Business

Working from home? You’re not alone — the number of employees working from home rose by 173% between 2005 and 2018. The number of remote workers is likely to increase, considering there are myriad benefits to remote work for employees and employers.

Employees save time and money by forgoing commutes; they don’t have to spend as much on work wardrobes or eating out; and enjoy more flexibility overall than if they have to travel to a workplace.

Remote employees also save their employers money. Smaller office spaces usually cost less than larger ones, and overhead is generally lower as the number of remote employees increases. Meetings that might have been in-person if staff worked in the office can be accomplished through Zoom calls. Further, many employees may be able to be even more productive without the distractions of a noisy office. However, with these benefits come new challenges, such as staying connected with and managing the performance of remote staff.

When employees work on-site, it’s easier to keep tabs on what types of work they are performing, offer feedback, and touch base. Managing the performance of remote employees can be more challenging, but it can be done efficiently and fairly.

For example, remote employees should be given specific work requirements, so they know what is expected of them. That may include their daily schedule and hours (and whether or not those hours are flexible), and allotted time for lunch. Regular check-ins between managers and employees can help team members stay on track and allow managers to better assess the type of work employees are performing and the quality of that work. It also gives managers a chance to address any issues that may have arisen while the employee works from home.

Managers should also be proactive in giving feedback, recognizing that remote employees rely on it to judge their performance and progress. Regular communication can also help alleviate employees’ feelings of isolation and reduce work-related stress.

The accompanying resource describes practical strategies for employers to use with their remote staff. More effective performance management can benefit individual employees and the company’s productivity as a whole.

Author Bio: Sara Drake is Director of Marketing for Advanced Resources, a talent solutions organization headquartered in Chicago. Drake, who has 15 years of experience in the industry, focuses on talent solutions through staffing, consulting and workforce solutions.

The prevalence of the digital realm in business today is nothing to be ignored. Embracing digital connections will give your business a wider reach, and a more efficient manner of operating.

Your chance of success in any industry is sharply enhanced when you know how to make the most of the tools technology provides.

Take a few moments to explore some simple tips to help your business capitalize on the perks of today’s technology, and start crafting a more efficient operation now.

Never stop improving your website

Your most useful digital tool is your business website. Never stop working to enhance your business website, and always make communication a priority in your design.

Take the time to look at examples for tangible design ideas. This assisted living facility in Glendale setup a website that makes communicating with the facility simple for interested web users.

Build a collection of engaging content

Digital marketing is a must-have for success in any realm of business, and building a collection of engaging content will boost your visibility online. A business blog is the best host for your engaging and informative content.

Add a blog section to your website design, or build a separate digital address for the content. Either way, your blog posts should be written to be relevant to your operation’s target audience.

Learn to work social media

Social media is a massive outlet for business, but you have to really put some effort into becoming an active part of the digital communities. Your business should have a profile on several of the most popular social media channels, and the content should always be fresh.

Working social media for the benefit of your business takes a consistent effort. Your followers will be loyal, but you have to give them something to anticipate. Dig into social media management for business owners, and start learning how to properly run your social media presence today.

Always aim to please mobile users

No matter what realm of the web you’re working, your digital efforts should always be driven towards pleasing the mobile users online. Mobile web access is at an all-time high, and people expect your pages to function with ease on the favorite smartphone or tablet. Make certain your digital content is designed for mobile-friendly interactions, and you’ll have a better response.

Consider remote capabilities

Your business can benefit greatly from the remote capabilities granted by digital technology. Consider what remote employees could do to save your operation some money.

Consider what complete cloud integration could do for communication and collaboration within your organization. Tying your work to a central, digital location means you can get work done at any time from anywhere.

The business applications are becoming popular day by day. The increase in its popularity is due to the advancement in technology and the availability of mobile devices for everyone. The top organizations came out with their best mobile versions to help their consumers. You surely have heard about the Microsoft business apps. They provide interesting features, tips, and tricks to support the use of the complete Microsoft Office package on electronic devices. Many reasons have increased the use of business applications. The most popular reasons are as follows.

