Posts

Understanding Why Businesses Need Storage Units

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Storage Units|Understanding Why Businesses Need Storage UnitsStaying organized is an essential requirement for any business to succeed. However, the office items are tough to manage sometimes, especially in the warehouses and manufacturing department. Messed up offices mean you are stepping into the world of hassles and time constraints. It is not convenient to run a business if you have a mismanaged environment in the workplace. Your employees will consider managing their belongings rather than the entire office. You are the boss, and you have to consider all such problems.

How would it feel if you have an urgent task to meet and the workplace is messy? You are likely to waste time arranging everything, and then you can begin working on the assignments. Furthermore, you can quickly lose clients if you spend time on instant management instead of dealing with the customers. Storage units are an efficient choice for businesses to avoid time wastage on such issues.

Storage units are sufficient spaces in the form of a hut that allows you to store all the unnecessary or least used items. You do not have to get rid of them entirely, and the units store them safely. Businesses do not find it a beneficial idea because storage units are often related to housing, but we can help you change this perspective. Here are some of the most compelling advantages of using storage units for businesses.

Seamless Business Growth

If you are wondering about growing or expanding your business, you might need more room for the purpose. You require more employees for more work, and ultimately, your office demands will increase. What would you do with such belongings? Getting a professional assistance, for instance, Lakeside Storage, can do away with all the hassle and leave an organized unit behind. You do not have to face sales hassles, and the equipment stays safe too.

Save Money

Business owners often believe that renting or buying a storage unit is expensive. With this thought, many companies have to bear the burden of warehouses and various other options. However, you get size alternatives that are cost-effective and just right for your needs. These units are efficient for all purposes – equipment, machinery, and extra furniture. All you got to do is find the right size of the storage unit, and you are good to go—no money wastage.

Secure Choice

Have you made up your mind for storage units? Fantastic! You have decided on a secure option for the lesser-used yet essential business items. Such space nowadays gets protected with a password, and as technology is advancing, you can enjoy fingerprint protection as well. All the belongings are at a secure place so that your office stays spacious and productive.

Productivity of the Employees Increases

Utilizing storage units means you are keeping the workplace clean and well-organized. Organizing the office in the best possible way always influences the employees positively. Workers feel motivated and stress-free, which results in higher efficiency. Efficient employees are still in favor of the business. Messy organizations usually fail in several departments and not knowing the reason is more depressing than losses.

Pleasant Work Environment

Apart from an organized corporation, employee productivity also depends on the workplace environment. The pleasant climate keeps them free from stress, which also boosts employee morale and efficiency, especially the manufacturing department. If the department doesn’t have any extra equipment and furniture, they can work at a better rate. So, instead of storing everything in corners of the office, find a storage unit that fits your demands.

Keep Backup Equipment

Storage units are not for getting rid of the extra items. You can also use them to keep a backup for operations. You can invest in new machines and equipment and store them in the unit as a backup. All the unused machinery or least used machinery should not get rusty in the corner of the plant. Instead, they can enjoy a happier and longer life in a storage unit.

Stress Relief

The mismanaged office is stressful for the bosses, but fortunately, a storage unit can save the day. Do not stay stressed because you have an impact on the entire team. Stop searching for different options and avoid salvage issues. Benefit from storage units, stay stress-free, and maintain a healthy atmosphere in the organization.

Get Rid of Cluttered Offices

According to a survey, 17 percent of the people look for storage units to get rid of clutter problems. Undoubtedly, unnecessary items give the firm a cluttered look, and it is overwhelming for everybody. If you haven’t rented or bought a unit, get it now and free yourself from cluttering issues.

Essentials Remain Safe

You may lose vital documents and important files since several unimportant things make a way in the company. When needed, you may not find the critical items, and this is where numerous problems are born. But storage units keep the unimportant ones safe and essential ones readily available for you.

