Small Business Tricks: Best Health Insurance Plans for Your Employees

Small businesses officially have more options for health insurance than ever before. In the past, health insurance has been costly for small businesses especially. This led to many businesses choosing to opt out of health insurance coverage altogether, leaving employees unprotected.

The good news is that times are changing. Health care is becoming easier for small businesses to navigate, and this is a benefit for both employees and companies. Employees today value health insurance over a lot of other benefits.

Today, 88% of employees consider the quality of health benefits important when choosing a job. If you want to stay competitive and attract top candidates, you need health benefits. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best health insurance plans for your employees and your business.

employee workstation

Image via Unsplash

Small Business Health Insurance Program

The first option is to get coverage through the Small Business Health Insurance Program (SHOP) marketplace. This is a marketplace for businesses that have under 50 full-time employees, and at least 70% of your employees need to enroll in the chosen plan.

Any small business that chooses this option has to pay a fixed premium for the policy, though a portion of these costs can be passed along to employees. Like most employer-sponsored plans, the employee will be responsible for copays and deductibles when seeking services.

Reimbursement Arrangement

A reimbursement arrangement is just what it sounds like. This option was created in 2016, and it’s officially known as the Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA). With this program, businesses with under 50 employees can offer a monthly allowance of tax-free money.

Employees can use this money in a number of ways. They can purchase their own health insurance through a private insurer or the federal marketplace. They can pay out-of-pocket for health expenses. Basically, it allows a lot of employee and employer flexibility.

employees meeting

Image via Unsplash

Self-Funded Insurance

Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to go through a third-party insurance provider. In these instances, the small business itself acts as the insurance provider. This means the small business pays for any health care claims with money that’s kept in a secure trust.

This might sound risky, but there are a lot of limitations in place to make this a much more formal, secure arrangement. Most businesses pair the fund with a stop-loss policy to ensure there’s not too much risk when paying employee claims.

Association Health Plans

A recent option that just became available for small businesses is access to association health plans (AHP). WIth an association health plan, small businesses can band together to purchase large-group coverage or self-insure. Generally, small businesses group by profession, geographic region, or industry.

These plans work similarly to a normal group policy, and they’re much more affordable. However, it’s important to note that these AHPs don’t need to cover the essential health benefits like Affordable Care Act compliant policies need to.

Supplemental Health Insurance

Finally, consider offering supplemental health insurance to your employees. Many people don’t realize that most traditional plans don’t offer coverage for “extras” like dental, vision, and so on. These are must-have services, so a bit of supplemental coverage goes a long way.

You can find supplemental health plans from most private insurance providers, and they’re very low in cost compared to traditional medical coverage. This is a great perk to offer employees that won’t break your budget. Find out more about vision insurance fast quotes at HealthMarkets.

How to Choose the Best Coverage

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to healthcare. As a small business, it’s up to you to understand your budget and employees’ needs. The right coverage is one that takes all of these things into account and makes you a competitive employer in your area.

It’s easy to overlook the importance of health insurance, but now’s the time to find the best option for your business. Are you ready to take this step to bring your business to the next level?

Understanding Your HVAC System to Ensure Comfort in Your Office

If you want to stay comfortable in your office, you should have the right HVAC system. Learn how to understand your HVAC system and remain comfy.

HVAC System Thermostat

The comfort level in your office space directly affects productivity. After all, nobody likes working all day in an office that’s either too hot or too cold.

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. These systems work to regulate the temperature in a building on a daily basis.

If you’ve moved into a new office building in your area, understanding your HVAC system is important if you want to keep things cozy. That’s why we’re going over the basics of how an HVAC system works.

The Heating System

HVAC heating systems can work in several different ways. Traditional systems include a furnace that heats the air and sends it through the ductwork of a building.

A furnace requires regular maintenance to ensure it can keep up with heating demands. If you live in a region that experiences long, cold winters, you’ll need to stay on top of tune-ups.

Some office buildings now use radiant floors. These systems work by heating pipes filled with water installed under the flooring. This provides a more energy-efficient solution and distributes heat evenly throughout the space.

The Air Conditioning System

A commercial air conditioner must be able to cool a large area filled with employees and office equipment, which both generate heat.

