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Starting Your Own Small Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting your own Business|Starting Your Own Small BusinessThere are no limits when it comes to starting your own business and making a breakthrough in any industry. When you’re trying to become successful and run a strong business, there are lots of things you need to pay attention to if you want to build a company that’s competitive, reputable, and lucrative. Most people make a mistake and try to build a brand based on strategies they’ve copied from famous entrepreneurs, but that’s never a good plan. Moreover, this is a sign that you’re not doing something right and that your business won’t make it once you hit the market. Instead, try to do thorough research and make sure you’re looking into every detail when building your business and making sure you’ve covered all the basics.

Do the research

Having a great business idea is the first and most crucial step you need to take, but after you come up with such an idea, you’ll need to research the market in order to discover what you need to do to boost your business. This will help you stay relevant, be more competitive, and see how other businesses function.

This also means you’ll have to do proper market research, especially if you’re starting a business that requires feedback. This will help you find your ideal clients and customers, and direct your marketing plan towards their attention. In addition to that, you’ll see what people have to say and use their opinion to make sure your product is the best one on the market at the moment.

Create a business plan

Once you decide what you’re going to do and how you’re going to develop your business, you need to create a detailed business plan. This will allow you to anticipate the future of your business and develop it gradually, from the startup phase to getting new deals and growing your network.

Sometimes it takes a while to get established and recognized, so having a plan will allow you to take all the right steps. If you want to look for possible investors and get them interested in your venture, for instance, this can be a deciding factor because they’ll probably want to see what you have planned for your business in the future. You can even include different answers and ideas on how to solve possible problems just to make sure you’re ready for everything.

Work on your workspace

When it comes to designing your workplace, you need to pay as much attention to details as possible. If you’re starting a business in the healthcare industry, for example, you’ll see how every little detail needs to be carefully planned – the same goes for other industries, but this one is the most demanding when it comes to details.

When creating a hospital design, you need to make sure that you do everything in accordance with the law, and design a space that’s functional, practical, and safe. In addition to that, you need to use those helpful hospital pharmaceutical lighting fixtures that are made specifically for this purpose. These will illuminate your space properly and make it more visually appealing and comfortable – both for the patients and the staff. Making sure your space is organized and functional is what’s going to help you stand out in the competitive market and build patient’s trust.

Get the necessary licenses and permits

This is something most entrepreneurs are unaware of, but you won’t be able to notice how many different things are involved in starting a business until you begin gathering all the necessary paperwork. From gathering all the licenses and permits to preventing all potential issues that might occur in the future, sticking to legal boundaries and regulations is crucial. This process might take a while, and you’ll have to invest some energy and patience into it, so just start working on it immediately and get it over with as soon as you can.

Different countries require you to get different licenses and permits, so the first thing you should do is talk to a professional in your area and learn what sort of licenses and permits you’ll need to obtain. In addition to area-specific paperwork, you shouldn’t forget some of the most common licenses and permits that are required for small businesses anywhere in the world. So, start taking care of this issue right now and try not to let bureaucracy defeat you!

Starting a small business isn’t easy, but it’s exciting and fun, so don’t be afraid to begin this adventure ASAP, and good luck!

Remote Positivity: Emulating Optimism for Your Work-From-Home Employees

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Work From Home| Remote Positivity: Emulating Optimism for Your Work-From-Home EmployeesThe work from home dynamic has come into our society in full force. Since the pandemic’s effects have significantly impacted our ability to congregate in groups, many companies have used remote work to keep their workflow on a proper level and collaborate with employees working from home.

There are numerous ways that technology has adeptly adapted to this, with apps and services across multiple platforms able to aid in employee communications no matter their location. However, one must remember that there are psychological effects on social isolation, ranging from anxiety to sleeplessness.

It starts with a company leader addressing these issues and taking the initiative to create a realm of positivity for his or her working community. Once done, employees can more easily thrive in a workplace with core values of workplace strength and support.

