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How to have productive employees

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Most business managers are always looking for ways to improve the productivity of the business they manage. One of the ways to do this is to focus on helping your employees be as productive as they can. Savvy business managers understand that their workforce is their most valuable asset and they do all they can to utilize and encourage their staff in the right ways. When your employees know that you truly care about them and want to help them do their jobs in a more productive way they are far more likely to try to do so. You will need to show your employees that you respect and appreciate them if you want loyal, hard working, and long term employees. Here is what you need to know about how to have productive employees-

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Why is team building vital to your organization?

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Do you need to work on team building skills within your organization? Proper team building is important to a company as you need to have everyone working together toward the same goal instead of against one another. How can you work on team building to get rid of toxic behaviors? Here are some great things to do that will help you with team building.

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What skills does a project manager need?

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What is the role of a project manager and why are they so vital to companies? A project manager is hired to help people stay on time. Their job is to make sure people are meeting their deadlines and that they are following the rules that have been laid forth by the company. Since it can be challenging to ensure deadlines are met, having a person who's only job is to focus on this is a great asset to your business and it's bound to help you run a successful franchise.

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Rewarding the employees with ethics

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Finding ethical employees in today's world can be incredibly challenging. Not everyone is honest all the time and they aren't always trustworthy. As a small business owner how can you hire ethical employees in the first place and how can you reward these employees to let them know just how much you need them and appreciate them? Rewarding employees with ethics doesn't need to be a challenge and it's easy to do with the right type of focus and drive.

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Proper employee retention techniques

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Employees play a critical role in the success of your company. Small businesses need to make sure every employee is doing their job correctly or a critical line in the company will fall down and you will have other people needing to pick up the slack. Finding good employees is one of the hardest challenges you will face since you don't have the ability to offer attractive insurance and other incentives. Some small businesses often find that their turnover rates are incredibly high. While this might not be a big problem for say a pizza delivery company, it can be a huge problem for a non-profit center. How can you retain employees and find a way to improve the overall business structure?

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Low cost ways to improve employee morale at your small business

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Employees, who work for small businesses, often refer to the other employees in the business, as their "work family". But just like traditional families, "work families" can have their share of ups and downs. Small business owners need to be aware of the level of employee morale, no matter how large or small, their staff it. Morale problems can become a significant deterrent to productivity that small businesses can not withstand. While a workplace with high morale is crucial to any business, it may be even more essential to a small business. If your small business is staffed with employees, who have low morale, it can do serious damage to your company, and ultimately bring about its demise.

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How to hang onto your good employees

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Finding good employees to hire is hard enough on it's own but keeping them can be even harder as small businesses do not have a lot of incentives they can provide. People are always on the hunt for companies that have insurance benefits along with higher salaries. How can you find ways to keep your good employees for as long as possible? Continue reading for great information on how to boost employee morale and strengthen employee retention. What does employee retention do for your company? Here are some of the perks you can immediately expect:

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Handling employee insubordination

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Conflicts in the workplace can be manageable at times but when you have too many conflicts, it's going to lead to firing of employees. Small businesses thrive on the personalities and good attitudes their employees come into the office with. If you have a "sour apple" in the office, it will ruin it for everyone else. So what do you do? Do you offer a warning or do you just fire this employee straight away? Employee insubordination has always been a challenge for businesses to deal with. These rogue employees make it hard to work, especially if you want to focus on keeping relationships with your staff. In the end, it comes down to you being the boss and putting your foot down.

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Defining the core values of your company

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When you define a business structure, your core values will have a lot to do with the business and its overall makeup. The core values of your company will offer direction to your employees and to your customers as they will be able to see what truly defines you. Core values can contribute a lot to a company, which is why you need to take the time to establish them and review them often.

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Avoiding bookkeeper fraud

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As a small business owner you will have a lot of control over the books along with payroll and other financial matters. As your business grows and you decide you need a vacation, who is left behind to care for your business books? You will need to leave the simple method up to one of your regular employees or you may decide that your business is large enough now that it's time to hire a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping usually involves inputting numbers, negotiating prices with vendors, and managing payroll. It can take a huge burden off your shoulders to place it into the hands of another person but with that can also come risk. Bookkeeper fraud is not uncommon as these individuals see the numbers all the time and have access to your accounts. It's easy for them to find a way to start taking off a cent here and there until they have built up a nice nest egg and you are wondering what is going on with your product mark up rates and other things that may be behind the sudden drop in your income.