Office AC units get installed on the roof of the building. They work by cooling warm air outside and sending it into the building through ducts.

This outside air gets sent through a filter, which removes allergens and other pollutants. These systems require routine hvac service so the condenser and evaporator coils continue to cool the air.

Ventilation  

In order to regulate temperature and ensure healthy air quality, proper ventilation is required. Your HVAC system helps with this process.

By filtering the air sent into your building, your system improves ventilation and controls moisture levels. It can even help cut down on bad odors. This is why it’s so important to change your air filter regularly.

You may also want to have the ducts in your office checked and cleaned. This cuts down on air blockage and prevents dust from getting into the ventilation system. You can also help improve ventilation in your office by using ceiling or desk fans.

The Thermostat

Maintaining control of your office thermostat is crucial when keeping the space comfortable. Luckily, most modern thermostats are programmable and highly efficient.

It’s important your HVAC thermostat is in a place that doesn’t get unusually cool or hot. This will help with temperature regulation.

You should also schedule your thermostat so it’s not running overnight. This will help increase the lifespan of your HVAC unit and decrease your energy bills.

Understanding Your HVAC System for Maximum Comfort

Maintaining a comfortable office climate will make for a more pleasurable and productive work experience. Your HVAC system is an integral part of helping this happen.

By understanding your HVAC system, you’ll know how to use it better and when to have it serviced. This will result in a cozy office all year.

We hope you found this article informative. Feel free to check out our site for more information on office buildings and business tips.

 

Office Phones For Small Business: Tips When Buying

When it comes to office equipment and devices, office phone systems are critical. It’s crucial to choose the right office phone system, so your employees can interact easily without leaving their workstations, which maximizes productivity and traffic in your office space.

office phones

Below are some helpful tips when buying office phones for your small business:

 Consider Taking Certified VoIP Phones

Certified Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP business phones are ready-to-use because they are pre-configured. You can mix and match them with your other office phones, making it easier to optimize your business phone system. You can also use cell phones or landlines in addition to VoIP-compatible phones. With the best telecom plan, you can make calls from any device.

 Align the Office Phone Features to Your Needs

Even if you’re just a startup or small business, it pays investing in state-of-the-art office phones. However, you have to make sure that you select the best features that align with your needs. Take into account the scalability of your business or your business growth within two or more years. Do you see your small business growing soon? You don’t want to end up buying another set of office phones because you need additional features.

Here are the best features of modern office phones for small business:

  • Attendant: This is a virtual assistant that initially answers all incoming calls using a custom greeting. A caller may choose options for different departments, extensions, or prerecorded messages based on how you want to customize it. Small businesses benefit from using this feature because it eliminates the need to hire a receptionist, which is applicable if you’re renting a very small office.
  • Extensions: It’s important to have multiple extensions. In that way, calls will be routed to the right people. Find one with message extensions and mailbox only extensions. Calls between extensions are typically free, which can save you a lot of money with call charges.
  • Follow Me: Some office phone systems are more sophisticated. For instance, when you’re at your office desk, all calls will automatically route to your office phone. When you leave, all calls will automatically route to your smartphone. This feature is beneficial if you don’t want to miss important calls, most especially for start-up and small businesses.
  • Inbound Faxing: Receive faxes via a hosted PBX system and send it to the user via work email as a PDF attachment. With this feature, the server detects all inbound fax messages, and your phone number becomes your business fax number.
  • Conference: Choose an office phone system with reliable built-in conference features. It will allow you and other users to join in on an important conference call without the hassle of making arrangements in advance. Get to work with more of your employees without leaving their workstations, saving you time, money, and effort.
  • Call Recording: This is accomplished by just clicking your computer mouse, eliminating the need to set up the software to record calls. All recorded messages are stored for later retrieval.
  • Call Scheduling: This feature is sometimes called time-based routing. It allows managers and business owners to set specific call schedules or call routes at certain times, regardless if it is nighttime, weekends, or holidays.
  • Call Queue: It allows calls to wait until an available agent is ready to take the call. It’s like a waiting room wherein callers are put in a call queue.

