Business | Shannon Procise

5 Companies That Improve Our Standard of Living Daily

March 26, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

There are many companies that provide beneficial services to the world today, but which companies have impacted our lives the most? That’s difficult to answer because each company aids each other in serving the greater good. But there are a few companies, that have stood the test of time and made their permanent mark on the daily lives of civilization.

Microsoft

The software giant, Microsoft, in addition to having one of the largest market capitalizations has also had nearly the largest influence on society today. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, originally sought to place a computer within every household. The seemingly outrageous goal has changed the educational opportunities, communication, and entertainment options that people have.

Google

Google has been able to provide people with near-endless information. As a seemingly infinite library source, Google has also changed the way people find services in real life. As a continually evolving company, over their course, Google has continually improved their designs and been able to impact processes such as the way that people purchase stocks or find their nearest hospital.

ADT

Developed in response to a home invasion of the founder’s house, ADT is one of the pioneer security service companies. This American security giant currently serves over 35 countries in total. The services offered by ADT have saved many customers from home intrusions, fires, and a variety of other harmful incidents. At the moment, ADT is the only security company offering monitored flood detectors.

Apple

Apple has been an influential company for decades, but with the creation of the iPhone, Apple took the world by storm. Their iPod device already introduced the world to a new way of listening to music, but the iPhone introduced a new way of doing almost everything; from shopping to taking care of children. Apple not only improved civilization’s standard of living through a few devices, but through the innovations that they continue to achieve.

Tesla

Tesla, one of the few companies founded by Elon Musk, was created with an innovative vision. Focused on sustainability, with three vehicle models, Tesla has surpassed their original goals. Tesla has proven to the world that efficient electric vehicles can be created, and that combustion engines are soon on their way out.

Summary

Each of these companies has played a role among the others at some point during their history. It can even be argued that they play a role among each other daily. However, there is no denying that each of these companies has permanently change our standard of living for the better.

Filed Under: Business, Dreams & Desires, Inspirational, Mentors, News Tagged With: ADT, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Tesla

How to Keep Your Travel Expenses in Check During Your Business Trip

March 20, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

The expenses of a business trip can add up very quickly. Many people use business trips as an opportunity to splurge on a few things and enjoy their travels while accomplishing work. This splurge places the stress on business owners to find sources to pay for the travels. With some creative thinking and a few solid plans, keeping business trip expenses down can be a simple task.

Rentals

With the advent of ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, it is not as necessary to have a business car rental. There are plenty of cases where a company should rent cars, but it is not as essential as it used to be. For example, if your employees fly to a city, they can travel throughout the town by using one of the ride-share services to go to their destinations.

If you do need to pay for a business car rental, arriving prepared with your car insurance can help lower the cost of a rental. Employees can also carpool with one another to reduce the number of vehicles that a business needs to rent. According to Avis, if you enroll in their Avis for Business program, you get access to exclusive service advantages and rewards from 30% off base rates to getting a free day for every 15 rental days. This is how many car rental agencies act.

Travel Rewards

Take advantage of the reward programs offered by any airlines and hotels that your business commonly uses. In exchange for your continued business, many airlines and hotels offer their customers discounts and free services. By remaining loyal to a select few companies, your business can reap rewards that will ultimately save you money.

You can receive miles from flying with specific airlines. Accruing points through particular car rental companies is also an option. It allows you to earn a return on the investment necessary to build your business and brand. Make the most of the opportunities for traveling that you have.

Virtual Meetings

During a business trip, your employees may not need to travel to as many destinations to get business done. Make a note of the clients that will not mind having a virtual meeting and have your employees conduct business with them virtually. This meeting will save a little on travel expenses, which adds up over time.

Conclusion

The key to keeping your business’s travel expenses in check is to eliminate small costs and progress towards more significant costs. However, your primary goal should be to decrease minor costs, as these can add up quickly without being detected. Make a list of all of your business’s travel expenses, then make a note of the largest ones. After you eliminate small and unnecessary costs, begin to develop a plan for decreasing your most substantial costs. Often you will find that, like low costs, your most significant costs can be eliminated too. Technology has created many new ways to conduct business without the need to travel.

Filed Under: Business, entrepreneurs, Travel Tagged With: Business Travel, Car Rental, Expenses

How to Become a Respected and Engaging Leader in Your Workplace

March 15, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

Becoming a workplace leaders does not always mean that you are given a title and a pay raise, at least initially. You may have to prove yourself first. Fortunately, it is not that hard to do when you utilize the following strategies.

Lead by example.

Dress, speak, and act the part of the leader you want to become. Treat others the way you want to be treated to earn their respect. Don’t play favorites; instead, view everyone as equal. Perform your work in a positive and productive way to let others see that you are serious about your job and expect others to be, as well. Avoid negative behaviors such as being overly critical, judgmental, or biased. Maintain ethical integrity and encourage employees to do the same.

Apply leadership tactics.

Read books about leadership and study positive role models. Then do as they suggest to build rapport and gain respect at work. Plan projects efficiently to ensure success, selecting the most suitable individuals for each role. Monitor without micromanaging. Provide adequate training and skill-building opportunities to help employees reach their potential and excel at their jobs. Use company resources prudently to build success.

