By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

The past few years have brought an intense transition in the face of new challenges, such as the Pandemic. These challenges have also brought opportunities for productivity in a wider range of contexts. The Pandemic didn’t create this new era of remote work. The events of the past few years simply hastened a trend that had been long in the making. 

We have seen new management challenges now that the physical workplace is no longer the default work setting. Trust has never mattered more. At the same time, individual responsibility has gained new importance. Countless shifts have occurred in a relatively brief period, which presents new challenges for business owners but may also provide management freedoms to direct their energies in new directions now that workers hold greater autonomy. 

Below are only a few ways to shift workplace culture to allow greater flexibility in these changing times.

1.Prepare for the New Era of Hybrid Workplaces

As we’ve discussed previously, remote work is here to stay. Employers should adapt their workplaces to accommodate those workers who, for whatever reason, might prefer to perform some of their tasks outside of the office. Fortunately, technology is now widespread, so the modern workplace should prepare for an online presence whenever possible.

2. Communicate With and Counsel Employees

One idea for improving communication may be the implementation of regular feedback sessions regardless of performance. Such a policy might ensure appropriate facetime while allowing both employees and management to raise any issues that need to be addressed. Managers should integrate these sessions into the workplace routine. A “call to the office” should not feel ominous for the worker. Regular, standardized feedback can do wonders for improving the channels of communication.

3. Find Appropriate Ways to Communicate for the Hybrid Era

The popularity of Zoom and similar forums provides boundless opportunities to expand the reach of new businesses. At this point, a business would be lax to ignore these innovations. These new forums afford flexibility that has become crucial for retaining good talent in many industries. 

4. Implement New Technologies

Remember, if you don’t keep up with the times, your competitors will. Small Veteran Owned Businesses should always stay in touch with any emerging trends. Recently, applications like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom have expanded at warp speed, but also stay in touch with the different technological offerings specific to your industry.

5. Maintain Flexibility

If there’s anything the past few years have taught us, it’s to expect the unexpected. A business’s bottom line should always account for the unknown. Whenever possible, businesses should prioritize in a fashion that minimizes the burdens on employees. Adjusting a company’s priorities helps employees stay motivated with the tasks at hand.

Remember, the Pandemic has permanently changed the business landscape, in many ways for the better. Businesses that don’t adapt may have a hard time competing in the new economy. The physical workplace is no longer by default the home base for a business’s operations. Hence, managers need to innovate to ensure the work gets done and gets done right. However, effective management does not preclude trust. In fact, trust is the basis for any solid business relationship.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

The spark behind most small businesses transcends the profit motive. However, none of us can expect to make money while ignoring our clients. We all need to eat. At the same time, we also need fulfillment in our mission in life.

Let’s look at Elon Musk. He started his projects with the best intentions, then consistently found himself burned. Now, his projects have certainly amounted to a net positive for the good they’ve done in the world. At the same time, I think we could debate whether he’d do everything the same if given the chance for a do-over.

Few people go into a business enterprise with purely selfish motives. However, we rarely find companies with totally altruistic motives. We call those companies “nonprofits.”

A smaller company with a mission should find a community willing to share in its bounty. Perhaps this community may consist of “vegans.” Maybe “conservationists,” or maybe even “school board activists.” However, smaller companies should realistically balance their goals with their needs.

As one way to start, Veteran Small Business Owners should consider the causes they most care about. As a next step, consider your community, and what you may offer that community. Maybe you have gardening expertise. Maybe you can repair cars. You may have learned any number of trades during your time in the military. Never underestimate the power of your connections. Also never underestimate the power of your own convictions.

Involvement in the community can do wonders in expanding your business in the right direction. For example, the Danish firm Lego has teamed up with nonprofits to support Syrian and Burmese refugees. We all remember Legos not only from our own childhoods but also as we pick their detritus off the heels of our feet any time we walk around a child-centered household. Whoever came up with the idea for that toy was going somewhere.

Obviously, most of us are not Lego. However, smaller companies may use any of their own resources similarly. As the main point, smaller businesses, even home businesses, should use their offerings to reach out to their community. Brand loyalty itself can multiply your customer base. Maybe you have your own “Lego” idea that can engage your local community. 

