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Category: Work

Business Losing Money? Here Are 3 Reasons Why

Do you feel as though your company is losing more money than you are bringing in? If this is the case, then it is important to understand that there could be a very good reason behind this. If you want to make a positive change or if you want to stop yourself from missing out too much, then this guide will help you to find everything you need to know.

Poor Accounting

If you want to give yourself any chance of potential success, then you have to know your numbers. If you do not know your numbers or if you do not know how much money you have coming in and going out, then this will work against you more than you realize. When you run a company, there is absolutely no room for things such as inaccurate or unorganized accounting. If you are too slow when logging your big transactions, then you will not have a clear idea of how much money you actually have. Small errors like mixing numbers up or even recording your items in the wrong order will also greatly work against you, so it is imperative that you do not let things like this trip you up. If you want to stop your data from getting mixed up all the time regarding your equipment or inventory, then it could be wise for you to invest in CMMS software.

Combined Accounts

Whatever you do, you have to make sure that you do not use your personal bank account to log your business transactions. If you do, then you may find that this ends up making things very hard work. Your money can become muddled, and you may have no clue as to what money belongs to you, and what belongs to your company. If you have one account and you have a personal emergency arise then you may be tempted to take it out of your company, but if you do this, your business will lose out on money purely because you did not separate your business and personal finances from one another.

Poor Pricing

When you are trying to price your products, it is imperative that you find a good middle ground. If you sell your products for either too much or too little, then your company will lose out as a result. It can be an incredibly difficult task to price your products properly, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible. If so, you have to make sure that you conduct a market analysis so you can take the time to learn about the customers you have. Study your competition properly and take the time to find out what they are charging for the same things you sell. You can even ask your potential customers how much they would be happy to pay for your products if you want.

If you can avoid these mistakes, then you will soon find that it is easier for you to get the result you want out of your business success, while also putting yourself on the right path for the future.

6 Ways To Give Your Customers And Clients Much Smoother, Speedier Service

When you have jobs to do, you have to do them right and in a solid time. Getting things done correctly obviously matters, but you have to make sure that you’re not wasting people’s time or taking liberties. Whether you’re a part of a huge business or you are a freelancer looking to get some work on your own, you have to ensure that you’re going to be giving out great service. 

We live in a world now where people are expecting to get things sooner rather than later. You can debate whether this is a good thing for our minds or a bad thing, but that is where we currently are situated. If you want to be the best and to get ahead of competitors, you have to make sure you’re not messing around with your working style and not messing with the customers’ needs. Here are six ways you can ensure you give your customers the speedy, smooth service they need: 

Make Your Workspace Easily Accessible And Navigable 

This benefits everyone. If you have a workplace that everyone can both get to and work well inside, then it’s going to make things so much speedier. Customers will be more than happy to head on over, and you’ll be able to get things done. Everyone will feel as though the task is a lot more convenient and nobody will have to worry about the hassle. Make sure your workplace is easy to reach and simple to get around so that nobody finds themselves in awkward predicaments. Offices, factories, warehouses, and all kinds of workplaces should have this in mind. 

Bring In The Best Possible Staff Members

You have to make sure you have the right people on board from the get-go. You simply cannot allow stragglers or people with bad attitudes if you want to have the best possible workdays. Attitudes and behaviors will be remembered – and they’re also contagious. If you have a few bad eggs, it can make the rest behave in similar ways, too. Employ productive people with the right attitude and you won’t have to worry too much about getting things done. 

Ensure You Have The Best Website And Online Presence Possible 

People will always look online when they want more information or if they want to get in touch with you quickly. If you have an online presence that welcomes visitors and lets them know all of the information they need, then it’s going to solve a lot of problems quickly. Paths to methods of contact such as email, phone numbers, and social channels will also be needed. Think also about adding live chat boxes if you have the capacity. 

