Posted by: on July 10
For most small businesses, the owner is the key person in the leadership role. Some owners and managers of businesses are convinced that it is only the money that creates passionate performance, productivity, and connectedness in employees. I've heard it many times in one form or another: "They are well paid; I don't understand why they won't produce."
The reality is that people are motivated to work with commitment and passion by more than one thing. It is certainly true that people work to earn money, but it's not just the money. Motivation is personal and most of us are motivated to perform with excellence and high levels of engagement by more than one thing.
To determine what drives your team members, find out what they do for recreation. And ask what causes each to feel unsafe or anxious in your work environment. Then help employees feel that they are accepted by designing incentive programs that provide a way for them to win.
How do you recognize and reward employee performance? How are you helping your employees find meaning in their work? Highly successful business managers and leaders recognize that people have personal needs as well as the need for monetary compensation in their lives. They help their employees meet more of those personal needs, combined with adequate monetary compensation as a practice or strategy. Because they are willing to help their employees to meet those needs, their employees raise their level of commitment and become more passionate about their work than when their personal needs are ignored or suppressed.
Charlie Fewell
President
Charlie Fewell & Associates
Memphis
Posted by: on July 09
Profitable companies enjoy high levels of customer retention and are joined at the hip with the people they do business with. These companies measure the quality of their relationships at every point of contact. I suggest ypu measure "customer connectedness" in momentos muy simpáticos.
The word simpático does not translate perfectly into English. The closest word we have is empathy. But simpático also suggests the importance of understanding and appreciating the other person's perspective. The entire phrase means creating very "empathetic" moments.
The goal is to create momentos muy simpáticos at every point of interaction where a representative of your organization is interfacing with the customer. If these moments can be maximized, the value of the interaction will deepen the relationship in a way that results in repeat business, referrals, and the development of a customer for life.
How do you create momentos muy simpáticos?
1. Identify each point of contact you have with prospects and customers.
2. Clearly define the actions that would cause each customer to feel that they are "honored guests" while doing business with you
3. Create a scorecard using customer feedback to inspect the sense of connectedness you are creating with every customer.
Charlie Fewell
President
Charlie Fewell & Associates
Memphis
Posted by: on July 08
When starting a company, many entrepreneurs plan for the obvious startup costs like advertising, furniture, and equipment. But some leave the document-filing work to their lawyers and suddenly discover that they have incurred thousands of dollars in legal costs from the billable hours attorneys charge to prepare and file the formal incorporation documents. The good news is these legal fees can be greatly reduced when you incorporate online.
Choosing the right incorporation option for your new business requires thoughtful consideration and research. There are many options to choose from, including the C corporation, the S corporation, and the increasingly popular limited liability company. Your startup funds are well spent in seeking the advice of a lawyer and/or an accountant to help you choose the business structure that best protects your legal interests and minimizes your taxes. But once they have helped you choose the right structure, there is no need to have them prepare and file the incorporation documents. Lawyers will charge you high hourly rates to prepare and file the documents, but you can pay a greatly reduced rate to incorporate online with a company that specializes in business filings.
When you have selected the business structure that is right for you, simply choose an experienced incorporator and complete its online incorporation form. It usually takes just a few minutes. The online incorporator will charge you a filing fee for its work to prepare the articles of incorporation and file them with the state. It will also collect the state's fee for filing the documents. The online incorporator will usually have a few incorporation packages to choose from, which range from a very basic form preparation and filing package to a more complete package which would include federal tax ID obtainment (if you are planning to pay employees and vendors) and certified copies of state filed documents (which may be required by lenders). Once you have placed your incorporation order online, the incorporator prepares and files the articles of incorporation with the state and returns your completed incorporation package to you in a few days or weeks (depending on the state).
Karen Kobelski
General Manager
BizFilings
Madison, Wis.
Posted by: on July 07
If you're finding that protecting your organization's network and data is becoming increasingly challenging, consider outsourcing your security. Managed security service providers (MSSPs) can offer a cost-effective alternative to trying to manage the security yourself. There are four primary reasons to consider using a MSSP:
1. MSSPs have the security expertise that many smaller companies lack. MSSPs can provide guidance on what types of defenses you need and how those defenses should be deployed. Not only are they security experts but in many cases they can also provide assistance with any regulatory mandate that you may be trying to comply with.
2. MSSPs can be less expensive than trying to bring all your security needs in-house. MSSPs achieve economies of scale that smaller organizations simply cannot reach.
3. MSSPs offer 24/7 monitoring of your network.
4. In the event there is some type of security incident, the MSSP can provide forensic help determining how the attack happened, what was compromised, and how to avoid being attacked in the future.
So if your company's security is keeping you up at night, consider using an MSSP, and let those people be the ones losing sleep. That's what they're good at.
Tracy Hulver
Executive Vice-President for Marketing and Products
netForensics
Edison, N.J.
Posted by: on July 06
In fat or lean times, the greatest way to build business and strengthen relationships is to become the best option for your customers. Consistency and responsiveness are paramount to becoming the best option. The foundation to this can be achieved in a few simple ways:
1. Don't rely on voice mail or automated menus—avoid them whenever possible. You can't build relationships by having your customers talk to a machine; people want to know they have been heard. Customers need to feel they are important.
2. Be consistent in pricing—your prices don't always have to be lower than the competition, but the price should match the value.
3. Understand your customers enough to know what a proper response time is, and be consistent in reducing yours. Whether a proper response time is seconds or hours, never delay communicating with your customers.
When building relationships, being able to say: "We are going to be the most responsive organization you will work with"—and then proving it goes a long way. When "I hear you" is coupled with "You hear me," then "I like you" can turn into "We like each other." That sounds like a relationship to me.
Joseph Gabriel
Founder and CEO
Southern Computer Warehouse
Marietta, Ga.
