Contributed Post | Mike McRitchie | Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writer | Telecom Marketing Content Writer

How To Design An Office With Productivity In Mind

November 24, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Productivity is a primary concern for all businesses and your office space plays a big part in that. It’s important that you’re leading your team in the right way and manage workloads properly but if your office isn’t up to scratch, people won’t work hard. If you haven’t given your office a makeover for a while, you should probably change it up a bit. When you’re redesigning your office, it’s important that you do it with productivity in mind at all stages of the process. Here are some important things to remember.

Productive Office Space

Splash Out On Furniture

You might not think that an office chair makes that much difference to productivity but it really does. There are a lot of negative health problems associated with sitting down all day long and if you don’t have good furniture, your staff are going to end up with back problems and they’ll be generally uncomfortable all day, which makes it more difficult to concentrate on work. That’s why it’s important that you go to a professional company like Rieke Office Interiors for proper office furniture. As well as good quality office chairs that offer great support, you should invest in some comfortable furniture in the break areas. Giving people proper downtime and helping them to relax when they’re not working will help to improve productivity once they get back to their desk.

Update Equipment

The tools that your employees are using to make their jobs easier need to be updated regularly, especially the computers. If they’re using outdated equipment, your employees will end up working a lot slower than they could be. When you’re redesigning the office, you should take this opportunity to replace all of the basic office equipment that your staff use day to day. It’ll help them to be as effective as they possibly can be without anything slowing them down.

Room Color

The color of a room can have a massive impact on your attitude and your ability to work effectively. Different colors elicit a different psychological response so when you’re picking colors for your office, you need to choose wisely. Studies show that blue and green are great colors for inspiring productivity and creativity in your employees so make good use of those. Avoid red because it can be distracting when you’re trying to focus. Yellow can have a calming effect so it’s a good color to use for high pressure environments. You should absolutely avoid using any boring colors like cream because they don’t create a dynamic environment that makes people want to work.

Co-Working Spaces

Separating everybody into cubicles is the worst way to realize their full potential. If you want to get the best out of your employees, you need to allow them to pool their skills together and work together as a team. Giving them a space to do that is vital in a modern office setting so make sure that you’re creating great co-work spaces in your new office.

When you’re redesigning your office, it’s important that you always do it with productivity in mind.

10 Basic Office Supplies Every Successful Business Owner Needs

November 23, 2018 by Contributed Post 2 Comments

Basic Office Supplies You Need

If you want to run a successful business, you’re going to need the tools to get the job done. Here we go over 10 basic office supplies you can’t do without!

Have you finally decided to leave your dead-end job and start your own business?

Congratulations! Starting a new business is an exciting and stressful time in every business owner’s life. There are over 28 million small businesses in the United States. Each one may have started with just an idea and the hard work of a handful of people, but that’s not all they started with.

They also started with an office full of the appropriate basic office supplies. Making sure your office is properly equipped is a major key to your success. On top of that, it’ll save you a ton of unnecessary stress.

Not sure what basic office supplies you’ll need? Read on to find out!

1. Computer

This is an obvious first component of a well-equipped office. When selecting your electronic equipment, there are a few factors you should consider.

First, how many computers do you need? This is based on the number of staff you’ll have and/or the different parts of your business that need a separate computer. Once you have that in mind, set a budget. From there, look for computers that fit the demands of your business.

For example, you want a desktop for the office, but you travel a lot, so you need a laptop when you’re on the go. Calculate both of these needs into your computer budget.

2. Monitors

Monitors are not a surprising item to add to your office unless you’re planning on purchasing a laptop.

Consider this, though, you’ll no doubt be spending a significant amount of time on your laptop. Unless you’re propping up the laptop and setting up a separate keyboard, it’s simply not ergonomically correct for you to hunch over a laptop all day.

Monitors can be connected to your desktop, or laptop, and help you work pain-free. You can also add multiple monitors if you need to toggle multiple things on the screen. If you want to do this, you’ll need to make sure you have a good KVM switch to enable this to work.

3. Backup Hard Drive

If you’ve ever had your computer crash, then you know backing up your data on a backup hard drive is incredibly important.

There are two main types of backup hard drives you can purchase: a physical hard drive or a cloud-based backup. The perk of a cloud-based backup is that there’s no hardware that could fail. The perk of a physical hard drive is that your information feels more secure. Both work very well in terms of protecting your data.

You work hard to make your business a success, don’t lose that hard work due to technology failure.

4. Printer

You never know you need a printer until suddenly you have to print something! Printers have come a long way from the dot matrix days. If you’re looking for quick and reliable, opt for a laser jet. Thankfully, advances in technology have brought down the price of laser printers significantly.

5. Copier and Scanner

Copiers and scanners are both critical pieces of office equipment. Whether its copying receipts for your taxes or scanning documents your customers have sent in, it’s never a mistake to equip your office with a high-quality copier and scanner.

Thankfully, they often come as a single unit, saving you money and space!

6. Shredder

Shredders are incredibly important in an office setting, especially if you’re dealing with sensitive data.

If you’re handing paper records of people’s credit card numbers, social security numbers, or private information, then you need to make sure you have a way to securely dispose of it to prevent any future liability.

