This works for all businesses! If you’re in Marketing, consulting, or coaching, this applies even more to your field!
What Got you Off the Island is Not What this is Keeps You Growing Hack
Ryan Holiday What shifts you have to make as an entrepreneur when you scale:
The best way I can describe it is a baseball analogy. In the Dominican Republic, there is a saying in the baseball league that you can’t walk off the island, which means you have to hit your way off in the baseball league. The players that make it off the island are usually some of the best hitters. But once they get into the major league, it becomes different, because it’s about bat discipline and talent is very different. So, what got you there to get off the island is not going to be what allows you to maintain your success because you’re in a whole different league. That is what it’s like when you are scaling your company. What got you there is not going to be exactly what allows you to scale to another level! Be ready to shift and pivot and learn in order to grow!
Not the How, But the Who Hack –
Dan Sullivan:
As you scale, there are going to be all areas in your company that is going to require your attention, from sales to marketing, to operations. So how do you take all of this on and still manage to scale? There’s a great hack for it! It’s called not the how but the who rules! Once you figure out what you need to scale (process, sales, marketing, etc.), don’t ask yourself WHAT do I need to learn? Ask WHO is the best at that and get them on board! This will allow you to scale quickly vs. having to go learn another skillset now vs. staying in the lane where your talents are best served! So, to scale, instead of just figuring out the what, you need to figure out The Who, so you can do it faster!
Be Cautious and Bold Hack –
Mindset for scaling:
you Must exercise your caution in laying out your plans but be bold in carrying them out. A man who is all cautious will never dare to take hold and be successful, and a man who is all bold is merely reckless, and must eventually fail. You must have both the caution and the boldness, to ensure success.
How to Keep from Falling When you’re Experiencing Success Hack
David Metzer:
I think the biggest thing that led to my downfall was losing my values. There are really only a few things I use now to play the top of my game and stay there. Number one gratitude; just being grateful for whatever you have, no matter how big or small. Number two is Empathy for others. As I got into this competitive world, I became an asshole. I was more worried about taking rather than giving that I really didn’t focus on anyone else and I went straight to blame and shame and justification, as I was Midas! Meaning I turned everything into Gold, right? So, it had to be everyone else’s fault. Number three is accountability. There are two parts to this one: what was as my part that the thing that went wrong, and what lesson did I learn so I don’t go thru this again. The fourth is effective communication. What I mean by that is not just being a team leader and effectively communicating with everyone on your team on what you want and how to run a company. Rather, what I mean is that I had lost my ability to effectively communicate what inspired me! When I was making money and I got done with spending it, it took me a while to learn that I need to give back and be of service. I wish I would’ve done it when I had the money instead of having to lose it and build it back up again. But that’s part of lesson learning that I have here, so I can inspire others so they can avoid the same mistakes.
Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.
Today's businesses work under a stiff, competitive business climate, as every organization likes to maintain its competitive edge in the market. In such a scenario, the assistance of a Franchise consultant can be a game changer for you.
A survey found that 78% of businesses have a presence in both online and offline modes of marketing. Therefore, a franchise consultant can help your business grow faster in such a scenario. As it follows the rule of competitive business intelligence.
If you go by the terminology of marketing strategy, then Franchise business models use push strategy. You must know the work process of a Franchise consultant before seeking their help.
Essential Role Of A Franchise Consultant
A franchise consultant like one from Infinity Business Growth Network is integral to business expansion through franchising.
The knowledge of the franchise consultant enables them to offer invaluable insights, ensuring businesses can maneuver through the franchising landscape with expertise.
They are pivotal in crafting bespoke franchise models aligned with a company's ethos and growth aspirations.
The franchise consultant's role extends to executing market analysis, identifying apt franchisee profiles, and fostering a conducive environment for franchising success.
The meticulous approach of franchise consultants empowers businesses to capitalize on franchising opportunities effectively. Thus mitigating risks and maximizing potential rewards.
Through their guidance, companies are well-versed in embarking on a structured path toward scaling their operations, harnessing the consultant's strategic insight to navigate the complex dynamics of franchising.
How A Franchise Consultant Can Tailor Your Expansion Strategy
Engaging a franchise consultant offers the distinct advantage of customizing your expansion plan to match your business's needs and ambitions. It also delivers the guidance necessary to increase your brand awareness.
