Tips for Running a More Productive Business

Julie Starr • October 26, 2021

Running your company can be really tough at times, especially when you need to do everything on your own. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to make running your business so much easier. Whether you have a staff or not, you should really make sure to focus on productivity above all else.

When it comes to running a business , productivity is key. This can really help you to streamline what you’re doing and work to achieve your goals in the most effective manner. Let us take a look at the top ways to run your company more smoothly.

Why Should You Make Running Your Company Easier?

In today’s fast-paced world, running a business is not easy. There are many tasks that might not be fun but have to be done in order to keep a business afloat. Having these tough days can take a toll on your personal life and you’ll want to get away from it all. So, you really want to do this in order for things to be much easier for you. You want your business to do well – and to be stress-free. So it’s in your best interest to spend some time in this area.

Reduce the Time Needed for Company Management

Time management is a necessary and important skill for any individual. A recent study on workplace productivity reveals that more than half of respondents admit that they waste too much time at work. This won’t be helping your productivity or efficiency. So you’ll want to work on this as quickly as you can.

It helps to make sure you have effective communication channels between managers and employees. You’ll also want to reduce the time needed for routine tasks by automating them with software such as JIRA or Trello. Then also consider utilizing team collaboration platforms such as Slack and SharePoint to share, collaborate, and manage tasks more efficiently.

Introduce Systems and Processes in Your Business

In order to achieve sustainable growth, businesses must introduce systems and processes. This makes everything efficient by streamlining what needs to be done and saving a lot of time. This could be from creating set ways of doing simple tasks to using Virtual Headquarters to take calls for your business niche. As long as you have efficient set ways of doing things, you should find that it makes your life so much easier and manageable.

Have Better Leadership Skills

As a leader, you are responsible for making sure your employees are working in an environment where they can be fulfilled. You have to establish trust with them so that they are willing to work harder and perform better. So you need to work on your business and management skills here. Being empathetic and a people person can help. But you also need to be stern and set boundaries. It’s also a good idea to learn how to motivate and engage your employees to help them be more productive.

Keep Your Workers Engaged and Motivated

Employee engagement is an important factor to consider in achieving high productivity. When employees are motivated, they are more productive and focused on their work. You can do this by setting challenges and offering rewards. If they have a good rewards program, they may be more incentivized to reach certain goals and checkpoints. It could be to win a trip or even gift cards for their favorite shops and so on.

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.