Company Culture Archives - Serious Startups

Why Employee Communication Is The Key To Building Your Brand

Many entrepreneurs give the subject of branding a great deal of thoughts. They’ll pore over dozens and dozens of prospective logo designs from a range of talented freelancers. They’ll work long and hard to crystalize exactly which values and attitudes best encapsulate their brand. They’ll agonize over every single letter of their mission statement. But from the customer’s point of view, none of this matters. They won’t give two hoots about whether your logo is the exact right shade of orange, your slogan is catchy and memorable or that your mission statement contains a good amount of “radiant words”. To your customers, the proof is in the pudding. It’s in the way in which they interact with your employees that they ascertain the values of your brand. Thus, it’s more important than ever to make sure that these values are communicated to them effectively each and every day. Of course, this is easier said than done. Here are some ways in which entrepreneurs can manage communication with their employees to keep their brand intact…

Fight through the “technical fog”

There’s no doubt that you entrust many of the more technical aspects of keeping your business great to a handful of talented and technically minded individuals. But if you’re not proficient in their field of expertise, this can lead to what is known as “technical fog”. If you’re to know how to manage the talent risk of your team, it’s important to pierce the veil. It’s not enough to leave them in an office somewhere to “do their thing”. This will lead them to feel remote, alienated and less intrinsic to the success of your business than they undoubtedly are. Make efforts to understand what they do as best you can and work collaboratively with them to ensure that you’re all on the same page. This will not only help you to retain their talents but ensure that the values of the brand are evident even in the more idiosyncratic elements of your business.

Ensure that they, their opinions and their ideas feel valued

Every employee from the frontline staff dealing with customer queries, to your technical support staff to your management team play a part in making your business the success that it is. Without their efforts, your brand and mission statement would be just a handful of empty platitudes. It’s their hard work that makes it tangible. Thus, they need to feel that their insights and ideas are valued. Operate an open door policy, have a suggestions box and never shout down an employee’s contributions to a meeting, even if they don’t align with your own ideas.

Embrace the power of training… No matter what it costs

There is no better way to communicate the fundamental ideals that have built your brand to your employees than regular training. Training not only helps them to sharpen their skills as they learn new competencies, it is also a great motivator. Disrupting their routine and getting them to examine and reassess their working methods is a useful way of getting them to re-engage with their role rather than coasting through it day by day.

Many employers do not welcome the disruption and expense caused by training, but if they don’t embrace its power, they can find themselves compromising their brand with poor customer service.

If You’re Not Doing This, You’re Not Doing Business

Just like the CEO’s and entrepreneurs of companies, small or large, no two businesses are alike. Many business owners spend their careers trying to better their companies, with no real lasting success.

Running a business is a challenging task that many entrepreneurs find they aren’t cut out for in the long run. However, what separates the unsuccessful startups from the businesses that actually make it is the secret so many of us struggle to find.

Knowing What’s Best for Business

Far too often, businesses end up closing their doors after spending years hoping for their big break, realizing that that day will never come. When considering the vast history of successful businesses, there are a few key things that all of these companies have had in common. Here are some tips to lead your business to the success it deserves:

Fostering a Fearless Attitude

The reason so many people admire entrepreneurs for stepping out and starting their own businesses is the reality of the risk that goes into getting one’s own company off the ground. As many businesses fail within their first year, simply choosing to go out on one’s own requires a huge amount of resolution.

To run any business successfully, one has to be fearless. Many people settle for the security of a consistent paycheck, rather than going the route of the “self employed” business owner simply because, taking that large of a financial risk is too strenuous. Anybody can dream of owning their own company and being their own boss, but at the end of the day, it takes someone with an incredible amount of courage, and willingness to succeed, to start their own company.

Properly Managing Money

Having a working understanding of money management is non negotiable for business owners, almost as much as having capital. If you’re business is surviving with little to no capital, you won’t be in business for very long. While everyone loves the tale of the company that was built on nothing but a dream, the reality is that it takes money to turn a dream into a thriving company.

Businesses that have already experienced a certain level of success end up facing financial troubles as they try to expand their company. Oftentimes, the companies that are growing fail to properly keep track of their finances, mismanage their funds, or experience a sudden loss in revenue.

