6 Ways Your Business Is Wasting Energy

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Wasting Energy |6 Ways Your Business Is Wasting EnergyOver the past few years, we’ve become much more aware of the impact that we’re having on the planet. Ice caps have melted, forests have been cut down, and entire species have been wiped out. As a small business, you might think that there’s little you can do about these issues. Thankfully, that isn’t true. By limiting the energy that you waste, you can help the planet, as well as save money and boost your image. Or if you are intending to switch to a better more energy conserving provider, be sure to check out https://www.simplyswitch.com/.

Here are six ways your business is wasting energy.

Leaving The Lights On

Unless you have staff working through the night, your office should not have its lights left on all hours of the day. This is incredibly wasteful, not to mention pointless. Instead, you should go around the building and ensure that they’re all turned off. If you think that you might forget to do this, or simply don’t want to, then switch to motion sensor lights or put them on a timer instead.

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Wasting Energy |6 Ways Your Business Is Wasting EnergyScheduling Cleaners At Night

A clean office is a productive office. This is why many employers hire janitorial staff to keep the workspace looking its best. If you have any control over when these employees work, then you should schedule their hours during the day or just after all other staff go home. By doing this, you limit how much extra energy you use and save yourself from paying off-peak energy costs.

Ignoring The Necessary Repairs

Many repairs can cause you to use much more energy than you need to. A leaking roof, for example, will let warm air out and cold air in so that you have to turn up the thermostat. For this reason, you should look into tpo roof repair. Forgetting to change your air filters will also cause heating problems, as dirt and debris will make it much harder to push air through.

Overcharging Your Mobile Devices

Everyone knows that charging cell phones and laptops is important, especially in a workplace where you tend to need them. However, once your gadgets have full batteries, there’s no reason why you should leave them plugged in. They won’t go over 100% after all. Plus, when you overcharge certain mobile devices, it can damage their batteries, making them less efficient.

Covering Up The Vents

Office occupants are going to move furniture around from time to time. You just need to be careful of where they put things. If desks, filing cabinets, or chairs are pushed in front of vents, this will block the airflow, meaning that your HVAC system will have to work much harder. This extra work will waste a lot more energy and cause your energy bills to skyrocket.

Having Unnecessary Vending Machines

A vending machine can make your staff very happy, but it also uses electricity every hour of the day. If your team aren’t using the machine very much, therefore, you should consider getting rid of it. Turning the machine off at night is also an option, but only works for machines containing items that won’t spoil without refrigeration.

Don’t let high energy bills get you down. With the advice above, you can help your wallet and the planet at the same time.

Improving Your Workplace Productivity In Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Workplace Productivity|Improving Your Workplace Productivity In BusinessIt’s key that workplace productivity is at it’s very best, all the time. Any dip in productivity and the business growth and success will suffer as a result. There are, however, a number of changes that you can make across your business to ensure that the organization continues to work at maximum speed. Here’s how to improve your workplace productivity in business.

Invest In Technology

There are a lot of software and systems that now exist thanks to the advancement of technology. It’s hard to believe that this wasn’t something that existed so predominantly as it is now. A lot of businesses are putting a budget towards investing in technology to help improve workplace productivity. As an example, task management software can be very useful for those working in teams to avoid miscommunication and those individual staff members who are taking on the slack of others. There are many other systems that now exist, including mobile device management for better asset management. This helps with monitoring and managing devices that your staff have, which can certainly come in useful when staff members have any IT problems that halt their work.

Hiring Valuable Staff

Whenever you hire someone new for your business, they need to bring something to the organisation that’s of value and can help with improving the productivity levels. One of the reasons why productivity is lacking may be due to the fact that your staff are working more than their fair share. This can make them feel like they’re being taken advantage of, so if you have the budget to do so, hire someone new. However, make sure they tick off the requirements in terms of adding value to the company but also that they’ll work well with your current staff. Particularly if there are different departments within the organisation, you want to ensure that they’ll get on well with colleagues because if there’s a dislike amongst others, that can also impact the level of work that gets done on a daily basis.

Create The Right Environment

Your staff are probably working in the same place every day for however long they decide to stay within the company. Obviously, you want them to stay for as long as possible, but a poor work environment can seriously affect the happiness of the organization. A few ways of creating the right environment include:

  • Open spaces but also a selection of private spaces and offices to appeal to all members of staff. Everyone has a preferred way of working after all.
  • Creating a naturally lit space using natural light and ambient lighting. Natural light has a particularly positive impact on your mood.
  • High-quality appliances and work stations are always appreciated because it means that they can work at full capacity without having to deal with IT problems or furniture that’s uncomfortable to sit on or work at.

