Business Plus Baby

May 16, 2016May 17, 2016

6 Tips For Becoming A Better Team Leader

tulips-175605_640 We all at times have times where we have to take control and become a leader. It’s a natural instinct to want to lead and thus it’s important that we can do it efficiently. Most commonly, a leader arises in the workplace. This may be from either an assigned role or by naturally taking on the position when working with a group of people. But, whether you are a good team leader is a different story and so here are 6 vital tips to take on board.

Communicate

The ability to clearly and effectively communicate is a trait of any good leader. You should be able to inform your people what is expected of them to complete a particular project. At the same time, since communication is a two-way street, you should be able to effectively listen to what your people have to say. The people who report to you should be able to come to you with their concerns and ideas and know that they will be seriously considered.

Do Not Micromanage

One of the hardest things for a leader to do, especially if he or she has done the job that is now being delegated, is to point their people in the right direction and let them do their jobs. If you have competent, experienced people working for you, you should not have to constantly stand over their shoulders, directing their every move.

Be Supportive

Sometimes someone reporting to you runs into a problem that needs your intervention. Maybe someone from another department is not being as cooperative as they could be. Maybe a dispute has arisen between two or more of your people that needs arbitrating. You should also make sure that your people have everything they need to do their jobs in the form of equipment, software, personnel, and access to information.

Be Assertive

A good leader knows when to be assertive, whether it is making sure that a meeting moves along and everyone stays focused, or when a higher-up makes demands that cannot be addressed in the time and with the resources that are available. Assertiveness is a middle ground between aggressiveness, which could cause conflict and pushback, and passivity, which means that you will get rolled over and your concerns ignored, if you’re worried about your level of assertiveness then it may be wise to take an online assertiveness test, where you can find out where you are on the passivity-assertiveness-aggressiveness scale.

Be Fair

It is a good rule of thumb that praise should be offered in public, where it can be heard by others, and criticism should be done in private, so that the employee is not embarrassed and so that the exchange can be done in confidence. Praise should be offered as an encouragement, not only for the person being so honored, but to set an example for others to aspire to. Criticism should not be given punitively, but as an opportunity to explore what issues the particular employee may be experiencing that is keeping him or her from performing at top effectiveness. The idea is to provide help to any of your people who might be having problems and to communicate to them what needs to happen to get them back on track.

Do Exude Confidence, Tempered with Humility

A good leader is always confident, even in the face of adversity. An air of confidence can be infectious, inspiring the people who report to you to go above and beyond. However, this quality should not morph into overweening pride. If you make a mistake, admit to it, find a solution, and move on. Remember, as a leader, the success or failure of your team is your responsibility.

If you want to become a better team leader, then it’s extremely important to adapt your body language and approach to tasks and communication and this way, you will be able to assert a more authoritative role and effectively manage your team. Try adapting some of these tips into your approach and hopefully you will soon see the benefits.

May 11, 2016

Common workplace accidents to try to avoid

Even the most innocent looking office can harbour hidden hazards. As an employer, you may presume that accidents will never happen. But the reality is that workplace accidents can happen anywhere. If you run a business, it’s incredibly important to ensure that you do everything to minimize the risk of injury. Here are some of the most common workplace accidents to try to avoid.

By Pava (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Slips and trips

Slips and trips are the most common type of work accident. There are various hazards to try and eliminate in a working environment. Examples include slippery floor, poorly maintained flooring and hidden steps. As an employer, you have a duty to ensure that your workplace complies with the latest health and safety guidelines. If somebody reports a broken tile or floorboard, arrange to get it repaired immediately. In the meantime, place a notice to inform people of the damage. If somebody spills something on the floor, for example, it must be dealt with quickly. The floor should be mopped, and a sign should be placed to alert people to the danger. Enlist the services of janitorial companies to keep the workplace spotless.

Falls

Sometimes, it’s impossible to prevent falls, but often, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of accidents. Keep corridors, doorways and stairways clear of obstructions. Mark hidden or uneven steps with warning signs. Grit outdoor pathways if it’s icy outside. Ensure that workers have the relevant equipment and safety gear if they are working at height. Falls from height are particularly common in the construction industry.

Accidents involving moving vehicles

Do you work in a warehouse, a construction site, a farm or on the roads? If so, you may come across moving vehicles on a daily basis. Employers should ensure that safety procedures are in place to protect drivers and those working in the surrounding area. All employees should have training, for example.

Accidents involving falling objects

Do you work in a supermarket, an office, a library or a warehouse? If so, you may be at risk of injuries caused by falling objects. To minimize the risk of injuries, make sure you have effective storage facilities in place and avoid stacking objects too high. If you are removing something from shelves up high, make sure nobody is below you.

If you’re an employer or a business owner, it’s essential to be aware of the risks involved in managing any workplace. You have a legal duty to protect employees by adhering to health and safety guidelines. If you fail to do this, and somebody gets injured, you may be liable for the accident. If an employer is injured and they weren’t to blame, they have a right to claim compensation, and you will have to cover the cost of the payout. To avoid this, make sure you tick all the relevant health and safety boxes from day one.

April 27, 2016

Car Financing: Is It Worth It?

