What Makes a Quality Leader

Every business needs a good leader to thrive. Delegating tasks, keeping employees motivated and setting a great example for the team are among the key qualities for leadership. Check out the following five things that help define a confident and successful leader: 

1.   Articulate Interests. Ensuring harmony and balance in the team is the basic task of a leader. The biggest challenge is to reconcile the different interests that coexist in the same organization, articulating them in a productive way.

2. Maintain Open Channels With Your Team. For employees to assimilate the values and principles that guide the business, it is essential to communicate with clarity and objectivity. Likewise, it is important to be open to hearing what everyone has to say on various topics. This establishes a trust relationship with the group, creating harmony and an encouraging environment.

3.  Establish And Verify Work Patterns. The standardization of work processes is crucial for a company's performance. It is the job of a good leader to establish these processes. It is important also to have effective methods to verify compliance with these processes, whether it be time clocks to ensure hours worked or weekly reports.

4.     Promote A Culture Of Innovation. Creating an environment conducive to innovation is also the task of a leader who wants to see your business take off. It is important to encourage and foster the diversity of ideas in order to make the work environment more creative and innovative.

5.     Train More Leaders. A good leader is one who knows how to identify and encourage other leaders within the business. That means looking for people with innovative and motivating character, exercising a positive influence on the group.

Become More Productive This Year

We all know that our everyday lives are not easy. We only have 24 hours to take care of our business, our personal lives and still try to find some room to relax. One way to helping you etch out time for the latest episode or to take a job is to be more productive.

Here are some tips to help you become more productive both at home and in the office in 2013:

1.     Arrange: Get your desktop organized. Everything must be easily accessible so you do not waste time looking for something.

2.     Say "no": Only say "yes" when necessary or possible. Avoid doing things that take up time or cause stress.

3.     Schedule right: When scheduling a new task, take into account factors such as queues that take time, displacement and transit time.

4.     Simplify: At first, it seems that everything we do is essential, but it is not. Choose the tasks necessary to your goals.

5.     Consider life as a whole: Divide your day into parts because doing everything at once will only stress you out and kill productivity.

6.     Focus and concentration: Keep a to-do-list. Leaving things vague will bring distraction and forgetfulness.

7.     Organizing methods: There are many theories about personal organization. You need not follow any, but knowing them and select the ones you are interested. Getting better time clocks for your office would be one great way to organize the office space.

8.     Find your own way: Create your own methods of doing things that get the work done and keep you focused. Methods are different for everyone.

9.     What’s your interest in productivity: What do you want to do with your time? Remind yourself of what productivity brings.

10.  Do not miss the focus: For those who want to gain productivity and efficiency, the key is to analyze your situation, find out enough about it, find a technique that works well, and use that technique to help re-focus other time on your own personal goals.

How to Delegate Productively

As a manager or leader in your business, you will find yourself delegating out work at some point or another. While proper delegation makes for a well-run and productive team, improper delegation of tasks can side rail and entire project. There are a few tricks that all managers can use to help make sure that tasks are proportioned out fairly, that hours on the time clock are met, and that work is set out in a way that encourages work instead of inhibits.

To reduce the risk of problems when delegating work, start by issuing smaller, easier tasks first. This limits the damage that can be caused in case someone fails. This also will help build the self-esteem of the person who took that responsibility if they succeed.

You should never limit yourself to just explaining what they should do either. When people realize how their work fits in the process, they can react better when things go wrong or when you are not present. Having a chance to innovate can sometimes bring out the best in employees.

Take a look at these other tips which will help you be a better delegator:

1.     Choose things that you can delegate “up”. This means picking things that are simple enough that you can pass off to an assistant like checking emails, picking up dry cleaning and so on.

2.     Choose things that you can delegate “down”. These are the items that you want professionals handling. For instance, you will want to hire an accountant or bookkeeper to do the numbers.

3.     Provide crystal clear instructions. Being able to delegate successfully starts with getting through to your people clearly. If someone doesn’t understand something, make sure they do by talking things over.

4.     Empower the staff. Give your employees enough responsibility to make them feel special. It goes a long way.

5.     Letting go. Some people can do tasks better than you can. Let go and let those with the strengths in that task do said step.

6.     Invest in long-term success. Choose employees that will stick around for a long time but make sure they are worth having around as well.

Do not forget the reality of the learning curve: the first task delegated does not always run optimally. Do not be tempted to take the matter into your own hands. Give your employees a chance and teach them where they went wrong. You will often be surprised at the improvement rate that shows.

How to Cut Costs and Be Efficient

As a business owner, you are probably constantly looking for ways to increase profits and increase business. At one point in time, you have most likely thought of cutting expenses to help boost profitability. Technically, it doesn’t matter if you’re having the best quarter in history because when it comes down to it, costs that are out-of-control will quickly eat up any profits that you gain.

Avoid going under by keeping a close eye on your expenses (you can use a business accounting tool). While cutting expenses can help greatly, be smart about what you cut. You don’t want to sacrifice efficiency for cost.

Here are some tips to being cost effective when making budget cuts:

• Try out a new telecom system. This can range from Internet to landlines to wireless providers.
• Enforce the “no splurge” business travel rule. This technically means that your staff cannot spend whatever they want when they travel. Make them accountable for what they spend.
•  Move your IT network to the “Cloud”. Whenever you have the chance to move digital files and other software off your computer to another place- do it.
• Cut back on overtime. Switching from a time clock that uses paper to a computerized time clock is a great move. It saves you money on multiple fronts.
• Earning vendor discounts using credit is smart. Early payment discounts offer by a selection of vendors can save you thousands of dollars a year.

Cutting your expenses should only mean one thing: you gain more profit. By viewing these areas, you will hopefully be able to maximize your profits without losing efficiency.

