Category: Financial Literacy and Money

Building Your Business Premises On The Cheap

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the keys to running a business is cutting and limiting costs. Likewise, when it comes to your business space, it’s important to understand how to do it economically as possible. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, Building Your Business Premises On The Cheap.

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Over the last few years, there has been somewhat of a resurgence of small business owners setting up shop around the world. With the economy unstable, it makes sense for people to look for ways to control their own destiny, even if this means having to work hard for it. Starting out in any industry is a challenge, though. When it comes to things like setting up a place to work, a lot of people find themselves struggling to afford the options they have before them. To make this easier for you, this post will be exploring a few different types of workspace, along with the tools which can be used to get you up and running.

Offices

Offices are becoming just about the most common type of workspace in the world, and more and more businesses are relying on them to get their jobs done. Thankfully, while being the most popular, this is also one of the cheaper places to start your work, as long as you’re close enough to a co-working space. Providing freelance workers and small businesses with a place to work without having to rent their own office, companies like this are great for those looking to save money. Not only do they give you access to a place to work, but they also enable you to network with other professionals.

Stores

Along with offices, retail stores are also very popular at the moment, and this is another great place to start your business. You can’t often save money on the building itself, unless you go for a mobile option, like a van or a bike. But, you can easily save loads on the way that the store is decorated and finished. Industrial styles are very popular at the moment, making options like used Madix shelving look good in even the most fashionable fields. Being creative is a great way to make your budget go further, though this is something which a lot of people neglect, spending huge amounts of their business in the process.

Warehouses

Finally, as the last option on this list, it’s time to think about raw storage space. When your company is mostly based online, you won’t need to have a fancy place filled with computers or employees to help your customers out. Instead, you only need somewhere for your products to stay while you wait for them to be sold. There are loads of dropshipping companies out there which can make this cheaper for you. Some will provide the products for you, while others will expect you to handle that side of the job.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of building your business premises for as little as possible. A lot of companies struggle with this, especially when they are just starting out. You don’t need a huge investment to make this work, though, instead using creativity and ingenuity to solve the problems you face, even if you find it hard along the way.

Veritably Vegan: Three Industries Which Could Thrive From A Walk On The Green Side

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There’s a growing number of people participating in the Vegan lifestyle. As such it’s important for all industries and sectors to pay attention to this customer base. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, Veritably Vegan: Three Industries Which Could Thrive From A Walk On The Green Side.

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It’s no secret that currently lifestyle trends have a significant impact on business. Our reliance on technology is the most pressing example of this. Any companies worth their salt now has a sizeable online presence. With more of us browsing on our phones, many companies even have mobile responsive website designs. And, the trends don’t end there. Our current love for all things eco-friendly has also led managers to paperless working and renewable energy.

If you want to stay ahead, it’s also worth noting that the current trend in veganism has impacted certain areas of the working world. This new way of eating rose 600% between 2014-2017, and those numbers keep on soaring. While this won’t affect someone in, say, an office, it is a crucial consideration for specific industries. If you work in any of the following, then, you would be very silly not to factor for veganism indeed.

Farming

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We know what you’re thinking; farming and veganism couldn’t be further away from each other. And, in some ways, you’re right. But, that doesn’t have to be the case. Consider that even meat eaters are turning to local and organic suppliers as consciousness rises. That means many farmers are finding themselves in hot water at the moment. If you’re one of them, then, taking a lesson out of those vegan books could be the solution you need. By getting rid of animals on your farm and focusing on growing crops and veg instead, you could stay on top. Even better, you’ll walk right into a niche which raises you even higher. You could see success while the farms around you start to struggle. Turning to fast growing equipment like the products at Agron could even see you growing more than enough produce to meet these rising demands. In no time, you could become the leading fresh produce provider in your area, and a farm even vegans can get behind.

Supermarkets

While doing away with meat altogether wouldn’t serve your supermarket, you should consider your vegan audience. If you find your food store is losing custom to the local health shop at the moment, it’s past time you got around to this. Lucky for you, this should be an easy enough niche to appeal to. There are plenty of suppliers who now stock vegan food items across the country. All you need to do is test out a few brands until you have an entire vegan range you can be proud of.