Consider Your Office Space: Where to Set Up Your New Office Phones

Renting an office can be challenging, most especially if you need to expand your business. Sometimes, growing businesses need to find another location because of the growing number of employees and office equipment. Using the latest office phone systems eliminate the need for moving out and transferring into a wider and larger office. Of course, you have to consider a lot of things like the space to put in your office supplies, tools, and equipment. For a small business, you’ll find small and medium-sized office phone systems.

 Aside from taking into consideration the number of staff members you have with you, renting an office space would also require you to think of your future growth. Ask yourself if you would need a new office phone system to use like what other big businesses use, or settle for traditional landline phones.

Compare Prices

 Not all office phones are the same, so prices vary depending on the features you need. You can always check product review sites to compare prices and read what previous customers say about the product. Business phone systems either come as key systems, VoIP, or PBX systems. The price range is from $30 to $1,000 per extension.

 Check for the Service Warranty

As a small business owner, you want to focus on your business and dedicate less time servicing your office phones. That’s why you have to ask the manufacturer or seller about the warranties and guarantees involved in the purchase of office phones for your small business.

Conclusion

Why settle for less if your small business can be successful using more efficient and reliable phone systems? Your office phone system is a powerful tool because you use it to communicate with your customers, partners, investors, suppliers, and other significant people in your business. It’s only imperative to invest in high-quality business phone systems to ensure that you get the most out of your hard-earned money.

5 Tips on How to Choose a Conference Call Provider

Choosing the right conference call provider is crucial for fast and efficient business meetings. The wrong provider could slow productivity and make you look unprofessional.

Free conference call

Are you looking for your first conference call provider? Or searching for an upgrade to your current system?

Research shows that 45% of all workplace meetings happen via conference calls, so having the right system in place is really important.

The right system makes your employees more productive, efficient, and satisfied — while the wrong system is a frustrating waste of time for everyone.

Need help finding the right conference call system?

Keep reading.

  1. Know What’s Most Important to Your Employees

Your employees are the people who will use your conference call service the most, so getting their input is essential.

Features you consider important might not matter as much as you think, and your employees might have considerations that never even occurred to you.

For example, employees might be desperate for the ability to change PIN codes to make them easier to remember, while you might be worried about a video call feature they never use.

If you’re a large organization, send round an email asking for thoughts. For smaller businesses, pop into the office for a chat.

  1. Look for Extra Features Like Screen Sharing

Some conference call services are pretty bare-bones, which might be all you need.

However, if you want extra features like the ability to share screens, access calls from multiple devices, and make video calls, you’ll need to make sure that they’re included or available as extras.

You should also ask if any of these features come with additional costs, as they’re not always free.

  1. Ask About Personalization Options

Will your employees be able to set up account details that they can easily remember?

Or will every call be plagued by latecomers who ‘couldn’t remember the pin’?

The level of personalization offered by your provider can make a big difference to productivity, so get clear on what can be changed and what can’t — and how easy the process is.

  1. Get Details on Installation and Support

A good conference call provider won’t just get your system set up, they’ll also be around to provide ongoing support.

Most systems require some initial training for staff, followed by assistance as you all get to grips with things over the following months.

Ask what the ongoing support is like, as well as whether it costs extra or is included in your package.

  1. Assess Cost and Check for Hidden Charges

Conference call packages vary massively in price. Some include lots of special features as standard, while others charge for everything outside the basic offering.

You’ll need to know the fee per minute for calls, the cost for calls abroad, and the cost for having multiple users on one call.

Look closely through the contact to make sure you aren’t caught out by any large hidden charges.

If you’re struggling with finance, look online for the best free conference call providers and consider upgrading later.

Signs of a Good Conference Call Provider

A good conference call provider will clearly lay out all charges, explain how to personalize the system, and provide good ongoing support after installation.

Good providers will also include special features, like screen sharing.

Want to learn more about making your office run smoothly? Check out the latest articles right here on our OfficeFinder blog.

 

Improve Productivity! 8 Tips for Designing an Organized Office Space

Do you want a workplace that encourages your employees to be more productive? Here 8 creative tips for designing an organized office space.

office Productivity Tips

Do your employees have low productivity? Or do you believe that there’s still room to improve? Redesigning your office might be the key.