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The amount of people who choose to pay for their car with finance options is increasing all the time. We all struggle with big one-off purchases, and the ability to pay over months and years is a very attractive one. However, there are positives and negatives to doing so. Getting the right deal is all about knowing what to look for. If you can’t do this, you could end up in a seriously bad financial state.

Understanding Interest Rates

When buying a car on finance, you need to think about interest rates. Different dealers will offer different amounts of interest that you’ll have to pay back as part of the deal. You’ll need to make sure you’re getting something that you’re able to repay over time. Don’t be tempted to rush into a deal without understanding exactly how much money you’ll be required to pay.

What Type Of Car Do You Want?

Financing a car doesn’t always give you as many options as you might like. In particular, buying a used car often doesn’t come with finance options. There are a few exceptions, such as websites like www.GMTAutoWest.com/custom/used-nissan-models-st-charles. If you want something flashy and brand-new, this is where finance can be particularly effective. You’ll be able to get the latest and greatest models for an affordable cost.

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Thinking Long Term

If you’re the type of person who loves to change cars all the time, finance probably won’t be for you. You could be paying this purchase off for up to five years! You can’t suddenly change your mind after a year and go for something else, or you’ll lose lots of money doing so! Think about whether you can deal with having the same car for a long period of time.

Credit Rating

If your credit rating is poor, you might as well stop thinking about getting a car through finance right now! For a company to trust you with something as valuable as a car, you’ve got to have a great credit score. If you haven’t got that, you’ll be turned down. Take steps to improve your credit rating now, and you might be able to get a deal later down the line. You can use websites like http://www.forbes.com to help you with this.

Getting The Best Deal

Posing the question of whether financing a car is worth it comes down to the deal you can secure. There are all sorts of finance deals, and picking the right one is an art in itself. Do plenty of planning before you enter into any commitment. Read up online for reviews of the car you’re interested in purchasing. Just like when buying a car outright, you won’t be getting a good deal unless you take proper care to find it.

So, is it worth buying a car via finance? It all depends on your situation. Go back through the tips we’ve mentioned today and see what category you fall into. Financing can be a fantastic way to purchase a car for some people, and not so much for others. There is no correct answer here; make your decision wisely!

Photo credits:

By Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Pictures of money

April 26, 2016

Vital Steps To capitalising on the online side of your business

Taking your business online is a step that’s expected nowadays if you want to compete on any meaningful level. But it’s a big step, and a step that can have costs high enough to require serious consideration. Although luck can be a factor in your success, there are many things you can so to give yourself the best possible start online. That’s why we’re going to look at some of the things you need to nail down when getting into online business.

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Web hosting

Websites require more than just design. Before launching it, you need to consider what type of web hosting you need. You can host a site on your own servers if you’re big enough, but a lot of businesses simply aren’t. Web hosting companies have plenty of these servers and plenty of space you can use. There are a lot of different options on packages, as seen on websites like this one. You may have need of one domain name or several. Perhaps you need email addresses to go with it. Have an idea of what you’re going to need from your website and your domain name when making your choice.

The website itself

It’s time to look at the site itself. What is your site supposed to do for you? Is it to provide information? Or do you need to be able to sell direct from your site? The answer to this question will determine how you design the site and whether you need a shopping cart. If you want your site to sell for you, every part of it should be leading visitors to a call-to-action. This can be done in many ways, including providing useful information to help buyers make a decision, displaying deals prominently or placing testimonials strategically on your site. Put priority on the simple facts visitors need to know about accessing your product and what it does. The more in-depth stuff can be a click away for those interested.

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Social media

It’s not just the people coming into your website that you need to market to, either. The art of social media marketing is about targeting the right people with your content. Start building links with like-minded people in your industry and learn from them. Think about what value your content delivers and to whom before you launch it. Depending on what kind of business you run, you want to target people on different platforms. LinkedIn can be a good step for B2B marketing. Instagram is great for lifestyle, food or fashion businesses. Twitter is good for just about any business. Do plenty of research on how to successfully use social media and learn all the tricks of the trade.

The power of data

One of the ways to get your marketing right, online and offline, is to know your customers. The internet is particularly good at helping you divine just who your demographic is. Data on your sites and social media accounts can tell you all kinds of things. Surveys can help you build an even better understanding. Find which pages are popular and use that data to better funnel traffic towards sales. Through social media, you can follow those following you. In doing this, you can learn a lot more about the kind of customers your products attract. Using that information, you can then go on to make marketing that is even more specific in its targeting.

The networking potential

It’s not just customers that the internet gives you a lot more opportunity to connect with. Partnerships on the internet are easier to find than ever before. Getting in touch with those in industries related to yours is as easy as an e-mail. Businesses can collaborate in cross-promotion online with a lot less effort than through traditional media. There are also the middlemen who can help you build your brand. The influencers, the bloggers and the Youtubers. There are a few different ways to get them on your side. Sponsorships are one of the most popular methods. There are others who will simply be happy to review or feature your products for free access to it. Just make sure you’re offering just as much in the partnership as the others. Otherwise, things might sour quickly.

Online business is about knowing how to situate yourself and make the best use of what the internet has to offer. Mostly, this means new methods of presenting your services and finding the right people to connect with. A great online presence can have significant real returns with the right effort.

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!