Archive for the 'Business Management' Category
August 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Is There Truly A Secret To Success?
Many people ask, is there a trick to becoming successful in the health club field? The answer is of course, no. Well, not really. Actually there is no “secret” or “trick” at all. There is however, an age old concept that seems to have been forgotten in today’s business world: Customer Service!
By providing your clients with the services that they desire you will ensure the longevity of your health club. It will also help to grow your business as people pass the word about your place as the place to go for their workout needs. Free advertising like this is the best kind! It is advertising that spreads as each new member leaves satisfied and tells their friends, family, and co-workers about their positive experience. So, how can you provide the level of service that they are looking for?
Ways To Shoot For The Top
Remember this, there is always going to be another health club down the road with similar equipment ready to take your business the moment you don’t provide that something extra. Look at what services other clubs in the area are offering and try to offer something that they are not. Whether this means adding a juice bar, oxygen bar, free personal trainers, or a spa, looking into a viable service such as these can give your health club that added edge you need.
A couple of years ago tanning was a limited service being offered. Now most all health clubs offer access to tanning beds. Why not check into the up and coming spray tanning systems? You might also look into bringing a licensed massage therapist on board and offer different forms of both pre and post workout massages. Things such as these can make customers keep coming back time and time again.
The Little Things Count Too
There is more to customer service than what you are offering for workouts and other services. Customer service also includes making sure that the enrollment process goes smoothly for new clients and that your billing process is streamlined for existing clients so that they do not have any issues with missed payments, late billing, etc. Make their visit as friendly as possible by allowing them to get to their routine as quickly as possible.
Another thing to think about is the clients that come in to meet with you or one of your personal trainers. No one likes trying to schedule a time only to find out that they are double booked again and again. One thing that can help streamline the booking process is online appointment scheduling. There is software and subscription based online scheduling software that can help you. By allowing clients to schedule online you are free to perform more revenue generating tasks for your business, i.e. more billable hours to your clients.
By providing your clients with the customer service that they expect you will ensure that your health club is here to stay. It is the cornerstone to good business and will serve you well in the years to come. Besides, isn’t it what you would expect if you were the client as well?
Work smarter, not harder, and spend your extra time generating more revenue for your business. Sam Kanakanui has been in the online software business for over 12 years. Learn more about his online appointment scheduling software here. Sam also has a variety business resources and articles at www.netwavesolutions.com/resources.
August 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Does a Successful Spa Pay Off?
In today’s world everyone’s looking for a way to relax and get away from it all if only for just a bit. One of the ways that they are doing this is by visiting local spas. A spa offers them a chance to be pampered and feel like a queen or king even if it is only for a couple hours. They are willing to pay top dollar for this type of treatment and will always be willing to look elsewhere if they feel that they are not getting top treatment. So, how can you run a successful spa that will bring in the kind of income you are looking for? There are a few things that you must look at. The first is your laws.
Laws To Remember
As with all businesses there are laws that you as a business owner are bound to follow. Make sure that your spa is in compliance with the local zoning laws when choosing where to locate. Also make sure that you follow all state and federal regulations governing the products that your spa will be using. These laws are in place to make sure that the products and equipment are safe for you as well as your clients. By making sure that you are following federal and state guidelines concerning employees you will also help to keep your business out of trouble.
Hiring Standards
When you are hiring new employees for your spa you must consider what position you are trying to fill. Obviously, a receptionist and a nail technician are going to have totally different job skill sets. Make sure that you choose the right person for the right position. Also make sure that the person you choose either has the certifications needed for that position (for example massage technicians, etc.) or that you are willing to provide the training and certification opportunities for them. When looking for new employees consider trying several different techniques. Post your job openings in the paper, on the web, and with the local employment security office and you will get more responses than if you just stick a sign in the window.
Location is Key
One of the keys to running a spa successfully is choosing the right location. If you choose poorly you could be dooming your spa to failure within the first month or two. You want to make sure that your spa is located in a spot where it will get plenty of traffic. You should preferably locate near a high traffic public area such as a mall or near a set of office buildings. Once people spend long hours shopping or working they could walk past your shop and think, “wouldn’t that be nice?” This is a very effective subliminal advertising method as well. By locating near a large college you will attract many young clients who are ready to spend their money rather freely to get the pampering they want.