Gather All The Freshest And Best Equipment 

The more you have in your arsenal, the better off you’re going to be. If you have the right bits and pieces, you’re going to get things done so much quicker. In terms of the face-to-face dealings with customers, it would be good to keep the typical tasks, such as payment, to a minimum. You can do this by getting modern payment equipment so that things can be done within seconds. You could set up credit card processing for you CBD business, fitness business, grocery store, or whatever you have created. This would enhance your reputation, too. 

Work Hard On Every Single Job You Have 

The effort you put in matters a lot to people’s minds. If you’re not really bothering all that much, your clients and customers will absolutely remember it. Working hard is a habit that you’ll want to get into because it can affect the way you do pretty much everything thereafter. Don’t let them see you slacking off. 

Have A Solid, Consistent Policy Or Way Of Working 

As time moves on and you become more versed in the way you work, things will become a lot smoother, in general. If you are all over the place and don’t really have a solid plan in terms of your output, then you’re going to be way less productive with what you’re trying to do. You have to make sure you have a consistent way of working and a style that can keep things ticking over. This not only helps the speed of the service or the job, but it also then becomes synonymous with your business as a whole. Customers and clients will start to associate you with a particular style and a particular method of getting things done. Your work can almost become a trademark, in some cases, if you begin to develop a unique style or pattern.

3 Refreshing Tips For Digital Nomads

Since the pandemic came and… stubbornly persisted, we’ve seen the rise of people who value more convenience in their work. Working from home, a local cafe, or even a bar can provide people with a sense of renewed focus mixed with a little personal leisure and convenience where appropriate. Thanks to a majority of serviced work being performed online these days, it seems that many jobs have at least some online component to think of.

As such “digital nomad-ism” has become a much more popular day-to-day and feasible working condition than expected. Some people regard it as a movement, for some, it’s just time they get away from the office. But if you’re on your travels while working, well, you have to come up with your own style of getting things done. Some people wake up in a hotel, will work solidly for six hours, and then enjoy the rest of their afternoon evenings. Some people party all day and work from their laptop all night.

If you feel that the digital nomad lifestyle is for you, then it’s important to consider some advice that actually owes its wisdom to skilled and proactive travellers. Without further ado, then, please consider the following advice:

Use & VPN/Secure Your Accounts

A VPN, known as a virtual private network, is software that encrypts your internet requests so that if your traffic is intercepted, it cannot be read. This can also encrypt it from your internet provider. This is important because when you’re traveling, it’s likely that you’ll connect to a range of public WiFi connections, from hotels to bars to libraries. Those with the technical skills may be able to read unsecured data and use it to steal your information or access your financial details. A cheap but paid-for subscription service is best. This will ensure your traffic stays as secure as possible, and saves you from potential fraud.

Alternate Your Travel Methods

Like anything in life, if you do something constantly and routinely, it may lose its vitality. This is why we don’t eat the same meal three times a day, and why even fun things, like riding roller coasters, can get old within a certain period of time. The same goes for hopping from place to place as a digital nomad. 

The best thing to do is to alternate your travel methods if you hope to make digital nomad-ism fun. Long-haul trains through certain countries, flights, hikes, and even boats with boat storage options can be exciting, and you’ll find more info here. Try hostels, hotels, AirBnB apartments, or stay with friends. Switch things up a little. It will help your lifestyle remain as vibrant as possible; and you’ll also be able to pursue many financial deals here, too.

Use Safety Apps

Safety is essential when you’re a digital nomad. When you travel so quick and so far, some may not know where you are. This is why it’s helpful to use apps that transmit your location to your loved ones, or set reminders for you to tell them. Alternatively, you can use apps like What3Words which actually provide exact accurate locations for where you are in the world based on a three-word grid system. This means you can easily show where you are to those you trust no matter what plans you’ve made that day. Safety is priceless.

With this advice, we hope you can nomad-it-up with enhanced security, fun and safety.

