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3 Simple Phrases That Will Amplify Your Leadership

Posted: 22 Feb 2019 09:00 AM PST

Whether or not we realize it, our days are filled with assessing and measuring. We do this with our email inboxes, bank accounts and to-do lists, but how often do we appraise our leadership efforts?

Contrary to what you may think, leadership isn't a trait we're born with, but one that is honed, developed and practiced throughout our entire life – much like a habit. According to research by the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes an average of 66 days to create a habit. How many hours are you spending intentionally exercising better leadership?

If you're feeling off your leadership game lately or looking for ways to be more of a leader on your team, consider the words you're using in your daily interactions. Here are some phrases that can carry powerful positive weight.

1. "Tell me more about that."

You've just opened your email inbox on Monday morning when your colleague arrives and says hello. You typically exchange distracted small talk as you mentally prepare for the day ahead. But what if you actually listened to your colleague this time instead?

A colleague who can hold eye contact, takes an interest in others' personal matters and makes enjoyable, easy conversation is a triple-threat combination to being generally well-liked and respected. Others may then feel comfortable coming to you with questions, problems or solutions. When you picture the ideal leaders you know, don't they share these attributes?

2. "It was me!"

If there's no such thing as a perfect person, then why are we so afraid of failure? Taking responsibility for your mistakes is not fun, but it's necessary to practicing good leadership because it reveals you care more about building your character than protecting it. Great leaders understand that it's impossible to be perfect, and by vocalizing your imperfections, you are giving others the freedom to do the same.

On the flip side, when you achieve something awesome, don't be afraid to let everyone know that you worked hard to contribute to the success of the team and company. Finding opportunities to practice humility in both circumstances will challenge and grow your leadership.

3. "Well done."

When it comes to feedback, we all want it, but how much do we actually give and receive it? The power of positive feedback in the workplace is astounding. Around 69 percent of employees saying they would work harder if their efforts were better recognized, according to this study.

As leaders, it's up to us to encourage our employees to be the best they can be. See or hear someone doing something to help the team? Take a second to tell them "great job!" Reviewing a junior employee's work? Leave a positive note after your constructive criticism. Do you have a way for employees to recognize each other at work? Consider starting a kudos board, where peers can give positive feedback to each other, and watch your office engagement soar.

These action steps aren't monumental, but they're extremely meaningful. Listening, accepting responsibility and giving encouragement are small acts that can add up to a big change in your leadership skills.

 

5 Common Small Business Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Posted: 22 Feb 2019 08:00 AM PST

Owning and operating a small business is a significant undertaking. From strategy and marketing to accounting and HR, your plate is probably overflowing most of the time.

As a result, less important issues can get swept under the rug. But even the smallest item can turn into an obstacle if it isn't addressed. Here is a list of challenges that many small businesses face, and tips on how to overcome them.

Challenge #1: Complying with HR regulations

According to a survey by the National Small Business Association, the average small business owner spends $12,000 or more each year complying with human resource regulations. Not only is compliance costly, but it also requires significant time. Some take more time than others; for 51 percent of those surveyed, overtime is their most burdensome regulation to navigate.

How to overcome it

Automate payroll. If you haven't already, use a solution that will automate tracking work hours and overtime pay. This way, you can keep accurate time records for each employee and automatically calculate overtime payments and tax withholdings. By combining time tracking and payroll in a single platform, you can be confident that you are maintaining compliance while saving time and money.

Create resources. Thoroughly review your employee handbook and make sure it complies with the latest employment laws. Ask a lawyer to read over it if possible, as this proactive measure will cost you far less than a penalty for noncompliance. Share your handbook with each team member once it's completed. Then ask them to sign an acknowledgment stating that they have read and understood the most recent version.

Challenge #2: Working with a small marketing budget

Building brand awareness for your business can be tough with a limited marketing budget. You need to stand out so your ideal customer can easily find you, but this can be challenging when your competitor is using more expensive channels.

