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How Managers Can Earn the Trust of Their Employees

Posted on by T Gregory

If you are a manager, you probably started out under the supervision of a manager at some point in your career. Which means you know that not every manager is good or trustworthy. A workforce that trusts their manager is happier and more productive than workforces that do not trust their manager. So how can you gain the trust of your employees as a manager? Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Recognize Employees Success

People crave recognition. This is true of almost every single person, introvert or extrovert, people want to feel that their contributions are seen and appreciated. As a manager, it is your responsibility to let your employees know that you see and appreciate their successes at the business. Nobody likes a manager who takes credit for the work of those they manage. Try implementing incentives and rewards for achievement at the workplace, and celebrate those achievements. Making a habit of celebrating the successes of your employees is essential to fostering trust with your employees.

Show Leadership

Strong leadership fosters trust and respect. And strong leadership involves hands-on interaction and involvement with all levels of production and work taking place at your business. Being a person that interacts with and engages with employees makes you feel more approachable as a manager and more invested in your employees. A great way to show leadership in this way is to use Gemba walks. A Gemba walk is when a manager or supervisor walks through the office on the production floor and observes first-hand what is going on at work, and how it is being done, while also speaking with employees. When supervisors conduct Gemba walks, they facilitate communication with the workforce.

Listen to Your Employees

Your employees are the ones that are doing the day-to-day work that is the business. This means that they are likely the first ones to notice areas that need change, bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and inconveniences at work. If you listen to your employees regularly, and implement the changes and adjustments that they ask for, your employees will begin to trust that you have their best interests at heart. Allowing your employees to have a say in how things are run can help them trust you more and work with you better.

Gaining the trust of your employees is not an easy task. Managers don’t always have great relationships with their employees, but this itself is an unnecessary bottleneck at work. Try a few of these strategies to gain the trust of your employees at work, and you will see the increases in morale and productivity that trust will garner.

Read this next: How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Methodologies That Help Businesses Achieve Their Potential

Posted on by T Gregory

When a business achieves its potential, they have reached operational, customer, and metric goals. Still, for most businesses these goals change overtime to fit the new directions of the company. Because of this, it can be difficult to stay on track with progress. Methodologies that will help your business achieve their potential keep you on track towards success, and include the following!

Total Quality Management

Total quality management pertains to the operations of the business. Without a quality management system, you cannot complete work or consistently satisfy customers. Businesses that have quality management programs focus on clarifying the business’s vision, mission, and values. This gives the company a direction they can then follow. Management should also identify critical success factors that will help the organization come closer to achieving their potential. For example, what are the financial, customer relation, and employee objectives? Identifying goals and developing ways to measure progress towards those goals will encourage development within the company.

Six Sigma

The Six Sigma methodology eliminates problems by analyzing the processes that those problems result from. Ultimately, you want to reduce defects for your total product. Six Sigma focuses on measuring quality to achieve perfection. To implement this methodology into your businesses, try focusing on reducing output errors. Improve your business operations with metrics, methodology and philosophy. You can also focus on lowering production costs to retain more customers. The Six Sigma is great for empowering your employees and your business to be closer to achieving goals.

Customer Reviews

You customers are what make or break your business. It has truthfully been said that it’s cheaper to gain a new customer than retain a new one. Look at your customer metrics; if you have a high turnover rate, you need to consider ways you can improve long-term customer relationships. Customer feedback is a powerful tool in helping you identify what your company is doing right and what they can do better. When a disproportionate amount of reviews tend towards the negative, don’t take it personally. Instead, take it as an opportunity to learn.

Helping your business achieve its potential is a constant process. Perfection is never achieved, but the quest for perfection will make you that much better in the end. When evaluating what your business can do better, use things such as the total quality management system, the six sigma methodology, or customer feedback.

