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Your Business Startup – The Importance Of Effective Employee Relations

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One of the best ways of achieving lasting financial prosperity is through entrepreneurship. The financial, lifestyle and personal advantages of starting your own business make doing so an excellent way of controlling your destiny.

Starting a business requires you to complete a number of steps and make some key decisions. Though part of your overall plan, youll need to decide on a business structure, and obtain the necessary licenses and permits. In addition, determining which financing options will meet your short-term needs and long-term goals is crucial.

Although when you first begin a new business with no other employees but yourself you may see no need to set down employee regulations, small businesses often hire a staff as the business begins to grow. You may find that, in order to keep up with supply and demand, it is crucial for you to hire part time or full time employees.

As you grow your staff it is critical that you shift your focus to effectively engaging your employees in your company’s vision. The most successful companies are those in which the employees and owners of the business work closely together to resolve problems and create policy. By making your business a more employee-friendly atmosphere, you can add to the overall success of the company.

It is important that when you hire new employees, especially teens or young adults that your clearly set expectations. It is important to have a written employee manual that sets the parameters for employee behavior. Be sure to look at things from all angles. What could your employees potentially do that would hurt business? Set dress codes, parking spaces, and other company policies from the beginning to avoid these kinds of mistakes.

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Did you know?

In starting a small business you should never think you can do it alone! One of the best ways to increase your chances for success is to find and work with a mentor, someone with business experience who can guide and assist you.

The Small Business Administration also runs the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, which helps small businesses start, grow and compete in global markets by providing quality training, counseling and access to resources. The office offers a Network Of Training And Counseling Services.

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Also, it is important to have the same rules for all employees-no playing favorites. By treating all of your employees equally from the start, you give them all an equal chance to succeed professionally. Present your employees with a list of employee rules and regulations when you hire them so they can remember and understand what is expected. It is also beneficial to hang a copy of this list in a convenient spot for all employees to see and to redistribute this every six months or every year.

As you learn more about your employees, you may want to give certain people more responsibilities than others. That is why it is important to have a management plan. Promotions should always go to the most qualified candidate, regardless of your personal relationships with the employees. Set into motion management guidelines so that new employees can understand advancement potential and the responsibilities of all persons on the staff.

Make changes to your employee relations as you see fit. For example, problems may arise that you have not initially addressed. Distribute the new policy to all employees, not just the ones who it is immediately affecting. Say an employee is frequently distracted, for instance, from visits from a significant other. By reviewing new policies regarding that with all employees, you can be sure that when employees begin a new relationship they will know the rules.

Your employees are an extension of you and of the company. Treat them fairly and with respect and listen to their concerns. By creating a friendly atmosphere, your employees will be loyal and hardworking, making your business even better than before.

Remember, that one of the keys to success in any endeavor is have the proper attitude and expecting success. It’s important to get your employees to share this attitude.

Constantly visualize what your operation will look like when it’s up and running and how you will feel at that point. Never waver from your pursuit.

Business Soft Skills In High Schools

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For a long time the business world has been asking colleges, trade schools and universities for graduates that are well versed in soft skills. As time goes by the K-12 educational institutions are now realizing that they need to start soft skills training way before college.

In a recent article by Amy Myska (see at following website (http://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/money/companies/state-of-opportunity/2014/11/28/qa-advice-middle-high-school-students/19639851/) suggests that high schoolers can improve their career potential by learning soft skills early. -We have seen a growing demand from Wisconsin employers asking for help in finding job candidates that have professional “soft skills” to effectively work with both customers as well as their workers in a work environment,- she stated. -It is also important to stress the importance of education at all ages. Many students have a belief that school “doesn’t really count until high school. “However, it’s the grade levels prior to high school that set the foundation for learning not only skills but also behavior. Making education a priority also sets the stage for positive work behaviors for their future- she added.

