Here are just a few reasons as to why we think this should be the case.

Balancing work and personal life from home

So I’m going to be honest here, organization is something I struggle with. It takes a conscious effort for me to stay organized. I know for some folks it comes naturally, and for some others…well, you are like me. And I don’t necessarily just mean in terms of keeping your desk neat and tidy- I mean with life.

What does this all have to do with working from home? Well let’s face facts: it’s easier to do things when everything is in one place. Being able to walk across your house or into the next room of your apartment, sit down, and bang out whatever work you have to do is infinitely easier than having to have all of your working materials at…well, work.

Plus, now that it’s 2020, there are plenty of ways for you to actually make working from home work for you. As we said above, before the advent of the internet this would have been basically impossible. But now, companies have moved forward; the advent of telephony services like MightyCall make it possible to essentially conduct all of your business from afar, without losing any of the ability to work you would have otherwise had if you were at your office.

Saving time: the hidden benefit of home offices

So there’s something else about working from home which is not often talked about, at least not by your boss (or, if you are your own boss, it’s something you may not even admit to yourself): working from home is just…easier. And it’s not lazy to admit that! It just IS easier. For example, here’s how the normal 9 to 5 job works: you wake up at 7:30, sleep your way through breakfast, drive to work, and then sit at your desk for 8 hours.

You might not actually need to be there for all 8 hours—I think anyone who has worked in an office can tell you that you definitely don’t need to be there for all of those 8 hours—but you have to be there nonetheless. Then, you’ll drive home, cook dinner, and watch a show or read a book for a bit before going home. If you have any social events during the week, they’re usually crushed in and guarantee you can’t get any chores done, meaning that you’ll get to spend one of two weekend days cleaning your toilets. If you have kids, it means that for a majority of the week, you won’t get to see them.

Here’s working from home: get up at 8, 8:30, casually eat your breakfast. Start working from your other room (or heck, your bedroom) at 9, work for a couple hours, then take a long lunch break without your boss tapping his or her foot waiting for you to come back. Take the time to eat, do a chore, walk the dog; then resume working for a bit more, finish the, say, six hours of work you had, and then you’re done by 3 without having to drive home. Greet your kids for the school bus, and have a nice, longer, and fun night.

What working from home can do is free you from the rigid routine of 9 to 5. With companies that allow you to work from home, and software which lets you take advantage of being allowed to work from home, you actually can break free of the same rules which governed your great grandparents when they were working.

Improving the business strategy with efficiency

This one is frankly, self-evident: no one likes commuting. Even if you do not live on the horror show that is Interstate 405 in by Los Angeles (the one that you always see on the news, profusely clogged with traffic), commuting can still be just…un-fun. Even if your city has effective public transport, unless you happen to live near where you work, you’ll still spend a decent chunk of time commuting to work; the average American spends about 26 minutes. There and back, you’re closing in on nearly an hour of travel.

But when you work from home, your commute is about thirty seconds, depending on how far your work station is from your bed. Plus, as we mentioned above, you can take breaks more easily and aren’t forced to just sit at a desk to please your corporate overlords- so that means when you go outside, it’s because you want to, not because you’re expected to.

Understanding the financial benefits of working remotely

 Americans spend thousands upon thousands of dollars a year commuting to work. That’s a huge chunk of cash! That’s a couple of nice vacations. That’s money that can go to loans, or fixing your roof, or toward a car payment, or can just sit in your wallet instead of going straight into your car’s gas tank.

When you work from home, that massive chunk of change disappears entirely. And you’ll probably end up even saving more: think of all the times you didn’t have time to pack lunch, so you bought something from the cafeteria in your building or ran to the restaurant down the block during your break. All the times you put a couple quarters into the vending machine. That stuff *adds up!*

Meanwhile, working from home barely costs you anything. A business phone system from MightyCall, for example, can cost as cheap as only $19.99 a month! Math was never my strongest of subjects but even I can tell that that’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a couple grand a year in gas alone.

Improving business operations from home

What you have probably picked up at this point is that the current system we have of working is…just not optimal. It is severely lacking. It’s far too expensive, eats up time, and just overall makes no sense whatsoever.

When you work from home, those issues disappear, and you can truly optimize your business from top to bottom. No longer being constrained by physical locations is everything- and with a phone system like MightyCall’s, which effectively turns any internet-connected device into a phone, your opportunities will grow massively. Tired of working in only your house? Spend the day in your local coffeeshop, making calls and great deals over their wi-fi. Need to meet with your colleagues? Hire out a temporary co-working space where you can all get together and share ideas and plans of attack.

Plus, if you are not constrained by physical locations, your employees, don’t have to be either. In the past, if the best possible employee you could hire worked three hours away, that hire wouldn’t have worked out. But transitioning your business away from the 20th-century physical model means essentially that you no longer have to worry about hiring second best. Geographic restraints are a thing of the past.

It’s time to try and work from home

The work environment as we know it has evolved. The embrace of remote working isn’t just a necessity borne out of a crisis; it’s a revelation of a more efficient, balanced, and satisfying way of conducting business. Companies and employees are discovering the profound benefits of this shift, from financial savings to enhanced productivity. It’s clear that the traditional 9 to 5 work model is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and working from home is at the forefront of this change.

The post Turn Your Home Into Your Hub: Working From Home Tips first appeared on MightyCall.

Who Are Fitpreneurs?

Fitpreneurs are the fit and energetic entrepreneurs who manage to keep up a six-pack while managing a seven to eight-figure business. These are the leaders who shrug shoulders at the mention of their already packed schedule and say, “If Mark Zuckerberg can fit in a workout, so can I”.

Indeed, it’s no secret that the owner of Facebook is super punctual about his workout sessions and even openly shares them with the world. But outside the framework of Silicon Valley, is fitpreneurship more than a fashionable high-end trend?

What does it take to be a ‘fitpreneur” when you’re running a small business? How does a healthy lifestyle inspire productivity? What does it take to get started and exactly how much time should you be prepared to give your most important business asset — your health?

We asked five small business CEOs who also happen to be fitpreneurs, why exactly fitness makes all the difference in their lives — and how it can change yours.

Meet Our Fitpreneurs

“We spend about 120 hours a week awake. Dedicating 3 of them to fitness isn’t asking a lot.
— Dmitry Lepikhov, CEO,  MightyCall“

In the world of IT, innovation sparks a perpetual race to exceed not only your competitors but your own achievements. Nowhere do things change on such momentary notice as in software development where a sharp mind is more vital than ever.

Dmitry Lepikhov, our very own CEO at MightyCall, knows how to stay ahead of the competition and inspire the whole team by bringing his most productive self to work.

“Sports is what makes my working hours incredibly more productive,” says Dmitry. “When I go for a run after work, it’s a great way to shift gears so I can easily fit another 2-3 hours of work in the evening. Even if I’m not working later on, my body is incredibly refreshed and grateful for that exercise.”

Dmitry likes to keep his fitness training diverse, that’s why he’s particularly enthusiastic about triathlon. “I do triathlon training for one hour, three times a week,” Dmitry shares. “Triathlon is a multisport race made up of running, cycling, and swimming, so you’re doing something different during each workout. I’m not in it for the Ironman race, but for the satisfaction that comes from endurance sport and the fantastic competition drive.”

“Don’t think about what you have to give up, think about what you’ll gain.
— Lauren McManus, co-founder, Create an Go“

For many, the ability to manage a business while traveling the world seems like a dream job. However, when you’re the co-founder of a million-dollar-per year business blog, traveling is also part of the job. In fact, it’s as simple to get glued to a plane seat and laptop as it is for the regular CEO to get glued to their office.

For co-founder of Create and Go Lauren McManus, a healthy lifestyle coincided with becoming an entrepreneur. Or perhaps, that was no accident?

“When I was still in a 9 to 5 work environment, I used to watch people coming back from lunch completely exhausted and unable to do anything for the rest of the day because they ate garbage on their break,” says Lauren. “That’s why when I finally took the leap to start my own business, health and wellness was always at the forefront of my mind…The days I was eating the most healthy foods were the days I got the most work done.”

In addition to healthy nutrition, Lauren prefers exercise that can be flawlessly integrated into her workday. “A few times a week I’ll take a walk through the town or a hike in the wilderness,” Lauren shares. “When that’s not an option though, I’m doing yoga and other similar strength-building exercises.”

“The hour it takes for me to go to the gym saves 2 hours in work time.
— Kean Graham, CEO, Monetize More“

Running an ad tech company with 100+ team members plus traveling for 12 months of the year may seem enough of a workout for a healthy, young leader.

Kean Graham, CEO of Monetize More, thinks differently. Without waiting for tomorrow, he’s making an investment into his future health and feeling the benefits of a fit lifestyle.

“I’ve played sports all my life, so staying active has always been a habit,” Kean shares. “[However], it’s not till later in my life [that I] really started to value the health benefits. I am so much more physically and mentally capable than people my age…because I eat well and stay active.”

Kean’s fitness method combines regular sports activities including squash, tennis, soccer, basketball, beach volleyball and golf. However, he says it’s the simple but intense activity between work that affects his productivity most. “I fit in intense activity 1 – 2 times per day intertwined with my work schedule,” Kean shares. “I only work in 3-hour stints max and take breaks with physical or social activities.”

“Work-out time is non-negotiable.
— Kristin Marquet, owner,  FemFounder”

As the owner of a business consultancy for femalepreneurs, a boutique PR company, and a fashion/lifestyle magazine to boot, NYC-based CEO Kristin Marquet has a lot on her hands at any given moment.

If founding and running three different businesses isn’t enough of a multi-tasking feat, wait till you hear how Kristin gracefully balances her business schedule with en pointe classes.

“I always led an active life from childhood and wanted to maintain those habits as I’ve gotten older,” Kristin explains. “I love working out…[it helps me] think more clearly and be more productive at work.”

Kristin’s favorite activities include running five days per week and en pointe practice twice per week. These ballet classes go back to her childhood immersion in dance. “If I miss workouts for a week or more, then my mind gets foggy and I feel sluggish,” Kristin says, adding that she spends “anywhere from four to ten hours per week” staying active and fit.

“An open attitude towards a healthy lifestyle is contagious.
— Michael Landsberg, CEO, Landsberg Bennett Private Wealth Management”

His name isn’t Elon Musk and he’s not the Tesla CEO and father of five who works up to 100 hours per week, but he’s a father of three and CEO of his own private wealth management company.

Michael Landsberg may well embarrass all business-parents out there who sigh, “You’re kidding, right?” at the mention of sports.

“To fit workouts in, you sometimes need to be creative,” Michael explains. “Like a lot of children, my children play sports, and there are a lot of practices. After dropping [them] off, I see most parents will either be on their phones or talking…I make sure to bring my running clothes and shoes. While my soccer-playing son is practicing on one field, I can run 6-8 miles circling all the soccer fields. It makes complete sense to use the time wisely for something productive.”

Michael also takes care to inspire a healthy lifestyle among his team. “I’m in business to help people,” Michael says, “and to help them, you must be able to work at a high level. [In] the office, we converted one of the storage rooms into a fitness center complete with a treadmill, an elliptical, and a peloton bike. … It dramatically increases morale and workplace satisfaction.”

Become a Fitpreneur

Exercise is beneficial not only for your health but also for your business’s success. Daily physical activity, such as active walking, increases brain cell connections, enhances memory capacity, and cultivates crucial leadership qualities like resilience, courage, and inspiration.

Incorporating regular exercise into your routine is simple and can include activities such as gym workouts, yoga classes, or running with your pet. Prioritizing your physical fitness can help you thrive in the business world by fostering valuable characteristics that are essential for successful leadership.

