How to Improve Business Productivity

by Melissa Hopkins

Improving business productivity can be essential to sustaining a profitable business. Inefficient procedures and unmotivated employees can have a significant impact on your bottom line. It is important to develop strategies to increase productivity in order to remain competitive in your field. Fortunately, by implementing some policies and procedures, you can help increase both productivity and morale.

1.     Offer adequate training programs to new and long-term employees. Productivity can be negatively impacted by employee uncertain how to prioritize job duties, use software or implement new procedures. Develop a training program for new hires with specific milestones. Check in frequently during the training period to ensure new employees are learning essential skills. Schedule regular refresher courses for all employees, and use training when implementing new procedures or software.

2.     Create a work environment conducive to productivity by fostering open communication. Allow employees to offer suggestions for streamlining procedures and updating office policy. This helps employees to feel invested in the success of the company. Offer rewards for suggestions that increase efficiency and save the business money. Allow employees the opportunity for flexible scheduling of their work hours so they have better options for handling personal matters outside of business hours.

3.     Create a system to help employees deal with office disputes. According to a survey by Leadership IQ, 93 percent of employees feel their productivity suffers from working with low producers. Employees who aren't doing their job can not only decrease productivity in general, but also be bad for morale. Give employees an option for reporting problem coworkers, and take action when necessary. This will decrease the frustration for hardworking staff members, and raise overall efficiency.

4.     Reward employees for productivity. Rewards don't need to involve salary increases to be effective. Rewards could include a free lunch at a nice restaurant, an extra day of paid time off, or even an employee of the month certificate. Promote competitions for the rewards between teams and individual employees. Conduct monthly staff meetings to announce and congratulate the winners of your productivity challenge.

Five Tips for Writing an Effective Business Plan

by Nathaniel Davis

1. The business plan should tell a compelling story about your business. It should explain who, what,  when, where, and how.
2. Forcing discipline and logic into the business should be a goal of writing the business plan.
3. The business plan should be focused and clear. The number of pages and the style of the cover should not be the focus. Though they can add to your business plan, too much can also take away from what the purpose of you plan is.
4. Specific business objectives and goals with general parameters to guide the organization should be defined.
5. In order for the business plan to be good, it should be a living document that is updated regularly.

The Best Way to Fire an Employee

By Jeff Haden

Here’s how to make a bad situation better — or at least as “better” as it can possibly be — when you have to fire an employee for cause:

1. Be sure. Obvious, right? Not always: The heat of the moment can cause you to make a snap decision that is neither correct nor fair. Even if you have a zero-tolerance policy for certain behaviors, take a few minutes to make sure the employee’s action truly falls within the parameters of that policy. When you’re mad (or really disappointed) it’s easy to think, “That’s it… he has to go,” and unintentionally forget about guidelines and precedents. While you can bring an employee back on after you make a mistake, no one will ever forget what happened — especially the employee.

2. Check the trail. Except where zero-tolerance policy violations are concerned, firing an employee should always be the last step of a relatively formal process. Identify sub-par performance, provide additional training or resources, set targets and time lines for performance improvement, follow up when progress is lacking — and document each step in writing. Documentation not only protects your company, it also helps ensure the employee was given every chance to succeed (which, to me, is more important). If you don’t have a paper trail, don’t be tempted to go back and re-create one. Start now and follow the process; it’s not the employee’s fault if you haven’t done your job properly.

3. Line everything up. How will the employee return company property and collect their personal property? What happens to their benefits? When will they receive their final paycheck? The time period between when you say, “You’re fired,” and when the employee actually leaves the building is incredibly awkward for everyone. Make it easier by knowing every detail in the process so it can go as smoothly as possible. And if you need to bring in other people (HR, for example, to talk about benefits) line them up so they will be available. Never make an employee you just fired sit and wait; that’s inconsiderate on multiple levels.

4. Get a witness. To be honest, I go back and forth on this one. Having someone else in the room eliminates the risk of the employee later claiming you said things you did not. At the same time, a witness makes an awkward situation even more awkward; the employee might feel the second person is in the room simply to provide protection or backup if he gets angry. That’s a little insulting… but in the end your job is to protect your company, so bring in a witness. Safe in this case is better than sorry.
5. Know what you will say. Not sure? Try this: “John, I’m sorry, but we have to let you go.” That’s it. If you’ve done your job correctly and followed your process there is no reason to explain why; John already knows why. Why keep it so simple? No matter how many people you have fired, you’ll still feel uncomfortable so you’ll be tempted to talk — a lot. Don’t. The less you say the more dignity the employee retains. Stick to the point and be professional. And don’t feel bad for not mincing words — at this point the employee has almost no interest in hearing you ramble on anyway.