Collaborate and Listen

The applications that the tech world has developed have been a mainstay in the work from home atmosphere. No longer do people need to leave messages, wait hours for contact, or wonder which roles they have on a company project. Whether utilizing instant messaging, video conferencing, or campaign tracking, apps like GoToMeeting and Slack have all been heavily downloaded and integrated into remote work environments. Digital transformation will only continue to evolve with further refinement of workflow customization tools.

However, it’s important to note that “collaboration” is an integral part of these workflow collaboration apps. That means rising together towards the desired group result–but more than anything, it means a leader willing to step up and create a constructive and enthusiastic environment.

Project management is an essential part of any brand, for example, but proper communication with employees is necessary to steady productivity. Make sure that your working community knows that they’re valued on a personal level. Checking in for friendly workforce chats weekly, making employee onboarding a priority for future work efforts, and rewarding especially excellent efficiency with warm messages are all ways in which you can exemplify your positive work atmosphere.

Zooming the Right Way

If you’ve been working from home, then you’ve probably been using Zoom: the video communications service that’s connected a multitude of remote work employees through web conferencing. However, during the past few weeks, there’s been a concern over the notion of excess comfort in personal home office use with Zoom.

The concept of “Zoom etiquette” is one that has recently been in conversation across multiple sectors. Specifically, there is debate about how many behaviors one may or may not allow when videoconferencing in groups. Addressing this topic with your employees will eliminate any chance of discomfort for them during video conferences.

For example, if one hasn’t had the time for a lunch break and needs to eat during a long meeting, should one wait and not interrupt? The consensus seems to be that it is alright. However, temporarily switching off one’s camera and muting one’s microphone so as not to disturb the other members with possible sound interventions is best.

Other possible scenarios involve establishing that social media alerts or other interruptions don’t divert your employees. These will limit their ability to remember aspects of your video meeting, as well as demonstrate a lack of professionalism that other employees might catch onto.

However, ensure that your workforce member isn’t excessively stressed if a child or pet causes a minor interruption. Know that there are some elements in the new normal that you can control as an authority leader and some aspects that you cannot. Your working community will notice you, and your bolstering environment, more for it.

Communicate and Know the Purpose

With an untold amount of startups in the current atmosphere and a market that seems to change every second, there is a measure of instability that can occur when a company operates on an unstable foundation. Profit may be coming in with a trending product or service, but long-term success is built upon leadership that understands its key areas of skills and fortitude. Having each of your employees understand your brand’s–and your own life’s–mission will give better clarity to your organization, helping align short-term wants with long-term goals.

But communication doesn’t just come from one direction. Through videoconference, asking your employees what they believe their strengths to be and what they want to achieve in life will open up mental pathways on both sides. It will give them a sense of purpose and resolve, knowing that you have a sincere interest in their skillset.

They’ll see that they can chat with you if they notice an additional lead or avenue that the business can take in the future. And for you, as a leader, you may learn an additional power area from one of your working community members that you can now count on moving forward.

Communication has evolved to a level that few of us expected to see a year ago. With digital transformation, we’ve seen video conferencing and webinars take hold in our day-to-day work experiences. However, this doesn’t mean that the foundational aspects of a positive work environment need to lessen. Using the proper strategies, an optimistic working community can advance and lead to a brighter future for every work-from-home member.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor |Veronica BaxterVeronica Baxter is a legal assistant and blogger living and working in the great city of Philadelphia. She frequently works with Todd Mosser Esq., a busy criminal appeals lawyer, Philadelphia PA.

4 Professionals All New Businesses Should Work with

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |New Business|4 Professionals All New Businesses Should Work withAll successful businesses start with a good team. However, you will have some skill gaps here and there, and there are cases when you will have no choice but to bring in outside help. The question for many is who they should be spending money on and what they can handle themselves. Let’s take a look at some of the professionals all budding businesses should consider working with if they want to increase their chances of success.

