Holiday Help: Interviewing Seasonal Workers
The holidays can be fabulous, stressful, or both. That’s true for everyone, but if you’re in the retail business those holiday challenges can be true morning, noon and night. It’s often a great idea to get extra help. But interviewing seasonal workers can get lost in the shuffle of urgency. However, these employees will be […]
Being the Boss on a Budget: 5 Inexpensive Business Ideas
So, maybe you’re sure that you want to start a business. You’re just that person – self-starter, likes independence, can take rejection, and finds the idea of being your own boss irresistible. Great. But, maybe funds are limited – that’s ok too. Consider one of these inexpensive business ideas — companies you can start on […]
Avoid Production Reduction: How to Increase Office Productivity
Employees are always a company’s most valuable asset. But even great workers are only as good as the quality and quantity of their efforts. Motivation is key, but it can be a constant challenge to maintain or increase office productivity with corporate challenges or employee rewards. However, there are a number of things you can […]
Age of Experience: Some Reasons Why You Should Hire Workers Over 50
All businesses value employees – retaining good ones and finding new ones. And some attributes apply to all positions — companies want employees who are honest, responsible, dependable, loyal, focused, organized and mature. Companies find that one source of such employees is choosing among older workers, particularly workers over 50. U.S. employers spends millions of […]
Out in the Open: Challenges of Open Plan Offices
It may seem like a distant memory, but it wasn’t that long ago when the idea of people working in open plan offices was unheard of. Everyone out in one large space, all at long tables with dividing walls wasn’t a thing. People had offices. Four walls, with a door, and did work in their […]
In Good Company: Traits of Great Bosses
You’re only as good as the people who work for you. A bad boss is any employee’s worst nightmare. Whether they work at a Fortune 500 company or the local hardware store, employees want to work for someone who knows how to motivate people and encourage them to become even better. There is a clear […]
Trading Up: How to Have a Successful Trade Show
Trade shows can be a fantastic way to make sales, increase your network, find vendors or partners and assess the competition. But if you aren’t prepared in advance, organized on the day, and strategic afterwards, you can end up wasting time and resources. But there are steps you can take to ensure you have a […]
Tell Me All About It: Behavioral Interview Questions
Even when a candidate looks great on paper, you tend to hold your breath until you meet them. Can they back up their experience with strong examples? Why are they looking for a new position? Without a crystal ball, it’s part interrogation and part instinct. But many employers try to get better predictors of success […]
Virtually Yours – Should You Be Using A Virtual Assistant?
Whether you are starting a business, in a high growth stage, or just reduced staff, it’s easy to find yourself stretched too thin. Either you are doing too many tasks, or you’re doing things you aren’t very good at – spending a ton of time getting new email up and running, or figuring out which […]
Bank on This: You Need A Great Business Plan – Even If You Don’t Need Cash
One of the primary reasons new businesses fail is they simply don’t have enough money. Sure, sometimes they just have a terrible business idea (mittens for cats was not the hole in the market you envisioned). But usually it’s money, and a great business plan – written thoughtfully and early – will reveal potential money […]