Read this next: How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Perks You Should Offer to Repeat Customers of Your Online Business

Posted on by T Gregory

In the online marketplace, competition is steeper than ever. There are probably other businesses selling similar products to you, and, in addition to other online businesses, you are also competing with brick and mortar stores. Earning and retaining repeat customers can be achieved by employing some tried and tested strategies to make customers feel valued. 

Free Shipping

Free shipping is a great perk for repeat customers. You may have a purchase minimum for free shipping, but consider rescinding, lowering, or eliminating the minimum. Gifting your repeat customers with free shipping shows you appreciate their business, gaining their loyalty, and keeping them coming back. Customers are more likely to buy knowing they do not have to pay the added cost of shipping. Offering free shipping has also been shown to cause customers to spend more money than they would if they had to pay for shipping. It also gives you an advantage over your competitors who do not offer this perk.

Rewards Points

Many major retailers have rewards points programs. These programs encourage customers to spend more money with the promise of a reward if they earn a certain amount of points. This incentive keeps customers coming back. Loyalty points should be redeemable online and in-store if you have a physical location. Another benefit of having a loyalty program in place is that you will be able to gain more data about your customers, including your spending habits. Customers will typically only sign up for loyalty programs if they are interested in returning to your store, which helps you weed out one-time visitors.

Offer Special Discounts

You should also consider offering special discounts for your loyal customers. This could be early access to a certain weekend sale or a special discount coupon. If you offer items that you do not usually allow coupons to be used on, offer the chance to use these coupons on specialty items to your repeat customers. You may consider using a special discount code on your online site so you can track how many customers use it. Special discount codes make repeat customers feel special, endearing them to your business.

Finding and retaining repeat customers is not as simple as it was in the past. You have to be creative with the perks and benefits you choose to offer to gain a loyal following. Loyal customers are more likely to share your brand with their friends, which can only cause your business to grow.

Read this next: How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Types of Records Every Business Needs to Keep

Posted on by T Gregory

When you decided to pursue a career in business you probably weren’t thinking about all the records that you need to keep. However, even if it isn’t your passion, you still need to keep records of various aspects of your business in order to be successful in the business world. As you learn the fundamentals of running a business, make sure to include the upkeep of these records.

Financial Records

First and foremost, you need to be keeping very careful track of your finances and any money that comes in or out of your business. Having meticulous financial records will help you to have a clear understanding of your business’s financial situation. It will also help you to always pay your taxes accurately and take advantage of any deductions that can help you save money. Your financial records give you a thorough accounting of the business you have done and how successfully you have been able to perform so you can make pointed improvements.

Incident Reports

Things can go wrong in even the safest environments, and when problems do occur it is important that you keep a record of them. Sometimes incidents will be related to an accident in the workplace while other records will be about interactions between employees or customers. OSHA requires businesses to keep a log of serious injuries on the job. By maintaining a thorough record you can protect your company and also make changes to improve working conditions as you learn from problems in the past.

Employee Records

There are many documents that go into hiring, and that’s for good reason. You should keep track of all employee records, including signed documents proving they are an employee as well as documentation of their performance, good or ill, to back up your later decisions on giving raises or terminating the employee. Federal agencies may also contact you for proof in a lawsuit. The length you keep these records depends on their kind, so check carefully before throwing anything away!

Keeping records isn’t the most riveting part of a job, but it is a necessary part of a running business. Keeping records is always helpful and in some cases, it is legally required. As a business owner it is your job to make sure that you are keeping accurate records and that you ensure they are safely stored.

Read this next: Why Training Should Be a Top Priority for Your Business

How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Posted on by T Gregory

No one has it all figured out. Being on your own, especially when first composing a business plan, results in a lost opportunity to avoid the mistakes others have already made. You can get a lot of advice in the age of the internet, of course, but finding true help usually takes a bit more effort. When drafting your small business plan, you’ll cover all your bases by getting help through the following avenues!