Encourage input.

An interactive workplace is more effective than one that operates from the top down. Use various means to solicit employee suggestions and feedback. For example, a suggestion box may attract new ideas or recommendations. Company newsletter recognition fosters awareness and appreciation of employee efforts. Meetings or focus groups enable employees to have a say about their department’s performance or problems. An interactive in-house discussion board may elicit informal comments or insights. Employees who feel valued are more like to respect and follow company leadership.

Provide structure.

Employees want to know how the company is doing and where it is headed. Routine updates or periodic reports will keep them apprised of the organization’s status and allow them to feel like they are part of the loop. Employees who feel disenfranchised are less productive and more likely to grumble about company policies or even leave their jobs if they are dissatisfied and feel unappreciated. Maintain a hierarchy of authority and an environment of openness to instill employees with security and a positive attitude toward your ability to lead.

It has been said that leaders are born, not made. But someone who is willing to stand up and show the way to others within a company can quickly earn respect as a leader.

Apply to attend the upcoming Business Acceleration Summit and mastermind with our industry leaders and mentors, including Forbes recognized Transformational Leadership Strategist.

Featured Image credit: ASEA

Filed Under: Business, entrepreneurs, Events, Relationships Tagged With: business, retreat, teamwork

How to Make Your Next Business Trip More Productive

March 7, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

When traveling on business, it can be hard to be productive. After all, there are a lot of factors you need to balance while away. But if you use the tips below, you can get more out of your business trip, so you can be both productive, relaxed, and happy at the end of it.

Car Rental

If you spend time waiting for public transportation, it could really eat into your trip itinerary in a big way. Furthermore, you might risk missing an important business meeting or an event. The small amount you might save by not getting a car will pale in comparison to the downsides. Car rentals allow you to have complete control over your time, which when you’re doing business is essential. Plus, renting a car is easier than it ever with online booking and confirmations.

Coworking

Having stable WIFI access is becoming more crucial for business travelers today. Without the internet, you can’t hop on to live calls or send important emails. Sometimes you can use the data from your phone, but if you’re out of the country, this strategy might not work. Coworking spaces allow you to rent an office or at least access to WIFI internet for the day, week, or month (or however long you’re traveling).

Sleep

Don’t think you can get results if you don’t get the right amount of sleep. It could be tempting to try it all while traveling by working, partying, and getting less sleep. To stay productive, get your hours of shuteye and you won’t regret it. Space out your schedule and be sure you have accommodations where you’ll feel comfortable sleeping.

Relax

Aside from simply sleeping, you also need to make sure you don’t work too hard. Take moments for yourself to relax and take in the new environment. Consider a massage or a trip to the spa. Whatever puts you in hour happy place, make sure to make it a priority.

Proximity

Book a hotel close to your event or meetings. The faster the commute time, the better. That way you can spend more time practicing what you’re going to say, and less time rushing around from place to place, even if you have a car.

Business travel can be taxing if you don’t have the right strategy to make it worth your while. So use the advice above to make your business travel productive for the present moment and the long term. Then, you’ll be able to have peace of mind that you made the most of it and didn’t waste precious time during your travels.

Would love to hear your tips and tricks for traveling.

Filed Under: Business, Events, Travel Tagged With: business trip, company, productivity, tips, travel

How to Streamline Your Company’s Clunkiest Processes

March 2, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

If you run a business of any kind, then you already have several processes in place that help you get work done in a more efficient manner. Sometimes you may not have defined exactly what these processes are, but you’re doing some kind of process whether it is efficient or not. The key is to find out which processes are necessary for your business and streamline them as much as possible. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s how to make it happen for your own company.

Define

Without a clear definition of your end goals, you are prone to run your business in circles. Start with a defined purpose for each task, not just a to-do list. For instance, emailing five customers or calling five customers might each be on your daily list, but they might support the same outcome: getting more sales. If you turn the sales steps into a documented process, you can stay focused on the end goal. This is an example of defining what you want before getting busy.

Assign a “Why”

Knowing why your outcome is what it is will help clarify your clunky processes as well. For instance, perhaps sales are important to please the shareholders and get your bonus this year. Or perhaps it’s because you need the extra capital to buy a new building. This motivation will help you keep going through the process even when it seems mundane. This can also help employees grasp a bigger picture and help them feel connected to the business as a whole.

Get the Right Tools

Without the right tools, even the best workers will suffer in terms of productivity. That’s why you need to have key systems in place that help you do more in less time, such as manufacturing software. Instead of having your projects spread out and bouncing between people or places, your project lead can delegate all manufacturing stages from one central dashboard, share files, and keep tabs on the progress of each project in real time in the cloud.

Review Regularly

Once you’ve defined what your goals are for your process and have the right tools in place, you still need to maintain it. Periodically perform a review of your systems. Make sure they are still meeting your needs and aren’t wasting more energy than necessary.

When it comes to business, efficiency is everything. Without efficient business processes, you risk wasting not just time but also money and energy from your employees. By streamlining your processes with the tips above you can enjoy a competitive advantage that puts you miles above your competition, and saves your company resources for the places you can really leverage them.

Share your favorite tool or program and how it helps streamline your processes.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, processes, productivity, project, project management