Office design affects the productivity level of employees. However, this doesn’t only pertain to the aesthetics of the office. If it looks good yet is disorganized, employees can still suffer from low productivity.

To produce more and better output, your employees need a good environment. You can provide this by having an organized office space with the following tips.

  1. Purging Junk and Files

The first step to organizing the workspace is purging all the unused equipment and old files. Throw out anything you or your employees don’t use anymore.

It could be a printer that’s always broken. You might as well throw it out to gain more space for other items — like a new printer that works.

The best way to go about this is to purge one area at a time. Take the time to go into your file room, too. Anything you can digitize, do it now so you can throw them out later.

There’s a way to keep the filing room neat and organized, but we’ll get to that later.

  1. More Defined Spaces, Less Open Space

The idea of an open working plan is to encourage collaboration and creativity. It became the mark of a modern office that breaks the traditional walls.

However, studies show it’s not bringing the results it’s meant to bring. The employees in this kind of workspace atmosphere have lower satisfaction and productivity.

Instead of going this route, create and define different spaces in your office. Allot a space for collaboration, and then design it in a way that will encourage that interaction. You can also use smaller spaces for individuals who need some quiet, or you may also give them a space for bonding.

If you’re concerned with going modern for your office design, having spaces without desks is a nice compromise.

  1. Optimizing the Office Layout

The next step for an organized office is a great floor plan. Employees should have easy access to all rooms and spaces. The more often they have to use a space, the closer it should be.

If it takes them 10 minutes to go to the bathroom because they have to pass by several rooms, that’s a bad layout. It decreases productivity because it wastes their time.

In shorter terms, your employees should not have to go through a maze to get to places.

  1. Considering the Equipment Placement

While figuring out a good layout for your office, think about the proximity of your equipment to your employees. Are they able to use the printer in only a few steps? What about the suppliers they use daily?

Keep these things in mind while designing your office, not only the rooms. Anything essential to their work should always be within reach.

As for the supplies, keep them well-organized but well within range, as well. Keep the papers close to the copying machines, for example. Likewise, the filing folders should be near the cabinets.

For things employees don’t use often, it’s okay to put these in a room or a cabinet farther from the desks.

  1. Creating Movement Opportunities

This might contradict the previous point, but this tip keeps your employees healthy and, by extension, productive.

It prevents them from being stagnant at their desk. Research suggests that for every 20 minutes you’re sitting, you must stand for 8 minutes and then move for 2 minutes.

In that regard, placing the machines far enough (but not too far) to get your employees moving will do the trick.

The five-minute trip to the bathroom, for example, can refresh their minds. This can help them overcome a wall and regain their momentum.

A short break spent in the water cooler has the same effect, and even the short walk to the filing room can do wonders.

  1. Creating an Organized Filing System

Speaking of files, it’s time you take a trip to your filing rooms and realize the chaos. It’s not unusual, but if you want more productive employees, don’t let them stress out over your filing system.

Reorganize the room to include more cabinets, shred the unimportant files, and develop a filing system that will ensure the files will be easy to locate afterward. Keep all your client files in one corner, for example, and then your employee files in the other.

Don’t forget to hold a meeting to teach your employees how to use the new system.

  1. Improving the Lighting

Natural light makes for a healthy work environment, and it may be the best perk you can give them. Having no access to natural light can make your employees gloomy, lacking motivation, and prone to illness.

Installing large windows to let as much light as possible is ideal. If your office can’t have windows, however, consider a smart lighting system.

This can sync with and mimic natural light outside. In particular, it mimics the color of natural light throughout the day. Daylight is bluish-white, while the afternoon light is more orange.

  1. Controlling the Noise Level

Noise has a lot of negative effects on your employees. Aside from less productivity, they also have lower job satisfaction and more stress. This may be one of the reasons why open floor plans aren’t successful.

For a positive work environment, control the noise using noise. You can hide speech, computer sounds, and more by distributing white noise through your speaker systems.

You can also reduce the noise levels by moving the machines creating a lot of noise. Printers and copiers should go where noise won’t be an issue. Having a separate room for them is ideal.

