By Pixels Quote

Christmas is a special occasion of the year to celebrate love, peace and goodwill. To always remind ourselves about the true meaning of Christmas, we have a lot of heart warming Christmas quotes.

These quotes below present the wisdom on how to really enjoy Christmas and keep its spirit throughout the year.

Christmas Quotes with beautiful images

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” – by Calvin Coolidge

We tend to think of Christmas as a date or a season. It is somehow true, but to think more carefully: can a season become Christmas without Christmas spirit in the air?

That is why the heart of Christmas lies in the state of mind of everyone. We wait and embrace a special time and special season in the year with peace and goodwill. That is what makes a Christmas.

“The love at Christmas should be with us throughout the coming year.” – Quote by Lailah Gifty Akita

Christmas is special in the way it brings love and connects people. The magic of Christmas shows in how we become better with each other and love our life more.

We see people gather under the Christmas tree, exchange gifts and love with each other. We see people care to strangers and poor people on the street. That beautiful love should not only be for a time or a season, but for the whole year.

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.” – by W.T. Ellis

What makes a day become a Christmas? Christmas quotes reveal the answer: it comes from the heart. It is the joy and belief in every person that combines and builds up the Christmas spirit.

Every myth and story about this special occasion just enhances our belief in goodness, leading to our actions. And Christmas is all about goodwill and enjoyment that people feel about each other and about the life.

“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” – Quote from Harlan Miller

Why are we so happy and in peace during every Christmas? Because Christmas is filled with reunion, love and cheer.

Christmas comes with a wonderful spirit that distracts us from daily worries and disappointment. It is no surprise that anyone who has experienced the magical feeling of Christmas wants to carry it all year long too.

“Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.” – by Janice Maeditere

One of the most familiar images in Christmas is when children get excited and open their presents. But as we grow up we come to realize that what is most precious is not the presents themselves.

It is the love and care behind those gifts that make Christmas special. Santa Claus’s gift to all of us is not something physical. It is the chance for us to open our hearts exchange love with our close ones.

“Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united.” – Norman Vincent Peale

How special is Christmas? The best description for Christmas is the season of joy and happiness. Joy exists everywhere during Christmas weeks, when we reunite with our families and exchange our greetings and gifts.

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – by Burton Hills

Christmas is the season of gift. But the greatest gift of all that Christmas brings to us is its spirit. This is the occasion of family reunion, when people leave all their business outside of the home’s door.

And then, all the family gathers around in the living room, sharing their stories, hopes and support. Such peaceful atmosphere can be hardly found in any other occasions other than Christmas. And it makes Christmas such a magical time.

Heartwarming Christmas Quotes:

“At Christmas, all roads lead home.” -Short Christmas Quote by Marjorie Holmes

At Christmas, family is the most important thing in our mind. No matter how far we go and how busy we have always been, it is time to comes back home. It is when we come back to the fundamentals of our life, our beloved ones.

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” – Funny Christmas Quote by Andy Rooney

Some of the most precious moments in a person’ life happen on Christmas. Even the mess created on Christmas Eve with wrapping paper all over the floor and kids running around bring happiness.

This funny Christmas quotes remind us to treasure every moment in this occasion, as they present the true meaning of life.

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” – by Peg Bracken

To enjoy the Christmas holiday to the most, it requires us to look beyond a casual time to rest. Christmas comes with a special spirit that if we can grab this chance, we can feel happy and energized.

Spend this time with our beloved ones, to do good deeds and to feel the magic of love covering the whole world. That is the true meaning of Christmas.

