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Collaboration is a powerful business tool for companies, regardless of their size or industry. It typically refers to organizations working together to address problems and achieve goals that seem to be out of reach when working alone. By combining the effort and expertise of different organizations, all partners in the network are better able to innovate and grow, and increase their competitiveness on many levels.Collaboration and strategic partnerships are fundamental to improving business outcomes. Strategic partnerships benefit everyone: businesses, employees and customers. The reality of today's business landscape, however, means that partnerships are key to better serving customers by merging talent, expertise, technology and purpose. While the rewards are great, strategic partnerships require thoughtful consideration to ensure success is achieved. If you are not convinced that collaboration is really worth the time and effort, here are reasons you should care about collaboration in your small business. Collaboration Will Inspire You It is easy to get into a routine during the day-to-day operations of your business and forget that there may be a better way to do something, different techniques to try, and new tools that can save you time and money. Collaboration Helps You Grow Your Network Successful entrepreneurs have a common interest in meeting new people and building a list of contacts and colleagues. Being successful in business requires that you consistently make connections and form alliances. Imagine how your business would dwindle if you continued to network with and sell to the same group over and over again. Collaboration Is Educational One of the biggest benefits of collaboration is the opportunity for learning. In fact, every interaction you have with someone outside of your immediate circle can teach you something valuable. Some of the most successful collaborations involve two professionals who bring two very different skill sets, perspectives, and strengths to the table. When this happens, you are certain to be surrounded by learning opportunities. Collaboration Can Help You Save Money Many collaborative relationships involve splitting intellectual contribution, hands-on work and, sometimes, expenses. If you collaborate with another business and part of the terms involve sharing development and marketing expenses, you can double your budget while reducing costs. In this case, you can be fairly certain you will be getting a bigger bang for your buck than you would be if using only your own resources, provided all of the parties involved are equally invested in the success of the collaboration. Collaboration Solves Problems There is a reason crowdsourcing is so popular; there is an undeniable power in numbers. If one person can't accomplish something on his or her own, two or three or more people may be able to get it done. Think about the last difficult problem you faced in your business. When we get stumped, most of us immediately go to a partner, mentor, or other trusted resource who acts as a sounding board and helps us work through the problem. The harder the problem is to solve, the more we can benefit from getting the input of someone outside of the situation. And when you add new viewpoints and experiences to the mix, the end result will often transcend what you originally set out to accomplish. The good news is that small business collaboration doesn’t necessarily require a significant time or financial investment if you think creatively. #collaboration #partnership #business #solutions #support

Growing a business isn't easy. First, you need a viable idea. From there, you need to discover a profitable niche, define a target demographic and have something of value to sell them. Whether you're peddling products, services or information, getting the word out has become increasingly burdensome. And without the right marketing strategies to fuel your growth, churning a profit and staying afloat is virtually impossible. However, identifying the right strategies to market your business is often likened to rocket science. How do you get your message to the right audience and do it effectively? How do you boost visibility and increase sales while sustaining a profit with a converting offer? There is no obvious and clear answer to that question that covers all situations. But there are things that can be done today, right now, even on a shoestring budget, to reach more customers without breaking the bank. Use social media. You can't ignore social media. That's where all the so-called magic is happening. Some businesses have been built solely on the backs of social media. It can be intimidating at first. Sure. But as you build momentum, you'll find posting on social media to get easier and easier over time. Create video tutorials. One of the most effective ways to get the word out on your business is to create video tutorials. Teach people something useful. Walk them through it. Hold their hands. Step-by-step tutorials are all the rage. The better you are at this, and the more value you provide, the quicker you can boost your visibility, and ultimately, your sales. Understand search engine optimization. This is an area of marketing that that many people are deathly frightened by. Yes, SEO can be frightening. But it can also be powerful. And when you learn to leverage it and you learn SEO the right way, the sky truly is the limit. Leverage influencers. Want to get the word out there and boost your visibility on social media without taking years to build the audience? Then you should certainly leverage influencers. But the key is to find the right influencer. You don't have to go with influencers with millions of followers. You could opt for micro-influencers with tens of thousands or even a hundred thousand followers. The trick? Find the right influencer in your niche so that you're targeting the right audience. It's not just about spreading your message. It's about spreading your message to the right consumer base. Use Email Marketing Sequences Part of any good sales funnel is going to be an email marketing sequence. These are the automated messages that go out to users once they subscribe to your list. Use your email sequence to build a relationship with the subscriber. Be authentic and transparent. And convey your journey. #marketing #tips #influencers #visibility #seo #strategies

