"8 Creative Ways To Welcome A New Employee To The Team" Rachel Beider in Forbes

Most people are familiar with the blend of anticipation and anxiety that comes with the first day at a new job. What's one strategy you use to ensure a new hire feels welcome on day one?

1. Host an office get-together

We love making new hires feel welcome with an office get-together. Ditch the ice-breaker questions where you have to come up with something clever on the spot instead of just being yourself. You hired this person because you loved their work and felt good about their personality. Remind them that if they seem anxious, and let the relationships build naturally from there. —Kaitleen Shee, GROW

2. Do something active together

We have two methods that prove the most effective in breaking the ice: each new hire has the opportunity to join a fellow coworker on a bike ride, and each new hire answers our three questions, which then get posted in a visible spot in our office. The questions are: 1. What major experiences do you want to have in your life? 2. How do you want to grow? 3. How do you want to contribute to the world? —Jeff Cayley, Worldwide Cyclery

3. Offer guidance

Each new team member is onboarded with as much warmth as possible by HR, directors (individually), and their team members in their specific departments. All final interviews are with me (as president of the company), so I get to meet them even before they are officially welcomed on board. This gives me the chance to express that my door is also always open, should they need anything from me. —Magnus Simonarson, Consultwebs

4. Onboard before the first day

Get as much of the onboarding work done before day one so that your new hire can hit the ground running right away. You might say this is selfish, and it certainly will improve productivity at the margins, but it also ensures your new hire doesn't start off on the wrong foot, confused, and maybe even overwhelmed by all the HR tasks before them while they're on the clock. —Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

5. Provide thorough information

I find that when people know what to expect, it helps stave off anxiety. I provide a detailed onboarding process before the employee's first day that includes a thorough explanation of their role, expectations, and the company culture. I also make sure to schedule regular check-ins throughout the onboarding process to ensure they are comfortable, and answer any questions they may have. —Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

6. Design a comprehensive onboarding schedule

To ensure a new hire feels welcome and gets off to a successful start, we have an onboarding process that covers both practical and emotional aspects of the transition. We have an orientation schedule with a designated point of contact or mentor. We also provide access to relevant resources and connect new hires with at least one of our employees. This approach helps the new hire feel prepared and supported. —Kazi Mamun, CANSOFT

7. Pair new hires with seasoned coworkers

One strategy to ensure that new hires feel welcome and get off to a successful start is assigning them a buddy. A work buddy can help new recruits get acquainted with the company's culture and cater to their questions in their time of need. Work buddies act as mentors for new recruits, helping them channel their energy in the right direction while making them feel at home. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

8. Use Slack to give a shout-out

When a new hire joins the company, we ensure that the entire team gives them a warm welcome in our Slack family channel. As a remote company, we don't get to meet each other every day, but that doesn't stop the team from welcoming our new members. We believe that them seeing all the warm messages is a great start for the new hires. It makes them feel welcomed and comfortable right from day one. —Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite

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Rachel Beider in Forbes: 10 Aspects Of Your Business You Should Be Systemizing (And Why)

If any business is to not only survive but also thrive, it's essential to develop simple, repeatable systems for handling common business tasks and functions. Rather than dealing with inconsistencies and the need to make up new processes as various situations or problems arise, having a set system in place for how things are done can speed up work completion and improve overall productivity—and, in many cases, customer satisfaction.

There are many aspects of business that entrepreneurs should be systemizing, but below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the most impactful. Consider developing systems for these areas of your business and start improving your team’s productivity today.

1. The Sales Process

When you’re an entrepreneur, having simple, repeatable systems in place is crucial to the success and sustainability of your business. One aspect that is often overlooked but highly beneficial to systemize is the sales process. This includes lead generation, closing deals and following up with customers. Having a clear, step-by-step system for sales can improve efficiency and consistency and ultimately drive more revenue for your business. To get started, it's important to identify the key stages of your sales process, map out each step and then refine and optimize it over time. Automating and streamlining tasks, such as lead tracking and email follow-up, can also help ensure that no opportunities fall through the cracks and that you're always on top of your sales pipeline. - Miles Jennings, Recruiter.com

2. Appointment Setting

One of the most important yet overlooked tasks that can have a dramatic effect on sales is appointment setting. Taking too long to respond or even letting inquiries fall through the pipeline can easily be avoided by getting systems in place to provide custom and automated responses. - Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

3. Financial Operations

One business aspect that entrepreneurs should focus on systemizing is their financial operations. This includes invoicing, bookkeeping, budgeting and financial reporting. By having clear and repeatable systems in place, entrepreneurs can reduce the risk of financial errors and ensure they have accurate and up-to-date information on their financial performance. To get started, entrepreneurs should identify the key financial processes in their business and document them clearly and concisely. I recommend using cloud-based software solutions to automate manual tasks, such as invoicing and bookkeeping, and streamline their financial operations. All of this can free up time to focus on growing the business and making data-driven decisions. - Andrew Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