Anything from your craftsmanship, your property, your trade skills, or even your good intentions may provide the seeds for a lucrative enterprise. One key word is “engagement.” Remember, your “goodwill” is marketable. Never underestimate the value of community connections. Also, never underestimate the value of time spent building these connections. Your own convictions and passions can launch your enterprise as much as any angel investor.

Smaller businesses often have products or services that may fit just right into the local economy. Rarely do small business owners reach the level of prominence of Elon Musk. However, good intentions do have value. In some cases, those good intentions may even propel a new business into prominence. New business owners should consider the resources they have and make the best use of anything they have to offer. 

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

Businesses need to engage with customers in order to succeed. A good relationship requires demonstrated concern for the client’s well-being and satisfaction. 

1. Communicate with the customer in a manner they feel comfortable with.

Businesses should adapt to the communication preferences of their clientele. Many people find email time-saving because they can respond at their leisure. Others prefer texts because of the instant notification. Others prefer the familiarity of a phone call. Some who speak English as a second language feel more comfortable with a written message.

Additionally, not everyone uses Twitter, Ticktock, or Facebook, but assuming your clients do, why shouldn’t you? Proprietors and clients should sync with their clientele in the digital world as well as the real world.

2. When professional and practical, extend the relationship outside the business realm.

We’re talking about building friendships, or at least familiar customer relationships. Of course, we are excluding businesses that maintain professional boundaries, such as doctors and lawyers. However, owners of small shops, restaurants, and manufacturers have every reason to incorporate their personal relationships into their businesses. These kinds of relationships can help form a community of collegial, like-minded people who love your product or service. 

Here’s one funny strategy: Many companies recognize micro-holidays such as National Red-Apple Day, National Peanut Day, and World-Wide Volkswagen Beetle Day. Extra points if the holiday is relevant to your business!

Also, many companies make a small celebration out of the birthdays of customers and employees. A small card can go a long way in reminding your client of the importance of your practice. Even an internet celebration can soften hearts and create a familiar mood.

3. Product education can build a relationship

Especially with technical products, effective customer support can build rapport with the company. Different techy products may require different measures, depending on the industry. One example may be sponsorship of training classes for your product, if practical. As another option, a launching event for a new product may provide another option to build a community of loyal customers. Make it a party!

4. Find small ways to go above expectations

As we’ve said before on this blog, if you have extra inventory that you absolutely can’t get rid of, give it away for free. You may or may not want to give a birthday scene for the birthday boy or girl at a restaurant. But a more discrete strategy to make a connection may be a small birthday deal or gift. Polite, discrete ways to make customers feel special never hurt anyone and will increase your popularity with your customers.

Overall, whenever possible, always try to go above expectations when the opportunity arises. Maybe during a slow time, going the extra mile with a service or product just may keep the customer coming back. These measures are important not only to increase revenue but even to provide further online reviews.

5. Conclusion

Never forget the importance of a community of loyal customers to boost your brand. Only customer satisfaction can build your business to capacity. Even with the best conceivable product or service, only good marketing can build success for a veteran entrepreneur. Remember these maxims from this blog and those to follow.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

The Pandemic proved one fact to consumers and businesses: Remote ways of transacting are here to stay. Coronavirus only accelerated existing trends. In other words, even nontraditional online strategies can work, in some cases better than the old ways.

Some of the newer trends are the following:

1.Working from Home

Many workers simply work better from home. Also, many businesses function better this way as well. For example, remote work can eliminate problems with the commute. Working from home can also ease the burden on employers in the recruiting process. Accountants, real estate workers, and IT professionals, for example, often can work from home, even as many other professionals cannot. 

At the same time, other companies do need in-house workers. In fact, many prefer them even when they can subsist with a remote workforce. For example, in-person work often makes feedback easier to give and receive, and facilitates team building and group work, even in industries where remote work is quite doable.

In 2022, we now recognize the possibilities of at-home work, although the permanence of the traditional employment model goes without saying.

2. Reaching out Remotely to Customers

The Pandemic was a boon for online companies like Amazon since customers found themselves confined as they sheltered in place. In fact, the Pandemic made clear to a wider audience the potential of online marketing. While brick-and-mortar enterprises will never die, these past couple of years has incentivized wider use of online strategies.