When harnessed correctly, technology has the potential to greatly increase your organization's success. In many cases, use of technology may be the progression of the processes you have in place already. However, others may call for adjustments to optimally reap the benefits of business technology. Are you wondering how you can make strategic use of technology within your business? These ideas are simplified to help you get started, quick and painless. Manage Projects More Easily, Effectively, and Efficiently Technology has enabled business owners and leaders to stay on top of their projects by tracking time and progress. With web-based project management tools like Basecamp, Manymoon, and Podio, you can efficiently collaborate with your teams and share access on documents. Make Use of Productivity Apps A worker is known by their tools, and so is a businessperson. The good news for owners and managers is that they can make use of productivity applications availed by technology: tools that can increase business productivity at a lesser cost. All you need a mobile device and can install apps such as: Slack, Trello, Podio, Basecamp, Asana Many of these apps are offered free entirely or provided free for a particular level of service, which can be synced with their desktop versions. These productivity apps will get the right things done, without much strain, and with relatively little time invested. Benefit from Web-Based Payments Web-based payment systems help businesses thrive through sending and receiving payments online. Due to many payments options and their flexibility aspect, web-based payment has enabled many businesses to fetch new customer segments. This is because by having different web-based payment options, you will have many more customers who like using that particular payment option. Make Use of Backup Software Reports of malicious software and hackers are wrecking businesses world over. Most of the businesses that have become victims of a data breach suffer losses in customer trust and brand reputation. The results of a data breach can be costly for organizations of any size. As an executive or owner, stay vigilant and grab an enterprise backup software as well as recovery and continuity tools. These are tools that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to flag suspicious files and software. Measure User Engagement Especially for small or medium sized organizations, Google analytics is a hot tool for measuring user engagement and loyalty. It gives you some stats that indicate how engaged and loyal your active user readership is, which you can then interpret to improve your conversion rate. You can use it more specifically in targeting a specific audience from your competitors' fan base. Stealing your competitors’ customers would mean accelerating your business growth. Make Use of Twitter to Gain New Customers Twitter is undeniably one of the most powerful tools for promoting your products and services if used rightly. Better Marketing Campaigns Digital marketing tends to yield better by far results than traditional advertising methods. They have the potential of undertaking marketing campaigns that target specific audience hence increasing conversion rate. Improved Customer Service Excellent customer service is key to your business success. Other than selling your product or service, you should think of the cumulative experience your customers get when they visit your store or website. Technology will allow you to set up an online help desk to handle customer issues, schedule appointments or conduct surveys and questionnaires to get customer feedback. Use Video Content to Engage More Video content can be a great way to interact with potential clients. For instance, Facebook video feature comes in handy for small businesses owners who want to take their business a notch higher. Videos will increase your brand's awareness and hence increased conversions. Make Use of Virtual Assistants Hiring a virtual assistant can give your business smart tech solutions with a human touch. Virtual assistants are readily available on freelance sites, and they are affordable even for small businesses. They can take up heavy tasks, saving your time while growing your organization. #technology #improvement #business #scaling #engagement #solution #growth