Ensure Client Satisfaction
The client comes first. The client comes first. The client comes first. This should be the mantra of every business today. So many business owners today seem to be forgetting that without the client there is no business at all. They take it for granted that the customer will come back no matter what because they are the only game in town. Nowadays there are businesses right down the street offering the same services as you and that is what you are competing with. By making your clients feel satisfied and relaxed you will ensure that they return time and time again. This repeat business is also one of the keys to the longevity of your spa business.
Paperwork Paperwork Everywhere
Why do we have so much paperwork involved in running a business? For one reason it helps to cover us when tax time rolls around. The IRS requires quite a bit of paperwork to back up business expenses when you file the tax return for your spa. The state in which your spa is located can also require a good deal of paperwork as far as employee files, certifications, business licenses and permits are concerned. Another thing you must think about is the scheduling process that you are using as well. An ineffective scheduling habit can lead to double scheduling and slow business as well. You can now schedule clients through web based applications. This will definitely help to alleviate some of the burden you may be facing when you attack the paperwork mountain.
Now that you are up and running, you’re all set. It may sound like there is a good deal of work involved in running your own spa, however there is no feeling like being your own boss. Keep the previous topics in mind and you will go far in the spa world. Running a spa can be a very lucrative career in today’s “pamper me now” society.
Work smarter, not harder, and spend your extra time generating more revenue for your business. Sam Kanakanui has been in the online software business for over 12 years. Learn more about his online appointment scheduling software here. Sam also has a variety of business resources and articles at www.netwavesolutions.com/business-resources.
August 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Some years ago I was working on a project for my company on how to develop international managers and I thought I would start by asking companies who had been doing it for years.
I went to Paris to meet with the French HR Director of a multinational oil exploration company and asked him what was the “secret” of building a truly international management group?
He told me “No secret, there are just 2 simple steps.
First - you recruit people around the world in proportion to your business, if 10% of your business is in Nigeria, 10% of your managers should be Nigerian .
Second - You mix them up. If they never leave their homes they never become international managers, send them on visits, expatriate assignments, put them in international teams and projects so they mix with their colleagues and learn.”
“What next” I asked
“Nothing” he replied “If you do these 2 things, in no more than 50 years you will have an international management group.”
It as still one of the best answers I ever got to my question - though my boss was not happy when I told him it could take 50 years!
His basic message was a good one – recruit for diversity to match your environment and build experience and common ways of working to get things done.
It takes time to develop a truly global mindset and management capability and, for companies relatively new to working internationally it can be a whole management generation before people with this capability work their way through to the top of the organization in sufficient numbers to really make a difference.
I think we can accelerate the process with the right international management training and exposure to international experiences - but a lot of management training continues to carry a very mono-cultural view of the world (usually Anglo-Saxon management theories.
What is different about international management - we talk about DCCT - distance, cultures, timezones and technology
National cultural differences are often the first thing that people notice but rarely the toughest one to solve, with the right mindset we can learn to enjoy and manage cultural differences quite quickly.
Distance is a bigger barrier - people are much more comfortable with face-to-face contact and the lack of this can have major consequences for trust and management styles
Timezones are a fact - there is no right time for a global conference call, we just have to be aware and adapt our practices to recognize this.
Technology is both an enabler and a barrier; it makes international management possible but can often get in the way of communication and effectiveness (think of all those unnecessary emails and conference calls).
An additional barrier is the sheer business complexity of large multi-site organizations - the subject of my book Speed Lead - faster, simper ways to manage people, projects and teams in complex companies
When we talk to managers about developing these skills they are often skeptical about the investment of time in training. When we ask them how they learned to work internationally they often tell long stories of the mistakes they made and the time it took to recover and put things right.
Our question is always – can you afford the time and cost of letting everyone in your organization learn by expensive trial and error?
Kevan Hall is CEO of Global Integration - ideas, training & consulting on how to lead and succeed in complex companies. http://www.gobal-integration.com He runs companies in Europe and the USA, consults with major multinationals and is author of the book Speed Lead and blog http://lifeinamatrix.com
August 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Law firms that lack a sound public relations strategy are missing valuable opportunities to represent clients who are enmeshed in the most important and impactful legal issues of the day. To secure such clients effectively, smart law firms know how to engage and leverage the media effectively.
The most effective public relations strategies for law firms are founded upon a keen understanding of the issues. They entail the effective positioning of the law firm as a credible resource offering valuable insights into the issues and problems their clients face.