Investing in Leadership

Business owners that fail to invest in leadership training are doing themselves a disservice. The development of these types of skills is imperative in the workplace, as well as life. For a business to continue to do well, companies need to ensure that training employees and team members to be competent leaders is a top priority.

Additionally, companies that continue to succeed understand what makes a successful leader in their business. Oftentimes, businesses that have begun as startups by entrepreneurs end up hiring more experienced leaders to fill the roles of CEO and the like. Companies like these recognize the true value of having proper leadership in a company.

Mastering Time Management

We all get the same 24 hours in a day. Being able to keep a business running requires entrepreneurs and their team to bring several different projects to completion at once. Understanding how to properly manage the hours we do have is what separates the successful businesses from companies that fail.

Companies that struggle with time management don’t stand a chance in the long run. To combat issues with time management, companies can utilize the services of time management software. This kind of technology will allow employees and employers to focus on maintaining tighter deadlines, use time more efficiently, and communicate across departments easily. With better time management skills, businesses can tackle more projects and experience a significant amount of growth.

Keeping Up With Technology

Businesses that fail to keep up with the ever-changing trends in tech are not doing business well. In today’s business world, automation is king. Throughout every industry, companies are employing the likes of automation software to handle their daily routines. This type of tech will increase productivity by automating simple processes like issuing invoices, managing the payroll, and analyzing financial data.

With technology such as inventory software, project management software, and e-invoicing software, companies can utilize their employees’ skill sets in more efficient ways. As the software takes over more mundane tasks, workers can be trained to take on a more diverse workload, allowing the company to focus more on consumer engagement.

Do What’s Best for Your Company

Every business owner has their own way of running their company. However, keeping abreast of what’s best for a business will help employers and employees, regardless of the industry. Making it a point to maintain the right attitude, properly manage money, invest in strong leaders, master time management, and keep up with technology will ensure that your business is on the path to success.

Relax, Replenish, And Restore: How Entrepreneurs Should Work At Relaxing

Being an entrepreneur is a tricky game, not only do you have to run a business and be all things to all people in your company, but you’ve also got to find a way to continually develop yourself. You need to find the time to go away and properly recharge, so ypu can come back rejuvenated and ready to lead your company into the next key stage. What ways are there for you to actually step away from the game, relax, but also give yourself the opportunity to come up with new and exciting approaches to developing your business?

Distance Helps You To Go The Distance!

Sure, time away from any situation in a physical sense gives you the opportunity to reevaluate everything. But lots of people feel like they can’t leave their business alone for five minutes for fear that something will happen in their absence. This is why delegation is such an important aspect of entrepreneurial ambition. Remember, it’s not just about you and your attitude towards running a business. The great thing about spending time away in a physical sense is that it’s teaching you the importance of delegation, but it’s also giving the business the opportunity to stand on its own for a short period of time. In addition to this, distance, and a new location for a well-earned break gives you that opportunity to digest everything you have done in recent months and years. Sometimes we can feel so hemmed in by the endless dealings that we have no opportunity to step away from the rat race. But now, you’ve got the opportunity, but also the finances, to get away, you should take advantage of a new location that gives you the opportunity to recharge properly. You may want to venture out into nature, or you may want to purchase a property that is so far removed from your business dealings, that you can gain a truer appreciation of what is important, not as to your business, but to yourself. You can go to rmabrokers.com to see properties that have a real close-up view of nature, and this may be the thing you need to step away from the hustle and bustle of endless noise, not just of the life in the city, but the decisions you have to make on a daily basis.

Take Time Off To Educate Yourself

Bill Gates goes on reading breaks, where he jets off to a beautiful island somewhere, takes a pile of books, and goes through them all. And that’s not just his opportunity to recharge his mind, but also get new ideas on board. We can be going so fast in business that we don’t have time to replenish our intelligence stores. If you really want to start gaining a new perspective on the whole process, but you haven’t had the opportunity to feed your mind, taking time away to educate yourself in the things you’ve been desperately missing out on could be just what the doctor ordered. There are some fantastic reads on forbes.com to get you started, but if you know exactly what you need to replenish in terms of your own personal goals, no doubt you have already found the tomes that you feel will give you that extra edge. Whether this is in improving your confidence, or dealing with the upcoming trends in technology, whatever it is, you need to make the time to get yourself clued up in these things. The big issue we all have as entrepreneurs is that when we are on the rollercoaster, it’s can be very difficult to get off it, but also getting back onto it becomes a mammoth task because we are so used to the speed of life that being an entrepreneur entails. But it’s vital for you to take time away, not just for recharging, but it also gives you that opportunity to replenish your mental stores. So take a leaf out of Bill Gates’ book, grab a pile of books, and isolate yourself somewhere so you can learn. If you haven’t even read a book since you started your business, this gap in your knowledge will soon become apparent, if it hasn’t already!