The popular misconception is that they are one and the same thing. But it’s important to know the difference. And there is a very stark difference. If you’re opening a restaurant, do you need a publicist or a PR firm to bring diners through the door? If you’ve had an unfortunate case of food poisoning hit the news, who can help you? Put simply, publicity gets headlines while PR agencies create brands. Publicity concerns presence in the media. It creates public awareness for a brand. It is promotion, used to attract attention. Public relations involves a whole host of strategies to accomplish an organizations goals by sending messages to appropriate audiences. Publicity may well be one of the many tools used by a public relations practitioner, but it is just one string to their bow. A PR company manages the brand reputation of a client, while at the same time building relationships with those affected by the brand. Public relations creates and manages an image – including in times of crisis. It’s a PR’s job to limit the damage to their client’s reputation and come up with a crisis plan to bring it back from disgrace when things aren’t running smoothly. This is known as crisis PR or crisis communications. A crisis PR team may work very closely with a legal team to minimize damage, while at the same time avoiding leaking any critical information which can damage their case in court. In the age of the internet, it’s inevitable that the lines between the two disciplines have blurred. All of a sudden, anyone who writes a blog will claim to be a journalist. In the same way, when someone claims to do PR, it’s important to check that what they offer isn’t simply publicity. Are they taking steps to establish relationships? Are they finding time to connect to relevant audiences - or simply going for instant gratification from fast headlines? While publicity - pitching a story, event or the latest development to the media – can be important in public relations, it isn’t the only aspect of the job. In public relations, publicity is viewed as a way to gain the client media coverage. But saying the two are identical ignores the remaining responsibilities of a PR practitioner. The tools of a PR pro include the aforementioned crisis management as well as media kits, news releases, media monitoring, event organization, social media engagement, reputation management and media training. A PR company may also specialize in areas such as digital marketing, crisis communications, fashion PR, consumer marketing, food and drink PR or any number of different areas. Coverage of a restaurant opening is publicity. Coverage of a restaurant chain’s expansion, or damage limitation following a random food poisoning incident or fire, is pure PR. The latter affects the standing in the community, continued faith in the products and the company’s ability to recover from a scandal or setback. Saying publicity is the same as PR is like claiming a dental hygienist is exactly the same as a dentist – simply because the two work in the same area. But you wouldn’t want to make the mistake of asking the former to extract a tooth. #publicity #pr #publicrelation #marketing #campaign #promotion

Owning or starting a business can be difficult, especially if you do not have an attorney to help you navigate the process. Some of the questions business owners may have include those pertaining to legal matters. All business owners must understand what laws concern their company and what to do in case litigation is brought against them. Since every company is unique, it is important to seek the help of an experienced attorney to find the answers to all of your questions. The following are four benefits of having a business attorney on your side. Attorneys can help your organization with incorporation Having a business attorney means that when you decide to incorporate, you will have the tools necessary to be successful. This process can be confusing, but the benefits of separating yourself from your business legally in this manner can be numerous. Once incorporated, your organization will be its own entity with its own responsibilities. A business attorney can help you understand not only the process of becoming incorporated, but also how the company must be operated. From taxes to liability, attorneys can help keep your business on the right track. Taxes can be less complicated with an attorney Although your accountant or tax professional can help you with many financial areas of your organization, an attorney can be just as beneficial. Experienced business attorneys understand the implications of making mistakes when dealing with the IRS and your taxes. These attorneys also understand which taxes apply to specific businesses and how to fight an audit. Attorneys can help with your online business If you have an online business or are considering starting one, following the regulations established by the Federal Trade Commission is vital. E-commerce is becoming more popular, so it is important that your organization can grow and become successful. Business attorneys can help you by establishing a privacy policy, advising you on how to avoid lawsuits, and helping you understand federal and state laws. Stay protected from litigation with an attorney There are risks for every business owner, especially when it comes to litigation and lawsuits. Making sure that your company is protected is important, but you must also consider how you will handle a lawsuit if one occurs. Good litigation attorneys will be able assist you in all types of lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, contract cases, and disputes. Before you hire an attorney, be sure that they are capable of fighting disputes, as well as assisting you with all other aspects of business law. #attorneys #business #protection #legal #company #dispute #lawsuit #ecommerce