Find a Mentor

The best and hardest way to find help is personal mentorship. That means not just searching up articles on business strategies and plans, but having a real professional look at your plan and analyze it personally. While you can hire someone, there are lots of ways to do this organically—such as going to local networking events, going to small business development centers, joining a professional or trade association, and even connecting with volunteer mentors through nonprofit organizations such as SCORE. Rebecca Radice recommends networking over social media as well! Really, there are a lot of options and a lot of opportunities to take advantage of, if only you put in the work for it.

Loan Programs

When putting together a business plan, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is funding. If you’re struggling in this area, a great avenue of help are the Small Business Administration (SBA) loans available for most startups. According to Franchise Gator, SBA loans are backed by the government and tend to come with better rates than many banks. While there are many kinds, generally they require a minimum credit score, no recent bankruptcies or foreclosures, and at least a 10% down payment from the business. In return, interest rates are lower, repayment terms are longer, and $30,000 or more is available. This can be a big advantage to a business plan that requires a lot of capital.

Research Professional Advice

While you can’t trust everything the internet tells you, you can find a lot of helpful resources in certain places. Following professionals on social media and subscribing to newsletters and blogs in your field can give you insider knowledge about the industry you’re going into even if you don’t know anyone personally. According to Time Doctor, business podcasts can be extremely helpful as well. You can even take accredited classes online to help you model the perfect business according to your vision.

In the end, it’s up to you to make the best decisions for your startup. Ignoring help is never a smart idea, however. If you’re searching for help with your business plan, look for it in multiple avenues—you never know what resources and programs are out there!

Read next: What New Entrepreneurs Should Think About Before Starting a Business

Boulevardz client Kenny Glory Case Study: From a Blank Canvas to an Artist One Page Website Responsive Solution

Boulevardz client Kenny Glory Case Study: From a Blank Canvas to an Artist One Page Website Responsive Solution

Posted on by johnson5publishing

KENNY GLORY

Website Address:

https://kennyglorymusic.boulevardz.com/

Project Date: December 2020

Project Type

Construct and launch website. In need of one page website artist solution.

The Request

An abstract and urban design in which fans can learn about new music, upcoming shows, merchandise and ambassador programs. Preferred colors of black, white, navy and blue. 

The Solution

A new one page website layout and design was hand-crafted on our one page website service Boulevardz with 1 revision. Links to all available streaming platforms where the artist’s music is available was created as well as a showcase to current and all previous albums. Color palettes of black, white, navy and blue were chosen. The artist’s website will be updated with all upcoming shows, merchandise and ambassador programs as they are made available. 

About the Client

Kenny Glory is an independent rapper, songwriter and live performing artist. He intends to share his talent in music with the world, help others achieve their purpose on earth and spread the fragrance of God’s love everywhere. We are excited to work with Kenny Glory.

The Architecture

The architecture was built with a request of an urban but abstract bone structure and a color palette of black, white, navy and blue. The website construction and design was coordinated with the client on our one page website service Boulevardz. There was 1 revision. The client was able to see continuous construction of the project at their convenience as it was built. We presented a system in which fans could access all platforms available for new music with opportunity to seamlessly grow that was embraced by the client.

The Results

A central, responsive and digital space connecting the client and its fans to its artistry. Per audit the title, headings and description are crawlable and located through the web. The description and title are at perfect length. The sitemap.xml is located and the robots.txt are well configured. No malware detected. Site is not blacklisted.

Testimonial

“Professionalism! Wow that’s lit…thank you so much” ~Kenny Glory~

How to Optimize Your Website for All Potential Customers

Posted on by T Gregory

Your website is one of the most important interfaces for you to interact with your customers. Making it user-friendly for all kinds of users will make a big difference in this interaction. Applying even a few of these suggestions could have major benefits for you in the long-run.

Make it More Accessible

Making your website more accessible is a great way to help improve everyone’s experience on your site. There are a variety of features you can provide—start by making sure that your website is translation friendly for a variety of different languages. You may also want to add different features that help blind people access the site.

