Month: December 2020

Content should be produced with the intention of it going viral and being shared across a broad number of platforms. Although this sounds ambitious, it is a good practice to help ensure solid planning is being incorporated into creating content to make an impact on readers. With that in mind, do not be discouraged if your content isn’t reaching large volumes of people, as there is a lot of luck behind creating viral content. Here are some ways you can get the most out of your social media presence.

Conversation:

Great and shareable content sparks discussion. The internet is flooded with information so to stand out and prevent being lost amongst the noise online, your content should generate a point of dialogue. Directing your audience to some kind of action or being intriguing enough to make people tell others about it is a good thing to keep in mind when creating and posting content. Incentives, such as giveaways, are another way to get your audience talking and sharing content. The cost to you is minimal, but the potential benefits are great.

Composition:

Careful thought needs to go into how you choose to display your content. The best way of composing your content will depend on a number of factors, such as your target audience, the seriousness of the content, and whether it is better presented using text, images or videos. Try using a mix of different ways when composing content such as lists, videos, infographics, photo essays, memes or written how-to/opinion pieces. 

Consistency:

To build not only shareable content but a popular voice in your industry that people keep coming back to, you need consistency. Consistency can be achieved by using the same tone (sarcastic, humorous, informative, etc), regular posting or using a theme (reviewing a TV show relevant to your industry, weekly wrap-up of news, etc). By posting regularly, you can connect with your audience frequently and build a better relationship.

Content:

The content you share should have a “wow” factor. It should be engaging, thought-provoking and above all, credible. Before coming up with a content idea or committing to writing about it, conduct research to work out what is already being said about the topic and how you can provide something new to the discussion. If your competition is doing the same thing as you, you can’t expect your content to stand out. Provide your audience with something extra that no one else is doing.

Managing an employee who is going through a stressful period personally can be a big challenge for bosses. Handling these situations well as a manager often means you need to be compassionate and empathetic whilst also being professional and constructive. 

Keep it professional:

It is often useful to remember that you are still the employee’s manager and not their friend. If the line between manager and friend is blurred, it can make it difficult for you to take a stance and do what is best for the rest of the team and business down the line. If you become too entangled in the employee’s problem, it can make it harder for you to have a serious and upfront discussion about work, which could then damage productivity. 

Don’t pry:

You often don’t know how much the employee is comfortable with sharing, so to avoid making things uncomfortable, make sure you don’t ask invasive questions. This will also prevent you from becoming too involved in the situation beyond the professional level. 

Listen:

If an employee comes to you with a problem, it can be helpful if you listen to them without interrupting to assure them that you are aware of the situation so you can understand and act accordingly. This could prompt a productive discussion to consider work solutions that are appropriate for the employee and the business.

Offer appropriate assistance:

Make a judgement on what the employee needs depending on the situation and act accordingly. This could include reducing their workload, adjusting their work schedule or allowing them to take leave. 

Check-in:

You can occasionally check in with your employee by sending a brief email or asking them in person. This doesn’t have to delve into the details of their personal troubles; you can ask questions like ‘do you feel you’re handling everything okay?’ or ‘have the solutions we talked about been helpful?’. This can help your employee feel supported and comfortable at work.

For businesses operating in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, the task of keeping records can fall secondary to everyday business operations. However, failing to efficiently keep up-to-date and comprehensive records can hurt your business’s long term operations.

Probably the most important reason behind sound record-keeping is that it allows you to learn and grow from your own business experiences. Keeping your records in check will help you understand the current situations of your business and also project future profit or losses. In addition, good record keeping will also show you where your business needs improvement or re-invention. Here a few records to keep that will prove invaluable in the future.

Purchases and expenses:

The items you buy and sell to your customers and the costs of running your businesses. Supporting documents for both of these include invoices, email records, credit card slips, cancelled cheques, cash register tapes and account statements. These can help you to determine whether your business is improving, which items are selling, or what changes you may need to make.

Deductible expenses:

At tax return time it’s handy to have an assortment of receipts and documents that outline your

deductible expenses. These can be the costs of travel, transportation, uniform and entertainment.