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Working as a team

businessportrait30393821.jpgA small business will function smoothly if everyone is able to get on the same page and to pull together and work as a team. Since small businesses normally have around 15 employees or less, you will find that teamwork is a great way for everyone to motivate one another and to share in different experiences and challenges.

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Managing differently

businessmeeting26668232.jpgIf you would like to manage differently and look for new ways to inspire your employees to work hard and become more productive, it will begin with your ability to communicate. You may hear it all the time but communication really is they key to a successful working environment. Look back over some of your previous jobs and you will be able to dismantle the jobs that had poor communication from the ones that had great communication and you felt needed by your employer. To help you learn how to manage differently, here are some tips:

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Great tips to help improve your leadership skills

mangivepresentation30392901.jpgWhen the small business environment gets rough, the one thing employees need to be able to count on is their managers. A good manger can lead their employees through any challenge and come out on top and with the trust and respect of their staff members. So what qualities does a good leader possess? Here are a few you need to work on:

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Becoming a company people want to work for

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There are always those rumors floating around about companies that are just wonderful to work for. You hear things like "they only make you work 6 hours a day" or "you have the option to work outside or from home". The more we hear about these spectacular companies, the harder it is to find them. Becoming a company people want to work for doesn't mean you need to pay thousands of dollars to have a private lake installed in the middle of your "campus", you simply need to find ways to make your business more attractive the to right type of employees.

Step # 1 - Money

Everyone will say they don't work for the money, but that is simply not true. Money motivates people. While we all work for personal fulfillment in one way or another, we want to get paid what we are worth. Money provides people with things like cars, houses, vacations, children's educations, etc. If you really want to attract the good employees, you need to be willing to pay them. Some businesses men and women will take pay cuts to come work for smaller businesses, however don't expect this small amount to last forever.

As your company becomes more successful, they will ask for a raise or they will move on. If you can't afford to pay them the big bucks, you'd better be prepared to offer some other attractive things like excellent health and dental benefits, stock options, and good retirement plans. To avoid losing your shining starts, have yearly evaluations with them to talk about their wages. This way you can find out if they are happy with what they are making or if they are seeking a new job for higher compensation.

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Managing your employees, how to find the right person for each job

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One of the most important parts of managing your employees is making sure that you hire the right people for each job. The biggest question is how you find the right person for the job. Unfortunately there is not a perfect answer to this question because everybody goes about finding the right person differently, and what works for them might not work for you.

Here are the steps that you can follow to help find the right person for the position in your small business.

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Keeping your employees happy leads to employee retention

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All employees want to be happy in their workplace because if they are happy at work this means that they are not going to dread going into work each day, they will be happy to get up and go to work. The best thing about keeping your employees happy is that happy employees mean long term employees. This means that for your small business your employee turnaround is going to be lower because you will be retaining employees. However, in order to keep your employees happy you are going to have to do certain things.

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Keep your employees longer by hiring the right employees

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One of the most important things about keeping your employees longer is to make sure that you hire the right employees in the beginning. Not to mention that hiring the right employees also helps to ensure that your small business is successful. What you need to keep in mind is that hiring the right employees for your business cannot be done on the spur of moment; it is something that you are going to need to take time on. The reason that hiring the right people is so important when it comes to a small business is that these people are going to be running your business for you or helping you runs your business so you are going to want to hire people who are going to represent your company well. You need to think about the fact that these people are going to be dealing with your customers and representing your business so you want them to be the best so only good things are said about your business.

Here are some tips for you to follow to help hire the right people for your small business the first time around.