“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – by Edna Ferber

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – by Charles Dickens

“Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.” – by Mary Ellen Chase

“Let’s be naughty and save Santa the trip. ” – by Gary Allan

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” – by Norman Vincent Peale

“And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” – by Jesus Christ

“Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace.” – by Pope Francis

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” – by Winston Churchill

“Happiness is everywhere our hands are busy with many tasks as carols fill the air.” – by Shirley Sallay

Check more quotes about Christmas below

• “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” – by Alexander Smith
• “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!” – by Hamilton Wright Mabie
• “Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.” – Christmas Quote from Ruth Carter Stapleton
• “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – by Burton Hillis
• “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.” – by Shirley Temple
• “Christmas day is a day of joy and charity. May God make you very rich in both.” – Heartwarming Christmas Quote by Phillips Brooks.
• “Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don’t quite know how to put our love into words.” – by Harlan Miller
• “For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home.” – by W. J. Tucker
• “Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.” – Famous Christmas Quotes by Pope John XXIII
• “I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another, it’s about the Christian ethic, it’s about kindness.” – by Carrie Fisher
• “Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered.” – by Phyllis Diller

You may also like these Famous Christmas Quotes

• “Love the giver more than the gift.” – by Brigham Young
• “Christmas is forever, not for just one day,for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.The good you do for others is good you do yourself.” – by Norman Wesley 
• “Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; Teach us to be patient and always to be kind.” – Quoted by  Helen Steiner Rice.
• “November is auspicious in so many parts of the country: the rice harvest is already in, the weather starts to cool, and the festive glow which precedes Christmas has began to brighten the landscape. “
• “Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.” – by Steve Maraboli
• “Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” – Shor Christmas Quotes by Zuzu Bailey
• “What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day. ” – by Phyllis Diller
• “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” – by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• “I’m in love, I’m in Love, I’m on love, and I don’t care who knows it!” – by Buddy the Elf
• “May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.”
• “Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.” – by Victor Borge
• “I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note saying: “Toys not included!” – Quote by Bernard Manning

Summary about Christmas Quotes:

Christmas is more than myths, gifts and traditions. It is a state of mind that celebrates life and wants to implement goodwill that is the true soul of Christmas.

And the most important wish is that we can carry the Christmas spirit to the whole year long, all celebration and appreciation for life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

from: pixelsquote.net

How this traditionally soft skill yields hard, bottom-line results for organizations big and small

By Maria Ross

It’s easy to be cynical these days. The 24/7 news cycle brings us images and extreme headlines about tragedies almost as soon as they occur. If you listen to the rhetoric, it’s easy to believe violence, sexism, ageism, xenophobia and prejudice are winning the day. 

However, there is another — more positive — way to look at this. Access to information from around the globe gives us opportunities to consider the needs of others and to respond with compassionate action. Yes, playing to our emotions is the cable news and social media business model. But what we choose to do with our emotions is up to us. So, why not choose empathy? 

We all know empathy is the right thing to do, but empathy is not just good for the world (and our own sanity). It can also bring a competitive advantage in business. Our ability to see the world from the perspective of others is one of the most crucial tools in our business toolbox. So, let’s walk through the business benefits of empathy and acting with compassion.

1. Increased sales, loyalty and referrals.

Every skilled salesperson knows that the key to closing sales is anticipating your customers’ needs and demonstrating how your product or service will suit their needs best. Truly understanding your customers’ needs means reflecting on their fears, desires, pain points and whatever keeps them up at night. If your sales team doesn’t intimately understand your customers’ lives, how can you expect them to explain how your products or services fit their lives? This is the power of empathy in business.

Going beyond increased sales though, what’s even more valuable are loyal customers and strong referrals. To see repeat customers and customers transformed into super fans, make sure this empathy mindset enlivens the culture of your entire organization from customer service to the accounting department. 

One industry where empathy clearly counts is in the ultra-competitive airline industry. Any company that can make flying more convenient and pleasant scores points with perpetually frustrated passengers. By now, we’re all familiar with this string of PR blunders from United Airlines demonstrating the failure of empathy on a corporate level. But you may be less familiar with Ryanair’s empathy success. After implementing their “Always Getting Better” program, which many customer annoyances like hidden charges,un-allocated seating and carry-on baggage restrictions, Ryanair saw a net profit increase from €867 million to €1.24 billion (US$1.39 billion). CEO Michael O’Leary famously remarked, “If I’d only known being nice to customers was going to work so well, I’d have started many years ago.”

Who knew being nice could be so profitable?

