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Improving Employee Efficiency

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employee Productivity|Improving Employee EfficiencyIf you are able to save time in the office, then it can be something that can be really beneficial to your business and to your employees. These days, employees are spending more time at the office, and in many instances, are exceeding the typical hours that should be worked in a working week. However, simply working more hours isn’t something that is going to make much of a difference, as productivity can be lost over time. If the team is tired, asking them to keep working more than they should won’t be a good thing to do. So how can you as a leader in business help to improve the productivity of your employees, while still doing things to save time? Here are some of the top things to be thinking about.

Delegate

While this tip can seem like something that is obvious, it can be hard for some leaders to delegate and share the load. Your business is going to be your baby, and you’ll want to be in control of it. There is nothing wrong with checking on how something is going, or what the finished product looks like. But if it means you are wasting your time to check every small detail, then it can be detrimental to you, as well as the team of people you are working with. So instead, look to give responsibilities to the qualified employees, and then you just have to trust that they will perform the tasks. This helps the team to grow, as well as feel needed in the business, and can let you get on with other things, being more productive overall.

Train and Develop Employees

If you want to reduce training, or even stop it altogether, it can seem like you will save money as well as time. Although people can learn on the job, it can actually backfire, as learning on the job can be quite inefficient for some. So one thing to do, that will help productivity in the long run, is to take a day to train them in something, and carry on doing this from time to time, to show they are valued and that you want to keep them improving their skills.

You can get people in to train them, though with a corporate training platform, you could also perform the training yourself. Offer some continued employee development and help them to expand their skills. It will be what helps your business to grow and grow. You could also offer some specific courses, or things like mentoring, if they are ultimately looking to achieve something specific.

Embrace Telecommuting

If your business is one where just a laptop and a phone are all that is needed, then encourage and allow your team to work from home from time to time. You might think that they won’t get much done from home, however, the reality will be the opposite. Working from home can be much more productive, as they won’t gossip with colleagues, go to the coffee machine, or take a full lunch like they might when working in a city. Plus, you have the option to keep productivity high for your business. For example, an employee with a cold might feel a little rough to come in, though they are still able to function. Instead of them calling in sick, they can work from home, as that will be easier for them to do when they aren’t feeling completely at their based. In bed checking emails and getting things done, will be better for the business than that person doing nothing that day.

Freelance Career Taking Off? Three Strategies You’ll Definitely Need

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Freelance|Freelance Career Taking Off? Three Strategies You'll Definitely NeedIf your freelancing business is growing fast, you may be starting to think about hiring more people, and even asking questions about outsourcing. And that’s not a bad idea. A period of growth can be thrilling for a freelancer. That said, it can also pose significant challenges if you find yourself unable to cope with the uptick in demand, as well as the increasing complexity that comes with becoming a larger operation.

But that’s no reason to feel intimidated. These tips will help you anticipate some of the most common pitfalls of rapid growth for freelancers, and put measures in place to avoid them.

Manage Your Cash Flow

When you had just started your business, you may have been able to manage your accounts without too much confusion. But expansion brings more clients and staggered projects on different timelines, both of which contribute to a vastly more complex cashflow system. Cash flow can be a bit like dominoes: letting one piece fall can quickly result in the whole system collapsing. With that in mind, it makes sense to invest in freelancer accounting tools to help you keep your ducks in a row.

Goodbye, Home Office

Launching your freelancing business from home makes sense on so many levels. You have no overheads, you can work whenever you want, and you can control your environment to avoid distractions.

But once your business starts to grow, you may start to feel like your home office is holding you back. Unless you live in a very central location, you may not be able to make it to important meetings with clients at short notice, so you could be missing out on opportunities for expansion. (And if you do commute in to meet with clients, where will you meet them? A Starbucks? How unprofessional does that look!) And how are you supposed to grow your team if you don’t have opportunities to meet like minded people? Working in isolation means you miss out on networking opportunities, which could be costing you more business than your thrifty home office is saving you per month. In other words, working from home has started to cost you money.