1. Offers Strategic Franchise Marketing Opportunity
A quality franchise consultant can help your business develop and find the right target audience by creating compelling marketing materials. Furthermore, they can help you to implement the correct marketing campaigns.
This will help you to generate steady leads for your business. Additionally, this can make the franchise business model process work perfectly well for you.
2. Delivers Operational Support
Franchise consultants can help your business outline the standard operating procedures, training process, and quality control measures. Thus, it can help your organization increase employees' efficiency to deliver better results.
Moreover, a franchise consultant can deliver operational support for your business by offering training to them. It is the job of your franchise consultant to deliver quality business support.
3. Provides Expert Advice & Guidance
Most of the time, the franchise consultants help build expertise and industry knowledge for your employees. These consultants come with great skills and competence that guide your organization's employees in such a way that it helps them to increase their productivity level.
Sometimes, franchise consultants can offer your employees guidance and advice so they can perform well in the workplace.
What Are The Challenges A Franchise Consultant Have To Face?
Most business owners must be aware of several challenges a franchise consultant faces. After all, the journey of finding a qualified consultant is no child’s play. Here are a few challenges, commonly faced by a franchise consultant.
1. Maintaining Consistency & Quality
When your franchise business operates in numerous locations nationally, regionally, and internationally, it sometimes needs help to maintain brand consistency. On the flip side, some franchises need help to maintain brand promises.
This can lead to negative reviews from the customers. Ultimately, this can impact the brand's reputation as well. This is why franchise consultants, like other business professionals, need to keep their promises to their customers.
2. Handling Fierce Franchise Competition
If you want your franchise business model to stand ahead, you must do something extra and unique that your competitors need to do. This thing is possible when your franchise consultants start to track consumer behavior.
You can arrange for public feedback data to outsmart your competitors from the market. Find out which factors influence the buying behavior of your franchise consultants. This will also help the franchise consultants pitch the right offer to your clients.
3. Recruitment & Retention Of Franchise Staff
Hiring the right talent for a franchise consultant position is challenging. Skill shortages can affect industries and can impact employee turnover. In most cases, high turnover can add up to more problems if your business is short-staffed!
Thus, inefficient employees increase the operational cost and can damage the customer experience to a greater level.
4. Having High Operating Cost For Franchising
Setting up the franchise business can lead to high operating costs. It squeezes the customer purse and profit margins to a greater level. Meanwhile, the interest rates can make your company's borrowing more complex.
Without careful management of financial resources, financial turmoil can lead to the end of many organizations. This can boost the scope of your brand value to a greater level. Furthermore, if you have high operational costs in your franchise business, then it can lead to high debts in the long run.
5. Meeting Evolving Customer Expectations
Across all industries, customers expect more from businesses as their customer's spending power is reduced to a greater extent. Now, with the time, the customers' expectations can alter.
66% of the customers want the companies to understand their needs and expectations. Here, you should get through the complete process of understanding the customer's expectations to meet your brand requirements.
How To Choose The Right Franchise Consultant For Your Business
Another essential factor to consider when hiring a consultant is the research and due diligence required to choose the right franchise consultant for your business. This requires a thorough evaluation of their credentials and compatibility with your business ethos.
Start by checking the credentials of your franchise consultants.
Ask for the referrals.
Compare multiple options to determine which option suits you the best.
Evaluate the compatibility of your franchise consultant.
You need to be aware of the red flags.
Conclusion
Wrapping up, the engagement of a franchise consultant is instrumental in steering your business toward expansion and prosperity within the franchising realm. Here, selecting the correct franchise consultant can be a game-changer for you.
Their specialized knowledge and support offer a substantial advantage, helping to devise strategies that are both innovative and in alignment with your company's aspirations.
The journey to franchise success is laden with complexities and potential hurdles, but these challenges become navigable with a seasoned franchise consultant. And that marks the end of this comprehensive guide.
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In today's industrial landscape, the role of preventive maintenance is often underestimated.
Yet, a robust preventive maintenance program is vital to the overall productivity and efficiency of any plant or facility. It ensures equipment reliability and reduces the chance of costly downtime due to unexpected breakdowns.
This article sheds light on the steps and considerations in developing an effective preventive maintenance program. So, read on!
