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Improving Your Office For The New Year

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Improve your Office|Improving Your Office For The New YearIn 2021, as professionals begin returning to their office spaces and welcoming a new year of hopeful normality, it’s important for all business owners to use this time as an opportunity. This opportunity can entail equipping the office with the equipment it needs, redoubling efforts to keep it hygienic, and using methods to improve team morale from top to bottom. Those kinds of investments are almost always worth it, because it will serve as a direct measure of trust in your brand, your culture, and your people.

Improving your offices for the new year also helps you shake up this space, likely long-vacant thanks to the pressures of this year. But what measures will actually make the difference? How can firms allocate their budget and spending towards this goal when times may be tight in the first place? These questions are worthwhile to ask, because they can provide you with a means in which to justify your approach, and better understand the investments you are making. With our following advice, you’re sure to step in the right direction:

Upgrade & Outfit Your Office

There are likely many little niggling issues that have been getting on your nerves, and that was before remote work became the norm. Upgrading and outfitting your office can be as easy as buying office furniture online and provide you with the means to get the ball rolling as soon as you return, and the space necessary to resolve those issues from the offset. For instance, office cell phone boosters from WilsonPro are proven to up the cell phone reception and signal in your office space, which can often be difficult considering the materials the building is made from.

Little resolutions like this, with inexpensive yet reliable equipment, can provide you with the functionality necessary to bring your A-game to the new year. If you can achieve that, odds are you’ll notice the difference in productivity compared to the start of 2020, when offices were populated in the best possible sense.

Ensure Devices Are Well Stocked & Maintained

Ensure your office devices are well stocked and maintained. Replenishing your stock of toner, ensuring your laptops are fully backed up with the latest anti-virus protocols, collaborating with your managed IT services, all of this will help your office functionality stay sharp and ready – much like your returning employees.

It might be that you need to recall your company devices for a moment just to ensure they are updated with the latest protocols. For instance, Google Suite has now changed into Google Workspace, and that may mean you use lesser apps to manage your workflow.
Part of renewing your devices means educating your staff in how to use them, and figuring out new methods of improving your productivity. To use an example, Google Meet could be a perfect addition to your Hangouts policies, only this may require the installation of new apps to work phones. As your devices are part of your workflow, they are also part of the office, and so this is a viable use of your time.

Thorough Cleaning Measures

Thorough cleaning can make all the difference when returning to a normal working schedule. It’s important for your office to shine, and to protect itself against the growing number of difficulties offices have faced.

Deep cleaning will help your staff feel comfortable that you have taken the right precautions, and that they can trust you and your attempts at keeping the space as clinical as possible. Window cleaning, tidying up the exterior of your business, reshining the brand signs and making sure the carpets are refreshed can help the entire space shine, inner and outer. That can help you inspire pride in your office and workplace, something worth encouraging when you hope to kickstart the renewed morale of your employees. Furthermore, cleaning also helps you identify issues that you may not have addressed for some time, from growing damp in your bathroom to scuff marks left by chairs on your carpet.

Sometimes a renewal can help you see this space as it should be seen – radiant, new, vibrant, and worthwhile. That can help any brand feel renewed confidence in itself, from now into the future. That kind of perception you cannot by, but you can come across with hard work, and it’s perfect for a new year full of positive possibilities.

Adjusting Workspace Terminals

Adjusting the terminals in your workspace will help you ensure a regular flow of productivity when staff feel safe, protected, and your space is used in the best possible manner. For instance, seating staff far enough apart with dividers can ensure nothing spreads, while also ensuring staff feel dominion over their workspaces.

It’s important to remember that staff are coming in from remote work options and have had full control over their space for some time. Moving into an office once more can certainly be an adjustment for them, and so it’s up to you to make this approach as friendly and reliable as possible.

Adjusting your workspace in this capacity can also mean investing in worthwhile ventilation, to ensure the space is breathable yet not cold over the winter period. Workspace terminal adjustment may also mean rededicating yourself to cable management, to totally reduce trip hazards and improve desk space. This can give staff the capacity to bring in their own devices, something they may have become used to during the remote working period.