Trademarks, patents, and copyrights are different types of intellectual property. The USPTO grants patents and registers trademarks. The U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress registers copyrights. What’s a Trademark? A Trademark is a word, phrase, design, or a combination that identifies your goods or services, distinguishes them from the goods or services of others, and indicates the source of your goods or services. An example is Coca-Cola® for soft drinks. The word “trademark” can refer to both trademarks and service marks. A trademark is used for goods, while a service mark is used for services. A trademark: Identifies the source of your goods or services. Provides legal protection for your brand. Helps you guard against counterfeiting and fraud. What’s Copyright? A copyright is a collection of rights automatically vested to you once you have created an original work. To understand how these rights can be used or licensed, it is helpful to analogize them to a bundle of sticks, where each stick represents a separate right vested to you as the owner. These rights include the right to reproduce the work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies, to perform the work publicly, and to display the work publicly. As the copyright owner, you have the authority to keep each “stick,” to transfer them individually to one or more people, or to transfer them collectively to one or more people. This can be accomplished through licensing, assigning, and other forms of transfers. The power of copyright allows you to choose the way your work is made available to the public. What’s a Patent? The primary goal of the patent law is to encourage innovation and commercialization of technological advances. Patent law incentivizes inventors to publicly disclose their inventions in exchange for certain exclusive rights. A patent protects inventions. These inventions can include new and useful processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter as well as improvements to these. Certain computer programs may fall within the subject matter protected by both patents and copyrights. In this respect the patent system compliments copyright protection by providing protection for functional aspects of the software, which are not protected by copyright. Unlike with copyright protection, to get patent protection one must first apply for and be granted a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Unlike the copyright registration process, the patent application process is expensive, complex, difficult, and time consuming and generally should not be attempted without the assistance of an experienced patent attorney or agent. #trademark #copyright #patent #protection #branding #business

There’s far more to HR than just ensuring your company’s employees are happy in their positions and focused on the company’s goals. From health and safety to very serious issues such as sexual harassment, HR has a huge range of responsibilities. One of the most important responsibilities of any HR department is complying with the numerous workplace laws and regulations that have been set up to make today’s workplaces safer, more responsible and less discriminatory towards employees. These include OSHA, the Fair Labor Standards Act, workplace sexual harassment laws and a range of laws designed to end discrimination in hiring practices and in the workplace. Compliance means understanding the responsibilities of your HR management and ensuring that your company is completely compliant with the relevant laws in your state. The best way to make sure your HR department is compliant is to carry out an HR compliance audit. This type of audit looks over your HR department’s conduct and processes to ensure it understands and observes all relevant current laws. Carrying out an HR compliance audit can seem complex, but it’s actually far easier than it seems. Read on to learn five tips for conducting an effective HR compliance audit for your business. Understand the HR laws your business is subject to. It’s essential that your company’s HR department understands the laws it’s subject to. HR laws change relatively frequently, making it essential that you not only understand the laws but stay up to date with any relevant changes. Make it a key aspect of your HR policy to stay up to date on developments to HR laws and incorporate any necessary changes into your HR strategy if they become necessary. Ensure your HR department follows its conduct manual. Does your company have an HR conduct manual? Clearly outlining your company’s HR processes and policies makes it easier for your HR department to make consistent, effective decisions that comply with HR regulations. Your company should update its HR department manual whenever new laws come into place – or updates are passed to existing HR laws – to ensure it’s compliant in any circumstance. Examine your company’s hiring and interview process. How does your company recruit, interview and hire its employees? As part of your HR compliance audit, examine and review your company’s process for hiring new employees to ensure it’s completely compliant with relevant HR laws. This often involves ensuring your company’s employees are trained in its HR policy and aware of any key requirements or policies. It’s essential that your hiring team is completely aware of any key HR policies that they need to follow when recruiting. Locate areas where changes or improvements are needed. Every business has strengths and weaknesses, and these can often be found in the HR department. During your HR audit, it’s important to take note of any issues or points where improvement is required for efficient, compliant HR management. Throughout your HR compliance audit, note any failings or problems that your company has faced. These can be used to create a list of priorities for your HR department and company as a whole to focus on in the future. Keep documentation of all important HR-related decisions. If your HR compliance audit reveals that many decisions haven’t been sufficiently documented, it’s important that you make documentation one of the key priorities of your business in the future. Recording and documenting all of your HR department’s key decisions is one of the most important aspects of compliance. Good documentation gives your company a proven record of decisions that can protect it against claims of noncompliance. #hr #compliance #business #review #audit