Restaurants

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If you work in the restaurant industry, you definitely need to pay attention to veganism. Nowadays, offering macaroni cheese as an alternative option isn’t good enough. Any restaurant wanting to do well should provide at least two or three vegan options nowadays. If you really want to succeed, it’s worth considering an entire vegan menu. Note, too, that it’s also worth providing vegan alternatives to items already on your menu. Only then can you keep diners coming, and ensure your restaurant stays on top at all times.

How To Apply Your Money Saving Sense To Your Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Just as with your personal finances, you must also manage the finances of your business. In both instances, to be successful you must control your money management, costs and try to run as much of a surplus as you can. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, How To Apply Your Money Saving Sense To Your Business.

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You may have mastered the fine art of balancing your personal finances, but when it comes to starting up a business, it’s a whole different ball game. If you’ve launched a start-up it may well be your first time having to manage business finance, and although the opportunities are good, it can also be a tough, global marketplace to compete in. No matter how great your product or service, if you don’t get the money side right, your business doesn’t have a good chance at being successful and expanding. Many a promising venture has ended up on the rocks due to fiscal naivety or mismanagement. Your best bet is to apply the same money-saving sense to your business as you do your personal financial affairs.

Focus On Low Cost Advertising

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your business can succeed without a marketing strategy. You do need to allocate some budget towards attracting customers to get those profits rolling in, but the good news is that there are plenty of very low cost digital options available. If your brand is a visual one, investing in polished, professional Instagram content is a great way to catch the eye. If your business is more technical, you could chose to focus on public relations work and positioning yourself as a source of industry expertise, through hosting Q&A sessions on Twitter, participating in LinkedIn groups and publishing white papers. There’s also a lot you can do with targeted AdWords campaigns without a huge budget. Search out the low-cost marketing activities that most align with your brand.

Find Great Suppliers

A lot of the costs you will be encountering as a start-up business come from your suppliers, so it’s basic sense to shop around for the best deals. Whether you’re looking for office supplies or something specialist like crane hire on a construction project, don’t be afraid to use your negotiation skills to improve on the first price you’re offered. Find ways to become a preferred customer – ordering in bulk, trading services or recommending to other customers. Depending on your industry and the growth potential of what you do, you may be able to set up exclusive trading relationships with some suppliers including a fixed unit price which will help to cushion your company from the effects of inflationary cost rises.

Head In The Clouds

Small business owners are almost always better off using cloud based systems solutions. Most of these work on a annual user basis and they free you from the need to constantly maintain and upgrade your own systems. They also extend productivity by allowing you to access data and work from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection, plus they usually have hefty security methods like encryption and secure servers that you may otherwise be paying for separately. Your CRM and word processing systems are better off in the cloud, and some programmes, such as Trello project management software or Canva for graphic design, are even free up to a certain point, or offer special enterprise licences for small business.

What Do New Entrepreneurs Usually Forget About

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When starting businesses, there are often aspects that entrepreneurs overlook. Issues pertaining to these details can sometimes emerge later and be can be costly. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, What Do New Entrepreneurs Usually Forget About.

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There is certainly a lot that needs doing when you are in the process of setting up a new company. You will have to consider a lot of different decisions and choices to ensure that you get things up and running as smoothly as possible. However, as there is so much to do in the runup to the launch, there is no wonder that some entrepreneurs end up forgetting a few important tasks and responsibilities. Some of these won’t prevent them setting up the business, but they could make things a lot difficult to get going and it could, later down the line, result in the company being far less productive than what it should be.

So, if you are planning on becoming a business owner in the near future, make sure that you don’t forget any of the following.

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The Legal Side Of Setting Up A Business

Many new business owners get their company up and running without giving the legal side of running a business a second thought. However, it’s important that you think carefully about all the legalities of running your own company, otherwise you might end up in some big trouble. For example, you might end up trading illegally without even realizing it. If you get in touch with someone like Kelly Bagla, Esq. when you have decided to set up your own company, they will be able to take you through some very important steps to ensure that it is all legal and above board. Make sure that you don’t skip this before you start operating!