Managed IT Maintenance

Managed IT maintenance will restore your business functionality in the best sense, but upgrading your serviced package or asking to renew certain measures, such as your cloud functionality support and accessibility, can help you refine your workflow.

This might involve slowly backup up all of your data onto the cloud, or it might mean ensuring you are still working with the latest cybersecurity compliance possible. Those measures can help any firm stay thoroughly capable, well-developed and measured from the offset. These efforts can make any firm retain its standing in the best possible sense, even if that means servicing the devices our staff use. Keeping everyone on the same page and encouraging a tune-up of our workflows can make a big difference after everyone has been working at home for some time – a lesson we could all do with learning.

Considering Ergonomics

It’s a good time to invest in staff health. Ensuring they are as functional and able as you hope they would otherwise be can be taken into your own hands. For instance, you may decide to invest in better office furniture, or standing desk toppers to help your staff work and exercise as they may be better off doing.

Simple a renewed intra-office campaign reminding staff to sit up straight, to lift the monitor to the top of their eyeline, and to stretch when possible can help the office serve as a functional, health-abetting resource in the best possible sense. Considering ergonomics can mean investing in chairs with good lumbar support, purchasing left-handed mice and keyboards for your left-handed employees as appropriate. This will all combine to help your staff feel thought of, and it can help them iron out any undue aches and pains that may have otherwise came from bad posture sitting at home for a time. A good place to begin, then.

Making The Most Of Your Space

Making the most out of your space can also be important at this time. For instance, it might be that you’ve been using your conference facilities as a storeroom since the remote work requirements started taking place. Making the most of your space could mean opening this back up again, and using this as a spill-in room to enact social distancing when your employees return to their stations.

It could be that you’ve been meaning to refurbish your office kitchen since forever, due to the fact that space has been disheveled for a while and you haven’t quite gotten around to it. A new refrigerator, a new microwave, and new doors on the cupboards could mean a lot to your staff, who will likely use part of this space as a means of collaborating and connecting with one another once more.

For some, making the most of your space could mean simply ensuring that your smoking area is cleaned up and that the shelters are in place to protect against the weather. Renew your standards, they can make a massive difference regarding how you see your firm, and how it presents itself to the wider world.

Simple Aesthetic Additions

It can be nice to have the little things speak to your office culture, and celebrate it. For instance, a large ‘welcome back’ sign, or a list of people who have done outstanding work remotely, or perhaps signs that reassure your staff they can visit your HR office anytime. Little additions, to help the office culture shine, can help everyone feel comfortable returning to it.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily improve your office for the new year. Your staff, your brand, and you deserve it.

Marketing Techniques to Use in 2020

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Marketing Techniques|Marketing Techniques to Use in 2020There are some marketing techniques that you should always try to use in your business no matter what sector your company might operate in. These techniques and strategies will help push your business to the next level. Let’s take a look at some of the things you should be including in your marketing strategy, regardless of your business.

Education

There is always room for you to include a little education with your content to create the best possible posts that you can be certain your audience are going to want to see. Consumers nowadays want to know where their products are coming from, and they want to know more about the companies that they are buying from. It is incredibly important that you offer your customers the chance to learn more about your brand when coming to you.

This education does not have to compromise your trade secrets in any way. If you are a Fairtrade company, put in a page about how you achieve this status. Make content explaining the benefits of your products or services. You will often find that customers want to build trustworthy relationships with their favourite brands. Education is an excellent way to do it.

Personalisation

In 2020, consumers expect their communications with brands to be a little more personalised than it might have been in previous years. This goes far beyond just slapping a customer’s name on their emails or messages. It needs to be tailored to that customer and their preferences.

There are so many tools that you can use nowadays to collect data about your customers that you can then use to create more personalised marketing for them. You can even ask them to complete small questionnaires that will help your teams to come up with content that is going to suit them. You should get to know your customers as individuals and treat them as such. Offering small deals that lead to a more personalised experience as a company is always going to be better.

