Managing staff holidays can be challenging, especially for small businesses as the teams are smaller and arranging cover can be difficult. All workers are entitled to paid annual leave, therefore you will need to be prepared to have staff off from work for four to six weeks per year. Successfully managing staff holidays helps to create a happier team, boosting the productivity of the business.
motivation
As an entrepreneur, starting a new business and hiring employees to join your team can often be a daunting first move to make as your business expands. It can be difficult to create the right environment and culture as a start-up business whilst also developing your brand.
[continue reading…]Starting a part-time small business is ideal if you want the security of employment whilst investing in a side business. Starting a business can come with great risks, and one of the main reasons that potential entrepreneurs are held back is for fear of their business failing. However with a combination of business skills and the right product, you can make your business a success. When running a part-time small business you also don’t have the life changing risk of failing hanging over your head, as you still have a steady income through your day job.
We made the decision to get our whole team working remotely well ahead of the Government’s advice to take this step. We called a morning meeting on 10th March and had transitioned to remote working by the time everyone left that day.
[continue reading…]Whether you’ve been freelancing for a while or you’re starting a new business but feeling a little lacklustre about your progress or you just want to work harder and be more efficient, keeping yourself motivated at work, isn’t always easy!
It’s fair to say that cruelty-free is having its moment. From animal welfare and non-animal testing to veganism, increasing numbers of people are demanding transparency from businesses in terms of their practices.
As a manager, it is your responsibility to promote employee wellbeing in the team. If the workforce is demotivated, stressed and not building positive relationships, the team’s productivity and efficiency will suffer as a result.
It’s incredibly important to stand out as an employer when you are hiring. Offering potential and existing staff perks and benefits will create happy, loyal employees. The extra perks and benefits could be a deciding factor when a candidate is choosing between you and another employer. Attracting and retaining talent is essential, especially for small businesses as the recruitment costs could be steep.
Small businesses often feel pressed for time, money, and human resources, causing them to neglect training, one of the most important ingredients for success. Training can ensure that everyone on your team understands their job and what you expect from them.
Companies are increasingly recognising the benefits of team building – the beginning of 2016 actually saw record spending on team building activities in the UK. In fact, on average companies now spend £305 on activities per employee to boost morale and keep their staff happy. Traditional team building activities such as assault courses are being replaced with more creative days out, with the most popular being cooking and baking. Adventure Connections highlight the many benefits of team building in the workplace that small businesses need to take advantage of.
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When you are running a business you will need to be organised, or at least attempt to be, in order to run it successfully. There are so many parts of the business that you will need to simultaneously take care of so you will need a system to ensure that you are managing all areas effectively. Whether you are focusing on tax or the your employees’ holidays, you need to have your small business in order.
BURNOUT. It’s the seven letter word that every employer dreads encountering. As businesses push to meet productivity needs and illicit the best results, employees can become overwhelmed, overtasked and burned out, sometimes without even realising it. Employers then become unwitting participants in the detection of subtle cues that suggest a need for change. Often burnout presents in seemingly disconnected ways. Small gestures that may, on the surface, look like behavioural or emotional anomalies, are sometimes indicators of a burnout silently brewing into an all-out raging inferno.
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Emotional intelligence can have a significant impact in the workplace. It can help your team form strong bonds allowing them to thrive, or the lack of it can create misunderstanding and cause issues. Emotional intelligence is becoming a more prominent topic of conversation when it comes to business leaders and business environments, therefore small businesses need to understand what it is and why it can make a great impact in the workplace.
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When running a small business, it’s impossible to avoid stress completely, however there are certain things you can do to reduce stress and the effects of it. Constantly dealing with stress can have serious negative impact on your mental and physical health. You really need to be proactive in reducing stress causing factors in your everyday life.
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