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4. Communication

Clear lines of communication are essential for any small business to survive. Without proper communication, your team can become confused and overwhelmed, leading to decreased productivity and quality of work. To get started systemizing communication, create a set of standards for how communication will take place and set expectations for how quickly messages should be responded to, the proper way to communicate and who is responsible for what. Create a system for tracking all messages so that they can be easily accessed and reviewed. Ensure that everyone in the company understands their role in the communication process and that it is discussed with each new employee. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

5. Customer Data Management

Systemizing ensures efficiency and consistency in business functions while enabling greater automation, and this is indeed critical for the survival of a modern business. While most aspects of any business can benefit from systemization, the management and tracking of customer data is a crucial function that must be systemized as a priority. This includes collecting customer information, such as contact information, preferences and purchase history and organizing it using data-management tools and cloud storage in a way that is easy to access and analyze. Additionally, having a system in place for keeping track of customer service requests, complaints and feedback is essential in order to provide timely and effective responses. - Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz

6. Monitoring News Mentions

With the 24-hour news cycle, you have to know when your brand is relevant before it’s too late. Yet staying on top of news mentions and your competition can so easily fall by the wayside. Make it systematic with tools as simple as Google Alerts. When you’re tracking your company name, important buzzwords in your field, your competitors and updates to the platforms or tools you most frequently use, you get a great roundup of anything important right in your inbox every morning, without any of the hard scouring of the internet parts. This can, in turn, help you create new content, output better SEO and even up your PR game. - Kaitleen Shee, GROW

7. Onboarding And Training

As businesses adopt hybrid work environments, finding seamless and accountable ways to integrate new employees has become vital—not to mention the geographical barrier that makes this more challenging. Create a scheduled process and structure. This should include a digital library with guides for job descriptions, roles, expectations, learning modules or materials needed for training sessions and scheduled days for orientation and training. All of these can be documented easily and accessed by anyone on the team at any time. Orientation and training usually take up much time, so with a system in place, new hires can be useful to the team faster. This benefits the business in more ways than one, as the same process also sets a precedent for periodic organizational training. - Tonika Bruce, Lead Nicely, Inc.

8. Content Updates

I suggest entrepreneurs systemize their content updates. If you want to drive new traffic to your site, you need fresh, entertaining and accurate blog posts. You can easily start this process by creating a category called "Updates/Rewrites" on your project management tool of choice. Include outdated or irrelevant articles on the list of tasks and work with your content marketing team to get articles updated at least once a year. - John Turner, SeedProd LLC

9. Customer Service

One business aspect every entrepreneur must be systemizing is customer service. Handling customer complaints, feedback and queries can sometimes be daunting, but you need to handle it patiently without losing your temper. Your customers may yell at you or want an answer to their query immediately, or even vent their frustration on you, but you can't just shout back at them. So make sure to train your customer service team accordingly and streamline the process to make it less frustrating. Identify the common customer service tasks and functions, such as answering customer questions, resolving customer complaints and providing customer feedback. Then develop a system for each task, such as a set of FAQs for common customer queries or a standard procedure for handling customer complaints. - Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite

10. Decision Making

The best thing I've ever done was to systemize decision making as far as it can be systemized. We were having issues in our business where employees could not move ahead with tasks as they needed approval from leaders or stakeholders. It so happened that these leaders were away on vacation or were otherwise occupied with critical tasks. So, we came up with a system where we told everyone the following: If the change you want to make is permanent, then wait for a response from your team head. Get approval. But if the action you want to take can be reversed, then go ahead and make the best decision you can. Then, bring it up later so that the leader can check it. This helped us move forward and create autonomy without any drastic mistakes taking place. - Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

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Rachel in Forbes: Eight Critical Rebranding Mistakes You Could Be Making (And What To Do Instead)

Eight Critical Rebranding Mistakes You Could Be Making (And What To Do Instead)

Rebranding is a significant, but sometimes necessary, step in a business's journey; however, if it's not done right, it may backfire. What an entrepreneur thought may have been a great way to update their brand to something more modern and in alignment with their company’s values could end up being a nightmare of confused customers and lost sales.

To prevent this situation from happening, consider the following advice from the members of Young Entrepreneur Council. Here, they each share one critical yet common rebranding mistake businesses tend to make and what their leaders should do instead if they want to come out successful on the other side.

1. Rebranding In The First Place

A common rebranding mistake is often doing rebranding in the first place. Rebranding is risky. Your brand, even if not ideal, has been accumulating tremendous value to date. Starting from scratch can confuse or even turn away your customers. The first step, therefore, is to make sure you’re rebranding for the right reason. Some common but misguided reasons include slowing sales and underwhelming brand awareness results. Many decide to rebrand, but the correct solution to this type of problem would be to conduct in-depth market research and develop a new marketing strategy. The key reason to warrant a rebrand is a misalignment of your company's vision, mission and values with your brand. Other reasons would be new markets, new products (which may not need a full rebrand) or mergers and acquisitions. - Daria Gonzalez, Wunderdogs