Use Video

Video content is some of the best you could include on your site. There are so many interesting ways that you could incorporate video content in your business, and you should try to add some as soon as you can. From tutorials to testimonials, or even some behind-the-scenes footage that shows you take a product from design to shipment, there are so many interesting paths to follow.

Making video content can be a lot more complicated that just creating images. Reaching out to a digital marketing service might be the right choice for your company. If you want an all-round service, try these digital experts. Not only can they help you make high-quality video content but they can also help you to properly upload it to your site do it can be used with the latest SEO strategies.

Livestreams

In addition to traditional video content, your brand might also want to look into some of the benefits of livestreaming. This is easily done through your social media. Both Facebook and Instagram carry the capabilities to go live. It is easy to set up and can reach a lot of your audience in a short amount of time with a lot of engagement in return.

Live content can be used to make special announcements, or even to showcase different products or services that might be on offer through the company. You might even decide to simply have a live “catch-up”, where you just sit and answer questions as they come in. It is definitely something worth looking into.

Concentrate on Your Local SEO

Since many businesses have made the jump to e-commerce in the past few years, there has been a large concentration of SEO outreach for a more general audience. People want to be able to rank well for their chosen sectors, and so they try to focus their SEO on reaching these goals even if it means going up against some of the biggest companies around.

However, you also need to make sure that you concentrate on your local SEO too. Fill out your Google My Business listing, and make sure that you optimise your local SEO so new customers can actually find you. If you are not a wholly digital company, you might still get a lot of foot traffic from people in your local area. All brick and mortar businesses need to ensure that potential local patrons are able to find them online.

These are all key points that all businesses need to be able to cover in 2020. Make sure you add some of the above marketing strategies to your business soon. You might be surprised to see the difference it can make to your brand overall. Marketing is one of those disciplines that few businesses can allow to slide.

Keeping it Simple:The Right Cleaning Method for 8 Types of Floors

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Cleaning Method for Floors|Keeping it Simple:The Right Cleaning Method for 8 Types of FloorsThere are at least eight types of flooring in homes and commercial buildings, and it is important to use the correct method and cleaners for each floor. The goal is to keep each type of floor looking clean and new without damaging it in the cleaning process. There is a correct cleaning and care method for each type of floor. Using the correct cleaning method will help the floor last longer and look better every day.

Using Professional Cleaning Services

Homeowners who have busy schedules , homeowners with limited mobility, or business owners may find it more convenient to hire floor care from Grime Scrubbers. A professional floor cleaning company has the training and equipment to clean every type of floor correctly for the best results. If a building owner has high traffic or multiple types of flooring, it may be easier to leave the cleaning to professionals then to try to figure out cleaning methods for each type of flooring.

Professional floor cleaning companies have all the correct chemicals and machinery on hand to do the best cleaning job in a short amount of time. When building owners sign up for a weekly, monthly or other regular cleaning program, there are often price breaks. Some types of flooring need regular cleaning and waxing with periodic stripping, sealing and re-waxing. This is a difficult job better left to professionals with the correct equipment. Other floors need buffing periodically to look their best.

This takes special equipment.

Buildings or homes with carpet need a different type of cleaning because of the carpet pile. They often need spot treatment, pre-conditioning, cleaning or shampooing to look their best. After cleaning, the carpet needs to be dried before the room can be used. if the wrong cleaners are used, they will attract and trap soil in the carpet pile.

The Best Methods for Homeowners to Clean Different Floor Types.

Homeowners who want to clean their own floors should follow the manufacturer’s cleaning directions if they are available or try these cleaning tips for the 8 types of floors. There are some general tips that apply to all flooring types such as always clean up spills right when they occur, vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping. When a floor is not swept or vacuum first, the mopping will just spread dirt around for a dingy look.

Use cleaner sparingly to avoid leaving a residue that will attract dirt. Use a different bucket for rinse water to rinse a floor after mopping it with cleaner. Empty both dirty water buckets down the toilet rather than the sink. This water is full of dirt and germs. When mopping, wipe in the correct direction and start at the end furthest from the exit door and mop toward the door so you will not be walking on a freshly cleaned, damp floor when done. When done cleaning the floor, clean the mop with bleach water and wring out thoroughly and air dry. Do not let the mop sit in the bucket to dry.