Conclusion

Other than managing the employees and operations of your company, you must also manage the surroundings because a disorganized workplace results in lesser productivity. Furthermore, it also lowers employee morale. Hence, it is essential for you and your organization to stay organized with tangible goods. Your functions do not demand all the items, and several things at the office are out of use. Instead of overloading the workplace, be wise, and get a storage unit. It is a more convenient alternative for all the least used items. You can conveniently store them and use them as per the need – no need to sell and buy essential elements. Your firm will stay organized, and the employees will be more productive.

Achieving Balance: How Hormone Health Improves Personal Performance 

/in /by

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Hormone Health|Achieving Balance: How Hormone Health Improves Personal PerformanceThe human body is made up of numerous hormones that all have essential functions for the body’s overall well-being. It all stems from one straightforward concept. The hormones of the body have quite an element of control in how the human body functions through the control that it has. These hormones act as messengers so that your performance daily is as it should be.

It’s precisely for this reason that today, various health remedies are in place to help address the need for better hormone health. As one strives to keep their entire body in check, their hormone health should also be cared for.

Here’s why:

1. It Controls Overall Organ Functions

By the nature of what hormones are, it has the task of controlling the overall organ functions. Hormones travel all over the body. When they reach and bind to receptors, they lock together. When this process is completed, the hormones transmit the specific messages that they’re responsible for. Henceforth its ability to control the various functions of organs.

This is important so that every day, the human being can perform even the basic tasks that you’re supposed to achieve. With this, healthy hormones can accomplish the following:

  • The growth and development of the body
  • The reproductive processes of the human body
  • The various sexual characteristics that distinguish male from female
  • The ability of the body to store and process energy

Note that while hormones are widespread in the body, these don’t affect the human body in entirety. Every type of hormone has its respective function, depending on which organ or tissue it’s meant to send a message to. Because hormones perform this very important function for the human body, all the more that the clamor for balanced hormones now exists.

This is precisely the reason why it’s very important for individuals to check from time to time, their hormone levels, to ensure that all is well with them. Thankfully, products like HealthConfirm’s Hormone Vitality Complete have made it possible now to have hormone level measurements done at home, through their kits. This advantage gives you no reason not to be this prudent also about regularly checking your hormone levels.

2. It Helps Control How You Feel

Personal performance also includes one’s ability to process emotions or your ability to feel. If hormone health is poor, this also means that the level of hormones is disrupted. When this happens, you’ll also begin to notice changes in your mood. Imbalanced hormones lead to more severe mood swings. This can hinder even your behavior and your overall outlook for the day.

For example, even after a good night’s sleep, you notice that you’re still feeling weak and moody as you wake up. This may not be a problem of lack of rest anymore. It could also be a deeper problem, such as poor hormone health. With a better balance of your hormones, you end up happier.

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Hormone Health|Achieving Balance: How Hormone Health Improves Personal Performance3. It Controls The Metabolism Of Your Body

No matter how much you exercise or control your diet, if your metabolism is poor, this could also affect your ability to maintain a healthy weight. One of the functions of healthy hormones is its ability to control your metabolism.

This function stems from the hormones of the thyroid, which were built precisely for that purpose. Along with metabolism, other functions of healthy thyroid hormones include:

  • Regulating weight
  • Managing hair growth
  • Determining energy levels
  • Controlling the inner temperature of the body

4. It Boosts Brain Function

Good hormonal health is also necessary for the brain to function adequately. Remember that the brain doesn’t merely work on its own. It’s reliant on its connections and relationships with the other organs of the body. One of these are the hormones, or the critical messengers so that the brain can process various information, depending on the specific performance that it’s meant to do.

For instance, if your hormone health is poor, specific cognitive issues can arise. When this happens, your overall personal performance is also affected. You may not be able to do the tasks you were accustomed to, not just in your job, but even in other aspects of your life.

