Pros and Cons of Work-Share Programs

Independent Service Providers are Being Acquired and Local Businesses Can Use this Practice to Their Advantage Did you know your local service providers may not actually be part of an independent, small business? That’s right. The plumber you’ve called before, the electrician you’ve seen working down the street, or even the HVAC tech who has been at your neighbor’s house. While you may recognize their names and logos and think they’re a mom-and-pop organization, they very well be working for a large corporation. For people in the trades, this isn’t news. They’ve known about this for some time. It goes back to the COVID shutdowns when conglomerates realized the true value of “essential” services. These megacorporations recognized the potential earning power of local service providers and began to quietly acquire them. In order to maximize these new assets, the conglomerates allowed them to keep their existing names. But, when people call what they believe is their local service provider, they are really talking to a call center in another state or country. While many independent, small businesses use call centers, the difference is the technicians working for the acquisitions are no longer just trade professionals – they are now salespeople who push additional products and services. The individuals employed by these bought-out companies take the opportunity of their visits to upsell and their customers aren’t aware the familiar mom-and-pop business does not directly employ them. But, it’s not just the fact that these companies are ostensible fronts for selling additional products and services to increase profits for big corporations. It’s also the fact that legitimate small businesses must compete for the same customers. How Independent Businesses Can Take Advantage of Conglomerates Acquiring Competitors to Better Market Themselves Although it may be discouraging to compete against other companies backed by such deep pockets, there are some benefits you as a small business owner can tap into and use to grow your customer base. Yep, small, local businesses can use this trend to their advantage by emphasizing their authenticity and commitment to the community in their marketing efforts. Here are some strategies they can use you can copy in your own community: Highlight your local ownership. Emphasize your business is locally owned and operated by community members who are invested in the area. This can be done through website content, social media posts, and even in-store signage. Also, any vehicles, uniforms, and equipment. Engage with the community. Participate in local events, sponsor community initiatives, and collaborate with other local businesses to demonstrate your commitment to the community. This helps build trust and loyalty among local customers. Personalize your marketing. Use personalized marketing strategies, such as email campaigns, to connect with customers on a more personal level. Share the stories of vendors, employees, and customers to create a sense of community and belonging. Offer unique, local products or services. Highlight any unique products or services that are specific to your local area or that cater to the needs of the community. This can help differentiate your business from larger corporations and attract customers who value local products and services. Leverage online reviews and testimonials. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or social media. Share these reviews in marketing materials to showcase your support of the local community. Maintain a strong online presence. Ensure your business has a well-optimized website, active social media accounts, and accurate listings on local directories and review sites. This helps potential customers find your business and learn more about its local roots and commitment to the community. Offer superior customer service. Small businesses can often provide a more personalized and attentive customer experience compared to larger corporations. Emphasize this in your marketing materials and strive to consistently deliver exceptional service to build a loyal customer base. By focusing on local roots, community involvement, and personalized service, small businesses like yours can effectively differentiate themselves from larger corporations and attract customers who value authenticity and local connections. Want to Accomplish More? Do you want your company to grow faster and earn more while you spend more time with your family doing all the things you started your business to do? We can make that dream a reality. Give us 30 minutes and we will show you how to get your life back. Skeptical? Good! Put us to the test. You can call us for your free appointment at (602) 541-1760, or, if you prefer,