The right environment isn’t just within the office space, it could also be by offering flexible working. This is a scheme that businesses across industries are trialling because it offers staff the ability to take time off or to work from home remotely. They don’t have to take off vital annual leave for doctors appointments or household emergencies.

Create Reasonable Goals & Objectives

For a business to continue moving forward and hopefully in an upwards trajectory, creating goals and objectives on a regular basis is a must. However, these goals and objectives need to be reasonable for what staff can achieve with the skills, budget and time scale they have. Working under immense pressure can end up affecting the health of staff, and that can eventually have a negative impact on your business. These objectives should be dished out by managers or heads of departments who have a clear understanding of what’s needed. That way, there’s no confusion about what staff are given in terms of these goals or objectives.

Think about offering incentives or rewards for their hard work. Perhaps commission on projects or sales is something that’s possible for a business to give. Help them achieve goals that are doable and support them in reaching these goals by offering rewards that will enable them to continue their hard work. It will also help with staff retention, as staff want to feel valued after all.

Have A Good HR Department

HR can sometimes be given a bad name by staff who feel like they’re not being heard or feel like there’s a lack of HR in the organisation. HR are seriously important to any business to make sure that staff feel protected and can approach them, should they have any concerns about other staff members or to do with their role or certain elements of their contract. So it’s good to focus on building an excellent HR department who can help hire the right staff and are able to contribute to retaining your staff for as long as possible.

Offering support to your staff is always something that HR can help with, but it’s also good to set up regular meetings between HR and staff as well as staff members and their managers or HODs. The reason for this is to build work relationships on a professional level so that everyone feels like they can approach someone within the organisation, no matter what that conversation is about. These meetings can help offer support and guidance in trying times, and that allows staff to feel appreciated.

Improving your workplace productivity is something that will never be perfect. So invest in technology because having the latest in software upgrades and systems can improve how fast daily tasks can be completed. Always aim to hire valuable staff and consider current staff members and whether they’ll fit in within the organisation. Create the right environment so that staff will enjoy coming to work rather than loathing it. Don’t forget to create reasonable goals and objectives on a regular basis to help keep the business moving and ensure you have an excellent HR department to offer full support to all staff in the business.

When Should Your Business Outsource Expert Advice?

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Outsourcing|When Should Your Business Outsource Expert Advice?Sometimes in business it’s useful to call upon expert advice rather than trusting your instincts. You can hire advisors for pretty much anything, but there are a few times in particular when such advice can be valuable. Here are just a few key times to seek advice.

Handling complex legal matters

Business law can be complex and that can be times when its worth getting advice to ensure that your company is meeting all the legal requirements that it should be. Advice may also be necessary when putting legal defence measures in places such as trademarks and health and safety measures, as well as making claims against other people. You can use sites like Lawbite to find a legal advisor suited to your cause.

Making difficult financial decisions

There may be times in business when you need to make difficult financial decisions. This could include finding ways to cut costs or searching for ways to find extra funding. Financial advisors can be useful to call upon in these situations and may know the best route to take in order to save you money. They may also be able to help you get out of business debt. There are many firms out there such as like Sterling & Law that specialise in giving financial advice to businesses.

Solving tech issues

Modern businesses are very reliant on technology. When this technology fails, expert advice if often needed – especially in the case of viruses and bugs. Outsourcing IT support via a company such as Frontline could help to keep your business protected. Such companies are able to offer support remotely so that you don’t have to wait for an IT technician to come out to your office.

Taking on your first employees

The decision to hire your first employees is a big step and requires putting in place multiple measures. This includes having a payroll system, adequate health and safety, insurance and the ability to afford their wages and other legally entitled benefits. Companies like BrightHR can help you with this, guiding you through all the requirements that you need to meet before you hire your first recruit. HR services may also be able to help with other employment-related queries.

Improving your marketing

Many forms of marketing can be DIYed, but sometimes it’s useful to seek some professional advice to ensure that you’re going about it the right way. Marketing consultants may be able to help you identify your target audience and the best ways of reaching them. They may also be able to help you work within a budget. Companies like Red Sky Strategy specialise in giving out marketing advice that is specialised to each client. Other companies may be able to offer specific advice catered to certain marketing strategies such as SEO or social media marketing.