How to overcome it

Build a plan. To take full advantage of your budget, create a marketing plan. Start by setting specific goals that will help you achieve your company's objectives, like increasing your returning customers by 10 percent. Then, make a list of potential marketing activities and only pursue those that help you achieve your goal. Small businesses are often solicited for sponsorships and advertising, but before committing, make sure you can tie your investment to one of your objectives. It's OK to say "no," and always make sure you can track your activities.

Market creatively. Many digital services have a low or no-cost option that can help you effectively reach your target audience. For example, you can ask how your customers prefer to receive marketing messages and offers. You can then use that data to refine your strategy and spend money where it makes the most sense. 

If you've been using direct mail to promote your business, consider switching to email marketing, which performs 95 times better than direct mail and is much cheaper. 

You can also use blogging and social media to increase your exposure online organically. If you have room in your budget, expand your reach by boosting content or organizing a contest with your products as the prize.

Share the responsibilities. Not all marketing agencies require long-term commitments. Find a smaller agency or a professional who will work with you on a per-project basis instead of a year-long contract. Your costs will be more manageable, and you'll have access to professional help when you need it most. 

Challenge #3: Dealing with distractions

As a business owner, you not only handle your company's logistics and administrative requirements, but you also advise employees, answer phone calls, and reply to emails. With so many things fighting for your attention, it can be difficult to focus on your business.

How to overcome it

Remember the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule says that 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of the action. Identify the actions that produce the most meaningful results for your business and prioritize those over less critical activities.

Designate time. Sometimes you need to schedule time for your essential duties. Treat that time as if it were a meeting: silence your phone and mute your email notifications. You can even block off time on your calendar as a reminder.

Challenge #4: Compensating your employees appropriately

If your staff is leaving for higher paying jobs, there are significant costs incurred each time you hire and train a replacement. To recruit and retain good employees, you need to remain competitive in the job market. A report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 3.4 million U.S. workers voluntarily left their jobs in November 2018, often for more money in a new position. On average, job-hoppers saw a 30 percent higher pay raise than workers who stayed where they were.

How to overcome it

Offer personalized perks. Compensation extends beyond wages. Small businesses have the unique flexibility to offer specific incentives to employees. Consider simple rewards, like company swag, holiday bonuses, flexible work hours, or buying lunch for the whole crew during the busy season.

Try performance-based compensation. It might not be feasible to give your whole team regular raises or bonuses. Instead, try implementing a performance-based compensation system.  You'll be able to align your staff's individual goals with your business strategy and encourage your employees to exceed expectations.

Challenge #5: Burning out

Small business owners tend to work long hours and be involved in every aspect of the business. The nature of their work makes them highly susceptible to burnout and related health consequences, like depression and even heart disease. Here are some of the common signs you may be headed for burnout:

  • You're feeling exhausted and overwhelmed all the time
  • You don't sleep well
  • Your relationships seem to be suffering
  • You think about work even when you are not at work

How to overcome it

Delegate where you can. It's difficult to take time for yourself with your substantial to-do list, so consider delegating less critical tasks. Some of your employees might be driven to take on additional responsibility. Capitalize on employees' talents in your marketing endeavors. Good writers can help with blog content, organized individuals can take over event planning, and tech-savvy staff can design market research surveys. You can also use inexpensive project management software to keep track of deadlines and easily assign new tasks to your staff, so nothing falls through the cracks. 

Schedule personal time. Start small by scheduling gym time, a date night with your significant other, or a family game night. Remember: when you're taking time for yourself, turn off your phone and don't check email, so you come back to work refreshed and motivated.

It can be difficult as a small business owner to focus on growing your company while dealing with challenges. By using easy tactics, like offering personalized perks or delegating tasks, you'll be able to overcome any challenge and have your most successful year yet.

14 Features to Look For in a Well-Designed Business App

Posted: 22 Feb 2019 07:00 AM PST

Finding ways to improve how your business works is all about finding the right tools to get the job done. And in today's current technological landscape, there's perhaps no better way to test solutions than with business apps.

But what features should entrepreneurs look for in an app before adopting it? After all, with so many options out there it can be difficult to isolate which aspects could benefit — or hinder — your business' unique structure or pathway to success.