Examples of these adverse effects of how poor hormone health affects your brain would include:

  • Having only a short attention span
  • Quickly losing one train of thought
  • Experiencing frequent short and long-term memory gaps
  • Changes in creative coordination ability

You need to think of your brain as an operating system of a computer. To fuel its functions, excellent hormone health is necessary. The healthier your hormones are, the better your overall performance is.

5. It Keeps Your Body Healthy

When your body isn’t healthy, then it’s expected that you wouldn’t be able to function to your full potential. If you notice that you’re also getting sick more frequently, this could mean that your hormones may also be of poor health.

A proper balance of your hormones is needed to keep the immune system healthy. That way, you can better function and perform, as your body’s innate ability to ward off bacteria and viruses is stronger.

Takeaway

It’s normal for the human body to experience instances when certain hormones are depleted or that their overall function is affected. While the effects may sometimes be minor, this isn’t to be taken lightly. After all, good hormone health is needed for the body’s performance to be excellent. The more that you’re able to understand about hormone health after reading through this, the more that you can step forward with ensuring that your body’s overall hormone health is excellent.

How To Thrive In A Co-Working Space As A Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Co-working Space|How To Thrive In A Co-Working Space As A BusinessCo-working spaces have certainly become more popular over the years for their affordability and opportunities that it provides for businesses of all sizes. Whether it’s a temporary space in between offices or a permanent one, this is an environment that can work for you. Here are some tips to thrive in a co-working space as a business.

Use All The Features Available

Co-working spaces have a lot of benefits that come with the package you pay for. Depending on the type of co-working space, it will also depend on the number of amazing benefits that can come with your membership and the level of packages that are available. Some of the best ones might include a personal gym for members only, coffee and tea-making facilities, and even a bar. When you’re paying for this space, you might as well to take full advantage of all the features available because it’s a package that is worth utilizing, especially if it can help your business in a variety of ways. Working in a coworking environment certainly has it’s perks and in some cases, can be better than non-serviced buildings.

Network With Those Around You

Networking is a great way of meeting new people, and you can certainly get this when it comes to co-working spaces. There will be lots of people from all different backgrounds, and with these spaces, you usually get a lot of different businesses, start-ups, and individuals. You want to take full advantage of meeting these people and creating connections. You never know how they might be able to help you on your journey as a business. The influence that some might have could be life-changing, so start shaking hands and making small-talk!

Alternate Locations

There is usually a lot of different spaces within a co-working space, and it can certainly be beneficial to alternate between different locations. This can help your productivity, and it’s not something you would always get with a non-serviced building. You’ve got the freedom to go wherever and enjoy different setups whether it’s a sofa with a coffee table or a traditional desk area. It can also be great to do when you’re feeling particularly unmotivated to get anything done that day. Switch it up every couple of days or even every day if you prefer.

Keep The Productivity High For Team Members

Keeping your productivity levels high is important, especially for any team members that you might have who work with you in this co-working space. As much as it can be great for meeting new people, it can also pose as a distraction. Make sure you have a schedule that you can stick to and not deter from too much when it comes to your working day. Taking regular breaks is important, but it’s good to keep to a schedule in order to keep yourself motivated and productive.

A co-working space is definitely something worth considering if you think it’s the right fit for you. Use these tips to help you thrive!

Staying Motivated In Your Career : 3 Stellar Strategies to Try

/in /by

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Staying Motivated|Staying Motivated In Your Career : 3 Stellar Strategies to TryIt is not always easy to stay motivated at work. In fact, long hours, plus stress can drain all of the dedication and focus out of you. However, even if you are feeling the pull of inertia, there are some tactics you can use to stay consistently motivated. Read on to discover what they are.

Get your goal setting right.

The first way to maintain your motivation at work is to understand effective goal setting. This is because if you are always aiming for things in the distant future, it can be straightforward to lose the motivation to continue.