2. Forgetting To Prioritize Clarity

Whenever a business rebrands, it's so important that the new branding be incredibly clear. For example, my massage studio renamed a few of our services with clever names, but clients regularly called and asked what the services were because they felt confused. We ended up switching names to be extremely obvious and clear, and suddenly we had a lot more bookings and no more confusion. Keep your rebranding and all messaging very clear for it to be effective. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

3. Failing To Align Changes With Your Values

I once wanted our business to be a "white-glove service," but realized that the wording of it was wrong, especially in criminal defense legal services where a huge part of the population we served were low income, people of color and those from middle or lower class income brackets. While it was important to provide top-notch service, it was more important to be part of the solution toward social justice and not be a part of it. We believe in restorative justice, equity, inclusion and accountability with law enforcement, including police reform. That wasn't communicated when we said "white-glove service" because it suggested we only offered services to people who could afford it. Luckily, a mentor pointed it out to me and we rebranded what our intentions were so it reflected our values. - Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office

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4. Misunderstanding Your Brand's DNA

Rebranding is more than changing your logo and your fonts; it's what your customers think and how they feel about your business. Therefore, you need to clearly understand what makes up your brand's DNA. Be clear about who you are and why you exist. Your brand should be your best spokesperson. It should have a consistent tone, building trust every time customers come in contact with you. - Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day

5. Rebranding Without Informing Your Your Audience

A critical but common rebranding mistake is failing to communicate the change in your brand to your target audience. Rebranding involves a major change in your brand’s perception, and your efforts may go to waste or even cause misconceptions if your stakeholders are not properly informed about it. So, instead of going for a spontaneous change, companies should invest in a comprehensive communication plan to ensure the message about the rebrand and its reasons reaches their employees, customers and business partners accurately. This plan should outline how and when the rebranding will be communicated and what information will be shared. Clear and consistent messaging during the rebranding will build credibility while ensuring a smooth transition to the new brand identity. - Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz

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6. Failing To Properly Research Ahead Of Time

A big mistake can be not doing your due diligence with research beforehand—especially on your social presence. Complete a full social media audit to know what works, what doesn’t, who you want your audience to be and who your audience actually is. It’s so great to say, “We made a friendlier logo, so let’s debut it!” but a rebrand involves so much more in-depth analysis, especially if you’re already established on social media. Figure out where you currently stand among competitors and your audience and compare that to where you want to go. Then, lay out what your actual goals with the rebrand are. Set clear, achievable goals that you can measure quarter by quarter and adjust tactics as needed. - Kaitleen Shee, GROW

7. Neglecting To Consider Stakeholder Input

Businesses often make a critical error when it comes to rebranding and that's neglecting the input from the stakeholders to make informed decisions. To make things right, it's essential for you to consider the feedback and suggestions from key stakeholders like your team and your customers. Your team has been with you throughout the journey and can fill you in on some critical details worth considering prior to rebranding. You’ll also need customer insights to create a relatable brand that resonates with the preferences of your audience. So, it'd be best to involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process. The best and most convenient way to do it is by conducting online surveys to gather the needed information. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

8. Making Changes Too Quickly

Rebranding can help a business stay up to date and modern, but it's important to avoid rushing the process. Changing too quickly creates confusion in the market and for customers who already identify with your original branding. It's vital to transition into a new brand image slowly so that customers don't feel overwhelmed by the sudden change. Even if you are making drastic changes, try to keep some things from the old image, like fonts or core colors. This will help people make an easier connection between what they know and what you want them to know about your company now. Keep in mind that even if your redesign aligns better with the current goals or desires of the company, being too fast can backfire since people may not recognize it as part of their existing relationship with you. - Tonika Bruce, Lead Nicely, Inc.

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Rachel in Forbes: "Business Leaders Share Seven Nonnegotiable Traits To Look For In C-Suite Hires"

As any seasoned entrepreneur knows, building a strong leadership team is critical for the success of any organization. When it comes to hiring C-suite executives, there are many factors to consider, including experience, expertise and cultural fit. However, there are certain nonnegotiable traits that should be at the top of every leader's list when evaluating candidates.

Below, seven Young Entrepreneur Council members explain which traits are critical for C-suite hires and how those traits can impact their ability to lead effectively. By looking for these traits during the interview process, leaders can make better hiring decisions and build stronger, more resilient organizations.

1. Adaptability

The trait I most look for is adaptability because the only constant in business is change—whether it be changing market conditions, changing offerings or changing team dynamics. When a leader is able to take change in stride and even embrace it, that makes for a powerful way to nurture a business within its ecosystem. This impacts how the rest of the team interacts with this leader, as well as the decisions that are made and the resulting financial returns. - Nathalie Lussier, AccessAlly

2. An Ability To Articulate Ideas

A critical aspect of this position is exemplifying authority. Public speaking and presentations provide these opportunities for company representatives. Presentation skills are a must for this level for many reasons, but the most important one is that these executives are typically the first company salespeople. They sell the vision, policies and objectives to internal and external groups. Good salespeople articulate their product or service well and inspire others to take action. Mastering the ability to articulate ideas in front of an audience can be a powerful tool for rebuilding confidence and challenging existing company dynamics. By engaging with diverse audiences, they build the potential to open up new possibilities within themselves and the team's approach toward their work. - Tonika Bruce, Lead Nicely, Inc.