To find out more, we asked 14 entrepreneurs from YEC to share the kind of features or functions they look for in an app — and why. Here's what they said:

1. Reliable Data Synchronization

If I am to entrust my data to an application, I have to be certain that it will be synchronized across platforms flawlessly. That means encrypted data transfer, no data corruption ever, no long waits for data to be synchronized and no need for manual intervention. From a programming perspective, reliable synchronization is challenging, and I have a lot of respect for companies that get it right. - Justin Blanchard, ServerMania Inc.

2. Small Learning Curve

I think it's the golden rule of all apps that UI and UX should be familiar to users, with a small learning curve. Just as we've all gotten used to the look and feel of platforms like Office and Instagram, incorporating familiar elements from these programs into a simplistic business app design will cut down on frustration and make apps more accessible for the average user. - Kristopher Brian Jones, LSEO.com

3. Customizability

I look for apps which allow for customization to match my specific needs. Try to avoid apps that take a one-size-fits-all approach, as no two businesses are the same. Sure, many of the default settings and features are helpful but most often, customization is required to reach its maximum potential. Ideally, you want an app which has both great out-of-the-box capability and the ability to customize. - Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.

4. Speed

If an app takes too long to react, I'll usually close it. There are numerous apps out there that simply take too long to load, and I honestly think that it's a mortal sin in the world of app development. Everyone has tons of apps, photos and videos on their phones so they have limited memory and bandwidth. If your app is not light and fast, people will look for alternatives. I guarantee you that! - Amine Rahal, Little Dragon Media

5. The Space and Power It Uses

The last thing I want is an app that chews up most of my storage space and battery. Those are the types of apps I close right away and this reduces their stickiness. If I use a business app, I plan to leave it open because I want to make sure I can keep a check on it. Try to create something that doesn't take up so much space and kills your battery. - Sweta Patel, Startup Growth Mode

6. Design

An app can have a lot of bells and whistles, but if it doesn't have a user-friendly and branded design, someone else probably has it and better. Curated content, accessibility and a look that clearly speaks to the brand that owns it shows thoughtfulness to detail that I appreciate and trust — right along with the brand I initially downloaded it from! - Brandon Stapper, Nonstop Signs

7. Easy Navigation

I always appreciate apps that don't waste my time. I want to be able to see clearly or know where I would go should I click a particular button or tab. Apart from easy navigation, an app should correctly function like its web counterpart; meaning, I should be able to select objects and input information without the keyboard and mouse with no problems. - Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors

8. Measurable Impact

Business software has had an incredible impact on companies, improving marketing efficacy, increasing cross-team communication and collaboration, and reducing the number of people needed to do the same jobs. Ultimately, if I'm going to sign off on my company using a new app or software, it must have a measurable impact on my business to make the hassle of adoption and rollout worth the investment. - Jonathan Gass, Nomad Financial

9. Permissions

This may seem obvious, but there are still many business apps that completely turn me away from ever using them due to their excessive permission requirements. No, I'm not going to share my contact information or enable notifications for the benefit of streamlining one small asset of my workflow. I prefer apps that get the job done without my personal information. - Bryce Welker, CPA Exam Guy

10. Integrations

I want to make sure that I can use the app with other compatible apps that I need to use to get my job done. For example, if I'm looking to download a CRM app, I want to make sure that it integrates to my email marketing service provider to be able to get accurate numbers in the dashboard. - Jared Atchison, WPForms

11. Updates and Compatibility

If you're investing time and money on an app, you want to make sure it's still going to work in the future when you upgrade your hardware or software, add new business challenges, or have to make changes — so think ahead in terms of upgrades, training and forced obsolescence. - Sam Saxton, Paragon Stairs

12. Platform Usability

A robust business app should function seamlessly irrespective of the devices and the platform. To ensure optimal usability, the UI/UX design of the app should aim at providing native-like experience across different operating systems and adapt well to changes in screen sizes and resolutions. Designing for portrait as well as landscape orientation is also an added advantage. - Rahul Varshneya, BenchPoint

