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The Key To Being A Good Leader

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StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article |Good leader|The Key To Being A Good LeaderLeading a team is a big responsibility and there are key factors to remember. Building a strong and productive workforce takes time and effort and can be the difference between a successful company and a failing one. How can you ensure you’re a leader that contributes to a positive outcome?

Set an example

Most people understand that the best way to lead is by example, but how exactly can you do that? Modelling how you want your team to perform and behave in the workplace is crucial. Creating the right work ethic involves being willing to work hard and do some of the same jobs you ask of others. Your team will watch how you behave and communicate and will replicate their leader. Setting an example will enable you to solve staff issues when they arise, safe in the knowledge you have set a boundary giving you the freedom to reprimand them if needed.

You should also follow good timekeeping if you expect your team to follow suit. If you’re training a member of staff and they accompany you to client meetings, always ensure you leave plenty of time to get to your destination. If you live in London and need to catch a flight to attend a seminar or meet a client, you can pre-book in advance, at a time and place that suits you, a taxi to Heathrow to get you across London in time for your flight. Examples of good punctuality, professional attire, and excellent preparation will encourage your workforce to take their responsibilities seriously and give 100% effort. Client satisfaction is vital for any business to run successfully.

Provide Excellent Training

It’s hard to expect a team to produce results if they are unsure of the responsibilities and tasks assigned to them. Investing in good quality training will help employees grow in knowledge and enable them to be more productive in their work. They will perform better and their confidence will increase hugely. It will also help them appreciate you as a leader and help them feel valued. Employees who have access to training will be able to upskill in the workplace providing flexibility and the ability to switch staff between tasks, and cover for others when needed.

Continued development can also help staff come up with ideas that benefit the business. New knowledge sparks ideas, and a renewed sense of creativity can form a collaborative team spirit.

Positive attitude

Positivity is contagious so leading with a positive attitude is imperative for staff morale. Adopting a positive problem-solving approach will encourage the team to remain upbeat. A positive leader will motivate his team, and as a consequence, they will accomplish much more than a downbeat one. Focusing on your wellbeing will help help you stay focused and give you the energy to help others and get the best out of them.

Communication

Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship, and it’s no different at work. Communicating effectively with your team will help you build strong professional relationships and help employees feel valued. Make time for staff that request to see you and always treat them respectfully and with compassion. Always be a good listener and hear what your employee is saying without jumping in with a solution. Staff are more likely to come to you with issues affecting the business if you are approachable and understanding.

Leading a team is a privilege, and caring for them appropriately and setting a good example should be a priority for the long-term success of the company.

The Ultimate Guide to Tech Support for Small Businesses

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Tech Support |The Ultimate Guide to Tech Support for Small BusinessesThe myriad benefits of integrating technology in everyday businesses are limitless. Technology is essential for providing quick solutions to problems your company might face, whether from clients or while you’re trying to accomplish your organization’s goals.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur thinking of starting a business in this day and age. In this scenario, you need to learn to incorporate technology into your business model.

Today’s technology consists of remote working, AI, machine learning, and applying them to your business. You certainly may need help, and luckily for you, while you’re trying to shift towards technologically driven resources, tech support companies are waiting to guide you. Tech support companies are essential for handling any troubleshoot a company might face.

Their goal is to streamline the services different organizations provide for happier and satisfied customers. The purpose of this article is to guide you on other tech support you can look at for your company. Once you know their purpose, you should have no trouble making them a part of your company. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Identify the Source of Your Trouble

You need to figure out what kind of support you need from tech support. It means you will have to find out what kind of trouble your network is facing. What difficulties is your company facing, and what results do you want once you resolve them. Suppose your company faces numerous connectivity issues. You can always contact IT support to figure out where the network error occurs and how to remedy it. They can also explain if the next time a similar issue arises, what you can do about it.

2. Choose the Right Company

Some companies are not cut out to deal with complex technical issues and may cost you a fortune to no avail. That is why before you establish cordial relations with any IT company, find out if they’re worth the money. Ask them IT-related questions and check up on their portfolio and read reviews that can help you make better decisions about them. The last thing you want to do is work with a company that only takes up your time and gives you no support.

3. Set Up Cloud Services

Your IT support should be able to find you the best cloud backup service. The cloud is a versatile platform that supports numerous virtual services. Cloud backups allow companies to virtually store information on the external cloud servers and prevent them from getting lost. It is essential since you can’t let your hard work and necessary data go to waste due to poor management as a small business. The cloud system your tech support connects you to will typically charge you every month.

4. Monitoring Services

IT support also provides you with monitoring applications. They help you keep an eye on servers, traffic, and communication needed by a company. Many small businesses look towards tech support to help them carry out this function since a business needs security no matter how small. No business wants to end up with data theft due to a flawed monitoring system.

5. Data Backup and Restoration

Tech support can provide you with more options to retrieve your data outside of cloud computing. They can use external data centers to track all your essential data and launch a backup disaster recovery if your system crashes. It is also generally good to have more than one restoration plan in mind to prevent losing data.

6. Firewall Services

Small businesses need a cybersecurity plan. That is because as you build a tech-savvy business model, you become more privy to internet attacks such as malware and viruses. Your tech support can get you the best firewall services suitable for your company’s needs. Some businesses may need to monitor their security, while others prefer an automated system manually. It would depend on you as a business to decide how you want to go about this.

7. Cybersecurity Services

Cybersecurity is a broad category. However, tech support can do all sorts of cybersecurity services. It includes network monitoring, installing firewalls, putting up anti-virus layers, and adding layered networks. Usually, the company from whom you avail these services can help you manage your network. However, you can take control of your cybersecurity if you are a giant corporation.

8. Email Security

Emails can be the most troublesome aspect of any company. Not only are they easy to hack, but they can also become the primary source of malware entering your network. Tech support companies ensure you have a lucrative email system that keeps all your emails encrypted. A two-factor authentication code further protects them. Your emails are also safe since they get backed up on the cloud, and so tech support companies make sure not only do you have a secure email system but a safe one.

9. Anti-Virus Protection

Anti-virus protection also falls under the banner of cybersecurity. IT services make sure that your network has a firewall and an anti-virus system in place. As a business, you must secure your company’s network as much as you can. Viruses and hackers are evolving; it is now easy for them to bypass different levels of security. Having some form of anti-virus installation perhaps gives you ample time to secure your data if you encounter a cyberattack.

10. Data Analysis

Tech support companies help you manage big data. This data is essential for your company’s success and plays a role in business intelligence. A good tech support company can provide you with the tools to extract, analyze and transform data into reports with numerical figures. As a result, you understand how well your business is doing and if there is a need for you to change the way you run your business.

11. Remote Support

Businesses now no longer follow a traditional office setup. It is easy for you to run remote services so that your employees can work from anywhere at any time. IT support services allow you to set up all remote services channels. They can help you control devices through the internet and take care of any troubleshooting your company might face. You can always ask for their help in IT assistance, software repair, or other needs about an excellent remote support system.

12. Communication Management

A good tech support company can handle all aspects of communication services, including universal communication platforms. These include messaging, chats, emails, voice calls, and video calls. They can also chart down a suitable communication system for your business that helps you filter what needs to go out to your clients and what needs to stay within the company.

Wrap Up

Tech support is lucrative for any business. Once you can narrow your needs and find out what you want, they can help you achieve those goals. You can use a tech support company to set up your cloud computing, data backup, and restoration and monitoring services.

Tech-support also indulges with firewall security, carries the banner for cybersecurity, or goes into anti-virus protection. They can even help you manage you analyze the data your company receives. They can also set up remote working channels and create a linear communication management system.

What Should You Be Looking For In Potential Employees?

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Potential Employees|What Should You Be Looking For In Potential Employees?You’re always going to have to hire new people as a business owner, but how do you know when you have hired the right one? It’s never possible to be 100% that the person you have hired is the right person until they start working, but you can get a pretty good idea during the job interview. In this article, we are going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should be looking for in potential employees, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Determination

The first thing that you need to look for is determination. If they come across as someone who wants to work, and who wants to do a good job for your business no matter what, then he is the kind of guy that you are looking for. If they are slouching in their chair, not making eye contact and generally don’t seem to care at all, then this is the exact opposite of what you need. Trust us when we say that if someone is determined to see a good job and do well for your business, you’re going to know about it.

There are some people though that will be quietly determined because we get overshadowed by those who are loud and are talking all the time. Essentially, as long as they don’t look bored and they are answering your questions with some level of enthusiasm, then this is a good sign.

Willingness To Learn New Things

You cannot allow someone to stay stuck in their ways their whole life. They need to be able to adapt to change, learn to follow new rules and do things a different way to what they are used to. If you hear the words ‘at my last company’ and you are not a startup looking for advice, then you need to tell her that. Let them know that it doesn’t matter how things were done at the last company because they are no longer looking for employment at the last company you worked for. As such, your rules are going to be strict. While I appreciate the need for a drink, it’s still overwhelming on the first date.

A Clear Social Media Presence

After the interview, or before depending on when you have time, you should take a quick look through their social media. Make sure that it is appropriate for someone of their age and their standing in the business. If it isn’t, then in their contract social media has limitations etc. We know that sometimes it can be difficult, but if someone knows how to delete a comment on Instagram then this can be solved. If there is an issue it’s one of her posts to a bed. If you can’t find anything on social media, then this will be a point in their favor and I can’t believe you are saying that either.

Past Experience

You do want someone who has some kind of experience if possible. It’s not a requirement because you can always teach someone what they need to know, but past experience might help your business. They can tell you what worked and what didn’t work in general terms at the company, as well as some of the things that they were going to try and see how well these strategies tried.

Sometimes having someone completely fresh is ideal, but not always. You need to have at least a few people who know what they are doing and have some kind of past in the business that you are trying to start. You never know how close you are to snapping until someone is so full of arrogance they think that they can just talk to everyone however they want all the time, though. Experience does not make you a God. This is a terrible quality to have, so if you find it, this person is not the right fit.

Arrogance is a killer in the business world, and you can’t have someone like that on your team. A team is a machine and without even a single cog, it stops turning. No one piece is more important than the other.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be looking for in potential employees. At the end of the day, the thing that you want most is an employee who is willing to work to help you achieve your goals for your business. If you can find this, then you are already far better off than some of the other businesses on the market.

Unique Ways To Make Your Website More Dynamic

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Dynamic Website|Unique Ways To Make Your Website More DynamicWebsite design has gotten quite stale over the past couple of years. Thanks to all of the easy-to-use website building services and applications, it’s never been easier to put together a website in just a few clicks. To make things easier, there are thousands of templates available online that will help you create a wonderful page that can be modified to your liking.

Unfortunately, many websites have become static pages of information that don’t provide much value or content to visitors. In this post, we’ll be covering a couple of unique ways to help make your website a lot more dynamic and interesting.

Add video and sound content

Video and sound content is easy to host on a website thanks to embeds with YouTube and other services. This can turn your website into a centralised location for all of the content you’ve put onto the internet and makes it easy for visitors to find your work. This also allows you to link your website with social media platforms and other similar services, allowing you to grow your audience on multiple different platforms at the same time.

Keep in mind that you can also add video and audio content to your website by uploading it directly, but this can use a lot of bandwidth so it’s usually best to host it somewhere else and link to it. This puts less strain on your server and means you’re less likely to reach a bandwidth cap.

Use an API to provide up-to-date information on things

An application programming interface (API) is essentially a way to interface between different kinds of software and hardware. In the context of a website, an API can help you grab data from another service, piece of software, or website which stays up to date, meaning you don’t manually need to change things.

For example, using a cryptocurrency API means you can display the latest prices for certain currencies that you choose. This is updated automatically so you don’t need to manually input the prices or how much it’s changed. This is a great way to provide live information to your visitors and is a great way to make your website more dynamic.

Use social media tools

You can easily add social media widgets that display the latest posts from your accounts. For instance, you can add a live Twitter feed that shows the latest messages from accounts that you choose, and there are also options for Instagram, Facebook, and other popular social media platforms.

This allows people to engage with your content on various social media platforms, thus increasing your exposure. You can even see where your pages are shared so that you can directly interact with your audience if you want to.

While building your own website can be tricky, it’s important to consider all of the unique features that you can add which makes your website stand out from the competition. Making a website more dynamic can provide a lot more value and generally makes your website a lot more interesting.

Four Best Practices for Managing a Remote Workforce

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Remote Workforce|Four Best Practices for Managing a Remote WorkforceIf it hasn’t happened yet, it’s bound to come soon — your employee wants to transition to working remotely full-time. Maybe you’ve had to experiment with remote working in the last year like much of the world or perhaps your team members have friends or family members that have discovered how great remote work can be for quality of life and now they want their own shot at making it work.

Before you write off the idea completely, it’s important to consider the benefits of offering remote work to your employees. From helping with recruitment to reducing expenses, offering flexibility in work location can be a great alternative to a traditional office for the right employee. It takes planning, great communication, and a little creative thinking but it’s an idea worth considering.

Before you dive in to offering remote work as an option for your team, here are four best practices to consider.

Set clear expectations from the start

As with any new working arrangement, setting clear expectations is mandatory. By communicating what you expect from the beginning, you dramatically reduce the chance of conflict and disappointment later. Take the time to set clear boundaries around business hours, attendance policies for team meetings, and technology requirements (like keeping video on for calls) and in the end, both the employee and the business will benefit.

Keep remote employees engaged

It can be difficult to manage both in-person and remote team members simultaneously. Take a moment to check in with remote employees daily, either through email, virtual chat, a video call, or text and let them know they are valued. If the “out of sight, out of mind” approach is taken, employee performance and motivation can suffer and lead to unwanted turnover.

Take advantage of remote resources

Some positions are more easily adapted to remote work than others. For example, an analyst or researcher who spends a great deal of time behind a computer is more likely to adapt to a remote-working arrangement than a receptionist or assistant who answers calls and serves other team members throughout the day. However, this doesn’t mean those employees don’t deserve a shot at working from home, too! If your business requires someone to frequently answer incoming calls and yet you also want to offer a remote working arrangement, call answering makes good sense. By taking advantage of resources designed to help businesses adapt to having a remote workforce, you’re more likely to see the benefits of virtual working like having more productive employees and cutting costs on in-office expenses.

Get creative with the technology

It’s easy to fall into a rut of using Zoom or Google Hangouts to conduct yet another video conference call or relying on email to answer the latest questions about a report or project. Instead of risking employee burnout by holding every meeting via Zoom, consider getting creative in your approach. Ask everyone to take the afternoon meeting call outside and turn their cameras around so team members can virtually enjoy some new scenery. Send a fun “get to know you” poll via instant messaging on Fridays and ask team members to participate in sharing their favorite recent book or tv show. By demonstrating that technology can be used creatively, employees can see their remote-working circumstances as a valuable benefit and become more grateful in the process.

Remote working is likely here to stay so by using some of these best practices, you’re more likely to benefit from the “new normal” and might even end up enjoying it!