July 2018 - InsureYourCompany

A big part of being successful is not only being able to identify your definite aim, but to go after it with both hands. Taking the initiative in whatever situation you are in, whether it’s accomplishing an important task or becoming an expert in your specific field, can propel you toward your goals.

When you take the initiative with knowledge and foresight, others will take notice too, and see you as the leader you really are. It’s not a matter of doing whatever you want—it’s all about being proactive and effective when everyone else lacks the confidence to get things done.

Don’t sit around until someone tells you what to do. Don’t wait for success to come to you. Go get it!

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When entrepreneurs and small business owners consider productivity, a number of factors come to mind: production output, employee efficiency, etc. However, few consider a hidden but important factor: how much they and their team are sitting, and the negative impact too much sitting can have on their productivity.

Many of us sit at our desks for 40 hours a week without putting much thought into it. After all, computer time is essential for any tech company or other small business. But according to the Mayo Clinic, those who sit for eight or more hours each day with no physical activity have similar health risks to people who are obese and are smokers.

Yes, you read that right. Being sedentary is as detrimental as gaining weight and using tobacco.

This research gives us pause. Are our desk jobs causing us to be unhealthy? Not only do you not want your employees or yourself to be sick, but illness causes a serious impact on productivity, profitability, and the health of the company itself.

The Good News for Employers

Everyone wants to be healthy. Most of us know the basics: diet and exercise are two key components. Staying active during the workday may be easier, though, than you’d think.

There are numerous ways to stay active at your desk. Some of our favorites include:

1. Desk yoga.

You don’t need to be extra flexible to do yoga, especially at your desk. There are many subtle stretches that won’t make you into an office spectacle. Taking a 30-second stretch break a few times a day can lower your stress levels, improve your mood, and keep your mind fresh.

2. Stand up while you’re on the phone.

Many of us have to make several phone calls throughout the day. If you make it a habit to stand up while you’re chatting, you’ll find yourself taking significantly more steps throughout the day. Additionally, some research has shown that standing during a call increases your confidence.

3. Remix your workspace.

There are a variety of adjustments you can make to your desk to encourage more movement. Some employees opt for a standing desk, where they don’t have to sit at all. If your space allows it, you can even make this standing desk a mobile workstation so that any employee can take advantage of it. Other options include using an exercise ball as a chair. If you’re really committed, you can try out this foot board based on surfing ergonomics or the Back App chair, which will keep your stomach muscles active throughout the day.

4. Propose a walking meeting.

Some meetings require a traditional setup with a whiteboard or a projector. Other meetings or check-ins are a more informal conversation. If the weather is nice, suggest that your colleague and you take a walk as you meet. This is a great way to break up the day, get your creative juices flowing, and stay active.

5. Set a timer.

Studies have shown that in some ways, it doesn’t matter much what kind of exercise you do: moving often is the most important thing. Whether you are making a commitment to stretch three times a day or just want to stand up more often to fill up your bottle of water, setting a timer can help you keep on track. Pedometers that track how many steps you take each day can also help you reach your fitness goals. Although you’ll be taking more “breaks,” your productivity will increase with more physical movement.

Wellness and Your Company

The wellbeing of you, your company, and your employees is important to us. We work with small businesses like yours to provide quality employee benefits and helpful advice to help your company succeed. Contact us today to talk more about your unique business goals and needs!

Many small business owners quickly fall into the trap of micromanaging. They’re often convinced that the only way to be sure that things are done exactly the way they want them done is by keeping directly on top of their employees at all times.

Unfortunately, that strategy isn’t always as effective as micromanagers might hope—not to mention the many downsides it has for your small business.

Why Small Business Owners Micromanage

It’s little wonder that small business owners micromanage. Chances are, if you’ve found yourself hovering over your employees, there is—at least in your mind—reason enough for it. This might include:

Fear of delegation. If you do it, you know that it’s done right—and if you leave it to someone else, they might not to do it the same way you would have.
Concerns about output quality. Will your employees give the same attention to detail that you do, or will they turn out poor quality in order to rush through the process?
Desire to maintain control. Your business is your baby. You started it from the ground up, and in the early stages in particular, you wore many hats to keep it moving smoothly. If you stop micromanaging, you’re letting go of control and turning it over to someone else—and that can be terrifying!

Sometimes, micromanaging is a natural extension of the early days of your business when you had to do a little bit of everything in order to keep your business running smoothly. In other cases, it’s the result of something that’s happened with your business; for example, an employee who wasn’t as trustworthy as you’d hoped or costly mistakes that could have damaged your business.

