Business Education

Feel Overly Distracted? You’re Not Alone and Here’s Why

You’re busy. No, you’re super busy. People might even say super-duper busy. As usual, there’s more to do than hours in the day. And, your schedule isn’t slowing down. You’ve got to do X before Y and then onto Z. But, you can’t seem to shake the notion you’re not actually get anything done. It’s not due to a lack of effort. However, it can easily be explained simply by distractions.

Top Focus Problems People Suffer From

Now, there are several things you can quit doing to be more successful. But, even the most self-disciplined individual isn’t immune from distractions. After all, distractions are everywhere you turn. No matter where you are or what you’re doing. And, it’s not just technology. Sure, smartphones, social media, and more are all culprits. What’s more, you’re not alone if you feel distracted. In fact, the average person’s mind wanders when doing a task between 15 and 20 percent of the time. That statistic, according to Canadian researcher Jonathan Schooler.

We created the labor-saving devices that catalyzed the unplanned explosion within which we live today. But as enlightened managers everywhere are learning, we can learn to manage what we created. When we learn how to take back controls that we’ve given away, we can get better at managing our attention and not surrendering it to every distraction. —Fast Company

Therefore, if a wandering mind is so prominent, what can be done about it? That’s a good question. And, the answer lies in identifying precisely the cause. You know you’re not a scobberlotcher, an idle person who just sits at a desk, twiddling your thumbs. But, you’re certainly not immune to distractions. Distractions break down focus. If you want to improve your productivity, you’ve got to key in on the cause. Here are the top focus problems people suffer from:

Lack of sleep. We all know what it’s like to work through a drowsy day. It’s uncomfortable at the very least. So, don’t let sleep deprivation be an obstacle. Get into a routine that helps you to get a good night sleep. Unplug from technology about an hour before you go to bed. And, be sure to go to bed at a reasonable hour.
No priorities. Okay, you have an end goal but along the way, there are many, many different tasks. Without prioritizing them, you’re creating a stressful, chaotic situation. And, it will typically result in a lack of focus precisely because there’s little to no prioritization. Give everything a priority and reap the rewards.
Stress. Speaking of stress, when you try to multitask, you’re inviting undue stress. Think about it this way, if you’re trying to do more than one thing at a time, would that cause you to feel more stress? Sure it would. So, put your focus on one thing at a time.
Lifestyle. Stress is just one factor; lifestyle is another legitimate cause. You can lose focus because you’re not eating a healthy diet. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and more all make focus easier. Plus, you’ll feel better when you have a healthy lifestyle.

How do you maintain your focus? What methods do you use to keep on task? Have you found different ways to deal with distractions? 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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Most Effective Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction

March 27, 2019 No Comments

Improving customer satisfaction is a never-ending pursuit. It’s not like any company can fully reach 100 percent customer satisfaction. Although, that certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile to strive for as high as rate as possible. So, just how do you improve customer satisfaction? Best Methods to Improve Customer Satisfaction Let’s start from a realistic baseline. We’ll blow-up the old adage, “the customer is always right.” Because, we all know, this is a good rule of thumb but isn’t universally true. However, it’s equally as true, happy customers help sustain and create additional business. As business owners, we’d all like to think of ourselves as providers of great customer service. As small business owners in particular, it’s quite possibly your biggest differentiator. After all, how often is it that you walk into a national chain restaurant and are greeted by name, handed your favorite drink and made to feel like part of the family? But great customer service is also about knowing how to handle problems, responding to and resolving issues—something at which agile small businesses can often excel. —U.S. Small Business Administration One of the best ways to improve customer satisfaction is to eliminate repetition. Now, this is a difficult task but it’s not impossible. A full 72 percent of consumer attribute poor customer service to having to explain their problem to multiple people. Meaning, people seriously dislike repeating themselves to multiple employees. Instead, funnel such situations straight to where they must ultimately go. Most Effective Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction Now, that’s a huge piece of improving customer satisfaction. But, it isn’t the only way you can make your customers happier. Here are a few more helpful suggestions: Monitor social media. An old statistic states if someone is dissatisfied, they’ll tell 7 to 10 people. But if pleased, will only tell between 2 and 3 other individuals. Today, those numbers are much larger due to social media. So, that’s a key place to follow. Lend a helping hand. Somethings require a bit of a learning curve to understand and eventually master. If you are selling something requiring a learning curve, offer a means to explain it. A manual or a video will work nicely. Give customers rewards. No, not every customer should receive a reward. But, your most valuable definitely need such adulation. If possible, make it personal for an added touch. Provide flexibility. Along the same lines of eliminating repetition should be the ability to offer flexibility. Simply put, give more team members the power to make decisions that can resolve issues. Prevent problems. Another great way to improve customer satisfaction is to prevent problems. For instance, if someone purchases two items and they aren’t compatible, offer a heads-up and alert them. What other practices improve customer satisfaction? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Former Employee becomes a Rival Without a Non-Compete Agreement — What Should I Do