Understanding Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance can be seen as the cornerstone of maintenance management. It is the routine, scheduled maintenance of equipment to prevent potential failures before they occur. This practice leads to several significant benefits:
Reduces sudden equipment breakdowns: Regular inspections and maintenance tasks enable you to identify and fix issues before they escalate to more serious problems. For instance, replacing worn-out parts during a scheduled service prevents more severe damage.
Increases equipment longevity: By keeping the equipment in optimal condition, preventive maintenance extends the life of your machines. This means fewer replacements and lower investment in new equipment.
Improves plant efficiency: With less unexpected downtime, your plant operations run more smoothly, improving the overall efficiency of your operations.
Key Elements of a Preventive Maintenance Program
Creating a preventive maintenance program involves several key elements. Understanding these components helps build a solid foundation for your program:
Maintenance Management: Effective planning and scheduling are crucial in maintenance management. It ensures that maintenance tasks are organized and completed in a timely manner. For example, scheduling a maintenance check when the equipment is idle can prevent production interruptions.
Maintenance of Equipment: Each piece of equipment requires different maintenance procedures. Understanding these specifics is vital to maintain the equipment's functionality. In a food processing plant, for example, certain machines might need daily cleaning, while others might require weekly lubrication.
Plant Maintenance: Preventive maintenance should be a plant-wide strategy. This includes not only production equipment but also HVAC systems, power supplies, and even safety equipment. A holistic approach to plant maintenance ensures that all aspects of your facility are running efficiently.
Steps in Developing a Preventive Maintenance Program
A preventive maintenance program requires several phases. An overview:
Identification of Equipment: The first step in developing a preventive maintenance program is identifying which machines require regular maintenance. This could range from complex production machinery to simple office equipment.
Scheduling and Planning: This involves creating a maintenance schedule for each piece of equipment. For instance, certain machines may require weekly maintenance, while others need it quarterly. Proper scheduling minimizes disruptions to production processes.
Executing Maintenance Tasks: After scheduling, do maintenance chores. Lubricating and replacing worn parts are examples.
Tracking and Analysis: Lastly, it's important to keep track of all maintenance activities and periodically review the effectiveness of your preventive maintenance program. This could involve updating a maintenance log or using maintenance management software.
Role of Reliability Assessment in Preventive Maintenance
An essential aspect of a preventive maintenance program that is often overlooked is reliability assessment. In a well-managed maintenance environment, equipment reliability can make a significant difference in plant operations.
A thorough reliability assessment can serve as a proactive measure to identify potential issues, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing unexpected breakdowns.
Predictive analysis: Predictive analysis is a one-way reliability assessment that can be carried out. For example, by monitoring vibrations in a machine, anomalies that might indicate a future failure can be detected. By addressing these anomalies in advance, equipment downtime can be minimized, and the machine's reliability is enhanced.
Regular equipment inspection: Regular inspection is another facet of reliability assessment. For instance, an operator might notice unusual noises from a piece of equipment. If left unchecked, this could lead to a catastrophic failure. However, noting this in a reliability assessment could lead to early intervention, boosting equipment reliability.
Maintenance history review: Reviewing the maintenance history of equipment can provide insights into its reliability. Suppose a machine frequently requires a specific type of repair. This may signal a problem that has to be fixed to improve equipment reliability. For instance, frequent conveyor belt alignment modifications may indicate installation or operation difficulties.
By integrating reliability assessment into your preventive maintenance program, you can make more informed decisions about maintenance planning and scheduling, ultimately improving equipment reliability and reducing operational disruptions.
The Importance of Training and Communication in a Preventive Maintenance Program
In the context of preventive maintenance, the importance of clear communication and comprehensive training cannot be overstated. An informed and trained maintenance team can perform tasks more effectively, minimizing the risk of errors or oversights that could compromise equipment reliability. This enhances industrial efficiency and safety.
Training on Equipment Maintenance: Equipment-specific maintenance training should be delivered regularly. For example, if a new high-speed packaging machine is introduced, the maintenance team needs to be familiarized with its components, operational principles, and common issues that may require preventive maintenance. This enables them to identify potential problems early and conduct maintenance tasks accurately.
Communication about Maintenance Schedules: A well-coordinated preventive maintenance program requires clear and regular communication about maintenance schedules. For instance, if a vital production line is due for a maintenance shutdown, all relevant parties, from production to logistics, need to be informed in advance. This facilitates smooth operation with minimal disruption to the overall workflow.
