Guest Contributor

Business Organization: Ways to Track Inventory and Streamline Processes

March 10, 2016 by Guest Contributor

The success of many businesses depends on inventory management i.e. how well inventory is tracked, organized and handled. Here are three proven ways to increase efficiency and profitability through better inventory tracking, reviewing data and streamline processes.

Inventory Management System

A solid, cutting edge inventory management system offers significant logistical, operation and financial benefits. Using a technology-based inventory control system will enable employees to easily track down and ship products. Even better, it will enable management to obtain real-time data regarding inventory levels, future orders and product movement history. These customized reports will enable managers to make better decisions and react faster to market and customer changes. Inventory management systems should be integrated with point-of-sale style systems that automatically decrease available inventory counts and send out orders to vendors when stock levels reach certain levels. These systems are capable of printing out quick inventory count sheets and reports. [Read more…] about Business Organization: Ways to Track Inventory and Streamline Processes

Creative Ways to Increase Employee Loyalty and Job Satisfaction

February 26, 2016 by Guest Contributor

Employees are what give every business life. A business’s reputation can be built or destroyed by the actions of their employees. Happy employees will shine, while disgruntled employees do sub-par work and may even steal from or defraud the company. Given these crucial points, it is important that business owners identify ways to increase employee loyalty.

Pioneer Employee Engagement

When employees feel engaged by their employers, they have enthusiasm for the work they do. The fact is that employee engagement can be quantified by [Read more…] about Creative Ways to Increase Employee Loyalty and Job Satisfaction

Business Casual: Dress for Success

February 22, 2016 by Guest Contributor

For many companies today, business casual is the norm. However, because it’s still important for all employees to project a professional image. Knowing what clothing works best as business casual can be an important factor in enhancing your career prospects. On the other hand, if you get it wrong you just might hurt your image and career prospects. With careful planning and clearly-defined fashion rules, it’s possible to find the perfect outfits that allow you to fit into that in-between fashion.

Business Casual: Slacks and Pants

For both men and women, there are plenty of great choices when it comes to business casual pants and slacks. Since many employers make Friday even more casual than normal, wearing jeans can be a great choice. But torn or ragged, bleached, etc are still unacceptable at most locations.

For the other days of the week, guys can wear [Read more…] about Business Casual: Dress for Success

4 Software Programs Every Small Business Needs

January 28, 2016 by Guest Contributor

Every entrepreneur needs affordable and efficient software programs to help them run their company, to save time and save money. Read on to learn about four key programs that will ensure the financial success of your small business.

Accounting Software

Smaller companies generally have a narrow profit margin, so they need to carefully manage their finances. Small business finances can involve everything from inventory management to product costs and billing cycles. In order to get an accurate picture of your financial health, small business owners should use accounting software programs. These helpful programs allow the users to process and record basic financial transactions such as accounts payable and receivable.

They can also provide [Read more…] about 4 Software Programs Every Small Business Needs

Oil Jobs Lost: 250,000 And Counting, Texas Likely To See Massive Layoffs Soon

December 4, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Crude oil just capped off a third straight week of declines, as WTI nears the $40 per barrel threshold. Goldman Sachs is once again raising the possibility of oil dipping into the $20s per barrel.

That spells more pain for the energy sector. Many companies have already slashed spending and culled their payrolls, but the total number of job losses continues to climb.

According to Graves & Co., an industry consultant, oil and gas companies have laid off more than 250,000 workers around the world, a tally that will rise if oil prices remain in the dumps.

“I was surprised it’s gotten this far,” Graves & Co.’s John Graves told Bloomberg in an interview. In an eye-catching statistic that highlights [Read more…] about Oil Jobs Lost: 250,000 And Counting, Texas Likely To See Massive Layoffs Soon

Saving Money on Small Business Expenses

November 24, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Running a small business can be tough. If you’re not careful with your expenses, you can easily go into the red. Thankfully, there are many things small businesses can do to save money. Below are five strategies for saving money on all your most important expenses.

Don’t Tie Up Too Much Money in Inventory

At home it often pays to buy in bulk but in business capital is usually scarce and if you are borrowing money capital is expensive. In order to be successful, you have to weigh the cost of capital against any savings for buying in bulk. So while it may appear that you are paying less for each item, you will probably be wasting money in the form of overstock. Instead, try to keep inventory to a minimum with “just in time” ordering i.e. only order new stock when you’re close to running out. It takes a little bit more work and logistics, but there are plenty of programs and apps that can make the task easier.

