Every day the Rough Draft Solutions team meets with clients, writes content, and manages our social media platforms, but what are we like outside of work? Our backgrounds and experiences influence the work we do, so we thought you may enjoy an inside look into our personalities! Who are the writers behind the content, you ask? Amanda, Tracey, and Emily answer the questions you’re curious about.
As a business owner, your journey begins with a vision, and you develop an idea of what needs to happen and how you want things to be done. While you may have an impressive vision, the challenge is making it happen. Many times, you cannot do it on your own and will rely on employees to help you complete the work and represent your company’s mission. Once you have a team in place, the next hurdle is setting them loose to do their work. You will do your best to lead your employees in the right direction, but at what point does the directing become too much? How much managing can you do before it becomes micromanaging?
You may provide outstanding products and services, but if you don’t treat your customers right, they will find another way to get what they need. It is important to show your customers they are respected, valued and appreciated by your company. There are many simple ways to give your customers excellent service, but you want to be the business that goes above and beyond to keep your customers coming back.
Here are seven ways you can better serve and support your customers. The goal is to keep them happy and coming back for more!
Being a solo-entrepreneur definitely has its benefits - getting to do what you want when you want it and having the freedom of not managing others barely scratches the surface. But when it becomes apparent that your business needs help and you want to add people to your team, how do you know who are the right people to hire? Do you pick those with the most education? The most experience? The best personality? Which qualities are most important to look for in a new employee and which qualities should you look out for as warning signs in interviews?
Have you ever asked your employees how they want to be treated? What their expectations are for you as a boss?
The way you treat your employees has a strong influence on their productivity. In order to establish a strong and successful working relationship it’s important to treat your employees with the same respect as you would treat your best customer.
From an employee perspective, here are a few ways to treat your employees well and create a relationship that is a win-win for you both.
Starting a small business has its perks. We can follow our own creative senses, plan our own timelines, and listen to no one else’s orders but our own. But when the business begins to grow and employees come on board, we must adjust. We are accustom to leading ourselves through our business ventures, but how do we instill the same level of passion, drive and commitment to quality in our growing team? How do you direct people through the ins and outs of the processes you could do in your sleep?
Today we will share tips on how to go from being your own boss to being the boss of others, and becoming the most effective leader you can be for your company. After all, if you don't lead, who will?
Company newsletters often leave employees cringing. A hastily thrown together mix of dry policy reminders and upcoming staff meetings will more than likely wind up unread and traveling directly to the “trash” bin of every email account. A company newsletter, if done right, can be an excellent and engaging way to keep employees informed.
Think of your newsletter as a tool - it is a way to share valuable information, company events and make your business feel more like a tight-knit community. It is not a place to skimp out and scan in newspaper articles and call it "good enough." With a little effort and some intentional planning you can share relevant news, stories of interest, and even have a bit of fun.