For on-the-go communication with your clients, you can always use MightyCall’s virtual phone system for small businesses. Stay connected from anywhere and take advantage of our limited-time offer to equip yourself with the tools to tackle any business challenge and become a successful fitpreneur.

The post 5 Fitpreneurs on How a Healthy Lifestyle Fuels Productivity first appeared on MightyCall.

At the close of the most challenging year in recent history, we asked over 100 small business owners to name top business skills that helped them survive 2020 and the ones they’re embracing for the years ahead. Their answers are a heap of wisdom and practical insight. But it’s their question that may as well change your life:

How many of these skills (interpersonal and business) do you already own?

What are Business Skills?

Business skills refer to the abilities and knowledge necessary for successfully operating a business or working effectively within an organization. These skills can be learned and developed over time and encompass a broad range of capabilities, including communication, leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, and financial management. Mastering basic business skills can help entrepreneurs, managers, and employees achieve their professional goals and contribute to the overall success of their organizations.

#10 OBJECTIVITY

Emotions are a natural answer to stress. Under their influence, we’re more prone to becoming either reckless or paralyzed in our actions. Mark Webster, Co-Founder of Authority Hacker points out the importance of not jumping to conclusions, even “when the world feels like it’s falling down around you”. Instead, start with a good look at data and facts.

“Instead of assuming your sales are going to grind to a halt, actually look at the numbers for yourself. What does the data say? What are your customers saying? What is the real, objective picture. Instead of deciding, “We need to cut back on everything. ASAP.”, think about the long-term implications of everything you do, how much things cost and how you can sensibly cut costs without sacrificing your product or service.”

Domantas Gudeliauskas, Marketing Manager of Zyro, adds that a large part of being objective is being level-headed and honest. In times of storm, never keep yourself and and your team in the dark.

“We understand that we’re working through a global crisis, but find ways to set aside anxieties and focus on work during work hours. For this, we try and make sure employees have everything they need for a comfortable office, from office equipment to furniture, while also openly communicating about the company’s financial situation to avoid rumors and misinformation.”

#9 OPTIMISM

Everyone loves a “glass-half-full” kinda fellow, as opposed to their opposite. But in a business environment, happiness is more than a psychological hack. It’s the “cherry on the cake” that will motivate you to learn and cultivate all the other skills below. Trust that a positive mindset will pay off a thousandfold, says Chris Kaiser, Founder & CEO of Click A Tree, and you won’t be disappointed. Just like Chris wasn’t, in one of the toughest years.

“Positivity was key this year. Despite the crisis I managed to find new business opportunities, and because I’m optimistic I didn’t hesitate to reach out and discuss the potential for a cooperation. Instead of seeing all the negatives in Covid-19, I tried to see the positives. And yes, that positivity paid off: We found dozens of new partners, and my entire team still works full-time. No layoffs, no reduced hours.”

#8 COMMUNICATION & NETWORKING

If you want the business to thrive, you’ve got to be ready to talk. Talk to clients, talk to partners, talk to strangers who might be your future sponsors. We just can’t stress the importance of networking enough and neither can Career and Communication Coach Madeline Schwarz.

“Because I invested a lot of time in building a network before the pandemic, I had a network to lean on this year. It was easy to transition to online networking because I was already involved in a number of communities and accustomed to introducing myself to a room full of strangers. When you take a genuine interest in other people and focus on building relationships first, you attract people that want to help you, will tell people about your business and will hire you when they have a need.”

Inside the business itself, communication is a must-have skill needed for business. For a leader, clear communication steers the whole business ship clear of icebergs, says Jacob J. Sapochnick, Founder of Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick. 

“Through communication, I was able to help my employees to navigate during these times of uncertainty. That’s why I can say that communication is the most important thing in every organization.”

#7 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Whatever a business is struggling with, its customers usually share in the struggle. When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, many customers lost their grounding with the closure of businesses while the needs of others were greatly overlooked, as entrepreneurs struggled to make it. Bill Joseph, CEO of Frontier Blades talks about the importance of actually building your trust with clients during years like this, as opposed to just focusing on your own problems.

“Our e-commerce business faced massive delays in shipment causing many customers to need to receive their orders on time. Hence, we decided to approach our customers and give them an update on the status of their product and try to give them a status on where their product is located at the given time…and ask them if they would like a refund or not. The building of customer relations helped our business significantly in 2020 as we increased in sales compared to last year even during a pandemic crisis.”

#6 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

In business, going into sailing without a business management plan or a financial model is considered a recipe for disaster. But 2020 has shown us the importance of not just having a financial model, but coming back to it again and again, to reassess and modify expectations. Yoann Bierling, founder of International Business Consulting explains why.

“Budgeting is what allowed my business to survive this tumultuous year, which saw an overall business drop of 70% from March to November. As in any situation that has to deal with finances, budgeting properly is the best way to survive any issue that arises, as it ensures that what you spend is not affected by external influences, such as revenues drop, as you already planned not to go over what you have. I even expect to be 5% below budget by the end of the year, and I am now preparing the budget for next year.”

Another aspect of business management is self-organization. Many businesses are short on time and staff, which means you have to hire employees whose top assets are good organization skills. As Brandon Monaghan, Co-Founder of Miracle Brand points out:

“I like to break up my schedule by category. I time batch all of my meetings back to back to eliminate unnecessary distractions and breaks. Once I’m finished with my meetings, I move onto my tasks for the day. It’s vital to keep pushing each project along instead of getting caught up on just one.”

#5 PATIENCE

Business is basically thought of as action. That’s why being patient with ourselves is probably the toughest part of business  — patience is not exactly an act, it’s a state of being. Jordan Smyth, CEO & Founder of Gleamin talks about the importance of patience and mindfulness in order to avoid the icebergs of entrepreneurship.

“Throughout my career I’ve made a few little mistakes which have caused large problems. I have learned the importance of slowing down, making decisions wisely and thinking about the long-term. Additionally, my ability to say no to opportunities that aren’t serving me or are taking away from my immediate focus has also been largely beneficial this year. It has allowed for me to stay structured, focused, and organized.”

#4 EMPATHY AND EQ

Over recent years, EQ or emotional intelligence has become a business skill as important, if not more important, than IQ. It’s no longer about being smart, but about being attentive. As Laura Fuentes of Infinity Dish explains, that’s because only a leader who is sensitive to the needs of others can make decisions that will make long-term business impact.

“When I was younger […] I was a reliable and consistent employee, and I would have little patience for people who called out or didn’t work at my level. As I grew older, became a mother, and started listening to other people’s stories, I developed a deep level of empathy for others. […] Those feelings carried through into my becoming a business owner, and being able to access that empathy this year really helped as I made accommodations to schedules, pay, locations, etc.”

Beyond your team, empathy is the superpower that will resonate with everyone you communicate with. As Lynn Power, Co-Founder & CEO of MASAMI adds:

“It’s so critical to understand what your consumers, your partners, your peers are going through. And really listening and relating to them on a human level. [Empathy is] the skill that has been most useful this year to not just survive but thrive.”

#3 PERSEVERANCE

Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going”. In the long run, it’s perseverance that makes a difference between someone “successful” and everyone else. In any field of life whatsoever, but especially in entrepreneurship, the sooner you adopt perseverance as your motto, the sooner you’ll rethink your idea of “fear”, says Casey Halloran Co-Founder & CEO of Costa Rican Vacations Travel Agency.

“Because I wasn’t allowed to quit or weasel out of hard moments growing up, I’ve never shied away from hard work or difficult moments. While I complained plenty about my parents’ unique style as a kid, it has served me well in business, particularly in the past year of unprecedented challenge and stress. Some people can find this level of stress unbearable…I certainly have had moments of fear & loathing. But in general, I find these moments in business and life to be THRILLING.”

#2 DIGITAL SKILLS

If it weren’t for digital innovation, most of us wouldn’t be able to make it through 2020. Digital has made it possible for us to work from home, attend school from home, keep in touch with relatives and friends thousands of miles away. It’s also what kept small businesses alive.

Yet in addition to embracing evolving technologies as a whole, entrepreneurs like Brian Robben, CEO of Robben Media, suggest taking a look at particular digital skills. For example, digital marketing and SEO became a turning point for many small business owners this year.

“Search engine optimization, the art of showing up when prospects are looking for our exact offer, helped us achieve a record year. We’re a digital marketing company, so ranking first on Google for keywords like website design, SEO agency, Facebook Ads agency, etc. has driven insane ROI. Organic traffic is super profitable because prospects are actively looking for what we’re selling, and then finding our website to schedule a sales call. No wonder we close so many deals from this.”

#1 ADAPTABILITY

Flexibility, adaptability, being ready to pivot: every successful entrepreneur has their own synonym for the world’s most important business skill. And that’s because this superpower is one older than business and older than human civilization itself. As Mike Falahee, Owner of Marygrove Awnings points out, adaptability is a force of nature. That’s why it’s also the force of business.

“Possessing this trait is exactly how humanity has evolved to where we are now. Being able to embrace changes, and roll with the punches creates a person that is impossible to knock down. Bruce Lee says to be like water. I’d take his word for it. Rigid things shatter. Sharpen this skill, learn how to see opportunity in adversity, and you can overcome anything. As for adapting my company, we have had to implement no contact curbside quotes, let office employees work remotely, help them draw the line between work and home, and implement new strategies for keeping our manufacturing facility safe.”

Skills Needed for Business: Review

Mastering the skills needed for business is essential for individuals aiming to thrive in today’s competitive market. As highlighted through the business skills examples, success in the business world is often determined by a combination of effective communication & networking, objectivity, optimism, customer relationship building, business management, patience, empathy and emotional intelligence, perseverance, digital skills, and adaptability

By focusing on developing and refining these essential business skills, you will be better equipped to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve professional success. As you progress in your career, continually assess and improve your skillset to stay ahead of the curve and become a valuable asset to any organization or venture you are involved in.

The post Top Business Skills Needed for Successful Entrepreneurs first appeared on MightyCall.

A few reality checks later, though, we know it —  neither the immaculate cleanliness nor the $5k gadget set would remain untouched for long. In a matter of hours, all would be messed up by roommates, kids, or pets, the desk stuffed with sticky notes, Lays packs, and tea bags, fancy wearables later found in various corners of the house. We’ll be lucky if we don’t lose half our wits in the cleanup process.

There are a few things you can do, though. Here are a few office organization ideas:

1. Go for comfort, not trends

Pinterest may be buzzing with home office organization trends, and just looking at some of them our mouths get watery for shopping (at least my own does). That said, the first step to a perfect home office is personal comfort. For some people, that’s a formal desk, for others, a plush chair. For some, it’s perfect minimalism and bright sunlight, for others, a cozy study with lamplight.

A few things to ask yourself before setting up or revamping a home office:

• What’s the least comfortable thing about your current office/home office space?
• What does your ideal office feel like? What kind of space fuels your productivity?
• Do you have to be alone or around people to focus best?
• Do you work best in silence or with background sounds? (We’ll come back to this later)
• What distracts you most from work?

We know you’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: you’ll be sitting before your laptop a lot, make sure you get yourself a comfortable, ergonomic office chair, even if you have to go shopping for that one. As someone who’s used everything from dining room chairs to pillows to prop up myself during hours of work, trust me: your back will thank you.

2. Consider a pop-up home office and more

Closet home office. Image source: Pinterest 

Privacy is the epitome of a great home office. Among the things we love best about designer home offices is the silence emanating from the photo. That even outwins the fantastic organization of space where ordinary things are given a second life and every inch of space is used wisely.

The lack of privacy can be really tough to beat when you’re working from home, but there are ways you can foster more privacy with minimal investment, and even in a tiny apartment.

Let’s look into a couple of ways to gain privacy and organize your home working space effectively.

