Tips and Tools – Page 118 – Business Plus Baby

April 25, 2016

Boosting Productivity in Business: 5 Common Problems

There are lots of things that can make a business unproductive, if you know what you’re looking for. Check out these top five common problems and see if you can relate to any of them!

Your workspace is inappropriate

A major productivity problem is that our working environment is often unsuitable for our personality. For instance, introverted people (that is, those of us who prefer solitary activities and recharge by spending time alone) tend to suffer in open plan office spaces. That’s because introverts are best left to work alone for the most part, absorbed in their work. However, open plan designs mean that introverts are frequently bombarded by chit chat, commotion, constant traffic and conversations that they’re unable to concentrate alongside.

Equally, extroverts (people who feel energised by a group and prefer to be around people) will find themselves bored senseless in a stuffy closed cubicle. So, increase your productivity by figuring out which type you are and where your desk should be.

You’re fending off emails

Your boss might think that looking busy equates to being productive, but that’s simply not the case! If you’re living in your inbox, you’re probably spending the day making sure everything is replied to. Instead, encourage your co-workers to get up from their desks and talk to you if something needs doing immediately. Otherwise, ask them to compile you a list of things to address in one email and request that they send it at the end of the day (wherever possible).

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Your work isn’t stimulating

Studies have shown that we’re most productive when we enjoy the work we’re doing, which is something you’ll know to be true if your working day flies by! If, on the other hand, you’re constantly watching the clock, it might be time to get yourself a new job… the bottom line is that you’ll work harder and work smarter if you believe in what you’re doing.

You’re undertaking unnecessary tasks

Completing admin, checking in with team members, chasing up tasks and losing bits of paper… it all spells the death of productivity! If you find that most of your week is spent having to manage various bits and pieces – to the extent where you don’t actually get much time to do your actual job – then you probably need to change your system.

For example, a management tool like Upraise might assist with regards to employee productivity and help you to get on top of the superfluous stuff you’d otherwise be stuck doing all day. This will make you more productive on a daily basis, and will free you up to focus on more important, more fulfilling tasks.

Meetings aren’t being performed properly

Finally, it’s likely that you’re being sapped of productivity by being dragged into unnecessary meetings. Unless a meeting has a clear agenda, isn’t too long and is finished with a follow-up, you probably don’t need to be in it. Try reducing the number of meetings you’re involved in and see if you get through more work!

April 25, 2016

Is Your Office Safe? Here Are the Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss

safe office Every year, thousands of employees suffer from accidents while they’re on the job. These on-the-job accidents can result in expensive lawsuits and fines for an organization. As a result, many organizations opt to avoid reporting these accidents to the proper institutions. However, the best way to avoid these lawsuits and fines is by preventing these on-the-job accidents from occurring in the first place. Here are a few tips you can’t afford to miss if you’re looking to make your office or workplace as safe as possible.

Avoiding Slips and Falls

Without a doubt, slips and falls are some of the most common causes of accidents in the workplace. Fortunately, these types of accidents are fairly easy to prevent. Your workplace should have an efficient system in place to ensure that all spills are cleaned up promptly. Of course, this system doesn’t have to be complex in any way, but it does have to timely. Many slips and falls occur because someone in the workplace didn’t consider cleaning up a spill as a priority. Have a policy in the workplace that encourages people to report a spill rather than just walking right by it.
If your employees work in conditions in which they will be commonly walking on slippery surfaces, you should not allow them to work unless they are wearing nonskid shoes. Some work areas that often have slippery surfaces include kitchens and the outdoors.

Offer the Necessary Tools for the Job

To ensure workplace safety, it is necessary to avoid skimping on the purchase of necessary tools for the job. For example, if employees will need access to items placed far above reach, you should purchase a quality ladder. Otherwise, your employees will be forced to climb or stand on storage units and shelving units to reach these items. You should offer mechanical aids for use by your employees if possible. Some examples of mechanical aids include forklifts, wheelbarrows, cranes, and conveyor belts.

For further safety in the workplace, you should only authorize some of your employees to use these tools and mechanical aids. The vast majority of these tools require proper training to use. Therefore, while these tools have the potential to increase safety in the workplace, they can also hinder safety significantly.

Routine Drug Tests

Another common cause of workplace injuries is alcohol and drugs. No matter what you do to make your workplace safe, your employees will still be prone to accidents if they are not sober on the job. This is especially true if your employees are expected to handle heavy machinery, such as forklifts and cranes. To promote a drug-free and alcohol-free workplace, you should hold routine drug tests. Not only will a drug-free workplace improve safety, but it will also improve the productivity of your workplace.