Shredders also work to protect you. Small businesses frequently receive offers for loans or credit cards. Throwing those offers out without properly destroying them leaves your business vulnerable to fraud.

7. File Cabinet

Ah, the old file cabinet. There’s no way around it, if you want to keep your files neat and organized, you have to have a file cabinet. It doubles as a way to securely store your physical files if you purchase one with a lock.

8. Desk Supplies

Ever need a pen and suddenly realize you have no idea where one is? This may seem obvious, but many people overlook it. Make sure your new office space has everything you’ll need in terms of basic desk supplies.

This includes things like pens, pencils, erasers, extra lead, rulers, tape, staplers, highlighters, permanent markers, and refills for when you run out!

9. Stationary and Mailing Supplies

Most communication these days is done electronically, whether through email or by telephone. Regardless, there will always be times when you need to send something out via mail, and you want to be prepared for those times.

Be sure to purchase stamps – Forever stamps, if possible so you don’t have to worry about changes in postage rates. If you think you’ll be doing a lot of mailers, it may be worthwhile to invest in a postage machine.

Lastly, take some time to consider your stationary. If you can swing letterhead paper and envelopes, now would be a good time to stock up. If you’re not ready to commit to a logo or letterhead, try a personalized rubber stamp! Check out Creative Rubber Stamps to learn more about your rubber stamp options.

10. Telephone(s)

Last, but certainly not least, you need to make sure that your office has a telephone, or more than one if you have multiple people working in your office.

Your cell phone works great when you’re starting out, but eventually, your business will get busier and you’ll want to separate your work calls from your personal calls. Beyond that, you want to be able to take a break when you leave work.

The best solution is to purchase a land line for your office. If you’re not feeling that, then get a dedicated cell phone line, but remember to turn it off every once in a while. You’ll quickly learn that a balance between work and personal life is extremely important!

Ready to Buy Your Basic Office Supplies Now?

An office equipped with the right basic office supplies sets your business up for success and saves you the trouble of having to scramble for them at the last minute. Now you’ll have time to focus on more important things like business strategies, marketing, and maximizing your staff.

Loved this advice? Check out the rest of our blog for more super helpful business tips!

Probing Questions You Need To Ask Before Hiring

November 23, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Hiring a new member of staff is a costly decision and not one to be taken lightly. For most businesses, wages are the top expense, so you want to know that when you do take somebody on, that they’re the right person for the job. So what questions should you ask before hiring?

Interview Questions to Ask

Question 1: Does The Candidate Fit Your Culture?

A candidate might have all the relevant experience and qualifications. But if they don’t fit the company culture, they can create problems. Employees used to an open culture may struggle in closed ones, and vice versa, creating confusion and dissatisfaction among other team members. They may also have different values to your company, preventing them from really fitting in and getting on well with management.

If you can, probe the values of candidates to check whether they align with your own. It’s okay to turn an applicant down, even if they appear to have everything you want on paper.

Question 2: Do They Have A Checkered History?

Some employees have a checkered history which can make them unfit for certain types of work. However, they’re unlikely to be upfront about certain things about their past. If you have suspicions about their character, then it might be worth asking a private investigator to perform some checks. You can often get hold of lots of background information, including any criminal record or activity on social media.

Question 3: Do They Seem Enthusiastic?

You know that you do your best work when you’re excited about the task you’re performing. When you find something boring, it’s tempting to do the least work possible. Ideally, candidates should be enthusiastic about the work you offer. Ask them for evidence that they’re keen on certain aspects of the job, such as what they might do outside of working hours. People who are genuinely passionate about the content of their work often have a related hobby or side project.

Question 4: What’s Their Attitude Like?

Harvard researchers have created a list of attributes they believe constitutes a person with a great attitude towards life. The list includes traits such as high openness to new experiences, low negativity, and cognitive energy to apply oneself to tasks. You want these same people working in your organisation because their positivity will rub off on the people around them, creating a better working environment.

Again, don’t be tempted to hire somebody just because they tick experience and qualifications boxes. Find out whether their attitude will be beneficial for your organisation or not.

Question 5: What Are They Worried About?

Candidates will often have worries about a particular job, just as consumers may have concerns about buying a specific product. The role of good employers is to assuage these concerns so that they don’t miss out on an opportunity to employ a high-quality person.

Take the time to go through the employment contract with candidates, asking them for their input along the way. Potential employees may have questions about holiday time, company policy regarding parental leave, and pay.

Oust The Outsourcing: Create Your Own In-House Departments To Save Money

November 23, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

If you’re currently outsourcing areas of your business and things are going well, you might be under the impression of ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ However, if you sat and added up all of the fees, costs and often the added time associated with outsourcing departments of your business, it might spur you on to make a change. When you keep processes in-house, you have more control over your company as you’re not at the mercy of anyone else. And most importantly, in many cases it can save you money in the long run. Business is of course, all about profits, and so anything you can do to maximise these figures is always worth looking into. Creating your own new in-house departments is a massive task, and there are some things you’ll need to bear in mind if you’re considering taking the plunge.