2. Accelerated productivity and innovation

When customers perceive your company as empathetic, you will see sales increase, but wait…there’s more. Employees with strong empathy skills are also more productive and innovative. This means if you want to increase efficiency and expand the number of problems you can solve for customers, you want to hire employees with strong “soft skills.”

Google knows this well. Since the company began in 1998, Google focused on hiring the best computer scientists, software engineers, analysts and highly skilled STEM professionals. But when it comes to putting together successful teams, it turns out that soft skills rule. Project Aristotle, a study released by Google in 2017, showed that the company’s most important new ideas came from B-teams comprised of employees exhibiting a wide range of skills including: equality, generosity, curiosity toward others’ ideas, empathy and emotional intelligence. These teams may not have had the top scientists, but when team members feel confident speaking up and know they are being heard, great ideas are born.

3. Greater competitive advantage and market value.

The highest performing companies also top the list of the Most Empathetic Companies. This might seem surprising at first: Don’t you have to be cutthroat and willing to win at any cost to be competitive in this global, capitalist economy? Well, if you’ve been paying attention, the answer will be obvious. In fact, statistics show that empathy is more important to business success than it has ever been.

According to the 2016 Empathy Index, a report published by UK consulting firm The Empathy Business that seeks to analyze the internal culture of 170 companies on major financial indexes, “The top 10 companies (on the 2015 list)…increased in value more than twice as much as the bottom 10 and generated 50 percent more earnings (defined by market capitalization).”

How’s that for competitive advantage?

4. Expanded engagement and collaboration.

So if the best managers and team members express empathy and a willingness to act compassionately toward others, it stands to reason that companies with cultures that encourage empathy would attract highly engaged individuals. And that’s just what the data show. Empathetic companies also have better retention and higher morale among employees.

This makes a lot of sense when you consider what today’s workers value. Good, high-performing individuals have lots of employment choices. Among other things, the gig economy and access to technology have created opportunities beyond traditional corporate work. So, it’s time to think beyond traditional corporate benefits.

Additionally, according to a Gallup poll, 60 percent of Millennials are open to new job opportunities, while only 29 percent of them report feeling engaged at work. This means less than a third of workers born between 1980 and 1996 feel connected to their companies. Studies by the Queens School of Business and by the Gallup Organization show that this lack of connection can result in higher absenteeism, lower productivity…and lower profitability and share price for the company over time.

What skilled workers are demanding is a different kind of working experience: they want their voices — and their workplace requirements — to be heard. That’s bad news for companies that aren’t considering company culture as they look toward future growth. Fortunately, making small, subtle shifts toward improving empathy in the culture can make a big difference.

Small changes can yield big results.

All of these business benefits sound great, but none of them are likely to make any company empathetic. To really make a change, the first step is to WANT to understand where others are coming from. When you focus on wanting to understand your colleagues, you can cultivate empathy in your own sphere of influence, which can have a big impact on your team, brand and the world.

Here are some key areas to consider as you plan ahead:

“Employee of the month” awards do not constitute an empathetic environment. When we feel that others value our contributions, we feel respected. While trying to create an empathetic environment from the top down is unlikely to work, letting workers know, through word and deed, their work is valuable should be a daily focus.

Respect makes workers more engaged. There is an intangible value to feeling respected by one’s colleagues and superiors. We’re more likely to take personal responsibility and our desire not to lose the respect of others means we’ll be more engaged. Listen closely to how employees talk about their work. Ask them what would make their jobs easier and make them feel heard.

Motivate based on individual needs. In Daniel Pink’s bestselling book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, he points out that financial rewards are not universally enticing. Consider how your company rewards colleagues. How much better would things be if we asked our team members what they would like? Use empathy to see things from their point of view and act accordingly.

Consider ways to flip the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as they want done unto them.” This rule goes for every stakeholder involved in your organization from investors to board members to customer service representatives to clients. This is the mantra of the empathy mindset. Get out of your own head. Engage in more active listening and curious conversation to unlock what matters most to them.