Of course, you shouldn’t give your employees a warning in advance of each of these drug tests. Simply one overall warning that they will have to take routine drug tests should be enough.

Fire Safety

Many workplaces deal with instances of fire every year. In some cases, these workplaces are completely destroyed by the fire. Unfortunately, thousands of employees die every year from workplace fires. Therefore, you should purchase fire safety materials, such as those provided by FireProtectionOnline.co.uk, for your workplace to enhance safety. Some of these materials include fire extinguishers, fire safety signs, fire exit signs, smoke alarms, and more. In an event of a fire, these fire safety materials will make prevention of tragedies easier.

As you can see, many workplace accidents can be avoided by taking some simple preventative measures. Protect both yourself and your employees by making sure these are in place.

April 21, 2016

How to make running your business easier on yourself

Running a business can be daunting for even the most experienced among us. Whether you have run a business in the past or not, there is so much to take on. The truth is, it can all be a little overwhelming if you are not careful. It can be particularly tricky if you are also a full-time parent. Learning how to balance both sides of life in this circumstance can take forever. You don’t want to sacrifice profits, but you also want your child to have everything they can. This can be very difficult to get right. However, when you do get it right, there is no better feeling in the world. And the good news is that it is always possible to achieve that holy balance. Part of the issue lies in making your business work for you a little more. There are many ways to achieve just that. You might even find that they are significantly easier than you at first think. If you are looking for some great ways to make running a business a little easier, then read on. Here are our top expert pieces of advice.

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Outsource

Many budding business owners don’t like the idea of outsourcing. But this is a real shame. Outsourcing can be a fantastic way to achieve the results you want without all the stress. Depending on the nature of your business, there are different possible elements to outsource. One common area for outsourcing is the IT. If you just run a business from the comfort of your home, however, this might not be necessary. Whatever your situation, this is something you should take on board from the outset. If nothing else, it is refreshing to know that the option is always there. That way, if you ever need to relieve the strain a little, you can. What’s more, outsourcing can actually save you a considerable amount of money in the long run, too.

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Unify Communications

Your business relies on the ongoing communication between you and the client. To make things a little easier, try unifying the communication. What do we mean by this? Well, let’s have a look at how communication often works in business. Part of the issues for many businesses is that they have many channels open, ready to receive communication from clients. This is surely a sensible way to do business. After all, there is no use in having your channel closed to your customers. However, this can sometimes mean more work for you in the long run. However, there is a way around it. You can unify your communications by using a service such as the one found here: physicaladdress.com. Using a service like this, you can effectively convert your postal mail into email. This can quickly prove to be a useful little time-saver for the solo businessperson.

Hire Help

If you have your own business, then you are likely to be a very driven kind of person. Regardless, from time to time you will feel that urge to have some time off. This is a perfectly natural (and sensible) desire to have. The trouble then is that you can’t leave your business to flounder for a few days. The solution to this is as obvious as it is effective: hire some help. If you are one of those business owners who doesn’t like to have other people working with you – that’s understandable. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get someone to fill in for you for a few days. It might be a wise idea to train someone up in the basics of your business. That way, you can call on them to substitute you. Then you and your baby can go on a little weekend break together to unwind and de-stress. You can find more information on hiring people here: guides.wsj.com/

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Keep An Eye On Finances

There are few more stressful things than the financial side of operations. As you run a business of your own, you are likely to be quite savvy when it comes to money. However, the fact is that thinking about it all the time can be quite stressful. That’s why hiring the help of an external accountant can be of huge benefit to both you and your business. There is more on this at: http://xosarah.com/. With an experienced accountant on board, you can spend more time on the aspects of business you find most enjoyable. And as they work from their own office, you don’t have to sacrifice any of your own space. What’s more, they are much more likely to catch any problems early on. This provides you with a much-needed safeguard.

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016

Easy ways to cut the fuss out of going back to school

Going to school on your first day as a kid was a very daunting experience for a lot of us. Unfortunately, doing it again as an adult can feel even harder. But for a lot of us, it’s a necessary step. It’s how we develop our skills and make ourselves all the more valuable. To those who care about self-development, it can be the qualifications and knowledge we need to go with our experience. All the same, it can be harder to adapt as an adult. Here are some ideas to help you:

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Getting over your nerves

One of the first, and sometimes biggest, hurdles can be your own psychological barriers. A lot of us feel some apprehension about ‘going back to school’. Even that term can make it sound like a step back. This can awaken all sorts of feelings of embarrassment or trepidation. But we can cut the anxiety out. Firstly, by realizing you’re far from alone. Mature students aren’t the majority, no, but they’re not particularly uncommon, either. You’re at a different life stage than the younger students, sure. But that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to have good study relations with them either. Once you take the plunge, you’ll feel that anxiety can slip away easily.