Get an Organized Office 

Having an organized office space will not only boost productivity. It will also boost your employees’ happiness. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact a professional office designer to help you with designing a good working space.

For more tips, feel free to check out more of our guides. You can discover more tips and tricks with our library of helpful posts today!

5 Things to Look for on the Resume of Potential Employees

Hiring takes time and money. You want to make the best choice the first time around. Here are five important things to look for on a resume.

Resume

We all know how important relevant work experience and education are on a professional resume. But as an employer, do you know what else to look for on job applications?

If you’re an employer, these are the things you should be looking for on a resume. If you’re job hunting, make sure you’ve included these necessary parts of every professional resume.

  1. A Professional and Clean Resume Appearance

Never underestimate the power of a visually pleasing resume. That doesn’t necessarily mean graphics and clip art.

A resume that is professionally formatted indicates computer skills, good visual taste, and attention to detail.

Potential employees can go here for a professional-looking, free template for resumes.

This also includes the candidate’s ability to be concise. If you’ve got more than 10 years of experience, there’s usually a lot of data you have to fit on one page. Look for a candidate who’s skilled at being clear and brief.

  1. Don’t Neglect the Grammar

You can learn a lot about a potential employee by their correct or incorrect use of grammar and spelling on a resume.

A simple run through an online spell checking software can illuminate spelling and grammar errors.

Your potential employees are the representatives of your company. And if they can’t manage to put forward a passable resume, then it’s likely their work will be the same.

  1. Filter Out the Fluff

It’s important to be able to cut through the fluff to understand the real substance of a resume.

While an extensive vocabulary indicates education, it can sometimes get in the way of understanding the bare bones of someone’s qualifications.

People without a lot of experience will go to great lengths to fluff up what they have. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Just don’t mistake fluff for industry experience.

  1. Red Flags

If your job position listing asks for references and the resume provided says “references available upon request” it is probably an indication that they’ve been fired or let go recently.

Employment gaps can be caused by various circumstances. Not all of them are bad reasons. But if you notice a space where the applicant wasn’t working, make sure you understand why before hiring.

If an employee ignores or doesn’t follow the directions on your application, it’s another red flag that they aren’t detail-oriented or attentive to authority.

  1. Values

How well could the applicant fit into the company culture? Most resumes provide an indication of the person’s strengths and personality traits.

Pay attention to how their values compare with yours and those of your company.

Don’t hesitate to search for social media accounts to get a better understanding of who they are as a person.

For hopeful employees that means you should make sure your social media accounts wouldn’t embarrass you.

You’re Hired!

Finding the right employee has so much to do with their resume. Don’t miss these important steps.

Once you have the right emplpoyees, contact us for more info on finding the right office space for your business needs!

 

 

7 Key Tips for Keeping Your Office a Healthy Workplace

It’s important to keep your work place clean and healthy. Keep reading for 7 key tips for keeping your office a healthy workplace to work.

Healthy workplace

Have you noticed that healthy employees in your staff are happier, active, focused, less costly, and more productive?

Are you concerned that the high rate of sickness and absenteeism is likely to affect the overall productivity and profitability?

Employers implement employee wellness programs to reduce costs associated with ailing, unproductive, unhappy, and constantly absent staff.

Keep reading for 7 key tips for keeping your office a healthy place to work.

Maintaining Good Posture

Good posture improves your health and overall feeling of wellness. Employees who use computers stare at the screen for long periods and tend to lean forward.

Poor posture puts pressure on their necks and spine. Employees can stay healthy at work by taking short breaks and using appropriate furniture. More so, investing in standing desks or orthopedic furniture can take care of this concern.

Keep Your Office Environment Clean

Unclean workplace environments pose risks to workers. Slips and falls are the most common forms of injury in unkempt offices.

Keep a healthy workplace by encouraging employees to minimizing clutter and maintain a clear vision line. Read more on how to keep your office environment clean as well as healthy in this informational article.

Manage Stress

Hectic office life and juggling between several roles leave employees exhausted. Stress management can involve activities that relax the mind. For instance, it is advisable to encourage employees to read books or engage in physical activities such as taking walks, yoga, or working out at the gym.