Pop-up home office cubicle

Panasonic has recently released Panasonic Komoru, its first-ever pop-up office cubicle made for organizing a home office. However, we can safely say that you can “steal” the idea for a fraction of the cost. Just use Japanese folding screens with hooks attached for hanging folders, and place a light laptop desk inside. Fold when not in use.

Closet turned home-office

One of my favorites, this may be the coolest home office nook ever, if only you have a spare closet (or are willing to turn your wardrobe minimalist).

Space dividers for home office

Curtains, bookcases, and folding panels all make for easy and affordable space dividers that can seal off your “nook” from the rest of the room (and its inhabitants)

Stand-up home office desk

A stand-up office desk isn’t for everyone and definitely not for 8-hour workdays, but it’s the latest trend in healthy alternatives for people with back problems. So if that’s you, why not? You can find creative standing desk organization ideas on Pinterest.

Fold-out desk or table

A great alternative for small apartments. A fold-out desk or table aligns against the wall and folds out when you need it while pretending to be a bookcase/shelving unit at other times.

Painted chalk wall as organizer

A chalk wall is a great idea for keeping memos, brainstorming, and for anyone involved in creative work. Want a 2 in 1? Paint a free wall (ideally next to the table) in your kitchen using chalk paint and have it function as an office whiteboard during the day (use the kitchen table as a desk) and recipe board in the evenings and/or weekends.

3. Find balance and respected space

What’s the secret of our obsession with minimalist home offices? No, it’s not just the visual appeal of a modern, sleek look. It’s the psychological parallel between a decluttered space and a decluttered head: focus inside and out.

Sure, the shiniest minimalist home office won’t make one a productivity guru. But our brains are wired in such a way as to project external surroundings into our internal state of mind. The calmer the ambiance outside, the better and more productive we feel inside.

Parents will agree that the hardest part about creating the right ambiance is having all the members of the family respect your working space as sacred. If you’ve got a family with small kids, this can even seem impossible. In such cases, experts in remote work recommend scheduling breaks to check up on your family/kids, and even do household chores, as long as the chores don’t manipulate your working schedule.

A good idea is to use a Pomodoro timer (you can use the digital version or get yourself the cool little desk timer) where uninterrupted work is interspersed with smaller breaks during which you’ll check up on the kids and do any smaller tasks. Many a time, you’ll find that 2-3 hours of focused work with 15-min hourly breaks will outdo 4-5 hours of constantly interrupted work.

4. Sounds matter: how various sounds influence productivity

Sounds have immense power over the human brain. As a neurotransmitter, sound exposure activates dopamine synthesis. While natural sounds soothe the nervous system, artificial sounds induce the same brain reactions as those observed anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression.

It’s no wonder that sounds have a great effect on productivity and many people relate how they just can’t focus with or without a certain sound background.

Do you know how different sounds influence productivity?

Nature sounds

Studies show that the more stressed a person is, the more their nervous system benefits and relaxes from nature sounds. So once in a while, take your laptop to the park, beach, or countryside to relax and listen to the birds. If none of those are available, just listening to ocean, birds’, or rustling leaf sounds will switch on the relaxation mode in your brain.

Cafe sounds and ‘white noise’

In a study that delved into why people can focus well in a cafe but not in an open space office, researchers noted that a medium level of ambient noise minus the distractions of office life “may trigger the brain to think abstractly, and thus generate creative ideas.” If this feels like you but you want to feel safe during COVID and stay home, turning on “cafe sounds ambiance” on YT may be the way to go.

Music

Music is another proven way to activate the brain for study and work. In this respect, classical music works best. Known as the “Mozart effect”, classical music boosts productivity by enhancing brain activity, overall health and well-being. YT’s “light classics” playlist or “music for studying” is a good starter if you’re feeling in the mood.

Silence

One study found that listening to silence for 2 hrs per day grows new brain cells in the hippocampus or “memory region” of mammals. Science aside though, if you’re like me, you may appreciate perfect silence as your top productivity tool. Even as a remote worker, I usually pull up my (unplugged) headphones when working to shut out the external noise. This works magic and lets me focus entirely on the task at hand, accomplishing a task at twice the normal speed.

Keep in mind:

With current pandemic-related remote work and self-isolation, finding your habitual sound environment plays an even more important role than before, when you could have found these sounds naturally. Thankfully, with modern technology, we’re no longer confined to a certain environment in order to immerse ourselves in its atmosphere.

5. Declutter you phone

As much as thoughtful use of technology can ease your workday, tech clutter can really break your attempts at productive work. And let’s face it: most of our phones are really full of apps we open once, on a good month.

Though Airplane Mode is great for avoiding distractions from social networks, SPAM calls, and the itch to scroll through to procrastination, many of us working from a home office have client calls and other important communication that just can’t be put on hold until the end of the day.

What’s the answer? Leave just the necessary apps on your phone and focus on integration so you receive important notifications without scrolling. Here’s what you’ll need.

Business phone app

For business owners, there’s no business communication without a business phone. And a business phone system without a great app is a waste of time. Take MightyCall’s business phone system, for example. It has a terrific mobile app that lets you immediately know whether a call is a private call or a business call, has an anti-robocall feature, includes a single Business Contact Book with CRM synced to each team member’s mobile phone, and a lot more. Now, that’s something you’ll definitely need in your pocket!

Integration app

The problem with apps is that there are lots of them and each is sending notifications to your phone, stealing little by little, hours of your workday. To avoid that, what you can do is set up an integration service like Zapier that will automatically direct important notifications to your email (or certain team members’ emails), while you can turn off unimportant notifications with peace of mind.

Team messaging app

If you’re working as part of a team, whether a freelancer or business owner, the quality of your communication often determines the quality of your work. Avoid using lots of messaging apps and choose one that your team will use permanently. Keep the notifications for that one going and turn off the others during the workday. For our team, that’s Discord, since it allows you to tag team members, create virtual chat rooms for specific groups of people (like marketing and sales), do voice and video chats, and daily stand-ups.

Discover more

Have you found some home office ideas that inspire you? If so, you may want to take a look at more best practices for remote work. We are here to make sure your work and communication is as smooth as possible. Take a look at the professional VoIP system that will help improve your office organization via remote calling and texting.

The post How to Organize Your Home Office: 5 Tips first appeared on MightyCall.

So to see what it really takes to become an entrepreneur, we decided to go the practical way. With access to thousands of successful entrepreneurs, we here at MightyCall posed a question to our community: “What should people know before they start their business?”

Below is the list of the most important things to consider when starting a business. Based on the advice of real entrepreneurs, they are designed to give you the knowledge you need to start your business off on the right foot.

8 Things to Know About Starting a Business

1. Manage your expectations

No matter how good your idea is, not everything will go as perfectly as it does in your head. Your business is not going to change the world in a month, or even a year. It’s entirely possible that you won’t see a profit (considering the money invested) for the first three years.

No matter what happens, it you want your business to succeed, you need to keep an even head, and the easiest way to do that is to manage expectations.

Had a lackluster month? That’s normal.

Not gaining traction on social media? Keep going.

Mistakes and disappointments are “par for the course”, so stay strong and don’t get pessimistic if things aren’t going the way you want them to.

2. Consult as many professionals as you can

This is a 2-in-1 point.

• Firstly, get all the information you can about the field you’re about to enter. The best way to do that is to consult people in that industry, whether they’re soon to be your competition or not. Scout out every inch of their website; sign up for their newsletter; try your hardest to get them alone to pick their brain. Everything you learn will help prepare you for the journey.

• Secondly, there are some essential people you’ll need to help you along the way: lawyers and accountants. Their roles will fluctuate based on how well your business is doing and what stage it is in, but the knowledge they have is a gift.

Accountants will help you manage your money and budget effectively.

Lawyers will teach you the laws and regulations you’ll need to work in your sphere. Without consulting one of these, you’re only making your fight harder.

Don’t trust Google or an app with information as specialized as this, go straight to a professional.

3. Know your target customer and why they’ll buy your product

This is marketing 101, but nearly every entrepreneur we asked noted this. If you don’t know who is likely to buy your product, you’re setting sail without a rudder.

Knowing as specific a target group as possible will help you focus on the details that make your product stand out to that group.

Standing out is essential too. No matter what the reason, there needs to be one why that ideal customer will come to you instead of a competitor. It can’t just be about the price either, because that rarely is a successful long-term strategy.

Whether it’s something about how your product is made, who your workers are, or what your brand image is, you’ll need a strong idea of this before opening your doors.

4. Watch your money like a hawk

This may not be fun, and hopefully, you’ll have an accountant to help out here, but no matter what your financial situation is, you should know every financial aspect of your business to the cent.

If you want to properly utilize the limited funding you have—and it will be limited—you need to weigh the pros and cons of every business-altering decision. Is it better to splurge on rent to get a better location, or use part of that money to hire someone to make the best website possible? You’ll probably face a conundrum like this at least once a week and being on top of your books will help you maximize your money.

Additionally, knowing the full extent of your finances will help you live your life. Aside from the money you spend on your business, you’ll need money for food, rent/mortgage payments, and everything else in your personal life.

5. Be an expert in your sphere

Often, many entrepreneurs will tell you that they learned most of what they know from hands-on experience. If your business succeeds, you will too. However, today there is simply too much competition in nearly every market imaginable to go into something blind or under-informed.

You don’t need to know more than the entrenched competition—although you should know everything possible about them—but you need to know more than all of the other people trying to break into your industry. The more you know, the better chance you have at making the best product/service possible.

6. Know that your business can succeed

A few people noted the idea of a “test run.” While depending on the specifics of your business plan, a practical test run may not be fully possible, it’s a great way to get an idea of both your potential place in the market and how to improve your product.

A big part of the test run boils down to personal and financial security. It’s essentially knowing when it’s time to give up your day job and commit to your business without having your finances crumble to the ground. Whether you can sell your product on weekends, attend an important conference or secure funding to give you the time you need to get your company going, you need to have some peace of mind that what you’re doing can put enough money in your pockets to make it a career.

7. Spread word everywhere you go

I once talked to an entrepreneur who told me she met a sponsor for her product while waiting in line for coffee. In fact, you’ll often hear business owners talking about the power of networking, but too often we think of networking in terms of specialized  networking events, meet-ups, or contacting people online. All of that is good, but always keep the coffee story in mind. Complete strangers and “unexpected” circumstances are often decisive factors behind pivoting moments. Among the key things to consider when starting a business is using any opportunity to spread the word about it, always having a business card with your business phone number at hand, and paying particular attention to growing your contacts in the “real world”.

8. Be ready to work, work, and work

If you’re starting a business, you have to be passionate about whatever it is you’re doing, because you’ll spend more time working than anything else, especially in the early years.

According to most of the entrepreneurs who answered, 50-hour weeks are about the minimum that you’ll be pulling for the first few years.

The situation with your family, your friends, and your finances, to name just a few, will all have to inform your decision to start a business. Can you handle a 60-hour work week? Can you handle seeing your friends half as much as you’d like? Think about how you’ll manage these aspects beforehand, so neither your business nor your personal life gets ruined.

One of the Key Things to Know Before Starting a Business: Do Not Be Afraid

Not all of the things we discussed above are pleasant. Some aspects of running a business can seem scary or intimidating. But too many aspiring entrepreneurs are surprised when these things pop up, and above we’ve talked about them because you too will need to firmly answer them if your business is to survive.

We know all this sounds tough, but with MightyCall, you can focus on the key aspects of entrepreneurship and not be afraid of automating other tasks. Every aspect of our system  — from local, toll-free, and vanity numbers, to auto-attendant,  working hours vs. off-hours, CRM integration, and 30+ phone system features have been designed to help SMBs and their owners.

So go ahead and start your dream business- we’ve got your back at every step of the way.

The post 8 Things to Know Before Starting a Business first appeared on MightyCall.

