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4 Essential Questions for New Businesses

Starting a new business is so exciting, but it can be daunting! There is so much to keep track of, so much to do, and seemingly not enough hours in the day. How do you even begin?

New business team meeting

While no one can give you the get-rich-quick recipe to instant success, there are tried and true ways of networking and finding a reliable customer base. Here are 4 essential questions new business owners should ask themselves on their path to success.

1. Traditional vs. Email Marketing

Snail mail gets a bad rap. The truth is that it is easier now more than ever to reach thousands of customers with the click of a button.…

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How to Improve Employee Morale and Productivity

A person’s emotional and mental wellbeing impacts their quality of work. That is a given. It is why benefits extend beyond healthcare and go into what wellness bonuses employees will receive. A gym membership, for example, or perhaps a wellness retreat at the end of the year.

Productive employees with high morale

Improving employee morale and productivity needs to be done in several stages. You need to care for their wellbeing, yes, but you must also help them progress. They need to feel like they have a viable future with your company if they are to stay.

To help you reach the goal of a productive and hard-working staff, you’ll want to follow this guide:

Improve the Office Environment

The office is where employees spend a good chunk of their day and it should, therefore, be one that is comfortable to work in.…

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The World’s Most Famous Scams

Scams are part of the business world.  To keep yourself and your business ‘safe’, you need to be aware of the various types of scams.  One of the best way to get educated in the Scam 101 is by learning from ‘the best’ (read: infamous scammers.)

Scammer

Here are some of the world’s most famous scams – read on, and learn how to deal with scams better.

Bernard Ebbers’ greed

This former Baptist college physical education teacher founded Long Distance Discount Services Inc. in 1984. (LDDS). The organization eventually grew into the second largest telecommunications holding company in the United States. Ebbers’ closest business partners were the pizza delivery guy and the DJ.…

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Steps to Organize Your Small Business

When you operate a small business, there’s a lot that you’re juggling at any given time. You may feel like you have your hand in a little bit of everything, even if you have employees.

It can quickly get overwhelming and be tough to keep up with everything unless you have a system for organization in place.

Tidy and clean office

An organized business is important for several key reasons. First, when your business is organized you’re going to be operating at a peak level of efficiency, which will improve productivity. You’re also likely to see higher revenue because you’ll be better equipped to build long-term relationships with your clients when you’re organized.…

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Preparing to Go into Business with Someone: What To Consider

Entering into a business partnership can be life-changing in a positive way, but also a negative way. Too often, there are big problems that arise down the road because business partners don’t do their due diligence on one another, or they ignore red flags.

Choosing business partners

A strong business partnership can mean that the two of you bring together complementary skills and backgrounds to improve the success of your business. A business partner may also bring financial benefits to the situation. However, a business partnership can quickly turn sour without the necessary steps being taken upfront.

The following are things to know and do before you go into business with someone.…

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7 Tips to Master Your Next Performance Review

Performance reviews are an extremely useful technique for employers and employees. Employers use them as a basis for raises and to address any ongoing challenges. Meanwhile, employees can use a performance review as a guide for enhancing their career potential and productivity.

Conducting performance reviews.

For both parties, a performance review can be an awkward, nerve-wracking experience. By using these tips, you can master your next review and make the most of the experience.

Know What to Expect

When it comes to being nervous, one of the best ways you can relax is by knowing what will actually happen. Read through the steps involved in giving a performance review.…

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Creative Ideas to Improve Your Employees’ Wellness

When you run a business, one major goal is to retain your best workers in the long run. Employee wellness programs help you do this by rewarding and taking care of your employees. In addition to improving your compensation package, wellness programs can help reduce absenteeism and encourage productivity.

Company fitness program

These kinds of programs are in high demand among today’s job seekers, so it is extremely important to put them in place. If you are struggling to think of the right ideas for your company, the following wellness ideas can help.

Healthy Cooking Classes

Whether you are trying to appeal to full or part-time employees, classes are an excellent way to reward them.…

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Here’s Why Employee Engagement Should Be a Priority

Companies that want to be more effective and productive need to place a higher priority on employee engagement. Failure to do so typically results in a combination of poor performance and high turnover rates.

Business leader fostering employee engagement

There are many benefits to focusing on employee engagement. Here are six of them:

1. It Retains Your Talent

One of the primary benefits of high employee engagement is the retention of valuable talent. When employees feel a strong bond with their employer and identify with the employer’s purpose and mission, they are more likely to remain in the company’s employ.

Additionally, satisfying work and a clear development plan will produce a sense of loyalty that a pay raise will never be able to achieve.…

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Why Pitney Bowes’ SendPro Online Service Makes Sense to Business Owners

Small to medium-sized business owners face a plethora of unique challenges that usually involve obstacles including cost and time. When it comes to shipping, small business owners are definitely caught at a crossroads between needing a reliable shipping solution and needing a budget friendly option. Many small businesses have shipping needs that send them on a quest to find the cheapest shipping carrier, whether it be USPS, UPS, or Fedex. This is a burden that costs business owners crucial time and money.

SendPro Online by Pitney Bowes

Many current shipping solutions seem to cater to larger companies only. While there are some shipping savings that can come into play, most business owners would be shocked to see that they can’t just do everything within the fee they pay.…

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Why Online Reviews are Important for Businesses

The online world has brought so much to our fingertips, from our weekly food shop to researching into our next holiday destination. One area in which it’s having an increasingly pronounced effect is the public perception of businesses, turning the internet into a forum that enables consumers to base their purchasing decisions on the opinions of like-minded individuals. Although word of mouth has always been essential to a business’s fortunes, it’s now easier than ever for companies to be made or broken by the wisdom of crowds.

Online reviews are important

Yet, some small businesses—particularly offline ones—still place little importance on online reviews, despite the impact they can have, let alone worry about whether these reviews are positive.…

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