How to Make Your Office Safer For Everyone

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Office Safety|How to Make Your Office Safer For EveryoneSome company bosses think that their main priority is making a profit, or to their customers, but both of these approaches are wrong. The first is making sure that the staff are happy and safe. It doesn’t take long to tell the difference between a company that values its staff, and one that doesn’t. A big part of this is making sure that they’re able to work safely. Maintaining your health and safety standards may not be the most glamorous aspect of running a company, but it is important. Below, we take a look at a few ways you can make sure your office is safer for everyone.

Assess the Dangers

Before you can see how to protect your staff better, you need to figure out what you’re protecting them from. If it’s been some time since you’ve given much thought to your health and safety, take a look at your office, and identify anything that could be dangerous. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, then hire an outside expert to perform an assessment for you. Once you know the threats, you can reduce the chances of them happening.

If Something Goes Wrong

Though you can reduce the chances of something going wrong at your office, you can never get rid of the threat altogether. There’s always a chance that something dangerous will pass, such as a fire. While you can’t always control what happens, you can control how you respond. If you’ve trained your staff of what they should do in case of a fire, and have smoke curtains for buildings installed, then you’ll significantly reduce the chance of harm. You’ll want to hold training sessions with your staff every few months so that everyone is fully informed of what they should do.

Long-Term Health

It’s important to keep in mind that the dangers of working in an office aren’t always immediate. An office worker’s health can be compromised over a long period. For example, if they’re sitting too long, and using the computer too much, then they could end up with back and eyesight problems. As a responsible boss, it’s up to you to ensure that the health of your staff isn’t harmed just when they’re doing their job. Look at installing sit/stand desks at your office, and encourage workers to take a ten-minute break from the computer every hour.

Additional Training

Even with all the best intentions, it’s always possible that something happens in the office that affects a worker’s health. You can make your worksite extra safe by offering training to all of your team. If they know the basics of first aid and psychological help, they’ll be able to help a worker who has injured themselves or who may be suffering from burnout. The latter is especially important; office work can take a mental toll on a person. If you train your workers to spot the signs that another worker may be suffering at work, then you’ll be helping to ensure your office is a happier and healthier place.

The Importance of Business Intelligence Software and Why It’s Integral for Business Success

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | The Importance of Business Intelligence Software and Why It’s Integral for Business SuccessIn the digital-first, customer-centric world we live in today, managers and business owners must deal with information overload. That is the reason why they are always looking for ways to derive greater intelligence, control, and understanding from their data. Adopting a business intelligence (BI) strategy is one of the best ways to deal with this problem, but most organizations have been slow to integrate it within their business systems. This is mainly down to a lack of knowledge, as businesses still don’t know, where to start, what it involves, and how long it’ll take for them to see any benefits.

There’s no denying that business intelligence software is crucial in helping organizations make reliable and timely decisions about their operations. It ensures that the business can access reliable information and make insightful decisions by reacting in real time. Business intelligence software has played a major role in helping organizations meet their challenges like narrowing margins, high customer expectations, and global competition.

Most businesses are still using traditional methods, which makes it harder for them to make decisions, as the information is stored in separate applications and databases. How quickly and accurately a company responds in this technology-driven competitive market is the main difference between success and failure. Business intelligence technologies have several functions that improve their performance, and one of them is reporting. It plays a key role in business intelligence, as it allows the decision makers of the enterprise to support their work. The discovery of essential data patterns (analytics) is also done through reporting, which is another key role of business intelligence.

Some of the standard functions of business intelligence technologies include predictive and prescriptive analysis, business performance management, text mining, benchmarking, and online analytic processing. Business intelligence refers to the application, tools, and good practices that are used to access and analyze data to optimize or improve the performance of the business. It converts raw data into relevant information that enables tactical and strategic insights to make effective decisions.

Business intelligence software is a technological process, which collects and processes data to attain actionable information. It allows users to acquire information quickly and transfer them to the proper personnel to make the right decision. Business intelligence tools have been around for a long time, but it was only accessible to large enterprise, who had the infrastructure and resources to implement this technology.

However, thanks to the advancement of technology, even small enterprises now can access business intelligence software through cloud computing.

The Main Benefits of Business Intelligence Software

Any organization that wants to remain relevant in the competitive market of today must adapt fast and real-time integration of business intelligence software. Most organizations today have changed their modes of operation so they can adapt to modern business intelligence technologies. However, there are still plenty of organizations that are under the assumption that business intelligence software isn’t user-friendly and is complicated.

That’s a misconception about business intelligence software since it is user-friendly and can be adopted quickly by an organization, while it ensures maximum profitability by smoothing the decision-making process. Businesses that have adopted this technology in their systems are thriving in all the challenges they are facing at any stage of their projects. Business intelligence software also allows small and medium-sized enterprises to reduce their cost of operations by identifying areas that have higher costs of expenses and finding measures to reduce them.

