It is frustrating to lose hardworking, high-performing employees. It can leave employers blindsided and wondering what went wrong. The best way to retain your key employees is by understanding what they’re looking for in their jobs and in their work environment and by prioritizing the things that are important to them.  Countless interviews with HR professionals show consistent findings. Nine important measures your small business can take to nurture your top talent include:  Work/life balance: Satisfy your employees by accommodating their personal needs. Many employees appreciate the option to telecommute when they have a sick child or other urgent family matter to attend to. Big city employees may benefit from flexible commute hours to avoid rush hour traffic. Offering a fitness center pass is another

Read More…

Transcript: Hello followers. I am Amanda Noboa, your business coach with ActionCOACH Team Sage. It is great to be back with our next episode of Think Big Stay Focused. In my next video series I will discuss six basic principles of project management. My goal is to show you that you don’t have to be a certified project manager or a project management guru to implement these principles when launching a new initiative. These six basic principles will be your roadmap to the desired outcome. Principle number one: you have to create the vision and mission. In order to successfully execute projects or initiatives you should always begin with the end in mind. This is effectively accomplished by designing the vision and mission of the

Read More…

Recessions are cyclical and many experts are saying in 2020 the election year we’re heading into a recession, just as many including our president say the economy is strong and we’re not.  It’s hard to tune out all the noise and know what to think. Most people were caught off guard during the last recession and some of the smartest guys on the planet lost their business.  Duke professor and economist, John Graham said in a recent interview “CFOs are growing more certain of a 2020 recession because of the paralyzing consequences of economic and political uncertainty — including trade wars — on business. Faced with uncertainty, companies may pause by holding off on spending and hiring. That can turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy.” Regardless of what’s

Read More…

The Background Chinedu Okoro started Continental Global Services in 2014 as a compliment to his father’s commercial janitorial service business. Consequently, his father was his largest client. His business was growing slowly and organically. When we first met Okoro, he had just completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and he’d learned a lot; however, implementing all the new information was a whole other matter. Okoro had two employees and was working days, nights and weekends trying to grow his client base and move away from dependency on his father’s business. He was working hard to fulfill orders, invoice, collect, purchase products and run the business, all the while seeking government contract certifications. Shortly after we met, his office admin assistant – pregnant in

Read More…

It’s hard to believe that summer is already here! The kids are out of school and vacation season is in full swing. For business owners and their teams, it’s time for the mid-year course correction. June and July are the ideal time to review all your dreams, goals, plans, strategies, learnings and assumptions. It’s the time to take stock of what’s working and what’s not. Based on your findings, you can make course corrections to ensure that you and your team accomplish your goals and stay on track with your dreams. If you set aside the time and put in the effort for this process, it can make a difference this year and in the years to come. Here are seven things to consider and

Read More…

Transcript: A lot of people are asking me, “How do I engage my employees? What do I do? There’s so many things. I’m hearing all these conflicting ideas.”. In this video, I’m going to tell you exactly how to engage your employees. Hi, my name is Jody and welcome to another video. If you’re new to this please Subscribe and be sure you ring the bell so you don’t miss a thing. Let’s start off with where employee engagement starts. Now many people are going over there with them. They need to be engaged. It’s not something you can put on their job description. Engagement actually starts with you and me as business leaders. Many business leaders and managers are lacking in the skills that

Read More…

Transcript: In today’s episode I want to share the definition of the scope of a project in the business world. The Scope is the part of project planning that involves determining and documenting a list of specific project goals, deliverables, features, functions, tasks, deadlines and, ultimately, the cost. In other words it is what needs to be achieved and the work that must be done to successfully deliver a project. I have a client that owns a very exotic flower shop. Their arrangements are sophisticated, unique and highly seasonal. The uniqueness of the business brings marketing challenges. Their strategies need to be changed and addressed on a monthly basis. My client was experiencing some frustration because she felt the team was having the same conversations

Read More…

Transcript: Jody: Hello everybody. Welcome to the next episode of Made in Miami where we speak with entrepreneurs who are. Core to the Miami business scene. Jody Ann Johnson, and today I’m interviewing Stan. Stan: Shockley Jody: So Stan, can you tell us a little bit about how and why you started this business, and what do you provide, what services? Stan: How did I start the business. I was working for a manufacturer of furniture for the hospitality industry and that was the largest supplier in its day. Stan: And the company was being sold, and when the company was sold, I was not comfortable with the new owners, and I decided to start the business, my own business, doing basically the same thing

Read More…

Transcript: In today’s episode. I share the purpose and importance of project management in the business world. The purpose of a project management actually is quite simple. It is used to foresee, or predict, as many dangers and problems as possible. With project management in place you plan, you organize and control activities so that the project itself is completed as successfully as possible, in spite of all the risks. Project management is important because it ensures what has been deliver it’s right and of value to the business opportunity. In addition implementing project management in your business creates leadership, clear focus and objectives, realistic project planning, Quality Control, Risk Management and orderly process. I will now leave you with this great quote from famous

Read More…

It’s widely recognized that entrepreneurs contribute enormous amounts of their time and energy towards building viable businesses. One lesser known fact, however, is that entrepreneurs are largely philanthropic, donating 50% more to charity than their non-business owner counterparts. What drives this philanthropic activity and what impact do entrepreneurs have on this sector of society? Philanthropic drivers There are three main reasons why entrepreneurs lead the pack in philanthropic contributions. According to a 2018 Fidelity Charitable Study… Philanthropy is a part of their DNA: In fact, 79% of entrepreneurs say that philanthropy is a critical component of their identity. Entrepreneurs are compelled to take action: When they encounter causes they believe in, entrepreneurs are motivated to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Entrepreneurs

Read More…