Time to get out of the house. That’s not to say you need to lease your own office. A coworking space could provide the central location and networking events you need to boost your business, without the upfront financial commitment or high rent.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Freelance|Freelance Career Taking Off? Three Strategies You'll Definitely NeedBe the Boss of Your Taxes

The bigger your business gets, and the more people are involved, the more complicated your tax situation becomes. There are decisions to be made about how you present yourself legally, like whether you want to incorporate or remain as an individual trader. And there’s nothing more detrimental to a business than falling behind or defaulting on your taxes simply because of a lack of organization and foresight. If your business is starting to grow, it makes sense to sit down with an accountant and get your head around your tax obligations, making sure you tick all the right boxes and stay fully above board.

Whether you’re a copywriter, web designer or social media manager, your freelance business will go through some significant changes once you start to gather momentum. These tips will help you avoid the speed wobbles that this exciting period of growth could bring.

Creating Your Business From Home And The Things To Consider

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Working from Home|Creating Your Business From Home And The Things To ConsiderMany people like the idea of working from home, and with that comes the opportunity to work for yourself and still get the benefit of family life. It’s striking that right balance and some people love the opportunities it raises to have the best of everything. Of course, starting an at home business may sound like an easy thing to do, but there is still much to consider. With that in mind, here are some of the things you could consider when starting a business from home. Maybe it will provide you with that inspiration to take that first step yourself.

What’s the business idea?

First of all, you need an idea. If working from home is something you are seriously thinking about then you need to have a clear vision and a plan of direction for exactly what you want to do, how you are going to do and how much you can realistically earn from it. It’s important to think about money early on, because many of us have commitments of bills that we need to adhere to. Leaving your job means you lose that consistency of pay, so ensuring that you don’t have the pressure of earning nothing can help you to steer your business in the right direction. Of course, it doesn’t always happen straight away, so having a buffer saved can take the overwhelming pressure away. Research your idea, look into to domain names and social media handles and ensure that your idea and what you offer is different from direct competition.

How will it get from you to consumer?

You have your idea, you know what you want to do, but how does it get from you to your consumer? This is when we are talking about delivery methods. When you offer a service, it is a little different, but if you are selling a product of some description now is the time to think about packaging, your labelling solutions and postal costs and this will help you when advertising online and through your website. Is it something that could be packaged up in a tube such as wall art or quotes that a printed? Or maybe you need something more box like. A quick search online might help you to identify some of the best places to buy packaging from, and then check out your local post office or courier for postage costs to ensure you get the best deal.

How do you separate your work life from your home life?

Last thing to think about would be your home life and working life and finding the balance between the two. It can be hard to separate those loves when you are working in the same environment so it might be worth trying to create a working area where at least you can walk away from work when you need a break or the time comes to spend time with the family. Maybe a home office or a desk in a specified area could be the way forward. Some people choose to go to further lengths and create offices in their gardens or in lofts or cellars. The options are endless but do what feels right for you to ensure that you separate the life. This is so it doesn’t always feel like you are working.

Let’s hope these tips help you to kick start you at home business.

Got Employees AND A Home Business? Make Your Home Safe To Work

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Home Business|Got Employees AND A Home Business? Make Your Home Safe To WorkA lot of business owners work from home these days – it’s a flexible working arrangement, and works out in favor of most modern career minds. And when you’ve got a home business, the world really is your oyster! You create and innovate when at home, and you talk to customers and solve their problems from your own desk, and that really helps to boost your confidence and your business acumen.

But when you get the chance to expand, and bring an employee or two into your home business, a few changes might need to be made. After all, you’ve got liability on your doorstep now, and that means you need to create a space that’s safe for work. But how do you get started with that?

Try to Contain the Footfall

If you’re working out of a residential area, you’re definitely going to want to pay mind to this tip most of all; the neighbors might start getting annoyed about the visitors coming and going all day every day! You might want to start scheduling meetings and hangouts away from your house, and in a nearby cafe or restaurant.

But if you cannot quite manage that on your calendar, you’ll have to make an extra effort to try to contain the amount of people in your home, first of all. How? Only call people in certain days. And also make sure any employees in your home are kept to certain areas – if you don’t want people heading upstairs, make sure it’s cordoned off!