A study by Dan Jones & Associates Poll For The State Of Utah stated also suggests more opportunities for businesses professionals to teach in schools, as well as internship opportunities for student. (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865617538/Utah-students-grossly-unprepared-for-workforce-study-says.html)

In an article by Tisha Green Rinker titled -Why Developing Soft Skills during High School Matters- (http://www.connectionsacademy.com/blog/posts/2014-12-01/Why-Developing-Soft-Skills-during-High-School-Matters.aspx) she does an excellent job explaining a few simple soft skills activities for high school students. Here they are: * Volunteer as a tutor or mentor. As the saying goes, -To teach is to learn twice.- When you teach others, you’re constantly learning new things and new ways to learn. * Identify a specific new skill to learn and the steps required to learn it. Whether you want to learn to play a guitar or master a programming language, teaching yourself new skills builds your confidence and the habits of independent learning. * Attend free public events at local colleges, museums, libraries, or music academies. Be intentional in your television viewing and web surfing, -curating” your content to expand your worldview or dig deeper into subjects that interest you. * Read, read, read.

Businesses and schools are now realizing that basic soft skills can be taught and understood by K-12 students. Life College located in Tustin, California has been successfully teaching Job Readiness to young adults with intellectual disabilities including, but not limited to, Autism, Fragile X, Brain Injury, and other Developmentally Delayed Learners. The 2-year program prepares students to find employment and teaches them self-advocacy and conflict resolution in their daily lives. The program at the school gives the students the confidence to perform everything from personal planning to money management.

Once soft skills are taught to K-12 students it will create a foundation for students who will eventually be in the workplace, whether they go to college or not.

Jim Stedt is a partner at The Business SoftSkills Company (GetSoftSkillsNow.Com) located in Santa Ana, California. They provide job readiness and workforce success videos for education, business, prisons and individual use. Training is available online, on DVD, or through an affiliate program. These products are the most complete and concise soft skills training packages now available for the price of an average college textbook.

Innovative Business Card Printing Ideas

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As the name implies, business cards are usually used for business purposes. These business cards usually possess a business or individual information that is why they play a very vital role especially in formal introductions. Sharing these business cards especially during formal introductions is a matter of convenience. The format of a standard business card typically includes the business name, contact information and the logo of the business.

In todays modern world, technology has come a long way compared to the past years. Do you still prefer to use letters? Because nowadays email is more convenient. Do you still want to go to the banks? Now you have the option of internet banking. You need not go to the bank personally. Do you still prefer to send out your business cards for networking? The most probably answer would be yes since business cards are very vital when it comes to networking, however, you do not want to use the business cards in the traditional form.

These days, where most people are so much conscious about their status and reputation, no one would want to let his status be jeopardized just because of using a traditional business card. Therefore, the idea of a customized or modernized business card is always challenging.

1. Plastic business cards. Plastic business cards can help distinguish your card from all other cards in the market. There are two types of plastic business cards, the transparent and the translucent types. There is a bit of difference between these two types. The transparent plastic business cards can always be printed with one color on one side only while the translucent or sometimes called as the solid plastic business card can be printed on both side with the use of multicolor. Compared to all other business cards, a transparent business card has a square corner while the solid or the translucent one has round corners. And because these types of card are durable, water resistant and very good looking, a plastic card is now widely used by most business card holders in the market.

2. Matte finished business cards. This type of business card usually has a smooth, non glossy look and appearance and also looks graceful. This type of card is typically applied with an aqueous coating after the printing process, which makes the card smoother than the normal printing after the matte finish.

3. Ultraviolet or UV coated business cards. UV coated business card are considered as one of the most preferred types of modern business cards especially when it comes to modern cards. The main reason for this is that they speed up the process of printing and also have a longer life than the traditional cards. These types of business cards can also be colored on each side depending upon your taste and preference.

4 Last but not the least is the silk laminated business cards. As the name implies, this type of card is usually laminated with a special type of high grade material on both sides that provides a silky look and feel to the business card templates. When a card is silk laminated, a rich and thick effect is created that make the card look silky and feel smooth. This type of business card is usually waterproof, reliable, durable, and also looks very expensive.