3. Importance of Social Media Influencers

Along the same lines, the Pandemic forced many of us to turn to social media for socializing. Significantly, influencers have gained more influence in a wider range of fields. A “nano-influencer” might promote a niche specialty or a unique service. A “micro-influencer” might have more followers but remains within a niche field, hobby, or profession. A “macro-influencer” probably has more than 100,000 followers and a wider range of influence. A “mega-Influencer” would have over a million followers and leagues of devoted fans hanging on their every word. Kim Kardashian would be an example of a “mega-influencer.”

These one-person marketing machines have gained more respectability and wider roles. Only recently have we seen their utility as an option for promoting new brands. 

4. Consumers Have More Options: Brand Loyalty Has Declined

Here is another economic trend that the Pandemic has accelerated. In the past, in-person businesses have had captive audiences. Businesses catered to their own communities. However, the online world has exposed us to a much wider range of options for whatever goods or services we might need. 

One of the saddest trends in economic history was the replacement of mom-and-pop businesses with chain stores in the early 1900s. The Pandemic has complicated this trend by driving home the indispensability of the internet. 

Small business owners shouldn’t fret. One benefit of this process is that now even they can compete with larger business owners simply because they have a wider audience, and better means to promote still better goods and services. This is bad for stores like Sears and Nordstroms, but good for Veteran Business Owners.

Conclusion

In short, the Pandemic accelerated trends that started decades ago. Now, any number of enthusiastic, charismatic individuals can become influencers or business owners. In other words, we have new techniques of marketing and new styles of entrepreneurship. These trends will continue, and while older ways of doing business will always stay relevant in this diverse economy, the newer ones are here to stay.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that part one of this two-part mini-series has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.   Stay tuned for the next article.  

We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

The Age of Cell Phones has brought new challenges to the workplace, both for managers and their staff. Cell phones can distract managers, the employees themselves, and coworkers, and relevant policies should address all safety and productivity concerns.

Cell phones these days permeate society, and workers may see them as a necessity. Hence, blanket cell phone prohibitions may only hurt morale. Accordingly, managers should consider the right times and places, as well as the correct uses, for cell phones. Considerations may include safety, relevant work tasks, and proximity to other workers. 

For example, bans on cell phone use while driving go without saying. In these cases, employers may need to ensure the phones are not only off, but possibly even out of reach. Also, consider job tasks that implicate the privacy of others.

These safety concerns are the most obvious problems. Operators of heavy machinery, delivery people, and health care workers can not only sabotage their own work but that of others with careless cell phone use. Some companies in such cases may even go so far as to ban the physical presence of cell phones on the premises.

However, outright bans are generally unnecessary and often backfire. Absent a life-or-death situation, “reasonable use” should govern the management approach. After all, cell phones have become a day-to-day necessity, and have so thoroughly permeated life that strict cell phone policies could even damage employee retainment, not to mention everyday morale. Excessive bans are simply not good practice.

Employers report a 28% increase in mistakes after a phone call, and 75% of employers estimate that distractions slice over 2 hours of productivity from the workday.

Overall, employees should exercise proper etiquette with cell phone use. However, we all have our slips, foibles, and blind spots. Hopefully, workers know to turn off their ringers, take calls in private, and of course not take their phones into the bathroom. Finally, texting may replace loud talking on the phone. Habitual offenders may need a discussion with the boss.

As for concrete policy recommendations, the following common maxims could address any problems:

• Workers may not use work cell phones for personal tasks.
• Personal cell phones may not be used for work tasks.
• Due to the possible use of cameras, no cell phones should be used in proximity to confidential information.
• No use of cell phones for gaming or surfing the internet during work hours.

Other policies may vary depending on the workplace, especially those related to safety.

Remember the importance of balance between the interests of employee, employer, and coworkers. Fairness dictates that no one employee neglect their work due to cell phone use. After all, some studies suggest that 55 % of distractions do come from cell phones. 

No one, managers or employees, wants to pry into a worker’s use of their own property. However, one worker who is always on the phone easily can burden the rest of the office, the business, and indirectly, customers. Hence, offices should implement clear cell phone policies as well as actively encourage mindfulness and good manners, while respecting reasonable use when necessary.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that part one of this two-part mini-series has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.   Stay tuned for the next article.  

We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here: https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/