In this article we cover:

• Business Cards as a Marketing Tool: Why We Still Use Business Cards
• Design: How to Make Your Card Design Effective
• Content: What Information to Put on a Business Card
• Keep in Touch: Why You Should Consider Getting a Business Phone Number
• Business Card Marketing Your Way

Business Cards as a Marketing Tool

A masterfully-designed business card introduces your company to potential clients, serving as an effective yet subtle marketing tool. Business cards are:

• Handy. It’s much easier to slip a card into your wallet/pocket than reaching for a phone to record someone’s contacts. In contrast to writing down a phone number on a scrap of paper, it is possible to supply more information in a casual, non-intrusive manner.
• Professional. It is rather challenging to provide sufficient information with good visual design, readability, and distinctive style within the limited space of a card. Your ability to do it implies attention to detail ― a key property of professionalism. It can also demonstrate that your business is successful: having high quality of design and paper will show your clients that you can afford it.
• Personal. By giving a business card you show respect by relieving a recipient of additional actions like typing your contact into the phone or writing it down. It also saves time, and people appreciate your care. In contrast to digital tools, being a physical object allows to support the visuals with tactile sensations. Such sensations are not only perceived as more personal, but help to remember the printed information (company name, logo, list of services, etc.).
• Expressive. Creative professionals such as designers, photographers, illustrators, or artists can showcase their skills directly. This way, you can provide a sneak peek and interest your client in your art style. They can also communicate the lifestyle and values your business is about.
• Fun. There are custom cards that, if used wisely, can become a powerful tool to engage the card recipient with your product. Some furniture companies make their business cards foldable, inviting the customer to make a small origami chair or table by following an easy instruction. Mini cheese grater business cards, a beer bottle opener business card, an envelope with seeds—all these options are genious approaches to marketing with business cards.

However, the problem with business cards is that virtually everyone nowadays distributes them as a part of business etiquette. As a result, cardholders of businesslike people are filled with tons of largely similar cards. Luckily, there is a way to get around this challenge.

With the help of the following tips on design and content you will learn to utilize the creative approach without compromising the air of trustworthiness.

Design

Color Matters

Color is the first thing we notice about a business card. Making your recognizable grants obvious promotional advantages and also saves a would-be client’s effort while flipping through his/her cardholder in search for your contacts. Just be reasonable.

A dissonant “eye-watering” palette is off-putting. An irritated person will hardly bother looking at your card twice. What we find pleasing is harmony, although this notion may appear subjective. That is exactly why artists came up with a color wheel. It may be confusing for the first time you see it, so a little read-up is recommended. Such websites as Tigercolor or Colormatters provide several ways to use a color wheel along with some basic theory behind the color harmony.

When the palette is chosen, try to test it before calling a print service. Don’t hesitate to ask your friends whether they find your color choice pleasing. You can get more global and unbiased feedback at ColourLovers ― an internet community of color enthusiasts where they create, share and discuss color schemes. Palette is yet another way of identification, so keep your color schemes consistent through your website, business cards and promotional materials

Balance the Oddity

Ferrari red paint, a huge spoiler, and predatory air intakes look great on a sports car, much less so on a family minivan. Ensure that your card design is appropriate for the field of your business activities.

Originally, contacts were printed in black on plain white paper. Many legal and financial businesses still adhere to this template or opt for its derivatives ― shades of pale gray or beige. Such cards look basically the same for a reason: along with inscriptions like “Est. 1876” they convey traditionalism and seriousness. Would you choose a legal advisor whose business card implies nonconformity? Similarly, would you choose a children’s art studio with a black-on-gray card? Hardly so, unless the intention is to make a clear statement of “otherness” ― quite a risky move, indeed.

Color schemes may vary greatly as far as they are appropriate and harmonious. On the other hand, the following aspects of design are universally applicable.

Preserve Functionality

Make your text legible. The primary function of a business card is to convey information ― you don’t want potential customers to struggle through overcomplicated fanciful lettering. Nor do you want them to use a magnifying glass if their eyesight isn’t perfect.

As far as fonts are concerned, they also should be appropriate. There are hundreds of internet sites solely dedicated to fonts. For instance, on Printaholic.com you may find a wide choice of typefaces recommended for use in particular business fields while Indesignskills.com ― among other things ― contains tutorials and tips on the matter.

Materials and Shapes

Choose quality materials only. A momentary impulse to save a couple of dollars on paper may severely affect your business reputation. Whatever excellent design you have, people will likely dispose of a wrinkled piece of cheap cardboard with low-res print. 90% of all business cards are printed on high-density matte paper because this material is inexpensive, print-friendly and undemanding in terms of print equipment. What is more, you can make immediate notes on matte paper, while ink won’t stick to a glossy surface.

If your business is associated with handmade products or fashion, consider using textured or embossed material. A good example is paper with linen texture ― it is still writable and looks noble while being very pleasant to touch. Unfortunately, it is difficult to maintain decent quality of print on heavily-textured surfaces, so use more conventional materials unless shabbiness is really what you want.

Bear in mind that a business card is a utilitarian item ― it may be casually stuffed into a pocket, get soiled or soaked. While only plastic coating can guarantee full protection, at least make sure the print is able to survive an occasional couple of raindrops and the paper won’t wrinkle when held in slightly sweaty hands. Give your freshly-printed cards a trial before ordering the main bulk.

As for the shape, it is better t stick to standard-size rectangular cards. While oval or hexagonal ones will definitely stand out, storing them in a cardholder – or a wallet – is problematic.
Before proceeding to content, let us recap the design-related tips:

• Pick an aesthetically-pleasant color scheme, ask for feedback
• Make sure your design is in line with your business field
• Select legible fonts and font sizes
• Use professional print services and high-quality materials; give them a trial

Content

Avoid Misunderstanding

Be as clear as possible. A fleeting glance at your business card should be enough to determine the general industry of your company. The name of the company and its logo are things that catch one’s eye. They must be chosen carefully. To avoid ambiguity and enhance the promotional effect, include a company slogan (brand promise). Even if you run a one-person enterprise, state your personal responsibilities clearly.

Provide essentials only. Cramming the card space with irrelevant text is bad: it affects the design and draws attention from what is important. A business card should invite a recipient to make a call/write a message, it is not intended to provide explicit details.

Show Yourself

In the late 19th century, putting an owner’s photograph on a business card was a good way to make it stand out. Now, as color printing has become cheaper, this approach is quite common for those who wish to be remembered in person (real estate agents, for instance). Arguably, a photo builds up familiarity and thus increases the number of incoming messages. What is more, people tend to remember faces better than names. However, some people are rather conservative towards business cards and a photo ― especially, a not-so-perfect one ― makes you look unprofessional in their eyes.
Anyway, it might be a good idea if you work independently ― in contrast with a company logo, a photo emphasizes the personality of a card-giver. If you opt for a photo, avoid ID mugshots ― it is not the most appealing camera angle. Instead, ask a professional photographer to make a business portrait with adequate equipment, lighting, and background. Don’t forget to don your best suit. A “creative professional” can try a self-portrait in a cartoonish or caricature manner ― such a face will surely be remembered.

Don’t Waste the Space

Corporate business cards are often blank on the reverse side. It is how companies show that they don’t use cards for promotion. It also almost halves printing costs. For a small business, however, a single-sided card seems a waste of a promotional asset. Have you ever studied how card recipients react? Out of pure curiosity they would look at the backside and ― finding nothing there ― put the card into their wallets in a slightly disappointed manner.

Now, if they find something unexpected on the reverse, you will get a smile in appreciation of your creativity. And as we know, positive emotions generate customers. A card’s reverse side may be used to provide a link to your landing page via a QR code or you can offer discounts and special offers. It is even possible to highlight some of your work, be it manicure, wedding cakes or tailored suits ― just take a photo of the best thing you’ve ever made and place it on the back of your card.

Keep in Touch

The most essential area of your business card is your contact data. In the world of today, two things are indispensable here ― an email address and a telephone number. Additional contacts may include your website, social media accounts (don’t forget to restrict access to anything private), popular messaging agents etc.

For most people phone calls remain the most natural way of communication as they prefer voice over messaging. Therefore, a phone number is compulsory. But is it a good idea to give your private mobile contact? On the one hand, exposing your private contact data makes you a potential target for pranks, spam and night calls, which doesn’t add peace to family life. On the other hand, you risk losing clients when failing to answer incoming calls (if a line is busy, or you are preoccupied with urgent matters, or trouble with your device occurs). Probably the worst possible situation is when you are forced to change your number. In this case, all the previously-issued business cards become almost useless.

Large companies combat this problem by using phone branch extension systems. For smaller businesses there is a much more affordable alternative ― a virtual phone number. Companies like MightyCall provide business phone numbers enabling you to get all the benefits of a professional PBX without any additional equipment. Such solutions are highly customizable with a wide variety of options to pick from.

If you work as a part of a team, just put a business number on your card and the system will automatically forward incoming calls to a free team member. Alternatively, you can activate an auto-receptionist to greet your clients and enable them to choose who to speak to. An independent professional can always stay in touch regardless of where he is ― calls can be forwarded to any mobile, VoIP device or softphone. And if you don’t want to be troubled during non-business hours, just set an appropriate rule and record a voice message for callers.

The Content-Related Tips Go as Follows:

• Make your text perfectly understandable. Don’t overload your card with information.
• If you want a photo, make sure it is appropriate and professional.
• Use the reverse side of a card to your advantage. Showcase your work, provide special offers or supply a link to your landing page.
• Always include your email and phone number. Social media profiles are optional, yet recommended.
• Consider getting a virtual business number. It makes life much easier.

Business Card Marketing Your Way

Creating a high-quality business card is no easy feat, but it is one that will definitely pay off. Adding a tactile connection between you and your customer will strengthen the bond between them and your company. Business cards remain an essential and handy networking instrument and a key part of business etiquette. By making your cards unique, professional-looking, and credible, you will maximize the promotional impact. Business cards represent you and your brand, which makes them a crucial investment that a smart business owner will definitely consider.

The post Business Card as the Effective Marketing Tool – 8 Things to Know first appeared on MightyCall.

Soft skills make up a whole set of leadership, teamwork and character traits chiseled out to perform under pressure. Among the benefits of soft skills training are increased ROI and a highly productive working environment. According to a study from Boston College, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan, on the job soft skills training delivered a 256 percent return on investment due to boosted productivity and employee retention.

How does a small business get the same kind of ROI and precisely what soft skills are needed to take your business to the next level? We asked several successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, and small business founders to share the top soft skills vital to their daily work. Here are their years of experience gathered in 8 essential points for you to learn from and implement today.

1. Communication

Communication is the chief intersection in your business journey, the daily meeting ground of the business leader, their team, and clients. If there’s a “jam” at any point, it’s bound to create friction throughout the whole business journey.

Mark Webster, Co-Founder of Authority Hacker, notes the importance of cultivating communication in distributed teams. “Even though we’re an online business, we still set aside time slots to chat with our team and discuss what’s going on,” Mark says. “Every morning we have a daily standup call where we can discuss what everyone has planned for the day and the things which may get in their way — that way we can all discuss what each individual can do to help them proceed.”

An open environment doesn’t just communicate ideas better — it leads to better problem-solving. ”When it comes to failures, instead of simply proposing a solution for them, we’ll dig into what exactly caused the failure and how we can work together to fix it,” Mark adds. “This leads to a much more open and communicative dialogue rather than a simple one-way management structure…This has had a huge impact on the business as it gets our team to really think about what they’re contributing to the business.”

Mark notes that it’s the ideas sparked by out of the box thinking that really boost his team’s productivity. To make sure none of those ideas are lost, prioritize communication within your team. To help keep track of all his team’s tasks, ideas, and keep communication flowing, Mark uses a time-management tool like Asana.  The daily reporting feature helps him instantly understand what’s on the team’s agenda.