  1. Hardwood floors can be spot cleaned before overall cleaning starts using a cloth or sponge and a little wood floor cleaner. Now use a flat head mop, a microfiber pad, or a microfiber string mop that has been dipped in cleaner solution and wrung out thoroughly. Use a cleaning solution in a spray bottle and spread a heavy mist on the floor to mop off. Use a wood cleaning product off the shelf or make one with black tea or a mild PH-neutral soap and water. Wood floors will either be finished with a polyacrylic, urethane, polyurethane coating, or wax. If the floor has a wax coating avoid mopping and water and keep it clean with sweeping, and dusting.
  2. Laminate floors look like wood but they are very different. They are made with layers of backing, base, photographic layer and strong sun-resistant protective layer. They are installed in planks and it is important not to get water in those seams or under the flooring. This floor can be spot cleaned or damp mopped when necessary. The main cleaning should be vacuuming with the tile mode or dry mopping. Do not buff or polish these floors.
  3. Cork floors are often sealed to limit their moisture absorption. They are susceptible to water damage, so don’t mop them with a wet mop. Clean spills up ASAP and vacuum often. When they need cleaning, use a weak solution of vinegar and soapy water in a spray bottle. Spray a small section of floor at a time and wipe with a barely damp microfiber mop.
  4. Bamboo flooring needs to be swept often to get rid of dirt that could cause scratches in the soft bamboo. Strand bamboo is harder. This floor is cleaned as if it were hardwood with a very mild PH-neutral soap and writer. The mop should be barely damp, with any moisture wiped off with a cloth.
  5. Linoleum Floors are back because they are more environmentally friendly than more petroleum based floors. This floor is damp mopped with a spray bottle of a few drops dish soap and hot water sprayed on the floor, then wiped off with the damp mop.
  6. Vinyl floors can be cleaned with a commercial floor cleaning solution or a homemade solution of 1/4th cup vinegar, 1 drop dish soap and water in a 16 oz. spray bottle. Spray this on floor one section at a time and mop off with damp microfiber mop. Periodic deep cleaning with a steam cleaner gets germs and stubborn stains.
  7. Natural stone flooring must be cleaned avoiding vinegar, bleach, and ammonia. Damp mop these floors with water and a small amount of PH-neutral cleaner that won’t react with the stone, damaging it. Plain water and a microfiber mop are a good option.
  8. Ceramic or porcelain tile Floors and their grout can be cleaned with a mix of 1/4th cup vinegar and a drop of dish soap in a 16 oz bottle of warm water for weekly cleaning. Then, use steam cleaning for deep cleaning.

Cleaning all of the floors in the home or commercial building is an important part of maintenance, but do not use harsh chemicals or too much water. Carpeted floors need to be vacuumed often and then shampooed or steam-cleaned several times per year. Commercial floor cleaning companies have the right chemicals and equipment to do the best carpet deep cleaning. The home or building owner or their maintenance crew can do the daily or weekly vacuuming.

Well-maintained floors look better and last longer.

Localised Vs Generalised SEO Campaigns: What’s Best For Your Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |SEO Campaign|Localised Vs Generalised SEO Campaigns: What's Best For Your BusinessFor your business to be discovered online, it’s important to ensure that your website is optimised for search engines, and this is where SEO comes into your marketing strategy.

Without an SEO strategy, your business could be missing out on valuable traffic, so it’s important to consider how you’re going to structure your SEO strategies and campaigns.

Many factors come into play when you’re looking to do SEO for small businesses, particularly if you’re looking to attract international, national or local customers. The type of customer you’re trying to attract will play a role in deciding whether you should focus your SEO efforts on a general SEO campaign or a localised SEO campaign.

To help you decide on whether a localised or general SEO campaign is right for your business, let’s take a look at some of the common factors to keep in mind if you’re weighing up whether to run a localised or generalised SEO campaign.

Local SEO vs Generalised SEO: What Are the Differences?