Here are 5 tips for conducting effective and efficient public relations for law firms:
Tip #1: Know your audience:
It is essential that law firms identify the key spheres of referrals, relationships and prospective clients in their field of specialty. Each time the firm initiates a media outreach campaign, it should be sculpted to speak directly to one of a set of clearly-defined target client segments. The most commanding strategies are those that seek to inform audiences while highlighting key issues that personally and directly affect those target clients.
Tip #2: Intersect your firm’s expertise with real pain points:
Showcasing your firm’s true talents and specialties entails first understanding the real pain points of your target client segment. Fostering a relationship with clients that is conducive to trust and loyalty increases the likelihood that they will approach you in a reliable, confident manner. If you are unclear as to which issues to specifically address with your target client group, ask yourself: what is an issue or cluster of related issues that are important to lives of my target client segment? How might the resolution of these issues increase their upside (e.g., income, happiness, peace of mind) or decrease their downside (e.g., expenses, stress, health problems, etc.)?
Tip #3: Understand current trends:
Trend commentary is a frequently-employed method for generating visibility and increasing exposure for your firm. To generate trend commentary, PR practitioners collaborate with executives to identify key thought leadership platforms that traverse both current business trends and the law firm principals’ own expertise. The platforms are then shaped to cater to the target segment and then pitched to the media.
Tip #4: Represent yourself to the media as a resource offering substantial, well-articulated insight:
The final secret to success in media placements is approaching a topic with an insightful, well-articulated perspective. It is important to reach out to the right reporter(s) with relevant information. The main goal here is maximum reach and clarity, which can only be possible with effective and lucid channels of communication. The law firm’s presentation must be eloquent, refined and precise. This is crucial in terms of the portrayal of the firm’s image vis-?-vis the media.
Tip #5: Author expert articles:
Another facet of a thought-leadership campaign is the authoring of in-depth, by-lined, expert articles. These articles, often written in partnership with public relations professionals, have the power to go into specific details that highlight trends, problems and solutions. Expert articles can be developed for specific industry trade segments or for general business magazines. In some cases, they are developed to articulate detailed trends to other expert audiences. Articles and other literature often receive coverage in local publications such as newspapers, journals and newsletters, which in turn can create a potential gateway to national and possibly international exposure.
When launching a PR campaign for your law firm, the end game involves knowing your audience, identifying their pain points, and effectively positioning your firm as a thought leader who holds a substantive, insightful position on the issue or topic.
Contact anthonyBarnum to assist you in building an expert PR strategy for your law firm that gets results at www.anthonybarnum.com. anthonyBarnum has conducted public relations for professional services firms for international, U.S., and Texas-based clients.
August 26th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Business plans are a necessity if you are trying to get finance for a new business. Most investors or loan companies will not look at you twice unless you show them a detailed business plan.
Many people don’t bother with a plan as they feel it is not necessary. But you mainly need a business plan for yourself. The actual process of creating a business plan will do you wonders for the long term success of you business. As you work through your plan you will come across a list of questions which will highlight areas of your business which you may have overlooked or which need more research. Even if you’re not asked for a business plan it is well worth doing one and referring back to in the weeks and months to come. A business plan is the building blocks of your business, so don’t miss anything out or your business will come tumbling down.
So what makes a good one?
A good business plan should be a long term strategy for you business. It should include everything that you will need to do to run your business, including what the actual activity will be, what resources you are going to need. You need to detail your employees, money, time, equipment or stock. How you are going to get your target audience. What you are going to do if it is a seasonal business.
Your business plan should include
• your business idea – what you do, sell etc
• who your target audience is
• your projected revenue and expenses for a year
• list of your major competitors and how they are different to you
• marketing plans and what results do you expect from them
• how much you expect to sell and when
• resources (e.g. money, employees, premises, equipment)
With your business idea you need to explain clearly why you are different from your competitors, what you are offering that is different and why your target audience should use you. Include how much your products or services will be and explain any market research which was undertaken. If you haven’t done any market research you should stop writing your plan and so some.
In the marketing section you need to explain who needs your product, where the purchasers will be based, your competition and why you are better or different. Also if is worth mentioning any emerging or growing trends in the market including impending changes and what the effects will be to your business from these changes.
If you have a team of people as part of your resources you should explain what each persons job role will be, what their strengths and weaknesses are and if there are any gaps how you will fill them.
The financial projects are very important and you should try to ensure they are as accurate as physically possible. Ensure you explain what your likely profit and expenses will be including any assumptions.
