W EEKLY EDITI ON MAY 16, 2018
How to Organize Your Business for Greater Success …continued
By Emily Newberg, PSAI Membership and Data Services Coordinator
If you've ever dreamed of hiring a personal assistant but never had the money you can now "hire" a voice - activa ted
personal assistant like Google's Home Mini , or Amazon's Echo Dot . Or you can access real - life virtual assistants through
services like Upwork or Zirtual .
Although you'll never want to automate your relationships with your customers, you can automate y our customer service
system. Allow software like Groove to organize your customer tickets, save answers to common questions, and assign
tickets to specific teams. You can also install chatbots such as Chatfuel or Botsify , to converse with customers online who
prefer texting and immediate service to phone calls and voice messages (think Millenials, a.k.a., the future). And if you
really want to impress your customers keep in touch with them through regular email updates and personalized greeting
cards. MailC himp sends e - cards automatically for whatever milestones you want to celebrate, from birthdays to holidays
to the anniversary of becoming your customer!
Research has shown that the most productive workers take regular breaks. Therefore, scheduling your b reaks into your
day is actually the best way to maximize your work time. Take a productivity break every 2 - 3 hours, or enlist the
Pomodoro Technique by letting a timer alert you every 25 minutes to break for five. And if you need help tracking your
billabl e time, Toggl is there for you.
Boost Office Morale
You'll never want to underestimate the power of a happy workforce. When compared to the opposing option, it can
make the difference between a good business and going out of business. So how do you keep your team happy? This
may seem out of nowhere but add a plant or two. "Going green" in the office by adding plants has been proven to
improve morale and boost productivity by 15%. Standing desks have also become a popular way to keep staff healthier
and mo re motivated; you'll earn brownie points with your workers simply by letting them know it's an option.
Office spaces have evolved through the decades from open - concept to closed to open again. What we now know is that
like most things in your life, a good balance of these optimizes workflow. Sadly, only 11% of workers are satisfied with
their work environment these days. What these lucky few have in common is they are allowed to concentrate easily, to
freely express and share ideas, and they feel a sense o f belonging to their company and its culture. Collaborative projects
and an open floor plan can work well if there are also work
zones, or areas where individuals can buckle down and work
without distractions. Make sure to have all community spaces
and cab inets clearly labeled and attempt to standardize your
processes. A balance of collaboration and privacy is the best
situation.
Above all else, stick to your commitments. Keep promises to
your employees and your customers, and make payments
and deliveries on time. Nothing causes disorganization faster
than playing catch - up. If you feel you need more support
keeping motivation high and managing your workforce,
Advance Systems is one such program that can help.
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