Both general and local SEO focus on improving your search ranking in online search results so more people can find, contact and buy from your business. While both types of SEO have similar aims, there are subtle differences.

The main difference being that general or traditional SEO is the process of increasing both the quantity and quality of organic traffic to your website, not specifically from a particular area. While local SEO focuses on specialised solutions that help you connect you with searchers in your local area and attract local traffic to your website, but also physical locations if your business has them.

Should You Focus on General or Local SEO?

The first question you should ask before deciding on whether you should run a general or local SEO is making sure that your website is optimised with SEO best practices in mind.

After you’ve done this, you can decide on the type of traffic you want to attract to your website. Ask yourself these questions before deciding whether you should focus on local or general SEO:

  • Is your business located in one particular town or region?
  • Does your business serve customers locally, nationally or internationally?
  • Does your business have one or multiple physical locations?

If you run a local business, then your primary focus should be on ensuring that your local audience can find your website. If your business is national/international or you don’t have any particular location requirements for your business, then focus on a more generalised SEO campaign.

Getting Started With Local SEO:

As we’ve already mentioned, Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website to generate leads, traffic and brand awareness from local searches.

Local SEO works particularly well for small businesses that aim to target its customer in a particular location or specific area. Local SEO also works well for brick-and-mortar businesses with physical locations, like supermarkets, dentists, a local electrician or a local cleaning company.

If you’re looking to get started with local SEO, then it’s good to be aware of some general Local SEO tips.

Here are three Local SEO tips to get you started:

Optimise for Google My Business

Google My Business is Google’s tool to help verify a business as authentic. Through Google My Business, you can claim and update your business information which increases your chances of showing up in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps and organic search results.

You can get started with Google My Business here.

Make Your Website Mobile Friendly

Research by SlideShare indicates that up to nine out of ten smartphone users conduct local searches on their devices. With stats like this showing the importance of a mobile-friendly way you want to make sure it’s easy for prospects and customers to navigate your website.

An effective way to see the mobile-friendliness of your website is to drop your website’s URL into Google’s mobile-friendly testing tool. Google will then provide you with a quick answer on whether or not your website is mobile-friendly. You’ll also be provided with a screenshot of how your webpage looks on a smartphone screen and a list of recommendations on how to make the mobile experience better.

Add Location Pages To Your Website

If your business has more than one physical location, then you can create unique location pages for each physical location your business is in. Remember to include your business location address, phone number, opening hours, parking information and reviews/testimonials from previous customers in every location page you create.

For more guidance on creating SEO friendly location pages, check out this guide from Search Engine Journal.

What Is General SEO?

General SEO refers to using traditional SEO methods to increase the amount of organic traffic to your site. If a business has an international customer base or is looking to attract customers nationally, then local SEO is probably not too much of a concern.

If this is the case for your business, then you’ll want to take a look at running a more generalised SEO campaign.

Before you launch any type of SEO campaign, it’s important to keep in mind the type of customer you’re trying to bring to your website and the geographical area you’re looking to target.

While you may not be targeting a specific geographical area, it’s still important to be aware of national and international SEO best practices. After you’ve decided on the type of customer/traffic, you’re looking to bring to your website; you can begin the process of carrying out a more general SEO campaign.

Here are some General SEO tips to get you started:

Evaluate Your Existing Website

The first step to any general SEO campaign is to evaluate where your website currently stands in terms of SEO and how your website is currently found from a search engine. The best way to do this is by using a few different SEO tools.

Free tools such as Google’s Search Console and Google Analytics allow you to maintain your website and check it’s presence. Other tools such as Screaming Frogs SEO Spider and Moz Pro can help you get an understanding of how your website is ranking and what improvements you can make.

SEO tools can take a little while to get the hang of, so take your time to get used to each tool.

Start Thinking of Relevant Keywords You Want to Rank for

After evaluating your website, you can start thinking of ideas and researching relevant keywords to create highly valuable content for your customers and audience. To carry out keyword research:

  • Define relevant topics related to your business.
  • Check keyword volumes and see what your competitors are ranking for.
  • Start planning your content.

To carry out your keyword research use tools such as Ahrefs and Google Ads Keyword Planner.

