Business, Business Education

Why Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner Teaches Us a Great Business Lesson

Yes; you read the title correctly, hosting Thanksgiving dinner can teach us a very good business lesson. How; you might ask? Well, think about it this way. When Thanksgiving rolls around and you’re hosting dinner, what’s one of the first concerns which goes off in your head? Of course, being anxious about getting the meal cooked right is one. But, equal to that is how much of a mess your home is! You begin to panic. It’s a total mess. Things are everywhere. The floor is dirty. And, you notice just how cluttered it is. Time to do some serious cleaning and organizing.

Why Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner Teaches Us a Great Business Lesson

It’s a known fact that where you work affects just how you work. For example, if you worked in a chaotic environment, like an elementary classroom, you’d have little choice but to stay well-organized. However, too many business professionals let their workplace become disorganized. And, it causes needless wasting of time.

So you’ve got a messy office you’d like to tame. We’ve all been there, and many of us still are there. You may think that the people behind your favorite productivity and organization blogs are immune to such things like clutter and disorganization, but more often than not we’re brimming with organization tips, tricks, and solutions because of our own struggles with disorganization. —Lifehacker.com

Now, you might disagree. There are people who believe a messy workplace doesn’t really matter at all. But, it actually does. Organization is a key factor. It’s particularly integral to success. Without organization, there’s too many loose ends. Those can easily become distractions. Or worse, cause serious problems.

How to Do Office Organization Right

When you ignore disorganization, it inevitably comes back to bite you. It’s a quasi-blind spot. A well-organized workplace has big advantages. First and foremost, it gives you a genuine feeling of control and competence. That directly translates into improved and increased productivity. Second, because it’s organized, you’re more free of pointless or counterproductive distractions. Third, it allows you to put your focus where it bests serves your interests. So, let’s look at how to do office organization right:

Purge with purpose. The first step is to get rid of as much junk and useless stuff as possible. Purge everything that’s unnecessary or unusable. Take this seriously and you’ll feel an instant sense of gratification. You’ll also be amazed how much space you free up.
Designate catch-it spaces. There are all kinds of things that come into a workspace, be it an office, a workshop, or retail store. So, designate where that stuff goes. For instance, a place for things like an umbrella, bags or briefcases. As well as a place for incoming documents and other things. Basically, live the phrase, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”
Keep your workspace clutter free. The single best way to stay organized is to keep clutter away. Don’t ignore junk, things, and stuff that come into your workspace or you’ll fall right back into the same cycle. Keep it free of clutter and you’ll develop a good habit.
Prioritize and always act accordingly. Another good habit to develop is prioritizing. It’s a great way to know what’s next and what can wait. A shotgun approach is a sure-fire way to disorganization and confusion. Plus, you’re unlikely to get very much done.

How do you deal with junk and get organized? Have you found you’re more productive when your office is neatly organized? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting!

Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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I’m Struggling with a Staff Shortage and Inexperienced Workers — What can I Do?

January 20, 2022 No Comments

There’s a popular meme going around the internet right now that reads, “Everyone is short-staffed, please be patient.” It’s a polite reminder of the current environment amidst serious disruptions in the supply chain, scarcity of materials, and most importantly, the lack of workers. Last week’s employment numbers were, to say the least, unimpressive, coming in at about half of what economists forecasted. Such a tight labor market means that businesses can’t afford to be picky in order to staff their operations. Unfortunately, this means that some companies will hire individuals that are completely inexperienced in their industries. This causes two major problems simultaneously and business owners and managers must deal with both. Hiring during a Labor Shortage Hiring is always challenging, even during normal times. But it becomes far more problematic when the labor pool is so very small. It sometimes necessitates relaxing some qualification standards and can even mean abandoning those parameters outright. Although it’s best to screen applicants as normal, this might not be realistic. The process of hiring a new employee doesn’t end when the offer is accepted. A key part of onboarding new team members is training. Having a good training process in place is crucial for making the new hire feel comfortable at your company – it’s also a great opportunity to communicate your business’ culture, encourage good habits and ensure alignment on long-term goals and strategies from the beginning of the relationship. —National Federation of Independent Business The result can easily lead to hiring individuals who don’t meet your expectations. It’s important to remember that this isn’t your fault or even theirs. It is simply a reflection of the economic circumstances of the times. So, there’s no personal blame assignable and it’s best to set this aside and address the most real and immediate problems first. Strategies for Training Inexperienced Workers Exasperated business owners can successfully transform inexperienced employees into productive team members by doing one or more of the following: Exercise patience. Your very first order of business is to put yourself in the right mindset. You yourself were probably once green and inexperienced. Just as then, these individuals will need to learn the trade. So, give them a stripped-down, crash course. Begin with the highest priorities first and make this repetitive so it quickly becomes second nature. During this time, you’ll need to be patient as they struggle through a learning curve. Create a boot camp course or environment. If you’re in a franchise business that already has training materials, make good use of these. If not, come up with a simple, point-by-point flow chart that your employees can follow and build a productive routine. Make this process as simple as possible, highlighting the priorities over and over again. The point is to get them as familiar with the operations as possible without confusing them with extraneous details and/or minutia. Offer incentives. A great way to motivate your inexperienced hires is to give them rewards when they reach certain goals. Remember, they’re the ones who showed up for the job in the first place and therefore have the work ethic that you would expect. Put this self-starter mentality to work to your advantage by offering little incentives when they reach milestones. This will also help you readily identify the leaders in the pack and will also reveal who isn’t actually motivated. What other suggestions do you have for training inexperienced workers? Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Microsoft just Demonstrated Why the Hard Sell doesn’t Work — Again

