There comes a time in most businesses, which are doing well, when extra hands are needed to cope with all the work. In other words, taking on staff. For many small company owners, this can be a daunting prospect because there are all sorts of new requirements and responsibilities that come with it. From the recruitment process itself to making sure all the necessary paperwork is in place.
On top of that comes ongoing development and support and being able to react appropriately if something goes wrong.…
There’s little doubt that the UK is gripped by a pensions crisis at present, both in terms of public and private sector funds. In fact, the state pension age is set to increases to 69 for both men and women by 2039, as public resources become increasingly stretched.
In total, pension liabilities in the UK grew to a massive £7.6 trillion at the end of 2017, with a private sector deficit also impacting negatively on workplace schemes.
This is a huge concern in the current climate, particularly for workers who are beginning to plan for their retirement.…
Growing your own business is one of the most rewarding and exciting things you can do with your life. Taking that initial seed of an idea and nurturing it over time and seeing it through to the end is one of the best feelings in the world. However, if you possess the type of ambition that can start a business all on their own, then you are most likely the kind of person who wants to see it flourish and get to the top of the industry you are in.…
Don’t let the fact that you have to get work done mean you can’t take that vacation by renting an RV from Outdoorsy! Although, in a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to worry about work at all, hitting the road at least means you get to be a bit adventurous while you complete your boss’s latest project.
But, beware. The RV lifestyle can tempt you into spending more time lounging by the campfire than in front of the computer, which can be disastrous for your productivity.…
There’s been a lot of changes introduced in the workplace over the past decade to ensure equal opportunities for both workers and customers. For example, employers now have a responsibility to ensure they provide adequate access for those with disabilities.
Within the Equality Act 2010, it states employers need to make reasonable adjustments to cater to disabled workers and customers. The question is, do these reasonable adjustments apply to wheelchair access?
Does your business need to be wheelchair accessible?
The short answer here is yes, your business likely does need to be wheelchair accessible.…
If you think having a company policy is just a formality, think again. Far from just being a bunch of convoluted statements on paper that no one will read, policies actually set out which practices are acceptable, and which best practices should be followed. In the most basic sense, they tell employees how to act and lend to the overall culture of the workplace.
Policies set the tone
Some policies include those on smoking and using drugs and alcohol on company property, handling workplace injuries, using social media and personal cellphones.…
Every team has one: the worker who does more and does better than everyone else. Maybe they came in with impeccable credentials; maybe they are hustling hard to prove their worth. Soon enough, that worker is going to realize they can find a better position with better pay somewhere else. Your job is to delay that inevitability and keep this golden employee on the books.
But how? How can you stop your worker from seeing someone else’s green grass?
The solution is simple: You need to make your grass as green as possible.…
Starting in business can be a rewarding and challenging time. If there is a solid plan in place, this can help to navigate the peaks and troughs that startups often face plus it guides you through the early stages of company growth.
There is a range of things you need to set up your business and determining the capital required to get started is one of the first steps before making the purchasing decisions. Ensuring your money goes as far as possible will help to save costs in some areas and frees up cash to invest in others.…
If you’ve recently been promoted to a project management position, or perhaps are getting ready to start your career in this field, it’s important to have a good understanding of how to make your life easier as you move forward. Read on for some key beginner project management tips you can follow today.
Understand the Project Lifecycle
When you’re new to project management, you may not be familiar with the lifecycle involved in this kind of work. It’s necessary to get up to speed on this sooner rather than later.…
Effective communications are an integral component of any well-optimized business. If you cannot communicate effectively within your own business, you have no hope of maintaining efficiency, or of being able to significantly grow your operations. Inefficiencies in communications lead to a whole host of other knock-on problems, many of which can prove disastrous.
Fortunately, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your communications isn’t all that difficult. As long as you are able to institute the necessary changes, and you trust your staff to be able to maintain them, there should be nothing stopping you from taking steps to improve your communications procedures.…