Eating Healthy Meals

Food, undoubtedly, is a very crucial factor in maintaining or improving health in different aspects of life. One of the key ways of how to be healthier is taking healthy meals that keep you energized at work.

More so, you should snack smart on healthy ready-to-eat options like nuts and fruits. And, pay close attention to all meals and avoid greasy and unhealthy foods.

 Drink Plenty of Water

An average employee spends approximately 90,000 hours in the workplace. The best way to be healthy is to replace coffee and tea with plenty of water.

Research indicates that 75% of Americans do not drink the recommended daily water intake. And, as such, the high rate of dehydration, which reduces their productivity at work.

Take Breaks

Stay healthy at work by taking breaks from the tedious work. Take time and stand from your desk to stretch. Working at the work desk is exhausting to the neck, back, and eyes, and it is vital to shift positions and rest regularly.

Rest Up

Encourage employees to take some time, get out of their work environment, and rest. Work fatigue can be unhealthy; therefore, you should make sure to get enough sleep and rest. More so, spending time away from the workplace reduces tension associated with work environment conflicts. This minimizes risks if illness while enhancing productivity.

A Healthy Workplace

Keep your office a healthy workplace by taking preventative measures against illness. Your working environment needs healthy employees to maintain healthy productivity.

6 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Renting Office Space for the First Time

renting office spaceStarting a business entails a lot of planning from what type of products or services you’ll be selling, whether a franchise or your own startup, you will need to figure out about renting office space.

There are several factors to consider, and if you’re not careful, you may end up making costly mistakes that can hinder your company’s growth.

Online resources like us, OfficeFinder, can help you acquire the ideal location for your company headquarters in a particular city. If you’re renting office space for the first time, it is crucial that you are aware of these common mistakes that you must avoid when renting office space.

  1. Not Being Able to Differentiate Needs from Wants

In today’s modern world, many entrepreneurs do just fine in their home offices or with coworking spaces. However, you may need a dedicated office for your business to survive especially when your customers have to purchase your product or service in person, such as in coffee shops or shoe stores.

  1. Not Determining Your Budget Beforehand

There are plenty of commercial locations to choose from, and not establishing a budget before doing your research would only make you run around in circles. Determine how much you’re willing to spend on office space and stick to it. You can filter out suggestions that are too hefty for your estimated cost. If possible, you should be able to pay a full year’s worth of rent upfront and give time for your customers to be familiar with your site.

  1. Not Doing Enough Research

In business, it’s not sensible to make impulse decisions over something as important as your office or shop location. Here is a list of important considerations when renting an office space.

  • Rent – Inquire about how the landlord measures and calculates the chargeable square footage. Gather the same information from other possible spaces and compare prices.
  • Lease Term – You should be informed as to when the lease will start and when it will end. Would opting for a long-term contract end up with a better deal? Or would you rather have a short-term contract that can be renewed? Landlords will let you know what their preference is depending on their needs.
  • Rent Increases – Are they negotiable? How do the owners calculate it? Does the price of the rent increase automatically per year or term?
  • Deposits – To secure the lease, landlords often ask for a security deposit, which is usually the rent equal to a specified number of months. You should know how much they expect for that specific commercial space before you decide.
  • Cost of Renovations/Improvements – Generally, landlords pay for renovations and improvements on the building and splits the price into the rent. Agree with your landlord over how this process will be done.
  • Cost of Repairs and Maintenance – Commercial leases typically let tenants pay for maintenance. Find out the extra fees as well for utilities, taxes, and insurance.
  • Exclusivity Rights – This is especially important for retail businesses. You should know whether you have the sole right to rent part of a building or complex and be assured that competitors cannot open a store in the same location.

  1. Not Reading the Fine Print

A major no-no in business is being lazy and irresponsible in going through the contract and not reading the fine print. Review the lease terms, and ask for the help of an expert attorney to look over the document so that you’ll get a better understanding of the contract and its impact on your business. Take note that most contracts are made to be favorable for the landlord.