Ways To Grow Or Expand Your Business

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In these tough economic times, it is more important to look at different ways in which you can grow business wisely. This can be done in a variety of different ways. In growing your business effectively, it will be important to look at several different aspects of your existing business. Are you financially sound to take on this new project? Have you sought out the perfect location? Do you have a plan of action in place? All of these questions are integral in assuring that your business will be a success. Lets go into a little bit more detail on the ten best ways to grow your business.

The first step is to know your market. If you are looking at growing your business and possibly adding other locations, it will be important to know who you are catering to. Make sure that the products or services that you are offering will be adequate for the needs of the consumer.

Second is to know what your financial availability is. Often, the business owner may have the right intentions, but it may not be feasible for the moment to grow or expand the current business. There is the possibility that waiting and planning will actually be in your best interests.

Third, you will need to make sure that your employee needs are covered. Can the existing staff accommodate an increase in work? Will you need to hire more staff? Have you trained the existing staff to take leadership roles if need be? These are all answers in which only you can provide.

Fourth is to know whether your location will suffice for the growth. Will you need to add a location? Would it be better to buy or lease a larger location or should you add on to the existing location?

The fifth best way to grow or expand your business is to make sure that your support staff is in place. You will need people who are organised and professional in order to build the base on which you can make your business a success.

Sixthly, you need to keep up to date with all your financial obligations and ensure that they are all being dealt with and upheld in a professional and timely manner.

The seventh item would be to look at your procedures and if need be create a new organizational structure. This can be done through joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions which can help grow and diversify your business. Eighth

The eighth way to improve your business is to analyze all aspects of your business, products, suppliers, clients, areas, etc. Try to phase out any areas that are not making a profit and incorporate more of the successful areas into your business.

Ninth is to look at the value of your company as a whole and try to increase its market share and diversify your client base and increase in areas that have been previously unexplored.

And last but certainly not the least is your time! Do you have the time that it is going to take to make this happen? Often, during the expansion of business, the owner will find themselves devoting just as much or more time to the growth process.

Steps To Business Communication Success

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Copyright 2006 Logical Writing Solutions, Inc

What is success? The answer to that question is both personal and institutional for those of us who work in the business world. In essence, success is the ability to accomplish the task at hand. Technically, it is “to achieve one’s aim to prosper”.

You need thriving business relationships to prosper. In fact, we can measure much of our business success in terms of the viability of business relationships. Relationship health is directly affected by the quality of communication. Use the following steps to achieve communication success and to strengthen your critical business relationships.

Step 1: Identify a few communication weaknesses.

Can you think of any communication challenges that you face? It’s time to brainstorm and quickly make a written list.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about your own communication challenges: * Are your employees happy and satisfied? * Are your clients glad to provide referrals? * Are your partners and stakeholders well-informed and confident? * Do you feel motivated and inspired? * Do your conversations flow?

As you review the bulleted list above and consider your communication challenges, identify each challenge but don’t get bogged down with other details.

Step 2: Decide to address the most bothersome communication weakness.

This choice is yours to make. However, whatever challenge you choose, you will find that the other relationships are naturally strengthened as you develop proactive and positive communication skills. You do not have to fix everything at once in order to benefit from this exercise!

Now that you have selected your challenge, it’s time to stop and think about what makes it so challenging. In other words, if success was easy you wouldn’t be working on this right now. Many leadership or business management challenges are a result of busy-ness. Leaders don’t realize that others need communication that is: * Professional * Complete * Positive * Concise, and * Wholly relevant without any irrelevance

If you are a leader or a manager, communication is your job. People expect you to do it and do it well. The responsibility for communicating is yours. It would be literally impossible for others to compensate for your poor attention to communication.

