On Being a Better Co-Worker

On Being a Better Co-Worker

Office and Homeworking
Co-worker relationships can be tough to navigate. How do you confront annoying behavior or bad manners without throwing off the comfortable and open vibe of the office? Hopefully everyone in your office is respectful and mature enough to handle a little constructive criticism, but it's also important to make sure you take responsibility for any inappropriate behaviors you may be exhibiting at work. Here are a few ways to ensure you're being a good co-worker:Leave Their Stuff Alone So you need some return address labels to send out a marketing mailer, and you know there's a stack in your co-worker's desk drawer. It can't hurt to grab a couple of sheets, right? It doesn't matter if you're doing something as small as snagging a few office supplies or as big…
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5 Ways to Welcome New Employees

5 Ways to Welcome New Employees

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Startups are pretty small, so when new employees get hired, they can sometimes feel like the odd one out - especially if everyone else in the company is tight-knit. There are ways growing companies can help ease the first-day experience for new hires, though. The key strategies for this include making new employees feel welcome, comfortable and part of the team right off the bat. If your startup is growing fast, take a look at these five ways you can help your new employees feel welcome:1. Make Team Introductions a Priority Whether your office has 10 people or 50, new employees should be introduced to their co-workers right away. For smaller companies, this may mean an office-wide introductory meet and greet for a few minutes at the start of the…
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Why You Shouldn’t Be Eating Lunch at Your Desk

Why You Shouldn’t Be Eating Lunch at Your Desk

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
We've all been there. You're swamped with meetings and deadlines, you're stressed, and you just don't feel like you have the time to get away from your office for lunch. So, you take out your ham sandwich and a bottle of water, move aside your piles of papers, business cards and other items on your desk, and you scarf down lunch while cleaning up your inbox and responding to emails. It can't hurt to spend lunch working every once in awhile, right? Well, there are actually some pretty big drawbacks to eating lunch at your desk. Not to mention, there are various benefits of taking a break during that time - even if you have a full workload. Read on for why you really shouldn't be eating at your desk:Breaks are…
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Bosses: These phrases should be in your repertoire

Bosses: These phrases should be in your repertoire

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
As a boss, one of the most important parts of your job is to ensure your employees feel appreciated, fulfilled and happy to work for you. As we all know, keeping your employees in good spirits is important for everything from office morale to successful client communications. Plus, unhappy employees could decrease productivity and increase turnover rate - two things that are detrimental to any business' success. One way to show your employees you appreciate them is through the way you communicate. Things like having an open-door policy and responding quickly to comments or concerns are great first steps, but you should also pay attention to even smaller details, such as the words and phrases you're using during conversations. Take a look at these phrases every boss should use more often:'How are…
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4 great reasons to send a postcard

4 great reasons to send a postcard

Customer Retention, Marketing
A postcard is an eye-catching way to share information with your customers. These handy messages are easy to create and send with 123Print's custom postcards. Not only can you use a photo of your latest product, but we'll also print whatever you like on one or both sides. Here are four great reasons to send a postcard today:1. When you're hosting an event If you have an exciting event coming up and you want to spread the word ahead of time, consider using a postcard. On the front use a photo or graphic of what the event is about. Include details such as when and where it is taking place, how much it costs and what people can expect when they arrive. Perhaps you are having a spring sale at the thrift…
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5 Ways to Improve Your Negotiation Skills

Expert Advice, Small Business Info
What if you just received an email advising you that your costs are being increased on one of your best-selling items? You might sit back in your chair and think, “wow, we were just starting to make real profit there.” But not wanting to rock the boat, you shrug it off, update your files and start drafting the memo to affected personnel. Your mind is focused on thinking of other ways to save money. (more…)
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Instant Messaging Etiquette Guidelines for the Office

Instant Messaging Etiquette Guidelines for the Office

Office and Homeworking
Let's face it: Everyone is guilty of using interoffice chat to send pictures of cats to their co-workers or complain about a difficult client to a team member. But as instant messaging becomes more prevalent in offices, it's now more important for anyone to understand and be respectful of the etiquette associated with chatting with a boss, co-worker or anyone else in your office. As with any office communication tool (such as emails or memos) there are clear do's and don'ts for instant messaging with folks at work. Read on for some of the most important chat guidelines you should keep in mind:Avoid Being Long-Winded Chat should not be used as a replacement for sending an email or having an in-person discussion or meeting. In fact, use interoffice chat for only the…
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Excellent Strategies for Retaining Customers

Excellent Strategies for Retaining Customers

Customer Retention, Starting a new business
Whether your business is brand new or years old, retaining your current customers is one of the best ways to be consistently successful. Not only do you want customers to remain loyal to you, but you also want them to feel so good about your company that they bring in new business as well. That's why it's so important for businesses to develop excellent retention strategies that will keep clients and customers coming back for more. If you're starting a new business, take a look at these strategies you can implement to keep your customers happy:Focus On Customer Service This strategy may seem obvious, but the truth is, nothing a company can do to keep customers around beats providing a perfect experience from beginning to end. That said, it's important to come…
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4 ways to gain subscribers to your business newsletter

4 ways to gain subscribers to your business newsletter

Email Marketing, Marketing, Online Marketing
As a small business owner, you likely spend a lot of time thinking about how to get more customers and clients. A great way to get people interested in your company is sending out a newsletter to let them know about sales, events and what your business is up to. Try these four tips to get people to sign up for your newsletter: 1. Include a discount When you go to a clothing store website, you might be greeted by a pop-up window. It may offer a discount if you sign up to receive the company's e-newsletter. We've all clicked "yes" to receive the rebate and ended up buying more when we saw something great in the newsletter later on. You don't have to offer a huge percentage off - even 10 percent can be…
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