Asking For Help

Some entrepreneurs can be very proud, which puts them off ever asking anyone else for help. This is a bad move as there is no way you will be able to create a business from scratch without the help of others. For instance, if you have a family that you are trying to juggle alongside your new business, it could be worth asking friends and family if they can take the kids at times when you are super busy at work. You should also have some professional contacts who you can reach out to whenever you need any corporate help.

Attending Networking Events

At the start of a business’s lifespan, it can be difficult to find a spare hour or two to get out of the office. However, it’s important that you prioritize networking events and make time to attend these. These are the perfect places to meet potential new business investors and other professionals who you could add to your corporate network. The more people you meet and get to know, then the more people you can reach out to when you need help and support.

Taking A Break

Remember that it’s important to take plenty of breaks away from the office so that you don’t end up over-stressed. If your stress levels are regularly too high, they could end up making you ill.

Make sure that you don’t forget any of the above, or else your business could suffer as a result!

The Big R Word: Recovery

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and two of its key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Most businesses initially fail, which can permanently break the will of my individuals. For those with stronger resolve, how does one recover? The following contributed post is entitled, The Big R Word: Recovery.

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Recovery comes from the Anglo-French 12th-century word, recoverie, which literally means return to health. Originally, recovering is the act of experiencing improvement through a path of health troubles. In other words, you have to get bad first before you can finally get better.
In the business world, while you can metaphorically talk about the health of the company, recovery focuses on the processes in place to deal with dramatic and destructive issues that affect the normal workflow. Where the medical environment offers dedicated cure and treatment to start the recovery process, businesses don’t have any magical pill that can erase costly mishaps. As a result, recovering from a business crisis is a painful process that needs to consider matters of liability, compensation, reconstruction strategy.

Recovery truck

When it’s your fault
One of the most dreaded situations for business owners is to handle faults that have been caused as a result of malpractice, inattention, or even lack of safety on their end. Nobody likes to make mistakes, mainly because the consequences can be heavy. A car accident caused by a faulty engine, for instance, can affect the brand, the revenues, and market penetration. It’s important to approach the situation as quickly as possible to provide the best response. Additionally, you want to find partners to help you avoid further issues; such as a fleet management company that can service your trucks, or an IT security agency that keep your data secure. Acknowledging the fault is the first step towards your recovery, then you need to introduce preventive measures.

When it’s somebody else’s fault
With cyber crimes on the rise, and especially hacking and other unauthorized data access, it would be unfair to constantly put the blame on the company for a data breach situation. Despite extensive preventive measures, businesses can still be targeted by experienced hackers. As a result, it’s important to understand that your customers are more likely to be understanding if the company has a strict IT security policy. Nevertheless, the recovery process is going to affect your brand image. You need to tackle data loss and network breaches as quickly and effectively as possible. Furthermore, running regular security audits – even with a security solution in place – can avoid expensive issues.

When it’s nobody’s fault
Business owners can only control so much. A disaster that takes the company by surprise requires a dedicated disaster recovery protocol. Indeed, market analysis and reports can highlight the most common crisis situation in your industry sector and your area, from business fires to flooding. Using the information, you can take preventive measures to protect your company, such as dedicated insurance cover for instance. Your DRP can kick into action as soon as the business starts the recovery process, ensuring that you have access to the expertise and funding you need.

At the core of the recovery process, your company needs to focus on maintaining a transparent and open line of communication with members of the staff and customers. Indeed, the crisis is likely to affect both employees and buyers; consequently, it’s crucial to keep them informed as you bring your business back to health.

Could You Face Hosting A Big Business Event?

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re a business owner, at some point, you might want to host a ‘business event’. If you do it right, it could result in growth for your operations. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Could You Face Hosting A Big Business Event?