3. Life Experience

I had a young professional with a stellar academic background and some noteworthy accolades apply for a job at our firm. After interviewing them, I learned that they had no real-life customer service experience or the 10,000 hours of experience necessary to become an expert that Malcolm Gladwell refers to in his book Outliers. It's difficult to hire someone for a leadership position when they have no experience actually leading a team. John Maxwell, the author of The 5 Levels of Leadership, illustrates this well. He calls the lowest level of leadership "Position" because the person is a leader because of their position. The best leaders are the type that build up other leaders, and you need life experience to do that. This includes failures, adversity and some wisdom. - Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office

4. Emotional Stability

Emotional stability is possibly the most crucial personal quality brands should seek when hiring C-suite executives. These people need to remain composed and level-headed under pressure because they will be in charge of making critical decisions that could influence the entire company. C-suite executives who are emotionally stable are better equipped to think clearly and make rational decisions than those who are easily affected by their feelings or the views of others. Additionally, they can overcome obstacles and failure better because of their improved resilience. For C-suite employees to effectively lead their firms and have a good influence, emotional stability is crucial. Brands will benefit from hiring C-suite executives who value this trait. - Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz

5. An Ability To Inspire And Motivate

One nonnegotiable trait I look for in a C-suite hire is the ability to inspire and motivate. This is essential for any leader to be successful, as their team needs to believe in their vision and be motivated to help make it happen. A leader who can inspire others gives them the confidence and enthusiasm to take on difficult tasks and helps create a collaborative environment that can help bring out the best in everyone. This type of leadership also encourages creativity and innovation, which can help an organization stay ahead of the competition. Ultimately, having a leader who can inspire and motivate will help foster a culture of success and drive the organization toward its goals. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

6. An Ability To Lead

I look for strong leadership skills. C-suite candidates must be able to lead their teams while also managing a complex company. They must have a strong understanding of the strategy and vision of the company, and they must be able to communicate this vision effectively with employees to keep them inspired and motivated. - Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

7. A Solution-Oriented Mindset

One nonnegotiable trait that I look for in C-suite hires is a solution-oriented mindset. This skill alone answers many questions for me and helps me assess a candidate's profile. A solution-oriented mind strives to make things better rather than dwell on what could or should have been. That's extremely important for me when I'm hiring for a high-tier position. The skill enables the candidate to take ownership from the get-go and prioritize the betterment of the company above all else. This also has a strong impact on a candidate's ability to lead as they inspire others to think outside the box and contribute to the growth-oriented culture of the company. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

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Rachel in Forbes: "Trying To Define Your Business's Niche? 10 Questions To Ask Yourself"

Defining what makes your business unique is one of the most important tasks you can do to help answer the question of why customers should buy from you. Without a differentiating factor separating you and your competition, you ultimately give customers no reason to choose your business over another—which isn’t a helpful strategy when looking to grow your company.

1. What is the job that needs to be done here?

Asking this question prompts me to think holistically about the users and what their needs might be. Focusing on this question helps you assess whether you have a creative and better way to solve their problems and how you solve it differently from others. - Paul-Miki Akpablie, Akos Technologies Inc.

2. What sets my product or service apart from the competition?

One question you can ask yourself when trying to find your niche and define what is unique and different about your brand is, "What sets my product or service apart from my competition?" It is important to ask this question because it helps you identify your unique selling points and differentiators. These are the aspects of your brand that make it stand out from others in the market and are crucial in attracting and retaining customers. In addition, it can also help to differentiate you from your competitors and appeal to customers who are looking for something specific. Asking this question allows you to tailor your marketing message and strategy to the specific needs and wants of your target audience, which can ultimately lead to better results. - Kazi Mamun, CANSOFT

3. What is the bigger picture?

Strangely, “What is the bigger picture?” is the important question to ask when trying to find a niche and your unique selling point. While it’s incredibly important to know what is unique about your business, it is dangerous to get too bogged down and pigeonholed into one particular area. Once your business reaches a certain point where expansion is necessary, you might find yourself with only limited options for growth. Sussing out trends before others, looking at market potential and then tying that in with the problems your business is trying to solve will lead to a better understanding of what your brand should stand for. - Robin Saluoks, eAgronom

4. How does our brand improve customers' lives?

When trying to find your niche and create a differentiated offer that your customers will care about, start with the basics. Ask yourself: How does our brand improve our customers’ lives? Try to get out of the mindset of focusing on your product being better than someone else's product, or zooming in on specific features. There will always be someone who does it differently. Instead, focus on what impact you want to make and for whom. Think about what improvement you can make to how they work or live—that’s where your true value lies. - Daria Gonzalez, Wunderdogs

5. What would people miss about working with me?

Business owners are often terrible at understanding and expressing their own uniqueness. My favorite way to dive deep is to ask, "If I stopped offering my services or products tomorrow, what would people miss the most about working with me?" Typically, the answer to that important question is the ultimate differentiator. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

