Author: Sam Allcock

Starting a business is no walk in the park. It takes a lot of drive, determination and sheer willpower to achieve success. But not every day will hard work be rewarded especially if your company exists in a highly-competitive corporate environment. Many business owners may not be able to endure the tough times and would buckle under pressure. The unfortunate thing is that it is not unusual for many companies to engage in unethical business practices just to overcome the challenges that come their way. While it may seem the easy way out, these shady methods will only do your…

The biggest importance of employee motivation is that it’s a crucial factor in meeting or even exceeding a company’s goal. After all, employees who are motivated are productive which equates to higher levels of outputs. And while most companies (if not all) probably know how valuable this is, not everyone knows how to keep their people motivated. There are even some who don’t understand what motivates their employees. Unfortunately for these companies, they’re putting themselves in a precarious position. Perkbox, an employee engagement platform, surveyed 2000 workers across the UK. Here are five interesting stats from the said poll. These…

The BusinessDictionary defines the term ‘business’ as an organisation or economic system where goods and services are exchanged for one another or for money. Inside this organisation is where different processes take place that is important for a business to run efficiently and smoothly. These processes are being carried out by functional areas of business or what are also known as ‘business units’. Regardless of the size of business, business departments or units are tasked with functions that have a specific focus and a definitive path. If you own a small business, you’ll most likely fill the roles of these business departments…

Many different processes occur within a business. Invoicing clients, checking of emails, handling taxes and payroll, answering customer inquiries, and a whole lot more — these are all examples of what takes place in a business. Without these processes, a company will not be able to run smoothly and will eventually fail. Admittedly, these tasks take time, energy, and plenty of patience to get accomplished. And as a business grows, what were once simple processes will become complicated and on a bigger scale. Sure, adding new employees or departments will help but doing so can make communication challenging. Not to mention that…

“It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours.” – William Ellery Channing As with most things in life, through reading is where people learn. And in business, a person’s ability to continuously learn is something that separates a great entrepreneur from one who is not. For you to survive in the ever-changing world of business, it’s critical that you arm yourself with knowledge. Business books are relatively cheap and are still an excellent source of…

Every business out there has something in common — they all started with an idea. Whether it’s your passion or something that you unexpectedly thought of, a business idea is where it all begins. Coming up with one can be easy for some while others may find it difficult. Naturally, the next steps after you’ve come up with a brilliant business idea is to make a business plan and execute it. You start doing your research to find out if there’s a market for your ‘future business’ which includes knowing who your potential competitors are. Then out of nowhere, you’re suddenly hit…

The ROI of employee training and development done right is massive. To be specific, employees who receive formalized training generate 218% more income than their untrained peers! If you haven’t formed a learning and development strategy for your workforce yet, this brief guide will show you how to get a solid start in three steps. Learn how to create a skills inventory, assess internal and external training resources, and incorporate adult learning principles into your training content. Let’s get started! Start Strong By Creating A Skills Inventory Job histories do an excellent job of listing the accomplishments of your employees. But a skills inventory…

We love seeing how the world’s most popular brands make waves in social media. We love picking apart their successful campaigns, how they generated tons of engagement, and more in between. But social media fails can teach us as much as #wins do. Seeing others’ mistakes is also a stern reminder that our social media presence is a double-edged sword. Let’s take a look at four of the biggest fails from big names we are all too familiar with. Wendy’s Ill-Advised Use Of Memes A few days into 2017, the international food restaurant chain sent out a tweet featuring Pepe the frog in response…

You can’t ignore user-generated content anymore. More than 95% of businesses around the globe are on social media And they’re all in the game to win! In 2017 alone, businesses in the United States spent $13.5 billion in social media marketing, making SMM the third largest branch of digital marketing. Moreover, the figure is likely to reach $17.3 billion in 2019. The competition for the attention of social media users is cutthroat – and it will only get stiffer. But the growing number of competitors and the diminishing share of voice are not the only problems for small business owners. Even more alarming… Customers…

More than 30% of users prefer social media customer service over telephone and mail. Unsurprisingly, estimates expect 90% of businesses to use networks like Twitter and Facebook to provide service and resolve issues. Yes, social customer service will become the bare minimum people expect from you from a support perspective. And you better be outstanding at it if you want to thrive. Read on and discover how to provide stellar service and an endearing experience to your clients and prospects, complete with real-life examples from popular brands. 1. Provide Fast Responses To Inquiries How soon should you reply to customer service questions…