How To Be A Good Lab Manager

Whether you have recently been promoted to lab manager or the position is one you are considering, there is a good chance that the role will require skills that you haven’t thought about. A big part of the job is facilitating new discoveries and undertaking research, but the work doesn’t stop there. Take a look at these skills that make a successful lab manager.

Leadership

Being in a position of responsibility for your whole team can be daunting when you’re first promoted to the role of a lab leader, but when you break it down into consistent parts, it doesn’t need to be. 

Aim to make choices for the good of the whole team. A position of power means that the final decision sits with you so make sure your choices are made for the team and not the individual. 

Make confident choices. A lab manager needs to be willing and able to make critical decisions and inspire the team with logical judgments. 

Maintain enthusiasm and motivation in your team. Listen to your staff, make sure everyone is aware of goals and targets, and make sure employees are working together for the good of the lab. 

Communication

Formal and informal communication are both important for ensuring good team morale and a successful working atmosphere. Make sure you schedule in regular one-to-ones with your team so they can discuss any issues with you before they turn into problems. An approachable and understanding manager is often listed as one of the key factors in employee morale. If you’re looking for other ways to be a good boss, arrange informal meet-ups to allow colleagues to have fun together away from an often intense working environment. 

Managing Projects

A lab manager role has a lot of crossover with the role of a project manager. The completion of a project is a group effort, and often wouldn’t be possible without the rest of your team, but bringing together the many elements of a complex project will fall on the shoulders of the lab manager unless you use a management organization like MRIGlobal. Whether you’re setting timeframes, communicating goals to the rest of the project team or ensuring delivery, project coordination is the key to success. 

Managing Budgets

Government funding can be scarce and applying for grants and funding from different sources is important for a thriving lab. The future of the lab could be on the line without funding, so this is one of the most vital tasks a lab manager undertakes. There are lots of courses that can help you to improve your bid writing, or you could seek advice from senior staff who have more experience doing this. Don’t panic if you’re not good with words. There are agencies that specialize in grant writing or you could hire a bid writer. Spending in this area often has a great return on investment so consider delegating the task if you need to. 

Organizing Meetings

Making sure your meetings are worthwhile and productive can take a lot of work. Whether you are putting together agendas before the meeting, keeping the conversation on track during the meeting, or debriefing the team afterward, organizing meetings will take a lot of skill. Watch how others conduct meetings and work on the skills that you find the most effective in making meetings productive and useful to the entire team. 

Managing Conflicting Priorities

Financial constraints and other commitments often mean that it isn’t possible to prioritize research alone. An important skill for lab managers to have is the ability to juggle these conflicts, ensuring the best quality research while maximizing profit and keeping investors happy. Science is about discovery and innovation, but an effective manager needs to deliver these on time and within budget. 

Creative Problem Solving

As a lab manager, you will be required to think outside the box. By the time an issue comes to you, it is likely that all of the more obvious solutions have already been tried by the rest of your team. Whether it is solving a budget issue through imaginative workaround solutions or offering a fresh perspective on a project that has run out of steam, thinking outside the box is one of many skills you will need to use. Become a better creative problem solver by staying on top of industry news and advances in your field. With one eye on the bigger picture, you are more likely to spot innovative solutions and be in a position to put them into action.

It Pays To Invest In Your Look As A Freelancer

You would hope that your work would speak for itself and that it would be the sole proponent for whether or not you’re able to get clients on board. However, that simply isn’t true. Freelancers need to market themselves every bit as fiercely as entrepreneurs. That goes beyond your website, online marketing, and branding, however. Your appearance matters, as well. Here are a few ways you can ensure that you’re giving off the professionalism that people expect from you.

Dress appropriately for the situation

You might think that one of the benefits of working for yourself is that you get to dress however you like and that is true. When you’re working at home, who’s to say you can’t rock up in a robe and slippers? But when you’re meeting clients or those you’re looking to impress, then you have to ensure a professional dress sense, too. This doesn’t always mean a suit. Going with business casual to a lunch meeting isn’t going to spoil too many chances. But you want to make sure that your clothes fit and that they look like something a professional adult would be happy to wear.

