Business Plus Baby

August 24, 2015August 25, 2015

Storage solutions for businesses short on space

A small office may have been ideal when you were setting up your business, but now your company has grown! In fact you have practically doubled in size, and your initial team of five staff is now well into double figures.

This is exciting, but new members in your team also mean extra furniture, papers and stationery and as a result you might be left feeling like you don’t have enough space anymore. However, while your business might be doing well, but this doesn’t mean you can afford to move into a bigger space, just yet.

However, a small office is not ideal. Not only will it be detrimental to the productivity and motivation of your workforce, but your cluttered space will also be seen as a representation of your company. Therefore it is important that you make space to ultimately boost morale and increase productivity. But, how do you do this?

First of all, have a huge clear out. You will be surprised how much ‘stuff’ your business has accumulated over the years (including those leftover crackers from last years Christmas party) that you simply don’t need anymore. This organisation and disposal of unwanted items will free up a significant amount of space.

You may also be surprised to discover just how much room sheets of paper actually take up. Therefore it might be time to get rid of those cabinets full of paperwork and store them electronically instead.

This will not only free up space, but it will make your documents easily accessible, saving time that would have been spent searching through files to find the required one. (FYI, you should be filing your documents in this manner already anyway, it is a much safer way of storing important information!)

Once you have done this, re-arrange the furniture. Perhaps, invest in new pieces that will utilise the space you already have – after all, it will be much cheaper than an office relocation.

For example, to maximise wall and floor space, consider storage that goes upwards rather than outwards. These shelves and cupboards will help keep offices clutter free, by taking up unused wall space instead of much needed floor space.

Providing your workforce with new desks will also help with your storage issues. These can be smaller, but more importantly you can choose ones with extra storage built into the framework.

Investing in storage is another quick and efficient way of removing all the unnecessary items in one go that are cluttering up your space, without having to dispose of them. Shop around for a storage company, such as RSS, who will make this process incredibly simple.

Pack up anything from furniture to IT equipment and store them with peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that they will be secure until you require them. And with 24-hour access, there won’t be any delays in getting hold of your items.

Still need more space? Then you could consider expanding the area you already have. Do you have the option to knock down a wall or create an extra room? Perhaps the meeting room that is empty 90% of the time, could be put to better use as a storage solution?

You will discover there are many ways to obtain the space you need, which in the long run will save you a lot of money that could be better spent elsewhere!

August 22, 2015

Flexible working works for everyone

For working mums juggling everything is clearly a huge issue. A recent survey carried out by the Mental Health Foundation in the UK found that 42% of women were not happy with the balance between their work and home life (their words not mine).

Another survey carried out by My Family Care showed that 60% of parents were not happy with their work life balance. In that survey, it was clear that one thing that would have helped the respondents was some flexibility from their employers. Sadly, 54% of the respondents were afraid to ask for more flexibility. They felt that doing so would have a negative impact on their career prospects.

Fortunately, not all employers are against providing their workers with the chance to work flexibility. In fact, there are firms out there that are realising that providing their employees with the chance to work flexibly means a less stressed and, therefore, more productive workforce.

A great example of this approach is AlldayPA. This, UK based, firm specialises in providing a complete telephone answering service for businesses.

Earlier this year the firm’s chief executive Reuben Singh announced the launch of the scheme, but a lot of work went in before that. This is because rather than simply launch a benefits package that the management team felt was appropriate they took the unusual approach of asking their employees what they wanted included. The management team wanted the AlldayPA staff to choose the benefits scheme that worked well for them as well as one that would benefit the firm.

High on the staff’s list of desired benefits was flexible work hours, so that was included in the deal as well as a generous bonus scheme and cash incentives tied to the quality of call handling. The firm needs a happy, motivated staff, which Mr Singh says ‘is the number one driver of customer satisfaction.’

If you are looking for work choosing a firm that already offers flexible working makes a lot of sense. You know you will not be tied to the 9 to 5 schedule, which rarely fits in with most people’s family obligations.

Of course, there are limitations to how flexible the firm can be. Most companies still require their employees to be in the office during a set of core hours.