2. Negotiation

Negotiation may be the least favorite skill a business owner has to learn, but one of the most critical. As Victoria Pynchon writes, “Negotiation is a conversation whose goal is to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours.”

Lewis Goldstein, President of Blue Wind Marketing, identifies the importance of negotiation skills that can take any conversation past the paralysis of an initial “no”. “The importance of negotiating can’t be underestimated,” Lewis shares. “It’s all about learning how to communicate effectively so both parties get what they want. In order to be highly effective in negotiating, you need to understand where someone is coming from. To do that, you need to ask calibrated questions and labels.”

Lewis notes that an essential complementary skill to negotiation is understanding both your own and the speaker’s body language. “Body language oftentimes matters more than the words in a conversation,” Lewis says. “When you use positive and open body language you’re portraying yourself as confident and influential. On the flip side, when you can read the body language of others well, it empowers you to understand the variety of signals that people use – both consciously and subconsciously.”

Negotiation skills may look hard to nail, but you’ll quickly catch on by analyzing past experiences. Lewis suggests recording and listening back to business calls to understand ways you can improve customer negotiations. When listening back to recordings, look for what you did well and what you can do better next time. Read all about U.S./Canada recording laws and auto call recorder apps and you’re good to go!

3. Positive mindset

In a tough business environment, few skills are more universally acclaimed than an optimistic and positive mindset. Make no mistake: positivity isn’t about the number of smiley faces you attach to an email. Neither is it the failure to spot problems. It’s about the kind of resilience and character your team brings into solving problems that makes it stand out.

Positivity is the top skill that Kimberly Rath, Co-Founder and President of Talent Plus, an assessment provider with a 30+ year history of success, looks for in new employees. “From the beginning, we have taken the selection of each colleague very seriously,” Kimberly says, “and one of the things we select for is positivity/optimism. This always needs to stay front and center as you build a sustainable culture. Your organization gets better or worse with each hire.”

The reason positivity should be one of the key traits you scan new employees for isn’t just a healthy workplace environment. As Kimberly shares, “Most important for leaders, it’s essential to create a culture where change is embraced, accepted and celebrated.” When such change occurs, it’s the “individuals who have grit along with flexibility, resourcefulness, and optimism” that “can take on change, adapting to what’s happening around them and to them as the workplace changes.”

Positive problem-solving abilities are one of your team’s greatest assets. When hiring new employees, look for both skills that are “mission critical” (e.g. hard skills and knowledge) and the character traits that make for long-time players (e.g. positive attitude towards the job, ability to keep up and change with the times, adaptability to the workplace culture and new tasks).

4. Active listening

Remember how as a kid, you could always tell whether your parents are “ active listeners” (fully involved in the problem you’re communicating to them) or “passive listeners” (murmuring “aha” while staring at the newspaper)?

Stefan Chekanov, CEO and co-founder of Brosix, notes the importance of being the “good parent” to your team and clients. “It takes both skill and discipline to take the time to truly listen to a team member, customer, manager, etc.,” Stefan says. “So often people begin reacting based on partial information or inferences they make, rather than trying to understand what the other side is really saying.”

Active listening is a vital skill for getting constructive feedback from clients. “When a customer calls with an issue, we have a script of questions we ask in order to try to understand all aspects of the situation, and we train our support staff in active listening techniques,” Stefan shares. “In this way, we avoid misunderstandings and mistakes that come when you react to partial information, and our customers feel that they matter to us.”

Free online learning platforms like Coursera can be of great help in honing soft skills, including active listening.  Consider scheduling weekly study sessions or follow-up discussions with your team. These will make it fun to grow your knowledge together whilst helping each other out and bonding the team.

5. Discipline

Just like talent, business isn’t all passion and enthusiasm. The backbone of successful leadership is the unwavering discipline that humbly does its job through both the ups and downs.

Silicon Valley’s longest-serving CEO, entrepreneur and inventor Ray Zinn, has been at the forefront of the tech industry since 1978. His secret? As Ray puts it, “Discipline is doing what you don’t like doing and doing it well—having the determination, no matter how difficult a task is, to do it correctly.”

This disciplined approach, which Ray expanded on in his book, “Tough Things First” allowed him to run a business through times when nearly everyone else would’ve given up. “When Micrel [i.e. Ray’s company] was in the middle of our IPO, I suddenly became legally blind,” Ray shares.  “I had to have the discipline to not only finish the IPO but return home and face my condition; it was not reversible. I went on to convince a skeptical BOD that I could continue to run Micrel without being fully sighted by learning to navigate the world in an entirely new way. Because I was so determined and disciplined, I was able to convince the BOD and went on to run Micrel for 37 years, only one that was not profitable.”

With discipline, you can achieve absolutely anything you want. Every single hard and soft skill gains from a disciplined approach. As Ray suggests, never leave things to take care of themselves. If you can’t be there to talk an issue out in person, use software like video conferencing and/or a virtual phone system to connect to your colleagues without putting problems (however small) on hold.

6. Transparency

For an online business with a distributed team of freelancers, things can get messy and out of control if the leader lacks strong skills in giving clear instructions.

Running his own digital business, Sam Zuo, CEO of PassiveAirbnb, doesn’t waste a second of his (or his teams) time. What helps him is a concise and transparent team management approach.  “Clear instructions [are] really important because most of my freelancers are in different timezones, so the default mode of communication is always in written text. “ Sam says.

To help freelancers understand his management style and expectations, Sam has come up with a “user’s manual” that projects his business mindset in a nutshell. This is an informal two-page text that in transparent terms covers topics like problem-solving, team expectations and preferred methods of communication. For example, instead of complaining about problems, Sam instructs his team, “If there’s a problem and you want me to decide, always come with 2 solutions.”

Outline your business practices and expectations in simple, written form to all new employees. Skip the managerial jargon and simply connect to your team in human terms. Your work is sure to get more organized and mindful. To stay mindful and patient in the midst of a hectic workday, Sam also suggests practicing daily meditation on your own or with a mindfulness app like Headspace.

7. Facing discomfort

You’ve heard it before: if you want to do business, you’ve got to be ready to step out of comfort zones. Handling discomfort teaches entrepreneurs the importance of analytical but fearless decisionmaking. It also helps strong leaders break existing rules in order to create their own.

The ability to put yourself out there and push through discomfort is an acquired skill that any aspiring entrepreneur should cultivate. As Kayla Pendleton, Founder of Women’s co-working space Make Her Mark says, “It’s very tempting to back off the first few times you push yourself out of the comfort zone because it’s uncomfortable. But…every time I do some new, hard thing, it builds my confidence and I get more and more skilled at navigating myself to get past my boundaries of what I think I can do!”

Handling discomfort isn’t just about courageous decisions. It’s also about feeling OK with asking for help and teaching others to do so with your example. “I’ve grown my membership and expanded my services greatly because I’ve learned to ask for help and find great resources such as grants and mentors,” Kayla shares. “[Another] less obvious benefit is that I have become an inspiration for my members…many of whom are in business for the first time and are looking for encouragement and leadership.”

If you’re new to the business journey or need help at any stage, don’t be afraid to ask for guidance from a community of fellow entrepreneurs, femalepreneurs, freelancers, or telecommuters. You’ll gain many a helping hand in the process. Kayla also suggests learning to think on the fly and studying new things to inspire yourself and your team.

8. Integrity

Every entrepreneur is essentially a one-man orchestra that juggles countless tasks throughout the day. When you’re multitasking all the time, it feels easy to slip into “autopilot” mode and have your interactions with colleagues and clients turn generic.

Robyn Flint, an insurance specialist at ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and founding owner of real-estate rehab company Property Wise, LLC, notes the importance of putting other people first in the midst of your busiest workday. “In order to run three businesses while also working as a freelance writer and author, I must employ a set of soft skills to make it all come together,” Robyn says. ”My number one soft skill is my strong work ethic. …I believe in making [my clients’] experience with me the best possible so they walk away feeling like their needs were met and they would refer my services to others.”

For a local business, giving clients special care and treating their business as your top priority can work wonders. ”I receive repeat clients, referrals, and have actually had a client cry when our time together was done,” Robyn shares. “As a full-time real estate agent…treating clients as if their transaction involves the largest financial investment they will likely make in their lifetime has made me a five star professional.”

As a business owner, you may possess lots of inner integrity — but your clients need actions, not words to see that for themselves. For example, Robyn has a 32-touch yearly campaign strategy in place with all clients. That means making contact in one fashion at least 32 times per year via holiday/birthday/anniversary cards and client appreciation events. A warm, human touch such as a card sent via post creates a lasting connection that spreads the caring message of your business.

Final word

Each business success story looks kind of magical and spontaneous from the perspective of time. Behind each success story though, lie a great number of leadership, communication, and other soft skills honed until they become second nature.

With each soft skill you learn and cultivate today, remember that it all goes into shaping your future tomorrow.  In just a couple of months, you’ll be forever grateful for how far you’ve come. As for the technologies essential for every entrepreneur, check out our super simple guide to digital transformation for small business.

The post 8 Top Soft Skills For Successful Entrepreneurs first appeared on MightyCall.

Over two hundred years later, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, women may have no trouble getting a patent, but we are still fighting to make our voice heard in the male-dominated leadership arena. The ice is broken. But we are still fighting for the chance to propel our inventions, business ideas, and creations from a place of equal opportunity.

As women leaders and founders, what can we do today, to help one another beat the odds regardless of social, gender, and racial privilege?

I talked to seven award-winning female leaders and founders, including MightyCall’s award-winning product manager Anna Miranchuk, to find out.

1.Back yourself up with a support network

The problem with women leaders, founders, and executives, is that more often than not, they find themselves in roles and companies that make them the only woman in the room. Placed within such constraints, women leaders often miss out on the mentorship and support network allocated to their male colleagues.

Helen Norris has served as the Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Chapman University in Orange, California since June 2014. With a computer programming background and a 20-year experience in Higher Education Information Technology, Helen’s life is centered around technology. Leaning back on her own struggles, she is actively engaged in empowering women in tech through organizations like Women in Technology International and Advancing Women in Technology.

“From early in my career I have often been the only woman on the team or the only woman in the room. That can lead to a sense of isolation in the workplace. The number of women in leadership roles in technology is still pretty small, with some studies showing that while there has been some improvement, fewer than 20% of CIOs are women. One of my techniques for dealing with isolation is to build a strong network outside of my own organization. I think it is critical for women in IT to develop and maintain networks for many reasons, including career growth, support, and keeping current with trends in the industry. It’s also a great way to pay it forward – to be there for others who might need mentoring or advice in their own careers.”

Success tip: Mentorship and online communities for entrepreneurs remain the fastest and safest business propellers, regardless of gender, age, and race. Jessica Alderson, co-creator and CEO of Syncd, a dating app that matches compatible Myers-Briggs personality types and a top 10 female entrepreneur according to Yahoo Finance, says, “One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a woman is the lack of female role models in tech. The ones I have met are intelligent, supportive, and just all-around amazing people, but are few and far between. I recently took on a new role as the UK lead for Women in Tech which has opened up a whole world of amazing, supportive female role models. I would suggest finding a close-knit community of women to anyone facing a similar challenge.”

