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Staying connected to your employees is important to your business. It helps to foster communication and productivity. To stay connected to your employees you can plan company activities, check in with them regularly, and give them a voice.

Plan Company Activities

Company activities help to create teams that work together to achieve common goals in the workplace. These will help you get to know your employees in an environment that is less rigid. This will help you see your employees as whole individuals. You get to know their personalities more which can help you to see their strengths. The same is true for your employees, who are also able to connect with you and feel more comfortable in your interactions. This helps to increase communication, motivation and collaboration among you and your employees.

Check in Regularly

An engaged leadership is important in connecting to your employees. A Gemba walk can help you better understand what employees are experiencing. A Gemba walk is a way to gather information, observe and interact with workers. This walk helps to reduce waste and help improve productivity. A Gemba walk provides a place where employees can talk with leadership on the elements of the workplace and what they feel is most important. This provides a valuable time to check-in with employees. Checking in should be regularly scheduled and should be just as important and non-negotiable as your other meetings.

Give Them a Voice

Giving your employees a voice is a great way to stay connected to them and to each other. When your employees know that you want and respect their thoughts. This will help them feel valued as an employee, and they will be more motivated to do their work. You should have a communication channel with your employees where they can voice their opinions. Giving your employees a voice will help you learn what is going well in your workplace and what can be improved. This fostered communication can also increase collaboration among employees and lead to greater productivity and foster new ideas to better the business.

To connect with your employees, you can plan company activities, check in with them regularly, and give them a voice. Connection is important with your employees because your employees are people first, workers second. Connecting with them will help them to have more open communication, be more productive, and foster more collaboration in the workplace.

Read this next: How to Raise a Family While Running a Business

Owning and operating your own business is a fulfilling and rewarding way to build a career. But it can also be incredibly stressful, being your own boss and operating business is never easy. Many business owners don’t even realize how stressed they are or why they are so stressed, making it difficult to work through the stress and find a way to let go and relax. Here are three common sources of stress that can keep business owners up at night, and how to ease your stresses. 

Keeping the Business Solvent

Maintaining solvency at your business is one of if not the most important thing that your business needs to do to remain successful and operational. Staying solvent involves meeting all your debt obligations on time and in full every time. This includes paying utility bills, suppliers, shippers, rent, salaries, etc. It can often feel like a constant juggling act for business owners to balance the books and remain completely solvent, particularly when the market is unstable and everything from demand to the global supply chain is in a constant state of flux. The better you can keep track of your business accounting, the easier it will be to stay stress free relating to solvency. Make sure that you have an extensive database of your income and expenses and debt obligations. 

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

Regulations are wonderful, they help businesses remain safe and ethical (most of the time) and ensure that there is a fair playing ground for businesses. But they can also be frustrating, annoying, unrealistic, inconvenient, and sometimes just silly. Nevertheless, all regulations must be followed to avoid injuries and penalties to your business. This is especially important for employee safety, which can lead to litigation and fines if not taken seriously. Caution signs are a must for dangerous areas in your business. Caution signs help keep both employees and customers safe at your business. By posting signs wherever reasonable, you ensure that your safety regulations will be followed. 

High Turnover

Nobody likes the hiring process. Hiring new employees is tedious, time consuming, and a lengthy and costly process for your business. Spending time hiring means you are not spending time getting all the work of a business owner done. A great way to keep your turnover low is to compensate your workers well and provide benefits that are enticing and wanted. You should also listen to your employee’s criticism and ideas for improvement and implement them. 

There are a lot of very stressful aspects of owning a business. You never know what might happen, no matter how well prepared you and your business are. By focusing on these three common stressors and how to manage them, you can help alleviate your stress as a business owner and be ready for anything.

Read this next: Great Reasons to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business

So, you’ve rediscovered having your hair done during the pandemic, and have decided to try a new and bold style to go along with both your personality and to perhaps stave off the leftover existential dread involved with a global extinction event. Thank goodness the salons are open again and you can get the coloring and style you have been craving! But once you return home, you realize that something is missing. Your style has shifted and is more the personality of the real you, not what society has projected upon you for decades. You have realized that maybe your hair is the beginning, but what comes next? How can you reflect your true self and complete your new hairstyle look?