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Hosting a business event is taking your business to another level. It’s dipping your toes into the big side of the business world, but there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t be doing it. Hosting a business event gets you the exposure you need within the business world, and your niche that you might be struggling to dominate at the minute. But that’s not to say that it isn’t super hard to do, and that you’re not going to have your troubles along the way that might stop you from being able to host something like this. But if you do pull it off, you will have a wealth of custom coming your way, and a status in the business world that you didn’t have before. But there are a few things that you need to iron out first, which luckily we’re on hand to help you out with. Here’s how you can face hosting a business event, and the things you should be looking out for!

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The Fundamentals

There are some fundamentals that you really need to get right if you’re going to pull something like this off, and one of them is the location. A prime location would be in a business orientated city at a place known for hosting business events. The location alone can attract certain people that you need there. You then need to think about the vibe of the event. If you want it to be successful, you’re going to have to throw a business event that’s modern and innovative. You should have interactive stations all around, as well of course as the option for other businesses to have their own stand. Tickets and businesses wanting stands are the main ways that you’re going to make your money back from this. You also need to try and secure sponsors. Sponsors equal publicity and funding, so definitely something that you want on your list.

Little Things You Don’t Want To Forget

There are some finer details of a business event that we feel some hosts miss, yet could make all the difference to the view of the event. Things like having an ATM machine ready for the people attending to use, so that they don’t have to walk out of the event to find a cash point. You’ll often find ATM rentals for the day are not too expensive either! Good food sources and drinks is also essential. There’s nothing worse than a room full of people who are thirsty and hungry. Guest speaks are also essential. You need to have something informative and not based on selling, because there will be smaller companies attending the trade show who are just looking to gather as much information as possible.

Things You Need To Be Looking Out For

The main thing we think you need to be looking out for, is financial troubles. People put on business and trade events in the hope that they’re going to boost their finances in the end, and end up getting into debt to try and put on an event. You should always make sure you’re going to make a profit out of this, not a loss!

The Benefits Of Adding Manufacturing Elements to Your Business

Three of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. When you start your business, you may not be ready early on to start a manufacturing component. Once it gets further along, the time may come to do it. It’s important to understand the manufacturing element. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, The Benefits Of Adding Manufacturing Elements to Your Business.

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Manufacturing is one element of your business that at first you may prefer to outsource. When you start out, you look to simplify processes, and manufacturing your own products may have just been a step too far. Not just with the initial set up costs, but the outlay of the production line etc. However, once your business becomes established, there could come a time when you could consider the added benefits of manufacturing in your business. Here are some of the things to think about.

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You have complete control

One of the major benefits of adding a manufacturing element to your business is that you have complete control. Not only in the process of actually making the products, but it is also a chance to have control when it comes to the quality aspect. You have to think about the fact that when this is outsourced, you have no control over what is produced and how it is produced. But doing it yourself means you can learn how to ensure that the processes are followed correctly.

Invest in technology

You may not realise what you have available to you when it comes to outsourcing the manufacturing side of things, so you might want to think about the fact that you can invest in different technology. Things such as RNA Automation and other advancements in different technology could help you increase the speed of the manufacturing process, or even increase the level in terms of logistics.

The chance to change things

If you are in control of the manufacturing side of things, you can then control the chance to make changes as and when you want to do. If you do decide to leave your manufacturing outside of your control, then changing things can take much longer to implement. Whereas if you do have the control, then you can make the changes as and when you want to. Sometimes as a business, you may want to make tweaks and changes, or even offer custom designs if your business can do that. So this ends up being a great asset to your business.

Reduction of costs in the long term

It may take some investment when it comes to costs. But in actual fact you may be able to reduce the costs overall in the future. Not just in terms of taking the control, but also the reduction of things such as logistics. You save on the transportation costs, from the dispatch between the factory and you for delivery, so making that saving could work in your favour in the future.

As a marketing tool

Finally, a big benefit to you as a business would be as a marketing tool. You can ensure that people realise that not only is the product good, and that the dispatch might be quick or timely,but it is also produced by you, in the country that you reside in. This can be a big marketing and advertising benefit as people tend to want to purchase things that are authentic to you as a brand. You can use this detail in your social media promotion, as well as in other advertising methods.