As you reflect on the business benefits of creating a more empathetic company, you may have noticed the irony of compelling you to set aside your interests by showing that it’s actually in your interest to do so. Of course, in an ideal world, the drive to do the right thing would be motivation enough. But because motivation is unique to each individual — and organization — presenting a menu of reasons to embrace empathy is a good idea. In my own career, I have personally witnessed leaders and marketers who have embraced empathy purely for PR motives, but found themselves personally transformed — and left with a desire to do more good for the right reasons. Sometimes, initially speaking to selfish motives can help people and organizations transform “from the outside in,” and end up making the world a more empathetic place.

from: entrepreneur.com / modified (clarification through shortening) by luciditySBM.com

By Bailey Ames and Carly Cope

We get it. You are grinding, day-in and day-out, to do what is best for your company. You are hyper- focused on your numbers, have a close eye on your competitors and provide good service to your growing customer base. On paper, it seems like you’re doing all the right things. But are you customer-obsessed?

Many companies aren’t placing enough emphasis on the most critical driver of success –their customers (coming in at #2, just behind your employees –your most valuable assets). To do business right, you need to not only be customer-centric, but customer-obsessed.

What does customer-obsession mean?

Every single thing you do, from conception through execution, centers around the customers’ needs and wants – and this mentality is built into your core values (Think: Zappos)
Every person in your organization has a deep understanding of who their customers are and why our solutions matter to them specifically (Think: Patagonia)
Working with you is easy and seamless throughout every step of the customer journey (Think: JetBlue)
Why does customer-obsession matter?

You have competitors and they are currently knocking on your customers’ doors. In this digital age of social networking and content sharing, your customers can find your competitors easily.

Customers have a louder voice than ever before. They are not only sharing their experiences on brands’ websites, Facebook, and other social sites, they are impacting the purchasing decisions their peers make. In fact, in a recent study from Moz.com, shows that online reviews impact close to 70% of people’s purchasing decisions.

Are you customer obsessed?

Be honest. In fact, go ahead and give your company a grade, A through F, on how customer obsessed you really are.

You may think you focus on your customers, but the real question is – are you obsessed with them? Are you making their experiences remarkable? In this highly competitive market, it is critical that you stand out above the rest. Brand loyalty isn’t the same as it used to be. Your customers have more choices than ever before, and they aren’t afraid to try new things if their needs aren’t being met 66% of consumers who switch bands do so because of a poor customer experience.

Here are 5 things you must do to become customer-obsessed.

This is about getting outside of your comfort zone and asking the tough questions. Sit down with your team and ask them the same question that we are asking you – are we customer obsessed?

Also explore these questions:

What are we doing really well when it comes to the customer experience?
What could we be doing better, across every department, to be more focused on the customer’s experience?
What are our competitors doing better than us?
How do we make our customer’s experience not just great, but remarkable?
This type of reset is critical to gauge where you are and where you need to be – and it starts with slowing down, zooming out, and challenging yourself and your team to be better and be MORE for your customers.

2 – LISTEN

If we were to guess, we would say your company deploys some sort of customer feedback survey Surveys are a good way to gauge customer satisfaction – but it’s not enough. You have to dig deeper and actually LISTEN to what they have to say. This will allow you to better understand who your customers are and have insight on their motivation and what they consider important.

Pick up the phone and call your customers – and commit to being present and actively listening. Engage in a real conversation. Ask them the tough questions: What they like or dislike about working with you? What could your company do better to meet their needs?

“A remarkable customer experience starts with heart, intuition, curiosity, play, guts, taste. You won’t find any of it in a survey.” – Jeff Bezos

3 – IMPLEMENT

Take your customers’ feedback and turn it into action. Commit to learning from them and strive to meet their needs by providing what they are looking for and more. The insight we gather from our customers is our blueprint to success and roadmap for innovation.