Do Your Makeup Differently

Your makeup should reflect your own personal style, and that means considering what you personally prefer, not what you’ve done in the past. Many of those who have previously worn full makeup to work have discovered that they prefer to…well, not. And some, who don’t generally go all out, have discovered the art form of makeup during this last year! Whichever you prefer, take care of your face and skin. Follow magnificent artisans on Insta who do the style of facial care and makeup you prefer personally. It’s ok to look different- the world has changed around you, but you can transform in positive ways!

Use New Product

Whether curly or straight, your hair will need some new products to maintain your new Lewk! Make sure to look for salon quality products which will not only support your hair being healthy, but also bouncy and not bogged down. Avoid anything which comes from multi-level marketing! There are so many types of products for different hair textures, so make sure to determine which one is right for you. Work with your natural hair type, not against it. You deserve to enjoy your hair!

Get a New Outfit

Ok, look: everybody’s clothes are looking a little 2019 at the moment, and seem a little…weary. There’s no way to get around that issue except maybe a little shopping therapy after real therapy (don’t forget the real therapy. All of the world is going to need it right now!) A modest dress can help you feel confident in yourself and complement your new hairstyle. Remember, though: Modesty is about presenting yourself without guile or pridefulness. Wear things which reflect yourself and your own divinity as the goddess that you are. You don’t have to cover yourself in a certain brand or style. Set your own trends and show the person you have become during your metamorphosis.  

Get New Shoes

Shoes are the foundation for your look, and while in the eighties you’d have to match them to your purse, now you’re looking for something much more fun and interesting. Especially after a long pandemic, you want shoes which are both beautiful and also which will support your going back into society. If your feet have been enjoying not being in heels for two years, you don’t have to return to them. If your feet have been longing for a cute pair of heels, go for it! Figure out what’s best for your body, and head that way. Both your feet and your brain will respect you more when you respect their preference for footwear!

Baggage

Everybody is carrying extra baggage after the pandemic, but few have a new bag to enjoy! Find a purse or satchel that suits your style. Some have a lot more to carry than others, so figure out what you need to keep on your person, and plan forward. A bag or tote is a great place to have an unexpected pattern or color as an accent, because it can be swapped out if necessary. Yes, designer bags are magnificent and well made, but don’t overlook some of the amazing up and coming concept artists who specialize in leatherwork (animal and vegan), fabric artists, and others who create sculptural designs which can not only look amazing but be both ethically and culturally helpful. Paying artists for wearable art is always in style, and nobody else will have your look.

Accessories

Ok, maybe your best coordinating accessory right now is a volume of comfortable masks, but it won’t be long until others come back into style. If you’ve gone with layers, beautiful headbands are in fashion at the moment. Regardless of your hair length, hair jewels and barrettes are always on trend. Look for those which are matte metallics, which are in style right now, and which can help show off your face. Remember that glasses give a great refocus to your facial features and can emphasize your bone structure. There are so many inexpensive options for frames; they can be a great accessory to your new hair!

Attitude

Ok, here’s the tough one: Your best accessory, by far, is your attitude. Do not forget your value, both intrinsically, in society, and in the workplace. Regardless of what kind of work you do, and whether it is in an office, a factory, or in your home, it is your effort and knowledge that has helped keep the economy running during this adventure. Now that you’re headed back into society at large, do not forget that your work is essential, and that you personally deserve to be treated with kindness and value. The most important thing anyone wears is the knowledge that they are valuable and important, regardless of what they wear on the outside. Don’t forget it.

It’s been a long couple of years, and somehow, shedding that dead, frayed hair feels revitalizing, whether you’ve gotten a trim, a drastic cut, or a color. You want to feel that way every day! Treat your body and your mind with the compassion and love you deserve. Your preferences for clothing, hair, accessories, and shoes all are valid and matter. You also matter! Now, get out there and show the world the astounding human you are, and your brand new, absolutely beautiful head of hair!