6. What emotional need or desire do we fulfill for our customers?

Ask, "What is the underlying emotional need or desire that our product or service fulfills for our customers, and how can we uniquely tap into and amplify that feeling?" By understanding the emotional drivers behind customer behavior, we can create a differentiated brand that resonates with real customers. Identify a unique way that your product fulfills emotional needs, and it will stand out in the market. Understanding underlying emotional needs helps create effective marketing campaigns, identify new product opportunities and develop new business models. This question is key to creating a brand that truly connects with its target audience and drives growth and success. - Miles Jennings, Recruiter.com

7. Why are customers referring?

Given that our growth has been driven so strongly by word-of-mouth referrals over the past decade plus, I always ask: Why are customers referring? What is it, specifically, that makes them want to tell their friends? I think this question really gets to the heart of what resonates beyond the transactional level with our customers and offers insight into what we should be doing more. - Lindsay Tanne, LogicPrep

8. If we shut down, how would our customers solve their problems?

One technique to help you identify what makes your business unique is to look at alternatives versus competitors. A question to ask yourself is, “If my company and my competitors shut down, how would my customers solve their problems in the absence of our products or services?” This causes an entrepreneur to look at their business differently, through the lens of an alternative-solution seeker. For example, if your company was a recipe subscription app that helped organize recipes, customers would resort to traditional notecards to organize recipes even though you don’t consider notecards a competitor. When you look at alternative solutions, you can identify unique problems that your product solves and can position it in a way that makes your company stand out. - Nick Chasinov, Teknicks

9. What is my perfect customer profile?

I find that starting with thinking about the ideal customer for my brand is the surest way to identify the unique product quality that will drive sales. So, I consider who would buy the product idea I have in mind; who they are in terms of demographics (location, age, gender) and psychographics (lifestyle, interests, values); and the behaviors of the best buyers. Then I try to define their needs or problems that I can solve. From this, I can narrow down why they would want to buy my product instead of products from other providers in the market. The current marketplace is highly competitive. Most businesses are not inventing but creatively innovating existing products to make them more efficient. So, identifying the unique selling point in a way is how you micro-niche. - Tonika Bruce, Lead Nicely, Inc.

10. What is it about our company that would turn me into a customer?

When trying to find out what makes your brand unique, one question you should ask yourself is, "What is it about our company that would turn me into a customer?" To understand how other people see your business, you have to look at things through the eyes of a shopper, not a business owner. Switching your mindset and thinking about things as a consumer can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your brand identity. As a result, you can build on what you're doing well and find opportunities to improve. - John Turner, SeedProd LLC

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Rachel Beider in Forbes: Eight Tips For Prioritizing Your Time When You're Being Pulled In Every Direction

As an entrepreneur, you likely often find yourself pulled in all different directions. A phone call about an issue here, a knock at your door there and an ever-growing inbox can make it so your mind is constantly distracted and you never really have time to move the needle on any of the work that needs to get done.

1. Follow The Impact Scale Rule

I follow the impact scale rule, which means I always analyze my tasks based on their overall impact on the business. I bet most leaders follow this method, though they might name it something else. My thinking tells me to be effective, not busy, and to maximize productivity by completing the task with the biggest impact first. By focusing on the task that will make the biggest difference in your work or personal life, you can make the most of your time and energy. Not only will you see significant progress on the task at hand, but you'll also gain momentum and motivation to tackle the rest of your to-do list with renewed focus and energy. So, start your day by identifying the task that will make the biggest impact and make it your top priority - Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day

2. Block Out Time For Focused Work

When I feel like a million things are going on and I can't stay focused, I use time blocking to prioritize and manage my day. This strategy involves planning tasks and setting a time limit for each one. For instance, I may check emails for 30 minutes, spend three hours writing and take one hour to promote our brands on social media. Time blocking allows me to hone my focus and stick to one thing at a time. As a result, I'm able to stay productive and work through my to-do list. - Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

3. Seek Input From Decision-Makers

I communicate with the decision-makers and management in my workplace to determine our daily top three priorities. Why top three? Because if you narrow down your large to-do list to three tasks, then you can cross them off and work through a large load of projects. A workday has seven and a half to eight hours, and that is less time than it seems on the surface. If my employees or clients do demand a lot of my time, I set boundaries and ask them to schedule appointments or video calls within my calendar. Deadlines help with this organization, and every little bit of progress helps. - Duran Inci, Optimum7

4. Finish One Project Before Starting Another

It's easy to get pulled into many new projects, but it's more important to finish projects you've started. It's okay to put new projects on the back burner unless they're time sensitive and important in the near term. Ineffective teams, I've seen, always seem to be working but never getting anything done. It helps to assign priority levels to tasks, such as P1 or P2—meaning priority one and priority two. P1 tasks receive priority over any task listed as P2. - Andy Karuza, NachoNacho