Taking The Opportunity To Relax

Again, the rollercoaster nature of running a business can be that you are, not just loathe to get off, but scared to get off, just in case you lose your momentum. If you feel like this, you are not alone, but it’s important for you to take this time away now and again because you will learn a lot more about yourself, but it will help to prevent the onset of extreme stress and nervous exhaustion. And while some entrepreneurs go on a vacation for a month, for the vast majority of us who runs small businesses, this is not feasible. So what is the solution? The best approach to take is to make time to relax, little and often. While most of us say that we need a vacation, for those that are unable to book time away, either due to financial constraints or time, your best option is to schedule in moments of relaxation, not just once a week, but every single day. When you hear about entrepreneurs, politicians, celebrities, or anyone who have a lot of pressures on their shoulders, the one constant is that they all take time out to meditate. Regardless of your opinion on meditation in the traditional sense, the benefits of slowing down and putting yourself in an emotional position where you are able to take stock, and focus on your breath and actually learn what feeling calm is like, will do a lot more for you than you realize. There are there are resources online, a site like Headspace has millions of subscribers and is helping so many people to, not just relax, but find that little bit of meaning to what they are doing. And for so many people, where money is still tight, this is a fantastic solution.

Being an entrepreneur means a lot of exhaustion, either mentally or physically, so, you need to find better ways for you to look after your entire well-being. If you don’t, the business will not succeed, but you will suffer also. This is why you need to find the best ways to relax, replenish, and restore your enthusiasm for the company.

6 Rules for a Next Level Company Party

A lot of good things can come from throwing a first-rate company party, so if you’re in the planning stages then make sure you dig deep and make it worth your while. A company party can no longer just be good; it has to be great. By following the six golden rules we’ve outlined below, you can rest assured that it’ll go down in the memory books for all the right reasons.

For The Team, By The Team

This party is about your previous clients, prospective clients, and your staff. Your clients will just have to suck it up and enjoy the day because they’re not getting a say in what the party will be like, but your staff? They should be the ones who are coming up with all the ideas. This is not the type of thing where you should be arranging everything yourself. Have everyone on your team come up with ideas, and then actually use them. It’ll be a crazy mish-mash of ideas, but boy will it be fun!

An Eclectic Bunch

There’s a lot of different types of people connected to your company. The money men at the top, the creative clients you work with, the young, twenty-something band of employees who are always doing fun things. You should invite them all. The best parties are always when there are as many different types of people as possible. This can be a party that showcases just how eclectic your company is.

Unique Venue

Don’t even think about having in the office. Even those smart, swanky city-center venues are off-limits now. For a party to be memorable, it needs to be held in a unique venue. Look around: there are interesting places everywhere, and many will be capable of hosting parties! With heater and chiller rental options, you can turn any space into a comfortable party setting. Take a look at things like old tube stations, old stately homes, warehouses on the edge of town, and the like. You’re showing off how cool your company is as well as how good it is!

Killer Taste

You’ve got the guest list, you’ve bagged that one of a kind venue. What’s next? The food and drink, of course. Again, this type of party is a chance to do something different, so don’t just go for the tried and tested champagne. Break new ground. Get in touch with local beer and food producers, and have them provide your party with refreshments.

#HashtagFun

On the day itself, you’ll want to encourage everyone to get involved. It can get a bit tiresome playing cringe-worthy icebreaker games, but people will happily get their phones out and get involved that way. Have people taking photos, and upload them to your social media accounts using a special hashtag.

Ditch the Job For a Day

Finally, remember it’s a party and that you’re not in work. Ditch the corporate responsibility for the day and have a good time. Work can always begin again on Monday!