As an entrepreneur, you have a variety of matters that you have to see to on a day-to-day basis. From managing your personnel to ensuring that your products and services meet the highest standards, it can often seem like employee satisfaction isn’t as high a priority. Neglecting the satisfaction of your workers, however, can be a grave mistake for any business owner. Ultimately, you want to do what you can to create the sort of professional environment that people want to be in. Taking the time and putting in the effort to improve your work environment for your team will help to improve employee retention rates and overall keep your workers happy. When your employees look forward to coming in to work every day, they are more likely to perform better and produce quality work for you. There are many aspects of your work environment that you might need to address in order to make the necessary improvements. Here are just a few to consider looking into so that you can create an overall better work environment for your employees. Start With Cleanliness The best place to start when you are looking to improve the quality of your work environment is with the cleanliness of the space. No matter how functional an office space may be, people are going to notice if it isn’t clean. A work environment that isn’t as clean as it should be can be off-putting and generally make your workers uncomfortable. The best way to address the cleanliness of your workplace is to have the space professionally cleaned thoroughly. Once that is done, you should look to hire a quality office cleaning Hobart service that can come and clean your offices on a routine basis. With a cleaner workspace, your employees will be much happier with their environment when they are on the job. Improve Functionality Once things are clean and tidy, you should address the functionality of the workspace that you are looking to improve. Again, depending on the sort of business that you run, your workers might have specific needs in regard to the functionality of the space they work in. Make sure that everyone has enough space and breathing room in order to do their jobs well. For instance, if your employees tend to handle or discuss confidential information with clients, you should ensure that they all have access to privacy so that they can do their jobs properly while protecting the customer’s information. Address Personnel Issues The physical improvements that you make to a workspace are only part of creating a better overall work environment. You also need to address any issues with personnel that might be going on with your team. One bad apple in the bunch is enough to drive your talented workers elsewhere. So if you sense that not all is well among your employees, do what you can to get to the bottom of things and make any changes that you see fit to...

Instead of just telling you why personal branding is essential, it might be more effective to give you some examples of other entrepreneurs who illustrated just how crucial personal branding could be. Here are five people who started as entrepreneurs but knew early on that, as a business leader, it was just as essential to build their own reputation as it was to build the company’s. Whitney Wolfe Herd Whitney Wolfe Herd recently made headlines as the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire when she took her dating app, Bumble, public. She has been in the public’s eye for longer than just recently, though, having been involved in getting the dating app Tinder off the ground, as well as ventures before that in the nonprofit world. Whitney Wolfe Herd has meticulously crafted a personal brand around her wild success, taking the lead in empowering other women to take on leadership roles as well. She’s also built a reputation around standing up for herself when she filed a lawsuit against Tinder in 2014 for harassment. Her personal brand is all about building other women up in the world of business.  Bill Gates A household name around the world, Bill Gates is a constant fixture on the list of the wealthiest people in the world, usually trading places with the likes of Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, and Elon Musk. However, he didn’t start rich and famous; he and Paul Allen cultivated a public persona of a couple of “wunderkinds” who were constantly innovating in the world of software and personal computing. This personal brand allowed them to find Microsoft, create a reputation for excellence, and land lucrative contracts with IBM computers. Today, Gates has moved outside of the world of computers and is well-known for his philanthropy. Personal Branding Tips Warren Buffett Warren Buffett’s name is synonymous with being an expert investor, and this reputation didn’t come around by accident. From an early age, Buffett was constantly looking for ways to turn his money into more money, but he had to build a personal brand to get people to trust him enough to invest in his company. Without a proven track record of success, Buffett had only his personal brand to convince his friends. And convince them he did, along the way founding one of the most profitable companies in the world, Berkshire Hathaway. Elon Musk More people probably know Elon Musk’s name than either of his businesses, Tesla or SpaceX, and that’s because his personal brand is larger than life. A self-made billionaire, Musk was involved in two massive buyouts when he was young, helping to cofound Zip2 and PayPal and receiving a big payday when Microsoft and eBay acquired them, respectively. Elon Musk has long proven himself a visionary, and when he speaks, multiple industries listen; his Tweets have been enough to affect the stock market. Musk proves that there’s a lot more to business than just a fancy logo (but if you need help designing a logo, check out LogoCreator, where you can do it for free). Richard Branson The final entry on our list is Sir Richard Branson, an Englishman who founded the Virgin Group and is one of the world’s wealthiest men. His entire company is built around his fun, energetic, adventurous brand, and has become an innovative and daring company. Branson’s company follows his lead, and most people know his name and what he means. He’s a successful example of an entrepreneur whose personal brand could take his company to incredible heights. All of these insanely wealthy people started out as simple entrepreneurs, but they grasped early on the importance of getting publicity around their personality...