Hiring new talent is an inevitable and critical part of being a business leader, and it's more complicated than just reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. There are many recruiting mistakes that can deter a qualified candidate from seeking employment with you, from poorly crafted job descriptions to lack of communication about applications. However, with the right hiring and onboarding process in place, you will soon be on your way to recruiting and hiring only the best candidates. A hiring process is a step-by-step method used to find, recruit and ultimately hire new employees. A good hiring process will help you attract and retain high-quality employees who match your brand. The specific elements of a hiring process are unique to each company, but there are some general steps every business can follow to attract and hire qualified candidates. If you already have a hiring process in place, there is a good chance it can be enhanced to better serve your business needs. Here are seven tips to improve your hiring process. Build a strong employer brand. More than 75% of professionals are passive candidates who aren't currently looking for jobs, but are open to new opportunities. Building a strong employer brand not only reduces employee turnover by 28%, it also attracts these passive candidates to your company over others. A Glassdoor survey found that 69% of respondents are likely to apply for a job if the employer actively manages its brand by responding to reviews, updating the company's profile, and sharing updates on the company's culture and work environment. When you focus on building a well-known employer brand, you won't have to do as much active recruiting. You'll be a highly sought-after organization, flooding with applicants. Move as quickly and efficiently as possible. Officevibe reported that the best candidates are off the market in 10 days. It's important to act quickly, especially when you know you're interested in a specific applicant. Even if you haven't made a decision yet, you should follow up with the candidate often, discussing further details of the position to ensure you're on their radar. Also, respond to any questions or concerns right away to keep them updated throughout the process. Write better job descriptions. Many companies write descriptions with lists of responsibilities and requirements, but a study found that this can alienate qualified employees, The Wall Street Journal reported. Focus on what your company can do for potential employees, and you'll attract candidates who better fit your needs. Embrace digital trends and social media. Most people want to work for companies that keep up with the latest tech trends. Part of embracing the digital age means using public social media profiles for candidate research. Like most employers, you'll probably conduct a standard background investigation on applicants, but the candidate's social media profiles can offer more details about the individual as a person and an employee, for better or for worse. While it's legally risky to allow a candidate's social media activity to factor into your hiring decisions, as it can result in unconscious bias or discrimination, it can give you a better picture of a job applicant you're interested in hiring. [Read related article: The Pros and Cons of Social Media Background Checks] Fit the personality to the job. Although the right skill set may seem like the most important factor in whether a candidate is a good fit, the truth is that skills can be acquired, but personalities cannot. During the selection process, consider how a candidate's personality traits align with the daily job tasks. For instance, a trait such as empathy would likely be much more important for a nurse or a social worker than it would be for a tax attorney or a computer programmer. Improve your interviews. A study by Leadership IQ found that failures exhibited by new employees may result from flawed interview processes. The study revealed that 82% of the 5,000 managers surveyed reported that the interviewers were too focused on other issues, too pressed for time, or lacked the confidence in their interviewing abilities to pay attention to red flags. It's important to allow prospective employees to interview you, too. Letting candidates ask questions will give you a chance to see what's important to them. It also gives them a chance to determine that they want to keep pursuing a job at your company, or to decide that it's not the right fit for them. Be open and honest about what it's going to be like to work for your company, you want to give a realistic preview of the work environment. Keep an eye on your reviews. Potential employees often seek insider information about companies they want to work for, and this includes salary estimates, interview tips, and reviews from current and former employees from sites such as Glassdoor. Two actions that draw in candidates include being active on review websites and posting accurate information. If you have a lot of negative reviews from former employees, it may be time to work on your company culture before you try to fill any open positions. Doing so can improve your employee retention and lead to more positive reviews that will attract quality employees. To improve your hiring process, embrace technology, build a positive company brand and online reputation, and improve your job descriptions and interviews. #hiring #plan #technique #process #hire #recruit