4 – MAKE IT REMARKABLE

The standard for most companies is to simply meet customers’ expectations – that is not good enough. To stand out, we have to EXCEED our customers’ expectations – over promise AND over deliver. In order to make our customers’ experiences working with us truly remarkable, we need to set new standards. Here are things you can do:

Show Gratitude: Think about it – your customers are the ones that keep your lights on. They determine whether or not you are going to have a successful year. They help you provide for your family. Without your customers, your business is nothing. It only makes sense for you to show gratitude to them in every interaction you have. Pick up the phone and call them. Thank them for their time and their commitment to your company. Write a hand written thank you note. These seemingly small gestures move mountains in building deeper, stronger connections.
Recommend: Share with your customers your favorite businesses, services, or products you think they would appreciate. Build your community by making connections with your customers and other businesses you work with. This is a small world – make it even smaller.
Participate: Show your customers you value them by giving them your time. Be a part of their world and connect on what is most important to them. Attend a community event that is important to them. Ask them how their family is doing, how their weekend was, what they enjoy doing. Taking the time to participate in their world will undoubtedly go a long way.
Educate: As humans, it is natural for us to want to learn and grow. Share your knowledge and experience with your customers by recommending a book, sharing an article, or inviting them to an industry event.

5 – EVALUATE

How will we know if we are customer-obsessed? What does “good” look like? Yes, you can measure success in some tangible, quantifiable ways (think: NPS score, customer retention, participation, lifetime value) and that is important. Make your gathering of qualitative insights just as important. This means taking the time to measure our progress along the way – gather customers’ thoughts based on actual conversations, distilling those discussions into common trends, and creating an action plan for improvement.

Now What?

Here are a few key steps to help you navigate this process:

Establish a regular cadence for collecting feedback from across the company (quantitative and qualitative)
Assign a category to each piece of feedback (i.e. product/service quality, customer service, competitive insight, etc.)
Analyze the feedback by category and identify key trends
Prioritize trends across categories
Begin mapping action plans and owners for the top priorities
Remember, no matter how good we think we are, there is always room for better. Make sure you find those moments on your journey to truly slow down, so you can move more purposefully and swiftly to flawlessly execute. Follow these steps, and you will never lose sight of your customer.

from: shiftthework.com

By Natalia Peart

We all know that excessive stress is a health hazard. What is less talked about are the effects of burnout on business performance. Stress makes people nearly three times as likely to leave their jobs, temporarily impairs strategic thinking, and dulls creative abilities. Burnout, then, is a threat to your bottom line, one that costs the U.S. more than $300 billion a year in absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, and medical, legal, and insurance costs.

The more companies realize this, the more the workplace wellness sector grows. But individual-level perks like onsite gyms and nap rooms are not the answer to our problem. In a recent study, researchers found that while there is an expectation that wellness programs will reduce health care spending and absenteeism within a year or two, they often do not. This study adds to the growing body of work suggesting that such programs are not as effective as we think.

Instead, employers need to shift to organization-level approaches for reducing stress at work, ones that foster employee well-being while simultaneously improving business performance. While this may seem unrealistic, it’s not. Over a decade of experience as a clinical psychologist and leadership consultant has taught me that burnout prevention requires reducing workplace stress while also upping employee engagement. Here’s how to do both.

Create a Work Environment That Decreases Stress

When employees are put in a high-stress situation — whether from unclear expectations, unreasonable deadlines, or a hectic workspace — they are at risk of moving into fight-or-flight mode. This is something that happens to our bodies when we feel threatened. The primal, more emotional, parts of our brains take over, and our ability to think long term, strategize, and innovate decreases. If we stay in this mode too long, eventually, we get burned out. To counter this effect, you need to build a secure work environment and incorporate stress reduction habits into your team’s daily workflows.

Increase psychological safety. If your employees perceive your workplace as a threat, then you cannot build the trust your team needs to collaborate and innovate effectively. In her book, The Fearless Organization, Amy Edmondson describes three steps you can take to build psychological safety. First, make your expectations obvious by giving your employees clear goals. Second, make sure everyone feels like their voices are heard, and that everyone knows that you want their voices to be heard. You can do this by inviting people to speak up in meetings and conducting brainstorming sessions more than you impose top-down decisions. Third, develop a work environment that is both challenging and unthreatening. Let people know it’s okay to fail. Recognize team members who think outside the box, and ask your employees for feedback regularly to show you’re all in it together.