6. Don’t argue. Reactions vary; most people are quiet, some get mad, and some argue (and then get mad). No matter what, don’t let yourself get sucked into an argument. If you’re sure of the decision and have documentation to back it up, there is no argument. Just say, “John, I’ll be happy to talk about this as long as you wish, but you should understand that nothing we say will change the decision.” Arguing or even “discussing” the fairness of your decision almost always makes the employee feel worse and could open you up to legal issues if you speak without thinking. By all means let the employee vent, but stay away from arguments or debates.

7. Don’t offer to help when you can’t. If you are firing an employee for cause there are very few ways you can help them get another job. (If you are laying them off due to a lack of work, obviously there are a number of ways you might be able to help.) So don’t toss out well-meaning platitudes like, “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know…” There really isn’t. Wrap things up by saying, “Even though this did not work out, I wish you the best.” Shake hands and let them go. Then accept that you’ll feel terrible — no matter how much the employee deserved to be let go. Feeling terrible about playing a role in changing someone’s life for the worse is something you will never get used to — and shouldn’t.

TIME MANAGEMENT 101

by Nathaniel Davis

Here are some basic steps, which should give you a basic idea of what it takes to get you going:

1. Define what you want out of life. Do this by listing your goals and values. What do you really want out of life? When you do this step thoroughly, you will notice a difference. You will also see that 90% of people have not completed this first essential step towards a more constructive life.
2. Figure out some next steps towards your life goals. After that, start taking small steps towards them. If you define your goals tonight, you can start taking steps tomorrow. Even if these are fundamental steps, they do not have to take forever. You can always come back and revise your goals later.
3. Take a firm control of your everyday tasks, and projects. This is a basic time management habit needed at your hectic workplaces today. Techniques of these sorts really represent "hands on" time management. Knowing that you have your tasks under control will also help you to stay calm. Stress won't catch you easily.
4. Take control of your incoming paper flow (brochures, magazines, invoices, etc.). Also organize your existing papers and documents.
5. Clean your desk at work, and keep it clean. It really benefits your time management.
6. Transform your email software from a task overwhelming enemy, to an effective tool, which actually helps you keeping in control of things. You will find joy in an empty email inbox, once you learn how to do it.
7. Start using your increased free time to develop yourself in new or lost areas of life.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

by Nathaniel Davis

Time management starts with commitment to change. Time management is easy as long as you commit to action. The key to successful time management is planning and then protecting the planned time. In order to achieve this, your environment must be re-conditioned. This also entails re-conditioning your expectations of others.

10-Tips for Effective Time-Management

1.    Re-condition the expectations of others as to your availability and their claim on your time - use an activity planner to help you justify why you and not others should be prioritizing your activities and time.

2.    Manage your environment as a whole - especially at the proposed or actual introduction of new systems, tools, technology, people, or processes, which might threaten to generate new demands on your time.

3.    If you accept changes without question - particularly new technology that helps others but not you - then you will open the way for new increasing demands on your time, or new interruptions, or new tasks and obligations.

4.    Consider new technology and other changes from the point of view of your time and efficiency. Ask yourself – “Is this going to save my time or add to my burden?”

5.    Manage your environment - which includes managing, redefining, or reconditioning the expectations of others.

6.    Plan time slots for unplanned activities - you may not know exactly what you'll need to do, but if you plan the time to do it, then other important things will not get pushed out of the way when the demand arises.

7.    Plan time slots for unplanned activities - you may not know exactly what you'll need to do, but if you plan the time to do it, then other important things will not get pushed out of the way when the demand arises.

8.    When you're faced with a pile of things to do, go through them quickly and make a list of what needs doing and when.

9.    Handle each piece of paper only once. Do not under any circumstances pick up a job, do a bit of it, and then put it back on the pile.

10. Do not start lots of jobs at the same time - even if you can handle different tasks at the same time it's not the most efficient way of dealing with them, so don't kid yourself that this sort of multi-tasking is good - it's not.

These are just a few tips that could assist you in effective time management. Time management allows and enables you to improve and be more productive not only in your personal life, but your professional life as well.

How Can a Consultant Help Your Business?

How Can A Consultant Help Your Business?
by Nathaniel Davis

A consultant can benefit your business in various ways. Expertise involves working with small businesses and large corporations to assist with identifying and improving efficiency. Knowledge and experience are utilized to study the operational model the company currently uses, helping with improvisation of the company's current business plan, maximization of current resource usage for company benefit, and help the company in its endeavor to realize future growth.

