Business Education

The Corona Virus is a Stark Reminder of How Businesses should Deal with the Flu

As the coronavirus continues to dominate the news headlines, people grow ever-more concerned about its spread and possible contagion. While the risk of contracting the illness is very slight, it does help to raise awareness about the spread of common infections, like the cold and flu. And, this is something businesses need to be prepared for, particularly when employees start getting sick.

Why Illness and Work just Don’t Mix

Either an outbreak of a cold or flu strain can wreak havoc on any small business. Worse yet, in more ways than one. First and foremost is of course, the spread of it to other team members. Then, there’s the productivity hit that follows. With fewer people on the job, it’s more difficult to keep up and quality eventually begins to suffer.

The threat cold-and-flu season poses to companies isn’t something to sneeze at. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu alone costs U.S. companies $10.4 billion in direct costs including hospitalizations and outpatient visits. The CDC also estimates up to one-fifth of the U.S. population will get the flu in a given flu season, and more than 200,000 Americans will be hospitalized with seasonal, flu-related complications. —Entrepreneur.com

Even employees who can power their way through a sickness can’t bring their A game and that can make the difference in key situations. Plus, it encourages people to spread the illness to others without regard to employees’ health.

How to Prevent the Flu from Spreading in Your Business

The flu or a cold can be devastating to any small business. But, it’s better to handle it in a smart way than trying to go about business as usual. Here are some effective ways the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends businesses prevent the spread of cold and flu in the workplace:

Encourage team members to get a flu vaccine. The CDC advises anyone who is 6 months of age and older to get an annual flu vaccine. (Remember, this is just a recommendation and not a requirement.)
Develop and stick-with good sick leave policies. Create sick policies which encourage employees to take time off without fear of losing out on compensation or fear of reprisal.
Advise sick employees to stay home for enough time. Anyone who gets a cold or the flu should not return to work until at least 24 hours after they get over a fever. This way, they aren’t a continuing source for infecting others.
Allow well employees with sick family members to work (at home). Although the CDC says healthy employees with sick relatives can come to work, it’s not always a good idea. For instance, if a child or elderly parent is sick, their head won’t be in the game anyway.
Provide proactive, preventative necessities throughout the workplace. Things like hand sanitizer, tissues, hand soap, and more preventative necessities should be readily available, all throughout the workplace.

What other suggestions do you have to deal with a cold or flu outbreak in the workplace? 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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How to Run a Work-from-Home Business

May 24, 2017 No Comments

The Internet, and more particularly, the world wide web, is revolutionizing so many things in our lives and the workplace is no different. More companies are using telecommuters to work for them, and, they are reaping the benefits of less overhead. In addition, the web makes starting a business quite simple. The biggest problem for a part-time or full-time entrepreneur is being able to effectively manage their time. Those work-from-home commercials and websites leave out many aspects of having a home-based business. While they tout the freedom and no need to endure frustrating daily commutes, they do leave some things out. The devil is in the details and it’s those things you might not think about that can cause you to fail. How to Run a Work-from-Home Business Running a work-from-home business not only takes a lot of entrepreneurial spirit, a vision, and an executable plan, it also requires a heavy amount of self discipline. When you stop to think about it, you’ll realize that having a home-based business means you won’t leave either work or home for the majority of the week. Another phenomenon (read: unrealistic expectation) that you’ll probably face from your spouse is about household chores. When you work outside the home, you don’t take any household appliances with you. The washer and dryer stay in the laundry room and the dishwasher remains right beside the kitchen sink. Ninety-seven percent of entrepreneurs love or like working from home, according to Money Tips.com’s recent survey of 160 successful Americans who run their businesses from home. Most enjoy it so much that 54 percent of them would turn down an offer of free office space just one mile from home. —Inc.com In addition to these, the lawn mower, vacuum, and all those household cleaning supplies won’t mysteriously jump into your vehicle. However, your significant other won’t necessarily grasp this concept, and, will wonder why there’s laundry to fold or dishes to take out of the dishwasher. Any one that runs a home-based business knows that chores are time consuming and just because the office is in the house, doesn’t mean all the chores will get done. In addition to this, you’ll be literally surrounded with distractions. It could be guitars, a game console, television, crafts, social media, or any other hobby or pastime that beckons day after day. If you want to run a successful work-from-home business, you’ll need to do the following daily: Create a schedule and stick to it. There’s a reason you have scheduled work hours when your job takes you out of the home and to a workplace. Do the same for your home-based business: create a schedule and don’t deviate from it. Let your clients or customers know your hours of operation and be available when needed. Get dressed for work. One of the perceived advantages people have about working out of the home is being able to dress down. While you can certainly work in your pajamas or just a tee-shirt and shorts, it does have a strong impact on your psyche, and, it’s not a good one because it promotes procrastination. Dress business casual and you’ll actually feel like it’s a work environment. Take breaks during the day. You do this at any workplace, but, when you start a home-based business, you’ll probably experience an urge to stay put in your office or work space to get things done. You need breaks during the day, so, put these into your schedule. It could be a short walk around the block, or even doing a chore, but these should be regular. Give yourself time off. Because your work and home environment are one-in-the-same, you’ll face the temptation to get this or that done when family is home. Don’t shortchange your family and you’ll find yourself to be a lot happier when there’s a good balance. Get out at least once per week. Don’t make the mistake of chaining yourself to your desk. You can go out to lunch and meet a friend or your spouse, but, be sure to do this at least once per week to keep your professional mannerisms sharp. Another tip you ought to take is to stay focused on your business. Because you might not regularly interact personally with others, your mind will tend to wander and you might get some new ideas to pursue. While it’s wonderful to be creative, you won’t be able to go off in different directions at once — keep your focus or you’ll increase your chances of failing. I just had this conversation yesterday with a Chief Marketing Officer who works virtually, and he enjoys the flexibility. We met at The Henry on Camelback in Phoenix. Personally, I prefer to get dressed, and head to my office with focus on my schedule and priorities. Call me traditional, but my work ethic has been embedded into my habits for over 35 years and it works for me. Now, I also find myself logging in when I get back to my home office. So, one of my incentives is to remain focused and productive at my office during the work week so that my evenings and weekends are free at home. It does take discipline, but this allows me time with my family and to enjoy a balanced life outside of my work. What I do like about working from home, is the flexibility it provides me and my family as well as the flexibility in the services that I can provide for my clients. What is most exciting is the business and career opportunities that our technology gives us. Go out and create your new opportunities … and start from home! Want to find out about what a business coach can do for you? [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]

