Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Company Culture

Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Company Culture

Office and Homeworking, 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…
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Keys to Setting Up a Home Office

Keys to Setting Up a Home Office

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
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…
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Checkout these apps for entrepreneurs

Checkout these apps for entrepreneurs

Business Banking, Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Being an entrepreneur takes determination and drive. Besides a desk littered with business cards, you probably have a mind full of ideas and a smattering of to-do lists. There are many other business-minded people facing similar tasks as you, such as learning how to market themselves, working with delivery services for their goods, and even setting up payment plans for their staff members. There are tools to make these processes easier, such as mobile apps. Simply install these free or low-cost applications on your smartphone or tablet and you will find managing your business has been made a little simpler:EchoSign Entrepreneur recommends using this application if your business frequently works with contracts. Instead of having a fax machine or scanner taking up space in your office, turn to EchoSign to electronically…
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Need a Productivity Boost? Rethink Your Mornings

Need a Productivity Boost? Rethink Your Mornings

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
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…
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Keys to an Effective Postcard Design

Keys to an Effective Postcard Design

Marketing
Many startups and small businesses are so focused on digital marketing that they forget about some other effective methods of driving people to their business. And why shouldn't they be? Digital marketing gives you a chance to reach a huge number of people at once and its all but free when companies take care of it themselves. However, tangible marketing may be a bit more effective because of how popular marketing online has become. Entrepreneur explains the merits of direct-mail postcard campaigns, including that they're more likely to be read by your target audience than an email or social media post. So, make your next direct-mail campaign effective by incorporating these key postcard design elements:A Clear Offer One of the most - if not the most - important aspect of…
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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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5 Tips for Ordering Your Wedding Invitations

5 Tips for Ordering Your Wedding Invitations

News of the Web
Many couples are opting to order their wedding invitations online these days. For one thing, it's typically a budget-friendly choice that results in a high-quality product. But most online distributors of wedding invites also give their customers ample opportunity to customize the stationery to fit their exact needs and style. And since all of those customizations will be sent over the Web, there's much less chance of miscommunication or mistakes than there is when purchasing invites over the phone. If you're planning on ordering your wedding invitations online, take a look at these five tips to ensure they're perfect:1. Give Yourself Plenty of Time Traditionally, wedding invites are sent six to eight weeks before the wedding ceremony. However, between making a final decision, going through the lengthy ordering process, and…
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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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