Author: Scott Asai

Helping people develop their leadership skills to advance in their career

How Can The Right Tech Save A Failing Business?

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When you’re growing your business, you can throw everything within your financial remit at it to ensure the company flies, but this isn’t necessarily going to work. When your business begins to make its inevitable descent, either due to poor planning, insufficient action, or both, thoughts turn to how to save a failing business. Believe it or not, the one main component that could encourage your company to grow again is the tech. How can it do this?

It Saves Your Business Money

It’s a great way for you to streamline certain processes. When you’re looking to cut corners, but without compromising the integrity of the company, technology is a godsend in this respect. Going digital can reduce the amount of paper you use of course, but it can reduce your equipment needs, and if you have the means necessary, you can encourage your workers to stay at home and work remotely, therefore minimizing your need or a physical office.

It Protects You

These days, data breaches are more common regardless of how big or small the company is. If you are insufficiently prepared for a data breach, you could lose so much information, not to mention trust from your customers. It’s vital you have an appropriate infrastructure plan in place, and Ntiva’s strategic IT consulting services is one of many that can help you re-evaluate your framework. We have to ensure that our company’s needs are met, and it’s not just in relation to the technology we have, but also in making sure that our staff know the best practices so that the technology is put to good use.

It helps automation

From social media to Customer Relationship Management systems, automation is one of the best approaches any company can take advantage of. Automating a handful of processes can save you time and money. This leaves your staff open to working on other areas of the company. If you are struggling to keep yourself going, automating so many processes that work out, financially speaking, as the equivalent of one member of staff means you can save quite a significant amount of money. Automation is a process that can make life easier for businesses, but not so the workers become complacent. Automation is one of those things that can encourage your workers to perform better in other areas so they don’t make themselves expendable. As this is a very handy by-product of implementing automation; if your workers perform better, you will directly see this in the results.

The right technology can save a failing business, but it can sufficiently protect it as well. As any company will attest, the right piece of tech is a godsend. And when your business struggles to keep itself going, technology might not be the first thing you would turn to, but as technology can fulfill so many different roles, you need to give it the attention it deserves. Technology is fast becoming the most essential business component, but even the smallest system can turn a business around in a short space of time.

Go For Growth

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You’ve been cruising along with your business for a while and though you’re turning over a profit, you know that, deep down, you’re playing it safe and taking zero risks.

And why would you want to? After all there’s nothing wrong with staying put and turning over a profit each month. What if your business could grow? What if, with a little careful planning, you could double that profit margin? Wouldn’t that be an achievement?

While growing your business can be frightening, it’s almost always well worth doing. It doesn’t have to be done in such a way that it leaves you feeling out of control but instead can be planned and executed with the greatest of detail.

We look at some ways you can grow for success.

Plan to succeed

Before you even consider the how’s and why’s, you’ll need to take a look at what you might need to change in order to accommodate extra growth. If you’re limited by certain restrictions on your website and worry it couldn’t handle the extra commerce, have a chat with your platform provider or web host and see what you can do to ensure a sustainable performance.

How about staffing? If you run your show solo, you might have to think about investing in taking on an assistant or two. Start by doing some research into how to make hires in your industry and checking out on business blogs what you might need to consider in terms of potential salary and other employee benefits.

Finally, stock. If you are a business that sells physical products can you guarantee that you’d be able to fulfill shipments should you increase in orders and will your current storage facilities adequately meet the need for extra room? Planning to succeed now will save you rushing around in a panic as your business makes the transition from small to a growing concern.

Hit marketing hard

Now is the time to get that killer marketing strategy in place. If you’re serious about making it big, then consider bringing in an established and reputable company to help you. Let them take the strain and help you find your perfect customer base and produce for you the perfect plan guaranteed to draw in more and more trade.

You’ll want to consider your social media outlets, direct mail options and web advertising options such as Walmart Performance Ads and other web-based promotions.

Have your marketers research who you are aiming your products at and creating advertisements and offers that speak directly to your ideal base.

Growing and succeeding in business can be a tough challenge so be realistic as well as ambitious. Set objectives that are practical and achievable, within time frames that, while giving you a clear cut off point, also give you time to reach your goals.

A little investment now and you’ll find your business soaring off to new heights that you never thought would be possible. Start planning for success today and see greater profits tomorrow.

Making A Large Office Feel Nice And Private

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There are few things worse than feeling like you are being watched when you are trying to work. Often making it harder to focus on what they are doing, most people much prefer to feel as if they are in their own space when they are doing their job, reserving time spent with other people until their breaks. Of course, though, modern offices have to fit more people into them than ever before, and this makes even having cubicles into a challenge. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best ways to make a large office feel nice and private.

