Jun 5, 2018 | Business, Motivation, Positivity, Productivity
We’re here to tell you about the perks and benefits of bringing in an intern.
Interns can benefit you and your business in tremendous ways, so if you’ve ever considered hiring an intern but haven’t been sold on the idea, keep reading!
Interns are an incredibly valuable addition to any business. They are little to no cost but provide skills and a fresh perspective that could prove invaluable. By bringing in an intern, especially someone young and foreign to the processes and ways of your company, you could gain an outsiders perspective to the business.
Another perk of a young intern is that they could enhance your social strategy. Sit down with your intern and talk to them about what current social media strategies you have in place, if any. Go through your social media campaigns and ask them questions and listen to their ideas. Young people learnt social media from a personal level and may know features and tools that you haven’t thought about but could be useful for your businesses social media platform.
Interns provide an extra set of hands which could prove especially helpful if you run a small business and find some tasks aren’t getting as much attention. In saying that, don’t hire an intern purely because you need extra help. You should have a clear direction for your intern and an idea of where you want them to be by the time they have completed their internship with you. While the idea of free help is nice, and you should take advantage of that, you should also be mindful of what a fantastic opportunity it is to mentor your intern. Ensure you have time to mentor your intern, perhaps sit down and block out time with them to make sure they are getting briefed on what you expect from them and allow them to ask you questions. You get to guide them and if you provide a good experience, they will go on and tell their friends and family about your business and the workplace environment which results in free advertising for you and maintains a good reputation within the community.
By having a clear direction and plan for your intern and giving them responsibility to complete tasks that go beyond basic administrative duties, you can have a better indication of what kind of worker they are and if it would be worth employing them on a part-time or full-time basis once their internship is complete. Internships are brilliant ways to trial potential employees as you don’t lose money and you’re getting a person who you know wants to be there is willing to dedicate and donate their time to you and your business. While they undertake their internship, you should note what they do that you find valuable to your business, what your business could provide to them if they were a hired employee (e.g. learning experiences), and what their working relationship is like with fellow co-workers and yourself.
As we were saying before, you shouldn’t bring on an intern purely for the free-help. Some internships also come with financial benefits. This is another reason NOT to bring on an intern. The financial incentive may be enticing but if you don’t have a clear program or end goal for your intern, they will spend 4-12 weeks bored and will leave having wasted their time and having not learned anything. This will leave them with a bad impression of you and your business. Even if you don’t have the intent of hiring your intern once they’ve completed their internship, you should aim to have them gain something by the end of it. Be it a reference, a recommendation for another role, or just to have learned and furthered their skills within the internship. It cannot be a one-sided relationship. So, have a think about what you need and what you can offer. If you and your business are ready, bringing on an intern could be one of the best choices you make for your business and could lead to meeting a highly valued potential employee. A great book to read which outlines an internship well for both the intern and host is Etiquette of an Intern by Kate Stagg.
Earn whilst they learn
The governments PATH Internship program is a great way to employ youth. From 1 April 2017, a new voluntary 4 to 12 week Internship Programme commenced as part of the Youth Employment Package.
Job seekers are eligible to participate if they are:
- 17 to 24 years of age
- receiving an income support payment
- registered in either jobactive, Transition to Work or Disability Employment Services, and
- have been receiving employment services for 6 months or more
Participants will automatically be paid a new $200 fortnightly supplement. This will be in addition to their income support payment and will not be treated as income for social security means testing purposes. Hosts also get paid $1000 to host them throughout the placement with job placement at the end if they are successful.
Do you want more advice on ways to grow and improve your business? Come see us at OnPoint Strategy today or contact us at hello@onpointstrategy.com.au
May 5, 2018 | Budgeting, Business, Self-care
Stay in Budget with Food & Fuel
We can all judge our bills when it comes to electricity, gas and mobiles as we can estimate usage based on previous usage. But when it comes to food, depending on how hungry we can get, we can all blow the budget without realising. When budgeting for your business and personal life it is imperative you take control of all elements of your spending. If you find there are areas that are not controlled, start thinking about what you can implement to reign in your spending. The two main areas we find business owners don’t track closely enough is fuel and food.