Accounting

One of the first people you’ll have to work with is a good accounting firm. This will make sure that you’re compliant and that you avoid major mistakes. Not only that, but a good accountant will allow you to get the most benefits and be as tax-efficient with your assets as possible.

If you’re looking for a great team, you should try looking at the accountancy and business services from Azets, they will not only make sure that your financial returns are on point, but also get expert advice from their team on how to steer your business in the right direction. That way, you won’t have to worry about missing important dates and reduce the chances that you’ll be hit with an audit. And if you are, dealing with it will be much easier.

Commercial Lawyer

This is someone everyone who’s running a serious business needs in their corner. You never know when you’ll be hit by a lawsuit. It could be because a product was faulty, or it might be an issue with how it was advertised. A lawyer will not only be able to help you in case you get sued, but they can help you prevent lawsuits as well.

They can also help you with copyright law, intellectual property, and drafting or reviewing contracts for you, may it be with your employees, vendors, suppliers, or customers. You might also need help when dealing with commercial leases, which can get very complex. These are all things a lawyer will be able to assist you with.

A Recruiter

This is one of the most overlooked professionals that businesses need to work with. Recruiting is a big issue for most new businesses. It is also something a lot of business owners think they can handle on their own for some reason. But they could be saving themselves so much time, money, and headaches if they simply went with a recruiter.

A recruiter will reduce the time it will take for you to find a specialised employee. They will take the time to look at your business’s objectives and profile and find someone that fits it. This will increase the chances that the person you get will be enthusiastic about the job. It will also help reduce turnover, which is very important if you’re just getting started. What you need the most now is stability, especially at senior positions, which is why you should consider working with a recruiter to fill them.

Online Marketing Agency

This is also something all businesses should consider – don’t make the mistake of assuming that someone who understands code or how to build websites will know how to improve your SEO or set up a PPC campaign. If possible, leave it to professionals and do what you can on your side.

There are tons of people out there whose job it is to help you reach your goals and objectives. So, if you feel you may be in over your head in certain areas, don’t be afraid to reach out.

How To Reduce Your Workload As A Business Owner

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Reduce your Workload|How To Reduce Your Workload As A Business OwnerBusiness owners are, necessarily, very busy people. This is even more true if they are the only ones working in their business (and therefore are doing everything), or if their team is a small one. Although you might think this is simply par for the course, the truth is that working non-stop, starting early and finishing late, is both unproductive and bad for your health since it can quickly lead to burnout.

It might seem impossible to reduce your workload if you want to continue to grow your business and get everything done even if you know it’s the right thing to do. However, there are ways it can be done; read on to find out more.

Make A Plan

If you know what needs to be done (and if you don’t know, it’s wise to look into exactly what tasks you do each day and find out) then you can plan it all out and become much more productive and, ideally, free up some of your time as well.

The best way to start with this plan is to look at prioritizing your tasks and determining which are the ones that have to be done first, and which can wait until later. In other words, anything that is urgent and important goes to the top of the list, anything that is not important and not urgent goes to the bottom, and those that are urgent but not important and important but not urgent can go in the middle.

As well as this, it’s a good idea to start each day with a goal in mind. When you are working towards something, whether it’s completing your to-do list or finishing work at a certain time, for example, you’ll be much more focused. It’s easy to waste time when you don’t have something to work towards.

Delegate

The idea of delegating any of your work might be a concerning one; after all, if someone else is taking on the task, how will you be able to maintain control? How will you know it’s done in the way you want it to be done?

The answer is simple; before you delegate, you train. If you carry out training with your staff members, they will understand exactly what it is you want from them. They will like the fact that you’re trusting them with more responsibility, so they’re going to be more productive. Although this training might take a little time, once it’s done you can cross another task off your life forever. Just check on the end result once in a while to ensure the quality is there and that’s it.

If you don’t have any staff members to delegate to, you can look into how to hire personal assistants. This can be done virtually, and these highly trained helpers will be able to do many different admin tasks from making phone calls to answering emails that would otherwise have taken up a lot of your time.