Finding free courses

Of course, the payment that you have to give for your courses is a huge part of whether or not you might be able to do it. However, you might just be able to cut the worries of cost from your mind entirely. You may be able to skip the loan necessary to usually get an education by finding some of the free courses out there. Some universities and colleges offer free physical and online courses. You can also benefit from the lessons by finding those hosted in video form. These may not come with the degree, but if it’s the learning you’re after, those videos could be a huge help.

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Financing your education

Of course, you may also have to finance your education. If your credit’s good, you may be able to get a loan to help you do just that. Grants and scholarships of all kinds exist, too. There are a lot for adults. There might be even more depending on your race, background, health and geography. There are also ways you can finance your life during your studies, too. It can be difficult to balance a job and education if you need the money. That’s why on campus jobs can be the best choice. They often take that balance into account.

Navigating academic criticism

One of the skills that most adult students tend to find a surprise is the format which a lot of college tests take. Academic criticism usually involves a lot of research and using citations to make arguments. It’s far from uncommon to see students, adult and younger alike, struggling with the format of the questions. From finding good argumentative essay topics to getting the formatting right. However, there are a lot of resources online for doing just that. Starting or finding a study group related to your class can just as easily help, as well. The idea is to get a grip on the process. After that, any topic is a bit easier to tackle.

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The balancing act

Of course, for some of us, it’s not just education and money that needs balanced. It might also involve a family and children that need us, too. This is far from a new problem and there are all kinds of resources to help you deal with it. First, let your professors know. They’ll treat you with a lot more understanding if you need to jump out of a class or an extension. If they don’t, they’re liable for getting in trouble due to discrimination. Look at the options your college has for funding or daycare as well.

Networking

If you’re an adult going back into education, you’re most likely doing it to benefit the career you have in mind in some way. It can easily be used by those are even currently running a business. This is why it’s a good idea to network early and often. Participate and get on the good side of your professors. Make good connections with those who seem like they know what they’re doing. The contacts you make in your education could serve to open all sorts of doors in your professional life.

April 13, 2016April 13, 2016

How to double your warehouse space

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When you started your own business, you may have been tempted by the freedom to work when and where you choose. After all, if your business is primarily online you can work from your bed in your pajamas if you want to! That’s unless you have a business where you’re shipping a physical product where you’ll probably run out of space at home pretty quickly.

After that, your warehouse space starts to cost you money, so you have a big incentive for making the best of every bit of space you have. Here are some tips to double your warehouse space:

Get organised

If you take a look around the warehouse you currently have – is it as well organised as it could be? Are there packaging materials hanging around that need to be thrown out? Are the shelves stacked as efficiently as possible? You might be surprised at how much extra room you can squeeze from the space you already have.

Look at the stock you already have

Is too much of your space being taken up by product lines that have been hanging around for too long? You could free up that space by taking a look at how you plan your inventory and by having a sale to shift the old stock that’s taking up precious space.

Add a mezzanine floor

Or if you’re looking for really creative warehouse storage solutions just add an extra floor to the warehouse you already have! Mezzanine floors don’t necessarily have to be for big buildings, you could have a small floor fitted and use it for office space as well as warehouse space.

Change your shelves

Your racking needs could have changed since you started out. For example, if you were selling fewer, larger items then over time switched to many smaller items, then your shelving may no longer be the best use of the space you have. Perhaps you have space at the back of the shelves that are out of reach? Replacing some of the larger shelves with smaller ones could make more space available.

Temporary space

If your stock levels vary throughout the year, for example you have much more stock on the run up to Christmas than you do at any other time year, it could make sense to look at temporary storage.

This can sometimes get expensive, so you could consider sharing storage with a small business that has seasonal peaks at a different time of the year to you, for example in the summer months.

Get someone else to do it for you

Actually, you don’t have to have your own warehouse at all. You could use Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon service or a fulfilment service local to you (Google fulfilment and your town/city name for ideas). What you do is send your products to the fulfilment company in bulk and they pick, pack and dispatch them for you when an order comes in. Of course there is a cost to this compared to doing it yourself, but as it frees up your time to do more marketing, it may well be worth it.

So there you have it, six ways to increase your warehouse space!