As a new financial year begins for many, employers face a higher wage bill. With many companies already operating on tight margins, these increases can be hard to afford. Yet, skills and experience are essential to maintain operations. As a small business, I have built a virtual team of professional and trusted contacts. I know I can’t do it all, so the option of outsourcing enables me to flex. If you are new to outsourcing, this article can help you decide if it is a viable way to cut employee costs without compromising services.
Can small business owners ever take a holiday?
Picture your dream holiday. Are you relaxing and enjoying indulgent pleasures? Is that the reality of your time off, or are your constantly distracted by phone calls, work emails and remote meetings?
After the year we’ve all experienced, everyone deserves to get away, relax and recharge. That includes small business owners!
5 Tips for positive and productive appraisals
With the right approach, appraisals can be an opportunity to show your employees that they are valued.
These exchanges recognise achievements and support the development of the individual, in ways that align with the company goals.
The Capacity Challenge: Is it possible for business owners to work less yet increase productivity?
Everyone has limited capacity (yes, even you). Do you regularly feel that there is not enough time to get everything done?
Are you ready to face the capacity challenge?
Emergency scenario planning
As a sole trader or small business owner, what happens if the worst happens?
Your clients rely on you to provide them with a service. With all the best intentions, there may be a time when you aren’t able to turn up for work. What needs to happen to protect your business and your customers?
Collaborating to Achieve your Goals
Collaboration is working with others to achieve your goals. It means that we can expand, think bigger and achieve more.
As small business owners, we are often encouraged to niche and specialise but that can make it hard to take work of a wider scope. Collaborating, therefore, can mean being more agile, taking on bigger projects, reaching a wider audience and involving experts that specialise in different aspects of a job.
Endless ‘To Do’ list? Need support? I have a solution.
Summertime should be associated with holidays, relaxation and enjoyable days out. In reality, many people find that it brings the challenges of a work/life balance to a pinnacle.
Inspiring your Audience with Powerful Presentations
When presenting to an audience, making a good impression is key. Consistency in the way you look and what you say are really important. If you are using slides it’s essential that these back up what you are saying and don’t detract from your message.
Asking for Help
Do you think asking for help is a sign of weakness? It might surprise you that it can actually be a strength. It’s no great surprise that we consider solving challenges on our own, being independent and being self-sufficient, as strengths. But what about when we are stuck?
Conquer Your To Do List
You probably have a never-ending list of things you feel you need to do. I know at times it feels that my To Do list gets longer and longer not shorter. So, how can we tackle the To Do list?
How to Master Delegation
Running a busy company or team takes a lot of time and if you want to grow the business you’ll need some of that time to focus on development. If you work on your own, your time will have to be split.
Efficiency: Time to do what you love!
Time is money and so we strive for efficiency: we want to do the best job to accomplish success with the least amount of time and effort. The key to being efficient is knowing what you want to achieve.
Holiday Planning For Small Businesses
Thinking about going on a summer holiday but worried about missing out on a client? You’re not alone many small business owners forgo holidays or spend hours each day while away, checking and responding to e-mails and calls to keep their business running smoothly.