annbailey | BizSieve.com

Why Your Internet Business Needs a Human Voice On the Line

The Internet has brought about many changes to the way a company can conduct business. One of the most significant changes is the change from brick and mortar to laptop offices. A business no longer needs to have a physical presence to conduct business. They can purchase from suppliers, contact remote employees, interact with their customers and ship their products all from their virtual location.

“This seems like the ultimate way to conduct a business!”

In most ways, this statement is true. You have reduced operating expenses, you can work from anywhere and you can produce a product or service with little effort.

However, consumers are starting to grow tired of computer generated customer service. They want to “connect” with a real person when they have a question or an issue. They want to know that the company they are dealing with is “real.” They are becoming disenchanted with live chat options and want to talk to a human being.

Is This The End For Internet Based Businesses?

Of course not, internet businesses are here to stay, they only need to adapt to their consumers. Any business that wishes to meet the needs of their clients will prosper, and Internet based companies can meet this need by investing in a virtual office.

An online solution like a virtual office from ring central(dot)com provides that personal touch that laptop businesses often lack. They have “real” receptionists to take your calls and interact with your clients. The receptionist will be assigned to your company and you can interact with them as you would an answering service.

This one feature alone can set you apart from other online businesses that only provide online contact. It will also give your company live support for any time of the day, meeting the needs of your clients in different time zones.

Can You Still Keep Operating Expenses Low?

The additional benefits of using a virtual office are that you do not have to rent office space, pay for electricity, or pay employee related expenses. You will not be obligated to pay payroll tax, carry workers compensation insurance, or worry about someone calling off from work. Your virtual office will always be there and operating, increasing your business and profit margin.

The Internet has become a large part of everyday life. More people turn to the Internet now for information, advice, and shopping than ever before. It has become a tool that helps people find what they want, regardless of distance, and make connections with people all over the world.

As much as this technology has helped advance the world, the desire to communicate with a real human still remains. People want to place a voice behind their transaction to make sure that it is real. They want to hear sympathy when they are upset with a product or service, and they want to hear a calm voice when they are angry. By providing a point-of-contact for your clients by using a virtual office, you are providing them with that voice they desire to hear. This will increase your business while still giving you the freedom to operate your Internet based business on your own terms.

A small business operator, Ann Bailey presents these tips for new ways to save and succeed in the office. Having a virtual office from ringcentral.com is an easy way to provide all of the old fashioned charm of a typical store front office while only paying for the sleek, new streamlined business model of internet enterprises.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwichary/2398196800/

How to Keep Your Best Employee Focused When Their New Baby Arrives

A major goal of any small business owner is to hire intelligent, hard-working people and keep them around for many years to come. If you run your own business, you already know that attempting to find good employees can be a tiring and frustrating process. People can sometimes seem amazing during the interview, only to begin demonstrating a poor work ethic a few weeks into the job. Other times, major life changes, such as health problems, having a baby or returning to school, can drive your good employees away. If you have a beloved employee that is pregnant, you may want to consider doing some things to help keep her around after the baby is born.

Throw an Excellent Baby Shower

Throwing an office baby shower is a good way to support your employee during her pregnancy. Not only will the effort warm her heart and provide her with numerous gifts that she will need for the baby, but it will also show her that she is a valued member of your team. Just as it can be difficult to find good employees, it can also be difficult to find a good place to work. A baby shower could remind your employee just how special your place of business really is.

Be Understanding and Generous With Time Off

It’s important to understand that your employee is going to need plenty of time off both during her pregnancy and after the baby is born. Allow a good amount of time for pregnancy leave as well as plenty of sick days in case anything unexpected should come up.

Provide a Reasonable Work Load

Being a new mom can be quite distracting. If your employee has just returned to work after having the baby, understand that she may be more tired and spaced out than usual. Therefore, you may want to provide her with a less-demanding workload than she is used to. Start slow and help her ease back into her regular routine by adding a bit more work each week and talking to her about what she’s comfortable with.

Make Room for the Baby at the Office

Finding a babysitter can be difficult, and many new moms don’t feel comfortable leaving their newborn right away. By allowing your employee to bring her baby to work, you’ll be helping her get back into the swing of things without having to suffer the distraction of wondering how her baby is doing while she’s away. Plus, you’ll be making your other employees happy, because who wouldn’t enjoy having an adorable baby around? To help make the new mom comfortable, consider purchasing a sanitary changing table and play yard for babies and placing it in her office. That way, she wont have to waste time taking the baby to a different place to change him or her.