Here are some tips to stay within budget
Get a fuel card
Whether you are a sole trader or a business with multiple cars on the road, get a fuel card. We personally use Caltex simply because it is located the closest to our home and work. By having a fuel card we decrease fuel cost, gain points in Coles due to the account being linked and it tracks our spend. End of each month we get a statement showing what we purchased with payment later being debited direct form our account, this also give us the data showing us how often we refill.
Do online shopping
Ever shopped whilst you were hungry? Most of us leave work and head straight to the shops to buy the food for the evening meal, end of day feeling starving. What does this mean, we buy based on our wants and not our need’s. Sitting down to schedule a weekly delivery based on organizing your meals for the week ahead means you overall will spend less and eat healthier. There’s a reason they strategically place the fresh bread at the entrance, the smell is supposed to make us hungry prior to shopping.
Click & Collect
Can’t take a delivery at home, or maybe it’s for a delivery for a work function? Coles click and collect allows you to shop online and collect your groceries when it suits you. This allows you to stay within budget whilst still being able to collect, a win win!
Receive a daily agenda
A useful but very hidden feature is to receive a daily email digest of all Calendar events, a handy way to stop them sneaking up on you and missing appointments. Accessed by clicking the gear icon > settings> select the calendar you want> go to general notifications and choose ‘daily agenda’ box, then select ‘email’.
Looking to set up a budget for your business? Contact us to discuss how processes in your business can ease up time for yourself hello@onpointstrategy.com.au
Apr 5, 2018 | Business, Self-care
Here’s a question to ask yourself; When did you last give yourself a self-care service?
Much like owning a car, we prioritise many things over our own health. Today we are going to look at a self-care strategy in order to be successful in business.
Keeping up with the everyday pressures of running a business can leave business owners exhausted, both mentally and physically. It’s time to get out of the fast lane and rethink your approach to self-care and your personal success.
We all travel around with these micro computers in our pocket, known as the smart phone. ‘Normal’ over the past decade has well and truly been redefined due to these technological disrupters. We now communicate 24/7, including those running a business, allowing ourselves no time to switch off. Technology has created a marketplace for an array of business disruptions, putting more and more pressure on the business owner to have hold of the wheel! No matter where you turn as a business owner, you are under immense pressure to perform. We simply are not coping. 1 in 5 Australians each year suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, counting for the second highest group of Insurance claims in Australia. Is it time for you to build in a self-care strategy?
Are you a high achiever?
High achievers in business are passionate, driven individuals who want to succeed. They set their mind to something and making it happen. This is a great quality to have if you are looking to make a success out of running a business, or setting your career destination for fast progression.
However, this drive and determination, along with running a business, having a partner, children and overall life responsibilities, is where the cracks in the road appear. High achievers believe they can do everything, and all at once. What would have worked well, as someone setting out in the 20s, is a totally different challenge at 40, with children. The day comes when you simply don’t have the energy to work into the night, you start to hit a wall, its usually emotionally and then physically draining, all by 8pm.
High achievers don’t generally believe in limits
Humans are not machines
No matter how much drive or talent you have, it’s good to remind yourself that you are not a machine. However, thinking about it, serviced machines are looked after better than ourselves. We agree we need rest, holidays, time out but when life and work takes over these take the back seat. We sacrifice all those things that come under self-care.
The challenge is we do not take time to analyse what we are doing to our bodies, emotions and close relationships generally until it is too late.
Here is a guide to a few self-care strategies:
Respect yourself | You need to take time to fully respect yourself in order to effectivity care for yourself. As you get older your needs change, you need to respect yourself enough to learn what you now need, to relax and have energy, to achieve business success, along with the life you want to lead.
Deliberate planning | You plan your business strategically but do you take time to plan your life? Work in order to live, don’t live to work. Technology doesn’t allow for us to take time out, so deliberately plan time out.
Create a default diary | Leave space in your diary each day for ‘you time’, don’t max out your day. Reflection time each day could just mean a matter of a 10minute walk, a manicure or massage, or laying out on the lawn absorbing the sun’s rays. Whatever you need to do to relax, allow yourself time.