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Employee recognition

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One of the best ways to create a positive working environment is to recognize your employees hard work. Employee recognition rewards your employees for a job well-done and creates a positive working environment for everyone at the company. When employees are thanked for their hard work, they are less-likely to start looking for a new job. When you recognize an employee, you are showing them and the other employees the standard of work you deem acceptable. This will cause other employees to work harder so they too can receive this recognition. The employee recognition process needs to be equal for everyone. You should not discriminate against certain employees for whatever reason. The reward you offer the employee needs to have some sort of value to everyone at the company so they will be motivated to receive it. It is important to have multiple rewards, in case you have multiple employees that accomplish the standard you set for employee recognition.

It is easy to recognize employees when they do a big job, like a large sale, bring on a new client, or get you a cheaper rate on your rental car. What about the daily activities your employees participate in. For example, let's say you are a retail company and you have 7 employees. Take notice at the employees that walk up to customers and start helping them without being told to do so. These employees are the ones that are performing their job well and they deserve some sort of recognition. Even giving them a candy bar will let them know you are watching them at work and you like what they are doing.

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Building good values at the office

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When it comes to building a good work environment, you need to start with your office values. Small business owners are the face of their company and their employees will reflect their personality to their customers. Good office values start by building a good mission statement and keeping that at the heart of your organization.

Another way to build office values is to demand respect for everyone in your office. Your employees should understand respect and they need to respect their co-workers, customers, clients, and themselves. If you don't like the way an employee is treating people, call them into your office and talk to them about it. Let them know that certain behaviors are just not tolerated.

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Boosting employee morale

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It is not uncommon for employees to become unhappy and disinterested in their jobs. When an employee is in this state, they are not as productive and your turnover rate will increase. How can you boost employee morale to get everyone excited about coming to work? Here are some easy steps to follow:

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How to Find a Good First Employee

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When starting up a new business, one important consideration is whether or not to hire any employees right away.Most businesses cannot be run by the owner/manager alone, so learning how to find a good first employee is crucial to the initial success of the new company.

A good employee can be defined as an individual that is hardworking, knowledgeable, and trustworthy.Flaws in any of these three categories could prove to be very detrimental to your business either now or further down the road.

First, hardworking:It seems to be harder and harder to find employees who are willing to give one hundred percent to the company they work for right from the day they are hired.People tend to want more money and benefits without wanting to put in the effort that it takes to deserve a well paying job complete with a great benefit package.Ensuring that the person you hire has what it takes to be a hardworking, dependable employee should be a top priority when looking for that good first employee.

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Tips for developing strong leaders

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Within any organization, it is very important that you have strong leaders to guide, direct, and take charge of situations. Effective leadership within your business can be the difference between a business that grows and prospers, and one that tanks.

You may have heard that "leaders are made, not born." This is true; everyone can learn to be a successful, strong leader. The following are some tips for developing strong leaders within your business and improving your own leadership skills.

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Tips for dealing with dysfunctional behavior

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As a manager, part of your job involves solving a variety of problems, either with clients or equipment or, sometimes, other employees. At times, it may seem like you're more a referee than a manager.

Dysfunctional behavior in the office can be a number of things. It can range from interoffice conflicts as the result of personality clashes and misunderstandings, or much more serious offenses, like sexual harassment or unethical or dishonest behavior in the workplace.

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How to optimize employee performance

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As an employer, you know the expense that goes into hiring and training people. For that reason you want your employees to be productive. This is important for a number of reasons. First of all, when employee performance is not optimized, things don't get done. This could make you lose customers. Second, it results in lost money. You are paying employees for their time, when they are not really working.

The following are some ideas for optimizing employee performance:

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Tips for dealing with dysfunctional behavior

As a manager, part of your job involves solving a variety of problems, either with clients or equipment or, sometimes, other employees. At times, it may seem like you're more a referee than a manager.

pda30321865.jpgDysfunctional behavior in the office can be a number of things. It can range from interoffice conflicts as the result of personality clashes and misunderstandings, or much more serious offenses, like sexual harassment or unethical or dishonest behavior in the workplace.

Regardless of the nature of the dysfunction, if you are dealing with some level of dysfunction within the office, it is important that you resolve it for a number of reasons. Conflicts or problems that are left unchecked can result in lawsuits for hostile work environments, sexual harassment charges, and other serious concerns for your company.

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Tips for creating an energized, ethical culture

businessmeeting30396676.jpgThe culture of your company has a huge impact not only on the way it is run, but on the way your employees behave and interact as well.