Read this next: How to Use Your Daily Look to Create Inner Confidence

Your small business has huge potential in connecting with and thriving among consumers who want what you offer. However, getting your business started can feel like a major strain, especially without the right tools! Here are a few of those tools that can best help you get your small business off the ground.

Affordable Website Builders

One of the core means to successful business in today’s markets is an effective and efficient online presence. You need a website to offer consumers a deeper look into your business’s vision, what it offers, how it can tailor to consumer needs, and more. The delivery and aesthetic of that website is of the utmost importance, therefore, for their understanding and for your successful connection to the customer. Site Builder Report recommends working with affordable website builders that can create that online presence for you professionally. Their set up will be much easier to manage and maintain on your part, and will be easy to navigate on the consumer side.

Small Business Loans

Utilize government aid! The U.S. Small Business Administration grants small business loans also known as “SBA loans.” While these loans are relatively strict with their standards on lending, they are flexible on terms and interest rates are often low. Plus, Franchise Gator says SBA loans are backed by the government and you can even qualify if you have bad credit. This is an incredibly valuable opportunity for you to get much needed funding for whatever aspect of your business you need the most help with, within means you can manage!  

Point of Sale (POS) Systems

Entrust your sales processes to a system that can handle every aspect of a transaction smoothly and reliably. Help yourself out by utilizing point of sales software! This tool collects and organizes your sales and customer data for you, including credit card transactions and cash tracking. You will have a lot of data flowing through your company very quickly, and collecting, analyzing and interpreting this data is a huge task that invites a lot of human error. According to Top5 POS Systems, POS systems reduce the likelihood for these issues and can help you stay on top of inventory so that you are never caught unprepared or understocked!

When getting your business started, begin with the most basic and essential elements before expanding. Those “basics” should include a sufficient online presence, funding, and the tools for gaining those profits you want. Let these tools get you that good base, and feel confident that the rest will fall into place!

Read this next: What Your Business Website Needs to Attract Clients

For many people, working for yourself seems like a dream, but it actually comes with many challenges that can be difficult for people to overcome on their path to success. Before you move to self-employment, it is important that you understand the potential issues you might face in your new work life. With that knowledge you can decide whether working for yourself is a good fit for your needs or if the traditional work life is something that is a better choice for you. 

Higher Taxes 

When you work for yourself, you face different tax amounts than you have to pay if you are working for another employer. You are also responsible for keeping track of those taxes yourself, which can be really challenging, especially when you first start out. It is important that you understand the taxes you will face as someone who is self-employed. As you establish your business, you can structure it in different ways that can impact your tax responsibilities as well. Managing taxes can be stressful and frustrating for many self-employed people across industries. 

You Pay for Your Own Insurance 

Another issue with running your own business or working as a contractor is that you are responsible for your own insurance costs. This isn’t just the insurance you need for your company, but also your personal insurance. When you are working for a company, they provide health insurance among other benefits at a reduced rate (or completely cover those costs) that you don’t have access to if you are working for yourself. Going through an insurance broker can reduce your health insurance costs. 

Financial Difficulties 

Working for yourself can also lead to some unforeseen financial difficulties, especially if you have never done it before. Sometimes your pay may be less regular when you are working for yourself than if you were able to work for another company. You are also responsible for taking care of your own accounting needs, or paying someone else to do it, which can be a challenge in itself. For some people the financial side of running a business is one of the most difficult elements. 

Whether you decide you want to pursue opportunities of self-employment or not is up to you and your preferences. As long as you understand the unpleasant elements, you can make a decision that will work for your life and needs. And then you can focus on the work you decide to pursue.

Read this next: Great Reasons to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business

Managers want to see their company operate efficiently, but they can’t do it alone. It takes the coordination of all departments and every individual employee to improve processes. Helping each worker become aware of ways they can do their jobs efficiently and effectively can lead to overall improvements throughout the business.