Replenish | Find a passion other than work. Maybe it’s a sport, reading, riding a horse, gardening. It will do you the world of good, and only benefit you when you are in the workplace.
Weekly rhythm | Create a time off structure, don’t work every second, of each day. You can use any structure as long as it’s consistent. You could choose a day off a week, one weekend each month, a week off per quarter and a 2 week annual holiday. It’s up to you to find the right rhythm.
Business success is more like cruising the Great Northern Highway than shooting up the Freeway. Create that foundation of self-respect in order for you discover a self-care strategy that works for you.
Looking to gain time in your business to allow for self-care? Contact us to discuss how processes in your business can ease up time for yourself hello@onpointstrategy.com.au
Mar 5, 2018 | Business, Productivity
Customers are remarkably important in any business.
They are a valuable asset that can help you grow and give you direction. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to a specific software/system that is designed to help keep track of your leads and clients and your interactions with them. CRM software allows you to record all of your clients’ personal details and can help organise them in segments that mirror each part of your own specific sales process.
Regardless of the size of your business, having a CRM software in use is going to be a big help to you. We’re going to go through 4 big ways you can benefit from CRM!
CRM Integrations and Automation
Integration is a brilliant way to save time and allow you to focus on some of the more important parts of your role. By integrating all the many systems that manage things such as accounting, mailing, quotes, etc. that take up your time on a daily basis, you’re able to let the CRM take some of the control and responsibility as it automates the smaller tasks and allow you to focus more on your customers and less about making sure the finer details are updated.
If you look at the example below, you can have a more clear understanding of how we can use CRM and integrations. As you can see by looking at the image below, the forms from the website speak directly to the CRM software, Insightly CRM in this case. From there, the CRM automatically updates the appropriate MailChimp list, the quoting system Quotient, and the accounting system QuickBooks. Insightly also updates each incoming client on which pipeline stage they are in, being a lead, an opportunity, or placing them in the project stage.
You benefit by having integrations and automation set up in your CRM software as it remembers things that might slip your mind, in your busy day to day life. You will receive follow-ups on quotes, you have a clear indication of on-going projects and what stage your clients are in, and your mailing list will always be updated ensuring a clear line of communication with your leads and clients, or customers.
Information Organisation
CRM allows you to store information about a large range of clients and leads and records your interaction with each of them. It allows you to see what stage of the pipeline they are in, allowing you to better understand what you need to provide them, and what they need to do to get the best out of your service. By having everything stored and recorded in one system, you avoid the awkward fumbling between files and papers in the office and allow you to simply bring up your selected client and access everything you need within minutes.
Stronger Relationships
CRM not only allows you to build upon and strengthen the relationships with your clients, but it also helps manage your reputation. In order to maintain success in your business, listening to both your potential and active clients and ensuring their needs are being met quickly is crucial. A good reputation and customer relationship will bring in more business. People like to know that they’re being heard, especially when they’re paying for a service. As we spoke about in the automation and integration portion of this post, by having your CRM set up you’re able to ensure a clear line of communication between you and your client and having all of their data and information in one spot will help you answer their questions as they come and won’t leave you blindsided or fumbling through files to find the necessary information.
Going Paperless with CRM Software
By utilising a CRM system, you are going to be doing the environment a favour by cutting out all of the unnecessary files and forms that are not only bad for the environment but also clutter your office and workspace. CRM software allows you to digitalise all of the important information about your clients and customers, as well as allow you to scan and upload documents to your client files. This means you can ditch the endless stacks of paper in your office and have everything you need easily accessible through one portal.
These are only a few of the benefits that you will find once you jump in to CRM. You will find more and more ways that it can benefit you, your business, your staff and most importantly, your customers. If you’re looking to implement a CRM system in your workplace, we recommend looking at Zoho and Insightly. However, your budget and specific needs might prefer another system. Regardless of what system you choose, CRM is undoubtedly necessary for your business and we hope this blog post helps you in strengthening and growing in the customer relationship journey.
Would you like to find out how we can help you and your business with the use of a CRM? Contact OnPoint! Strategy today hello@onpointstrategy.com.au or call +61 435 718 193
Feb 5, 2018 | Business, Motivation, Positivity
What does it mean to be Resilient in business?
