Business Management | BizSieve.com

How To Make Your Business Run Efficiently

Having an efficiently run business is vitally important, it is the only way that you can maximize the profitability of it. We live in a world that is dominated by business and there are so many companies out there looking to make a fortune. It is vitally important that any new or existing company is efficiently organized, I can’t stress enough the significance of it.

This article will aim to highlight what it takes to run an efficient business and why that is so important. Anyone looking to make money needs to have a hierarchical structure and internally they need to have a computerized filing system.

It’s very difficult in such a technologically dominated world to not be on the same wave length as the technology.

Re-Structure

This is a good way to make your business run efficiently. A complete restructure can help to keep things fresh and provide inter position competition which is good for people, especially in a world that is so competitive. People want something to aim towards and a position to try and take away from someone else, it’s just the way people’s minds work.

An efficiently run business can increase profitability dramatically, similarly, a poorly designed business can result in large losses. It is just a matter of finding the right balance and ensuring that organizationally everything is in its right place. Different companies have different ideas about how this is best done, some favor inclusion and some favor a more dictatorial approach, both work and it just depends on the person.

In the internet age we live in the focus of everything is on speed and efficiency and thus your company has to be the face of that if you are hoping to be successful.

Clerical

Clerically your company has to be well organized as well. Everything has to be scanned and filed correctly and organized neatly. This helps when dealing with clients directly and the internal aspect of the organization process. Investing in your own document scanners and photocopiers can be the best way to ensure your internal organization is kept neat and tidy.

The last thing you want to do is lose the files of a client that can have a lot of money invested in your company. We live in the age of the internet and much of the clerical stuff nowadays is done online so with a little training you can digitalize your whole system.

You may also want to digitalize your legal documents signing. More law offices are now accommodating e-signature, allowing you to securely sign legal documents online – this reduces paper consumption and makes document signing – and counter-signing – a swift process.

Communication

You have to communicate in all areas of the business if it is to run efficiently. Communication between bosses and lower level workers is extremely important, this creates a bond and a level of respect. If workers see a difference in status and feel that in the workplace it can make things extremely difficult so try to avoid this as much as possible.

As a business owner you have a level of responsibility to look after your clients and let them know about business plans, where the company is heading and weekly targets. Keep your workers in the loop.

About the Author: Andrew is an author with a love for business, he studied it at university and has a masters degree in this field. He now has over 15 years writing experience and he knows what he is talking about

Four Simple Ways To Keep Your Employees Happy

When running a business, it is important to keep team morale high in order to create a successful, productive workplace. There are lots of factors that can make an employee feel unhappy in their job, so as a business owner, it is important that your company is constantly making the effort to ensure that every member of their team feels confident and happy in their working life. Regardless of industry, there are a number of ways that every business can improve employee happiness and almost guarantee that they have a satisfied workforce-

Offer Regulated Breaks

Make sure that your employees are alert whilst sat at their desks working, or helping customers on the shop floor, by giving them an appropriate amount of breaks throughout their shift, or working day. Depending on how long they work during a day or week, and what type of work they do, depends on what kind of break your staff need. The law states that employees are legally entitled to a 20 minute break for every six hours of work, but this the minimum you should offer.

Giving your staff regulated breaks at spaced out intervals throughout the working day will have a positive effect on both their focus and happiness in regards to their job, so is ultimately beneficial to your company.

Make their working Environment Comfortable

If your staff are regularly on their feet in their job, make sure that you are providing a break room, or area, that has plenty of comfortable seats so they can properly relax before and after their shifts, and during breaks. Having a break room that contains basic kitchen utensils allows staff can prepare refreshments throughout the day.

Businesses that utilise an office space will also benefit from a break area, but it also important that their workspace is a comfortable working environment. Replacing old, worn office furniture with items that are specialised in comfort and functionality will benefit your staff. Ergonomic chairs will help reduce issues with health and stress, and clean office spaces with natural lighting and positive colour schemes will help promote productivity as well as help to improve an individual’s working happiness.