Stick to Deadlines

Missing deadlines can have serious consequences. Many businesses have procedures or processes in which the achievement of one task depends on the completion of previous tasks. If one deadline is missed, the whole process may experience delays like a chain reaction. Setting and keeping deadlines can ensure that everything runs smoothly. Often a job may seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into smaller steps, with each step given a specific deadline, gives employees focus and motivation, especially if you provide incentives for finishing work on time or early.

Adopt the Principles of Kaizen

Kaizen refers to the principle of continuous improvement and takes a big-picture approach to implementing small changes over time. It relies on all employees of a business to contribute by assessing their processes and making improvements that save time, reduce waste, and increase productivity. The four steps of kaizen are to plan, do, check, and act. With all team members participating, the manager’s role is to oversee the entire system, share knowledge, motivate, and enable change. If you want to implement Kaizen, you have to leave your office and get familiar with the workplace. This will allow you to take a system-wide look at operations with a goal toward efficiency.

Kaizen principles only work if you make long-term changes and follow through. Uninvolved management especially will cause inefficiencies and impede progress because everyone needs to be working toward improvement to truly be using Kaizen. It also relies on the concept of continuous improvement so trying to meet small term goals may be stressful or you may not see progress as quickly as you want to.

Delegate Responsibilities

A good manager is hands-on when it’s required but also knows the advantages of being hands-off. Employees are hired for their roles because they have special expertise or training in doing their jobs. When each team member is empowered to contribute their skills at their highest levels, they take personal responsibility for the quality and efficiency of their work.

Delegating also allows managers to do what they do best: lead. With each employee engaged and focused on their own specific areas, managers can work to ensure communication and coordination among workers and departments.

Every company expects growth and development to occur at all levels. Managers can have a strong impact in facilitating teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation among all employees. Helping workers do their best, produce timely work, and focus on continuous improvement will all lead to a more efficient workplace.

Read this next: How to Raise a Family While Running a Business

There’s no time like the present to realize that you have a business idea worth pursuing. If it seems like you have greater ideas in mind, you might be considering taking your experience and expertise elsewhere! Are you ready and capable of striking out on your own? What are some great reasons to quit your job and start your own business?

There’s No More Room to Move Up

If you’ve reached the top of your potential at your current business, and there’s no place else to go, it’s definitely time to consider a lateral shift of some sort. Whether this means you’re a manager who actually runs the entire franchise, or whether it means you’ve reached the top pay grade at your establishment, it can be especially good to take the time to see what it would take to strike out on your own. It can be the only way to move forward in many situations.

Your Job is Making You Sick

Certain pictograms are used to indicate life-threatening hazards in the workplace. If these are located nearby in your workplace, this means you are working with toxic chemicals and other potentially dangerous materials. Regardless of how careful your workplace attempts to be, some individuals are more sensitive to this sort of material, and it can make them physically ill in the workplace. Your body might need a change. Getting away from things which are dangerous for you can help you avoid health problems down the road.

You’re Ready for a Challenge

Sometimes your chosen line of work can get monotonous. Whether this is because it’s just not what you want to do with the rest of your life, or if it’s because you’ve been doing it so long that you are just done with continuing it, there are other options available. Feeling like your life is stagnated because your job fills time, but not your mind can cause you to be dissatisfied with life. A new direction might be in order, and running your own business gives you control and options about your difficulty and challenge level.

Regardless of why you need to leave or where you intend to go, there are community small business classes near you to help you pursue a new career path. More importantly, there are great benefits to taking your side hustle to a full hustle. However, you do it, leaving behind the 9-5 can be the right choice in many cases.

Read this next: How to Reduce Stress While Running Your Business

You aren’t broken because you realize you need to make a change.

Always remember – you have the power. It won’t be easy. but you can walk away when it’s not working out.

@frank_mentorsf Life is about #changes. Don’t be afraid to take that first step. #coaching #engage #live #love #seasonsofchange #nevertolate #mentorsfca ♬ GHOST TOWN – Benson Boone