Let’s hope this has encouraged you to consider some of the benefits manufacturing could add to your business venture.

Protecting Your Employees

The first principle of my blog is Create Ecosystems of Success, and two of its key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When running any organization or business, it’s critical to protect your employees. Doing so will not only help assure their loyalty, but it will also help improve their productivity. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Protecting Your Employees.

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As an employer, whether of one person or a thousand, you have responsibilities. You are responsible for creating safe and trustworthy products. For taking care of your customers and providing a service. You’re often responsible for dealing with complaints, for coming up with new ideas and motivating your staff, on top of your everyday jobs and tasks. One of your key responsibilities is to your team. Looking after them, keeping them safe, ensuring that they are happy at work, and fairly treated.

Many employers neglect this particular responsibility. They are too worried about the growth of their company. They invest time in products and services and assume that their team will look after themselves, especially if there aren’t many of them. This is a mistake. Protecting your staff and looking after their interests isn’t just good for them; it can also help to boost your business. Well cared for staff are often loyal. They are hard working and creative. If you give your team your time, they’ll be more likely to go the extra mile and give their all. It can be great for business while reducing turnover and cutting recruitment and training costs.

How you protect your staff will, of course, depend on the nature of your business and their specific roles and needs. But, here are some more general tips to help you.

Take Care of Your Equipment

If your business is office based and doesn’t use any special equipment for machinery, this isn’t something that you need to worry about. But, if it does, these items can cause injury or even illness. The risks are increased if the equipment is damaged, dirty or otherwise unable to work at its best. Take the time to have any equipment or machinery regularly serviced and get any issues dealt with as quickly as possible. If you use hot ovens or kilns in your business, invest in a high temperature camera so that you can complete safety checks yourself. Sometimes this can mean not using something until it’s fixed, but it’s worth it if everyone is safe.

Risk Assessments

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Even if you are office based, risk assessments are an essential part of keeping everyone safe and protected. Even an office with a few chairs, computers and shelves has risks. You just need to find them. Print off some risk assessment sheets and walk around your workplace, as well as any secondary work sites or vehicles, and identify risks. Even smaller ones like heavy lifting, trips and slips and reaching high shelves. Assess the risk and think of ways to minimise it. For smaller risks, it might merely be a case of using wet floor signs when cleaning and teaching team members how to lift correctly. Make sure you complete separate assessments for pregnant or injured employees who might face greater risks or need changes to their job.

Train Them

Staff training is the best way to keep your team safe. They should be thoroughly trained to do their jobs well, with detailed instruction on anything that could cause them harm. Many businesses make the mistake of training staff once and then leaving it. Offer regular refresher training, and extra team sessions when something changes.

How To Make Your Online Store a Success

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Setting up an online store is much different than setting up a traditional bricks and mortar store. For an online store, you must become savvy in terms of technology in addition to marketing. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How To Make Your Online Store a Success.

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If you love retail and decided to create an online store instead of investing in a brick-and-mortar shop, you are up against a huge competition. It is important that you are able to make the most out of your reach, engagement, and productivity, and automate processes that would take you too long to complete. There are several things to pay attention to before you launch your store, such as market positioning, competition, and customer behavior. Find out more below.

Market Research

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It is important that you pay attention to your market research and get to know your target market. This doesn’t only apply to your potential clients, but also your competition. It is crucial that you find out about the best methods to penetrate the market and find the gap you can fill. Look for profitable underserved markets and position yourself in a smart way in the marketplace. There are so many free market research tools you can utilize, such as Google Surveys or downloadable industry reports.

Name

Your business name has to be memorable and catchy, also give out the right message about what you stand for. It might be a good idea to create a mission, vision, and values statement before you would create a logo and brand name, so you can fully align it with your target market’s. After you have created your market research file, you will be able to identify your ideal client, and choose your brand name based on their characteristics. Be careful when choosing a brand name, as it can lower the value of your brand.

