New businesses face several challenges, from financial difficulties to issues affecting brand reputation. As a business owner, it is vital that you have procedures in place to help you overcome these obstacles, to ensure that your business continues to grow and be a success. With this in mind, here are three common business obstacles and how you can overcome them.
1. Brand reputation
Brand reputation plays a vital role in the growth and success of any business. In this digital age, customer feedback travels fast, and many people rely heavily on the reviews of other consumers when making purchasing decisions. Often, new businesses lack the experience of more established companies, and this can lead to issues such as slow order fulfillment or delays in response times. If you find that your business has received some negative feedback or reviews, then it’s crucial that you take action straight away to resolve any issues. Here are some top tips to help you restore your brand reputation:
Respond to any written complaints on your social media sites straight away and publically. Doing so will allow potential customers to see that you are dealing with any customer issues quickly and providing a good level of service.
Focus on providing the best customer experience possible. Be honest with your customers and never promise more than you can deliver.
Consider installing customer support technology like life chat software. It can be used to provide your customers with instant 24/7 support with any queries.
Offer customer loyalty schemes to demonstrate that you value their business. This should also encourage valuable repeat business and referrals.
2. Debt
Most businesses require some form of funding in order to get up and running. Unfortunately, some businesses find themselves in debt and unable to make repayments. This can be due to a number of issues, such as unexpected financial emergencies or poor cash flow management. Try to avoid this by only ever borrowing as much money as you can afford to pay back and having a clear plan in place to make the repayments. If you find yourself having issues with debt collectors, then make sure that you seek legal advice to help you fight lawsuits over debt. It is important that you understand what options you have available to you in this situation and take the best course of action to help protect your business in the long-run.
3. Cash flow
The Telegraph mentions the importance of cash flow, with a large percentage of small businesses failing because of cash flow issues. It is vital that you manage your cash flow effectively and monitor your finances regularly, to ensure that you are sticking to your cash flow budget. Always keep in mind that if your business expenses are more than your income, then you have a cash flow problem. You, therefore, need to manage your spending carefully and look for ways to cut expenses to give your cash flow budget more flexibility. Make sure that you take advantage of accounting and management software that can help you manage your cash flow and finances more efficiently. Finally, you should always store important documents like cash flow spreadsheets in the cloud, so that you can access them remotely from anywhere.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/overcoming-2127669_1280.png9011280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-08-07 08:00:202019-08-07 01:22:05How To Overcome These 3 Common Business Obstacles
When it comes to the world of data centres there is one clear battle emerging and this is between rack servers and blade servers. Unfortunately there is no evident winner when it comes to selecting between the two. There are evident advantages and disadvantages associated with both options and it largely depends on you and your requirements.
So, let’s begin by defining what each type of server is…
Rack servers – A rack server is often also referred to as a rack mount server. In essence, it is a standard sized network that has been designed so that it can be mounted to rack frame infrastructure or a data centre server cabinet.
Blade servers – A blade server is often described as a stripped down version of the former. This type of server is absent of an array of components found within standard rack servers.
By merely assessing the definitions of both options you have probably already picked up on one main advantage a blade server has over a standard rack server. This is the fact that it makes much better utilisation of space. Data centres using blade servers have the possibility to reach optimal efficiency on this front. You can find more information on this website about the sort of tech businesses that have these key decisions to make.
Nevertheless, one of the main disadvantages associated with blade servers is that the start-up costs are a lot larger in comparison to other options. This can present a significant problem for businesses who are just starting up and therefore do not have the luxury of a large budget. The reason why blade servers tend to cost more in the beginning is because you will require some initial infrastructure which is not needed with any other type of server, such as the chassis.
Another issue a lot of people have noted is that blade servers are somewhat limited when it comes to I/O expansion options. This is because there is a lack of expansion slots. This expansion limitation is also represented in terms of disk drives (most are limited to two or four internal hard drives) and PCI/PCI Express slots. You don’t experience any of these issues when it comes to rack servers as they are very expandable.
However, one problem which does come your way if you opt for rack servers is cable management. It can be somewhat tricky to keep everything organised because you will have a wealth of different cables to keep under control. There are lots of products available for cable management to help you with this. But when it comes to blade servers the confusion and clutter is minimised substantially.
Finally, another advantage associated with blade servers is the fact that easier integration can be possible because of the fact that a blade enclosure utilises a single power supply. This of course further represents efficiency in terms of power usage. You may find that you have an opportunity to lower your costs and even improve your data centre in terms of eco-friendliness.
