The Thriving Small Business

What is Total Quality Management (TQM)?

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The way organizations are managed not only determines the quality of its products and services – but ultimately its success.

Businesses use a Total Quality Management approach to how it manages in an effort to improve how work gets done.

All organizations benefit from Total Quality Management (TQM).

Total Quality Management (TQM) is defined as a management model that focuses on customers and the development of products and services that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of customers. Read the Full Article →

7 Management Tools for Quality Control

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Many organizations use quality tools to help monitor and manage their quality initiatives.

There are several types of tools that can be used.  However, there are seven management tools for quality control that are the most common.

Different tools are used for different problem-solving opportunities, and many of the tools can be used in different ways. Read the Full Article →

13 Examples Of Empowered Employees

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Empowerment is a buzz term that we hear a lot about in leadership. A culture that embraces employee empowerment, understands the role workers have by taking care of the needs of the customers they serve.

Empowerment is defined as “the giving or delegation of power or authority; authorization; the giving of an ability; enablement or permission.”

Empowerment is based on the belief that employees have the ability – and want to take on more responsibility. 

Empowerment is a way to give employees greater authority and responsibility to take care of the needs of the customer and to provide employees with the means for making influential decisions. Read the Full Article →

Service Recovery – 5 Tips For Successful Service Recovery

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Great customer service is the cornerstone of any successful business. Knowing who the customers are, what they want and making an effort to exceed customer expectations – is the key to business success.

Unless an organization understands this very basic principle, it will have a difficult time achieving desired results.

What is service recovery?

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7 Tips To Foster And Manage Innovation In Your Office

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Innovation is the golden key to success for business. However you need to know how to manage innovation to set yourself apart from the rest!

Innovative people have been around since the beginning of time. These creative doers have literally change the world.

Without creative and innovative ideas, we would not be where we are today in terms of product development, technology and the way we deliver service to customers. 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.

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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 →

Read This Before Donating to That Charity

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It seems that there is a natural disaster happening all the time. The most recent has been Hurricane Florence that hit the east coast pretty hard. Disaster victims rely on the help from all of us. However, if you want to help, make sure your charity donation goes to a credible organization. Read the Full Article →

Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals

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Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals.

Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time.

Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. Read the Full Article →

7 Steps Your Small Business Should Take Before Hiring That New Employee

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When a small business is formed, it is often difficult to imagine the time when there is a need to hire employees.

When that day comes, it is important to understand what needs to be done to hire a new employee.

There are several steps that need to be considered before entering into an employment arrangement. Read the Full Article →

Is Your Organization Better at Correcting Errors – or Preventing Them?

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As consumers, when we purchase a product or service, our basic expectation is for it to be safe to use and without defect.

Unfortunately that is not always the case.

Product recalls seem to be a daily event.

Just scroll through the product recall list on the Consumer Product Safety Commission site and you might be surprised at how many products are being recalled for safety concerns.

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7 Tips For Managing Remote Workers

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More and more organizations are offering employees the option to telecommute – at least occasionally.

This number has inched up the past several years.

Some organizations offer the option to telecommute it in an attempt to support a healthy work-life balance, while others do so in an effort to control increasing costs. Read the Full Article →