Direct Problem Solving Approach

The technical business operations require the best after-sale services from the companies. But it is difficult for the companies to remain available for the 2 hours for their consumers. It can increase the operating cost. The companies that deal with technologically advanced and innovative products have created business applications. They support and provide 24 hours of assistance to the users. It includes a complete set of guidance, tips, tricks, and steps to solve common problems. Many applications are supported by the google assistance and video conferencing services that can fastly easily solve the issues during emergencies.

Direct Communication

Companies keep updating their products regularly. In such a scenario, spending on broadcasting the news, latest information, new launch, offers via media or advertisements can be costlier. The best way to settle all these issues is through the creation of a virtual platform for business updates. It will save the cost of the company. Plus, it will give the platform to communicate with the customers directly. The more use of mobile applications has eliminated the middlemen and reduced the chances of false news in the market. The company can also test their loyal customers and can have a true knowledge of their regular customer base. It improves the branding of the companies. The analysis of consumer behaviour and their purchasing pattern has also become very simple through the use of these applications.

Increases Sales

The main motive of every business is to think of the strategies to increase their sales. Earlier, the launch of a product and service and its result and excitement in the market took time. The business applications have fastened the process. As soon as a sale is announced or a new product is launched, people start booking through mobile devices. The studies have shown that most of the p[eople for search on their mobile phones before purchasing even a simple product. It is the best opportunity when a brand can take advantage of the call to action from the customers. Creating applications that showcase more benefits of purchasing the product or service online will motivate more sales. Engage with your customers. Make your presence felt in the market.

The development of business applications is a great idea to boost sales. It is beneficial both for the seller as well as for the buyers. After creating the virtual platform, the next step should be to maintain those applications and remain more active. Upgrade features and add more benefits to your customers.

Every individual in the workplace plays a vital role in helping the organization reach its goals and move forward successfully. This is especially true when it comes to teams that have been tasked with taking on specific work. However, a team and those who form it are only as effective as the systems and processes in place that are designed to keep them on track. Are you the head of a team looking to boost your team’s productivity? If so, here are five simple ways to keep your team on track.

Over recent years there has been large amounts of attention surrounding how much pollution the world is producing from using materials which can’t be recycled alone. From plastic bottles littering the planet’s ocean to online delivery companies using copious amounts of unnecessary packaging; the conversation has never been so intense.

As the attention surrounding sustainability continues to grow, it has put increased pressure on brands to evaluate their current processes and materials used for packaging and how they can meet consumer needs for years to come. With this in mind, branding agency 1HQ have created a magazine which looks in-depth at the future of packaging and what consumers can expect from brands.

What does the future hold for online deliveries?

We’ve all been shocked when an online delivery arrives and large amounts of unnecessary packaging have been used, but the company LivingPackets wants to show other brands how you can be sustainably smart when it comes to online deliveries.

LivingPackets have created ‘THE BOX’, which removes the need for materials such as bubble wrap, cardboard boxes and printing labels. Compromised from 98% air and 2% recycled materials, ‘THE BOX’ contains a built-in locking system and GPS which allows the recipient to track their order via an app. Another appealing factor of ‘THE BOX’ is that address labels have been replaced with an E-link, allowing delivery locations to be amended if needed.

How can fast food companies create a more sustainable future?

Some of the world’s most well-known fast food chains have changed the packaging they use to help improve their sustainability; but one company is on a mission to take this one step further.

One of the most favoured takeaway meals is a pizza and more often than not we order more than we need, meaning extra slices of pizza we don’t want to waste. Instead of having to wrap each individual piece in tin foil or use a plastic container, GreenBox have created a takeaway box which can be folded to just how you need it. From arriving at your home as a cardboard box with a whole pizza inside, the box can then be deconstructed for individual pieces, meaning no extra packaging or materials are being used.

With consumers now wanting sustainable packaging when buying products, now is the time for brands to look at their current manufacturing methods and look ahead to the future. With the likes of LivingPackets and GreenBox already leading the way when it comes to improving sustainability, what does the future hold for the world of sustainable packaging?