  1. Not Asking for Help from Brokers

You may be tempted to skip the middleman and purely rely on listings to save on costs. However, real estate brokers can be valuable in the search for your office space. They have insiders’ information on commercial buildings direct from the owner of the property. Plus, they can help you with negotiations for the lowest rates.

  1. Not Considering Customers’ Needs

Your office should be near your customers. It should be easily accessed from freeways or public transportation. Moreover, find a place that has a dedicated secure parking space for both cars and bikes. Your customers will want to go back every time since they can park their cars or bikes without problems.

Conclusion

To do it right, renting office space will cost you time, effort, and financial resources. Make sure that you get your money’s worth by conscientiously going through the nitty-gritty. Think of it as an investment that is necessary for your company to thrive in today’s cut-throat business world.

6 Easy Ways to Keep Your Business Running More Efficiently

Messy Office DeskKeeping up in an increasingly competitive economy requires running your business as efficiently as possible. From the smallest sole proprietorships to massive multi-billion-dollar corporations, efficiency is a must. Believe it or not, it’s even more important for small- to medium-sized companies. Smaller businesses have fewer resources to fall back on than larger corporations, making efficiency in the workforce an absolute must.

Your company may be running smoothly, but there is likely room for improvement. Whether you find yourself running into setbacks that delay projects by a few days, you’re finding that your meetings are not productive and waste more time than they save or distractions are slowing down progress and driving up your expenses, there are several things that could be negatively impacting your company’s efficiency.

How can you correct these issues? Here are a few easy ways to keep your business running more efficiently.

Automate Anything You Can

Modern technology can save your business a lot of time and if you are not taking advantage of it, you are missing out. From sending pay stubs to employees to running backups to shipping receipts to vendors, there are several tasks that can be automated.

Once seen as a luxury, business automation has become a necessity in today’s competitive world. Automating monotonous tasks means that you–or your employees–can focus on tasks that require a human touch or more critical thinking than a program can perform.

Implementing automated processes sometimes comes at a steep price upfront, but the investment will pay off quickly. In the long run, business automation saves time and money while boosting efficiency.

Hold a Short Meeting Daily

Office Meeting

Monday morning meetings are a good way to start the week, but they shouldn’t be the only Ofimeeting for the entire week. Holding short, 10-minute meetings every day helps ensure that all employees are on the same page. Getting together daily keeps everyone up to speed on important company happenings and ensures that everyone knows exactly what they need to be doing.

That’s not the only benefit of a short, streamlined daily meeting, though.

Take a few minutes during each meeting to celebrate accomplishments, acknowledge achievements and praise employees for their good work. Make it known when someone goes the extra mile to improve the company or satisfy a customer. Doing so only takes a few seconds, but it goes a long way toward boosting morale and making workers feel appreciated. And happy employees who know they are appreciated work harder and more efficiently.

Increase Printing Efficiency

No matter what type of business you run, it is likely that you do a lot of printing. While it may not be something that you think about often, your printing process could be slowing down productivity and wasting money.

Choosing the right hardware helps you save money while improving efficiency. Choose printers that are appropriate for the size of your business and your printing needs. If you do a lot of printing, pay close attention to how many pages can be printed per minute.  If you primarily print text-based documents and you need to print several pages on a daily basis, laser printers could save you both time and money.

Prioritize black-and-white printing over color. Color toner and inkjet cartridges are more expensive than black. Printing in color also typically takes longer. Print most documents in monochrome and save your colored ink and toner for specific projects. If you have no need to print in color, a monochrome laser printer is an extremely affordable and efficient option.

Use Task Management Software

Emails and sticky notes on desks are not efficient methods of task management or collaboration. Task management software makes it much easier to assign projects and track progress. Projects can be broken down into individual tasks and assigned to the appropriate individuals. Task management software also allows teams to collaborate and work together in one space rather than going back and forth on email or leaving notes.

Using task management software also makes it easier to estimate how long various projects and tasks will take, simplifying the scheduling process. Programs like Asana, Trello and Wrike are flexible, affordable and make it much easier for everyone to work together.

Limit Interruptions

While it may be impossible to avoid all the distractions that tend to pop up on an hourly basis, there are steps you can take to limit interruptions. If work starts at 9 a.m., there is a staff meeting at 10 a.m., a client meeting at 11 a.m. and lunch at noon, your employees may find it nearly impossible to stay on track.

