Kelly Spors Many long-time small business owners would agree with the line from the 1970s song by the band Faces: “I wish that I knew what I know now.” Over years of running a small business, owners inevitably gather many lessons about how to grow and run a business more effectively. Thankfully, many of these owners are more than happy to share their business advice. Here are seven business tips from several successful small business owners that are worth paying attention to: 1. Build a Support Network For Laura Kelly, being a business owner can be an isolating experience at … Continued

By Jodie Cook                                                        Describing artificial intelligence as a disruptive technology is a colossal understatement. We are entering an AI boom, with AI-ification happening across industries globally. The big players are all getting involved, many have played their hand and the others are still working away behind the scenes. Dropbox just laid off 500 people to focus on AI, Apple is reportedly about to launch something. It’s all kicking off. Businesses are facing an adapt, or die dilemma, some for the second time in three years. What’s happening right now has a similar theme to Covid-19, where businesses were forced to make better … Continued

By Jennifer Herrity Team management skills are something every manager should have and strive to constantly improve. Effective management skills are beneficial to both managers and the teams they oversee. These skills can ensure that everyone on the team is on the same page and help each team member know what’s to be expected of them in the workplace. Having the skill set to manage a team enables managers to successfully lead. In this article, we discuss what team management skills are and provide examples of quality team management skills you can implement today. What is team management? Team management is … Continued

It is one thing to take a group of individuals and create a team in a shared environment/workplace. It is another when everyone is remote from each other, on a level (although sometimes challenging) playing field. But when some of your team members are together part of the time while others may work flexible schedules. Countless additional variables may come into play, then what? If you are asking that question, congratulations—you lead a hybrid team. Here are three things you must do now to create and support this to be highly successful. 1. Engage team members more If you are … Continued

The zero-waste trend continues to gain momentum as consumers become aware of harmful packaging materials ending up in landfills. In response, more businesses are making the switch to reusable and other eco-friendly packaging alternatives that are not only good for the environment and consumers, but also their business’s bottom line. Packaging for businesses Packaging has many uses for a business. It allows for the safe transportation and storage of products, acts as a marketing tool and also displays important product information. Examples of common packaging products are cardboard boxes and takeaway cartons. Other types of packaging are plastic containers and … Continued

By Morgan Smith We’ve all heard it before: Having a morning routine is essential to a successful life.  Scientists and CEOs alike have extolled the benefits of establishing an early morning ritual for decades — there are those who get up at 4:30 a.m. every day and complete a workout before the sun rises, and others who savour the quiet of mornings with a hot cup of coffee and reading.  But mornings are hard. It can be far too tempting to hit “snooze” on your alarm when thoughts about all that you need to get done during the day flood … Continued

Every SME knows the sheer amount of effort and sustained commitment required to build your brand successfully. Most of our time and effort goes into ensuring product quality, managing our team, fostering excellent customer service, and running various marketing campaigns, this is to name but a few of the plates that the average entrepreneur needs to spin in order to run their business. It’s understandable that, inevitably, some of these plates get dropped. Some may never have been spinning in the first place and could have caused damage to your brand you’re not even aware of yet. The phishing and … Continued

The annual performance review is a dreaded obligation for most managers. Not only is there a substantial amount of administrative work, but also the added stress of having to deliver constructive criticism to employees. In fact, a Harris Poll, on behalf of Interact, found that 69 percent of managers feel uncomfortable communicating with employees — especially when considering the likelihood of a negative response to feedback. Although managers can delegate a variety of responsibilities, providing feedback is not one of them. Here are three tips to deliver tough but effective feedback to your employees. 1. Set the stage. The performance … Continued

Being an effective leader involves more than a fancy title. Great leaders use their skills to build teams capable of envisioning accomplishment and then coach their charges on carrying out the steps necessary to get there. We have the tools and resources you need to maximize your skills from just a boss to a leader. Why are leadership skills important? A strong leader can push a company to greater heights, while a poor leader can turn a workplace into a toxic disaster. Studies show that half of employees who quit their jobs do so because of their direct managers, so … Continued

FORBES Tatiana Melnichuk (Apr 25, 2022) First of all, let’s define what critical thinking is. In general, it is the ability to objectively analyze events, incoming information and arguments; approach an issue from different sides; and form conclusions based on the analysis. Developing critical thinking is relevant not only for work but also for life—today we’re inundated with huge amounts of information every day, and in order to be able to analyze this information and determine our position based on balanced facts, it is important to look at situations critically. Critical thinking allows you to always soberly assess the situations … Continued