Assets:

The properties that you own and use in your business. These records verify information regarding your business assets, such as when and how you acquired these assets. They will also help you to determine the annual depreciation when you sell the assets. Examples of these records include the purchase or sales invoices and real estate closing statements.

Financial Statements:

Keeping accurate and up to date, financial statements will help you at a time of lending applications. These finances include income statements as well as balance sheets that show assets, liabilities and the equities of your business at a specific date.

Handling conflict in the workplace is a sensitive issue which needs to be dealt with carefully. 

The following are practical strategies to respond to conflict that may arise:

• Focus on behaviour and events as opposed to personalities. Rather than generalising a behaviour, discuss what went wrong in a specific situation.
• Listen to what both parties are saying. Both people might have different perspectives on what went wrong and there may be validity to both sides. Clarify the situation in detail with both parties separately before you discuss it with them together. 
• Identify the points of agreement and disagreement. The points that individuals agree on will help establish some understanding, and disagreements could help create potential solutions. 
• Prioritise which aspects of the argument need to be dealt with the most and address those first. Minor disagreements can be settled over time but major ones should not be set aside. 
• Develop a plan for each individual to work on to resolve that conflict. Setting a time frame and goal for what you expect to achieve out of the plan for both parties will help follow-up assessments of the situation. 
• Follow through your plan by ensuring that the conflict has been resolved over time. This could involve talking to both parties about their perspective on the matter and checking whether the source of conflict has been addressed. 

Not all conflicts can be responded to in the same manner. Make sure you understand the situation and listen to the individuals involved carefully before deciding how you will respond.

As a business owner, you need to continually update various different skills. Improving these skills will enable you to improve all aspects of business operations. 

Financial skills

Being an owner means being able to manage finances. You should be able to effectively forecast your cash flow, monitor profit and loss, create budgets and make financial decisions which reflect all of these factors. 

Marketing and Sales

You should understand how the promotion of your products and services will take place. Marketing strategies are always changing and updating with technology, so make sure you keep up with these changes to ensure you are increasing your chances of sales.

Communication and negotiation

Building relationships with your suppliers, potential investors, customers and employees is essential. Effective communication and negotiation skills are the cornerstones of success in this area – so make sure you cultivate these skills. 

Leadership, project management and planning

Having an understanding of each aspect of your business will allow you to plan your projects and lead your team members. Keep yourself updated with different management styles, develop policies and procedures that will help your team members and manage resources to achieve your business goals. 

While you may be able to hire advisors, marketing directors, and managers, this does not absolve you from the responsibility of overseeing your business. This is why it is integral to continually update your skills and knowledge so you can understand the decisions being made about your business. 

Adopting sustainable practices for your business is a great way to contribute positively to the environment. These changes won’t significantly impact business operations, but will effectively reduce the carbon footprint of your business.

• Office location: This is relevant if you are moving to a new location or are newly starting your business. Choose a location which is convenient via public transport or accessible to bike lanes. This will help employees avoid driving to work which contributes significantly more to the carbon footprint than public transport.
• Reduce the use of single-use products: There are lots of disposable products such as cups, spoons, and coffee pods regularly used in the office which cause excess waste that can be easily avoided. Instead, opt for reusable items and also put in recycling bins around the office so that if single-use products are used, they can be disposed of appropriately. 
• Reduce water usage: Conserving water usage can be very simple. Install a dishwasher to efficiently wash the reusable utensils you have bought for the office. Ensuring that there are no leaking taps and the office uses low-flow toilets and faucets will also contribute to reducing waste. 
• Recycle electronics: Whenever you are replacing your electronics (such as monitors, smartphones, printers, etc.) to update your technology and find that they are still working well, consider donating them to charities or schools who will be more than willing to put them to good use. If the electronics are not working, then there are technology recycling programs that you can use.
• Sustainable partnerships: Building sustainable partnerships with like-minded businesses benefits the environment and makes it easier for businesses to make more environmentally conscious decisions. 

 

Making these changes isn’t particularly difficult for businesses but will significantly impact the carbon footprint businesses leave.