Is a Localised or Generalised SEO Campaign Right for Your Business?

The most important factor that will decide whether you should focus on local SEO is if you want to grow local traffic to your website or physical business. Local SEO can be hugely effective for local businesses, and if a local business can get their local SEO strategy right, they may not have to compete with businesses from all over the internet in local searches.

If your business is not location dependent or your customer base is widespread, then a general SEO campaign will be more effective for your business. A more General SEO campaign allows you to focus on traditional SEO practices to ensure you’re attracting as much quality traffic to your site as possible.

There may well be some overlap between local and general SEO practice in your SEO strategy. Most likely, your business marketing plan will include a variety of different tactics, so don’t be disheartened if you need to test and optimise your SEO and wider marketing efforts as you move forward and find the best strategies for your business.

What Now?

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StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article |Pandemic|What Now?This seems to be the burning question on everyone’s mind and no one seems to have an answer. This year has been unlike any other in history. There is no precedent on how to come back from a world-wide pandemic. But we have to move forward.

Most companies are in survival mode, and they don’t have the luxury of a large bank account to save them. Every choice they make has huge repercussions. Talk about stressful. Unfortunately, this is the case for many businesses, mine included.

There are many thought leaders out there giving advice on what to do next. If I’m being honest, it’s been hard for me to trust what they are saying. Not because I think they are making stuff up, but because they aren’t experiencing the same thing I am. They run multi-million dollar corporations with a large bank account to get them from quarter to quarter. My companies, however, have to make smart decisions today in hopes of making it to the next quarter. There isn’t much room for error. This is a real fear and I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

Not only are we stuck in survival mode, but now my people have spent months at home working in isolation and isolation is dangerous. We belong in community, even with those we work with. Culture is critical to the success of a business, but it takes time and intentionality. In survival mode, time is a tough thing to sacrifice. I am constantly tempted to abandon culture and fight for survival. But I am choosing to hedge my bets on culture.

Roulette is a great example of the constant temptation we, as leaders, face every day. We put all our chips on black (culture). We act so confident that the people around us are bought in enough to place their bets black too. Then, at the last second, you push a couple of your chips over to red (survival). The people around you are frustrated and confused. Why did you abandon your bet at the last second? Because it felt safe. Fear forces you to make decisions that feel safe in the moment but aren’t in the long run.

Leaders need to be vulnerable with their people. They need to share their fears and concerns about the state of the company. They need to be able to depend on their people. You will be amazed at how your people show up for you when you give them a glimpse into your world. If you’re stuck in survival mode, how do you think that makes your people feel? They can feel your stress no matter how hard you try and hide it. You will have to do something tomorrow as a leader, so what will it be?

My advice: Get to know your people and let them get to know you. Talk about your worldviews—hopes, preferences, traditions, experiences, and beliefs. The diversity of your people is a great asset. People want to be understood for who they are, not just what they can do for you. When you tap into the intrinsic value of a person they will bring more to the table than you could have ever imagined. Make sure you can all agree to the purpose of your company, where you are going together. This is incredibly important, especially right now. You need people that can align their passions to the purpose so that they will take ownership of their role. Guiding Principles will be useful to you on the journey because it will help dictate how you will treat each other on the journey.

Lastly, make culture the boss. If you have done the hard work of getting to know your people and aligning to your purpose and guiding principles, then you are ready to let the culture dictate what you do next. The beauty of placing your bet on culture is that it will tell you how to move forward. It won’t force you to choose between your people and your tasks. It will help you use your people to accomplish your tasks. The choice will not be easy, but I am betting that it’s worth it.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Chris MeroffAuthor, speaker and entrepreneur, Chris Meroff, has made a career of testing new leadership ideas to see what works—and what doesn’t—in service-oriented leadership. What he has gleaned from his research has helped him build a fast-growing organization with a diverse and engaged workforce that understands the mission of his organization and their place in it. His business, Alignment Leadership Consulting, exists to teach leaders how they too can boldly pursue a workplace culture that prioritizes employee fulfillment. Learn more at www.AlignLeadThrive.com

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