The more research and planning you do the better chance your business has of succeeding. So get researching and get planning and you will soon be reaping the rewards.
Carolyn is the webmaster for Angel Startups experts in offering professional business plans.
August 26th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Fire Risk Assessments are a crucial part of safety in the workplace. New rules introduced (throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) have replaced previous fire safety legislation with the main emphasis now on the reduction and prevention of fire risks.
As a business it becomes your duty to designate a ‘responsible person’ to ensure guidelines are met, risk assessments are carried out and to identify/ rectify any potential hazards. This person must have control over the premises. In cases of multiple occupancy, multiple ‘responsible people’ may be designated, either from within the companies or by the local Fire Authority.
The ‘responsible person’ must follow these stages or designate another competent person to carry out the assessment (although the responsible person remains legally responsible for any outcomes and implementations):
1.Carry out a fire-risk assessment identifying all possible dangers and risks.
2. Get rid of any removable risks of fire.
3. Put in place fire precautions (ie. replacing highly flammable materials with less flammable ones) to deal with any risks that remain including protection if flammable or explosive materials are used or stored.
4. Create emergency plans.
5. Ensure findings are recorded and reviewed regularly.
Consideration must be made for the particular needs of all the people who enter the place of work, including children, the elderly and the disabled. Special attention should also be paid to those who work with hazardous materials; particularly those who are isolated.
If the designated ‘responsible person’ cannot carry out the fire risk assessment or feels that the one done was incomplete they can outsource it to an independent risk assessment company. The responsibility remains that of the ‘responsible person’ but ensures that the risk assessment is completely thorough.
In the event of a fire there are several preliminary steps that should have been taken to ensure minimal risk of life and property. A fire detection system and warning alarm should be present in all places of work to ensure that any evacuation procedure can be started as soon as possible.
All employees should be made aware of emergency exit plans. Emergency exit plans should be carefully considered to ensure all the following points are covered:
1. The escape route is as short as possible.
2. That the escape route is sufficient for the number of people using it.
3. Any potential emergency exits remain free of obstructions generally and there is minimal impact to the time taken to exit in the event of unexpected blockages.
4. There should be a clear, one metre wide, passageway to each escape route.
5. Emergency lighting systems and appropriate signs should be installed.
6. Arrangements for the evacuation of anyone with any physical or mental impairment.
7. Plans should be regularly reviewed to cover any building extensions or alterations.
Fire fighting equipment should also be provided, one for every floor or per 200m squared of floor space. Training with this equipment should be carried out immediately after installation.
Regular fire drills (one a year is the recommended minimum) ensure that everyone in the work place knows how to raise the alarm, when to use fire fighting equipment, the correct escape routes and the correct assembly points/procedures.
Finally, one of the most important things to remember is to keep up to date and complete records to ensure that the risk of both fire and liability are kept to a minimum. There are many records associated with the fire assessment including hazards identified, emergency plans, fire fighting arrangements, training provided for employees, a history of fire drills carried out (date, problems etc), equipment checks and maintenance and risk assessment reviews.
Richard James works for HSE Services, a company that helps UK companies find suitable health and safety consultants and training providers. Visit http://www.hseservices.co.uk for details.
August 26th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Professional people are recognized to be more sophisticated, classy and elegant. Their lifestyles are a bit hard to handle. However, this is just a pay off for their eagerness of hitting the goal. They need to look presentable because this is required for their position, and so a high maintenance for their accessories also follows.
If you are wondering what to give to a high profiled person, you’ve got the right idea of knowing his personalities. The more you know him, the better you could come up with the perfect gift to give. Sometimes, a short conversation or chitchat would do. This is the least you can do to know exactly what type of personality does he have. You can perceive a person’s attitude and outlook by his interests, hobbies, lifestyle and likes. Therefore, this is the first thing that you need to prioritize if gift giving is what you thought would be a simple way to appreciate him.
Gift items for professionals come with different variety. The prices may vary depending on the materials or quality of the item. Mostly, items for them are made from leather, silver, gold and other stainless steel metal. These materials give a touch of classy and elegant look, suited for the career-oriented individual. You may find these items commonly at his office, conference room and even on his bedroom. This is his way of showing his professional influence to other people, thus impressing them with each of his accessories.