What Micromanaging is Doing to Your Business

If you’re guilty of micromanaging, no matter how justified that you feel you are, it’s important to take a step back and start to consider the problems that micromanaging can cause within your business.

When you choose to micromanage, you:

Show a lack of confidence in your employees. Employees may believe that you don’t trust them or that you don’t believe in their capabilities. In turn, they may not be willing to give their best to the work day.
Cause a drop in morale. Employees who are micromanaged may struggle to feel good about their work, including finding the confidence to offer suggestions, bring innovation to the table, or take initiative. Low morale can lead to substantial drops in performance and difficulty keeping employees.
Take your attention off of other things. There are things that only you can do for your business, and you can’t do them if you’re micromanaging everyone else! Having the confidence that your employees can do the tasks asked of them will allow you the freedom to focus on the responsibilities on your plate, not the ones on theirs.

Alternatives to Micromanaging

It’s time to give up your micromanaging habit—and there are several steps you can take to ensure that you’ll feel confident in handing over those responsibilities to your employees. Try some of these strategies.

Implement better onboarding and training processes. Make sure that employees have all the information they need to get the job done right—and then step back with the confidence that they know what they’re doing.
Establish clear processes. Show employees how you want things done so that there will be no doubt about how they’re expected to complete important tasks. Create processes that help build your confidence, including regular check-ins so that you can observe the processes—but don’t check in so often that it interferes with your work or your employees’ work.
Open the lines of communication. Create an open environment where you can discuss employee job performance: what they’re doing right, what they need to work on, and how they can better meet your expectations. You’ll discover that open communication can transform the way your employees complete many simple tasks.
Hire managers. Managers can be more hands-on with all areas of employee interaction, making it easier for them to check in with employees throughout the day. They can also take a large percentage of the responsibility off of your shoulders.

Learning when to take a step back is important for your company. If you need more help protecting what’s important, contact us today to learn how we can take care of all of your small business advice and insurance needs.

Writing a business plan is a time-consuming task. As a small business owner, you already have too much on your plate, so it can be difficult to find the time to write it—especially when it comes time to smooth it out enough to share with others.

Your small business plan also requires honest self-assessment, which can be hard to face for some people. That being said, it’s an absolutely vital piece of documentation for the overall success of your small business. In fact, no business owner should be without one.

Here are just some of the myriad scenarios in which writing out a small business plan can be beneficial.

Starting a New Business

For years, you’ve longed to own your own business, to have the freedom to determine your own schedule and pursue your passions without having to answer to anyone. Before you start that business, however, you need a business plan in place: a simple outline that will tell you key facts about your business.

A solid business plan will help you shape your goals for your new business and measure your successes, as well as planning your financial outlook for the coming months and years.

Obtaining a Loan or Securing Funding

When you’re ready to obtain a loan or secure funding from investors—whether it’s time to get a new business off the ground or you’re working on a long-term project—you’ll need to pull out your business plan. Your business plan is the ideal tool for sharing information about your business goals and your potential prospects—not to mention letting investors know whether or not you’re a good risk to take on.

As you create your business plan, you’ll also get a better idea of what funds you really need in order to make your dream successful, which means you’ll be less likely to either ask for too much and overspend or ask for too little and end up short before you reach your goals.

Staying on Track

You’re scaling your business for major growth in the coming months—but in order to do that effectively, you need to understand what your business really needs.

A solid business plan will help you stay on track and ensure that your current actions are aligned with your big-picture goals—not to mention giving you a better idea of exactly what needs to be scaled, from your insurance to your cyber security, in order to effectively manage your business’s growth.

Increasing Your Marketing

Many small businesses find that a time comes when they need to get more serious about their marketing efforts. As you create your business plan, you’ll discover plenty of information that’s invaluable to your marketing team: your real target audience, your specific buyer personas, and the goods and services that you need to highlight in order for your business to be successful.

Your business plan will also give you a better idea of where to find your customers in order to market more effectively and give you a window into the budget you have available for marketing.

Just Do It!

Your small business plan has value for what it is, but the greatest value is in the act of creating the plan. As you write your business plan, you’ll evaluate your business, get to know more about your market, and deepen your understanding of your own goals—all of which can help you more effectively scale your efforts to reflect your real aspirations, rather than heading off down a rabbit trail or getting caught up in the minutia of daily business operations.