The Thriving Small Business

tips for small business

How Well Does Your Organization Evaluate Its Training?

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For those of us who have been around for more than a minute, understand how technology has infiltrated the work environment.

Gone are the days of filling out a (manual) timecard, typing a memo or filling out a paper expense report. Technologies are used for all of these tasks that once required a pen, paper, and typewriter. Read the Full Article →

7 Advantages of Hiring Freelancers

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The unemployment rate is at historic lows which is great news for the economy – but not such great news for small business owners who need help.

Low unemployment creates hiring challenges for all organizations, but particularly for small businesses. 

Lots of small businesses (mine included) now use temporary employees to help bridge the gap. Read the Full Article →

6 Ways to Boost Morale at Work

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Businesses can’t run effectively if their employees aren’t motivated to work.

Employees who are unhappy and have low morale have decreased job performance and satisfaction, which can negatively affect your company.

Conversely, employees who are enthusiastic and excited to show up to work every day can greatly impact how your company performs, in a positive way. Read the Full Article →

11 Tips For Successful Change Initiatives

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Why is change so hard? Particularly if we know that most of the time a significant change improves things. Right?

Well, not always, but if done the right way, change can bring about significant improvements!

Organizations reorganize internal structures and processes for a few reasons.

A change might be: to better align the organization with changing conditions, new business demands, or perhaps because of a crisis that impacts the organization. Read the Full Article →

Example Customer Service Standards

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Most know that successful organizations have great customer service.

And we all know that it is our employees who take care of those consumers who pay the bills.

I find it interesting when I intereact with an organizqtion and employees are curt, uninformed or simply rude.

I seem to scratch my head and think, “how can you possibly have a profitable business with employees who chase customers away?”

Every organization should have a basic expectation for employees to provide good customer service. Read the Full Article →

Vendor Selection Criteria – 8 Things to Consider

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Successful organizations understand the importance of investing in the business. However, taking that step to spend money isn’t always an easy decision.

As a result, you have held off on making that vital business investment long enough. It’s now time to upgrade your phone system, redesign your website, or replace the carpet in your office. Read the Full Article →

7 Steps to Writing a Vision, Mission and Values Statement

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I was recently asked why a business needs a mission, vision, and values statement.

My response was that a vision, mission, and values statement is a tool to help an organization accomplish what it has set out to do and helps provide a framework for strategy, focus and decision making.

A Vision statement describes the ideal future state of the organization. Read the Full Article →

4 Steps to Successful Project Management

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It doesn’t matter what kind of business you run – the ability to successfully manage projects is a crucial component to getting things done.

Projects are a series of tasks performed by people involved in accomplishing a goal or solving a problem. 

Projects can be short-term or long term. Each has its own unique set of issues, but both strive to improve operational efficiency and improve customer satisfaction. Read the Full Article →

Loyalty Programs – How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life

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Coupons, loyalty programs, and customer incentives seem to be in most establishments these days.

I have to admit I love coupons but I also love reward programs that can utilize my phone number to track visits and rewards.

We used to purchase the Entertainment Book for my kids every year and sneak one in for myself. Read the Full Article →

5 Advantages of Professional Networking

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A simple life reality is that people need people. We need our family, we need our friends, and we need others in our industry. Which makes professional networking so important.

Professionals use networking as a means to form relationships with others, in like or related fields, that help to expand ones’ effectiveness in an organization or industry. Read the Full Article →