One of the most popular gift items you can give is a money clip. This item is commonly used by the upper echelon of society. There are different varieties of money clips. They are typically made from metals, but some are covered with leather, thus creating a very sophisticated look. It can also have different themes such as sporty money clip, elegant-look money clip, casual-look money clip and others. You may find also personalized money clips, which can make a special gift for your special business man or executive. This is one of the most ideal gifts you can give. If you want a more personal touch, you can have his name or initial engraved on the clip.
Another gift idea you might want to consider are desk set accessories. These items can add a stylish accent to his office and can give a good impression to any person who will enter his elegant space. Desk sets can also be metal or leather made. Like money clips, these can also be personalized. So you might consider a Personalized Leather Desk Caddie that can make a practical gift for a professional with a luxe leather touch.
These items are perfect gifts not just for the leaders. These items can be presented to recognize the value of a loyal personnel or employee, or can be a promotional gift to a deserving colleague. There are still lots of cool and personalized items, engravable gifts such as cufflinks and business card holders.
Jnet is an author for a variety of lifestyle issues and topics. For more information on leather desk sets, visit the website Mybusinessgifts.com and browse their extensive collection. Get moneyclips to give as your next business gift.
August 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Public relations is no longer something that just happens; how a company or corporation is perceived in the public eye, particularly in the eye of the company’s shareholders or potential customers, isn’t something that’s left to chance. Companies have entire departments and large budgets in place to ensure that they will be viewed in a positive light by the public.
In its simplest form, the idea of public relations is to get the word out to the public concerning all of the positive things that a company or organization may be involved in, and to enhance the company’s overall image, while at the same time downplaying anything that could potential be viewed as a negative action in the public eye.
Public relations is kind of like advertising’s less obtrusive brother. Where advertising’s main goal is to stick a product in the face of a potential customer and give them every reason to buy it, the public relations approach is a lot less direct. Public relations will let your target consumer know what else you’ve got going on besides your product or service - like what kind of good you are doing in the community and how you plan to help more in the future. Though it’s not as bold as advertising, a good public relations department can aid in building profits just as much as advertising.
There are any number of ways that a company or organization can positively use public relations to enhance their image in the eye of the public:
A company can donate either time or money to a charitable cause or they could hold a charity event to raise money for a particular cause. Potential customers and share holders want to know if a company cares, and they want to know what it is that the company cares about and supports.
Another approach to public relations is to have a company representative speak at an industry conference or seminar. The speaker can go over with an audience, packed with the very people that the company wants to reach, details of all of the latest activities as well as all of the future plans that will be implemented and what kind of positive impact those plans will have on the industry and the community. This is kind of like issuing a personal press release, where the company representative can get out the exact message that needs to be distributed to exactly the right people, and can then answer any potential questions that may arise. A press release is a great tool, but its content is definitive, any questions that arise from a press release will remain until another company statement is made, with a live statement questions can be addressed and answered appropriately right form the start.
Though I’ve just pointed out some of the negatives of a press release, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a very effective tool of public relations. A press release mat not be personal, and it may or may not leave small questions in the minds of some readers, but what it can do is reach a tremendous amount of people giving them a good idea of your mission statement or telling them of a recent award or accomplishment of the company. A well written press release can reach thousands of thousands of people that wouldn’t have known of your accomplishment any other way - and press releases come at a much cheaper price than any form of advertising. You’d never be able to reach the same portion of your target audience with public speaking as you would with a high quality press release.
A company’s image can mean everything - one big negative event, even if it’s only perceived as a negative event in the public eye, can literally destroy a company. If a company or organization wants to become successful and stay successful, it has to build up and protect its positive image - the only way to really do that effectively is through good public relations.
Toronto-based PR company offering a full suite of public relation services. An owner-operated agency, we are a collective of senior practitioners dedicated to achieving results for our clients.
August 24th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
Before you can begin to effectively train your sales team, you must first comprehend what you are trying to accomplish. You need to know exactly where your numbers are, and where you want them to be. If you are going to truly understand your figures, you need to know where they have been, and where they are projected to be. If there is a trend, this is where you need to modify things. Start by making a list.
For example, you review your last 5 years of sales, and every year in September, your profits plummet. Every year in April, they sky rocket. What is the cause, what are the main differences in these two times? You can definitely say that there needs to be an extra emphasis on September. Now you will need to look at why September is not as successful. Number one on your list is “September”. Under September there should be smaller subcategories. These would entail the things you presume to be the issue. Next to each item is a projected resolution. This list will then serve as an outline when reviewing your desired results. Be sure to keep this list in order of importance. Priority is a must.