September 30, 2020 No Comments

Here’s an unusual but not unheard of situation. A team member leaves your company only to go off and form a rival business. Making matters worse, there’s no non-compete agreement in place. Perhaps you never considered one, or thought it unnecessary. Whatever the case, your former employee is now a direct competitor — so, what should you do? Legal Action might Not be the Best Action The reflexive answer might be to sue. However, this will be very costly and challenging. Without an explicit non-compete agreement, you’ll have to prove with documented evidence that he or she used proprietary methods, and/or work product, and/or more, in order to start his or her business and poach customers. In other words, it will be a very expensive and uphill proposition that doesn’t have more than a 50/50 chance of succeeding. When the employer faces a worker that engages in certain activities, he or she may need to sue the person for the actions that lead to the individual becoming a competitor. Many of these circumstances involve the employee acting in direct violation of company policy or the state or federal laws by stealing information from the company or poaching clients. —HG.org That means you’ll have to find another way to deal with the situation. Since you’re probably not going to persuade him or her to give up their newfound success, or come back to work for you, what alternatives are there? Well, it really depends on your relationship as it stands now. How to Deal with an Ex-Employee Who is Now a Competitor When a former employee becomes a competitor, it can stir up a number of emotions. You might feel proud, if this was the plan all along. But, if it came out of the blue, chances are excellent that you will feel angry and even cheated. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with an ex-employee who becomes a business rival: Talk about establishing some mutual boundaries. Although there was no arrangement in-place prior to his or her departure, that doesn’t mean that you can’t come to some agreement now. Speak with him or her about establishing some ground rules. Perhaps, you both can offer different variations of what is essentially the same within the industry. For instance, you take on one type of client, why he or she takes on another. Or, you agree not to cross certain geographic boundaries. Form a strategic alliance. Here’s another idea — work together, yet separately. If the above suggestion isn’t feasible, then there’s no reason you can’t work together, behind-the-scenes. For example, you might be able to serve clients in one capacity, while he or she serves them in another. Yet another alternative is to work in tandem, where you pick up where he or she isn’t available, and vice-versa. Shift your focus. This just might give you the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, for some time. You can look at it as a blessing in disguise to transition from one business model to another. Perhaps you’ve wanted to take the company in a different direction, but have been unable to fill the void. Now, there’s someone to do just that, freeing you to pursue new things. What other suggestions do you have to deal with such a situation? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your prospective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How to Know when It’s Time to Walk Away from a Business

July 19, 2018 No Comments

Walking away from a business is always a tough decision. Even if it’s a much-needed cathartic relief, there’s still the matter of the unknown as to what comes next. Regardless of circumstances, you should know that it’s ultimately the right decision. That’s not always an easy thing to do because it’s human nature to second-guess or to look back with 20/20 hindsight. If you’re thinking about walking away, that notion certainly doesn’t come out of nowhere. There is something driving it and you need to understand when it’s no longer worth your time and effort. Walking Away from a Business doesn’t necessarily Mean Shutting It Down Let’s begin with the fact that it’s not always a bad situation. There are definitely times when the right move is to move on to something new. For example, you’ve set a goal and now have realized it. So, go out on top and start something new. Or, if you’ve always wanted to try this or that and the company you’re running now is humming along, then go for it. In business, it’s important to understand the difference between bad luck and bad judgement. Misfortune will often masquerade as a mistake, and has caused many talented people to walk away from their business ventures prematurely. Getting a startup past the first year is commonly regarded as the biggest challenge to any entrepreneur. Sometimes hitting a bump in the road is just that and the best approach is to weather the storm, keep calm and carry on. But how do you know if your business still has a future and how do you turn around the fortunes of your struggling enterprise? —The Guardian The point is, there are times when it’s perfectly fine to walk away from a business without having to close the doors. You can hand over the company to a protegé, or pass it on to your children. It’s healthy to build something up, watch it grow, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor. Signs It’s Time to Walk Away from a Business Now, it’s not always the case that you succeed. And, failure does come in many forms. You just need to know when it’s time to throw in the towel. Now, not all are as obvious as a natural disaster, but, there are some which do mean it’s no longer worth the fight: It’s consistently busy but unprofitable. This is perhaps the most perplexing circumstance but it does happen. Some businesses have enough or more than enough business, yet they simply can’t realize a profit. If you’ve already reduced your operating expenses and if customers/clients will not pay more for your services or product, and you still can’t produce a profit, staying open is just an exercise in futility. Key employees keep leaving. You might well be profitable but only marginally. What’s worse is that you can’t seem to keep the best talent. This is a sign there’s something serious going awry and if you can’t identify it, it might just be time to walk away. There’s no clear path forward. If you can’t seem to envision the future clearly, there’s definitely a reason why. And, without a clear path ahead, you’re essentially walking blindfolded, which can easily lead to a bad set of inescapable circumstances. Do you have an accurate picture on your backorders or pipeline of prospective business that is required to meet your sales to produce a profit? Customers have mixed experiences. Another sign it’s time to move on is inconsistent feedback. You hear good and bad without any obvious reason. If you can’t get to the bottom of it, you’ll never make it work right. What other signs tell you it’s time to go? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about why your business isn’t performing? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.