Additionally, try to make your site intuitive. Make sure that the respective pages are relatively easy to find, that key buttons are highly visible, and that there is a helpful FAQ page.

Source: http://nda.ie/resources/accessibility-toolkit/make-your-websites-more-accessible/ 

Make Sure It Works on Mobile

You should also put your resources into making sure that your website is mobile friendly. Consumers do 43 percent of their product research on a mobile device. 43 percent is no small amount. You could be losing major business if people are hopping onto another website on their phones because yours is hard to navigate.

Make sure that your website loads quickly on a phone and that the drop-down menu is easily accessible with the most important tabs highlighted front and center. It’s best to have a professional website designer help you make your website mobile friendly because it can be complicated.

Source: https://www.podium.com/article/sms-marketing-statistics/ 

Add a Blog

One of the best ways you can make your website do more work for you is to add a blog feature to your site. Having a blog allows you to act as an expert in your particular field, providing important relevant content to your followers, clients, and potential clients.

Work to understand the things your followers want to learn about. Focus your articles on those interests as they relate to your products and the problems your products intend to solve.

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/business-benefits-of-blogging/377747/ 

As you work to improve your website and to make it more accessible for a wide variety of users, make sure that you look at the whole picture. Identify the areas where your website needs to be improved most and make sure that you are then centering your changes on the customers’ needs. As you make little and big changes to your website, it will have a meaningful difference on your users’ experience online.

We can help you to make a great website that has all the things you want. Get started here!

What New Entrepreneurs Should Think About Before Starting a Business

Posted on by T Gregory

If you have been thinking about starting your own business for a while now, now may be a good time to really go for it. As you do your research to identify your product viability, make sure that you are also making adequate efforts to be prepared once you actually launch your business. With the right preparation, you can go into this new chapter with much more confidence.

Your Goals

According to Bplans, setting clear goals for your company’s growth before you start your company will help you not only be more successful when you launch, but it will also help you know how to better gauge and measure your progress.

Being able to compare how you expect your company to perform with how it actually performs will help you identify any gaps in self-expectations, helping you to better predict performance in the future.

How to Fund Your Business

Any business that has high potential to succeed will need funding to get off the ground. Finding the right funding and finding enough funding can be challenging but doing the work to get those resources will definitely pay off.

According to Franchise Gator, not being able to get a loan is a common startup fear. But don’t let it stop you from going forward—remember to do your research to find other investment options as well. There are a variety of different companies who focus on investing in startups. You might be surprised by the various companies who are willing to provide some kind of funding for your business.

Your Target Audience

Figuring out your business goals and your funding plan is an important step when preparing to launch your business. But according to Oberlo, you should also make sure that you really understand your target audience in order to be sure that your product will actually be addressing customer needs.

As you prepare to launch your business, do your research on competitor products to understand what aspects of the product result in customer loyalty. Figure out how your product compares and if its edge is significant enough to hold up in the marketplace.

Starting a business, especially if this is your first one, can be incredibly daunting. This is especially true if starting your business involves you leaving, your current job. But don’t let your fears get in the way of you having this experience—knowing how to launch a company will serve you well in future endeavors.

Read this next: Office Perks That Employees Will Appreciate

New Non-Profit Launch – Humanbein

New Non-Profit Launch – Humanbein

Posted on by johnson5publishing

HUMANBEIN, located at humanbein.org, is a Non-Profit resource to help single parents and those transitioning out of homelessness who need web development and small business tools who are wanting to develop and advance through entrepreneurship.

Office Perks That Employees Will Appreciate

Posted on by T Gregory

There is a lot of important work involved in running your own business, but one of the most important things you can do is make sure your employees feel appreciated and taken care of. Having great office perks is one way to show your employees that they are valued and help them to feel more satisfied in their work. Here are a few of the best office perks you can offer to your employees so that they are excited to come to work every day.