If You Work Even When Your Not at Work You Need to Stop and Read This

October 31, 2018 No Comments

Work, work, work, work. It’s a well-established entrepreneurial behavior. And, in the age of on-demand information and immediate connectivity, it’s only getting worse. Unfortunately, too many people are a part of an always-at-work culture. Sure, they love what they do. But, it causes burn out and just isn’t healthy. If you’re constantly working, even when you’re not at work, you’re not alone. So, read on to learn a few ways to effectively deal with it. A Different Look at the Always-at-Work Behavior We’ve talked about wasting time. And, in a very real sense, that’s what you’re doing when you’re working when you’re not actually at work. In other words, the fact that you’re not truly in the moment means you’re only cheating yourself and the others around you. Depending on the job and the employer’s expectations, which should be clearly outlined, employees who accept a job and commit to meeting those expectations need to accept that they are “on call” and be willing to answer communications. However, remember the old adage, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Everyone deserves some time to disconnect. —Forbes.com Think about it for a moment. If you are constantly distracted by work, you’re effectively taking time away from family and friends because you’re not enjoying what’s going on. In fact, you don’t even need to be there since it’s not what’s capturing your attention. How to Prevent Workaholic Urges Now, it’s one thing to “know” there’s an issue but a totally different thing to do something about it. After all, you’ll have to fight through those feelings that push you into your always-at-work disposition. So, let’s take a look at some effective ways to prevent workaholic urges: Recognize there’s a problem. You’ve probably heard this a number of times. It’s unavoidably true. You must start by recognizing there is a real problem. Then, commit to make a change. Don’t beat yourself up too much if you slip now and again because that’s just part of the process. Ask for help from your team. You’ll need to enlist the help of your team to make real strides. Tell them to keep work at work. You’ll probably find they are happy to help out. Establish a set turn-off time. Another way to get away from the urge to work is to establish a set turnoff time. (A good time is when it’s time to cook dinner or sit down for dinner.) Learn to indulge in relaxation. Relaxation isn’t a bad thing. So, stop treating it like it is the end of the world because it isn’t. Find something you enjoy and take time to enjoy it. I am personally working on myself too! I recently took a break to Mexico with my 14 year old daughter to unplug. Guess what, I plugged in my lap top to work in the mornings and found myself working until noon on a few days! Not good! I actually felt a small amount of anxiety because of my actions. I am now working on a better plan for unplugging. How else do you get away from the urge to work all the time? What other methods and strategies do you use? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business

February 13, 2018 No Comments

Social media can really become a workplace problem. And, it’s always a good idea to have an effective social media employee policy. But, it is also one of the most powerful marketing tools business have at their disposal. It’s free. It can potentially reach thousands to tens of thousands of people. Plus, it’s very easy to use. Well, that’s not always the case because some businesses actually don’t quite know how to use it correctly. Why Social Media is an Important Business Tool Social media is an important business marketing tool because it’s part of our day-to-day lives. The vast majority of consumers are on at least one or two platforms. Therefore, the exposure is far and wide. It’s not just about branding and marketing outright, either. Social media offers customers yet another contact and engagement point. Customers should know you are serious about promoting your company, about announcing when there is a new milestone, about company news that might make them want to buy a product, not just laugh at a video. They need to see effort, not occasional hits. —Inc.com There are plenty of instances where companies have used social media to their advantages. (Of course, there are plenty of examples where companies have publicly dropped the ball.) But, more often, social media is an avenue to build a following. The more followers, the more interest and sales a business receives. How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business To really tap into the power of social media, you should know some basic ground rules. If you’re going to make it work for you, it’s important to understand how to go about it. Otherwise, you’ll simply be wasting your time. Here are some helpful tips for how to use social media to promote your business: Make all profiles uniform. Most businesses set-up more than one social media account. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are among the most popular. Whatever platforms fit your business, they should all be uniform. In other words, present the same “face.” The same profile picture, the same bio or about, and so on. This provides a seamless experience and avoids confusing people. Provide value. Whatever you share, it should have some sort of value. Be it advice or just good for a laugh. And, you should always use the 1-in-7 rule — one post overtly promotes your business, the other six provide valuable information. Showcase your expertise. It’s always a good idea to periodically share insider information. (No, not the kind that goes against insider trading rules.) Rather, the kind of information the average person does not know or know much about. Ask questions that beg answers. The whole point of social media marketing for business is to get users to engage. So, ask questions that are conversation starters. And, when people respond, be sure to interact. Use images to your advantage. It’s a well known fact that posts with images gain a whole lot more attention than text-only posts. Use interesting, mood-evoking images for the best results. How do you use social media to promote your business? What techniques work best for you? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.