13. Offline Access

If I don't have a Wi-Fi connection and therefore I can't use your app, that's a huge downside. It's important for users to be able to access and use the app offline so that they can use it anytime and anywhere regardless of their connection. - Blair Williams, MemberPress

14. The Right Amount of Notifications

It's important for a business app to have the right amount of notifications. Not too much where you're getting a notification for every little thing and it becomes annoying, but it can't be too little either. I like getting notifications for major updates and activity. Notifications that remind me to check in if I haven't used the app in a couple of days are great because it keeps me on track. - John Turner, SeedProd LLC

What SMBs Need to Know About Electronic Logging Devices

Posted: 22 Feb 2019 05:00 AM PST

If you run a small business, you're likely either affected by or have a hand in the trucking industry. In 2017, an average of 49.3 million tons of freight were transported every day through the U.S. transit systems. Trucking and logistics are a major part of any small business, and the government is trying to better regulate the industry to cut down on hours of service fraud and improve the safety of America's roads. The electronic logging device (ELD) mandate from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) takes full effect in December 2019 and requires trucks to have an onboard device to log things like hours of service.

If you run a small fleet as part of your business, it's important to be aware of these regulations so you can institute changes if your business is affected.

 

Editor's note: Looking for a GPS fleet tracking system for your business? Complete the questionnaire below to have our sister site BuyerZone connect you with vendors that can help.

 

 

What is an ELD?

An electronic logging device is a piece of hardware that is installed on a truck to track vehicle activity. These devices ensure that your drivers are complying with hours of service (HoS) regulation, which sets driving limits in a 24-hour period and ensures drivers are taking the appropriate number of breaks.

HoS regulations require drivers to log driving, break and on-duty time. They've been around for a while, but in the past, trucking companies and drivers have used paper logs to track this time. This left considerable room for tampering and adjustment from the driver or trucking company. An ELD cannot be tampered with because it's connected to the vehicle. This provides transparency between drivers, trucking companies and the government. It also ensures that safety remains a priority. If you have an ELD, or work with a company that claims to provide ELDs, you can check this list of registered devices to ensure you're compliant. [Interested in a telematics solution for your business? Check out our best fleet tracking software of 2019.]

Who's affected?

Most trucking companies and drivers are subject to the new ELD mandate. If you're transporting goods by truck in state or across state lines, you will likely have to comply with the new rules.

There are a few exceptions to the ELD mandate that could apply to some small businesses:

  • Drivers who use paper logs no more than eight days in any given 30-day period
  • Driveaway-towaway drivers
  • Owners of motor homes or recreational vehicle trailers
  • Drivers of vehicles manufactured before model year 2000

Keep in mind that this only applies to commercial transportation companies that were required to maintain HoS records. If your business handles deliveries but your drivers don't use paper logs to track driving activity, then these new rules don't affect you.

What's the implementation schedule?

Like many government initiatives, ELD has had a long rollout so the industry has time to adjust to these new measures. ELD compliance started back in December of 2017, when paper logs were required to be phased out. As of the writing of this article, we're in phase two of the ELD compliance plan, which requires HoS tracking through either Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRD) or ELDs. These are both in-vehicle devices that cannot be adjusted or tampered with. By Dec. 16, 2019, all vehicles are expected to be using ELDs to track hours of service.

What are the penalties for a violation?

If you continue to use paper logs, use an AOBRD after Dec. 16, or fail to purchase and install enough ELDs for your fleet, you could be subject to penalties. Violations will usually impact your Safety Measurement System (SMS) score, which is a grade the FMCSA uses to regulate safety among trucking companies throughout the nation. You may also be subject to fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the incident.

How do you start?

The FCMSA has a variety of resources on its website detailing how to purchase ELDs and train drivers to use them. Finding an FCMSA-approved device is the first step in ensuring compliance. You can also partner with a telematics company that provides ELD compliance as well as various other fleet tracking services, like fuel management, driver safety performance data and route optimization. The ELD mandate will bring technology into every commercial truck on the road, opening the door for more data and more informed fleet decisions.
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