Grooming is just as important

Throwing on a suit jacket isn’t going to be enough if you haven’t been grooming yourself to an eye-pleasing standard. The length and style of your hair are up to you, you just have to make sure that you have your barber tidy it up for you and take care of it with brushing, conditioner, and, when necessary, hair spray. Facial hair is important, too, you don’t want to show up with a patchy beard that makes it look like you just got out of bed. A good smile is vital, too. If you’ve been drinking a little too much coffee and not brushing enough, then you want to invest in a teeth whitening kit. Not only will it help you make a better impression but you can be a lot more confident in your presentation when you’re not feeling self-conscious about your hair or teeth.

Mind your posture

Body language can have a much greater impact on the impression that you leave on people than you might think. If you’re slouched over, shoulders dropped, and head low, it does not exactly make you look like a confident person, which means that it may be harder to put confidence in you. However, sitting straight up with your face straight ahead can make you look a little robotic, too. There are posture fixing apps that can help you correct your body language so that you look confident, calm, and collected, but without looking overly proud or stiff, too.

You don’t need to fit a specific mold to successfully look like a professional that people want to hire. What’s important is that you’re able to present yourself and that you clearly put effort into that presentation. People are shallow with those they don’t know personally. They will judge you at a glance, so it’s important to make sure that you’re judged well.

Keeping Your Business Relevant in a Competitive Market

When your business is operating in a competitive market, staying relevant is a challenge. It’s especially difficult when everything is moving quickly and you’re always at risk of falling behind your competitors. However, you don’t have to get left behind if you’re careful about how you grow your business. Staying up to date with what’s happening can help you to ensure your business remains relevant at all times and isn’t overtaken by both existing competitors and emerging brands. You need to stay on the ball if you want to avoid your business becoming irrelevant, so take a look at the following steps you should be taking.

Grow Your Business Faster

Everything can seem to grow at an extremely fast pace in business, especially in certain industries. Being able to keep your business growing and developing quickly is a must if you want to keep up. One of the things you can do is ensure your operations and development are working together. A DevOps consulting service like Continuum Innovations can help your organization to work quickly and develop faster. If you’re developing digital applications, products and services, you can do so faster with the right support and a clear plan for the future.

Know Your Competition

Understanding your competition is always important if you want to be able to keep your business relevant.

Luke Lee, the CEO of Palaleather, says that Market Research is one of the actions most startups or small business owners usually forgo because they could not readily see its relevance in the short term. In the long run, however, knowing your competition through effective market research allows business owners to compete and determine what makes them stand out among the rest.

How can you compete if you don’t know who you’re up against? You might research your competitors when you first set up your business, but that shouldn’t be the end of it. It’s also important to keep an eye on what your competition is doing so that you can respond in the right way. Are they doing something that you should be doing too? Is there a way you should be differentiating your business from theirs so you stand out?

Be Innovative

Innovation is key to keeping your business relevant. You need to be willing to keep your business moving and to look for new ways to do things. You’re not always going to be at the cutting edge and doing things that no one else is doing. But you can find plenty of ways to keep reaching out to your customers, offering more value from your products or services, and building your brand’s reputation and recognition. You can experiment and test out different things to see what works in different areas, from product development to marketing.

Attract the Best Talent

Having the right people working for your business is a must if you want to keep moving forward. You need the best talent working for you if you want people who are able to think innovatively and keep your business developing. Of course, if you’re looking for the right talent, you have to offer people attractive opportunities. Being a good employer is an essential part of making the right hires, so make sure you’re taking care of your employees if you want to attract the right people.

It’s vital to stay on top of your business development and what’s happening in your industry if you want to remain relevant and continue to compete.