Keys to Successful Workplaces

If your business never faces challenges, congratulations. The rest of us entrepreneurial congratulate you! But if challenges are a way of life in your small business, we want to share a few ideas from the “pros who know.”

Embrace Growthkey to success: key bridging a chasm
Modern business challenges rely on a growth mindset. This doesn’t mean hiring more employees! It means adopting a growth mindset that views obstacles as opportunities for learning and growth, like these:

  • Maintain a positive attitude. 
  • Focus on the solutions rather than problems. 
  • Think of setbacks as temporary and necessary steps towards growth.

Always Be Learning
View challenges as opportunities to gain knowledge and experience. Embrace continuous learning and always be seeking new skills and insights to overcome obstacles.

Set Goals and Milestones
When times get tough, the tough set goals that are SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals are essential for small business. As circumstances change, your goals may need to be modified to remain relevant and achievable.

Track Progress
To stay motivated, monitor your progress regularly. Keep a record of achievements and take time to reflect on how far you’ve come and to reinforce your determination to overcome challenges.

Visualize Success
Imagine yourself overcoming the challenges and achieving your goals. Visualizing your desired outcome vividly serves as a source of motivation during difficult times.

Seek Inspiration
Read books, listen to podcasts, or watch interviews that showcase other small business owners’ keys to success. 

Celebrate Accomplishments
No matter how small they may seem, acknowledge every milestone you reach and reward yourself in some suitable way. This will keep you motivated and reinforce a positive mindset.

Build a Support Network
Surround yourself with the right people and mentors that can make a significant difference when tackling business challenges. 

Collaborate and Network
Engage with like-minded individuals in your industry. Join a Chamber of Commerce, a MasterMind group, networking groups, online forums, or a Business Roundtable near you. Sharing experiences, challenges, and successes can provide a fresh perspective and keep you motivated.

Remember, adopting a growth mindset, setting clear goals, building a support network, and prioritizing self-care are key to rising above any obstacles you encounter. You’ve got this!

The Rise of the Remote Worker

As 2020 rolled around, rumors that people in Wuhan, China were getting sick and dying from some sort of new infectious disease was spreading as fast as the virus itself. Before the worldwide pandemic began to fizzle, almost 107 million Americans had contracted Covid-19 and and 1.2 million, sadly, lost their lives. 

The American workforce also lost something…the will to commute to the office. According to one economist, even though the pandemic is officially over the USA, ¼ of workers have no desire to continue working remotely from home. Period. They want the tools and teamwork, are better able to focus on work without the distractions of home life, and really love being in-person. 

This is good news for the bosses and owners who understand that workplace dynamics encourage socialization and community building, which in turn builds better teams and produces higher output. Plus there are the considerations of the investment in millions of square feet of office space in downtowns and office centers in places like Cincinnati, and the complication of measuring productivity and ROI of remote workers.

Small businesses, like those we service, for the most part, have returned to pre-pandemic work routines earlier than the large corporations. The New York Times reported that in March of 2023, 12 percent of U.S. workers were still fully remote, about 60 percent were fully in office, and 28 percent were in a hybrid custom arrangement.

Remote workers are especially valuable in technology, marketing, accounting/finance, project management, medical/health, recruiting, and customer service. If you or someone you know is looking for a “remote worker” position in the Cincinnati area, check out Built In, the online community for startups and tech companies.

4 Traits: Successful Business Owners

You may have started your business on a great idea, a particular skill set, or a burning desire to fill void in the marketplace. Whether you are the definition of an entrepreneur, inherited a family business, or are simply a natural leader seeking success, you probably have a few of these traits most small business owners need.

  1. Always look forward. A natural leader is always asking herself or himself, where will I be five, ten years from now? What can I do better now to assure myself that my business and my employees and customers will be better off because of the decisions I make today? A forward-looking business owner refuses to get stuck making the same mistakes or wrong moves, nor is willing to accept the same income and profits year after year.
  2. Communicate effectively. When employees or staff understand what you expect from them, they are more likely to live up to expectations. Sharing your long term vision for the company helps employees see where they fit into the big picture and are more likely to work better as individuals and as a team.
  3. Delegate work when at all possible. Of course, this means that first you need to hire smart, talented people who want to grow their own professional skills. Hiring top talent yet refusing to delegate important tasks hurts morale and eventually staff retention. Delegating saves time, helps develop more productive employees, reduces turnover, and inspires everyone to do their best.
  4. Make mistakes. We all do—we’re not perfect! If you run a business, you will make mistakes. The upside is that mistakes present excellent opportunities for a lifetime of learning, getting better at what we do. Mistakes move us to learn, to be fearless, to be successful.

Obviously, the “traits” may not stop here, but these are our favorites, and a fun and fitting way to wish all our clients and friends a Happy and Prosperous 2023!