February 25, 2020 No Comments

Microsoft just undermined its launch of its newly released Edge browser by hard selling it. You may not know about this because it’s niche-worthy news. But, it’s a lesson that the company should have learned many years ago. Instead, it continues to make the same mistake over and over again. Here’s what it is, what it means, and why it proves the hard sell doesn’t work. Why the Hard Sell doesn’t Work Microsoft recently introduced a new version of its Edge browser. In order to promote it, the company shamelessly inserted a conspicuous ad in its Windows 10 menu. The advertisement “suggests” that users switch from their current browser of choice over to Edge. Of course, people don’t like this assertive tactic and are taking to social media to complain about it. Small-business owners successful at sales know the best way to sell something is not to sell it. You listen to potential customers about what they want or need, and then you introduce your product as the answer. You want people to think buying your services was their idea. —American Express Turns out that Microsoft is not willing to learn from its many repeated mistakes of the past. That is, the corporation’s insistence on pushing its customers into buying or using proprietary products and services that are promoted through the company’s various platforms. This is not only annoying, it’s obnoxious. Plus, it demonstrates the many problems with hard selling. There is no empathy, no relationship, no trust, and so it goes against human nature. Trying to badger people into becoming loyal customers is simply not a winning strategy. 3 Proven Ways to Sell without Being Pushy (or Obnoxious) So, how do you promote your products and/or services without hard selling? It’s actually easier than one would think. Better yet, it works and works very well. Here are three effective ways to sell without being pushy or obnoxious: Take your time. Rushing will only backfire. When you sell at a hurried pace, you don’t give your customer enough time to process what you’re offering. It’s confusing and overwhelming and unsurprisingly, it typically won’t work. Let potential customers do all the talking. Well, maybe not all the talking, but most definitely, the majority of it. This way, you’ll learn quite a bit about him or her and gain a better understanding of his or her needs. You’ll be regarded as empathetic and trustworthy and those two key elements are important to building any relationship. Focus on their problem, not your product or service. This goes hand-in-hand with the second point. You need to understand precisely what their problem is in order to offer an effective solution. You won’t be forcing a sale, but rather giving them answers they need. What other strategies do you use in-place of hard selling techniques? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How Entrepreneurs can Improve their Mental – and therefore Physical – Health

January 18, 2023 No Comments

Andrew Carnegie. JP Morgan. John D. Rockefeller. Once, these men were titans of industry and the most successful among American entrepreneurs. This, at a time when technology was extremely limited by today’s standards. Communications were not nearly as instantaneous, and the advantage of a democratized autodidact education couldn’t have come from the internet. Now, it’s an entirely different world – except in some remarkable respects. Business owners are still subjected to a lot, particularly stress. And this means these individuals will suffer both mentally and physically. Common Causes of Mental and Physical Stress and Poor Health Being an entrepreneur comes with many challenges. Business owners often have to deal with a high level of uncertainty and unpredictability in their ventures. This can create feelings of a lack of control and lead to stress and anxiety. Plus, having to work long hours to keep their business running, can lead to fatigue, burnout, and poor physical health. It’s no secret that entrepreneurship in the startup field comes with a lot of uncertainty and stress. Researchers from Harvard Business Review interviewed 65 entrepreneurs and found that stress and fear had both motivating and inhibiting consequences. For example, fears related to financial stress actually encouraged greater persistence, while fears of failure related to aptitude had an inhibiting result. —Forbes Running a business can be financially stressful, especially during the start-up phase. Money worries can cause anxiety, depression, and affect overall well-being. What’s more, entrepreneurs may neglect their physical and mental health due to the demands of their business. This can include poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and lack of sleep. How Entrepreneurs can Improve their Mental and Physical Health Entrepreneurship can be a very difficult endeavor. While the rewards of building a successful business can be significant, the pressure to perform and the constant uncertainty of the future can take a toll on one’s mental and physical health. However, there are several effective ways that entrepreneurs can improve their mental and physical well-being. Prioritize self-care. Entrepreneurs often have a lot on their plate and may neglect taking care of themselves. It is essential to set aside time each day for self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, and relaxation. These activities not only improve physical health but also help clear the mind and reduce stress. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Entrepreneurs can practice mindfulness by setting aside time each day for meditation or other mindfulness practices such as yoga or tai chi. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can have a significant impact on one’s mental and physical health. Entrepreneurs should aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night and establish a consistent sleep schedule. Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet can help improve energy levels, reduce stress, and improve overall physical and mental health. Entrepreneurs should aim to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Connect with others. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely endeavor, and it is essential to maintain social connections with friends and family. Entrepreneurs should make an effort to connect with others through activities such as networking events, social clubs, or volunteer work. Seek help if needed. Entrepreneurs should not be afraid to seek help if they are struggling with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. Help is available through counseling, therapy, or support groups. As you can plainly see, entrepreneurs can improve their mental and physical health by prioritizing self-care, practicing mindfulness, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, connecting with others, and seeking help when needed. Remember that taking care of yourself is crucial for your business’s success. What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions that others can benefit from? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Why Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner Teaches Us a Great Business Lesson