Brand Image

Once you have your brand name, you can start working on your brand image, too. You should be consistent when it comes to your social media accounts, your logo, and your website, but most importantly – develop your unique brand voice. Listen to your audience and their feedback, find out what they are looking for when searching for similar products and how they choose who to buy from.

Website

Of course, if you want to launch an online store, you will need to pay attention to your web development and design. You have to make it user friendly and engaging. You need to communicate the benefits of your products, not only the features. This is where many startup online store owners make a mistake. You need to gain people’s trust as well before you can convince them to give your products a try.

Shopping Cart Software

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While the design and functionality of your website is important, you will need to ensure that your infrastructure is easy to use and tailored to your customers’ needs. If you don’t know where to start, you will need to talk to seo agencies that optimize Shopify stores so you can get enough traffic and conversion. You want your visitors to quickly find what they are looking for, add them to their basket, but you might even design a system that recommends similar or complementary products so you can maximize your sales opportunities.

Social Media

You might have already heard about Pinterest success for online stores, but you will have to make the most out of your social media reach and use different platforms. It might be challenging to keep on top of all your posts and monitor the performance of all your accounts, especially if you are busy running your own business. You might want to automate your social media so you can make the most out of your reach and get a snapshot of your statistics, to find out what type of content your audience engages with.

Review Sites

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If you want your website visitors to trust you, it is important that you get listed and featured in online directories and on review sites. People want to know that you are keeping your promises and they can get a good service. They are more likely to listen to other people’s recommendations and reviews than your own marketing messages, so it is crucial that you implement these features in your social media and your website, too. After all, your shop’s reputation is one of the most valuable assets in your business.

Starting an online store is hard work, and there is no guarantee of success. However, you can do your research and get to know the industry, your competition, and the available technology to scale up your operation and make continuous improvements that will improve your traffic, engagement, and sales conversions at the same time.

Productivity Fails That Are Eating Your Business’s Profits

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When you start a business, it’s important to manage productivity as best you can so you can maximize profits. In order to do so, it’s important to think about where your productivity can be diminished. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Productivity Fails That Are Eating Your Business’s Profits.

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In the business world, time is money, and that means if your business is not spending your time in the right way, it ultimately impacts your overheads and so your profits. To that end, it is absolutely crucial that you avoid as many productivity fails as you possibly can. A topic you can read more about on the post below.

Emails

Emails are an excellent form of communication, in some cases. One of these cases is not between the employees that work in the same office or building. In fact, emails after a lousy way for people like that to communicate because they often cause more confusion and take up additional time in clarification that walking three desks over and actually asking the person would.

To that end, be sure to implement a no or minimum internal emails policy in your business. You may just be pleasantly surprised at the positive impact this can have on productivity.

IT fails

Few successful businesses work without IT these days, and in most cases, digital tech is integrated into every stage of a company’s process. This is fantastic for the most part because it speeds things up, allows users access to more information, and automates tasks, so they don’t have to be done by humans. Something that can actually improve productivity because it frees up staff to focus on critical responsibilities.

However, it also means that your entire business is dependent on your IT network being up and running effectively. Something that means when it does go down you can expect massive problems with productivity company-wide.

Happily, there is a way that you can prevent this from even becoming an issue, and it’s by ensuring that you proactively monitor your network.

In fact, network monitoring can pick up any issues before they become major ones and slow down your employee’s work. Something that can save you from having to deal with countless hours of downtime and increase your business productivity, and so your profits no end.

Workaholic culture

Believe it or not, working too hard and encouraging your employees to do the same is incredibly bad for productivity. This is because humans are only capable of focusing on a certain task for a short amount of time, and if you regularly encourage people to go beyond this, they will work slower and less productively.

To that end, encouraging regular breaks not only throughout the day but with vacations days as well is absolutely necessary.

Poor training and onboarding

When people don’t feel secure in their roles, they are unlikely to work most productively. What that means is that skimping on staff training and onboarding programs may seem financially viable in the short term, but over time you could actually be hurting your business’s profits.

In fact, staff training in both hard and soft skills doesn’t just affect productivity, but also customer service too. Something that makes it an essential aspect of running a business to get right, if you want to turn a decent profit.