5. Color Code Your Time

Whenever my schedule starts to get really full, one of my best strategies for keeping things organized and on track is using my calendar in a visual way. I’m a visual person, so having color-coded blocks on my schedule is helpful for me when planning my time. Depending on the type of activity, I use different colors for the blocks of time I’m scheduling. This way, I’m able to gain a quick read on how my time is being spent. Also, this system helps me see what I’ve got going on that day so I can better manage my energy levels. Some work demands different types of energy. For example, creative meetings are far more demanding on my mental energy than something more basic like answering emails. So, I schedule creative work when I’ll have the most mental clarity and energy. - Richard Fong, Trustable Tech

6. Think Of Your Time Like A Pie

As a business owner, I like to think of my time as a pie. I take a slice of the pie and assign it to each task on my list so I know how much time it will take me to finish each assignment. This way, I can see if I have enough total slices for everything on my plate without running out of time and energy halfway through my list. - Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

7. List Out Tasks By Importance

One strategy I have for prioritizing my time is to make a list of all the tasks I need to complete and then organize them according to importance. This works so well because it helps me visualize how much work I need to do and break it down into manageable chunks. It also allows me to focus on the one task at hand before moving on to the next, ensuring that I'm giving each task the right amount of attention. Plus, crossing things off my list is always satisfying! - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

8. Take On Your Most Challenging Task First

I always prioritize my day with the most challenging task first—the “big fish.” Entrepreneurs, myself included, wear a lot of hats, so it is very easy to get distracted from the most important tasks. By being present and aware of the big picture first thing in the morning, you are better able to prioritize the rest of the tasks. Prioritizing might be the task that we like the least, as we’d rather put out fires as they come up, but it is the most important component of the “big fish first” strategy. I have used this strategy alongside my calendar for years and it helps immensely to be able to get what needs to be done out of the way, smoothing the path for the rest of the tasks. - Matthew Capala, Alphametic

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Rachel in Forbes: Seven Ways Business Owners Can Create A Strong Leadership Team

Every business needs strong leadership to survive and grow. As a small-business owner, you may start out being the sole leader, but as your company evolves, you'll likely need to hire additional managers as you delegate oversight of the day-to-day operations.

1. Look For Empathy

I always look for empathy. Can this person put themselves in the shoes of our customers and our team members? I think this is at the root of fostering relationships, creating dynamic and engaged teams and building a product that really speaks to people’s hearts and makes them feel connected to the brand. - Lindsay Tanne, LogicPrep

2. Foster Trust And Collaboration

One of the best ways to create a strong leadership team is to foster an environment of trust and collaboration. This means creating an open and supportive environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas, opinions and concerns. When team members feel secure and empowered, they are more likely to take ownership of their roles, work together and help reach goals. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

3. Use Your Values As Your 'North Star'

Identify your personal values and use those as the north star for the type of people you want to surround yourself with. Then, use those values to identify your company values and use those as your guide when interviewing candidates. My personal values include integrity and compassion, and our company values include efficiency and tenacity. When hiring, I look for all four of those characteristics. - Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office

4. Allow Autonomy

Allow your key leadership team members the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their roles. Empowerment will lead to their investment in the team's success and can foster innovation, ownership and accountability. This improves their performance and promotes a sense of pride and investment in the success of the organization. - Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day

5. Focus On Leader Development

Leadership struggles are common in companies. To ensure your top team is set up with the best possible chance of success—and to avoid costly derailment scenarios—focusing on leader development through strategic, proactive coaching and training is mandatory. Leadership development works because it is strategic; it's not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process to prepare for transitions. - Tonika Bruce, Lead Nicely, Inc.

6. Bring In Different Points Of View

A strong leadership team is the most important part of any business. A business owner can create a strong leadership team by hiring someone who has a different point of view from their own, who is willing to communicate openly and honestly and who will go to bat for the company. This allows for a diverse and well-informed decision-making process. - Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

7. Lead By Example

It's best that you guide others through your actions and behavior. This attitude will pave the way for others and inspire them to walk in your footsteps. To create successful leaders, you have to show them how it's done and be a beacon that leads to the destination. This works because words may have a momentary impact, but it's your actions that drive perpetual results. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

Rachel Beider for Inc Magazine: The Benefits of Outsourcing for Small Business Growth (and When You Shouldn't)

The Benefits of Outsourcing for Small Business Growth (and When You Shouldn't)

When you should and shouldn't outsource, and how to find the right provider.

By Rachel Beider, CEO of PRESS Modern Massage, an award-winning group of massage studios, and the founder of Wellness Business Consulting.

Outsourcing is a great way to pursue small business growth. It can help you save money, increase efficiency and gain access to a wider pool of talent. But what exactly are the benefits of outsourcing and how can you do it effectively? 

The Benefits

  • Cost: When you outsource certain tasks or services, you don't have to pay the same wages or benefits as you would if you had hired an in-house employee. This can significantly reduce your overhead costs and help your business grow. Plus, since you are only paying for the work that's done, you don't have to worry about extra costs associated with having an in-house employee, such as taxes, insurance and other workplace expenses.