It is quite easy to see that there are pros and cons associated with both rack servers and blade servers. The decision you make all depends on your data centre requirements and what is more important to you. For instance, if space is a massive issue then you will more than likely want to go for blade servers.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/art-big-data-blur-373543-1.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-08-07 07:00:132019-08-07 00:56:41Tech Talk: Server Types
Creating strategy-driven branding is a matter of creating marketing materials that are simple, easy to remember, and effective. Creating a great logo, however, is only just the beginning. You need to be strategic about where your branding is found, and think about how you can use your branding as more than just an image. You can create a movement surrounding your brand by making your company into something of a cult object. Not every business will be appropriate for such a move, but every business can benefit from using these steps to improve their branding and marketing efforts.
Create a Brand Identity
First things first, you need to either create or remake your brand identity. A brand identity is comprised of a few key components:
Logo
Your logo needs to be easy to recognize, simple, and it needs to have the ability to stand out. Consider some of the top brands today, and the logos that they use. Their logos are, in most cases, so recognizable that brands can use just the logo on their advertising.
Personality
The brand personality you use will be how you speak. How you sound in advertisements, social media, on calls, and on your on-site copy.
Design
Take your logo and your personality and choose design elements like symbols, colors, fonts, and more that will work as a way to reinforce your brand.
Packaging
Put the design onto packaging and make it beautiful. You can sell a lot off the shelves with beautiful packaging, and you might even be able to benefit from social media marketing if customers feel compelled to photograph your product and its box.
Store Design
If you run a physical store, then it’s time to work out how well it is designed. Start first with the layout. Ensure it is easy for multiple people to get through the layout, ensure it encourages as much organic browsing as possible, and then figure out what design elements you can add to really make your store pleasant to be in.
Work On Providing a Clear Workplace Culture
A clear workplace culture can help in many ways. It can help boost the workflow and efficiency of your business. It can also give your employees the groundwork on how to behave so that your customers can enjoy a familiar, professional experience every time they visit.
Ethos
Your company ethos is the goal you have for your workplace culture. It is the expectation that everyone needs to follow. It could be hard work and great laughs, for example, to promote a workplace culture that is productive and enjoyable to be in. By deciding on an ethos, everyone knows better what to expect and can work together to make your workplace culture goals into a reality.
Teamwork Building
You don’t want friends working together. You want a team working together. Investing in teamwork building will give everyone a basis on how to behave so that work can get done, ideas can be challenged, and collaboration can thrive without fights.
Team Unity
Team unity is fundamental when it comes to building up a strong and healthy working culture. There are so many ways you can do this as well. If your business deals with animals, for example, a kennel or a groomer, then you can treat all of your employees to an animal lover’s license plate frames. These custom license plate frames suit all types of professions and can give your employees a sense of community that is personalized to them.
Adapt and Tweak Your Brand
It’s okay if you don’t get your brand identity right off the bat. The goal is to create branding and then tweak it as you go. This way you can use what works and discards what fell flat, both for your customers and your employees. It’s how you will create a uniform, quality company that everyone will enjoy.
The Take Away
You want your customers to recognize your brand instantaneously and to feel like your company is familiar no matter who they interact with or which store they visit. It’s what makes fast food restaurants so successful, especially to those who are traveling. A guest to a food chain can expect the same quality of food and service as they would get anywhere. This is how you build brand loyalty and repeat business.
Accomplishing such a feat means using the right design, and instilling the right company culture so that all of your employees work well together and can provide your customers with the same professional experience.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/marketing-strategies-3105875_1280.jpg8531280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-08-05 16:00:172019-08-05 16:31:49How to Create Strategy-Driven Branding for Your Business
Does the idea of working from home appeal to you? Many companies today hire remote teams. Don’t think they have it all figured out.
There’s quite an effort and discipline required from both ends to make a successful collaboration at a distance.
If you want to get remote jobs in Dallas and be successful at it, you l need to prove you’re the person who can make telecommuting work.
There are certain skills that remote employees need that aren’t taught in school. They’re skills you learn through the rich experience of working for others.
Regardless of your experience, you should understand the downsides of remote work positions so you can be the best version of yourself, but also recognize what you need from your superiors to make this telecommuting job work.
