Category: Starting a new business

With companies like Facebook and Google giving employees free massages, complimentary food and other amazing perks, "company culture" has become a bit of a buzzword. Fostering a good company culture provides a lot of benefits, including better employee productivity (in between those free massages) and a lower turnover rate, according to Gallup's 2013 State of the American Workforce report. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to improve your own office culture without investing a lot of money. Take a look at these ideas:Have Fun on Holidays and Special Occasions Many companies set up winter holiday parties for their employees, but take that to the next level by inviting everyone to celebrate some of the smaller holidays together. Halloween? Time for a costume contest. Fourth of July? Everybody loves a good potluck. Loosen Up Another…

In order to maintain a work-life balance when starting a home-based company, it's important to create a business-only zone - somewhere you can be both productive and creative for hours at a time. Your home office should be free of distractions during your working hours, but it should also be a place you can close off at the end of the day when it's time to be with family or friends. If you're planning on opening a startup out of your house, take a look at these keys to setting up your home office:Keep it Professional One of the common fears people have about starting a business out of their home is that it can give the wrong impression to clients. You don't want someone important to walk into a…

We've all had those mornings when we wake up sluggishly, do the bare minimum to get ready and head over to the office as quickly as possible - perhaps because we're worried about the work we have to do. But just as organizing the business cards, Post-it Notes and other office supplies in your desk can help increase productivity, taking the time to structure your morning routine can have a similar effect. In fact, some highly successful entrepreneurs including Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson are known for waking up early and spending their mornings being productive. Here are a few things you may want to do before heading to work each day:Keep Your Phone Out of Sight Productivity can only go downhill when you start spreading yourself thin and losing…

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…

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…

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…

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…