Category Archives: Uncategorized

Building a better school year: How to Support Working Parents

Posted on by

It’s that time of year again. Kids are heading back to school, and parents are returning to the office after a long summer break. For many working parents, it can be really tough to find the balance between work and family life during this busy time. Here are some ways that you as an employer can support working parents during back-to-school season:

1) Offer flexible hours scheduling so parents don’t have to choose between their job or staying home with sick children. Especially now that we are living in a time where Covid can strike at any time, it’s especially important for working parents to have the ability to stay home with kids if they are under the weather.  

2) Provide access to childcare for employees who need child care while they’re at work.  This is especially important for single parents who may have to work during school hours, but are unable to provide child care themselves. 

3) Paid emergency leave -Employers should consider offering paid emergency leave so that working parents don’t need to choose between their job or providing support in case of emergencies at home. This provides security and peace of mind to working parents that might need some extra time during these difficult times. Let employees take additional paid days off if they’re needed because of an emergency situation with their child.

4) Get them gift cards! Offer some help with back-to-school basics with a gift card from Target or Walmart. Parents have a lot of extra expenses during back to school and this simple gesture will make them feel like you have their back.

5) Take into account school hours. Have an early morning meeting and a room full of working parents? Could you move the meeting up 30 mins to give them a chance to walk into the office and settle in before running to the conference room?

These are just some tips you could implement in the office to support working parents. What other initiatives does your company have? Share in the comments!

Back to School Tips for Parents

Posted on by

Parents, you have a busy year ahead of you! Not only do you have to prepare for the new school year and all that entails but it’s also time to plan your fall schedule. Back to school is an exciting time for kids and parents alike. For many families, it also means a lot more stress during the day to accommodate work schedules with school routines. Here are some back-to-school tips that will help get your whole family ready for a great school year:

1) Make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations so they can attend school. You might also need a booster shot for some of these vaccines, so make sure to talk with your doctor about what you need.

2) Create an emergency contact list in case something happens during the day. List any relatives, friends, neighbors that could help you in an emergency.

3) Find out what kind of accommodations might be available for children who need them so you know where to go if there is ever an issue. In addition, if there are any changes related to childcare or after-school care arrangements, talk with your new employer about these needs as soon

4) Get organized! Make sure everything (clothes, supplies, etc.) is ready to go before the day starts so there are no distractions. You might need to make a last-minute school supply run after work, or even better, Amazon!

5) Create a schedule that takes into account your responsibilities as a parent. Consider the hours of daycare, after-school activity and evening work commitments when drawing up a schedule for each member of the family.

6) See if you can accommodate your work schedule to that of your child’s school day. Maybe your boss is willing to let you come in an hour early to accommodate for the afternoon pick up. If you can’t, make sure there are at least two adults available for pick-up and drop-off at each location.

Employee Rewards & Recognition Help You Motivate Your Employees

Posted on by

Employee recognition and rewards are a great way to show your employees how much you care. When done properly, they can be an excellent incentive for high performance. But before you are handing out gifts or bonuses when someone has gone above and beyond the call of duty, here are 5 things that you need to know:

1) Make sure that everyone knows what’s expected

2) Encourage participation from all levels

3) Provide measurable feedback on success (i.e., “You have exceeded expectations!” vs “Good job!”)

4) Set clear goals with deadlines and targets based on company standards

5) Provide feedback on a timely basis

Employee rewards and recognition programs are important because they not only provide an incentive for high performance but also help your employees feel connected to the work that they do. When people don’t have any sense of autonomy or purpose in their day-to-day work,  they are less likely to be motivated and more likely to look for ways out. In order to help create the right environment, you need a rewards system that recognizes both individual successes as well as team achievements.

Employee recognition should be an ingrained practice in the workplace.

– It should be public and specific: recognizing someone’s efforts with a pat on the back or word of praise can go so much further than just privately acknowledging that they did well,  it has to happen consistently if you want people to continue performing at their best.

– Recognition needs to be as diverse as your employees are. A millennial will not have the same “I’m happy to be recognized” reaction as someone who has been around for 35 years, so the rewards and recognition should reflect that.