Headphones & Privacy Films

Being able to put yourself into your own bubble while you work is a great way to make yourself feel alone. When someone can hear everything around them, though, they will struggle to achieve this goal. By providing your employees with good sound cancelling headphones, you will help to eliminate this issue, enabling them to block out the world around them as they get on with their jobs. Along with this, you could also consider the idea of privacy screens for your monitors, as this will make them impossible for other people to see.

Barriers

Having walls between your employees may sound like a bad way to make an office feel friendly, but this sort of approach can often be the best when it comes to keeping people focused. Decorative window frosting film can make a great tool when you’re doing this, enabling you to use glass dividers which won’t take up much space, while still blocking vision and sound from passing through. Having something like this set up in a modular way enables your team members to choose whether they’d like a barrier or not.

Smart Layouts

Even when you have a very busy office, ensuring that people aren’t looking over one another’s shoulders can often be solved by creating smart layouts for your offices. When people are behind each other, they should always have their backs facing, as this will ensure that they can’t watch their colleagues at work. Some people will be fine with having their work on display, but others will find it very stressful.

Signs & Warnings

It can be hard to stay focused on your job when you have other team members talking to you. People don’t often stay busy all the time in an office, with everyone going through their own busy patches throughout the day. This can create a mess of communication when some people are working and others aren’t, and this is something to be mindful of. To help to solve this issue, giving your employees warning signs which they can use to let others know when they are handling serious work can be a great approach to take.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling prepared to take on the challenge of making a shared workspace feel like a private one. Of course, your teams can’t expect dedicated rooms for their work, but they should be able to focus on their work.

Getting to Grips With Data and Data Storage

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As a small business owner, you’re going to deal with a whole lot of data. It’s an inevitable part of running a company! But you really do need to remember the importance of storing data correctly. Hopefully, the following information will help you to get to grips with everything you need to know on the subject!

Understanding Data

So, what actually is data? Well, it’s essentially “information”. Data can be a word, a number, a fact, a figure, a measurement, or an observation that can be noted down. When you run a small business, the type of data that you will generally deal with includes customer names and addresses for shipping purposes, payment details, email addresses for mailing lists, and occasionally phone numbers. If you are an employee and have members of staff working for you, you are also likely to hold a lot of their data too! From a copy of their passport (to prove their right to work) to bank details for payment, and their phone number or email address to contact them.

Storing Data

In the past, small businesses stored their data in paper files. But nowadays, small business owners tend to store their data on a tech device such as computer, a laptop, a tablet, or maybe even a smartphone. Now, it is extremely important that you store any data that your business takes securely and in accordance with data protection law. Data protection law is mainly concerned with protecting your customers’ data and personal information. If you were to leak this data or the wrong person were to get their hands on this data, your customers could find themselves victims of theft and identity theft. Perhaps the most effective and safest way to store your data properly is to hire someone to take care of it on your behalf. Just take a look into Data Storage recruitment to find the right person for the job. They will know the ins and outs of data storage and data protection law and can lift the weight of responsibility from your shoulders.

Disposing of Data

If you have any printed data, make sure that you dispose of it by placing it through a shredder. This will prevent people from picking anything out of the trash, as they would have to reassemble multiple pieces to find anything legible.

Keeping Up to Date

Data protection law is constantly being updated and improved upon. So, make sure to keep up with any changes that are made to ensure that you are following the right rules! Generally speaking, these new rules are made very clear and well publicized, so this shouldn’t be an issue!

While there are other ins and outs to data and data storage, these basics should help you to manage yours as effectively as possible! Incorporate all of this information into your business as soon as possible!

Is Career Planning Possible in 2019?

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The nature of work as we know it is changing almost faster than we can master our current roles. The rapid advances in technology and its impact on both the job market and the economy have made it more difficult than ever before to confidently map out career advancement.

When you don’t know which jobs will even exist in five years, how can you strategize to get ahead? Despite the obstacles though, career planning is in no way dead. Instead, young professionals need to adopt a new method of career planning. The very components that make modern career planning possible are oftentimes those that are also invaluable within the current and future job market: flexibility and adaptability.

Don’t Rely on Experience Alone

Traditionally, experience has been the foundational piece of career planning. You put the time in on lower rungs of the career ladder, and that allows you to move up. But modern professionals would be remiss to simply rely on their level of experience. In a world where things are changing rapidly, roles have to be filled by individuals who don’t have direct experience.