What is company culture?
Your company or corporate culture can be defined as the behavior, thinking, and attitudes of those in the company. Company culture can be everything from the dress code to the standards you hold as a company. Some companies have a very structured, rigid culture, while others have a more energized, laid-back one.

When it comes to company culture, energy and ethical behavior are both crucial. An energized culture is one that encourages excitement and energy throughout the group as they all work together towards common goals. As a business owner, it is also important that your culture is ethical. An ethical culture is one where honesty and integrity in your business dealings is valued.

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How to unify employees for an effective team

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In order to ensure peak performance in your office and within your office teams, you need to have a unified team that knows how to work together, set goals together, and progress together.
Unifying your team is absolutely necessary to ensure quality performance over both the short term and the long term.If a team isn't unified, then the project will fall apart, particularly if it hits any snags.Teams that are fractured and splintered are unable to really join together when tests don't end up turning out as expected, and when new procedures have to be invented in order to meet that deadline in a two weeks, or a week, or a couple days.

Gallup has conducted a poll that indicates that the average number of people in different office teams that are actually passionate and involved in their work is only around 20%.That means that 80% of the people in your office and on your team need to be motivated and their energy and potential need to be harnessed.One of the best ways to motivate and to encourage this energy is through team unification.

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Setting regulations and policies to improve your small business

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There are so many different ways that you can go about improving your small business. If you are in need of improvement but you think you have done everything possible there is to do. You might want to reconsider things. Another thing you can do is to set regulations and policies to improve your small business. If you don't see how this will help your small business improve here is some information on setting regulations and policies to improve your small business that might be able to help you get a better idea.

The first thing is to make sure that you know what types of regulations are in effect right now. Once you have figured this out figure out how you can change them or add to them. For example if you certain regulations about when your employees can take off make sure that these regulations are being followed. The reason for this is because if one employee is taking off all the time which in return is making it so another employee always has to cover for them you might have a unhappy employee. Making sure that your employees are happy is one of the biggest ways to improve your small business. The reason for this is because if you have an unhappy employee your customers are probably going to be able to sense this and not like the mood that is being put off.

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How to build a high quality small business team

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Whether you are an office manager for a large, multinational corporation trying to coordinate various sectors, or if you are the manager of a smaller, permanent office team, you need to know how to build a quality team.

Quality control has much more to do than just running tests.Quality has become the mantra of all kinds of business experts, business motivational speakers, management specialists, and different workplace improvement gurus.

There are a number of different approaches that you can take as a manager to building a quality team.Quality teams will improve the way that the company works.This means that you will improve customer relations.Your products will become better.Your employees will be more satisfied with their jobs and with their work environment.

Use more than one approach
It is important to remember when you are working to improve quality in your company and working to build a quality team, that not just one approach will work for everything.You need to try a number of different approaches, using several different approaches so that you can be flexible according to the needs of your employees, the needs of your customers, and the needs of your company.

Quality is best implemented in your company through the development not of an enormous, company wide organization full of lots of flow charts and top-down management styles.Instead, quality is best worked into your company through the development of small teams, led by team leaders, in an effort to improve your company's overall quality.

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How to determine what kind of Christmas bonus you will give


Many employers give their employees a Christmas bonus. This type of bonus is always well-received and is a great way to show your employees your appreciation for them. Not only that, but a Christmas bonus, especially when linked with performance, is a great motivator for employees and will help them to work harder and more effectively in anticipation of it.

But not all bonuses have to be money. There are a number of different types of Christmas bonuses you can give to your employees, including:

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What are rules concerning giving benefits to certain employees and not to others?

Can you legally give certain benefits, like retirement benefits, to particular employees, and not to others?You might be surprised to learn that you can, in fact, give some people benefits that you don't give to other employees.However, there are a lot of very particular rules governing how you work your benefits.For help, contact the Department of Labor.

Technically, equal benefits doesn't mean that you give everyone the same amount of benefits monetarily.Instead, equal benefits actually means that benefits are equal when older and younger employees have them in every respect.If you as an employer are going to have different benefits for older and younger workers, then you have to be able to justify the difference in your offerings and in the options available.

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