The upfront costs

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to opening new departments in your business is the upfront cost. If you’re mainly office based, new departments will mean a larger premises which of course means more rent. It means more computers, printers, phones and desks. If you’re planning on opening your own factory, manufacturing plant or construction site, you have the cost of machines, vehicles, premises and security to bear in mind- click here to find out more about the latter. If you want to stop outsourcing your delivery, you’ll need to invest in vehicles such as courier vans or even a fleet of ships. Along with these things you then have additional software to cover, maintenance fees and lots of other more ‘hidden’ costs. Depending on what you do or what you sell, the costs of opening your own departments can be significant, and might be what puts you off from setting up on your own. However, it’s important to bear in mind that once these are covered and you’re up and running, you’ll save so much money compared with outsourcing. This makes it a better option over the longer term, when business is going well and you know you’re going to be in it for the long haul. If business is doing well and you’re in a position where you can start adding your own in-house departments then you could improve the financial standing of your company.

Hiring staff

When you’re opening new departments, you’ll need the right staff to fill the roles. In terms of costs, you’ll need to consider advertising, recruiting, interviewing and training costs. You’ll need to factor in the time and money of running background checks, asking previous employers about their history and generally finding the right people. It’s another significant time and expense, as it’s important to find the right candidates for each role. Again, this is a massive undertaking when it comes to setting up your own departments, and can be enough to put some company owners off. But as with upfront costs, once things have settled down and you’ve found the right candidates then it’s plain sailing from there. While you will always get some people leaving, most will stay especially if you take your time with the interview process and be sure that you’re hiring the best people for each role. Don’t be afraid to conduct second and even third interviews if needed, and be sure that you’re portraying the role accurately. This prevents people from accepting, getting hired and then leaving soon after where the job wasn’t up to their expectations.

Health and safety concerns

One of the biggest issues when it comes to setting up your own departments is that you’re then responsible for your own health and safety. When it comes to things like construction, manufacturing and shipping these can all come with significant issues. Working with machinery, power tools, at heights, with heat and chemicals can all add more risk than you’d get at the average workplace. When you outsource to another company, they’re responsible for their own health and safety and so it’s not anything you need to worry about. Even within your office department people can experience slips, trips and falls. When you’re running everything yourself, there’s a lot of responsibility and one major task is keeping everyone safe. Make sure health and safety is being followed to the letter, and provide training to all of your staff so each role is being done to the best standard. Invest in good liability insurance, so you’re covered just in case the worst does happen. That way you won’t end up out of pocket if a claim is made against you. Even something as simple as someone slipping over on a wet floor and injuring themselves could spell disaster for your company, so be prepared and protect yourself. Do your research when it comes to insurance, won’t accept the first or cheapest policy. You’ll want to know exactly what you’re being covered against.

There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing, in some cases it can be the sensible option. Sending the work elsewhere means a weight off your shoulders, and one less thing to oversee as the boss, but it can be costly. It’s often best to outsource at first while you’re getting started, and then when your company is more established you can start to create your own new departments.

Are you currently outsourcing areas of your business and becoming increasingly aware of what this is costing you? Would opening your own departments be a possibility, or something you’d consider?

Easy Ways To Try And Reduce Employee Sick Days

November 22, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Everyone gets sick from time to time, and there isn’t much that you can do about it. If you want to reduce the amount of times that your employees come down with a bug however, then this is super easy for you to do and a few simple work changes could make all the difference.

Educate

One of the best ways for you to try and stop workplace illness would be for you to try and educate your team on ways to stay healthy. Try and encourage them to use hand soap and to exercise on a regular basis. You also need to put up notices during flu season telling them to cover their mouths when they cough, as this can significantly reduce the chance of the bug passing onto someone else. Little things like this may sound obvious, but when you have a team of people who all work in the same room, this is a breeding ground for germs and things like this can really limit spreading.

Flu Shots

When flu season comes along, you may find that a lot of your employees are affected. One way for you to try and stop this would be for you to offer company flu shots. People are much more likely to get the shot done at work when compared to going to their doctors to get it done, and you can also protect your team in the long run this way as well. Sure, it may cost you, but your employees will appreciate it and it will also help them to understand the importance of vaccinations.

Keep Everything Clean

If you don’t have a professional cleaner then it is well worth investing in one. You have to make sure that your break rooms and even your bathrooms are cleaned routinely with a commercial cleaning product. You also need to check your air conditioning units as well, as this can be a breeding ground for mould and bacteria. It’s also a good idea for you to hire commercial HVAC companies as they can work with you to make sure that your unit is as clean as it can be.

Encourage Sick Employees to Stay At Home

You may need your team in the office as much as possible and this is completely understandable, but if they are really sick then you may want to ask them to stay at home. It’s not worth your employee’s condition to worsen due to sheer exhaustion and you don’t want to spread it to other team members either or you could have a real problem on your hands.

Employee Wellness

They say that prevention is the best method and this is most certainly the case. For this reason, you should try and provide your team with a wellness program. This could include educating your team on how to stay healthy and you could also offer them incentives as well. Consider handing out free cereal bars when your team are on their break or work with them to make sure that they get the support they need.