Feedback Mechanisms: Open channels for feedback are also crucial. Maintenance personnel, being on the front line, often have valuable insights into potential issues or improvements. For instance, a technician might notice that a certain piece of equipment tends to fail more often just before scheduled maintenance, suggesting the need for more frequent servicing. Capturing and acting on such feedback can significantly enhance the effectiveness of the preventive maintenance program.
By prioritizing training and communication, you can ensure your preventive maintenance program is not just a process, but a culture, where everyone understands their role and contributes to the program's success.
Final Thoughts
In summary, an effective preventive maintenance program plays a critical role in enhancing equipment reliability and plant efficiency. By implementing a systematic approach to maintenance management, scheduling, and execution, organizations can significantly reduce unexpected breakdowns and extend the life of their equipment.
It is a strategic investment that pays off in the long run, promoting smoother operations and a healthier bottom line.
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It’s the end of your first day. You’ve completed a plethora of online applications, psychometric tests, digital interviews and hopped through all manner of recruitment rings of fire – and you’ve landed the job of your dreams. Or so you thought… But do you know what are the ways to prepare a new employee?
You arrived at your fancy new office, but there was no one to greet you. After waiting near an hour, your co-worker-to-be apologized and took you to your desk, only to find it hadn’t been cleared. Grimacing that your equipment hadn’t been set up, your ‘guide’ spun you around the office’s sea of blank faces. Did they even know you were starting? The awkward acclimations were interrupted by an irritated-looking administrator who lugged a thick binder of forms to fill in. You missed lunch with the gang.
After finally navigating through all the red tape, the person you were meant to shadow was never notified so you were given menial tasks to pass the time, while they were in an important meeting with a client. You stared at the clock, waiting, waiting, waiting.
With the day over, you’re just sad you didn’t get out sooner. Wait – is this really your dream job?
New hires expect and need their onboarding to run smoothly. The above scenario sounds like an exaggerated horror story, but in a survey, Cezanne HR asked new employees about their onboarding experiences and was shocked to find:
52% didn’t know what to expect on their first day
30% didn’t have a buddy
8% didn’t meet their managers
23% didn’t have a desk ready
6% didn’t get told about health and safety regulations
5% didn’t have data security training
6 didn’t have a laptop or computer.
Great onboarding is extremely important. It increases retention and reduces staffing costs. It delivers an engaging experience for new hires, so they connect with the organization and colleagues from the moment they’re given the offer. Also. it should turn first-day new employee anxiety into genuine excitement. It should make them feel prepared for the new job and welcome!
Of course, no one said it’s an easy process, and orchestrating the activities to get onboarding right is time-consuming for everyone. In addition, the burdens of paper-based systems or dancing between data spreadsheets, such as Excel, allow important processes to slip through the cracks – which shouldn’t happen in a modern workplace. However, with the right HR software, you can make new employee onboarding engaging and straightforward, while automating and streamlining the admin involved in bringing on new hires.
Here are the ways to prepare a new employee:
Stay in touch after the job offer
It’s very important for a new employee to engage with employers from the moment they’re hired. This can go beyond a simple email. Make sure you consider the following:
Welcome portals are a very common feature in HR software because they do precisely that: they welcome people. Welcome portals act as an information hub and enable constant communication. They are a platform to share all essential details, including the new hire’s start date, office location, and contact details. It’s also a great way to prepare the new hire by letting them know how their first day will be structured and what their first projects will be.
Make sure you send your new hire links to any documents they need. Provide them with essential advice including what they should bring with them on the first day or week, including items like their passport, P45, national insurance number and other relevant work documents. You could use your HR software system’s welcome portal to deliver this information and advice.
Get the paperwork out of the way in advance of the first day. Signing a lot of forms can delay more pressing tasks, such as the relevant introductions, training, and the new hire’s first projects. HR software can be especially effective here. Instead of wasting time filling out form after form, new hires can sign documents electronically. It streamlines admin processes and makes everything available in one place – and it can all be done before the starting date.
Making use of welcome portals and their visual content is a powerful way of engaging with new hires and allows companies to add photos and embed company videos – it might be a hello from a CEO, or a video demonstrating the company’s culture, or brand values and goals. Portals can also allow new hires to self-serve, adding a profile, information, bank details and the like.