– Recognize accomplishments with tangible prizes: not just praise or a pat on the back – reward employees by giving them something they can physically take home or put on their desk in order to remind themselves of their accomplishment.

At the end of the day  anyone can do their job, but it takes someone special to want to go the extra mile. It’s not easy asking an employee for more when they’re already doing great work. So instead of telling them what you need from them, tell them how much you appreciate everything they’ve done so far and let that motivate them to keep going strong.

Prepping The Office For The Holidays

Posted on by

With the arrival of the holidays, the sale of business products and services grows exponentially. However, this situation may also have an impact on internal processes.

Business owners must generate a strategy to take advantage of the season. This means more than just training your team and developing a fun marketing plan. Sure, you need to find creative ways to benefit from end-of-year buyer behavior, but you need to go beyond typical behaviors to stand out from your competition.

Clear Accounting

Although this practice should be a guideline to follow from the beginning of the year, analyzing income, expenses, and taxes for the last quarter can help optimize results. It is essential to carry out a daily analysis of income and expenses. 

Organization 

Throughout the year, the organizational strategy can be relaxed, and the employer can be a little more flexible in terms of organization. Time can be managed more efficiently and avoid distractions, achieving optimal results that will be observed in the company’s day-to-day and towards the end of the year. November is a perfect month to take a step back and take a look at the organization, make adjustments, and have the most efficient end of the year.

It is necessary to plan according to the needs and depending on its economic situation, both internal and external. It is the perfect time to balance, analyze, and readjust. It is impossible to control the future, but you can manage its actions to achieve the desired results.

Detect Weaknesses

The holiday season is a good time to analyze weaknesses and mitigate them to achieve better results. Keeping an eye on the competition will help businesses know what others are doing and how they make last-minute adjustments.

Best Shopping Experience

Online marketing is the most important tool to help overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19. 

This end of the year offers business a new opportunity to reactivate sales and position your products and services. However, for these dates to be meaningful, be aware of where and how consumers are buying, share content that positions your company as an expert in your field, and never leave aside the shopping experience.

Why You Have To Care For Your Customers Now More Than Ever

Posted on by

As the world unites to contain the COVID-19 crisis, companies’ concern for their customers increases day after day. Never underestimate how necessary it is to let your customers know how important they are to you and prioritize their interests to keep their trust and loyalty. It is key to find ways to help your clients overcome this crisis. Next, we analyze some keys ideas that can help you in management of your clients during the COVID-19 crisis:

Connect With Your Clients

We recommend that you connect with your customers to genuinely and authentically understand how they feel. Take the initiative to call them, and above all, be interested in knowing how they are and how they are going through this moment. They are probably uncertain about the future and have feelings that will inevitably coincide with yours.

 

Let your customers know how important they are. Remember that many of your clients also have clients, so that optimal communication can reach an even larger audience. Also, if you work closely with your clients during difficult times like today, it may translate into stronger relationships in the near future.

 

The customer is the protagonist, and you have to make them feel important to you and your business. By asking, you will be showing that you care as a person and not only for the money they pay to buy your products or services. 

Understand Their Needs

 

Put yourself at your clients’ service and help them by putting yourself in their shoes to understand their needs in these troubled times. Make yourself available by offering solutions proactively, facilitating moral support, and connecting them with other organizations to establish alliances to overcome these moments. The help must be genuine, without expecting anything in return and avoiding placing your products or services on them.

 

If your clients know that you care about them and that you support them to get ahead, they will be happy. And if they are happy, they will surely buy more, strengthen ties and recommend you. When you give yourself to your clients, they want to feel that same satisfaction of helping you out.

Add Creativity to Your Communication

When the waters are calmer, the competition will be fierce, and the desire to sell will be enormous. Start working on your communication now and give it a special touch.

 

Remember that, according to John Maxwell, life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it. Love what you do, put yourself at your clients’ service, and, above all, respond to emerge stronger from this crisis, achieving the much desired yes of your clients. Take care of your clients so that they take care of you and your business!