They expect the school run and doctor’s appointments to be made outside of those core hours whenever possible. Some firms require all workers to complete a full 8-hour shift every day, but allow their employees to decide what time they start that shift.

Others are even more flexible they may ask you to work a minimum number of hours each day. Usually, if you work more hours than your allocated shift allow you to carry that time forward and take a morning or a day off later in the week or month. The best flexible work contracts allow you to work at home on a regular basis, as well as choose how long you are in the office on most days.

If you are lucky enough to land a job where flexible working is on offer be careful to follow the rules of the scheme. It is important for the workforce to be prepared to flex up and do extra hours when the firm needs them to.

August 20, 2015August 27, 2015

The benefits of working from home

More and more companies are beginning to give their employees a chance to work from home. As technology advances, people are better able to work from home while still being connected to the business they work for. Information can be shared easier through the cloud and online storage, as well as the ability to communicate through emails and video conferences.

Working from home has benefits not just for the employees, but for the businesses as well. An employee working from home used to be daunting, something a business could lose money and productivity over, but nowadays that’s not true. Working from home can actually increase employee productivity and create a better working environment for all involved.

Flexibility and Why Workers Need It

There are a few reasons why working from home is an option that more workers want to be able to have. To start with, many want to have a better balance between work and their life at home, including the time they spend with their family. It’s optimal for workers who have small children at home, or even a spouse who may need help in the day because of health reasons.

Workers also want this option to cut down on commuting and the cost of gas to get to work. It saves time for the workers and reduces stress. They don’t have to worry about traffic and if there is an accident or a jam somewhere on the road.

Working from home is also a good option for employees who might need a different environment because of health issues. Why get rid of an employee just because they need to be at home to better take care of themselves when they can work from home and get just as much done?

Increased Productivity

From a company’s perspective, employees working from home can actually increase their productivity. There are a few reasons as to why that is, starting with the fact that there can be less distractions in an office at home. Cubicles at businesses are noisy and busy, with coworkers walking around and chitchatting, or people upset about maintenance issues or any number of workplace annoyances. Working from home cuts out a lot of that chatter, allowing an employee to focus on what they need to get done.

Polls taken to show where employees go to get their most important work done shows that very few employees would actually choose to do their biggest work in the office during the normal work time hours. An overwhelming number, well over fifty percent, said they would choose to take that work home, while another eighteen percent would choose the office after work hours.

Working from home can cut down some of the stress of work place politics, grievances, and distractions, and this helps employees get more done at a better quality.

Health Benefits

One big health benefit of working at home is the reduction of stress and what it does to an employee’s mental health. They feel more comfortable at home and they don’t have to worry about the stress of a commute. It’s also been found that the closeness in proximity to the other employees can increase a worker’s stress and anxiety, making them less productive in the long run. They are better able to relax and take care of themselves when stressful situations arise than they could in an office environment.

Workers eat better at home than they do going into the office, giving them better health all around. They also have the ability to take small breaks for exercise, reducing stress and keeping their bodies healthy and able to fight off illnesses.

Employers will see a reduction of sick days taken off from employees who work at home. By not being in an office environment, employees can’t spread around germs and illnesses to each other. Not only that, but some things that would keep an employee home from an office wouldn’t necessarily keep them from working at home. They don’t have to worry about the travel and how that might make them sicker, or take way their worries of getting their coworkers sick.

How Technology Makes This Possible

We’re living in a decade where, thanks to technology, it’s much easier to stay connected and have meetings even if some or many employees aren’t in the office. There are many services out there that can let employees attend meetings from the comfort of their home office. Video conferencing is on the rise and carries benefits for employees who want to work from home, as well as employers.

Things like the video communications Bluejeans Networking can provide lets employers hold meetings with employees in the office, at home, or in other parts of the country or world. It opens up the possibilities of what a company can do from afar.

With services like this, there’s no need to stick with a strict office environment for all employees.

August 16, 2015August 15, 2015

Easy gift ideas for mumpreneurs

You’re running around after children and trying to keep all your business balls in the air when you realise you’ve got a birthday or anniversary coming up and you need to buy a gift.