Running a small business is like being the leader of a tribe. When the leader is kind, generous and understanding, the entire group does well. The more love and support you give your employee during this changing time in her life, the more she will appreciate you as a boss and want to continue doing a great job.

Having been a TV reporter with a new baby on the job, Ann Bailey encourages support for any employee coming back to work as a new mom. A clean, modern play yard for babies is a powerful statement of support that business owners can easily provide for seamless continuity for their employees with new family additions.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johneric/2587428334/

Smart Scheduling: Tips for Keeping Shift Workers Happy

The workday world is a challenge for nearly everyone. Savvy businesses have learned that the key component to a productive and successful workplace is workers that are content. For instance, a high turnover is a sign that some changes need to take place. What makes the situation even more taxing for businesses is how to deal with multiple shifts that workers are often required to accommodate.

Organization

The person responsible for shift coverage should take the time to organize the employee schedule efficiently. This includes being aware of work loads and tweaking them as necessary. An already over-worked employee is less likely to be interested in covering certain shifts than those who are well rested and have adequate support while working.

Research competitive benefits to offer in terms of time off. For example, if the company requires that major holidays are covered, provide ways for the employees who volunteer or agree to work to have that time off on other days. Including an extra day off is another tactic that can increase motivation to work those shifts.

Flexibility

Whenever possible, give workers some flexibility. When employees are offered some choices as to which shifts they will work, they can feel more in control of their lives in general. Have discussions with workers to determine what their preferences are. Doing this creates a sense of mutual respect. Therefore, when it is necessary to ask a worker to stay longer or work a different shift, they will more than likely remember how they were accommodated in the past and be more receptive and cooperative.

Incentives

The best way to get shifts covered in workplaces is to offer incentives. There is a reason that swing shift workers and those working extended hours and on holidays get paid more. Capitalize on this and offer more reasons that may make working these shifts more appealing to workers. For example, in addition to the extra pay, offer the chance to accrue time toward a paid day off. For some workers, the extra pay associated with working undesirable hours is not enough, especially when taxes are factored in. This is where other perks can go a long way for businesses. Below are some other inducements to consider:

a. Ending the workday earlier with full pay
b. Catering lunch, snacks or other meals
c. Special awards for good attitudes
d. Gift cards

Holiday Shifts

Few workers enjoy working over a major holiday. However, for many businesses, those shifts need to be covered in any case. The service industry is one that often needs round the clock shift coverage. Doing something special for those who work on those holidays is easy to do. For instance, drop by the office on that day with a tray full of treats or arrange to take them out to lunch or cater in. This not only gives you a chance to thank workers in person, but it shows that you are thinking about them and want to make it easier for them to get through their work.

Above all, remember that making a connection with workers is what matters most. Companies that take the time to do this find that their workers are far more receptive to change when they know that their hard work and willingness to go the extra mile is being recognized.

Ann Bailey provides these suggestions for any small business shift scheduler. Wheniwork(dot)com is an online vendor of a comprehensive employee schedule program, and brings all of the benefits of a full scheduling department to small businesses with just the click of a mouse.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/huffstutterrobertl/3731977453/

Recurring Meetings in DC? Surprising Ways a Condo Can Save Your Business Expenses

Small business owners understand the expenses associated with traveling. In addition to the flight, airport fees and meals, you could be talking about serious costs, and you haven’t even booked your lodging yet. The following are advantages of condominium ownership, and ways it can improve for your business savings.

Great Resale Value

Washington DC is one of the few areas around the United States experiencing a rise in home prices in recent years. Not only have the values on homes, condominiums, and town homes increased, the area is reporting substantial housing property growth within the community. For companies with employees consistently traveling in and out of Arlington VA and the Washington area on business, you’ll find buying a substantial savings to renting or booking an expensive hotel. Depending on the location, you can find affordable condominiums for sale in a great neighborhood. Also, with interest rates at an all-time low, your payments will be minimal compared to expense-budget money on lodging.