So what does it mean to be resilient in business? Let’s look at a definition of what resilience means;
resilience rɪˈzɪlɪəns/ noun
- the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness
- the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
The 3 key concepts in what building resilience as business people are
- Toughness
- Bounce-back ability
- Capacity to recover quickly
Being tough in business has to do with both action and mental health. Being tough in business isn’t just about taking the punches or blows that happen from time to time. Like having to lay staff off, losing a big client, going through an HR issue, losing money on a business deal etc.
It’s also about having mental toughness by not taking offence…like not being offended when a trusted adviser tells you the truth with love, or when a situation presents itself where you were wrong and you needed to explain yourself.
Bounce-back is the ability to not let whatever circumstance presented to you allow you to stay stuck. Having the ability to bounce back means that you process the grievance or event, decide what action needs to be taken and do that. It’s about not getting stuck in the emotional tug of war.
Finally, the capacity to recover quickly is paramount. You always need to be moving forward. It’s not enough to just be tough, take it and bounce-back, it’s also about quick recovery. Putting you as quickly back into the game as possible, without fuss, argument or fanfare, just doing it! This can be a long journey, as if it isn’t a natural thing for you to do, i.e. practice resilience, then just put one foot in front of the other…Practice in this case won’t make you perfect but it will make you more resilient, and your emotional downtime will get less and less, until eventually you will process and bounce-back quickly.
Donna Bates is a Business & Marketing Strategist specialising in Growth & Upscaling hello@onpointstrategy.com.au
Jan 5, 2018 | Business, Marketing
Change is one of those things, that doesn’t come naturally to most business owners, or managers.
It is the biggest pain point for most growing and evolving businesses, and the number 1 reason why companies and businesses fail to grow to their potential – they literally are falling over themselves…they become their own hurdle.
Change often evolves from a crisis arising in a business, and the fear is that it is going to be difficult, painful and push us into our “uncomfortable” place. Low or no profits, mounting debts, staffing issues, stop-work meetings, even too much work…you name it…a crisis point can arise and drive behaviours like nothing else.
Many companies I’ve worked with consulting for marketing or business strategy, was really born out of a need for change, some type of pain catalyst that became unbearable and pushed them into action. This week’s blog is looking at how structured/managed change can completely transform a business, whether the business manager or owner is ready for it or not.
Structured change is positive, and can lead to total transformations in business environments, but the implementation can often create blind spots if not done correctly.
One of my favourites of recent reads is by Stephen Hay and his book is free! (I’m not an affiliate, or get any kickbacks, I just like his style and so am sharing it here…)
Partial implementation of change, whether it be systems or people, can create an adverse result, rather than the initial desired effect.
“Most change management theories and business consulting models start with the view that you need to identify the future you want and then plan a pathway to get there. The status quo in organisations exists only as something to be moved away from. But what if this approach creates blind spots and contributes to the high percentage of corporate change projects that fail? Change projects fall short because the people involved don’t understand the uniqueness of the organisation they are seeking to change. You can turn your corporate change initiative into something clearly defined that fits your organisation like a glove and takes into account the people, the place, the work, and all forms of ROI – tangibles (time and money), intangibles, and strategic advantage. Deliver complete change throughout your organisation, not just one part of it.” Stephen Hay
Why do business owners or companies only grab one part of the puzzle?
This is mainly because as businesses or consultants structured to help may only look at their own speciality ie. one piece of the organisational pie. For example, a problem presents itself with staffing or recruiting, so a business owner goes to see a recruiting or HR specialist, only to find out that once they’ve worked through the issues with the consultant, that the real issue, which was systems and process related, has started up and the business is again at the mercy of an “HR problem” which in reality, is they have outgrown their manual systems and processes putting more time pressure on staff, and is more a technology issue.
It’s at these pain points that by looking at the entire organisation as a living organism, and writing a strategic plan that takes into consideration all facets of the organisation, we can see what really is going on in the business. Its then that you can stand back and look at the big picture and start prioritising what projects are going to be tackled first, giving the best overall effect.
Donna Bates is a Business & Marketing Strategist specialising in Growth & Upscaling contact her hello@onpointstrategy.com.au