The easiest way to deal with presents for your kids’ friends is to keep a present box at home. Whenever you see a suitable gift for a child the same age as your own kids when you’re out and about, buy it and put it in the box. That way you won’t have to dash out and buy something next time your child is invited to a birthday party. I make sure I have a supply of wrapping paper and birthday cards, too.

Adults are harder, though. I think most of us have left it until the last minute and then had to either dash out to a superstore for wine, chocolates or flowers! Even with a little more advanced planning you can still find yourself searching Amazon, desperately looking for some inspiration.

So here are some ideas for more inspired gifts, but that don’t use up any of your shoe-leather with a shopping trip:

Support another business mum

There are tons of mums who hand-make gifts from home, if you just ask something like ‘I need a 60th birthday present for my aunt, who makes gifts?’ in a Facebook group for mumpreneurs you’re bound to come up with tons of suggestions. Many that you won’t have thought of before!

Experience days

Many adults don’t really need any more physical stuff, so why not give them an experience instead? You can now give anything from a quiet meal for two to off-road driving. Try Into The Blue for more ideas.

Make something

This doesn’t have to take long or be difficult and if you have small kids your house is probably already full of crafty bits and pieces like ribbon and glue. Pinterest is full of easy crafty ideas, one I tried recently is a fabric-covered notebook made using a plain hard-backed notebook, double sided sticky tape and fabric off-cuts. The end result looked great and you can’t buy it in any shop.

Here are some we made at the craft group I go to:

#Fabric covered #notebooks made by the #craft group I go to earlier tonight

A photo posted by Helen Lindop (@helenlindop) on Mar 11, 2015 at 4:37pm PDT

Try Etsy

Etsy is a fantastic place to find original, handmade gifts and you can have some of them personalised, too. You can buy anything from jewellery to knitwear and scrapbooks, from sellers around the world.

So there you go, a few tips for those days when yo’re pushed for time and lacking in inspiration!

August 15, 2015August 15, 2015

Four tips on making yourself an attractive asset to a modern business

A lot of people these days are going down the route of setting up their own business, as soon as they are old enough to start a career. But, unless you have an incredible, original idea or concept, it might be best to begin the old fashioned way. What we mean by this is that you should keep applying for jobs and get some experience in the world of modern business. Of course, do that you have to get yourself employed and that all comes down to how valuable you seem to an employer. We have got some tips on how you can boost your appeal.

Start With Your CV

When looking at becoming more employable, you should always start by examining your CV. It needs to look professional while also having the information that shows you would be a good employee. On Average, your CV or resume should only be two pages long. It should be clear and concise and should only have previous jobs or degrees that relate to the career you are going after. You should also try to make the first line of your CV hard hitting so that you catch the employer’s attention immediately.

Know Where The Demand Is

Lately, there has been a huge increase in the number of jobs available for those who want to work for an online company. That means, if you have the skill or training, these are the jobs you should be applying for. You can still go after your dream career but while you do this, you should be taking on backup jobs to pay the bills and gain experience. You might find you take a post for part time work and find your dream career without even thinking about it.

Get The Skills

If you are thinking about going after a job online, you will need the necessary skills. For instance, a big part of online work is understanding social media. Actually, most jobs these days ask if you have some knowledge of how social media works. They are not looking for you to say you use Facebook to contact your friends and upload pictures. What they want you to show is how you can use social media as a marketing tool. You can learn how to do this if you visit simplilearn. They offer courses you can take in online skills such as social media marketing. Taking one of these courses will immediately make you more employable to a modern business.

Have Something Unique

If you can, you should present something to the employer that no one else can offer. This could be the fact that you are already running your own blog successfully and making money. You may even have strong connections in your chosen industry that would be beneficial to the company. If you can bring something to the table that no one else can, you can claim a high up position in the modern industry.

Using these tips, we guarantee you will be able to seize a job in a modern business. You can then gain some experience and think about branching out on your own.

Photo credit: Steve Wilson