Research has demonstrated that one’s propensity to career adaptability is a primary indicator of one’s likelihood of success not only professionally, but also in other areas of life. To ensure you’re doing all you can to remain competitive within you field make sure you are:

Stay informed: While you may not know exactly where you want to land down the road, you should still be making an effort to stay informed and up-to-date within your industry. Read publications, watch other companies, and ultimately, don’t lose the handle you have on the direction and priorities of your industry.

Unlearn the old: A recent survey found that the primary concern of employees is that their job will be obsolete in the near future, and half believe their specific skill set will be unneeded. The key to dealing with that reality is to be willing to let go of the former methods and processes that got you where you are when they become antiquated.

Refine your skills: The career planning master is also a skill refining master. Knowing what’s coming next for your industry and unlearning the old is only the beginning. There’s value in pairing experience in your field with insight and a clear understanding of where the future of your industry as a whole lies.

Remember Your Connections

In many fields, networking is a fundamental part of getting the job you want. In a pile of cover letters, having a connection can be the only thing that gives you a competitive edge. As you consider your networking connections there’s value in seeing two, distinct sets of relationships.

The Old: The pre-existing connections you have are likely to be swept up in the changes of the marketplace right along with you. In that case, there’s value in continuing to build the relationship, even if you shift directions.

As the president of the New York Stock Exchange told Fast Company, “It doesn’t matter if someone is inside or outside of your industry, if they are interesting and influential, be willing to commit time and/or resources to meet, connect or help that individual.”

The New: What is equally important in the rapidly evolving professional climate of today is that the connections you have are also evolving so that they continue to be a helpful component of your career planning. If your connections aren’t refreshed they will fail to accurately align with your interests and priorities.

Thus, there’s value in networking in the area you’re hoping to head. When doing so the business professionals at Rutgers University recommend, “If you don’t have experience in an area, expertise with a particular type of software or other qualification, don’t try to make it sound like you do. Being truthful about, both your weaknesses and strengths will prove that you are willing, to be honest, and humble and can communicate a host of attractive characteristics to a potential employer, partner, or contact.”

Constantly Reassess

As we noted at the beginning, a key to success as we move into the future will be fostering adaptability and flexibility and leveraging them to move into new positions. There’s value in proactively making sure that your skills, experience, and connections all work together to give you the best possible chances of achieving the career goals you plan.

Additionally, it’s crucial to constantly reassess your progress and use that information to steer your career in the right direction. Are you doing what you can with the understanding that the things that have gotten you where you are, are unlikely to get you where you want to go?

If there are areas of your career development that are growing stale or lack any recent changes, brainstorm on ways to foster growth there.

Lastly, in the interest of a reassessing your competitiveness in relation to your plans, actually set goals. Make plans for the next quarter, year, and three years and reassess your progress and attitude towards those goals on a consistent basis.

Certainly, the day when seniority meant you were essentially a shoo-in for the corner office is gone. Today rapid changes in technology are impacting virtually every industry under the sun, and the jobs that make up those industries are evolving at rapid rates.

However, the key for young professionals seeking success is not to allow themselves to be drug along by the rapid advances, but to proactively participate in them. The new age of job creation and retention has provided new opportunities. Because there’s often a need for people who don’t have direct experience, the individuals who land the jobs are often those who worked hard on what may have traditionally seemed like secondary things like relationships, soft skills, and flexibility. The good news is that those things are there for the taking.

Why Your Office Space is Your Most Important HR Tool

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As a small business owner, you might think about your business premises as an asset. However, what if you were told that it is actually a marketing, branding, and HR tool at the same time? Just imagine that your office workers are spending more time during the week at the office awake than they do at home. Some of them treat it as a second home, and – if you can create the right culture – a second family. Below you will find a few tips on making your office an effective human resources tool.

Temperature

The first thing you want to get right is the temperature of the office. You might not be able to please everyone, but allowing your employees to control the temperature in their zone or open the windows when needed can help them feel more comfortable and in control. It might be a good idea to have a chat with an air conditioning service company to have a look at your current system and recommend user-friendly upgrades.  

Health and Safety

If you want your employees to look after you, it is crucial that you respect them and look after their health and wellbeing. You will need advanced policies to prevent injuries and accidents, and it is also recommended that you monitor the air quality of the office, so you can make adjustments and keep your workers healthy. Appoint a health and safety representative, and you can manage employee wellbeing better.

Facilities

If you would like to attract the best people to your office, you will need to offer more than other companies. From free parking to an on site canteen, gym membership, or just a kitchenette, maybe food delivery services, there are several ways you can make them feel more at home and supported at the office. Create employee surveys to find out what your office workers are most keen on seeing in the business premises.