Supervision Is Less Frequent
Some business owners frown at the thought of anyone working outside the office because they feel they are losing control over work production.
As an employee, it’s vital to show that you don’t need to be handheld. While you’re working remotely, you can’t knock on the boss’ door to ask questions. You can send an email looking for help with your tasks, but it might take days to get an answer.
The work must have a continuous flow.
You need to show problem-solving skills and be proactive. If your boss spends more time helping you with your tasks than doing their own, they might start looking for your replacement.
Show you’re able to work independently from your boss and coworkers. That’s what they need to see.
To be proactive and independent in your job, you also need to have clear instructions and procedures, which your employer should provide. You cannot become a self-reliant and productive employee if you didn’t receive a proper education.
Remote Workers Have to be Self-Motivated
Self-motivation is the key to working alone from home. It’s developed from the inside but also depends on the company you work for. No one wants to be a part of a poorly organized corporation that doesn’t provide onboarding, education, and work assessment.
Besides proper organization, employees are motivated by a company’s vision, great leadership and culture.
Motivation comes from within. If your own values match the company’s core values – you’ll be a great fit, and you’ll have that intrinsic drive.
When working remotely, there’s no manager to check up on your progress, give you a pat on the back or provide course correction. If you’re a procrastinator who doesn’t work unless nudged, remote work isn’t going to work well for you.
You’ll probably have a task list and a scheduled day, but you also have to create a routine that keeps you on and be disciplined about sticking to it.
It takes time to find what morning routine works best for you. If you want to be great at your job and climb up the corporate ladder, do whatever it takes to become awake, energized, and ready to crush it, whether it’s a routine or some focusing tools. The tools should work with you and improve your work habits.
As you’re building your discipline and work skills, make sure you’re becoming more adept at handling a busy schedule.
Know that more capable employees often receive extra work because they grow into someone dependable who can be trusted with an important task.
Clear Communication is the Most Needed Skill
Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean less communication and interactions. In fact, home-based workers often have to communicate more often with people, whether it’s customers, employers, or co-workers.
That communication includes voice as well as written correspondence.
When you’re exchanging emails or direct messages with others, your message has to be clear.
There can be huge misunderstandings when communicating through text. Being misunderstood or unclear can cause very serious problems and delays with projects.
To be considered for a remote position, be sure that you have strong writing skills. It takes practice to be understood through written communication. There’s no way to hear the tone through text.
Likewise, your superiors need to hone those same skills, but that’s out of your hands. What you can do is when interpreting instructions is to read them twice, with care.
Are you sure you understood what’s been asked from you?
Don’t be edgy and jump straight to completing the task, rather read it carefully and patiently, and ask for clarification if there’s something that you are not sure how to do.
Digital Tools are the Essence of Remote Work
Whether it’s conference calls or video conferencing, there’s a need for virtual connections. It’s very likely that you’ll be collaborating with others on projects. That collaboration requires you’re adept at handling technology.
There are software programs that manage all aspects of projects. Your employer needs to provide you with the necessary tools, but it’s your job to learn how to use them properly.
When working from home, you probably won’t have access to the company’s IT services. It’s on you to fix any computer problems that might occur. Along with fixing computer problems, you have to provide yourself with all the necessary equipment.
A working computer and a reliable internet are required. Be responsible for your computer to protect your work and the company’s data. Security concerns are something you’ll have to cover yourself.
You’re a Team Player without the Team
In the office, you can just walk over to a co-workers desk and ask them a question. You can easily show them a paper or ask them to clear up a problem.
Written communication takes more time, and a simple question that you would ask by the watercooler can take much more time when done via Skype chat, for example.
Also, you don’t know what the other person is doing at the moment and you don’t want to interrupt, so you send an email. There’s less casual banter happening with remote teams, especially when the team is dispersed across different timezones.
There are project management tools that make it easier to track progress and collaborate in real-time, so you feel like you are doing stuff together. Depending on the job, you will probably collaborate with other team members.
Even if you are too busy to get to know your colleagues on a personal level at work, you can leverage the software in your daily work life to catch up in your free time.
You’ll have to make an effort, but it’s certainly possible to feel like a part of a team. Group meetings can happen with the software you’ve learned to use daily, or you can connect with your work buddies on social media.
From a company’s side, teambuilding can be boosted by organizing meetups that gather everyone at the same place, from in-house personnel to those working remotely. That is a great way to get everybody on the same level and connect with people more deeply.