There are different areas which can be modified and improved through the plans and practices suggested by a consultant. These individuals are well versed in their specific field. Whether it is the financial department or the operation sector that is suffering, they can set up the steps right for you. The consultant will work with the owner of the company to fully understand the business operations and resources to exactly get an idea of how things are working. All the functions that are operating in the company are thoroughly assessed in every aspect, including management. Once this is done, the consultant will document to further analyze the facts. The analysis process allows the consultant to precisely tell you where your company is lagging or aid in identifying shortfalls. Suggestions provided by the consultant will help with improving particular areas identified for improvement. An educated third person, which is what the role of a consultant plays, is able to not only identify problems, but provide viable suggestions to the organization for realization of its fullest potential.

Hiring a consultant can not only enhance your organization, but can also prevent your organization from possibly making costly mistakes that could ultimately harm your organization in the future.

Time Management

Time Management

By Nathaniel Davis

Time management is a skill that sometimes is learned out of necessity. The problem with this is that there is not a lot of lead time which can limit the potential of the learned skill by just utilizing it to address the immediate problem. This immediate reactionary skill can create a bad habit of only learning a new skill in order to react to an adverse situation. The function of time management is about planning for your actions versus actions dictating your planning. 

Taking the time to research ways to improve your time management is you being proactive, which is in part what time management is.  This can garner great results that will benefit you and your organization in the future. There are numerous strategies and types of time management out there. Just remember that there is no “one size fits all” and that you will have to try different approaches to get to what works for you and your organization. But once you find the approach that works best for you and your organization, you and your organization will gain so much more from everyday life.

How Can A  Consultant Help Your Business?
by Nathaniel Davis

A consultant can  benefit your business in various ways.   Expertise involves working with small businesses and large corporations to assist with  identifying and improving efficiency.  Knowledge and experience are utilized to study the  operational model  the company currently uses, helping with improvisation of the company's current business plan, maximization of current resource usage for company benefit, and help the company in its endeavor to realize future growth.

There are different areas which can be modified and improved through the plans and practices suggested by a consultant. These individuals are well versed in their specific field. Whether it is the financial department or the operation sector that is suffering, they can set up the steps right for you. The consultant  will work with the owner of the company to fully understand the business operations and resources to exactly get an idea of how things are working. All the functions that are operating in the company are thoroughly assessed in every aspect, including management. Once this is done, the consultant will  document to further analyze the facts. The analysis process allows the  consultant to precisely tell you where your company is lagging or aid in identifying shortfalls. Suggestions provided by the consultant will help with improving particular areas identified for improvement. An educated third person, which is what the role of a consultant plays, is able to not only identify problems, but provide viable suggestions to the organization for realization of its fullest potential.

Hiring a consultant can not only enhance your organization, but can also prevent your organization from possibly making costly mistakes that could ultimately harm your organization in the future.

Small Business Consulting - Importance of Small Business Consulting

Written by Roger Bryan

Businesses of all sizes can progress to great heights if they work with a consulting firm. Business consulting firms help and guide entrepreneurs in a number of ways to maximize their growth based on their potentials. These consulting firms work with closely with business owners to assess the various current aspects of the business ranging from operational processes to financial processes. Furthermore, these types of firms also help owners in identifying the issues and problems that are either currently impeding the business from growing or will influence it in the long run.

These firms are actually quite helpful in boosting the profitability of the business by assessing the resources being consumed and the profits being generated against them. Many small business owners work with these firms to meet the demands of their clients in a more organized manner.

The Process:

The process is fairly simple - no rocket science is involved in it. The consulting firm simply takes into consideration the lifeblood factors of the business and analyzes them thoroughly. Due to the fact that their clients are usually small business owners, the process is cut short. The process can be way longer if the consultants are analyzing a huge corporation. Once they have analyzed the situation, they create plans which are usually long term plans and long term plans for the business. Now, based on these plans, the small business consulting firm will make a report demonstrating the practices and strategies the business owner can adopt in order to meet the goals stated in both the plan types.

The level of involvement by the consultants depends simply on the size of the business. The more wide spread the business is the more involvement will be there by the consultants. At times, companies also hire small business consulting firms permanently to monitor closely the functions of the company and provide analysis monthly or annually.

These types of firms are also widely known as business coaches or mentors. For sure, they can work great wonders for your business depending on how enthusiastic you are. Remember, they just provide guidance and putting the guidance into practice is solely dependent on you.