With almost 90 percent of marketers crediting search engine optimization (SEO) as a successful strategy, you know that it’s valuable and can help your company thrive. Launching an SEO strategy, however, isn’t easy. That’s why it’s critical to invest time in building your SEO plan. An SEO strategy, also called a search engine optimization strategy, is the process of developing and implementing an SEO plan that works toward your SEO goals, like producing more SEO content or achieving higher rankings in search results. Conduct a website SEO audit Before your company develops any search engine optimization plans, you need to evaluate your current strategy and status. Even if you don’t have an SEO strategy, it’s still essential to conduct an audit because it provides your team and business with a baseline for your performance. If you audit your website in-house or with an SEO audit tool, compile your results in a shareable location. For example, you can upload data to Google Sheets. That way, you can access the information whenever, plus share it with team members. Research your target audience Developing an SEO strategy goes outside your website. While companies will often start optimizing their site for search engines, like by writing and publishing blog posts, many skip the critical step of analyzing their target audience. You may have a compilation of buyer personas already, but a successful SEO strategy plan needs more than that. It needs to understand how your audience searches and interacts online. That way, you can find not only relevant keywords but also create relevant content that speaks to your audience. Complete a competitor analysis If you want to make the most of SEO planning, however, your team should take the time to evaluate your competitors. A competitor analysis can help your company (or SEO agency) uncover opportunities for your strategy, as well as weaknesses in your competition’s approach. Before your team starts evaluating your competitors, it’s essential to understand that your online competitors aren’t always your direct competitors. Depending on your keyword strategy, you may compete with industry blogs or companies in a different sector of your industry. Compile a list of valuable keywords Next, your team can move onto your keyword strategy. Based on your competitor research, as well as SEO audit, you probably have an idea about which keywords your SEO strategy could target. It’s helpful to log and expand on all these ideas, though. That’s why you want to set aside time to research keywords. While your team can manually research keywords (without any tools), it’ll save your business time and improve your keyword research results if you use some tools. These time-saving tools range from web browser applications to browser extensions. Create a list of recommendations Whether your company’s decision-makers already support your SEO initiatives or you need to get them to sign-on, it’s critical for your team to compile a list of recommendations or a game-plan for your SEO strategy. This step is a vital part of SEO planning because it provides your business with a foundation. When you create your SEO website strategy, you want to answer the following questions: What do you want to accomplish with SEO? What is the expected value or impact of your SEO strategy plan? When do you plan to achieve these goals? How do you plan to accomplish those goals? What resources or team members do you need to complete those goals? For the best results, it’s helpful for your team to provide a peek at your plan. #seo #strategy #plan #marketing

Human resource information system (HRIS) is defined as a software or online solution that is used for data entry, data tracking, and data management of all human resources operations of an organization. It is thus an accessible, actionable database that enables the smooth operation of all HR systems hosted either on the organization’s server, the cloud, or on that of an outsourced vendor. An HRIS is often referred to an HRMS (human resources management system) since it aids in effective human resource management and planning. An HRIS includes under its umbrella a wide range of systems. It includes all aspects of managing the employee database and directory, applicant tracking, benefits administration, payroll processes, work scheduling, time and attendance, leaves tracking, electronic signatures, compliance protocols, customizable insight reports, employee self-service, performance management, and HR processes taken care of on mobile apps. HRIS Processes and Working Components At present, all human resource functions are dealing with quite a data dump since every interaction that a candidate or an employee has with the organization is captured and stored as data. A human resource information system thus becomes crucial in making sense of all this data – to not only collect and store data effectively but to gather the information that would enable effective workflow and improve efficiency. Most HRIS solutions today offer customized systems based on the unique needs and growth plans of the organization. Below are the six key HRIS processes and working components that most organizations require in some combination. Database management The core offering of most human resource information system solutions is a ready-access database where all employee information can be stored and managed effectively. The HR team (or anyone managing the portal) can easily input all personnel data into the system. The point is to be able to access all this data and relevant metric from it on demand from anywhere across the globe. The kind of data stored on the system ranges from compensation information, emergency contact details, and education history to present contact information, learning metrics, and performance review scores. The database forms the heart of all HR functions and could prove to be an effective online or cloud-hosted backup for a largely paperless office. Time and labor