Is remote work right for you and your employer?
The companies having a remote workforce benefit in a number of ways. From lower overhead to happier employees and decreased operational costs, telecommuting can be enticing for employers.
Likewise, employees can save a lot on lengthy commutes and invest them in quality time, especially those living in big cities.
If your profession allows remote working, and you are considering applying to a remote job, try to strengthen your self-discipline and perfect your written communication before jumping aboard the telecommuting bandwagon.
About the Author
Joe Peters is a Baltimore-based freelance writer and an ultimate techie. When he is not working his magic as a marketing consultant, this incurable tech junkie devours the news on the latest gadgets and binge-watches his favorite TV shows. Follow him on @bmorepeters
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Running a business from home can be incredibly beneficial for those that want to set up a business alongside other priorities such as children and family, or if they would like to start up a business with limited funding. To find out whether your home is appropriate to run your business from, this article will guide you as to what you need to do to make your home suitable for a business.
Create a Better Business Space
The first thing that you need to do to run a business from home is to turn your home into a better space for business. Although homes make better places for working than offices due to the limitation of distractions and noise levels, you should ensure that your home is suitable to run a business from. For instance, you need to create an office or workshop space in your home that is separate from the main body of your house to limit the disruption to both you and your family and give you space to work and store equipment. You should also ensure that there is sufficient space for a home office; a loft conversion could be a good idea. If this sounds like something you might consider, be sure to check out conversions with Visionary Lofts for the best ideas.
One of the ways that you can do this is to renovate an existing room, build an extension to your house, or look around for a bigger house that can match your needs. In order to make this financially viable, The Money Hub can help you to get the bad credit mortgage that you need through loans, whether you need to extend your mortgage for expansion or get a mortgage for a bigger house.
You should also make sure that your office is a welcoming and relaxing space. When renovating your home office, you should try to access as much natural light as possible to boost your mood, personalize the décor as much as possible to help you to stay engaged with your work and remain inspired, have enough storage to ensure that your workspace is not cluttered. You also need to make sure that you have an office chair and layout that can limit back pain and eye strain and allow you to keep working for longer periods without discomfort, Office Reality has a wide range you can choose from.
Invest in the Right Equipment
You also need to make sure that you equip your office with all the items that you need to succeed, such as the latest gadgets like laptops and printers that can help you to perform your work to the best of your ability. You should also invest in the software that you need. For instance, it is also important that you are able to establish reliable communication channels to allow your clients and any employees to contact you at all times. If you fail to get a secure WiFi connection or mobile signal, this can lead to your business losing trust with its customers. One of the best communication methods for small businesses at home includes Skype, which can allow you to video chat with contacts for business conferences and networking purposes, needing only an email address to do so.
Create a Timetable or Work Plan
It is difficult when running a business from home not to let your family and other commitments impact on your workload. Therefore, you should make sure that you are able to create a plan to help you to schedule your workday. Then you can prioritize your most important work and ensure that you are able to stay on track amid the chaos of a family home. There are many paper organizers, and even online software applications that you can download to keep you on track too.
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Business Programs
How To Overcome These 3 Common Business Obstacles
/in Managing Your Business/by StrategyDriven1. Brand reputation
Brand reputation plays a vital role in the growth and success of any business. In this digital age, customer feedback travels fast, and many people rely heavily on the reviews of other consumers when making purchasing decisions. Often, new businesses lack the experience of more established companies, and this can lead to issues such as slow order fulfillment or delays in response times. If you find that your business has received some negative feedback or reviews, then it’s crucial that you take action straight away to resolve any issues. Here are some top tips to help you restore your brand reputation:
2. Debt
Most businesses require some form of funding in order to get up and running. Unfortunately, some businesses find themselves in debt and unable to make repayments. This can be due to a number of issues, such as unexpected financial emergencies or poor cash flow management. Try to avoid this by only ever borrowing as much money as you can afford to pay back and having a clear plan in place to make the repayments. If you find yourself having issues with debt collectors, then make sure that you seek legal advice to help you fight lawsuits over debt. It is important that you understand what options you have available to you in this situation and take the best course of action to help protect your business in the long-run.
