The Thriving Small Business

tips for small business

What Does It Take To Be A Great Place To Work?

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Any of us who have been around for a while understand that the work place is changing.

Employees are changing and with this change comes a necessity for organizations to change how they practice and manage employees.

This is important if they want to recruit top talent but more importantly if the goal is to retain those valuable employees. Read the Full Article →

Employee Appreciation Day – 15 Ways to Show You Care

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Successful businesses understand that their success is the result of the hard work of its employees. Employee Appreciation Day can help!

We often take for granted this valuable group of people and sometimes need to be reminded to show our gratitude for their efforts.

Friday, March 6 is National Employee Appreciation Day.

Read the Full Article →

5 Ways to Reduce Employee Turnover

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Unemployment is at historic lows – which is great for the economy. However, small businesses are having a difficult time finding candidates with the skill set needed for the job.

When you are lucky enough to find that perfect employee you need to do all that you can to keep them from jumping ship. Read the Full Article →

Coronavirus – 5 Tips To Protect Your Employees

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In case you’ve been out of touch the last several weeks there is a new virus spreading across the globe that bears paying attention to.

The Coronavirus outbreak began Wuhan, China in late December 2019.

In a few short weeks, the virus has spread (as of this writing) to 27 countries and is moving fast. Read the Full Article →

5 Steps To Conflict Resolution In The Workplace

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Conflict in the workplace is an inevitable reality.  This is why it is so important to understand what causes conflict in business and to have a conflict resolution plan in place to address it when it happens.

Conflict is defined as:

“To come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at
variance or in opposition; clash to fight or contend; do battle.”

Read the Full Article →

Emotional Intelligence – Do You Possess These Important Competencies?

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We have been programmed since we were little children to care about our Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Because we know that people with high IQs are typically smart – and consequently very successful.

However, we now know that business leaders with strong Emotional Intelligence (EQ) competency also have an advantage in the workplace. Read the Full Article →

8 Components Of An Effective Internship Program

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If your organization does not have an internship program, you might be missing out on some great talent for a low cost.

It is estimated that 20-25% of newly hired employees come from internship programs.

Organizations use internship programs as part of a recruitment strategy that is aimed at achieving business objectives. Read the Full Article →

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 →

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?” 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 →