Focus on Pay

It is indisputable that the main reasons people work is to earn money, so making sure that your staff are paid correctly and regularly each month, or week, is essential to maintaining a happy workforce. When it comes to organising payroll, whatever the company size, it is best to keep control of outgoings, and stay within the law by outsourcing to a professional payroll bureau that offers complete payroll management.

A complete payroll service will work out employees’ tax and National Insurance contributions, but as a business owner, you may want to stay up to date with rising minimum wages and social factors to make sure that you are paying your staff a good salary.

Reward Excellence

Employee of the Month has become a cheesy, antiquated way of recognising excellence within a business, but is still one of the best ways to celebrate an individual’s hard work, and encourage members of staff to maintain or increase their levels of productivity. Providing an extra monetary reward, or even a gift item, can be a great monthly incentive for staff to put extra effort into their daily work.

At the end of the year, businesses may want to reward every member of staff for their continual focus by gifting them with an annual bonus and implementing clear pay schemes and promotional structure that will give staff a working incentive, whilst increasing their happiness.

About the Author: Beth Stubbings works for Trace Payroll. She thinks that ensuring that your workforce are happy will mean that your workplace is more productive.

A Short List Of Some Of The Biggest Problems Business Managers Face Today

Running a business has always required a lot of hard work, a lot of time, and a lot of dedication. No one ever said that running your own business would be easy, yet entrepreneurs from all over the world are opening up new businesses every day so that they can offer something unique to the public and so that they can be their own bosses and make their own decisions.

Today, there are new challenges that managers in the past never really had to deal with. Continue reading to access a short list of just a few of the problems that business managers in the 21st century have to tackle.

The Perks and Challenges of Social Media

Social media websites reign supreme among Internet users. Gone are the days when people would visit a company’s official website to learn about it and to get in touch with the business owners. These days, people check Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites where they spend most of their time instead. Therefore, in order to run a successful business today, you need to invest your time and resources into a domain name for an official website, as well as a multitude of social media pages that are customized and able to connect with users directly. And then, of course, comes the task of marketing not only your website but also all of these social media pages and posts so that you can get through the clutter that is on the Internet and actually connect with customers who are interested in what you do.

So Much More Competition

It is easier than ever before to start up a business of any kind. This means that there is a lot more competition out there. The good news is that a lot of these businesses do not make it unless they really know what they’re doing. But if you find yourself in an overly saturated market, it can definitely be a challenge to get people to take note of you. Stiff competition has made it much more difficult for small businesses to succeed, especially since they are also up against large corporations that have a hold on major industries.

An Uncertain Economy

Tough economic times make it harder both for customers and business owners. After all, if customers cannot afford the products and services that are offered by small businesses, these companies simply cannot survive. Therefore, as long as the economy will remain uncertain, business managers need to take the right steps to keep customers satisfied and to keep their costs as low as possible in order to transfer those savings to their customers by providing low prices.

Running a business today is a tough job, and it can be more stressful than ever before to make sure that your business stays afloat. From stiff competition to a harsh economy, if you can manage to keep your business going today, you really have what it takes to be a business manager.

About the Author: Brian Smith, the author of this post, works at Yellowstone Capital, a capital firm that provides business loans. Through his blog, he advises people on topics like business management, finance and marketing. In his spare time, he likes to express himself through his blog posts.

3 Reasons Why Your Business Shouldn’t Be Without PR

The world of public relations is one that is sometimes misconstrued and some people struggle to differentiate between this and marketing. However, both departments fulfil distinct roles and are equally important to the plight of a business. Whilst marketing concerns itself with trying to sell, and make people aware of, your products and services; public relations overseas the whole company and is tasked with building bridges with the people that will be interacting with your brand.

Any small business will be wondering if they really need to fund and grow this area of their company or whether they can do without PR altogether. However, there are many reasons why you should look to either form your own department for this area of business or, better yet, outsource it to an agency that could really get things moving in the right direction. So why should you not be without PR?