You have now determined one of your main desired results is increasing profits in September. Look at your sales staff, when is the last time they were “pumped up”. The best way to get your team motivated is to motivate them. If you want your training to be effective, make it fun, not as though they have been under performing. By utilizing a list you can mentally or physically cross off each item as you have resolved it. Do not however, assume that because you believe you have a solution that it will be the correct one. If you have to retrain your sales force in 6 months, this list is a great reference. What worked, what didn’t? This will help you to obtain your weaknesses.
Keep your goals realistic. You cannot set personal or professional goals that are unobtainable. You are setting yourself and your team up for failure. Write these down also, this way when you meet or exceed your goal, it gets crossed off. Your lists may in turn look similar, but they are different. The desired results list will contain how to reach your goal; the goal list will contain what the specific goal is. In order to get to a point, you don’t need to know only what that point is, but also how to get there.
By creating these lists, it allows you to take a step-by-step approach to your desired results. You can visibly see where you are, and where you need to be. This is a business “map” to show you how to get to your desired results. If the training is not effective in a certain situation, circle it in red, you now know there is a problem. Try a new solution, or reference someone who specializes solely in that particular aspect. This way you are not paying someone for unnecessary knowledge. Most importantly, reward your team when they obtain one of your goals. It will make them strive to achieve the rest.
Tommy Smith is the lead content writer about sales training. To find out who is Americas Greatest Sales Trainer check out this site.
August 24th, 2008 -- Posted in Business Management |
The housing crisis, interest rate cuts, soaring gas prices and declining stocks are making for a nervous American workforce. Antsy employees are anxious about expenses and worried about the loss of their jobs. Employers want to put these employees’ minds at ease, but still need to keep their belts tight. If you’re having trouble finding ways to please your employees during this time of worry, try some of these alternative benefits.
Everyone Loves a Three-Day Weekend
Employees always look forward to when a holiday falls on a Friday. Why not keep your employees excited by allowing four-day work weeks, making every weekend a three-day. Four-day work weeks allow more free time and family time, easing anxiety. If you’re wary of the idea, try out a four-day work week for a month or so and see how your team responds. You may be surprised to see more work getting done in less time due to rejuvenated minds and refreshed spirits.
Add a Personal Touch
It may seem a small change, but simply engaging your employees in person to person conversation can help increase the positivity in the office. Add to this by recognizing employees for their hard work, such as sales goals reached or projects completed. The celebration doesn’t have to be a fiesta; just a simple e-mail to the company praising progress will add a spring to their step. Celebrating birthdays, engagements, or pregnancy announcements will give a boost to employee morale as well. Try holding one birthday party a month to celebrate or congratulate an engagement with flowers and a card so as not to have a celebration overload.
Give Them Some Home-work
Allowing employees to work from home has similar benefits to the four-day work week. Being in the comfort of their home a few days out of the week will not only boost spirits, but it will save you money as well. Having fewer bodies in the office means less use of equipment and less consumption of such items as coffee. This is another tactic to try out for a bit. Give your most productive workers a break by allowing them to work from home two days out of the week for a month and see how it goes. If the plan backfires, you can always bring them back in to the office everyday.
Happy Birthday! Have the Day Off!
Any day off is a good day for your employee, so adding an extra day off will boost their spirits. Try giving each employee a day or two extra off each year. This can be done by divvying up the workload. It may seem this extra work would ruffle the feathers of the employees left to pick up the slack, but they will be happy to oblige in exchange for their day off later. It may be helpful to pick days that are special to the employee such as their birthday, a spouse’s birthday. Simply ask your employees which day they would prefer.
Be Flexible
Grant “flex hours” to your employees; give employees the option of working additional hours in order to take off early in the future. This allows for the same amount of time to be put in by every employee, but gives a little more freedom as to when the work gets done. Giving this option will help out when employees have medical appointments, activities with their children or the need to leave early for a weekend trip. Allowing your employees to have this freedom will show trust, creating a more positive work environment.
By putting some of these alternative benefits into action, you can help ease the mind of your employees by creating a more positive, happy workplace. If these benefits don’t work for your company, try others. Get ideas from other companies or from your employees. Spend the time to ask employees what it is they need to relax their mind while at work. By creating a positive, stress free atmosphere you can take your mind off thoughts of recession and think instead of the progress of your company.
Melissa Mashtonio writes for Manta.com, the go-to site for researching company profiles. The site (http://www.manta.com) offers free research on more than 45 million companies worldwide
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