2.Get comfortable asking for help and learn to set boundaries

For women leaders, multi-tasking is a habit we quickly fall into and are reluctant to let go of. Women leaders often heap responsibilities upon themselves and feel distraught asking for help, both when it comes to “traditional” female responsibilities and work chores. Asking for help makes women leaders feel week and vulnerable but it shouldn’t, says 2021 Forbes Next 1000 nominee, Indy Maven CEO and co-founder Leslie Bailey.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced in my career journey as a woman is getting in my own way. Sure, there were plenty of times that men underestimated me or passed me over but that really becomes a problem when you allow people to treat you a certain way. But what I mostly mean by getting in my own way is how I made sacrifices too easily sometimes. I always felt that I had to say yes to get ahead. Though my husband and I both work from home and are parents, for the longest time I took on the traditionally female tasks of making dinner, leaving work early to pick up kids, starting work late because I was doing things around the house. The moment I started looking at us as equals (despite who makes more money – shocker, it’s him) I stopped taking everything on myself and have been able to focus more on my business and career. I also learned to say no to tasks, requests, and other asks that don’t serve my needs and goals.”

Success Tip: Both at home and at work, learn to say no to things that aren’t vital at the moment. Ask for help and partnership. This act does not make you seem weak or incapable of fulfilling your task. On the contrary, dividing responsibilities is the mark of a mature and respectful leader, regardless of gender. You’d be surprised how often the people around us, from family members to colleagues would love to help and to know their input is worthy and needed!

3. Focus on hard work and soft skills

What do you think counts more on your CV — hard skills per se, or soft skills? When asked, 97% of employers said that soft skills are on a par with or even more important than hard skills. Judging by the fact that all leaders and founders display uncanny soft skills, this is barely surprising.

Crisis management, a key soft skills for any leader, is something that Toni Harrison — gold medalist in crisis management at The American Business Awards (The Stevies”), multicultural agency founder with two decades of industry experience, and CMO at fintech startup Fair — is familiar with not just in business, but in life too.

“As a young Black girl, I was frequently reminded I had to be twice as good to get half as far since I am Black. I suspect that fueled my ambition and helped me ascend to senior positions more quickly. In tech, fewer than 2% of executive leaders are Black. In marketing/PR only about 5% of the entire workforce is Black. In marketing and communication, we have to sell ideas to connect with consumers.

“My journey into tech is paved with purpose and passion. The racial disparities in health that were exposed and widely reported as the pandemic grew are equally concerning and alarming in finance. Fintech has the power to quickly transform the systems and practices that contribute to the racial inequities in finance, such the wealth gap which shows Blacks and Latinx pay more than twice the amount in bank fees, even though the average whites have 8x the wealth and far less debt. This brought me to a new path as Chief Marketing Officer for Fair, a fintech startup aimed at reducing racial wealth and opportunity gaps. As Fair CMO, I’m a crusader for closing racial wealth and opportunity gaps.”

Success Tip: We’re used to the fact that in business, it’s hard work, not only talent and brilliant ideas, that is the breadwinner. But for women leaders coming from a minority or underprivileged background, the amount of hard work, perseverance, and dedication are twice or thrice that of a standard white male from an average background. Especially in the “man’s world” of fields like fintech, women are under a lot of stress to make their achievements count. If you’re a woman who is passionate about a field that has a lot of piled-up misogyny, your best weapons are psychological preparedness (don’t underestimate the amount of challenge so you’re not crushed by it), professional growth, and investment in important soft skills like crisis management, negotiation, and communication.

4.Learn the art of funding (and crowdfunding)

Female. immigrant. tech. founder. For most people, just one of those nouns in their CV would’ve been enough to give up on their goals. But not for Elnaz Sarraf, Founder & CEO of ROYBI Robot  — the world’s first AI-powered smart toy to teach children language and STEM skills.

These days, her product has been named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions in Education, on the 2019 CNBC Upstart 100 list as one of the world’s most promising startups and on Fast Company’s 2019 World-Changing Ideas. But times weren’t always happy for Elnaz, an Iranian immigrant recently named Entrepreneur of The Year in Silicon Valley.

“When I was raising funds for the Roybi seed round, I heard so many rejections that often, I thought to myself if what I am doing is right. There were plenty of people who told me I should just stop trying or try other future ideas. Some said that it is not worth losing all my money over this idea and just finding a 9-5 job and then working on something else in the future. All these comments were quite discouraging. It got even a lot more difficult when I ran out of money and had to call my friends and ask for help. However, I firmly believed in ROYBI. Fast forward, I was able to eventually raise $4.2M financing in our seed round in 2019 without even a fully functioning prototype.”

Success tip: Fundraising is one of the toughest aspects of growing a startup. Experts agree that in order to successfully raise funds, you should send the message about your product/service far and wide. Connect to all the people in your network you haven’t spoken to in a while and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You may also want to look into crowdfunding. As Sukhi Jutla, a female entrepreneur who raised £439,840 for her startup, MarketOrders, via crowdfunding says, “Don’t make assumptions about whether people have money to invest! I learned quickly that there were many people who were willing to invest large amounts but I hadn’t been telling them I was raising so I assumed they were not likely to invest.”

5.Focus on achievements. Results will follow.

As women in business, we know a lot about the infamous gender gap. Many of us either struggle with it still or have felt its burden upon us. But to paraphrase poet Robert Frost, the best way out of the gender gap is through it. This is something Anna Miranchuk, Product Manager at MightyCall and Network Products Guide IT World Awards, Women in IT silver medalist is keen to point out.

“The more varied an ecosystem is, the more stable it is. This is vital not just in biological terms, but in professional terms as well! I am confident that gender plays no ultimate role in a woman’s career as long as she is a professional in her field. Surely, there are certain aspects and management styles that vary when it comes to men and women leaders. Women are naturally good communicators, and this can be very helpful in leadership roles. But the main secret is to do work that captivates and transforms you – in that case, you can become successful in any field! At MightyCall, we have people from diverse backgrounds, both men and women, who’re passionate about what they’re doing.”

Success tip: If you’re a woman leader or founder, creating a diverse ecosystem around your team is an important aspect not just of diversity, but team productivity. The more diverse the voices representing and speaking up for your company, the more productive your mutual work will be. However, if you’re in a situation where you’re the only woman in the room, focusing on your professional skills and disregarding “well-meaning advisors”  who recommend you to go back to the kitchen counter is the safest bet when it comes to eliminating gender bias.

Final word

Society at large still has a way to go before accepting, prizing, and encouraging the full input that women leaders, founders, and inventors can make in the world. But today, as ever, our best weapon is our togetherness.

“Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.”

Time to own the battle, girls.

The post 5 Success Strategies For Women Leaders and Founders first appeared on MightyCall.

More importantly, it’s the laptop lifestyle that has changed the game of how we do business. Here, we’ll be going over just exactly how you can benefit from these changes. In particular, we’ll be focusing on how small businesses have had to adjust and the new possibilities and technologies which have emerged to help businesses do so.

In this post:

• What is the laptop lifestyle?
• How does the laptop lifestyle help businesses?
• How do you start a laptop lifestyle?
• Tools needed to start a laptop lifestyle

What is the laptop lifestyle?

The laptop lifestyle is the offshoot of the digital revolution, allowing business owners to run a business from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

You’ll be surprised today, but in the beginning, when laptops just came out (in 1982), folks were extremely skeptical. Those primitive laptops were so bulky, heavy, and featureless that no one would consider them as a ticket to business freedom. They were extremely basic word processors or complex calculators, neither of which one needed desperately at the time.

Jump forward twenty years, and you have a massive shift. In 2005, laptops outsold desktops for the first time ever. Another 15 years later, when Cloud services came to fully replace software and made business collaboration a breeze, the laptop lifestyle has entered its Golden Age.

Becoming increasingly popular and closely bound with the digital nomad lifestyle (with many countries going so far as to provide Digital Nomad Visas), the laptop lifestyle is basically your ticket to freedom from offices and permanent business locations. In light of the COVID pandemic, the laptop lifestyle is becoming doubly relevant, providing entrepreneurs not just with freedom but with safety.

How does the laptop lifestyle help businesses?

One of the things we touch upon in this blog a fair amount of time is flexibility. And that’s because it is genuinely important for small businesses. Especially now, when businesses have been so disrupted by the pandemic, forcing entrepreneurs to find new ways of doing things.

The worst possible situation in the midst of a pandemic is being tied to an office when it’s illegal to work in your office. Coronavirus accelerated these changes, but they were already in the works for some time. Leaving all of one’s work up to a slow desktop that couldn’t be moved away from your work desk was a pain. You couldn’t even move it to a conference room!

The laptop lifestyle is perfect for businesses that don’t even have a central location (businesses that rely on things like co-working spaces, or fully remote businesses). The laptop lifestyle is safe, convenient, and perfect not just for young business people on the go, but families and anyone who doesn’t want to be tied to their office (or to tie their employees to one). it’s perfect for businesses of all sizes, except large companies.

How do you start a laptop lifestyle?

The laptop lifestyle is a life of flexibility. Of being confronted with challenges and having the tools and abilities to be able to bend with all sorts of craziness, while also being able to use those same tools to take your game to the next level.

To start the laptop lifestyle, all you need are:

• A remote/digital business (if you’re looking for digital business ideas you can create and sell from home, look at the amazing list right here. If you have a business already, read on)
• A laptop (dah!)
• An internet connection or Wi-Fi
• Essential Cloud tools/services needed to manage your business remotely (e.g. Cloud-based business phone system for talking with clients, accounting tools, CRM, marketing, collaboration tools if you have a team, etc.)

Tools needed to start a laptop lifestyle

We mentioned essential Cloud tools and services, so let’s go into a little more detail about that. Essential tools for leading the laptop lifestyle will be based on your type of business (one set for bloggers and another for e-com, or an IT company) but all of them will need these 3 essential tools. We suggest getting both the web and mobile apps of these tools.

Payment/Accounting/Finance tools

If your business does any type of selling/transactions online, it’s necessary to always have your finances in order. Wherever the laptop lifestyle takes you — whether just out of state or out of the country, your payment, accounting, and finance tools need to be cloud-based and always at hand.

Pricing: If you’re a solopreneur or very small business, you can try Wave Accounting. It’s a free service that provides basic accounting.

Cloud-based business phone system

With a business phone number through a company like MightyCall, you can easily make calls with your phone, of course- but also with your laptop, from anywhere in the world. As an internet-connected device, making calls on it is a snap.

Likewise, for those entrepreneurs who are starting off with far-flung employees, the central web panel allows everyone to work together in one centralized page where you can keep notes on callers, keep track of who is calling, and take advantage of tons of other features, including toll-free and local numbers, visual voicemail, call recording, and unlimited extensions. All of these things can be accessed from your laptop, wherever you are- in a café, a co-working space, or any country in the world.

Pricing: MightyCall has three plans for businesses of different sizes. Plans cost from just $29.99 per month (that’s just $1 a day for professional business communication!) with free trials on all plans. There’s both a desktop client for your laptop and a fantastic Mobile App.

Customer relationship management (CRM) tools

If you’re an established business, you’ll need digital CRM tools to keep track of your customer contacts base and grow it. A good free service for very small businesses leading the laptop lifestyle is Hubspot Free CRM. Although this is the free version for beginner entrepreneurs, it can help you get hold of your first customers.

If you’re looking for something even simpler, try MightyCall’s built-in CRM. This is a lite CRM system built into your business phone (or laptop). This is incredibly useful for remote teams, since it allows teams to have a single client contact base that automatically syncs when anyone adds information or updates information about clients.

Pricing: Professional Hubspot plans start from $45, but you can get their Free plan if you’re a small business that’s starting out. You can also opt for MightyCall’s built-in CRM which comes for free with MightyCall’s business phone system.

Final word

The laptop lifestyle is the way of the future. But truth be told, it’s not about the laptops- indeed, one day they’ll be left behind for newer technologies which we can’t even dream of. It’s about what they represent: to have the flexibility and freedom to chart your own path, instead of being tied down to older technologies. To seize your own destiny, seize the day, wake up and smell the roses- you get the idea. However, you prefer to phrase it, go and do what you were meant to do. And let the laptop lifestyle and MightyCall help you out.