In spite of the advice of gurus world-wide, there seems to be a reluctance to buy into this idea. We all want to believe that we can just do our jobs well and receive the kudos. We want to believe that we are responsible for our own success. The truth of the matter is that most of us will be hindered, more or less, when we ignore communication or become passive.

Communication may not come naturally, and you may need to work on it. Communication brings power to your professional and personal life. Critical relationships can thrive with your attention.

To gain an understanding of how to resolve the weakness, you need to look at your communication patterns. You will develop communication that is regular and has flow. Communication, however, is not just about giving out messages. Communication is listening and speaking, receiving messages and conveying messages. Typically, listening is the thing that gets us into trouble. We don’t do it.

Step 3: Listen to others for a week.

I know you’re grumbling! Is a week really necessary? Yes. We’re not just talking about passive listening either; you will ingeniously create opportunities for listening. Listening must be practiced, and acting on incomplete information may be more harmful than doing nothing.

Consider how long you have been without the power of listening, and realize that a week is a small price to pay. While you are listening, you are reserving judgment and allowing the answers to come to you. Others often already know where the problem lies. They may even have ideas as to how you can fix the problem. Active listening requires practice, so be patient.

You may politely and nonchalantly ask for input during this time, but keep things casual and neutral by not being too intense and by refusing to form or give your opinion. This gives others the freedom to develop their thoughts and express them without disagreeing with you. Be sure to take notes on potential solutions.

Step 4: Define success and the benefits in this area.

After a week, you will probably have many ideas about how you could move forward. First, take a moment to define your ideal outcome. This is your defined target. You may not feel that you can make the mark on the first try. However, you need to choose to believe that success is possible and likely, and that you will have a reasonably positive response to your efforts. Your attitude affects your motivation and your outcome.

In addition, think about what benefits you hope to achieve. How would life or business be better as a result of your desired outcome?

You are painting the picture of what you’d like to see. For example, “Our clients know that we value their relationship as well as their business. We don’t tell them this; we show them. Every call is answered in a polite manner. Each concern is personally addressed. We listen when they speak. We thank them for their input. We keep them informed of new products and company news. We are considerate in our pricing. We thank them for each purchase. In return, they have no interest in checking out other providers, and they remain loyal in spite of the efforts of our strong competitors. We have steady growth in our revenue.”

Step 5: Make your proactive communication plan, being sure to establish checkpoints.

This plan will come out of your definition of success and your listening activities. Some examples of proactive communication would be providing customer service seminars for your employees, taking on a visible role that reaffirms your commitment to personal service, starting a service blog discussing best practices, scheduling individual meetings to check in with employees, or establishing standards of excellence and rewarding employees who excel or improve. Notice that these items are not remedial. You are not resolving past problems, but establishing a firm foundation for the future.

Also notice that you would choose one activity to plan. For example, if you choose to focus on a customer service seminar, you will define the necessary tasks and place those tasks in your planner. Choose your communication activity based upon whether you need a long-term or short-term effort. Also, consider the availability of resources and plan accordingly.

You may have to practice needed skills. For instance, if you are planning to present a customer service seminar yourself instead of outsourcing, you may need to schedule time to develop your presentation skills. If you are nervous about your skills in an area, practice those skills until you become calmly confident.

Step 6: Implement your plan.

Implement your plan, keeping your ideal outcome in mind as you go. Review checkpoints frequently to ensure that you are on track. Involve others in the plans when possible, or have an accountability partner. As things fall into place, you may be surprised at how well everything is going! Once your activity is complete or the communication fix is in place, it’s time to take a realistic look at what you’ve accomplished.

Step 7: Evaluate the results.

Congratulations! How did you do? If you look at your definition from Step 4, you will be reminded of the gains have you have achieved. You may also note unforeseen obstacles that you overcame. Remember to thank those who helped you along the way, and make sure to reward yourself for your efforts.

Now you’ve seen the power of communication at work. Communicating will become easy (or easier) as you go through the 7 Steps to Business Communication Success again. Communication is the key to your success.