Moreover, all information you collect should flow straight through to your HR system. Cloud HR solutions should come with onboarding modules that are simple to set up and accessible 24/7. Storing information in one place also cuts back on the task of re-entering the same data into multiple systems.
Prepare the desk
When your new hire’s first day comes, ensure you’ve got a plan:
assign someone to receive and greet them at the door
put in an order with IT and prepare all the relevant equipment: a computer, phone, email, and network access, and office supplies
moreover, ensure security and compliance policies are explained as appropriate.
Spread the duties for onboarding tasks across different departments. For example, the IT department might be responsible for setting up the new hire’s laptop and email; the finance team might organize payroll, and the line manager will arrange inductions as well as check-in meetings. HR software’s task management systems can help significantly here.
HR software makes it much easier for these departments to fully understand their roles in the onboarding process. Task managers and checklists make use of notifications, meaning important processes don’t get forgotten about. It gives an overview of what’s been done and what needs doing.
Involve your employees
Send the first-day welcome announcement to the organization and share the news of the new hire with the team. Give their name, title, and something that distinguishes them: it might be a hobby or interest, for instance. This allows current employees to easily see if they have anything in common, making everyone more prepared for the big day. Moreover, give your current employees details of the new hire’s background, making sure the new employee’s biggest strengths are acknowledged.
Find a peer and assign them to mentor/buddy the new hire. This will help the new hire to get settled and to be comfortable enough to ask any questions that are on their mind. This also helps build relationships with the team, integrating the new employee into the company significantly faster.
Also, consider explaining who’s who – HR software can create a staff directory mapping this for you. This will help your new hire to familiarise themselves with their co-workers and assists them in directing their queries to the right people from the right departments, so they don’t feel like they’re barraging their mentor with questions.
Planning welcome social help breaks the ice, too – and not just between the company and the new hire. From team lunches to company happy hours, both new hires and current employees can benefit from getting to know each other in a more open and casual environment, building stronger relationships and channels for collaboration.
Establish a formal training program
The importance of setting a clear and comprehensive training program can’t be overstated. Doing so helps prepare and motivate the new hire for the first day and sets a precedent for the weeks and months ahead as they approach their new projects. Such a structured program does much to ease their potential short- and longer-term worries. Indeed, the HR portal assists here, too. By being able to provide access to important training documents, setting out a comprehensive program schedule through calendars, and by making use of notifications to make clear to current employees what is expected of them in the onboarding process and when. On top of this, it’s an effective and simple way for new hires to view set assignments and tasks, as well as their own schedules.
Check-ins
Check-ins are a series of regular discussions between managers and employees about their progress. They are:
ongoing and build a rapport, setting short and long-term goals
an extremely effective way of ensuring employees are continuously aware of their professional development within the company, allowing them to express any concerns and ask questions, and
they form a crucial part of the onboarding process.
At the end of the first week, give the new hire the opportunity to ask any outstanding questions. This helps demonstrate your enthusiasm towards the employee’s start beyond just the first day and will help set a clear and lasting relationship between the new hire and the company.
HR software can make continuous performance reviews and check-ins an integral part of company culture. Cezanne HR, for instance, provides a seamless and engaging way of recording conversations, achievements and agreed goals or outcomes, so it’s easier to ensure everyone is aligned.
The right HR systems are equipped with performance management functions that allow employees to make use of their flexibility and to collaborate in an online forum where others can easily and securely request feedback, record check-in conversations, and track outcomes.
Poor onboarding is a wasted opportunity
The benefits of great onboarding are infinite. It reduces unnecessary barriers that might otherwise inhibit the new employee from settling in or performing at their best. It gets new hires up to speed swiftly and immerses them in the company’s values, vision, and culture.
Furthermore, great onboarding protects your new investment. A robust, systematic onboarding process boosts new hire retention by 50%, and new hires that experienced strong onboarding are 58% more likely to stay with the company for more than three years.
Why would you waste all your efforts with a dissatisfactory onboarding process?
Onboarding can be the difference between a quick and costly new employee turnover, and a long and lasting productive relationship.
Above are just some of the boxes to tick to ensure an engaging onboarding experience. Do you have any more? Let us know!
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