A Stocked Fridge and Pantry

Hungry employees are not happy employees and will have a difficult time taking care of their regular tasks. Having a well-stocked fridge and pantry in your workplace makes it easier for your employees to stay fed and focus on getting their work done. When you are stocking your fridge and pantry make sure to consider any dietary restrictions your employees may have so that you can ensure that every employee has options they can actually eat. Having easy snacks available makes it possible for your employees to grab something quickly while they are on break and get back to work feeling refreshed and satisfied.  

A Fitness Center

As more and more research comes out about the dangers of working a desk job, having physical activity more readily available to your employees is an essential office perk. Having a fitness center on premises makes it easy for your employees to prioritize their health and stay active during the work week. Having exercise machines, yoga mats, and TVs is a good starting point for a fitness center. You can even host group classes for your employees to help them stay active while also building relationships within your company. Having a variety of physical recreation options available to your employees will be enticing and fun for your workplace.

Table Games

Breaks are important to the productivity of any business and having meaningful ways for your employees to decompress can help them to get the most out of those breaks. Table games like ping pong and air hockey are quick and fun and foster positive relationships between your employees. You can also set up tournaments using your table-top games to incentivize teamwork and give your employees a chance to decompress. Take a poll around the office to see which table game you should start with and build your collection as you begin to see the benefits of your improved break room.

A Lounge

Creating a lounge area for your employees gives them a space where they can relax and decompress on breaks and at the end of the day. To get the most out of your lounge space it is important to fill it with comfortable furniture that can stand up to repeated use. The kind of furniture that will work best depends on where your lounge is located and how your employees will use the space. For example, if the lounge is outside, you’ll want to avoid leaving wood furniture in the sun.

Weekly Catered Lunches

As a small business owner, it is important to foster relationships with other small businesses in your area. Hosting catered lunches for your employees each month is the perfect opportunity to build relationships with other businesses through catering contracts. That way you can feed your employees while also building relationships in the community. Your employees likely have good ideas for local restaurants, so be sure to request their opinions and switch up caterers frequently. Use this opportunity to really get to know other businesses in your area and even form partnerships.

Flexible Schedules

Helping to promote a good work-life balance for your employees is an important part of building your business’s success. One way to promote work-life balance is by offering flexible schedules and remote work. Some employers worry that offering these options will decrease productivity, but the opposite seems to be true. Giving your employees the flexibility to take care of their own needs helps them to return to work with the energy they need to be more productive. Employees often appreciate being able to work a hybrid schedule where they come into the office on certain days and work from home the rest of the week. Having regular meetings helps you to keep in touch with your employees and ensure they are satisfied with their schedule.

Parental Leave

While most businesses offer sick leave and paid time off, parental leave is becoming an essential part of any office benefits package. Having a child requires time and energy, and when parents are given the support they need early in their child’s life, they are better able to help their company succeed. A parental leave package provides that support for your employees and gives them the opportunity to bond with their child before returning full-time to the workforce. It can help to look at industry standards for parental leave, but make sure that you also take the needs of your employees into account.

On-Site Childcare

Sometimes parents can feel ignored and undervalued in the workplace, but parents make up an important part of the workforce. Offering on-site childcare, or a childcare allowance can help your employees who are parents to feel more valued and add a level of convenience to their daily life. Make sure that you hire qualified caregivers that have essential training and strong childcare skills. It is also important to talk to your employees about what they value in terms of childcare so you can make sure their needs are being met. Offering both everyday childcare and as-needed options can help you to ensure that all of your employees have the resources they need.

Providing perks to your employees is a great way to show them that they are valued and to improve the relationships you have with everyone who works for you. It’s always important that employees feel valued, and great office perks can help to make that happen. More than anything it’s essential to listen to your employees and change as necessary so they continue feeling satisfied with their work.

Read this next: Why Training Should Be a Top Priority for Your Business