3. Cash flow
The Telegraph mentions the importance of cash flow, with a large percentage of small businesses failing because of cash flow issues. It is vital that you manage your cash flow effectively and monitor your finances regularly, to ensure that you are sticking to your cash flow budget. Always keep in mind that if your business expenses are more than your income, then you have a cash flow problem. You, therefore, need to manage your spending carefully and look for ways to cut expenses to give your cash flow budget more flexibility. Make sure that you take advantage of accounting and management software that can help you manage your cash flow and finances more efficiently. Finally, you should always store important documents like cash flow spreadsheets in the cloud, so that you can access them remotely from anywhere.
Tech Talk: Server Types
/in Tactical Execution/by StrategyDrivenSo, let’s begin by defining what each type of server is…
Rack servers – A rack server is often also referred to as a rack mount server. In essence, it is a standard sized network that has been designed so that it can be mounted to rack frame infrastructure or a data centre server cabinet.
Blade servers – A blade server is often described as a stripped down version of the former. This type of server is absent of an array of components found within standard rack servers.
By merely assessing the definitions of both options you have probably already picked up on one main advantage a blade server has over a standard rack server. This is the fact that it makes much better utilisation of space. Data centres using blade servers have the possibility to reach optimal efficiency on this front. You can find more information on this website about the sort of tech businesses that have these key decisions to make.
Nevertheless, one of the main disadvantages associated with blade servers is that the start-up costs are a lot larger in comparison to other options. This can present a significant problem for businesses who are just starting up and therefore do not have the luxury of a large budget. The reason why blade servers tend to cost more in the beginning is because you will require some initial infrastructure which is not needed with any other type of server, such as the chassis.
Another issue a lot of people have noted is that blade servers are somewhat limited when it comes to I/O expansion options. This is because there is a lack of expansion slots. This expansion limitation is also represented in terms of disk drives (most are limited to two or four internal hard drives) and PCI/PCI Express slots. You don’t experience any of these issues when it comes to rack servers as they are very expandable.
However, one problem which does come your way if you opt for rack servers is cable management. It can be somewhat tricky to keep everything organised because you will have a wealth of different cables to keep under control. There are lots of products available for cable management to help you with this. But when it comes to blade servers the confusion and clutter is minimised substantially.
Finally, another advantage associated with blade servers is the fact that easier integration can be possible because of the fact that a blade enclosure utilises a single power supply. This of course further represents efficiency in terms of power usage. You may find that you have an opportunity to lower your costs and even improve your data centre in terms of eco-friendliness.
It is quite easy to see that there are pros and cons associated with both rack servers and blade servers. The decision you make all depends on your data centre requirements and what is more important to you. For instance, if space is a massive issue then you will more than likely want to go for blade servers.
How to Create Strategy-Driven Branding for Your Business
/in Marketing & Sales/by StrategyDrivenCreate a Brand Identity
First things first, you need to either create or remake your brand identity. A brand identity is comprised of a few key components:
Logo
Your logo needs to be easy to recognize, simple, and it needs to have the ability to stand out. Consider some of the top brands today, and the logos that they use. Their logos are, in most cases, so recognizable that brands can use just the logo on their advertising.
Personality
The brand personality you use will be how you speak. How you sound in advertisements, social media, on calls, and on your on-site copy.
Design
Take your logo and your personality and choose design elements like symbols, colors, fonts, and more that will work as a way to reinforce your brand.
Packaging
Put the design onto packaging and make it beautiful. You can sell a lot off the shelves with beautiful packaging, and you might even be able to benefit from social media marketing if customers feel compelled to photograph your product and its box.
Store Design
If you run a physical store, then it’s time to work out how well it is designed. Start first with the layout. Ensure it is easy for multiple people to get through the layout, ensure it encourages as much organic browsing as possible, and then figure out what design elements you can add to really make your store pleasant to be in.
Work On Providing a Clear Workplace Culture
A clear workplace culture can help in many ways. It can help boost the workflow and efficiency of your business. It can also give your employees the groundwork on how to behave so that your customers can enjoy a familiar, professional experience every time they visit.
Ethos
Your company ethos is the goal you have for your workplace culture. It is the expectation that everyone needs to follow. It could be hard work and great laughs, for example, to promote a workplace culture that is productive and enjoyable to be in. By deciding on an ethos, everyone knows better what to expect and can work together to make your workplace culture goals into a reality.
Teamwork Building
You don’t want friends working together. You want a team working together. Investing in teamwork building will give everyone a basis on how to behave so that work can get done, ideas can be challenged, and collaboration can thrive without fights.