management Monitoring the clocking hours of every single employee is a time-intensive task. With a majority of offices today allowing employees to either punch in biometrically or log on to input their own hours, this daily dose of data needs effective management. Managers can now approve leave requests, and the data can be directly linked to payroll. A non-intrusive but efficient human resource information system can thus keep a close tab on punctuality and attendance. Payroll functions Payroll is one of the most important functions of HR. With a lean human resource information system allowing easy download or upload of employee hours and attendance data, the number crunch can be made a lot simpler, and deposits to employees made more seamless. This also leads to fewer errors by reducing human intervention. Moreover, most HRIS payroll software lead to an improvement in tax compliance, especially for organizations that deal with multiple tax levels. Benefits management Benefits management does not pertain only to medical benefits and retirement investments, but all queries, feedback, data, and communication related to benefits. Such applications provide a one-stop platform experience for all employers and employees alike, add transparency, and enable smoother operations. Every employee is affected by the benefits regulations and strategy, and how that is managed affects the total experience that the employee has at work. Employee interface Most human resource information system software allows limited user access to employees, but even that moderate level of employee self-service is a step forward in creating a culture where employees have more operational freedom. The interface that allows employees to update their personal information, review pay scales, change retirement benefit programs, update direct deposit information or download benefit election documents needs to provide a user experience that is easy, integrated, and time-saving. Talent acquisition and retention Acquiring and retaining the right talent is how an organization can hope to grow. With that context in mind, recruitment and retention are crucial components of any HRIS and are ranked by most organizations as must-have features. Getting the right talent onboard is just the first step to the talent puzzle. Employees also need to be provided with the right training, career pathing, and reward plans to enable growth, boost morale, and create job happiness. HRIS tools can improve the candidate experience while also making it easier for recruiters to source, track, and engage with the right talent. #HRIS #database #management #payroll #employee

As a successful entrepreneur, your business will gradually expand to the point where you can no longer be involved in all the day-to-day business activities. Moving to the next growth phase requires you to create systems that free you from the operational side, and allow you to focus on growing and improving the business instead. The time has come to set up and document your business systems – how things should be done. Indeed, business systemization is vital if you want to be successful, expand and have a sustainable business. However, there are a number of mistakes that the small business owner often makes when first introducing business systemization. Avoid these five common pitfalls when systemizing business processes and you’ll get the results you want. 1. Not doing the research yourself As a small business owner you may have some idea of what is meant by “systemization”, but you may not have worked in the environment of a large company with multiple automated business processes, and importantly, you may not have the IT expertise to introduce appropriate software-based systems. But don’t simply hand the process over to an IT person or management consultant; rather understand and own the process yourself. Make sure you understand what your business needs to become more successful and generate more profits. Research best practice and get advice about effective software solutions for businesses in your industry. Be open to new developments in technology that will help with systemisation. 2. Not planning In business, perhaps more than anywhere else the old adage holds true: fail to plan and you will plan to fail! When embarking on business systemisation, set aside a few days to formulate a plan. Included in your plan should be a communications strategy to keep your team informed about what you are doing, processes for monitoring compliance with the systems, and a training program for training current and new team members in the use of the systems. 3. Trying to do too much at once Especially in the case of startups and micro businesses, don’t try to design too many systems all at once, or systems that are too sophisticated for the level at which the business functions. This will only leave you as the overstretched business owner, even more frustrated. First, create systems for those operations that happen most frequently. If an activity happens only once a year, for example, do not spend time right away creating a system for it. Focus on an activity or business process that happens frequently and creates frustration and problems. When that has been systemised, move on to the next process. Start small and get confident in documenting and testing systems before tackling the more complex processes. 4. Not communicating your strategy and objectives with you team Make sure that your team members are fully informed about the changes taking place around business processes. The more you share about the benefits to the business and to them personally for systemising, the more they will be supportive and get involved in the systemisation process. Fundamentally, your team wants to perform their job to the best of their ability, working in an organized and productive environment will assist them to do that. You will need to introduce more formal methods of team communication, such as regular systemisation plan, progress meetings, and team announcements. 