Company Upkeep Archives - Serious Startups

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.

3 Strategies For Increasing The Speed Of Your Company’s Computer Network

Do you have issues with the speed of your company’s internal computer network? That could cause you many problems related to a lack of productivity and efficiency. If you don’t want to spend a fortune and ask IT specialists to come to your workplace to conduct an assessment; you might like to try some of the suggestions mentioned on this page. Of course, at some point, there is no getting away from the fact that you will have to invest in a better system for your office. However, right now, there are probably some actions you can take to improve the situation.

Compress as many files as you can

There are lots of tools you can download that will enable you to compress files and create some extra storage space on your network. That should help to increase the speed and take some of the stress away from your computers. Those who use Apple devices just need to search online for the best app that enables you to compress documents and to unzip files. That way, you can make sure that old data doesn’t clog your system and make it run slower than it should. Entrepreneurs who use Windows or Linux can follow the same strategy.

Store your documents in the cloud

Cloud storage will provide many benefits to your business and your customers. Firstly, you should never have to worry about hacking and data theft again because most cloud solutions use advanced security technology. However, you also need to consider the fact that storing your documents in the cloud will free-up lots of storage space on your computer network. You can still access the records from anywhere in the world if you have an internet connection. So, your employees and clients won’t notice the difference, but you won’t have to hang around or deal with lengthy loading times.

Remove unnecessary programs

There is a reasonable chance that you have some programs on your network that might slow the computer system down. For instance, most companies have no need for internet browsers because their workers don’t work online. Removing them from your system could help to create extra space and ease the strain on your resources. So, do yourself a favor and take the time to perform an assessment. Work out which software applications you don’t need and then uninstall them as soon as possible. You could double the speed of your computers in extreme cases.

You should now have a decent idea about the strategies you need to consider when increasing the speed of your computer network. As mentioned at the start of this article; there will come a time when you need to invest in new technology. However, you don’t have to do that right now if you can make some of the changes highlighted here today. Just remember there are professional IT consultants out there that you can employ if you get stuck or need some assistance. The purpose of this post was just to try to save you some money.

Types of Business Theft and How to Avoid It

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If you own a fast-growing company, then you know that protecting your business is your number one priority. Depending on the industry, your business will have different security needs and protections. Let’s take a took at some of the most successful businesses, identify their theft-prone areas and learn what owners can do to protect those businesses.

Finance

In the finance industry, companies are prone to identity theft, fraud, money laundering and embezzlement. Unfortunately, most of this type of theft comes from employees themselves. To prevent this, business owners should have regular audits; hire third-party bookkeepers; never give one person sole responsibility for accounting; conduct thorough background checks; educate and train employees properly; promote trustworthiness and integrity throughout your company. You can’t always prevent everything, but being mindful and taking extra steps to protect your business can prevent a huge disaster from striking in the future.

Tech Companies

With the ever-changing world of technology, digital marketing and other tech companies are on the rise. Unfortunately these companies don’t just have to worry about theft inside their physical businesses, but they have to worry about internet theft as well. These types of cybercrime include data breaches, computer viruses, hackers and more. But there are a few ways in which tech companies can protect their business:

Keep all software up to date
Set up strict admin rules so that software and other applications can only be download with approval
Block access to restricted sites to avoid viruses and prevent hackers from interfering
Backup all files
Hire a trustworthy IT team to monitor activity and set up cyber security tools
Monitor employee computers

Although not all types of cyber theft are avoidable, measures can be taken to make it harder for hackers and prevent it from happening in the future.

Construction

On the other hand, some forms of technology can actually prevent theft. With the need for more houses and buildings, the construction industry is booming trying to keep up with the growing economy. But with that comes the risk of construction site theft, and this is where technology comes into play. Mobile surveillance units provide wireless visual and audio to property owners any time, anywhere. These means that even when the construction workers are away, the construction site can still be monitored 24/7. With the help of these portable security systems, owners can keep their construction sites safe no matter where they are. Mobile surveillance trailer rentals are available if buying is not cost effective.

Retail

Similarly to construction, retail stores face the risk of having their business site robbed. Retailers like clothing stores are at risk because shoplifters find creative ways to sneak away without paying for clothes or shoes. To help prevent theft inside their stores, business owners can do the following:

Organize the store so that all exits are visible to employers
Never leave your register unlocked or unattended
Keep more expensive items in locked cabinets
If your business has a dressing room, make sure there is an attendant and all items are accounted for when entering and exiting the fitting room
Install security cameras throughout the store
Keep the outside of your business well-lit, even outside of business hours

Other retailers that sell laptops or smartphones face the most risk since their products are expensive and can be stolen and sold on the internet. For those business, more drastic security measures may be needed, such as hiring a security guard for your building. However, all of these easy loss-prevention techniques are sure to keep you, your employees and your merchandise safe.

If you are a successful entrepreneur with a thriving business, you may want to consider the tips above to protect yourself and your business from theft. And remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

This Is Why Cleaners Are The Most Important Employees In Any Company

Most of your employees have probably never met the office cleaner. They come in early in the morning or after hours to clean the place off and then slip away without a trace before everybody else arrives. Everybody just takes it for granted and doesn’t really question how everything is always so clean. If you asked them to write a list of all of the company employees in order of their importance, the cleaners are likely to feature low down on the list, if they’re remembered at all. It’s only natural that they wouldn’t consider somebody that they don’t really interact with and they don’t have any impact on profits, do they? Actually, they do. The cleaner is one of the most important employees in your office and if they stopped doing their job it wouldn’t be long before you started noticing a huge impact on productivity in the office and your overall profits. Don’t believe me? This is why.

Sickness

Sickness is number one. If your employees aren’t in the office then they aren’t working towards increasing your sales or cutting your costs to maximise profit margins. Increased sickness rates are bad news for any business but without a cleaner, that’s bound to happen because the office environment is teeming with bacteria. There are a lot of people coming in and out of that office, spreading germs around, and without regular cleaning, it’ll soon build up and make people sick. Sickness is passed around very easily in the office so you could end up finding that half of your staff are out sick.

In some cases, you could even get more serious health problems. If the office isn’t cleaned and maintained properly, things like clogged drains and damp in the walls could cause mold problems or overflowing toilets which is going to throw all sorts of horrible bacteria into the office. If you don’t have staff that are regularly using drainer cleaners to keep toilets running clear, you might end up having to shut the office for a few days while somebody fixes the problem if they overflow. That’s going to eat into your profits in a big way.

Low Morale

A good working environment is one of the most important things when it comes to keeping morale up. If you don’t take enough pride in the company to even bother keeping the office clean, why should your employees have any pride in the business either? Keeping the office looking clean and fresh will encourage a positive attitude towards the business, meaning that people will be more inclined to work hard to see it succeed.

They’ll also find it difficult to feel comfortable in an office that’s dirty and stinks. When staff are uncomfortable then they won’t work anywhere near as effectively. Maintaining a clean office where staff members can feel relaxed is the key to keeping morale up and boosting productivity.

The cleaners often get forgotten about but the truth is, they’re one of the most important employees that you’ve got so give them the credit they deserve.