Insights, Ideas, Results
Buying a car for business purpose needs careful consideration even for those business owners who are looking to buy just few cars for themselves or their employees. Of course, large corporations spend lot of time and effort in selecting fleet cars by inviting RFPs from multiple vendors and negotiating for months. Small business owners do not need to go to this length, but they still need to consider number of important factors when considering the business car purchase.
Is there a better feeling than crossing something off your To-do list? Big or small, completing any assignment will give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which, in turn will motivate you to keep plowing through the list. I actually know someone whose first item on any to-do list is “make list” so that she can scratch it off immediately. Yes, I’m embarrassed for her.
Some tasks, unfortunately, are not completed or deleted that easily. You know, those pain-in-the-neck projects that you dread the most – the ones that never seem to get done. We all have a task or two that’s taken up permanent residence on our To-do list. It’s like the party guest who just won’t leave, who you’d hide in the coat closet to avoid talking to. Peek out from behind the parkas, and sure enough, he’s still there, double dipping his chips and boring everyone to tears.
When something on your To-do list is bringing the whole party down, it’s time to shake its hand and show it the door! Here are five easy tips to help you tackle that beast, once and for all:
Let’s do an experiment. Close your eye and think of the first word that comes to mind when I say Apple. How about McDonald’s? Prada? If your answers were something like elegance, Happy Meal and luxury, respectively, you understand the power of brand. A brand can create vivid images in your mind of a business. It can also create powerful emotions in people’s brains. No wonder large businesses spend millions in creating and protecting their brands. The brand doesn’t have to be the purview of large companies only. Small business can, and must, do everything in their capacity to cultivate and manage their brand image.
Just what is a brand?
Few professions are hated with as much passion as telemarketing. Even businesses hate receiving sales calls, and for good reason. The marketing or sales call is an interruption – usually with the intent of selling something that the business never asked for. Many businesses fail to understand this and continue to rely on old tactics of business telemarketing to increase their sales. So, how do you switch from becoming an unwanted pest to a welcomed guest? Stop making the same mistakes that everyone else is making.
Big or small, all businesses are at risk from a very wide range of information security threats. Given the recent trend of businesses being mostly reliant on the internet for communication as well as business operations, all companies are now vulnerable to hackers, viruses and a whole host of other dangers.
It’s nearly inevitable that your company will suffer from a security breach at some point, unless your security system is rigid and constantly updated and reviewed. Up to 93 percent of large businesses in the UK had at least one security breach last year, with 87 percent of small businesses suffering from one – a 76 percent increase from a year ago!
If your company sustains an attack, it is vital that you respond swiftly and confidently, in order to prevent further damage.
Congratulations!! Your hard work in starting a small business has begun to pay off. You started it as a hobby by running it from your laptop on the kitchen table or a garage. The customers like what you are selling and the word is beginning to spread. The sales are growing at a healthy clip and soon you are going to hire your first batch of employees.
As soon as you have more than one employee with their own laptops you will realize the need for sharing data and computer programs. You need reliable way to store and access the data as well as common computer programs between all the employees. This is where the computer server comes in the picture. But, just what is a server?
Ecommerce sales have been growing by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, driven by maturing of Internet technology and changing consumer behavior. Amazon has solidified its position as the behemoth of online sales, just like Wal-Mart did with brick and mortar retail few decades ago. Even traditional brick and mortar retailers, such as Staples, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart itself, have established online operations and are working hard to increase their online sales.
If the Great Recession of 2008 has taught one thing to individuals and small business owners it is to keep their financial house in order, including credit history, debt and savings. Many business owners with low credit score found it impossible to get a loan at the height of recession. Even those with good credit history had trouble convincing lenders that they had the wherewithal to pay back the loan. Many people realized the importance of financial planning in that time.
According to Andy Warhol, “An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have.”
You can also argue that art is an attempt to bring order out of chaos – and when it comes to your business’ washroom services, this statement can occasionally ring true.
Keeping your company’s washroom’s clean is an art, and the need for immaculate and well equipped toilet facilities should be top of any business owners list.
Why?
Your working environment can have a significant impact on your staff productivity. The office layout, wall colors, decoration and other surroundings can help or hinder the creativity and output produced. No wonder Google and many other companies spend so much attention and money on office buildings and furnitures.
What factors do you need to consider as you look to improve the working environment to boost productivity, creativity and employee retention for your company? Here are some ideas:
