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What Exactly Are Short Term Loans?

StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Short Term Loans|What Exactly Are Short Term Loans?When looking to aid yourself out of financial difficulty, there are several elements to consider before applying. Not only do you need to ensure that you are eligible, but you need to ensure that the lender you are using is a reliable one. To help you understand what short term loans are and how you can apply, we have provided you with a little bit of insight.

What Is A Short-Term Loan?

A short-term loan is a loan that enables you to borrow the amount of money that you need over a short time period. There are several different lenders out there that allow you to borrow the amount of money that you need should you find yourself in a financial emergency. Whether it is for a boiler repair or for an emergency car replacement, this form of finance can work for you.

How To Find The Right Lender?

When you have established that the loan type is right for you, it is then time to find the right lender. By getting a quote from several different lenders, you can find one that will provide you with the borrowing amount that you need. By spending the time looking for a loan provider that works for you, you are then able to ensure that you are paying back your monthly repayments on time with a loan term that works for you. Whether this is over the course of either 3 months or 6 months, this can benefit you in the long term.

How Do You Apply?

Applying for short term loans could not be any easier. With a number of lenders providing you with a simple to use application platform, you can simply answer the questions online and get an answer the exact same day. The lenders for this style of the loan will look into your monthly income as well as your line of credit to generate an initial offer for the amount that you are looking to borrow. By making sure you are eligible before you apply, you can ensure that you will have the money that you need in your account within 24 hours.

How Can This Loan Type Affect Your Credit Score?

As with any form of alternative finance, there is an element of risk that comes with it. When using a loan type, it is important to ensure that you are meeting your monthly repayment date. This will limit the negative impact on your credit score and ensure that you are using your monthly repayment. Buy making sure that you are meeting your repayment, you will limit the chance of defaulting payments as this can lead to debt if not careful. By ensuring that your payments are on time, you can then strengthen your finances and show that you are good with money.

Whether you are looking to apply for a loan right this second or you are looking for your options in the future. There are several loans that you can benefit from in this time.

The Need for Commercial Cleaning

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | The Need for Commercial CleaningAlmost any commercial building absolutely needs some type of professional cleaning service. Commercial buildings can become messy very easily, even if the building in question is just an office building or something similar. Commercial building floors can get a lot of foot traffic, making them dusty by the end of the day. During certain seasons and areas, it’s very obvious if a building is not cleaned regularly enough. The businesses that try to save money on commercial cleaning will lose money later in some other form, even if it is not obvious at first.

The services that offer commercial cleaning are almost always very cost-effective. Businesses will get multiple services at once when they hire commercial cleaning services Winnipeg and elsewhere. The professional cleaners will make sure that the entire building is cleaned. Companies usually will not need to hire more than one cleaning service. They can get all of these tasks completed after working with one single business.

When business leaders think about the specific services that commercial cleaning companies offer, it becomes clear that there is no substitute for a commercial cleaning company. The technicians from these companies will clean all of the bathrooms and the washing areas. They’ll also clean the employee lounge and any of the sitting areas in the building. The employees will certainly be happy about this, and so will everyone else. It’s the sort of thing that can improve morale at almost any business, especially if the employees are social.

Commercial furniture also needs to be cleaned and maintained, or it will quickly fade and cease to look anywhere near as presentable as it once did. This sort of change can reflect very poorly on almost any company, and it’s important for all professionals to make sure that these sorts of finishing touches get added. The commercial cleaners are all careful to make sure that the furniture at any corporate building is in good condition. These sorts of cleaning services are ultimately an important part of commercial building maintenance, even if it does not look like that at first.

Almost any part of any building will start to degrade much faster if it is not cleaned all the time. A lot of people have found that they have run into similar problems in their own homes. Dirt and dust can cause anything to wear away that much more rapidly, even if people do not notice the change on a day to day basis. Companies that are careful to make sure that they stay up-to-date with maintenance usually outperform other companies. The organizations that are just as careful with cleaning will often get the exact same benefits.

Steps to Effective Business Leadership

StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article | Steps to Effective Business LeadershipIt’s important for business owners to have strong leadership skills first and foremost to ensure that the business succeeds, thrives and is able to remain in business.  Leadership skills help provide a vision for business projects/products/services and are necessary to help motivate employees to be their best.

Leaders often set the tone for morale, motivation and commitment, all of which affect the stakeholders/customers and again in large part determine whether the business will succeed.

Business owners also have to be able to establish an effective organizational structure, while influencing employees and very often the business owner/leader will have the strongest influence on employees and a good leader will be able to inspire and effectively communicate the mission and the vision to the employees so they feel empowered to do their best and be their best.

The business owner/leader has to be strong enough to balance the needs of the company with the needs of the employees; balance the need to get things done with the need to teach and mentor; along with balancing good professional boundaries with the ability to be empathic and accessible all the while balancing the demands of the job with the needs of the people who work for you.

Identify what the priorities are for the leader; you must also include short- and long-term goals, balancing the daily demands with the longer-term vision and mission.  The goals must be objective and clearly defined (SMART Goals are best-Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound) and should include goals related to mentoring and fostering leadership in others, stronger relationships through advocating and support when needed; they should include goals related to active listening; developing increased confidence; time management; accountability and responsibility; cognitive flexibility )able to adapt/pivot when needed); should be able to make smarter and more strategic decisions while still managing, time, tasks and people and these goals should be focused on the development of the individual.

The best leadership goals every leader should have should include, but are not limited to, developing strategic thinking; active listening; coaching and fostering growth in others/employees; delegating… they should focus on self-discipline and personal responsibility; building resilience in self and others; developing multiple areas of expertise/competence over time (as indicated in #2); learning and understanding how to effectively influence and persuade others to follow while also focusing on the big picture while minding the bottom line.

Other important things a business leader should know about leadership development goals include keeping a long term focus; development goals should be few and simple so as not to confuse, overwhelm or detract from the priorities (goals should fit the SMART format/criteria) and it’s important that the achievement of goals be recognized and rewarded relative to the impact the completion of that goals had on the individual or business/organization.  Also, measure/monitor progress toward goals and provide regular feedback and coaching as needed.  Remember, the success of any business or team is dependent on the leader. A good business owner and leader knows how to inspire and motivate, adapt and problem solve and demonstrate personal ownership and accountability and leads by example.


About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Dr. Aimee Harris-NewonDr. Aimee Harris-Newon Psy.D., DABPS, C.HT. is a double board certified integrative and interventional psychologist, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and master success coach. She’s considered an expert in integrative health and believes in a holistic approach-treating the body and the mind.

She leads a very successful integrative and functional health and wellness practice, serving clients locally and internationally. She and her multidisciplinary team focus on wellness, preventive care and coaching to help people live healthier, happier and more satisfying lives. What makes her truly unique and exceptional is her broad and deep skill set and her approach to health and wellness.

As the founder and director of Dr. Aimee and Associates, and now The Center for Integrative and Functional Health and Wellness, Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon and her team of experts don’t just treat symptoms, they solve health problems, create better outcomes and change lives.

As a coach, Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon has worked with individuals and corporations including FedEx, UPS, McDonald’s, Red Bull and the U.S. Army. She is a frequent speaker at Harvard and regularly appears on television news shows such as ABC, NBC, and FOX. Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon also hosts the popular radio show, Mind Over Matters on AM 820, which airs every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. CST.

13 Apps & Ideas To Improve Your Company Culture

StrategyDriven Corporate Cultures Article |Company Culture|13 Apps & Ideas To Improve Your Company CultureWhat is company culture?

Company culture essentially means the personality of a company; it includes all of the values, behaviors, and interactions of both management and staff. The company culture is reflected by how staff engage with their organization and how they relate to the business goals. The company culture is evident in many aspects of the business operations, including the office arrangements, the hiring decisions and the staff perks.

With a strong company culture staff will feel both valued and engaged. Companies with high levels of staff engagement are more productive and more profitable. By developing a strong company culture, you’ll also improve your branding and your reputation.

According to a study by Smarp, ‘companies that had the best corporate cultures, that encouraged all-around leadership initiatives and that highly appreciated their employees, customers, and owners grew 682 percent in revenue.’ There are many ways that you can seek to improve your company culture, so let’s take a look.

Tips to improve your company culture

1 . Offer Flexibility

When you offer your staff flexibility, you will boost productivity levels. Flexibility allows employees to feel free and creative, and this has a positive impact on engagement. There are several ways that you can offer flexibility, including:

  • Flexible shifts: Instead of insisting on a strict 9-5 work regime, try offering your staff a little more flexibility with their working patterns.
  • Remote options: Working from home has become the norm lately and many businesses are making changes to operate fully remotely. According to a survey on FlexJobs, ‘65% of respondents are more productive in their home office than at a traditional workplace.’
  • Special days off: You can offer flexibility by allowing your staff to take special days off. It might be birthdays off work or a certain religious holiday that they celebrate.

2. Staff perks

According to Employee Benefits research, ‘75% of employees are more likely to stay with their employer because of their employee benefits package.’ By offering staff benefits, you can improve staff loyalty, engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Staff benefits you could considering offering include:

  • Staff discounts: There are plenty of staff discounts you can offer your employees, whether it’s retail discounts, dining discounts, or fitness discounts. Staff discounts are an excellent way to ensure that your staff feel valued.
  • Healthcare plans: To look out for your staff’s health and well-being, try offering an attractive health care plan. When you offer a great healthcare plan, you’re more likely to attract and hold onto talented staff.
  • Wellness programs: Burnout and mental health problems are increasingly common, which is why it’s a great idea to offer a wellness program. Apps such as ‘wellspace’ can support you to offer a wellness program that prioritizes the mental health of your staff.

3. Regular one-on-ones

Get into the habit of having regular one-on-ones with your staff, use these opportunities to ask your staff for feedback, and give them any feedback that you may have. One-on-one catch-ups can be helpful to:

  • Ask your staff if there is any extra training they feel they might benefit from.
  • Discuss their goals within their role and within the company as a whole.
  • Create a roadmap to achieve their goals within their role.
  • Provide them with feedback on their progress and projects.

4. Social side

To improve your company culture, it can be a great idea to encourage a social aspect to your business. You can do this easily by hosting social events for your staff and management. Whether it’s team-retreats, dinners out, or drinks on Zoom, give your staff the chance to become friends and opposed to just colleagues. Building healthy relationships with colleagues can improve the morale and atmosphere at your workplace. During 2020, many businesses have no choice but to work remotely. Due to the coronavirus, many staff members may now feel more comfortable attending online social events.

5. Mentoring

To nurture the progress of your employees, it can be useful to offer a mentoring program. All you need to do is pair up your less experienced staff members with those employees who have a little more experience behind them. There are many benefits to offering a mentoring program, including:

  • Staff can learn from one another and exchange advice and tips.
  • Improve the relationships between your staff members.
  • Improve your in-house training regimes.
  • Peer-to-peer feedback can often be more well-received than traditional feedback.
  • Mentoring programs can help you to build a supportive community within your company.

6. Diversity & inclusion

To improve your company culture, it’s essential to think about diversity and inclusion. To build a diverse workplace, you must create a team that’s representative across different ethnicities, sexual orientations, and genders. Your team should also be representative of individuals with disabilities. To create an inclusive workplace, you must include that everyone is treated equally and included, without any level of discrimination or bias. To ensure that your business is diverse and inclusive, there are several things that you can do:

  • Unconscious bias training: This type of training focuses on helping individuals understand their unconscious biases and help them avoid accidentally discriminatory behavior. When we challenge underlying prejudices and seek to correct this behavior, we are better equipped to build an inclusive workplace.
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: WCAG provides instructions and advice on ensuring that your content is accessible. By following WCAG guidelines, you can make sure that your content is easily accessible for people with a wide range of disabilities. Such disabilities might include hearing loss, blindness, or learning difficulties. If you’d like to get your website up to WCA standards, then check out digital accessibility with AudioEye.

Diversity apps

Besides these ideas, you could also take a look at applications such as Blendoor. It’s a people analytics app that can help you to prioritize diversity as part of your recruitment processes. The software hides photos and candidate names in the primary stages, to ensure that recruiters cannot be accidentally biased.

Apps to improve your company culture

8. Jostle

This application is a type of ‘people engagement’ platform and employee intranet. The app was created to improve staff engagement by encouraging excellent communication and a positive culture. Jostle helps everyone to celebrate the successes of their colleagues and share workplace stories. Jostle’s best features include events planning, surveys and polls, collaboration, and employee recognition. With Jostle, you’ll improve the communication between your employees. It’s simple to target the info you need using employee type, location, or division. Further features of Jostle include matrix reporting, employee targeting, and workplace structures.

9. Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace is a type of employee engagement and performance management software. Using QW, you can access surveys, set goals, and take advantage of employee recognition features. The platform was designed to seamlessly fit management processes, and you can scale it to whatever your requirements are. Quantum workplace also has coaching features, so that you can make the most of the software. Other features of QW include analytics and feedback.

10. Lattice

Lattice is a people management platform which can support your company to encourage high performing and engaged teams. Using the software, you can carry out one-to-ones, set goals, use engagement surveys, and access insightful analytics. There are so many ways that you can customize Lattice, meaning that you can tailor this solution to your company culture. When teams are disengaged, it’s unlikely that they’ll reach their full potential or produce truly creative work.

11. Kudos

Kudos is a type of employee recognition platform, helping you to appreciate and value your staff. The tool has plenty of great solutions for employee recognition. The tool allows teammates to recognize one another’s achievements, which helps to boost engagement levels. It’s essentially a private social network that enhances communication between your teams. Kudos is also useful to represent your brand and to reinforce your core values.

12. Motivosity

The Motivosity application was developed to create a more fulfilling workplace experience. Using the platform, company owners can encourage higher productivity levels and help staff to each their true potential. Motivosity helps businesses to assign the right tasks to the right workers while boosting engagement. The platform allows staff and managers to show appreciation and recognition for workplace efforts. Further features of Motivosity include digital gifts, awards, organization charts, personality assessment, and milestone section.

13. Peakon

Peakon is a great employee engagement platform that can support you to improve your company culture. The app automates the collection of feedback, delivery, and analysis. Using Peakon, it’s simple for companies to be able to identify issues and deal with them appropriately. You can take a look at the highest performing teams, analyze their productivity, and use these insights elsewhere. When you increase your engagement, you’ll improve your company culture and see a greater ROI. Other great features of Peakon include trending dashboard, flexible scheduling, continuous monitoring, and personalized insights.

Improving your company culture means happier employees, improved branding, and, ultimately, higher profits for your business. Developing a strong company culture is a process that can take a little time. Most importantly, when you are recruiting new staff you should ensure that you are choosing individuals who are a good fit for your culture and company values.

What are Some of the Best Company Cars in 2020?

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Company Car| What are Some of the Best Company Cars in 2020?Looking for a company car in 2020? This is not a decision that should be made lightly and you will want to find a vehicle which fits in perfectly with your operation and helps your business to succeed. A good company car will be practical, comfortable, economical and safe, but you also need to think about how much you are able to spend so here are a few of the best company cars available right now in different price brackets.

£15,000 and Under

For those working on a tight budget, there are still a handful of excellent options to consider. One is the Skoda Fabia supermini which is a great all-rounder and much more affordable than other models in this class. It has a good amount of interior space for a car of this size along with low running costs so it is well-suited to those in a city. The Kia Cerato and Hyundai i10 is also worth looking at as a similarly priced option and a car that was widely considered to be the best city car a few years ago.

£20,000 and Under

Those looking to spend no more than £20,000 cannot go wrong with the Honda Civic. The Civic boasts sporty and stylish good looks on the outside to go with a comfortable and spacious interior, plus there are a range of engines to choose from including economical options which means that it ticks all of the boxes and your employees are sure to enjoy getting behind the wheel without breaking the bank.

£30,000 and Under

If you are looking to splash a little more on your company car then either the BMW 1-Series or 3-Series are your best options under £30,000. BMW are the kings when it comes to company cars with both of these models featuring the trademark sleek stylish, luxurious interior and excellent driving performances.

£40,000 and Under

If you are willing to spend a little more, the BMW 5-Series is a step up and certainly a car that will paint your company in a positive light. This is a car which shows you mean business with head-turning good looks, agility, comfort and heaps of technology to provide a fantastic experience behind the wheel. For those that are able to spend, this is certainly a great asset for your company but you should always take out a Gap insurance policy for financial protection in case the vehicle were to be written off.

Picking a new company car is challenging but the above are all excellent options for different price brackets.