If you’re serious about carving out an authoritative name for yourself in your niche business sector, you’re going to need to put the advice laid out below into practice. Here are four steps you must take to become a successful entrepreneur: Learn to persevere As you embark on your business venture, you will undoubtedly encounter a number of challenges. If you’re to overcome these hurdles, you’re going to need to learn how to persevere. Quite simply, perseverance is key in the world of entrepreneurialism. If you’re serious about cultivating this all-important attribute, be sure to put the advice laid out below into practice: 1. Maintain a level of optimism at all times 2. Accept and anticipate change 3. Stand up for what you believe in 4. Never be afraid to ask for help 5. Stop letting your past rule your present Steps to Become a Successful Entrepreneur Challenge yourself You’re never going to get anywhere in your career as an entrepreneur if you allow yourself to stagnate. If you’re to achieve your wildest dreams in the world of business, it’s imperative that you challenge yourself on a daily basis. In order to perform this all-important task, you’re going to need to step out of your comfort zone from time to time. The prospect of trying different things and opening yourself up to new experiences will be scary, there’s no doubt about that, but you should never let your fears cloud your judgment in this instance. Stop listening to that voice in your head and partake in activities that help you grow and develop as an entrepreneur! For advice on what you must do to push yourself out of your comfort zone, be sure to check out this helpful article. Be passionate If your work lacks passion, you can bet your last dollar that you won’t get very far in your entrepreneurial endeavor. If you’re to retain a high level of day-to-day determination, it’s imperative that you remain passionate about your industry for as long as you possibly can. Should you ever lose this passion, you should seriously consider branching out and trying your hand at something new. Market your services effectively It doesn’t matter how good you are at your job — if you don’t market your services in a highly effective fashion, you’re never going to draw any kind of attention or, in turn, custom. You might not be a skilled marketer, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot promote yourself effectively. There are many straightforward avenues that you can take in your attempt to advertise your services, one of which is text message marketing. With Tatango’s SMS campaign software at your disposal, you will be afforded the opportunity to send text messages out directly to your consumers’ smartphones. This will help you cultivate a clear and coherent flow of communication with your target audience, which will be sure to work wonders for your brand image going forward. Want to maximize your potential as an entrepreneur? If so, be sure to heed the advice laid out...

Boss’s Day is celebrated on October 16th every year and was created by Patricia Bays Haroski. It was registered as a holiday back in 1958 but only began to grow in popularity in 1979 after Hallmark started creating cards.  Fun Fact: Patricia chose October 16th as the day to celebrate because it was her father’s birthday! Though Boss’s Day celebrations have been around for more than 60 years, they’ll look a lot different this year as employees and managers celebrate the day remotely. Unfortunately, there won’t be any large team lunches or after-hours celebrations. But there are still plenty of ways to show your managers you appreciate them without meeting in person.  The team at Wikibuy put together some unique Boss’s Day gifts that you can buy online, depending on what your boss prefers.  However, before you decide to buy a gift for your boss, make sure to ask yourself if you should. Some companies have policies that don’t allow gift giving among teams. Also think about if your boss will appreciate the gift or if they might feel uncomfortable.  When in doubt, it’s best practice to buy something simple and genuine. You should always avoid alcohol-related gifts, as well as lotion, perfume, grooming products and anything with a religious or political message.  Explore the visual below to help you plan your virtual Boss’s Day. Some Funny Boss Day MessagesHappy Boss’s Day from your favorite employee!Managing people isn’t easy, especially with knuckleheads like me in the office. How do you do it?You’re the best boss I’ve ever had, and I’m not just saying that because I want a raise.You make every day feel like Casual Friday.Wanted to wish you a Happy Boss’s Day on Facebook since I know you spend most of your day on...

“Never waste a good opportunity to learn from a bad manager.” Employee turnover is maximum attributed to bad management by managers and it is crucial for the managers to learn to be emotionally emphathetic. What makes a great manager? Great managers exhibit the following traits: Connect people to purpose – They create a clear line of sight between the work of the individuals, the team and the larger company vision. Give feedback – They give timely and impactful feedback by emotionally investing themselves in the employee growth. Support career development- Follows a tailor made approach to suit the needs of each employee, guide and support them to grow into a better individual personally and professionally. Communicate effectively – Through open communication they inform, connect and engage team members. Try to first understand why your employees aren’t motivated They aren’t tied to the visionThey don’t know how their work has an impact on the big pictureThey aren’t clear on expectationsThey aren’t getting consistent feedbackThey don’t feel like a part of the teamTheir passions/strengths don’t align with the work they doThey don’t feel trustedThey are not good fit for the company cultureThey feel burnt out What makes you a bad manager ? Don’t micromanage – Micromanagement takes away the enthusiasm and energy from employees by creating the impression that they are not be trusted, valuable or even in control of their own projects. Don’t be a bully – Don’t publicly humiliate or privately threaten your employees. Don’t be a saboteur – Don’t take credit for others’ ideas and blame others while jobs are not done well. Give a fair share of recognition and appreciation to employees. The cost of a bad manager – Employees with a negative impression on their managers leave the company at the rate of 56% more than the usual. Okay, now, here are some really useful tips to handle a toxic work environment for employees who suffer under the influence of a bad manager! How to Handle a Toxic Environment ? Plan an exit strategy even if it is not tomorrow. Make plans to get the ball rolling. Keep your space positive– be it your desk, wall, cabinet or locker. Create a list to help you stay focused – this will help you to create a plan so as to avoid negative situations as much as possible. Leave work at work – leave the negative energy at work. Try to create healthy habits and routines along with coping methods to replenish your energy Keep a log of things that are happening – you might not know when you might need them as evidence, such as emails, screen shots etc., Stay away from the drama– don’t get swallowed up in the toxic energy. Talk to a trusted friend or co-worker about what’s going on, but don’t ever get caught up in the...