You’re Practically Invisible If The Public Have Never Heard Of You –

It’s great if you have the best products and services around but if nobody knows about your business then this is largely futile. It’s so important to let your consumer base get to know the brand behind your products so that you can begin to build relationships with them for the future. Unless you really connect with them through your PR you will struggle to have them coming back time and time again to the products you sell.

PR can build brand loyalty and put your business at the forefront of the market in which you operate. You want your customers to immediately think of you in relation to anything which you sell.

Your Reputation Could Take a Serious Hit –

Another job of public relations is to manage the reputation of the company so that any potential disasters are dealt with swiftly and effectively without damaging the business’s name. If you don’t have the procedures in place for this then your brand’s reputation could take a serious hit and the future of your company could be put in doubt. At times when disaster has struck there is the need for a measured and tactile approach as well as a timely response and these things can only come from prior planning.

Having an experienced and knowledgeable PR company to advise you in situations like this will be invaluable in your attempts to rebuild or keep intact the opinion that the public has of your business. And with the rise of social media there are increased risks of misadventure meaning every company needs to be prepared for the worst.

You Will Struggle To Grow As A Business –

The ultimate goal for any business is likely to be to make a profit and grow into a bigger company. However it’s very difficult to do this if nobody is working at building relationships with the general public. When it comes down to it; it is going to be your customers who decide how much you can expand and just how successful you can be, and so failing to address them directly through your PR is missing out on a great opportunity.

The more that people can learn about and relate to your brand the more likely they are to continue using it and fund your growth. The relationships that you have with your clients and consumers should be some of the strongest your business forms, and without doubt the best way to do this is through a well thought-out and consistent PR strategy.

About the Author: Chris Mayhew knows the importance of PR from his time working in the marketing industry. He would recommend that anyone looking for an agency to outsource their public relations to looks not further than Eclat Marketing.

Eight Things To Remember When Relocating Your Business

Relocating your office or business can be a tricky process that requires a lot of careful thought and planning. There are many aspects that can be easily overlooked or that you may not even think to consider. Preparation is essential when moving from one location to another, so here is a list of eight important things to remember when relocating your business.

1. Set up a time frame

Staying organized and on schedule will reduce a lot of stresses of moving. Make a timetable of when you want to be out of your old location and into your new and have a schedule of tasks you wish to complete by what day for the move. Being well prepared for moving day will allow you to dive right into your new location so you won’t lose business.

2. Inform and involve your employees

Your employees should be up to date on your relocation plans and understand any responsibilities they may have regarding the move, such as packing up their own office.

3. Inform your customers

It is also important to keep your customers in the know about your move. There are many simple ways to do this depending on what type of business you are running: hang up signs in the front of your store with details of your relocation, send out an informative email, or update your social media letting followers know where your new location is, when it will be open, and how the move is going.

4. Update information

You will want to update any and all information regarding your location across many platforms. Your website, business cards, social media, email signatures, etc. will all have information based on your old location. Preorder business cards with updated contact information so you have them once your business is relocated and be sure to update your virtual information with your new address, phone number, fax, etc.

5. Packing

Packing is one of the more time consuming aspects of moving. To make this part a little less stressful, take a look and see what things you can pack up in advance to get them out of the way and determine what needs to be packed last. Make sure you have proper packing supplies, including the appropriate boxes. Labeling boxes with where they will go in the office and what it contains will also make your move go much smoother.

6. Forward your mail

Don’t let your bills and fan mail get sent to your old address! USPS offers a free change of address service that you can fill out online or in paper form from your mail deliverer.

7. Contact service providers

Ensure that you contact all of your service providers and inform them of your relocation. You should also be sure that new service providers are aware of installation dates.

8. Inform surrounding businesses

During your move, at the new location and old, you will most likely be blocking entrances or taking up extra parking spaces. Let other businesses around you know and if you can, give them a time frame of when your move will take place so they can be prepared and inform their employees.

About the Author: This article is by a contributor from Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), a coalition dedicated to helping new businesses start and existing businesses grow.