Minimize Fixed Costs

Fixed costs are things like rent, that [Read more…] about Saving Money on Small Business Expenses

Women Entrepreneurs Making An Impact Now

November 23, 2015 by Guest Contributor

These days almost every industry has its share of outstanding women entrepreneurs. The list starts at the top of the business food-chain with first-time women CEOs such as Mary Barra of General Motors and IBM’s Ginni Rometty. This is followed with more CEOs, in other fields such as education, social media, and the non-profit sector. In addition, woman entrepreneurial power comes in teams that are co-founding the next big thing. Here is a glimpse of this diverse group of women professionals with expertise, insight, and vision for innovating and trendsetting.

Mary Barra, CEO General Motors
This is a famous and powerful entrepreneur as the first woman to head a leading automotive manufacturer. Her tenure started out rocky at the height of scandal for the big automaker, but each year since taking the helm she has navigated the rough waters to calmer seas with the company numbers and image turning a corner. While she still has much work to do, she is a stand-out in 2015.

Ginni Rometty, CEO IBM

Thirty-five year veteran of IBM, Ginni Rometty rose from [Read more…] about Women Entrepreneurs Making An Impact Now

5 Unusual Freelance Jobs

November 19, 2015 by Guest Contributor

In the new gig economy, the key to successful freelancing is having a variety of profit centers. Whether you choose to have several projects in one field, or work in a variety of fields, having an arsenal of freelance options will keep you successfully self-employed.

Here are 5 unusual freelance jobs that you can explore, or mix and match for extra cash.

Podcasting

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the podcast serial, podcasting has exploded as a way to communicate. These days, many businesses and individuals want to get into that game. If you have some technical chops, a great freelancing gig would be to offer your services as a podcasting engineer. You could both set up and instruct a client or you can be a weekly regular.

Blog Food Stylist and Photographer

Nowadays, the key to a successful blog or website are the photos. Clients are in need of someone who can come in and help create a visual brand for their food blog. If you have a knack for making a table look inviting, are able to make food look scrumptious on a plate and have the love and talent to create photographs of it all, this may be for you.

Truck for Hire

People are always looking to move things from place to place. Whether it is produce, merchandise, vehicles, small buildings or even just hauling trash to the dump. There are many options for freelancers to purchase a used truck and start their own hauling business. If you are hauling trash locally you won’t need more than a small truck. But, if you are considering hauling large loads locally or cross country you might consider starting with a used tractor trailer from a company like Arrow Truck Sales.

Professional Instagrammer

Instagram is the fastest growing form of social media in the city, and many companies like, airlines, media organizations, municipalities, tourist authorities, and other groups use it to post current photos. These companies need freelancers to take photos of landmarks, new installations, special events, and other points of interest.

E-Learning

E-Learning is the hottest trend. Learning about a new app, system, upgrade can help you create your own course. If you want to find clients looking to convert their material into an E-Course, E-Learning is a profit center that has not yet realized its potential.

The key to successful self-employment now is having a variety of gigs. Whether they are all related, or all different, mixing and matching unique profit centers will give you many options to realize your career dreams. Most importantly, your unique skills will always make getting up for work exciting and challenging.

Six of the Most Dangerous Jobs in America

September 23, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Most people know they will be safe when they arrive at work, but that’s not the case for everyone. In order to keep a highly productive society, some of us have to do the extra hard and dangerous jobs. While there are dozens of jobs with some level of danger, these six often pose the most threat to worker safety.

Pilot

There are a variety of different jobs for pilots from flying small private planes in the bush to flying large jumbo jets from city to city. There is always going to be [Read more…] about Six of the Most Dangerous Jobs in America

Lessons in Funding for Entrepreneurs

August 24, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Today’s entrepreneurs need to understand all aspects of their industry in order for their business to thrive. This includes financial funding as well as how to interact with investors and lenders that provide them with the early money and the ongoing cash flow support needed. Below is an analysis of some of the most important lessons gained by successful entrepreneurs who were able to find money when they most needed it.

Communicate Your Vision

Successful companies are built on a meaningful vision. Trends come and go, but long-lasting companies have something more to put on the table than just a killer value proposition. They have a worthwhile and enduring vision that attracts strong capital partners with good connections in the earliest stages. Sometimes these connections become key employees and indispensable managers. If you want to build a strong organization, start with [Read more…] about Lessons in Funding for Entrepreneurs