Savings on Meals

Meals on the road can be expensive for business owners and eating out several times a day can add up. With a condo, you have the opportunity to trim your budget by eating in-house and preparing your own food. Hotel gift shops, convenience stores, room service and the mini bar can be expensive, and you won’t find the healthiest of choices. Storing your own food, beverages and toiletries can save many a traveler on unnecessary costs.

Centrally Located

Condominiums that are centrally located make it easy for you and your co-workers to get to your meetings and trade shows on time. The urban destinations are also ideal for entertaining, and you’ll have an assortment of restaurants, shows and historic sites to select from.

Additional Benefits

In addition to saving on expenses such as food, lodging and time, you’ll find owning a dwelling in the Washington DC area an added tax benefit compared with renting. Not only is your money going down the drain by renting, your company’s monthly mortgage amount will stay the same, and the debt reduced significantly every year until it’s paid off. Maintenance on the building and other common elements are also taken care of so you don’t have to worry about mowing the lawn or general upkeep. Many condominiums have an assortment of amenities at your fingertips such as a fitness facility, clubhouse and security.

Using a Real Estate Agent

Utilizing the services of a real estate agent can help small business owners when selecting a Washington DC condominium. Not only are they an expert in the realty industry, they can also offer sound advice on selecting the perfect dwelling for your needs. A Realtor is also a tough negotiator and can provide you with the data to make the right offer on a property.

Business owners traveling to the Washington DC area regularly may want to think twice about wasting their hard earned cash on renting or reserving a hotel room. Investing in real estate can save you money on an assortment of expenses and help you place the funds saved on your company’s growth and success.

A small business owner, Ann Bailey shares these pointers for saving business travel expenses on Arlington VA and DC trips. The dedicated Realtors at Northern Virginia Avenue Realty work tirelessly to help their clients find exactly what they want and need in property around the nation’s capitol.

Lone Star Liabilities: When The Company Truck Causes an Accident in Texas

Business owners that are required to maintain business trucks as part of their company face different liabilities than those with storefronts that only require a client to enter the establishment to make a purchase. The very second that the ignition is started in the truck opens the door to new responsibilities and liabilities. The business owner must take into account that they are responsible for the driver and all of their actions on the road. Additionally, if the driver of their vehicle acts in a manner that causes an accident, the business owner is held liable for any and all damages they cause, even if the driver was not following company policy at the time the event occurred.

Legal Issues A Business Faces With Company Trucks

• Driving Records. You must diligently review the driving records of your company drivers. Drivers that have tickets or convictions off the clock can reflect poorly on your company. Insurance rates can soar if you employ a driver with a personal DUI conviction, and in the event of an accident, their personal driving records will be held against your business.
• Maintenance Issues. You must follow a routine maintenance schedule on your company fleet to ensure the safety of your employees and others. If an accident is caused by equipment failure, you can be held liable for the injuries to your employee as well as others involved in the accident.
• Employee Safety Training. Your company should establish a training program for all company drivers that is on-going. Safety issues relating to driving and operating the vehicle, road condition training, and defensive driving should all be included. As part of this training, you should also include company policies about how long a driver can be behind the wheel each day. Limiting the amount of time a driver can be behind the wheel each day will help avoid accidents and liability issues surrounding drivers that are too tired to operate a vehicle safely.

How A Texas Accident Attorney Can Help

When most people think of an accident attorney, they think of a lawyer that helps the injured party claim compensation. However, an accident attorney can also be very beneficial to business owners in preventing liability issues or handling them if they arise.

An accident attorney can help the business can review company policy for the prevention of accidents and make any recommendations that will decrease liability and stay within compliance of the law. They can also review current insurance policies to determine if the company is covered for all liable events.

If an accident does occur in Texas, hiring one of the accident lawyers in Houston to represent your business in any proceedings is also to your advantage. Experience and expertise in a specific field is always beneficial to a case.

What all business owners should remember is that there is a liability to the employees and the public that comes with business ownership. When you put a company truck on the road, you increase those responsibilities. Taking steps before any accident occurs, such as establishing a safety plan, checking driving records, and consulting with an attorney about liability, is the best way to avoid unnecessary problems if an accident occurs.

A former investigative news writer, Ann Bailey posts these reminders for any business doing truck service through Texas. The Doyle Raizner accident lawyers in Houston know every aspect of liability for trucking accidents and work diligently for their clients in all manner of accident fault issues.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ptrdpictures/182586320/