Business headlines have been dominated by bad news with huge layoffs in the tech sector as well as continued retail and restaurant closures. The negative attention can have taken its toll on frontline workers who usually bear the brunt of company belt tightening. The down atmosphere in business can greatly impact costs and profitability by […]
Mass Layoffs and Uncertainty Bring a Grim Mood to the Workplace Read More »
Upskilling and reskilling are trending buzzwords in the training world. When it comes to small & medium sized business, these concepts can help keep costs in check through operational efficiency and accuracy as well as drive sales through excellent customer experiences. Frontline staff have a direct impact on costs and profitability and their abilities greatly
TRAINING: Driving Growth by Upskilling and Reskilling Read More »
One of the worst things small & medium sized businesses can experience is called ‘same day attrition’. That is when a new hire quits the position on the first day they start. Posting a job opening, interviewing potential candidates, making offers and training cost time and money and the process has to be repeated when
HUMAN RESOURCES: How smooth is your onboarding process? Read More »
Customer driven small and medium sized businesses rely on their frontline teams and unfortunately, this group takes the brunt in this difficult business environment. Super demanding and difficult customers, potential for crime and shopfitting, shrinking resources, increasing costs and a sketchy economy can easily take its toll on morale and motivation on staff who are
OPERATIONS: Keeping Morale and Motivation Up in Uncertain Times Read More »
While inflation and dicey economic conditions are a major concern, 61% of small business owners surveyed by the US Chamber of commerce have a positive outlook on business for 2024. Even with the rosy outlook, more owners reported a decline in profitability versus growth at 39% and 31% respectively. Customer driven businesses could be facing
Top 3 Small Business Trends for 2024 Read More »
As the holiday season winds down, small & medium sized customer driven businesses see a slowdown in traffic during the first month of the new year. This downtime for business is an excellent opportunity to thoroughly analyze and inspect all facets of the operation. A detailed look at how the business runs could identify opportunities
OPERATIONS: Impacting the Bottom Line During Business Slowdowns Read More »
2024 could be a major pivot year for customer driven small and medium sized businesses. Consumer sentiment has moved steadily into the positive but growth and profitability will be driven mostly by increased efficiency and productivity. Frontline teams that have direct engagement with customers are crucial in the success of any operation. An ongoing question
TRAINING TRENDS: Closing the Skills Gap in 2024 Read More »
2023 was a tough year for small and medium sized businesses with 2024 prospects not looking that much brighter. While consumer spending may have inched up slightly, operational costs continue to soar and the labor market continues to tighten which puts a real spotlight on efficiency in the new year. Every process from internal procedures
TRAINING TRENDS: Focus on Efficiency in 2024 Read More »
One of the biggest challenges facing customer driven businesses is attracting and keeping quality new hires. In the post-pandemic world, labor pools have shrunk and good candidates are even in shorter supply. A recent study by Gartner paints a grim picture, suggesting that 51% of potential new hires decline offers or don’t even respond to
When it comes to customer driven businesses, people are usually at the core of the operation and what those people produce influences how profitable the enterprise can be. The most efficient organizations have highly skilled workers in the core group that can perform tasks and complete jobs quickly and efficiently. A sole manager would be
MANAGEMENT: Mentoring Unlocks Individual Potential with Long Term Benefits Read More »