The best thing about business intelligence software is that it allows businesses to have agile operations and is often the difference between operating on profits or losses. To give you a better idea, we are going to discuss some of the main benefits offered by business intelligence software:

1. Better Business Decisions

When a business adopts business intelligence software, its management can easily identify all the financial and customer data, production data, current data, and business aspects of the organization. This information will allow the management to synthesize and analyze the products and investment reports, which will help them make better business decisions that benefit the organization.

2. Enables Faster and Accurate Planning, Reporting, and Analysis

Business intelligence software offers real-time information, which helps it provide accurate reporting solutions as it can connect with an extensive range of data. The software can plan and analyze informed business solutions, which reduce potential risks and allow a business to achieve faster growth. Not only that, software solutions like Conexiom can import unstructured data from multiple sources into your system of records streamlining your workflow and improving efficiency. 

3. Enhanced Speed of Decision-Making

Business intelligence software not only helps businesses make better decisions but also helps increase their decision-making speed as well. Without business intelligence software, an organization will be spending a lot of time implementing decisions, since they’ll need to cover business aspects one by one before making any decision. This is a time-consuming process, and with business intelligence software you cut down on the speed of decision-making.

4. Increased Business User Satisfaction

There is increased user satisfaction for the software because business intelligence offers better decision-making, reporting, and accurate analysis. It helps the business maximize its limited resources by using cost-effective solutions that allow business growth and enhance user satisfaction.

5. Customer Behavior Insights

Business intelligence software holds the key for identifying customer behavior patterns, as it determines customer responses and helps the business achieve market profitability by helping it retain customers and attract new clients.

6. Accurate Decision-Making

The best part about the business intelligence software is that it not only allows real-time decision-making but also enables accurate decisions to be made that will benefit the business. For instance, if your competitor decides to reduce the prices of their products, you’ll need to come up with a counter price for your product that is lower or similar. This decision will take some time to be implemented, as you’ll need to determine the impact of your profits after the price reduction. However, when you’re using business intelligence software, you get rapid and informed decisions that allow your business to stay on top of its game.

7. Increased Collaboration between Business & IT Units

Business intelligence software and systems have enabled growth collaborations between IT and business units. Any organization that aims to grow its operation must ensure that its business and IT units are working together, and this can be achieved easily with business intelligence software.

8. Offer Personalized Services

Business intelligence software is user-friendly and comes with a feature that personalizes information or data by making it easier to use and understand. The feature also ensures smoother collaboration between users in the organization and ensures a smoother transfer of data.

9. Track KPIs with Notifications and Alerts

The business intelligence software tracks the KPI by evaluating the current status and metric value against a target using specific measures that will send alerts to the user. These notifications allow users to come up with the right solutions or measures.

10. Identify Opportunities for Revenue

Revenue growth is essential to all organizations, and it is one of the main purposes of business intelligence software. Finding new revenue opportunities opens new doors for business and allows it to thrive and transform its operations. The software analyzes marketing strategies and campaigns to create important reports and insights on the best sources of high returns on investment.

11. Reduced Cost

Enterprises that struggle to sort out their financial statements are going to struggle in the long-run, and that is where business intelligence software plays such a major role. It helps find areas where the organization can cut down its costs, and the software helps to collect raw data on areas where there are high expenses and provides solutions to bring them down.

12. Better Operational Efficiency

Every business is striving to improve its operations, as it helps them take the next step in their development. However, to do that, businesses must monitor and measure their performance, and business intelligence software helps businesses come up with different activities that help drive business success. The software covers highly used metrics like productivity, performance, and employee satisfaction to ensure better operations in the organization.

13. Higher Quality Data

Data comes in all shapes and sizes, and some can be more complicated to understand and operate, which makes it difficult for organizations to take advantage of data-driven insights. There is a data visualization tool in business intelligence software, which allows for easier recognition of data. This feature is incredibly useful since it allows data to be converted into a better method or quality, which can be easily accessed.

14. Create a Data Culture in the Organization

A lot of organizations are guilty of data clustering, which leads to data manipulation and data loss. Business intelligence software is extremely useful when it comes to handling the data of a business since it allows easy collaboration and communications among members whenever data is updated. Users can also track data and its changes since notifications are sent to everyone.

15. Self-Service Culture

One of the biggest things about business intelligence software is that it promotes a culture of self-service in the business. Users can easily access data and easily manage it even if they aren’t familiar with the statistical analytics. Adding, creating, and manipulating data is easy, and this ensures cooperation between the different departments in the business.