Breakout Areas

It is important that you provide breakout areas for your office workers where they can take a step back from the screen and the desk and socialize with each other. This is a good way of making the most out of the space and building a community at work. Get some games, a TV, or anything your employees recommend, including a sofa, a reading nook, or even a space where they can have a power nap during their lunch break and recharge their batteries.

Sharing Environment

It is also a good idea to create a sharing environment where information and knowledge flows in every direction. You will not only improve the culture of the office, but also increase your organizational knowledge and provide more value for your customers.

Your office is more than a facility; it is a place where your workers share ideas and knowledge, and spend eight hours at. Turn it into a human resources tool and you will see your organizational productivity rise. Engaged and supported employees are generally better at doing their job.

The Top 10 Careers Of The Future

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The Top 10 Careers Of The Future

Which jobs will be in demand in the future? Here are just a few careers that seem to have a bright future ahead.

Nursing

For those that have the brains to work in medicine and are passionate about helping others, a career as a nurse could be worth considering. The demand for nurses has risen by 26% in the last decade and seems certain to continue rising. Getting into nursing usually requires completing a three year course. The role of a nurse can be demanding, but it has a decent wage and is a very rewarding job.

Elderly care

People are living longer, which means the aging population is increasing. Many of these elderly people will need to be cared for in the future, which will mean hiring extra carers. Getting into care requires no qualifications (unless you’re pursuing a nursing role), making it great for people that want to get stuck into a career without having to spend years getting educated.

Teaching

So long as there are schools, there will always be a demand for teachers. Schools are already calling out for teaching staff and as the birth rate continues to increase and more children are born, it’s thought that this demand will continue to rise. Teaching is a rewarding job and one that you can cater to your skills. You’ll generally need some kind of degree (ideally in the subject you’re teaching) as well as passing a teaching assessment.   

International law

The internet has allowed many small companies to take on a global market. Whilst businesses may have once hired solicitors with local knowledge to get help with contracts and trademarks and health and safety laws, businesses are now looking for solicitors with international knowledge. There are specialist courses that you can take in international law.

Sustainable energy

The whole world is making efforts to move towards a greener future. For this reason, environmental sector jobs are in high demand. Sustainable energy is one of the biggest trades – both solar panel companies and wind farms have been seeing fast returns. If you have an interest in environmental affairs and are tech savvy, a career in sustainable energy could be right for you.

Electrical engineering

There are more electronic gadgets out there than ever before. Meanwhile many industries are now relying on robots. Electrical engineers are needed to help design and build these machines. You can take an electrical engineering degree online.

Cloud technology

App development

Data analytics

Digital marketing

The Young Professional’s Practical Guide To Succeeding As An Engineer

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Engineering students and graduates are often most concerned with their grades, especially in the science and mathematics bases subjects. However, it is important to remember that a math ( or theoretical science) genius, does not an engineer make. In fact, engineering is, in its very essence a supremely practical subject, and that means experience, as well as the other useful tips below, are what will help you ultimately succeed. Read on to find out more.

DIY experience by doing projects

First off, one of the most valuable things you can do to succeed in the field of engineering as a young professional is to accrue as much experience as you can. This means not waiting for course projects, internships, or even the perfect graduate position, but working off your own initiative as well.

Yes, that’s right, self-created projects are a fantastic way of demonstrating to anyone that is considering employing you that you have both the experience and the commitment to be a great asset. That is why you need to work out which field of engineering interest you the most, and then focus your efforts during your spare time, on that.

Engineering is a primarily practical subject

Internships and work

Of, course, having formal experience is going to be necessary well as that is why internships and finding the right employment is essential as well.

When it comes to internships, you may be able to secure a place while studying, or after graduation, through the institution, you are enrolled in. Although, it never hurts to create a resume and application and send it out yourself either.

Then, when it comes to applying for a more permanent role, you can use sites that collects all the relevant grad jobs for engineers that are available together. Something that can make it a lot easier to see what is on offer and what your skills would apply to. In fact, the best sites will also clearly show what degrees the employer finds acceptable for the job, meaning you don’t end up wasting time on applications that won’t go anywhere.

Keep learning and keep pace with developments

It’s also important to remember that engineering is one of those careers where you won’t stop learning just because you have completed your degree. In fact, as a subject, it is continually changing and evolving with new applications and new approaches being developed all the time.

What this means is that if you want to succeed in an engineering career, you will need to be open to lifelong learning. Luckily, this is something that much more accessible now, with all the online courses that are available including the ones you will find on Youtube, The MIT lectures, and even those offered by Coursera.

