small business Archives - Page 2 of 8

Succeed with Your Powers of Persuasion

April 21, 2020

Persuasion is a skill you need every day, whether you’re negotiating a big business deal or telling your children to eat their vegetables. Try these techniques for influencing people of any age in any situation: Speak their language. Listen to how people express themselves, particularly when it comes to sensory words. Some people will see things (“I don’t see what you mean”), others will hear (“That doesn’t sound like fun”), and others will feel (“I don’t feel good about that.”) Use their preferred mode of expression back to them (“I see your point … I hear what you’re saying …
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Nuanced Tips for the Best Office Etiquette

April 4, 2020

Office etiquette is a subject that has been discussed and debated in depth for some time. The recommendations are typically the same: be punctual, avoid gossip, keep your devices silenced, and be aware of your lunch mess. However, there are some subtler aspects of practicing office etiquette that you may not be aware of. Make an effort to include excluded coworkers Cliques are the bane of any workplace. Making an effort to include excluded coworkers in conversation inside the workplace, at workplace functions, and even at office happy hours will create a more positive environment for all employees. In order
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Keep Your Focus on What You Do Best

March 31, 2020

Practice management is one of the hardest parts of running a small business. All of the infrastructural elements that large corporations have to manage, such as data security, finance, customer service, and legal documentation, are still on your to-do list. But managing all of those elements without the large employment force that big businesses can bring to the table is a challenge that seems unending. If you started an accounting practice because you wanted to focus on certain types of accounting services, you can still do precisely that. Here’s how: Make a list of what requires licensed expertise and what
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Staying Motivated When Work Gets Tough

March 17, 2020

Not every day in the office is a walk in the park. Even if you normally love what you do, sometimes work can get you down. When your day starts without coffee, the traffic is bad, you’re behind on work or others at work are sharing their own stress, it can be surprisingly challenging to stay positive and productive. Often during bad days, even your own mind turns against you and it’s easy to start not just feeling bad about the day, but also feeling bad about yourself. On these days more than any other, it’s important to never give
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Managing Employees: Four Benefits of Finding the Right Fit

March 10, 2020

Finding candidates with the right temperament, skills and passion for your business isn’t easy, and compensation constraints can sometimes preclude the most talented applicants. However, you can save money over the long run by finding the right fit for your office. There are specific monetary and qualitative benefits by opting to pay more for qualified employees. Faster Production Cycle Times Qualified candidates by definition know what they’re doing, which can increase your productive capacity without expanding your workforce. There are all kinds of monetary benefits associated with the fast and efficient cycle times qualified workers can deliver. You can reduce
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Help Employees to Be Less Stressed

March 3, 2020

There are a number of reasons why employees can become stressed, including workload, lack of control over the process of decision making, inefficient time management, uncertain performance expectations, and a failure to take holidays or set clear boundaries between work and home. Management can assist their employees to deal with stress in a number of ways. One of the most important things managers can do is simply to pay attention to staff members and see if they seem agitated, anxious or overwhelmed, and if there have been any changes in their overall behavior and demeanor. If an employee seems continually
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Managing Your Staff & Fostering an Environment of Support

February 19, 2020

When you first hired your employees, you essentially needed them to assist you in performing your accounting services. You’ve probably quickly learned how easy those ‘helpers’ could turn into your ‘work family.’ Now you’re finding yourself in a true leadership and management position, charged with supporting and growing your staff, as well as your business. Here are three suggestions to keep your management on par with success for your practice. Lead By Example You hear this advice often. You don’t want to ask your team to do something you, yourself don’t practice. But it’s so important in leadership and means more
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Get on the Same Page Quickly with New Employees

February 4, 2020

When meeting new employees, you should get to know them as quickly as you can. Don’t rush things, but sit down with them one by one for a conversation. Here’s what to talk about: Ask them to describe their job or role as they see it. Ask what they enjoy most about their work and what they don’t like. Ask about their personal/career goals. Ask how you can help them perform their job better. Ask what their expectations of you are, and explain your own expectations of them. You might want to exchange some personal information about each other, as
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Improve Your Self-Discipline

January 28, 2020

Success in any endeavor is a matter of self-discipline. If you can’t stay focused on your goals, you’ll never achieve them. The Ladders website shares this list of tips for improving your self-discipline: Start on Monday. Begin working on your goals on the first day on the week. Researchers say this can help you follow through. Write down the reasons behind your goals. Positive affirmations can solidify your goals in your mind and help you stay focused. Visualize the benefits. Think about what you’ll gain as you work toward your goals and eventually achieve them. They’ll become more real in
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Build a Superstar Team!

January 21, 2020

The Perfect Team You’re excited about your business! You have great ideas for growing your firm and engaging your clients. You are motivated to find new ways to market your services, and what you need is a dream team of employees who not only understand your goals, but who are equally enthusiastic about your vision of the future. Here is a quick guide to building your own superstar team! Your Enthusiasm Informs Theirs When you hire new employees, consider your vision, and include your employees in your plan for the future of the company. Hire people who are enthusiastic about
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