Instead, you must make sure that you have a mix of immediate, short, medium, and long term goals. For example, your long term goal may be to start up your own business. However, you may wish to set becoming a manager in the company in which you already word as a medium-term goal. Additionally, a short term goal would be to secure a raise and more responsibility in your current role. While an immediate goal could be to go and ask you superior to evaluate your progress so far.

In fact, in this way you can achieve something this week, and at various stages towards your end goal. All of which will help you achieve your end goal, but will also ensure that you stay motivated along the journey.

Understanding your motivation.

Another critical aspect of staying motivated in your career is getting to grips with what motivates you as a person. In fact, there are various ways of doing this, such as defining your values or goals in life.

However, one of the most effective ways to uncover the thing that drives you is to use tools like the Enneagram. The Enneagram test can be useful for personal development because it highlights both an individual’s most fundamental fear and their most basic desire. That is what they are moving towards and away from in all areas of their lives. Of course, both of these are essential areas of motivation for any type of action, including the ones we take concerning our career.

Meaningful work.

Finally, when it comes to motivation in your career, a touch of realism is vital. That is that in every single job there is, there are bad days. Days when you are fed up, drained and want to throw in the towel.

However, when you have a meaningful career, it is a lot easier to get through the more negative experiences. This is because then you will have an underlying motivation that trumps any issues you may face.

To that end, when selecting or changing a career, consider more than just the pay grade.

Instead, you also must consider factors like the ones below as well:

  • What you love to do.
  • How what you do can make a positive difference in the world.
  • What you are good at

In fact, this sweet spot between all of these factors is something the Japanese refer to as Ikigai. This is a state that will help you stay motivated at work even on the most challenging of days.

The Benefits of Time Blocking

/in /by

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Time Blocking|The Benefits of Time BlockingTime is one of the most important factors when it comes to business. Too little of it and you rush, anxiety levels increase, and you can miss vital bits of information. Too much of it and you can overwork your ideas or slip into the world of procrastination.

Managing your time will increase productivity and also help you unwind and relax, giving you a healthier work-life balance. It promotes productivity and is particularly useful for people who work remotely or are separated from their team.

One of the most effective ways of creating efficiency in your days, and reaching project deadlines, is time blocking.

The method really is as simple as it sounds. Unlike a timetable, you set your calendar and tasks into dedicated blocks. You are committing a set amount of time to each task. Colour coding will help you differentiate between projects and personal tasks.

Not only does this help you to structure your day, but it can also help your team understand how you are working and structure their time blocking around you too—giving you maximum team productivity.

Every business, small or large, should make time management the foundation of their working day, learning this simple method is the cornerstone of a more successful and productive atmosphere at work or home.
Does time blocking really work?

The simple answer is yes, even the easily distracted among us benefit from time blocking.

Making To-Do lists is a great start. However, most of us will recognize that a to-do list doesn’t always help us manage our time effectively. There are specific tasks that we know should take a couple of hours, but end up taking a full day because we are distracted or interrupted. We also tend to rush through tasks at the end of the day to ensure we complete them, or forget to reply to emails and lose potential business.

Time blocking for remote workers or sole traders is particularly useful for days you have family members around. If your family can see the blocks of time you have set to work on specific projects, they know not to disturb you, giving uninterrupted hours for you to dedicate to the task set.

If you are part of a team in a busy office, the method can be very effective. Sharing your time blocking calendar enables your colleagues to see your timeline and to avoid disrupting you. It’s like a friendly ‘do not disturb’ sign. It will make the whole project management team more dynamic and effective, giving you a positive pathway to your deadlines.

A team of individuals can be hard to manage on group projects. Every person naturally has a different time in their day when they are least, or most, productive. Establishing these times and creating a team time block will help you to get the most out of all team members, leading you to your deadline and allowing for contingencies too.

An important thing to remember is that time is fluid. You should be able to adapt your time blocking to any unexpected issues that arise in your day. The method makes this simple as you can effectively move blocks around the remaining hours of your day.

