s opinion is based upon how you look, so people will form their opinion of you right from the start.

You don’t have to worry about what people think when you take the time to make sure you are primped and ready to go. Planning ahead will help to make sure that you don’t feel as if you are being rushed around on the day of your big interview. Make sure you stop and think before you do anything rash.

 

Category Work Attire |

No Comments

Success in Business Tied to Traits Shared by Successful People

2011
07.16

All over the world there are successful people. They are from varied cultures, backgrounds and countries. The answer to how to become a successful business person is in traits. All of these people from around the world may be different, but all possess the same trait of being successful. A business person can work as an entrepreneur or maybe small business owner, or even perform business activities for an employer.

The first thing that a successful business person should be identified with is a willingness to learn. Learning is a characteristic commonly associated with a successful businessperson. Companies and businesses are evolving all the time and what works today might not tomorrow. By continuing education, and a willingness to explore new and more efficient ways of doing business, the business person can find long-term success.

For success-oriented people, losing hope is never an option. If someone tries and fails, then he or she might lose hope, but that is not what success-oriented people are made of. Instead, they try hundreds of times until they reach their goal, never giving up in the process. Any and all emotions cannot stop the successful person from achieving. Getting to know people can be a natural thing for some, and therefore the successful business person should be open to meeting with and develop friendly business relationships. Then comes the important of communication, which is often in the form of discussions in the relationship area of reaching success.

Successful business people believe in their dreams and only see failure as a critique or some kind of feedback. They do not tend to see it as bad news. They know that eventually their dreams will come true. But sometimes the successful business person can face problems that may cost him or her success. Businesses at times go bankrupt, successful people can lose their jobs, or may be run out of business for reasons unbeknownst to them. But the successful person recovers and can get back to the same level of work the originally had in a short amount of time.

There is a big importance placed on communication, as previously noted. The successful business person studies communication styles and develops a skill where he or she can identify a person’s style and therefore know how to approach the person effectively. In business, empathy can be a good kind of communication. For example, in dealing with customers, the successful business person would have to empathize with the customer’s experience helps him or her overcome the desire to protect business interests and not doing right by the customer.

Category Success |

« Older Entries