Of course, it’s up to you which come to pick and focus your time on. Just remember that if you want to succeed, not only in the short term with your engineering career goals but in the long run as well, you will need to continually take an interest in how the field is changing and developing.

Growing Your Small Business By Outsourcing

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In business, you don’t have to keep every procedure that you do ‘in-house.’ You can outsource specific assignments, or even whole departments of your company to other businesses, when it comes to work that you can’t (or don’t want to do) yourself. Businesses don’t always need to be in direct competition, and can work side by side for mutual benefit. Here’s what you need to know about outsourcing.

Why would you send work to other companies?

There are certain tasks in business that require specific tools, materials or expertise. Purchasing your own equipment and hiring your own employees comes with risk. What can be quicker, cheaper and less hassle can be sending the work to a company that already has these things in place. For example, instead of manufacturing your own products (that would require factory space, warehousing space, vehicles, machines and more) you could hire a company which already has this set up to manufacture for you. When it comes to IT services, companies like www.cyberjaz.net will have employees with experience and expertise, and the right equipment. In the long term, you might consider setting up these processes yourself, but it’s not something a small business can necessarily afford (or have the skills to do) in the beginning. Therefore, outsourcing allows your business the chance to grow but with less pressure on you to oversee every task, and without being held back by money for upfront costs.

Be sure to sustain business connections.

Outsourcing work to another company requires trust. Your business is of course important to you, and you need to know that everything being completed on your behalf is done to a standard that you’re happy with. For this reason, you need to maintain good business relationships, with good communication and regular meetings to ensure the standard is being met. Outsourcing benefits both companies- they have a regular client and regular work coming in, and you have a company who is able to complete the work that you can’t. So it makes sense for you both to nurture this relationship.

Evaluate frequently

If you find that the standard slips, or that another company is able to offer you a better deal then it could be worth making the switch. If you attend trade shows or business expos, you’ll come across lots of other companies who may be able to offer you a better or more tailored service. To keep your business moving forward you need to ensure that the outsourced company is doing the best work possible. So it won’t always make sense to stay loyal to one business, especially if another is able to offer you something better.

Outsourcing is a way for your business to grow when you don’t have lots of money upfront to create new departments. In some cases, it will make sense to continue outsourcing long term, and others you will be better off creating your own in-house departments when you can afford to do so. Either way, it’s something that can be highly beneficial to most kinds of businesses at some point in their journey.

4 Things Millennials Expect From Your Business

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Reaching out to millennials is a smart move. Apart from only boosting your customer base, it helps to modernize the business. Plus, it’s a fantastic boost in many ways. Did you know they spend 25 hours a week online? Considering a digital presence is a huge part of a successful, 21st-century company, they may be your target audience.

However, to target them isn’t a walk in the park. They expect a lot and will bounce if they don’t get it. Here are four things to concentrate on if you’re interested in the millennial vote.

Mobile Payment Options

Because they use their phones a lot, they’re not going to put them down in the store. Instead, the majority of millennials use cells to supplement the shopping experience. For example, they’ll use an app to make a payment rather than taking out cash or pulling out a card. It’s quicker, easier, and less hassle. Therefore, an Apple and Android credit card reader is essential. Otherwise, they’ll find the process difficult and go elsewhere as a result. Thankfully, plenty of point of sale systems use this technology so it shouldn’t be too hard to incorporate it into the store or online.

Social Media Convos

A massive 63% of millennials stay up to date with their favorite brands via social media. Without Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat, your business isn’t part of the conversation. So, a myriad of account is vital if you’re going to reach out to them through a variety of platforms. However, it isn’t only about brand awareness; customer service is important too. 35% of the demographic prefer to communicate via social media. Those that aren’t live on the platforms won’t be able to interact and figure out what they want. In fact, there’s no need to work it out because they’ll tell you if you ask. Millennials are empowered that way.

Pricing

It’s the most important thing to 62% of millennials, so it’s wise to keep it in mind. In essence, they want something affordable which is of a high-quality. If they get it, 70% of people said they would be likely to stay loyal because the brand plays a big part in their life. What this means is that it may be better to appeal to millennials as long-term partners. Lowering the rate a little in the beginning will get them on board for the future, and then you can begin to cash in.

Morality

Although the price is the main factor, there is still their morality to consider. Millennials don’t like products or services that harm the planet as they are environmentally-conscious. They call it “woke.” Nobody wants to feel guilty about enjoying a materialistic lifestyle, and that’s why it’s savvy to green the supply chain where possible. Go into partnership with eco-friendly suppliers and let people know. Millennials will be more likely to use your services as a result because their conscience will be clear.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is the stuff they seem to find the most important. Provide them to millennials and they reward you with their custom.