How to Manage Employees Fairly

There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to managing employees. What motivates one employee may not work on another, and while you can’t completely change your personality to suit your employees you can adopt a management style to help you deal fairly with all employees under your supervision.

There are a few tips to help your employees excel in the workplace and to ensure that you are acting fairly and with their and your interest in mind.

1. Ask your employees whether they feel they work best in collaborative settings or whether they feel they thrive in the sanctuary of their cubicles. If the later, look into allowing employees to work with headphones on so they can listen to music while they work.
2. While many employees will push the boundaries of workplace etiquette, employees need to know they are expected to meet deadlines and perform the tasks which they have been assigned.  Be sure you allow for some creativity, but hold employees accountable as well.
3. If you find that some of your employees need hand-holding to perform, attempt to offer that. For those employees who work best on their own, leave them to their tasks. For motivated employees, going to work is more than punching a time clock, it is a place at which they hope to forge their careers.
4. Encourage workplace interaction outside of the mandatory staff meeting times. Let employees to linger around the water cooler, be flexible on lunch times, encourage collaboration between departments. As long as it falls within the realm of what is allowed through company policy, and as long as the work gets done, let employees interact.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask your employees for their input and their opinion. If you find you have to pass along new employee guidelines or changes in personnel regulations, don’t just drop a new manual on their desks. Take the time to explain the changes and answer their questions and concerns.

Being in a management or supervisory position is both challenging and rewarding. The bottom line is, however, that the key to your success is getting the best out of the employees that you manage. If you’re able to manage and motivate your team, you all thrive.

How to Decide on a Business Venture

There are many questions you need to ask yourself before making the leap into small business ownership. Whether you’re doing it to follow a dream or a passion, or simply because you’re done with punching the time clock, here are a few pointers on how to choose a business venture:

Know where your expertise lies. Once you know, it’s easier to decide the goods or services to offer, as well as who your target consumer group is. You will need to know where and how to reach these customers so that you can build a successful marketing plan to build and propel your business up and forward.

One way to succeed as a business owner is do something you love. Don’t just jump on the bandwagon of what is popular and in unless you honestly enjoy providing that good or service. If you see a product or service on the market and believe you have a way to make it better, jump on that idea and offer your new and improved spin on it.

Take your business seriously. Half-hearted efforts will get you nowhere and will cost you money in the long run. You will make money back if your business takes off, but without passion or interest in what you’re doing, you won’t have the motivation to register your business, pay taxes, and file as a business entity; all necessities for a small business to succeed.

Join networking groups and try to find a mentor. A mentor will be able to offer you advice and strategies to help your business thrive, while networking opens you up to business professionals who may be interesting in purchasing the goods you sell or utilizing the services you provide. Investors can also be found at networking events and through mentors, so don’t underestimate the power of getting connected!

Finally, be a time management guru. Starting your business while you’re still working a punching the time clock elsewhere means you will need to be frugal with your time and use it wisely to make every moment you are devoting to your new endeavor count. Additionally, you will still want to perform at full capacity at your current position until your new business takes off.

How to Stop Buddy Punching

Most everyone who has used a time clock is familiar with the idea of “buddy punching”. A way for one worker to punch in for another, ensuring hours are recorded for an otherwise absent employee, buddy punching is a problem for the workspace because it results in both employees stealing money from the employer. Even more distressing is the fact that this practice is wide spread and can cost U.S. businesses up to $200 per employee per year, according to economists.

There is good news however! Buddy punching is easier than ever to eliminate with the installation of a biometric time clock. These time clocks come in several brands and styles and can read everything from a fingerprint to a hand. This method of clocking in prevents someone else from clocking in for a friend, and creates a fair, more honest environment for everyone.

Even small companies can benefit from a biometric time clock. Not only do these clocks help stop buddy punching, but they make back the investment in them with the ease of use and peace of mind they bring. Newer devices are even able to store lots of information, including time, hours worked, holidays taken or owed, and various other data about that particular worker.

Many biometric time clocks are interactive and user-friendly. A worker can access their own work history, time sheet, and other information via the screen of the biometric time clock. While new technology can be threatening in the work environment, giving the employee access to their information allows employees to accept the device as well as helps human resources integrate cost-efficient technology into the department with little complaint.

Buddy punching is an easy problem to solve these days, so be sure you invest in a quality time clock to help you keep your business on track. Your employees, human resources, and ultimately yourself will be grateful for the ease that comes with one of these devices.

How to Simplify Your Business

Feel like you're a slave to time clocks and other office gadgets? Tired of being late or behind schedule almost constantly? It might be time to look at simplifying your business, both for your sake as well as your company's!

Several, easy ways to simplify exist that don't cost a lot, many of them with minimal effort on your part. So stop putting out fires and head them off early with these simple tips:

• Keep it simple. You don't have to change your whole life in one day. A little thing here and there adds up quickly.
• Consider outsourcing. Many business outsource human resources, letting a larger, professional firm do what it does best and allowing the smaller business to focus on other functions. There is no need to lose sleep over this function, so unless you are an HR company, let go and let someone else do it.
• Streamline your morning by writing down a short routine to condense need to be done items. Spend five minutes looking at email instead of thirty. Have your coffee and roll at home rather than wasting fifteen minutes of valuable work time waiting in a coffee shop line or cafeteria.
• Avoid meetings! All-office meetings eat time, and many companies today are eliminating the face-to-face meetings that were so prevalent a decade ago.
• Write down five things you want to accomplish that day. You'll find that what is written becomes finished. Psychologists call this the art of simplicity, and the simple act of writing tasks down helps the human mind to focus.

Simplify and get more done without feeling like you're racing the time clock or wasting the day. With these tips, you'll undoubtedly find more and more ways to not only simplify but feel more accomplished by the end of the day.