The post Living Life Lightly: What is The Laptop Lifestyle and is It Right For You? first appeared on MightyCall.

In the unthought-of remote work scenario of 2020–21, we’ve seen that a productive work from home environment is a lot different than Pinterest would have it. But what are the most nagging culprits behind our burnout? What challenges, hopes, and struggles do U.S. remote workers daily face at home? And what can their bosses and families do to make remote work comfortable?

These are some of the questions MightyCall asked a total of 480+ people in online remote work communities, in an independent remote work poll.

Based on the responses received, here are the numbers (transposed to percentages for convenience) that business owners and managers alike should have a look at to better understand their employees’ remote work habits.

Plus, we’ll take a look at what those stats mean and how they translate to (more) loveable remote work practices.

1. After nearly a year of remote work, home office hardware and privacy are still a problem

Many of today’s work at homers were thrust into the remote work scene abruptly with the start of the pandemic in 2020. They had nowhere near the convenience of the “digital nomad” or “laptop lifestyle” guru.

Add to that a financial crisis that impacted about 46% of American households as a result of the pandemic, and you’ll see how many remote workers still struggle with the hardware which they need to efficiently work at home but can’t afford to buy.

66% of poll respondents said they lack hardware in their home office. Lack of a printer/scanner topped the list with over 35% of votes, followed by Desktop PC at 31%.

The second-largest factor in remote work is, understandably, privacy. Know that comic where a dad works from a tent in his living room labeled “Office, do not disturb” while the kids and pets run like crazy around it screaming? This is something many of us have become familiar with in recent months.

26% of remote workers polled said they don’t have a personal space for work at home.

That comes down to roughly a quarter of work from homers having inadequate space to quietly and productively work. And with cafes and many open workspaces not safe enough to migrate to, lack of privacy results in pushed deadlines, screaming bosses, and even ruined families.

What to do if that’s you/your employees

If you’re a manager or CEO of remote workers, knowing the living circumstances of your employees will help foreshadow conflict and missed deadlines. When you know what’s happening in your team’s life, you can find ways to solve challenges beforehand. For example, by opening up the office to certain employees or at certain times or finding safe coworking spaces in your city.

Asking whether your employees lack essential hardware is important if you deal with documentation (say, if you’re a legal practice) that does a lot of printing/scanning. One way to solve the scanner problem is using a mobile scanning app like DropBox Scan App on your mobile phone. This is actually a two-in-one, letting you store documents after scanning them.

2. Lack of informal socializing kills the team spark

Say “remote worker” a year ago, and you’d imagine the bespectacled introvert, gnawing away at their laptop in a dark corner of a coffee shop.

But these days, even introverts aren’t like that! We love to socialize with friends and colleagues whom we know and love. We love our dark corner of the coffee shop only when it’s voluntary confinement.

These pandemic days, lack of socializing is frustrating all of us, both introverts and extroverts. And it’s impacting our spark.

Only 3% of respondents said they miss live business meetings. A whopping 60% feel deprived of informal socializing.

Guess what? It may not be curiosity, after all, that killed the cat, but confinement (at least, Schrodinger’s cat).

What to do if that’s you/your employees

The 60% of people that miss informal socializing can’t dwindle to 0%, but it may be effectively lowered if more managers and bosses used communication channels not just for work, but for informal chats and even play.

It’s a common mistake to think of virtual team-building activities  as “special occasions”. It’s much better to ease into every daily meeting with an informal 5-min chat about anything except work. Make informal socializing with colleagues a part of your remote work life, just like you’d do in normal life, vs. a fancy “bi-weekly team building event”. This won’t normalize your social life altogether, but it will drop more carefree moments into your workday.

If you’re using channels like Slack, Discord, or Teams for work chat, some of the strongest teams actually create a space just for exchanging informal chats and those cat memes everyone loves. Follow their example. Smile.

3. If you’re having one too many Zoom meetings, your team needs a break — literally

With most managers insisting on face-to-face communication as a means to gain illusive control over remote workers’ w̶a̶r̶d̶r̶o̶b̶e̶ productivity (giving 25% of us just enough time to pull a crumpled shirt over sweatpants), Zoom fatigue is a condition 2021 remote workers are intimately familiar with.

Gianpiero Petriglieri, associate professor at Insead, says  that the reason even “happy hour” Zoom calls cause fatigue is that using one platform to juggle all our social interactions is detrimental, not beneficial, to human psychology. “It doesn’t matter whether you call it a virtual happy hour, it’s a meeting, because mostly we are used to using these tools for work,” he says.

Here are some Zoom stats from our poll:

53% of respondents said their quirkiest work from home habit was having “pets on/under the desk”, including during Zoom calls.

Among the 18% that chose “Other”, some commented that they have to regularly put Zoom calls on hold to do bathroom breaks.

At least now you know what some of those awkward pauses were about.

What to do if that’s you/your employees

Zoom is a great way to connect emotionally and check up on how everyone’s faring (or degrading, if that’s what your boss fears), but don’t overdo communication for communication’s sake.

Anna Miranchuk, NPG’s “Women in IT” Silver Medalist and Product Manager at MightyCall recommends  using Zoom knowledgeably. “At the beginning of our own remote work journey, we diligently obeyed the ‘over-communication’ rule,” Miranchuk says. “Quickly enough, trampled by the virtual meetings stampede, managers including myself realized they have no time left for actual work.”

Remote workers and their managers will see that a voice chat doesn’t in fact, lower productivity. In fact, audio is great to get through the business at hand. Likewise, use chat groups on Slack or Discord for clarifying running matters.

Zoom can be reserved for weekly face-to-face meetings and team building, making video calls special, not frustrating.

4. Work-from-homers struggle with self-motivation — but not the kind managers fear

Say “self-motivation” and BAM — your boss thinks “productivity”. But this is about another kind of self-motivation — one that eventually explodes on productivity like a ticking bomb, but remains unnoticed for months and even years. I’m talking about physical self-motivation.

Remote workers agree that the biggest lack of motivation they face is pursuing exercise habits. 53% of remote workers polled struggle with exercise in their daily routine.

In contrast, 66% of remote workers are currently satisfied with their productivity, though turn that number and you’ll see that 34% are looking for tools — usually digital — to improve. And this is the problem, that while Pomodoro timer can help improve your short-term productivity, only getting off that home office chair will boost your productivity long-term.

What to do if that’s you/your employees

Most managers and CEOs are concerned only with business productivity and as long as those rates are OK, they think everything is fine. This is a big mistake.

Among the growing concerns of COVID-19 remote workers has been the feeling that their productivity is on the verge of dropping because of the prolonged lack of social interaction, sports/outdoor exercise, and travel.

While travel and social contacts are still limited, individual sports and exercise are proven psychological rejuvenators that reduce stress. Many famous people started their workday only after a walk. Why not emulate them?

If you’re a remote worker or have a remote team, encourage sports breaks during the workday, hold weekend activities and even challenges (have fun and share the photos) or gather outdoors for a picnic/exercise if it’s safe in your area.

Remember to check in on the psychological health of yourself/ your team regularly and find the exercise routine that fits your workday best.

5. Remote workers don’t plan to move to the office anytime soon. But not all bosses agree.

Before the pandemic, remote work was a dream for many, but a dream out of reach. Many bosses were reluctant to give up control — mainly psychological — over their employees and accepting remote work even as a part-time arrangement seemed improbable.

Last year, we saw how all prejudices dropped in view of necessity. And it’s safe to say, the masse migration in favor of remote work isn’t going anywhere.

75% of remote workers polled say they plan to continue remote work post-pandemic.

So far so good. But there’s still a problem that among the 25% who plan to return to work or are currently undecided, there’s also necessity speaking. For example, some remote workers are already gathering hard evidence for their bosses on the improved productivity of remote workers, or are planning negotiations for at least part-time remote work post-pandemic.

What to do if that’s you/your employees

If you want to drift towards permanent remote work after the pandemic but your boss doesn’t even want to hear about it, give it a try anyway. Gather the evidence, and more importantly, be the evidence. Document and offer the results of your work as proof of credibility.

If reasoning doesn’t work, however, there’s no reason to stick to a job that forces you to go back to the office when you have other plans for your life, or when other employers are able to accommodate those plans.

The best you can do it set the matter straight with your boss right early on, instead of hoping they’ll change their mind. If they’re immovable to negotiation, you’ll win the time to find yourself another hustle or even start your own. Why not? Entrepreneurship is, after all, the ultimate remote work move.

Final word

As the results above show, loving remote work (or making your team love it) is caring to make your remote work environment the most comfortable it can be.

Whether you’re a remote worker, a manager, a CEO, or a family member of a remote worker, we’ve all got things to work on to make remote work better. As for me, today looks like the best day to address those questions.

Because crazy WFH memes might be fun viewing, but a peaceful household is what all of us need to make remote work loveable again.

The post MightyCall Asked 480+ Remote Workers About Their Struggles, Habits, and Hopes. Here’s What We Found Out. first appeared on MightyCall.

Based on incoming data, it doesn’t just ensure smooth flight but predicts how a business will react in complicated situations. A financial model also helps add “fuel” when necessary, so you don’t ever get stuck in the middle of nowhere. And it’s a business owner’s best radar for avoiding financial meteors.

In 2020, small business has already been bombarded with its share of trouble. The businesses that had the upper hand are the lucky ones who had a solid backup plan.

Ahead of 2021, everyone needs a good plan.

And when it comes to finance and sales, this can be done with a simple financial model for small business. Here’s how.

Navigate:

• What type of business needs a financial model
• What makes a good financial model, according to experts
• What are the popular types of financial models
• How to build a financial model with no experience

What type of business needs a financial model?

Every business that is serious about growing roots in the entrepreneurship world needs a financial model as its safety harness. It is particularly important for up and coming businesses, startups, and businesses facing economic challenges.

Patrick Bolanos, owner of Trailer King Builders and former CFO of a $20MM restaurant group, explains the priorities of a valid financial model:

Financial models are used to determine if what you are projecting will be profitable, [will have] a good return on investment, [and will show] how you intend to pay back investors. It will be the benchmark of the business.

Most often, financial modeling is used for:

• Starting a business with financial security
• Growing your business
• Raising capital
• Attracting investors
• Understanding which new projects to invest in

If you have a new business, you absolutely need a financial model. If you’re already past the launch process and are focusing on growth, you need one too. Going into business totally without a financial plan possible, but it’s like climbing a mountain without a safety harness. You’re basically leaving things up to luck.

What makes a good financial model, according to experts

Simplicity

For beginner entrepreneurs, a good model focuses on the foundational aspects without going into unnecessary detail. The details can be added later on when you’re familiar with the priorities of financial modeling.

Paw Vej, Country Manager and Team Leader at leading financial comparison website Financer.com, says that beginner entrepreneurs often skip the fundamental questions you should be asking while bringing too much attention to advanced aspects.

For first-time business owners, the most useful things to figure out are, ‘How will I bring in sales?’ [and]  ‘What are my costs?’. [On the other hand] equity, liabilities, short-term debt […] distract first-time business owners from the things that really make a difference, for example, sales, strategy and hiring.

Clear cashflows

A financial model’s primary aim is to demonstrate all finances in one place, allowing you to make assumptions and to highlight the “cause and effect” of your business journey.

Jacob Wedderburn-Day, Co-Founder / CEO of Stasher, notes the importance of clear cashflows

A good model gives you a birds-eye view of the company’s finance. This means you can see a breakdown of your income and a breakdown of your expenditure. Most importantly, you can see your cashflows. Cash is like blood to a business – if it stops flowing, or you lose too much, you will die.

You can make a basic budget by just remembering it’s about income vs expenditure. You can start adding simple assumptions like % above/below baseline income and add that in accordingly.

