The Thriving Small Business

How to Be a Good Boss – 10 Qualities of a Good Boss

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Not everyone knows how to be a great boss. But most can tell you a story about enduring a bad one.

I’ve heard horror stories of bosses berating employees in front of other people, screaming at workers or throwing temper tantrums.

This kind of behavior affects productivity (at least when the boss isn’t looking) and plays havoc on employee morale. Read the Full Article →

Small Business Growth – How to Get Over the Hump!

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There is not much more exciting than being able to start a new business! But every entrepreneur strives to see achieve business growth!

Once off the ground, small business owners go through many predictable phases of development and growth.

You need to get organized with your finances, set-up product displays or service standards as well as developing internal processes to run the business. Read the Full Article →

Office Christmas Party – 10 Tips To Help Make It A Success!

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It is hard to believe we are knee deep into the holiday season! And with the holiday season comes the annual Office Christmas party.

Many organizations use this festive time of year to reward employees for all of their hard work and to reinforce efforts to maintain an engaged workforce.

Most of us have been to an office Christmas party that, well, got a bit out of control. Read the Full Article →

FLSA Law – Is Your Business In Compliance?

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If you are a small business owner you understand the many hats you need to wear as you get your company off the ground. One hat needs to be understanding FLSA law requirements.

As your business grows, there comes a time that you need to hire employees.

This first hire is always challenging because there are still so many unknowns. Read the Full Article →

Nepotism At Work – 8 Things to Consider

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In the movie “Tommy Boy,” the owner of an auto parts factory gives his dim-witted son (played by Chris Farley) a plush job even though he just graduated college–barely.

The owner’s right-hand man (played by David Spade) doesn’t approve.

When Spade’s character sees Tommy’s new office, he sarcastically quips: “You have a window. Read the Full Article →

5 Common Business Organizational Structures

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Businesses use organizational structures to show a picture of the the chain-of-command and to help employees understand reporting relationships.

Large or small, every organization should operate with a defined organizational structure.

A well thought out and strategic business configuration clarifies reporting relationships and supports good communication. This can result in efficient and effective work process flow and can foster team development. Read the Full Article →

Tips For Conducting Focus Group Interviews

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I was recently asked to provide the definition of a focus group, how to conduct a focus group interview and what is the purpose of focus group interviews.

Focus groups are forums used to gather qualitative data on the customer experience.

This  is a widely used marketing tool which helps organizations develop products and services that are influenced by participating customers.

Read the Full Article →

13 Tips For Improving Job Satisfaction

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According to a Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 88% of US employees reported overall satisfaction with their current job in 2015.

This number is the highest level of satisfaction in 10 years. The purpose of the survey was to identify those factors that contribute to employee satisfaction in the workplace. Read the Full Article →

3 Tips To Make Managing Employees Easier

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Anyone who is responsible for managing others will attest to the fact that it can be one of the most challenging aspects of a supervisor’s job.

However when done strategically, and with an end in mind, it can be a positive, and even rewarding, experience for both parties. Understanding some simple performance management tactics can help! Read the Full Article →

3 Ways to Use Data Analytics To Build Your Business

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In recent years, it’s becoming increasingly common for data to be used in every sector to assist business people in cutting costs, creating wares, managing inventory, innovating, streamlining processes, marketing to consumers and even disrupting whole industries.

While once the “magic” of data was limited to huge corporations because of the cost of getting and analyzing it. Read the Full Article →