Team Unity
Team unity is fundamental when it comes to building up a strong and healthy working culture. There are so many ways you can do this as well. If your business deals with animals, for example, a kennel or a groomer, then you can treat all of your employees to an animal lover’s license plate frames. These custom license plate frames suit all types of professions and can give your employees a sense of community that is personalized to them.
Adapt and Tweak Your Brand
It’s okay if you don’t get your brand identity right off the bat. The goal is to create branding and then tweak it as you go. This way you can use what works and discards what fell flat, both for your customers and your employees. It’s how you will create a uniform, quality company that everyone will enjoy.
The Take Away
You want your customers to recognize your brand instantaneously and to feel like your company is familiar no matter who they interact with or which store they visit. It’s what makes fast food restaurants so successful, especially to those who are traveling. A guest to a food chain can expect the same quality of food and service as they would get anywhere. This is how you build brand loyalty and repeat business.
Accomplishing such a feat means using the right design, and instilling the right company culture so that all of your employees work well together and can provide your customers with the same professional experience.
Nailing Your Job: 5 Reasons Remote Work Requires Discipline from Both Sides
/in Professional Development/by Joe PetersDoes the idea of working from home appeal to you? Many companies today hire remote teams. Don’t think they have it all figured out.
There’s quite an effort and discipline required from both ends to make a successful collaboration at a distance.
If you want to get remote jobs in Dallas and be successful at it, you l need to prove you’re the person who can make telecommuting work.
There are certain skills that remote employees need that aren’t taught in school. They’re skills you learn through the rich experience of working for others.
Regardless of your experience, you should understand the downsides of remote work positions so you can be the best version of yourself, but also recognize what you need from your superiors to make this telecommuting job work.
Supervision Is Less Frequent
Some business owners frown at the thought of anyone working outside the office because they feel they are losing control over work production.
As an employee, it’s vital to show that you don’t need to be handheld. While you’re working remotely, you can’t knock on the boss’ door to ask questions. You can send an email looking for help with your tasks, but it might take days to get an answer.
The work must have a continuous flow.
You need to show problem-solving skills and be proactive. If your boss spends more time helping you with your tasks than doing their own, they might start looking for your replacement.
Show you’re able to work independently from your boss and coworkers. That’s what they need to see.
To be proactive and independent in your job, you also need to have clear instructions and procedures, which your employer should provide. You cannot become a self-reliant and productive employee if you didn’t receive a proper education.
Remote Workers Have to be Self-Motivated
Self-motivation is the key to working alone from home. It’s developed from the inside but also depends on the company you work for. No one wants to be a part of a poorly organized corporation that doesn’t provide onboarding, education, and work assessment.
Besides proper organization, employees are motivated by a company’s vision, great leadership and culture.
Motivation comes from within. If your own values match the company’s core values – you’ll be a great fit, and you’ll have that intrinsic drive.
When working remotely, there’s no manager to check up on your progress, give you a pat on the back or provide course correction. If you’re a procrastinator who doesn’t work unless nudged, remote work isn’t going to work well for you.
You’ll probably have a task list and a scheduled day, but you also have to create a routine that keeps you on and be disciplined about sticking to it.
It takes time to find what morning routine works best for you. If you want to be great at your job and climb up the corporate ladder, do whatever it takes to become awake, energized, and ready to crush it, whether it’s a routine or some focusing tools. The tools should work with you and improve your work habits.
As you’re building your discipline and work skills, make sure you’re becoming more adept at handling a busy schedule.
Know that more capable employees often receive extra work because they grow into someone dependable who can be trusted with an important task.
Clear Communication is the Most Needed Skill
Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean less communication and interactions. In fact, home-based workers often have to communicate more often with people, whether it’s customers, employers, or co-workers.
That communication includes voice as well as written correspondence.
When you’re exchanging emails or direct messages with others, your message has to be clear.
There can be huge misunderstandings when communicating through text. Being misunderstood or unclear can cause very serious problems and delays with projects.
To be considered for a remote position, be sure that you have strong writing skills. It takes practice to be understood through written communication. There’s no way to hear the tone through text.
The right word choice is vital. It’s one of the best skills you can perfect for work-at-home opportunities.
Likewise, your superiors need to hone those same skills, but that’s out of your hands. What you can do is when interpreting instructions is to read them twice, with care.
Are you sure you understood what’s been asked from you?
Don’t be edgy and jump straight to completing the task, rather read it carefully and patiently, and ask for clarification if there’s something that you are not sure how to do.