Flexibility

As you plan your model, remember that it’s not something you create once and sit on. A good financial model is all about flexibility.

Jason Cherubini, entrepreneur, academic, and co-founder/CFO of Dawn’s Light Media, points out the two aspects that all worthy financial models share:

[All good financial models] are flexible and able to be adjusted as new information comes in. This is especially true when financial models are used for startups or new products. The realities of business will rarely perfectly match with what has been originally modeled, so adjusting the model to better reflect reality is a must.

Usability

Financial modeling isn’t a theoretical study that you’re doing for investors or for your accountant. It should be focused on usability. In other words, it must be a blueprint you come back to again and again over the course of the years.

As Cherubini further comments:

Financial models are all about forecasting the future based on cause and effect relationships. The ‘effect’ we are most often interested in is the financial effects that will be shown on pro forma financial statements. And while much of the ‘cause’ of these financial effects will be the customers (and the revenue they generate), some of the costs will be driven by other factors.

[…] A financial model, like a budget is useless if it is not used for planning and then as an evaluation tool when looking at results. Part of the financial model’s development should be a plan on how and when it will be used and evaluated.

What are the most popular types of financial models?

Financial models come in many shapes and sizes. This may seem complicated if you are just learning about financial modeling but comes down to a few fundamental things.  Before getting started with a template or building one from scratch, it’s necessary to know which one is right for your type of business, experience, and goals.

Carol Tompkins, Business Development Consultant for online accounting software AccountsPortal.com, and Arnold Chapman, Founder of  ELD Focus fill us in on the 3 most popular types of financial models and their uses:

• The 3 Statement model  — the most basic type of financial modeling. In this model, the income, cash flow, and the balance sheet statements are all linked using accounting/Excel formulas, and assumptions are fed into the model to drive changes in it.
• The Discounted Cash Flow Model (DCF) —  based on the 3 statement model. It’s used to value your company according to the Net Present Value of your business’ future cash flow. It takes the cash flows from the 3-statement model and creates adjustments. The DCF, then, uses the XNPV function to subtract them back to your organization’s current Weighted Average Cost of Capital.
• The Comparable Company Analysis Model (CCA)  — helps identify your company’s value with the help of other businesses’ metrics. It acts under the presumption that the same companies have the same valuation multiples.

How to build a financial model with no experience

As a rule, financial models are generated as Excel tables. To build one from scratch, you’ll need programming and/or accounting knowledge. Since many entrepreneurs don’t possess the necessary skills to tackle Excel formulas, we suggest looking into options for creating a financial model without experience.

Option 1: Learn Excel basics

Most entrepreneurs suggest that you learn the basics of financial modeling sometime during the business journey. Today, this is easily available through online courses, such as Coursera.

Brack Nelson, Marketing Manager at Incrementors SEO Services, suggests learning basic Excel or brushing up your skills before building a model from scratch.

There are several [Excel] formulas and functions you must use such as Index, Match, Offset, Choose, Xnpv, Xirr, and If. By knowing how to use those 7 functions you’ll be off to a great start and you’ll see the usability and effectiveness of your models start to take off.
If you want to make sure you have the fundamentals down, take a Free Excel Crash Course to learn everything you need to know.

Even if you plan on using a financial model template or outsourcing the job, personal knowledge of how financial modeling works will help you tackle the job faster and gain more ROI.

Option 2: Use a financial model template

To build a model by yourself but skip the abracadabra of formulas, using a financial model template is your best bet. All you’ll need to do is input your financial data into the template. The financial documents will vary based on the type of chosen financial model type. Basically, you’ll need your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flows.

Resources:

• Find and download a free 3 Statement Financial Model Template here.
• If you’re looking for more templates, or those specifically tailored to your business, services like Slidebean Financial Model Templates offer templates for different businesses such as SaaS businesses, eCommerce, Marketplaces, Social media websites and apps, and more.

Option 3: Outsource the job

If you want all the benefits of a professional model or want to dig deeper than the 3 statement model but don’t have the time or option to learn, we suggest outsourcing the job. There are a lot of freelance financial accountants on Fiverr who’d be happy to help you out for a very reasonable price.

Even though you have to pay more for a personal helper than for a template, you get the benefits of a professional to create, explain, and work together with you on building the foundation of your business.

Summary:

• Startups and established businesses alike should have at least one financial model to rely on
• Your model should focus on cause/effect relationships in order to predict your business’s future
• If you don’t know where to start, try the classic 3-statement model. Download it online for free.
• Templates for different types of businesses are available online for a moderate price. They don’t require any programming or coding knowledge.
• If you need help, consult a finance professional or enroll in an online course. Remember that the time and effort you put in today will double your ROI tomorrow.

The post Jumpstart Guide to Financial Modeling – No Experience Needed first appeared on MightyCall.

The fact that employees now use personal mobile devices for everything from personal entertainment (e.g. free movie nights) to daily business tasks involving sensitive data means your team doesn’t have to go far and wide to catch cyber viruses. And let’s say right away that cyber viruses are as dangerous to your small business as coronavirus is to your health.

Just like their human counterparts, cyber viruses are extremely contagious, have a thing for “big” gatherings of people (think torrents and freeware), and can go unnoticed for several days. Worst of all, it is precisely remote workers who bring the most risk to their companies, a new Kaspersky survey  finds.

What cybersecurity gaps should remote workers and small business owners pay specific attention to? Here are seven important stats you can’t miss.

2/3 of remote workers don’t receive instructions on cybersecurity from their company

A lack of team culture on how to protect personal devices are the top reasons data breaches occur in small business environments, according to the Kaspersky survey. The problem is two-fold: a  lack of consistent security information for team members (even if that’s a team of two) and an equally dangerous belief in small business “invincibility” that many smaller companies share.

Most small business managers and owners think security as only necessary for the “big guys” — so if you aren’t anywhere close to Google dimensions, you’re all safe. This is a very frequent misconception since small business is vulnerable on two fronts: website hacking and data leaks due to unsafe BYOD practices.

DDOS or “distributed denial of service” remains a very popular website hacking tactic. This means that your network is bombarded with spam traffic so real users can’t gain access to it. At this point, hackers will force you to pay them in order to restore service. According to Embroker, here’s how educating your employees and creating a proper response plan will help protect your business against common types of cybercrime.

68% of remote workers use personal devices for work

Kaspersky’s survey revealed over two-thirds of respondents using personal devices for work — which in 2020 conditions is nowhere near surprising. What is problematic is the content these personal devices are subjected to outside of working hours.

Add to that the Pew Research Center data demonstrating that 53% of 1000 surveyed internet users aren’t certain about things as basic as http vs https protocol (in case you aren’t sure, the extra ‘s’ in the web address shows that the website encrypts your data and is basically, a yardstick of website safety), and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a hacker attack on your newly-remote workers.

33% of remote workers use personal devices to access content known for frequent malware attacks

If you’ve ever downloaded freeware  — or watched a movie online for free with fingers kinda crossed, this one’s for you. But if the next morning you sent an email to a colleague with business information that’s by default private, well, you better cross fingers on both hands!

As a business owner or manager of a small team, keep in mind that the same devices your team uses to send each other documents, sensitive client information, and access business software is the very device on which about a third of remote workers also access high-risk content.

The aforementioned Kaspersky study found that one-third of respondents admitted to viewing adult content from the same personal devices they use to access business data. And the problem with such content is it draws hackers like honey. It’s the perfect place to distribute malware.

Other frequently hacked content remote workers view from personal devices includes:

• Freeware
• Torrents
• Games
• Pirate content like free streaming movies, music, etc.

You’ll find that asking team members upfront whether they’ve accessed any of these websites in the last 2 months may not go very honestly or transparently. But sending your remote team a regular memo with the reminder of not accessing such websites on devices they use for business is a no-brainer.

Wi-Fi attacks on your data can take less than 2 seconds

Remote workers may think Wifi is among the greatest inventions of humankind, but in reality, it’s also the biggest threat to small business security. Connected to in a random way (think cafes, hotels, and other public spaces) Wi-Fi is as bad a security threat as it gets — and all it takes for malware to get under your device’s “skin” is 2 seconds, according to Extreme Network.

The problem with remote workers, especially those just gone remote is they don’t really understand the danger behind Wi-Fi networks, even password-protected ones. And even if they do know it, they may just forget to protect their devices “occasionally”, while in a hurry.

After all, 75% of people say 1 week without Wi-Fi would leave them grumpier than 1 week without coffee. How much of that Wi-Fi connectivity is done with all safety practices observed? It may be time to ask your colleagues.

Only 13% of internet users understand VPN

VPN is the must-have when connecting to public Wi-Fi, but it’s a great tool way beyond that. VPN safeguards your data on password-protected Wi-Fi since the latter is not a guarantee of a secure network in itself. It also protects your mobile data and home broadband.

The problem with VPN, according to the same Pew Research Center survey, is that 70% of survey respondents that encompassed over a thousand American internet users say they aren’t sure about the role of VPN in minimizing Wi-Fi risk. For a business that’s dealing with a lot of sudden remote workers, this lack of knowledge is especially troubling.

For non-IT sectors, I’d suggest hooking up to a specific VPN service and sticking to it since non-tech people are really better at sticking to something that their team uses too. Do the same for antivirus software, including antivirus on mobile devices. Explain to your team the importance of paid antivirus software and even buy it on company budget if necessary.

90 percent of mobile apps are susceptible to cyber-security threats

Cybersecurity experts show that it’s extremely easy for hackers to get into a remote worker’s personal device through mobile app downloads. With dozens of apps being downloaded to mobile phones, iPads, and tablets, mobile devices users often go for free vs. verified.

For example, a solopreneur in search of a second phone number may go out to find a free mobile phone app that promises to take care of the problem instantly. Or you may be in search of VPN to safeguard your Wi-fi connection. The list goes on and on. There are lots of free apps for many needs, so why overpay, when you can google your way to freeware?

So malware doesn’t find your way into your devices, remind your remote workers to download only verified apps and avoid any apps that ask you to download through PC first. There are lots of legit apps out there that are both cybersecurity verified and low-cost.

For example, anyone looking for a low-cost second phone number can check out this mega-comparison of VoIP providers which shows only cybersecurity safe and verified providers. Likewise, for free VPN, you can use something like Kaspersky VPN that has a legitimate free daily traffic quota.

30,000 small business websites are hacked each day

Last but not least, a small business should always remember to protect its website against hacker attacks and remind employees that they should always use antivirus software on all devices (including mobile).

Hackers are targeting SMB websites all the time precisely because it’s most relaxed about cybersecurity! As a result, 1/3 of data breaches target small business and 30,000 SMB websites are hacked per day. If you think that’s not you because you’re a legit site, think again. Those are precisely legitimate small business websites that unbeknownst to their owners have malicious content attached to them.

Some of the most accessible anti-hacker protection measures for websites include security plugins, SSL encryption, and Google Analytics and Search Console’s “Security Issues” tab. More advanced features, such as safeguarding against XSS attacks and SQL injection demand some tech help.

Summary

• Understand the importance of cybersecurity for small business and make it known to your team
• Regularly send instructions on cybersecurity via email
• Inform your team on the types of websites to avoid when using personal devices for business
• Instruct team members on using VPN and antivirus products
• Download only verified mobile apps and avoid freeware
• Download only reliable business-reviewed cloud tools 

Finally, don’t be afraid to sound nagging and even boring with company policy reminders and rules! It’s better to remind an employee how to encrypt data five times in a row than once suffer a cybersecurity attack that will cost your business thousands of dollars in legal fees.

We’d love you to know that for all small business owners, MightyCall created a phone system that prioritizes cybersecurity and privacy. Our special 50% off offer makes it even easier to join. Check it out below!

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