Highlight the Problem Areas

Your home might have a lot of problem areas to it, seeing as you live there, possibly with quite a few family members. There could be a lot of mess, or there could be some repairs that need to be done in your personal time – you need to be sure your employees never run into trouble when coming across these areas. So what can you do? You can highlight them!

Of course, you’re not going to want a professional person to notice just how messy your home might be, but if there’s an element of danger involved, it’s important to do so. For example, if you’re getting your wiring redone, or you’ve got some plumbing issues, taping the area off with a bit of reflective tape will naturally highlight the problem to even the most unobservant of eyes. If you want someone to keep away, use a bold color, especially if you’re going to be working quite late into the evening!

Keep Things Quiet

And finally, try to keep the noise down. Maintain a quiet working environment – try to keep your voices at conversation level and no higher, and always use silent powerpoints and human driven presentations more often than not!

A home business is going to need an extra hand or two, at some point. Make sure you’re ready to accept more and more people into your home on a professional basis. It’ll save the carpet at least!

Working from Home with A Disability

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Working with a Disability|Working from Home with A DisabilityIt is estimated that around 19% of the UK population of the adult, working age suffer from a disability according to recent data obtains by the department of work and pensions (DWP.) Despite significant improvements in employment rates and government programs arising to further support those with disabilities enter into work, it is undeniable that having a disability has a significant impact on your success when seeking a job.

Depending on the impairment, disability can influence the duties you are able to perform. In the case of mobility complications, getting to work and around work can present its own set of challenges that cannot always be avoided. Advances in technology and online job roles present a much greater opportunity for those with disabilities to work from home, and this can actually be an advantage. It can offer autonomy, flexibility and the opportunity to either take up remote working for a company or to work for yourself.

What can you do?

The options available to you are limited only by your own imagination. If you are computer savvy then suggestions could include:

  • Remote telemarketing
  • Online tutoring
  • Freelance writing
  • Transcription
  • Home call center or customer support agent
  • Online auctioning
  • Online businesses

In addition to this there is also a growing trend surrounding crafting, and many people both enjoy and make a good living from making things to sell; baking, greetings cards, trinkets, artwork, and customized clothing are all popular homemade products that are allowing people to make money, work around their family life or appointments and enjoy the autonomy of working for themselves.

It is fairly straight forward to set up an online business, there are many apps and software to manage your finances and invoicing and it is quick and easy to get professional websites and marketing material produced.

Preparing for home working

There are a few things to consider when preparing for working from home with a disability:

Technology

If you plan to take up an online endeavor then you may require a computer or laptop, or appropriate hardware or software to improve its ease of use. There are various technologies available such as screen readers, magnification, voice recognition, and adapted keyboards available for those with physical impairments, that can make computer use far more accessible.

Access

Mobility can pose an issue both at work and at home. If you intend to set up your own home business then you may prefer to use a designated office space. For many this can be a spare bedroom or study space. The chances are that you will store paper work, materials or other essentials away from your working area and if you suffer from mobility issues or are a wheelchair user, this can be taxing. Terry Lifts can make traveling from floor to floor for work much easier and quicker, are unobtrusive and don’t require significant structural changes to your property to install.

Deciding what to do

Settling on a business idea or setting up a home business can present its own hurdles. The beauty of home working is you have the autonomy to find your passion. You can try a few things and see what brings you the greatest job satisfaction, job satisfaction is important for both motivation and mental wellbeing. Test the water a little, experiment and pursue something that you find interesting or enjoyable. Contacting equal opportunities for employers and enquiring about remote working options may open up other ideas that you had thought were off the table. Do some research and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance; there are many charities, community, and government schemes and investors whose objectives are to assist those with disabilities in finding work.

Don’t let disability hold you back

Whatever your condition, don’t let it hold you back from following your dreams. Remote working opportunities, crafting, online retail, having a determined and positive mindset and finding convenient work can bring a multitude of job opportunities to your doorstep, quite literally.