Rather than scheduling multiple meetings throughout the week, try to combine as many into one as possible. When multiple meetings are necessary, schedule them all on one day to ensure your employees have other days to work uninterrupted.

There are also tools to help you avoid distractions like email alerts, chat pop-ups and task management software notifications. Tools like Inbox Pause can be used to reduce email notifications, and a free app known as SelfControl can be used to block email, Web sites and distracting apps for set periods of time. Using these tools–or any of countless other options–helps limit interruptions and prevent distraction.

Encourage “Single-Tasking”

multi tasking office workerJust about everyone claims to be an amazing multitasker. As I’m writing this article, I have six tabs open on my Web browser and that is a pretty conservative number compared to most days. While we all think we are great at multitasking, we may not necessarily be as productive as we would be if we focused on just one thing at a time. Committing to “single-tasking” could actually make your business a lot more efficient.

Single-tasking allows you to complete projects faster. Focusing on one thing at a time also helps decrease stress and results in a greater sense of accomplishment when a task is completed. By working on just one task at a time until a project is complete is much more satisfying than chipping away at several tasks at once and feeling like nothing ever gets finished.

Making your business run more efficiently helps you save time and money while improving company morale and ensuring that you meet your goals. In today’s market, being efficient isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential. By implementing the simple tips listed above, you can help your business run smoother.

6 Ways to Improve Office Safety

Business owners have a lot on their plate. They have to worry about improving growth, hiring the right employees, managing office space and making the most of the time they have left over. However, there might be a hidden concern many offices today are failing to pay the right attention to. Office safety is an essential part of maintaining a quality workplace. Injuries and safety problems are expensive for the company, and it also puts employees at risk.

There’s an outdated idea that businesses have to make a decision between making a profit and safety. No matter the industry, that’s no longer the truth. From the risk of an intruder to injuries, no stone should be left unturned. Here are 6 ways to improve office safety today.

Office Safety

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1. Invest in an Alarm System

An alarm system is a must no matter your office size or industry. Many new businesses make the mistake of assuming an alarm system is only needed for larger businesses, but that’s hardly the case. Intruders and thieves target businesses of all sizes, and offices are notoriously home to expensive electronic equipment that’s tempting to criminals.

Using an Alarm system gives you a layer of protection. Even when you’re not currently in the office, you can monitor your status in real-time to ensure everything is safe no matter the time.

2. Keep a Clean Office

Did you know slip and falls are the most common type of office injury? It’s true that an unclean workspace is more than just unorganized. It might actually be a danger to your employees. Keep your workspace clutter-free and maintaining a clear line of vision will go a long way to preventing slip and fall injuries. In addition, encourage employees to be careful in their own space. For instance, use a step stool instead of a chair to reach a high location.

3. Provide Equipment Training

If your office uses any kind of equipment, it’s important to provide the right training. Don’t assume your employees know how to use equipment safely. Always be proactive with quarterly reminders about equipment safety and ongoing training. Even an adjustable chair can be unsafe when the employee isn’t trained to use it properly.

office space safety

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4. Have a Fire Safety Plan

While you might think your days of emergency evacuations were left behind in school, you might need a refresher on fire safety. Not only should you always have your fire sprinklers and alarms checked regularly, but you should create a plan for your office in case of a fire emergency. This should include a designated meeting area, fire safety tips, and a clear escape route.

5. Run Background Checks

How well do you know your employees? If you’re not careful when hiring, you might unwillingly let in a criminal. While this doesn’t mean you can’t hire someone with a criminal background, knowing their history will help you make a smarter decision. Background screening is important, and it’s easier than you think.

6. Reward Safety

Finally, reward your best employees for practicing safety in the office. Make it easy for employees to report suspicious activity or anything they feel needs to be improved. Open a dialogue with your employees about being safe in the workplace.

Ultimately, office safety comes down to many factors. Is your physical location free from obstructions or unsafe condition? Are your employees themselves safe? Do you have a security system for keeping intruders out? All of these things together will create a safe office that works for everyone.