  • Efficiency: By outsourcing, you can free up your team to focus on more important areas of your business. This allows them to be more productive and get more done in less time.

  • Talent: Outsourcing can be especially beneficial if you need specialized skills or expertise that aren't readily available in your area or country. A few of my favorite websites to look for talent include Upwork.com, 99Designs.com and Fiverr.com

  • Scalability: If you have access to a larger pool of talent and resources than what's locally available, your business can scale up quickly without having to worry about hiring additional employees or taking on additional overhead expenses like office space and equipment rental fees.

 

What To Outsource (and What To Keep in House)

Here's a list of 10 tasks that I outsourced when I was growing my small business:

  • Accounting and bookkeeping: Outsourcing accounting and bookkeeping services can help small businesses save time, manage cash flow more efficiently, make better business decisions and comply with tax regulations.

  • Human resources: Outsourcing HR services can be a more cost-effective solution for small businesses that need to hire and manage employees.

  • Payroll: Outsourcing payroll services can help small businesses save time and money by eliminating the need to close books or run reports after every payroll cycle.

  • Information technology: Outsourcing IT services can be beneficial for small businesses that need access to technical expertise without the overhead costs associated with hiring in-house IT staff.

  • Customer support: Outsourcing customer support services can help small businesses provide better customer service without having to hire additional staff or invest in expensive technology solutions.

  • Legal services: Outsourcing legal services can be a cost-effective way for small businesses to gain access to legal expertise without the overhead of hiring an in-house attorney or law firm.

  • Marketing: Outsourcing marketing services can be beneficial for small businesses that need help creating and executing marketing plans, running campaigns and tracking results.

  • Web design and development: Outsourcing web design and development services can provide cost savings for small businesses that need a website but don't have the resources or budget to build one from scratch in-house.

  • Data entry: Outsourcing data entry services can help small businesses save time and money by eliminating the need to manually enter data into spreadsheets or databases.

  • Virtual assistance: Virtual assistants are remote workers who provide administrative support, such as by scheduling appointments, managing emails, making travel arrangements and more--allowing small business owners to focus on running their business instead of getting bogged down with mundane tasks.

  • There are a few things that small businesses should not outsource, especially in the beginning. Tasks that are best to keep in house include anything involving confidential or secure information about your employees or clients, as well as higher-level customer service tasks. You should handle issues in those areas internally.

How to choose the right provider

When looking for the right fit, consider the provider's specific industry experience and how it aligns with your budget. Choose providers who have great references and who are excellent communicators. If you have an urgent project, you might consider hiring two different providers to start the project and continuing with the provider who's excelling. This is a simple and efficient way to audition your potential providers if you're in a rush.

There are many benefits that small businesses can experience from outsourcing. It can be cost-effective and efficient and provide access to a larger pool of talent than what's available locally, which can help with scalability as well as provide specialized skills when you need them. So why not give it a try? You may just find that it's the best thing for your small business.

Original Article posted in Inc Magazine

Behind the Scenes at PRESS Modern Massage in NYC

Rachel Beider at PRESS Modern Massage in NYC

With massage therapy locations in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Union Square, and Columbus Circle, you may wonder what a day in the life of one of our studios looks like. Here’s what we get up to at PRESS Modern Massage on a given day:

1. Start the day by prepping the massage studio for the day. This includes setting up massage tables, tidying up the room, filling out any paperwork, and ensuring that the necessary supplies are stocked and ready. You might notice a good scent floating around - we usually love to use Palo Santo or aromatherapy spray!

2. Greet the first client of the day with a warm welcome. Ask them to finish filling out any necessary paperwork and explain the massage process. We make sure our clients are warm and cozy!

3. Begin the massage session by discussing the client’s needs and developing a customized treatment plan. Each massage is tailored specifically to what our client is going through that day.

4. Now, on to the best part: perform the massage session, making sure to keep the client comfortable and relaxed. Our clients usually walk in, and float out! Clients typically choose to focus on their back, neck and shoulders, or have a deep tissue session, a deeply relaxing swedish session, or a prenatal massage if they are pregnant.

5. After the massage, we thank the client for their business and provide any aftercare instructions. We often give stretches and strengthening exercises, or we may suggest seeing a chiropractor, acupuncturist, or other service providers as needed. We have a network of phenomenal care providers in Brooklyn and Manhattan to take good care of our clients.

6. Clean, disinfect, and clean some more! We pride ourselves on safety, organization, and cleanliness.

7. Take a real break in between sessions to relax and prepare for the next client. We leave 30 minutes between sessions so our licensed massage therapists have a ton of time to change the table over, chat with their clients, wash their hands, clean the room, and set the table up for their next session. We want to make sure every licensed massage therapist starts their session refreshed, strong, and ready to give the best massage!

8. At the end of the day, tidy up the massage studio, collect all laundry, and restock any supplies that were used. Don’t forget to water the plants! (We love our plant babies). We file any paperwork, reply to any messages or emails, and make sure to confirm all sessions for the next day, so we can open up strong.

