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Showing posts from 2015

What is a high performance organization? (HPO)

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One of the buzz phrases over the past several years in the business environment has been "HPO". HPO is an acronym for "High Performance Organization", and many organizations have been implementing the strategies associated with being an HPO into their organizational cultures. So what exactly does HPO mean? What is entailed in becoming an HPO?

Characteristics associated with polychronic time philosophies

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Image credit: Jarmoluk /Pixabay Time is an interesting notion, some people abide and run their lives by the clock and expect punctuality while others take the promptness aspect of time much less seriously.

Why stronger employee morale boosts profitability

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The link between morale and profitability in an organization is a strong one. Employees who are happy in their jobs and feel valued by their bosses tend to naturally possess higher levels of morale in the workplace.

Effects of technology on internal business communications

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Communication is an important consideration when doing any kind of business. Without strong communication, businesses are likely to find themselves plagued with significant problems, both internal and external to the organization.

Content marketing metrics businesses should be looking at

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Content strategies continue to evolve as they become more solidified as a key component of marketing strategies. Most marketers know content matters. The bigger challenge many are facing is how to measure whether or not their efforts are paying off.

Ways cross training can help build employee morale

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Cross training employees bring many benefits but one of the most valuable advantages it offers is that it often helps increase employee morale. Management has a great opportunity through using cross training as a motivational tool.

5 tips to succeed in business if you're weak in math

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If you've decided to pursue a career in business, having a full grasp of math concepts certainly won't work against you, but it is not necessarily the most important skill to possess in today's dynamic business environments. Today's workplaces are generally technically inclined, and this can overshadow knowing traditional math knowledge.

Handling workloads with a shorthanded staff

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Image credit: Geralt /Pixabay Distributing a heavy workload to a shorthanded staff can be a difficult scenario. Over the past few years, organizations have been laying off, not filling positions when people retire and/or are simply not hiring as many people. In this type of situation, you will have to deal with the consequences of a shorthanded staff.

What’s in a name? Everything. How to choose your domain

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The domain name chosen for a business website is an important decision. The name should not be Image credit: mkweb 2 /Pixabay selected carelessly because if a poor name is chosen, it’s not likely to be memorable. In the long-run, this could impact the brand name and overall visibility.

Business websites: Why focusing on content is critical

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Image credit: FirmBee /Pixabay A customer typically decides within seconds of landing on a business website whether or not he or she plans to linger on the site to explore more.

Why customer referrals are so golden to any business

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Image credit: Geralt /Pixabay A customer's stamp of approval through a personal referral is one of the biggest compliments that can be paid to a merchandiser, retailer, supplier or other vendor.

5 warning signs of groupthink in the workplace

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Groupthink is a condition where people become too alike in their thinking and, as a result, come up with poor decisions and courses of action. In the workplace, this can be particularly devastating because the decisions made can impact the overall productivity and profitability of the organization.

5 reasons social media strategies fail

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Image credit: Kevin Phillips /Pixabay   Social media strategies have become an important component of the modern business marketing plan.

7 job industries that stand the test of time

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Today's post takes a look at the job market. Many workers undoubtedly have noticed that over the past several years, the job market has been pretty competitive. For every position that opens up, dozens of people are likely applying. Although, even as companies scale back, coupled with other widespread economic problems, there are certain occupations that might be a bit easier for applicants to get a foot in the door.

How to get customer referrals to grow your small business

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Image credit: Pixabay Small and home businesses don't typically have large marketing and advertising budgets available at their disposal. As a result, the smaller companies have to come up with creative and inexpensive ways to increase visibility.

Customer service training and ROI

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Image credit: Pixabay Success of a business depends upon good customer service... Quality customer service is at the center of any company's success. A business relies upon its customers in order to grow and, if poor customer service is offered by a company, people will simply take their business elsewhere.

How lack of planning contributes to small business failure

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Image credit: Pixabay Small business failure can be attributed to many causes and it is difficult to narrow it down to just one reason why a company would fail. However, if the reason had to be narrowed down to just one, it would probably be due to a lack of planning.

Benefits and drawbacks to businesses during daylight saving time

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Image credit: Pixabay In the United States, the concept of daylight saving time was first developed by Ben Franklin in the late 18th century, but was not put fully in to practice in the U.S. until the Uniform Time Act was passed by Congress in 1966.

Patent, trademark or copyright? What’s the difference?

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Image credit: Pixabay Patents, trademarks and copyrights are different kinds of intellectual property protected by U.S. law. These protections include federal rights, international protections, and common-law rights of action should any kind of intellectual property be stolen or damaged.

How to write a good company privacy policy

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Image credit: Pixabay A good company privacy policy is an essential in today's business environments. With so much controversy over the past several years relating to the Internet, marketing and privacy, businesses are smart, for both themselves and the consumer, to put together a good privacy policy.

Is outsourcing customer service risky business?

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Image credit: Pixabay Outsourcing occurs when a company opts to send business processes to another company, usually overseas, to handle the task. Many companies perceive this as very beneficial for two reasons.

How to initiate change in corporate culture

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Image credit: Pixabay The very nature of business typically calls for change at some time or another. When the need does arise, initiating change in the corporate culture can be a huge undertaking. 

Why weak marketing contributes to small business failure

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Image credit: Pixabay Marketing is an essential part of running a business and, for the small business, weak marketing can help contribute failure .

The value of punctuality in business environments

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Image credit: Pixabay Time is an interesting concept. Some cultures put a high priority on time while others take more of a lax attitude towards the clock. 

Ways businesses can demonstrate good corporate social responsibility

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Image credit: Pixabay Businesses are launched with the goal of earning money. While it's true there are some companies started with an altruistic goal in mind,

What is the actual cost of a data breach?

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Image credit: Pixabay Technology has drastically transformed the way business is done. The benefits cannot be ignored because tech offers the amazing capacity to decrease costs, along with boosting efficiency and productivity.  Although there are numerous benefits associated with integrating tech, it’s important for decision-makers to remember that with those benefits comes additional levels of responsibility for businesses. 

What motivates employees to do a good job?

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Image credit: Pixabay Employees who do a good job are valuable assets to any business. Motivated staff typically possesses a strong morale and this benefits the entire organization.

Why ethics and profitability can co-exist in business environments

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Image credit: Wikimedia/ Anna Chromy Business ethics is a topic which can garner some pretty strong feelings. And then there are some who believe business ethics is an oxymoron, and there is no room for them in a capitalistic structure.

Top ways to create a great customer experience

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Providing optimal customer service has become essential in the modern business environment. Companies that treat customers unfairly or with low levels of respect are likely going to find themselves easily beat out by their competition.

Security risks associated with employee mobile devices

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Image courtesy: Pixabay Over time as technology becomes even more heavily integrated into routine business processes, organizations have had to take a serious look at security concerns.

What to consider when launching a home business

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Image courtesy Pixabay/ CC0 Public Domain In recent years, local economies that are struggling in terms of ongoing unemployment find hopeful entrepreneurs are beginning to explore home business opportunities.