Take A Lot Of Breaks

It probably sounds completely counter-intuitive, but stepping away from your work and doing something else, whether that something is having a nap, going for a walk, watching TV, exercising, making some art, or anything else that is non-work related, will actually make you more productive when you return.

This break will give your brain a chance to relax and refocus. If you continue to work without taking a break, you’ll just become more and more tired and the work you do will be of a lower quality, plus it will take you longer to do overall. Take plenty of breaks and the work will be done to a higher standard in a shorter space of time.

CV Writing Tips to Land A Job In Diversity And Inclusion

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Development Article |Diversity and Inclusion |CV Writing Tips to Land A Job In Diversity And InclusionDiversity and inclusion is a relatively new field of work that has gained a lot of traction over the last few years. The widespread social unrest that defined the end of 2020 has sparked a much-needed conversation on diversity and inclusion. As a direct result of the improved visibility of social issues relating to ethnicity, gender, physical ability, etc., we now see companies implementing more policies that aim to improve the working environment of their employees.

To do so, businesses have had to actively look for talent that can implement diversity and inclusion practices, which has resulted in a boom of hiring in Q2 2020. The number of hires in diversity roles more than doubled in that period, which is remarkable in the current state of crisis – and the trend doesn’t seem to abate.

With this being the case, many people are seriously considering trying their chances at jobs that have a diversity and inclusion focus. However, while the demand for such talent is high, the competition for positions is also quite fierce, and you’ll need your CV writing skills to be as sharp as possible if you want to land a job. Here’s what you need to consider.

Know What A Diversity & Inclusion Position Is

First things first – no two diversity and inclusion positions are alike, even within the same company. Due to the fact that diversity and inclusion practices, initiatives, and positions are something of a novelty, no industry has a unified vision of what a diversity and inclusion job should be. The fact that companies are vastly different and have varying circumstances, needs, and requirements further complicates matters.

Some companies have taken an active interest in promoting fair treatment of their employees and making sure that the working conditions in their offices are as welcoming and inclusive as possible. These companies will be looking to add diversity and inclusion officers to their boards, whose jobs will be to make company policy that steers the business in that particular direction.

Companies going the extra mile to promote belonging will also need experienced managers who are well versed in diversity and inclusion to implement said policies.

Some companies that wish to push for more representation in their workforce will need to employ diversity recruiters. Those will need to be experienced HR specialists while also being trained in promoting diversity, equality, and belonging.

The pattern here should be obvious by now – having diversity and inclusion qualifications is usually an additional requirement, rather than the main function of the position in question. Sure, it’s an important part of the job – but a company looking for a diversity manager or diversity recruiter will probably seek experienced candidates, first and foremost. Take this into serious consideration and tailor your CV accordingly.

Emphasize Your Skills And Experience

Before you apply for a diversity and inclusion position at a company, you need to do your due diligence. Research the company and its products, achievements, and goals. Read through their press releases, and familiarize yourself with their way of doing things as much as possible.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter – they will need to hire people to drive diversity and inclusion initiatives forward, that much is true. However, their most important job is to get people who are right for the position and right for the company. Make sure you take every opportunity to demonstrate that you are the best person for all of their needs.

Ideally, you should arrange your achievements, skills, and qualifications in a manner that would be most readable and useful to HR. Once you make sure all of your credentials are in check, make sure you modify each and every one of them to link them to fit the diversity and inclusion focus of that position.

Advertise Your Personal Qualities

Lately, companies have come to put a high value on soft skills, such as optimism, communication, openness, etc. The ability to deal with failure, the ability to work in stressful circumstances are especially relevant in the current crisis climate.

However, a job in diversity and inclusion requires a very particular set of qualities, such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and cultural sensitivity.

Moreover, being able to demonstrate that you have a deep personal commitment to the idea of inclusion and diversity will most likely be crucial for landing a job in this field of work. You will need to be outspoken about your ideas of implementing diversity and inclusion policies at every level of the company and convincing in your argument of why you’re the best candidate for the job.