You’ve just found out that your business partner has been hiding clients from you. Of course, this has a number of important implications including, but not limited to: revenue, reputation, day-to-day operation, and a variety of other issues. All of these, not to mention the breach of trust and value of the interpersonal relationship. It’s a very difficult set of circumstances to deal with, but obviously, you can’t just ignore it. You must take action, not only for your own sake but for the sake of your career and the business at large. Dealing with a Bad Business Partner Emotions Anger. Disbelief. Disappointment. Resentment. Shock. Sorrow. You could easily cite any one of these negative emotions because you’ll experience at least one or more of them. Before you do anything at all, it is essential that you understand your gut reaction and the long-term feelings you’ll probably encounter as time goes on. While you will get past this situation, you’ll probably never completely get over it. And, that’s okay. Not all partnerships or deals work out well. Some just can’t formalize because of extraneous factors affecting the agreement, while others can be impacted by poor communication skills or a lack of flexibility on goals or approaches. This means that it is essential for leaders to stay aware of the state of a pending deal or partnership, especially if there are quiet signs that things aren’t going as well as they’d like. —Small Business Trends You’ve no doubt experienced difficult circumstances in the past, and this is really no different. While it may be new, it most certainly won’t be the last time. The point being, do not allow pure, raw emotion to dictate your actions. If you give in to your negative feelings, you will make rash, poor decisions that will only make things worse. You need to approach this from a calm and rational perspective. So, give yourself a little time to vent and get those negative emotions out of the way. How to Deal with a Dishonest Business Partner Who is Hiding Secret Clients Once you feel calm and collected, you’ll need to methodically approach how you will deal with the situation. Here is a brief but effective guide for the steps you can take to deal with a business partner who has been hiding clients from you: Learn as much as possible about these clients. This probably won’t be easy or pleasant. If you are able, learn as much about these secret clients as possible. You might even go so far as to contact them yourself under the guise of following up with regular business. The whole idea is to try to get the best picture you can about these secret clients. Thoroughly examine all the business’ finances. The very next thing to do is look through your business’s financial documents. While these might not reveal anything at all — if your business partner was clever and deceitful enough — it could reveal an unseen pattern that you never detected before. At the very least, you might find some discrepancies, or this revelation will reveal past discrepancies you could not explain before. Formulate a couple or few separation scenarios. After you’ve done your detective work, it’s time to concentrate on how to best move forward. Since this is such a big betrayal of trust, it’s probably unrealistic to think that you can just patch things up and go on as if nothing has happened. So, you need to formulate at least a couple of ways that you can break up the relationship and do as little damage while causing as little disruption as possible. Talk to your business partner about ending your arrangement. This will most likely be the hardest part of resolving the situation. If you are able, don’t simply cut off communication and walk away. Instead, talk to your business partner in order to gain an understanding of his or her motivations. Although this certainly doesn’t excuse his or her behavior, it might help you in the future to detect when something’s awry when you otherwise wouldn’t. What other suggestions do you have for dealing with a dishonest business partner who is hiding something important? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your unique perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

As a business owner, you are responsible for everything that goes on in your company – from the big decisions to the small tasks. This can be a daunting task, especially when you have to deal with irresponsible employees. These team members can cause serious harm to your small business, so it is important to know how to deal with them. In this article, we will discuss why irresponsible employees are harmful to small businesses and ways entrepreneurs can handle them effectively. Irresponsible Employees Pose Risks and Do Real Harm The first thing you need to understand is why irresponsible employees are harmful to your business. These team members often make poor decisions that can cost the company time and money. They may also put other employees at risk by not following safety procedures or by not completing their work properly. Irresponsible employees have a direct impact on productivity and the bottom line. Workers who shirk their responsibilities and rely on other staff to pick up the slack can also damage workforce morale. In a small business, just one irresponsible employee can create a culture of irresponsibility throughout the company, particularly if other workers see that the behavior is condoned or, worse, rewarded with promotions or plum assignments. Managers must act immediately to correct irresponsible behavior and promote responsible actions. —Houston Chronicle Small Business In some cases, irresponsible employees can even cause physical damage to company property. All of these factors can have a negative impact on your business, so it is important to deal with them quickly and efficiently. How Business Owners should Deal with Irresponsible Employees There are a few different ways you can deal with irresponsible employees. Obviously, there are some methods that are easier and more comfortable than others. Regardless, it’s necessary to course-correct bad behavior or it will only worsen and cause bigger problems. If you don’t deal with this particular situation, you’ll most definitely regret it later on at some point. The first step is to identify the problem and talk to the employee about it. It is important to be clear about what you expect from them and what the consequences will be if they do not meet your expectations. In some cases, you may need to give the employee a written warning or place them on probation. If the problem persists, you may need to consider firing the employee. But, before you dismiss an employee for good, it’s best to give him or her a real chance to make the necessary changes. Clearly set out your expectations and then let him or her come up with a game plan that will allow him or her to reach those goals. This way, it gives the individual the power to take responsibility and to control their own future. If he or she shouldn’t make real strides, it’s not your fault. Of course, it’s also advisable to help him or her along the way. If you provide the right incentives but do not accept unacceptable behavior, it’s far more likely that you’ll see substantial progress. Overall, you ought to notice a significant improvement through the evolution of your employee. Although, even such a well-planned, pragmatic strategy won’t guarantee success. Some individuals just don’t have the temperament or disposition to be a good fit for your organization. If that’s inevitably the case, it’s best for your business to let him or her go and move on. Dealing with irresponsible employees can be difficult, but it is important to do what is best for your business. These team members can cause serious harm to your company if they are not dealt with properly. By taking the time to understand the problem and by using the appropriate disciplinary measures, you can effectively handle these team members and protect your business from harm. What other suggestions do you have for dealing with an irresponsible employee? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can learn from your perspective. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.