9. Close up the massage studio for the night and enjoy some well-deserved rest!

What’s your favorite part about our studio?

Rachel's Latest in Forbes: Nine Ways CEOs Can Add Structure To Their Workdays And Maximize Productivity

Whether you lead a bustling startup or an established business, as a CEO, your days are likely full of endless meetings, questions from leadership or staff, “fires” that need putting out and very little time to get any actual work done. Without an intentional plan or schedule, your day can get away from you, allowing your work—and your stress—to build up over time.

1. Start Your Day With Your Most Dreaded Task

Make the thing you're dreading the most the very first thing you do. Get it out of the way when you are at the peak of your energy and freshness for the day. Odds are you're dreading it because it is difficult but important. An example might be preparing for tax season. It will be dull, tedious and devoid of creativity, but it is absolutely crucial to the future of you and everyone else in the company. - Tyler Bray, TK Trailer Parts

2. Group Similar Activities Together

One productivity tip I swear by is time blocking. I’m a CEO of a startup, so if I’m not careful, I could spend my day jumping between projects and tasks without time to actually get anything done. I find time blocking to be extremely helpful, and it enables me to group like activities together so I don’t lose time reorienting myself again. For example, whenever possible I will set aside the afternoon for meetings. This gives me the morning to get busy work done, and then once I’m finished with my meetings in the afternoon, I have time to digest the conversations and come up with action points for the next day. - Diana Goodwin, MarketBox

3. Determine Up To Three High-Priority Tasks For The Day

Without some structure, my day could easily become consumed by replying to Slack messages, checking Trello notifications, answering emails, attending meetings and the like. In fact, when I don't structure my days ahead of time, this ends up being what my day looks like, and I find myself having to work when I get home. I build structure into my workday by having one to three high-priority tasks in mind that I want to accomplish each day. I give myself a range of one to three because I never know what will come up during the day. As a CEO, you often feel like there are so many things to do and never enough time, so I'm gracious with myself. If I'm feeling productive, I can get all three tasks done. If not, one task will suffice. At the very least, I know that I accomplished something. - Simon Bacher, Ling App

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4. Take An Actual Lunch Break

Do lunch with another person and not as a solo meal. CEOs at in-person offices can meet with management in the break room or a communal area for a 30-minute lunch. The other person can be a manager, a co-worker or even a family member if you’re working at home. Clock back in as soon as you are done, but set a time to enjoy a meal. Setting boundaries is important, but a lunch date affirms a commitment where you take some time to recharge and stretch. A recharge will mitigate potential burnout, and you also get the chance to spend time with someone you would otherwise miss during a standard workday. You can then get back to work with more energy. - Duran Inci, Optimum7

5. Leverage Modular Routines

Every CEO's workday is going to be different based on their unique needs and schedule. However, one way a CEO can build structure into their workday to help them maximize their productivity is by creating a daily schedule using modular routines. We all know the value of using a set routine. It can help you get into “work mode” and help you focus on the tasks at hand. But schedules with lots of variation can make this a challenge. So, I like to use what I call modular routines. These are set time blocks for core tasks. For example, I set a one-hour block of time to catch up on my VIP emails. This can be at various times, but it's always a daily to-do. I simply drag the item around to where it makes the most sense that day. - Richard Fong, Trustable Tech

6. Schedule Time For Thinking And Brainstorming

One fun way a CEO can build structure into their workday to help them maximize their productivity is to set aside dedicated time for creative brainstorming. This could be done by scheduling 30 minutes each day for uninterrupted thinking and idea generation. This is critical to do because it allows the CEO to step away from their normal day-to-day tasks and focus on longer-term strategy and vision. It also helps to keep the CEO motivated and inspired while providing a much-needed break from the rigors of daily work. From my own experience, I find that taking the time to step back and think more creatively leads to more efficient and effective decision-making, which in turn leads to greater productivity. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

7. Split Your Day Into Productive Intervals

A CEO can create structure in their workday by using the Pomodoro technique. It's a technique that enables you to split your workday into short, productive intervals. Each interval lasts 30 minutes. You work for 25 minutes straight and take a quick 5-minute break after. This is one of the best ways to maximize productivity because the activity window is so small that there's literally no room for distractions. I personally use this technique, and each session feels like an accomplishment as you are a step closer to completing the task at hand. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

8. Organize Your To-Do List By Impact

Prioritize projects based on their overall impact to the company. This ensures you maximize ROI based on time and effort spent. It’s easier to move the needle this way without getting weighed down and overwhelmed by dozens of small tasks that may eat away at your limited hours each day. If you’re able to drive additional revenue, cost savings or efficiency, then you’re able to recruit additional help to take over some of your low-impact but time-consuming tasks. - Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep Mattress

9. Allot Only A Certain Amount Of Time Per Task

I find that having set time allotments for my tasks helps build and maintain workday structure. I move on to the next task even if I don't finish something in the time allotted and then allow for extra time at the end of the day to go back and wrap up. This system keeps my day flowing and helps increase productivity. - Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

Original article seen in: Forbes