We have done other blogs on creating productive office space environment that reduce stress, but one of our virtual office clients is an ergonomics consultant and suggested we do this blog. Most business owners think that having healthy employees is about offering sick days and offering to subsidize gym memberships. But they forget that an ergonomic office environment contributes greatly to the physical and mental health of employees. Before we give you the tips, we should probably explain what ergonomics is. The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics or human factors as follows: “Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.” Basically, an office that is ergonomically set up can reduce the chances of employees […]

We have all seen examples of spam, clickbait, scams, hoaxes and malware, but how do they affect your small business? Some of these are obvious money wasters, but what should you and your staff know about all of these Internet annoyances. Actually, annoyances is a very soft word to describe the costs to your business. Since the beginnings of the world wide web and access to the Internet came to the masses, spam or unsolicited emails started filling up people’s inboxes. The more prevalent that spam became, the more people and businesses looked for ways of blocking it. The early methods worked – but then spammers became more advanced and it became harder to block. This caused people to have to spend more time (and therefore money) sifting through these emails or spending even more money on more sophisticated email spam filters. It is now common for businesses to budget […]

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are always looking to enhance productivity, so the question they need to ask themselves is “Am I comfortable where I am getting my work done”? You might have a private office or shared office space that is a cumbersome or not spacious enough, or a home office that is full of distractions. But your comfort level can be an important factor in increasing your productivity and happiness. There are a number of things that you can do to ensure that the space where you work is comfortable – and therefore promotes productivity. 1. Consider the furniture. As obvious as this sounds, many people do not think about how their choice in office furniture will increase their comfort level and enhance their productivity. So what should you think about when considering office furniture? What is the best kind of office chair? A good office chair will […]

Could 2016 have gone better for you? Now is the time to make 2017 more successful. While you may have already heard about some of the tips below, and may have already implemented some of them, what is the harm in revisiting them or trying a new approach? Review your business plan Not to be repetitive of some of our previous blogs, but one of the keys to the success of your business is in the planning. You most likely made a business plan before starting your business, and so far it has served you well. Remember that a business plan is vital for the success of a start-up business. Some of the reasons include testing the viability of the business idea as well as securing debt or equity financing. But it also helps to establish the market of the business and how to reach that market. So take some […]

Truly radical and influencing entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Elon Musk not only built empires, but they made their mark on the world around them. They created solutions that people not only needed, but openly embraced. So how can you make your mark as an entrepreneur? The first thing that you as an entrepreneur need to do is to establish your purpose and goals. Maybe you are not about to create a non-government space agency or create software that will simplify virtually everything for people, but you have an idea that will make a task or a problem a thing of the past for your customers. This could even mean that you are just taking an existing problem-solving product or service and improving upon it. If so, this just might be your legacy and your own path to success as an entrepreneur. Goals, plans and visions can often not match […]