5. Not having a systems training program You may be excited about the progress you have made in systemising your business, but if you just rely on the fact that an operations manual exists and do not train people in its use, your systems may never be implemented properly. Make sure your team know exactly what is expected of them, what the standards for performance are, and that adherence is being monitored on a regular basis. Consider having a key member of your team whose responsibility it is to update and review the systems regularly. It’s also important to make the process documentation/operations manual easily accessible to all team members. #business #entrepreneur #streamline #training #onboarding

Knowing your streamlining processes and improving productivity in your business is of capital importance to you. Are you constantly looking for efficient ways that lead to notable transformation; you also understand that systemizing your business is of the utmost importance, but you’re not really sure about how to embark on this task. Here are guidelines to help chart your way to success: 1. Create outlines and then delegate You’ve always been one to get things done – see things through from start to finish – as such, the business becomes reliant on your input. At the initial stage of the business, this is understandable, but as your company continues to grow and expand, this approach is no longer feasible. What you should do is take an outsider’s look at the business, be critical and reflect on what works. After which you take said observations and then synthesize them into clear frameworks, and then hand them over to your employees. The goal here is to ensure that your business isn’t chiefly reliant on you – that it can function and operate successfully without your continuous involvement. 2. Get granular with the intended goals Setting strategic objectives is another vital step to ensuring your business is ripe to be systemized. What this step entails is getting back to the drawing board and listing down what you intend on accomplishing on a single page: succinctly articulate the company goals, current and proposed strategies and even your strengths. What this affords is clarity for everyone who reads this document, so that they’re all on the same page. Ambiguity is a nuisance and nemesis to the growth and viability of a business. 3. Ensure your operating procedures are S.M.A.R.T In putting together these processes another vital note worth considering is that they must be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. The capital objective here is to certify that your employees understand these procedures, it dissuades them from procrastinating – they are then able to make the right decisions without delay. The reason being, clarity brings both comprehension and a sense of urgency. 4. Create functioning procedures using client prototypes This is where having complete comprehension of your client is crucial. You cannot develop these systems without considering your end user; so ensure that you intimately understand your consumer’s needs, journey map and basically everything that pertains to them and their interaction with your product or service. The information gleaned from such background work should then be incorporated into your process. 5. Be nimble – so tweak accordingly Rules are indeed meant to be broken. As you go about implementing the procedures, ensure that you are open to change. Don’t be confined to the boundaries of your set processes. If you find that a particular stage/phase doesn’t work or is unnecessary, have no qualms in tweaking or eradicating it completely. You want to ensure that the process is lean and devoid of the redundancies. 6. No system is perfect – so move on! In systemizing a process for efficiency, it can become easy to get caught in an endless loop (where you waste a great deal of time in trying to perfect a marketing strategy plan for instance). At every point, once you recognize your system is performing at optimum capacity (95% - 98%) leave it alone and move on. 7. Simple systems make for easier learning The advantage of continuously tweaking and fine-tuning your process is that you end up trimming the “fat” and getting the procedures down to a point where it’s easily understood, which in turn, makes the adoption by new employees faster and easier during training for example. 8. Be weary of multi-tasking Contrary to popular belief; ensure that you create systems that enable the recipients to focus chiefly on completing one particular task quickly and efficiently. It is a lot more expedient to complete one task excellently than to have a bunch of other tasks done tepidly. 9. Encourage employee resourcefulness Beyond system and processes, one vital thing to do is to embolden your employee to take initiative: encourage them to be proactive and find other methods outside of the existing framework that moves the productivity needle. 10. Allow for external critiquing As hard as this might be, be open to getting reviews and feedback from external parties (clients, suppliers etc.) – basically, anyone who is outside of the immediate milieu of your company. This way you can be rest assured that the systems put in place are rigorous. With all that has been said, don’t panic or be dispirited – it might seem like a lot to consider. So, take it a step at a time – don’t forget, slow and steady wins the race. #business #development #organize #promote #startups #resources #employee #growth