Add These Steps to Your Evening Routine to Be More Productive

Add These Steps to Your Evening Routine to Be More Productive

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Many people find they are more productive after they have shaken off their morning drowsiness. This means getting ready for work and even the first hour or so spent in the office is not super productive. There are steps that many successful people take to make their early hours more useful and less stressful. Here are a few things to add to your nightly routine to make mornings easier:Pick Your Clothes It's much easier to hop out of the shower and put on whatever outfit you laid out the night before than to traipse to the closet and contemplate your options. Instead, take five or 10 minutes before bed every night to choose the next day's clothes. Factor the weather forecast and temperature of your office into your choice - you'll want…
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The Inbox Issue: How to Handle Your Emails

The Inbox Issue: How to Handle Your Emails

Office and Homeworking
Everyone who's ever worked in a fast-paced company knows how much of an effort it can take to effectively manage the never-ending stream of emails being sent his or her way. And this becomes even more difficult if you're the person in charge, since so many people are depending on your quick and clear responses in order to do their jobs well (no pressure!). Managing your inbox takes some commitment, but when you finally figure out a system that works for you, you'll find you spend a lot less time worrying about your emails, and a lot more time being productive at work. Here are a few tips to help you get started:Get Organized If you've ever spring-cleaned your desk, decluttered the various stacks of business cards and organized all of the…
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Father’s Day gifts for the businessman in your life

Father’s Day gifts for the businessman in your life

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Dads can be amazing role models who inspire us to play baseball, learn to cook and even start a company. They help raise us, teach us how to change the oil in our cars and can have a major impact on our work ethic and determination. June 21st is Father's Day and we've created a list of great gifts for the businessman in your life to celebrate the occasion: Sunglasses Businessmen often spend time on the road, commuting to and from work and even meeting clients on the golf course. To help him find his golf balls and better see where he is driving, you can give your dad a pair of sunglasses. There are endless varieties of styles and colors to choose from, so be sure to pick a pair…
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5 Tips for Recruiting New Hires for Your Startup

5 Tips for Recruiting New Hires for Your Startup

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
As startups grow, there inevitably comes a point when it's time to hire new people. Maybe you have a niche position that nobody who's currently employed can fill, or maybe you simply need more hands on deck to pick up some of the workload. Either way, it's important to recruit the right people. The people you hire should be passionate about your company, great at what you're hiring them to do, a good fit for the team and innovative. But sometimes it's hard to find anyone with those qualifications - and when you do, it can be difficult to offer them what they want out of a job on a startup budget. Here are five tips to make your recruiting process successful: 1. Know Your Needs When recruiting, it's important to know…
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Should You Hire an Intern?

Should You Hire an Intern?

Office and Homeworking
Many small businesses are finding a great deal of value in hiring interns. In fact, according to a 2015 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 92 percent of businesses have internship programs. Why? Interns provide additional team members for a fraction of the cost of hiring someone full time. Plus, they can give companies a valuable fresh perspective, help the student gain professional experience and companies even choose to give interns a full-time position after the internship is over. If you're considering hiring an intern, take a look at these ways you can make the most of the process while growing business:Decide Exactly Where an Intern Could Be Useful The last thing you want to do is hire an intern just to send him or her out for…
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4 Ways to Keep Remote Workers Productive

4 Ways to Keep Remote Workers Productive

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Some people are most productive when they can come into a physical office, sit down at their own desk, boot up their computer and get to work. However, others can - and do - work just as effectively from home. In fact, a recent survey administered by ConnectSolutions found that 77 percent of employers who allow their employees to work remotely see an increase in productivity from the people who are working from home. For startups, though, having employees telecommute isn't necessarily a perk - it's sometimes a necessity for companies that don't want to invest in office space yet. Either way, it's important for employers to take steps to ensure their remote employees stay productive and accountable for themselves. Here are four ways to make sure your workers are doing their jobs…
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3 tips for effectively using a planner

3 tips for effectively using a planner

Office and Homeworking
When you are running a small business, it's up to you to keep track of all your meetings, phone calls, deliveries and other happenings. That's a lot to remember. If you aren't already using a physical planner or a calendar app, you are missing out on a great way to help manage your time and business. Here are some tips for using those tools effectively:1. Find the one that works for you If you dislike the way your planner is organized, you just might bury it in your office and not use it. Similarly, if you are uncertain about the way to use a calendar app, you might not take the time to learn it and will end up forgetting about appointments. Finding the app or physical planner that fits your needs will make…
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Work-Life Balance: Leaving Your Stress Behind

Work-Life Balance: Leaving Your Stress Behind

Office and Homeworking
We've all been there: You're heading home from work and you can't stop replaying a conversation you had with your boss in your head. Or you're out at happy hour with a few co-workers and can't seem to get off of the subject of work. Or you're laying in bed at night worrying about everything you have to get done tomorrow. When you get into the habit of bringing work home, it can affect your productivity in the office, your personal life and, let's face it, your sanity. So, here are some steps you can take to leave work stresses behind when it's time to leave the office:Make Your Work Hours More Productive One of the key ways to separate your work life and your home life is to make…
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Survey: Small-business owners low on personal time but love their jobs

Survey: Small-business owners low on personal time but love their jobs

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
As a small-business owner, you're familiar with the ups and downs of running your own company. Office hours often overlap with personal hours, and it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. A new survey from Constant Contact Inc. found that owners of small businesses feel their company impedes on their personal time, yet they would still choose the same path if they had to do it over again. The survey "Personal Sacrifices/Professional Rewards of Small-Business Owners," a survey produced in conjunction with Small Business Week 2015, asked small-business owners about how they balance their work life with their personal responsibilities and family time. About 56 percent of those surveyed said they feel they can never be away from their business. Just over half claimed they don't have enough time to focus…
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Are You Having Too Many Meetings?

Are You Having Too Many Meetings?

Office and Homeworking
Meetings can be a very productive way to get multiple people up to speed, handle an issue efficiently or provide useful information to a group. On the other hand, they can occasionally be an unproductive use of time, which could potentially cost you and your employees valuable opportunities to get essential work done. That's why it' important to only hold necessary meetings that have a specific objective. But how do you know which meetings are going to be productive? Here are four questions every boss should ask himself or herself before scheduling meetings:1. Could This Meeting Be Held in Another Way? The first step in deciding whether a meeting will be productive is to determine if there's another way to share the information easily and effectively. Here's an example: If you want to give someone a quick update regarding…
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