Digital Tools are the Essence of Remote Work
Whether it’s conference calls or video conferencing, there’s a need for virtual connections. It’s very likely that you’ll be collaborating with others on projects. That collaboration requires you’re adept at handling technology.
There are software programs that manage all aspects of projects. Your employer needs to provide you with the necessary tools, but it’s your job to learn how to use them properly.
When working from home, you probably won’t have access to the company’s IT services. It’s on you to fix any computer problems that might occur. Along with fixing computer problems, you have to provide yourself with all the necessary equipment.
A working computer and a reliable internet are required. Be responsible for your computer to protect your work and the company’s data. Security concerns are something you’ll have to cover yourself.
You’re a Team Player without the Team
In the office, you can just walk over to a co-workers desk and ask them a question. You can easily show them a paper or ask them to clear up a problem.
Written communication takes more time, and a simple question that you would ask by the watercooler can take much more time when done via Skype chat, for example.
Also, you don’t know what the other person is doing at the moment and you don’t want to interrupt, so you send an email. There’s less casual banter happening with remote teams, especially when the team is dispersed across different timezones.
There are project management tools that make it easier to track progress and collaborate in real-time, so you feel like you are doing stuff together. Depending on the job, you will probably collaborate with other team members.
Even if you are too busy to get to know your colleagues on a personal level at work, you can leverage the software in your daily work life to catch up in your free time.
You’ll have to make an effort, but it’s certainly possible to feel like a part of a team. Group meetings can happen with the software you’ve learned to use daily, or you can connect with your work buddies on social media.
From a company’s side, teambuilding can be boosted by organizing meetups that gather everyone at the same place, from in-house personnel to those working remotely. That is a great way to get everybody on the same level and connect with people more deeply.
Is remote work right for you and your employer?
The companies having a remote workforce benefit in a number of ways. From lower overhead to happier employees and decreased operational costs, telecommuting can be enticing for employers.
Likewise, employees can save a lot on lengthy commutes and invest them in quality time, especially those living in big cities.
If your profession allows remote working, and you are considering applying to a remote job, try to strengthen your self-discipline and perfect your written communication before jumping aboard the telecommuting bandwagon.
About the Author
How To Run A Business From Home
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenCreate a Better Business Space
The first thing that you need to do to run a business from home is to turn your home into a better space for business. Although homes make better places for working than offices due to the limitation of distractions and noise levels, you should ensure that your home is suitable to run a business from. For instance, you need to create an office or workshop space in your home that is separate from the main body of your house to limit the disruption to both you and your family and give you space to work and store equipment. You should also ensure that there is sufficient space for a home office; a loft conversion could be a good idea. If this sounds like something you might consider, be sure to check out conversions with Visionary Lofts for the best ideas.
One of the ways that you can do this is to renovate an existing room, build an extension to your house, or look around for a bigger house that can match your needs. In order to make this financially viable, The Money Hub can help you to get the bad credit mortgage that you need through loans, whether you need to extend your mortgage for expansion or get a mortgage for a bigger house.
You should also make sure that your office is a welcoming and relaxing space. When renovating your home office, you should try to access as much natural light as possible to boost your mood, personalize the décor as much as possible to help you to stay engaged with your work and remain inspired, have enough storage to ensure that your workspace is not cluttered. You also need to make sure that you have an office chair and layout that can limit back pain and eye strain and allow you to keep working for longer periods without discomfort, Office Reality has a wide range you can choose from.
Invest in the Right Equipment
You also need to make sure that you equip your office with all the items that you need to succeed, such as the latest gadgets like laptops and printers that can help you to perform your work to the best of your ability. You should also invest in the software that you need. For instance, it is also important that you are able to establish reliable communication channels to allow your clients and any employees to contact you at all times. If you fail to get a secure WiFi connection or mobile signal, this can lead to your business losing trust with its customers. One of the best communication methods for small businesses at home includes Skype, which can allow you to video chat with contacts for business conferences and networking purposes, needing only an email address to do so.
Create a Timetable or Work Plan
It is difficult when running a business from home not to let your family and other commitments impact on your workload. Therefore, you should make sure that you are able to create a plan to help you to schedule your workday. Then you can prioritize your most important work and ensure that you are able to stay on track amid the chaos of a family home. There are many paper organizers, and even online software applications that you can download to keep you on track too.