What are the main benefits?

When a team leader works out how to manage projects successfully, they often will be working on simultaneous project briefs. With time blocking, you are prioritizing the most critical tasks first.

With extended deadlines and a simple to-do list distractions slip in, and workers may be tempted to help a colleague with something or agree to a meeting with a potential new client. The process of time blocking gives accountability and a mini deadline. There is a clear directive, and everyone understands that certain hours will be dedicated just to one task.

Breaking a to-do list into daily, weekly or even monthly time blocks makes sure that those high priority tasks are completed, and everything else comes second.

When you create your team’s time blocks, always add a contingency into the timing. Tight turnarounds can increase pressure on individuals, and while some may thrive on this, others will crumble. The contingency should be a small amount of extra time in each block; up to 30 minutes is usually a good starter.

Another benefit is with fewer distractions comes efficiency. If you are self-managing a time block, then it’s worth switching off all your communications devices, such as your phone or notifications. Team leaders setting high priority tasks could add this to the time block. Suggesting that during individual blocks that all communication devices are set to ‘do not disturb’ this will give even more focus to ensure projects are completed without distraction.

Time blocking is also an excellent tool for setting realistic timelines. It can be easy to be pressured into quick turnarounds on projects. Still, it is better to underpromise and over deliver on time than it is to pressurize your team or set yourself impossible deadlines. The project manager should utilize the method as part of the pitching process, to enable them to know what is possible.

Saying ‘no’ to people isn’t always easy, mainly if it is an important client asking for a quick favour or one of your bosses calling you into a meeting. Having a dedicated time block allows you to turn down any interruptions that could cause a delay in the project while allowing you to see if you could fit it in during the rest of your day or week.

Finally, it sets our reminders on a deadline too. Many businesses are guilty of not completing a quote or a pitch for new work because live projects are getting in the way. Having an effective time blocking system will help remind you to reach out to new or past clients and ensure your after sales are on point, and you are still attracting new clients and projects.

How do I start time blocking?

It’s pretty simple to get started, especially if you are already an avid to-do lister.

The process should start with a simple list of everything you need to get done. You may find it easier to start with a day, or you might prefer to do a whole week or even a month.

Once you have your list set out, you then need to work out the order of priority, which jobs are most urgent, what order is best to do them in.

It’s then time to look at your working day. This will either be the time you are in an office, or if you work from home, you may decide to set your day up into the most productive times. This depends on your personal circumstances. Some remote workers prefer to work early in the morning or late at night.

The high priority jobs need to be allocated first and should happen when you feel you are at your most productive.

Your time blocking should also include moments in your day for rest, including mealtimes or socialization. A typical working day includes trips to the restroom, cups of tea and periods of exercise, by scheduling these into blocks, you will be more productive on your priority tasks. It can also help to leave one hour free, in case any emergencies or revisions come into your day. You can then move around your blocks. While the method does require commitment, it should also be able to move organically to fit with a realistic schedule.

Once you have set up a rough version of your time block, it’s time to move it onto a calendar. There are lots of different ways you can do this, including making your own and printing it out. Having a hard copy helps us access and stick to our tasks much easier. Setting the alarm on each time block will also help you know when its time to move on to the next project.

When you start to add your tasks to the calendar, use a colour-coded system. It helps to have a theme for personal and for work, then different colour selections for high priority and lower priority.

As you get used to working this method, you may find you complete tasks quicker than expected. If this is the case, you should move all your tasks back. You can use any time you have at the end of the day to complete lower priority tasks or to pat yourself on the back and take a well-earned rest.

The more you use time blocking, the more productive you will become. It may seem a little complicated to begin with; however, once you have formed the habit, you’ll make light work of building your projects into time blocks.

So, if you have been struggling with deadlines or managing multiple projects and people, this method is an excellent foundation for driving your business forward, building new strategies and helping guide your workforce and clients towards a healthier working day.