Build regular break times into the workday. The human brain can focus for around 90-120 minutes before it needs to rest. That’s why you should encourage your employees to step away from their desks and mentally disengage from challenging tasks every couple of hours. Suggest they go for a short walk (especially if they have been in a series of long meetings), send out calendar invites reminding them to take breaks, and try to lead by example. Letting their minds rest and moving their bodies will provide your team with the mental space they need to perform well consistently.

Encourage the use of private workspaces when team members need to focus. Open offices are prone to distractions, increasing stress and decreasing productivity. There is sometimes a built-in expectation that employees must always be available for impromptu meetings and discussions as a result of the office layout. If you don’t have private workspaces where employees can go to focus or decompress, try using signals like “do not disturb” signs when needed, or scheduling “quiet hours” when people can work.

Set boundaries around time outside of work. Teams that are not all in one location might need to work outside of traditional hours from time to time. However, the blurring of work and personal time is a significant source of job stress. A study found that it is not just answering emails that increases employees’ anxiety — it is also the expectation that they will be available to do so outside of work hours. To combat this, set clear guidelines and follow them. Send emails and make calls after hours only when it’s urgent — and set the bar very high.

Look into flexible work policies. If you want a highly adaptive team, then create an adaptable work environment. Give your employees flexibility by allowing them to work staggered hours, taking into account their varying needs. Hold one-on-one meetings to understand those needs and find alternative arrangements for people who are struggling with work-life balance.

Build Employee Engagement 

Decades of data have confirmed that higher employee engagement, or the strength of the mental and emotional connection an employee feels toward their workplace, has many positive benefits — including reduced stress, improved health and job satisfaction, as well as increased productivity, job retention, and profitability.

Be transparent. If your team members are confused about how their work connects to and serves both the short- and long-term company goals, they will naturally become more stressed and less productive — especially in times of uncertainty. Part of your job is to help them see the big picture, or the role they play in helping the company achieve its larger goals. While you may not be able to share everything with your team, you can provide them with the information they need to understand how their work is contributing to the company’s mission. If they are curious about something that you are unable to share, be transparent about why. You want to reduce the stress that accompanies ambiguity. One study of 2.5 million teams found that, when managers communicated daily with their direct reports, employees were three times as likely to be engaged than when their managers did not communicate regularly with them. Still, only 40% of employees say they are well-informed about their company’s strategic goals.

Make sure people are in the right roles. If your team members loathe doing their jobs, then they are naturally going to be less engaged. To ensure that their talents and strengths are aligned with the expectations and responsibilities of their roles, check in with each of your direct reports regularly. These conversations don’t need to be formal — talk to them about their passions, interests, and goals. Use the information you gather to assign projects they will find meaningful, and follow up to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed.

Give as much autonomy as you can. When possible, give your team control over how they manage their projects. Employees are 43% less likely to experience high levels of burnout when they have a choice in deciding what tasks to do, when to do them, and how much time to spend on each. To make sure someone is ready to work independently, one researcher suggests asking them to shadow you on a task or project first, and then allowing them to practice under your supervision. During this time you can give them feedback and gauge when they will be ready to work on their own.

Demonstrate a commitment to your employee’s growth and progression. Don’t hold on too tightly to your talent. While most people will not be promoted every year or two, they do need to feel like you are providing them with steady growth and learning opportunities. Sometimes this might even mean supporting internal mobility. Give people the chance to move around, or move on, if it’s the right next step for their careers. Your commitment to their growth will deepen the sense of trust between you and them.

Create a culture of recognition. Publicly recognizing the hard work and contributions of team members decreases feelings of stress and increases feelings of connection and belonging. Research has shown that companies with high-recognition cultures perform better and have less turnover than those that don’t. This is, perhaps, because support and recognition make it easier for people to cope with the demands of work by showing them that their efforts are valued. Team meetings are a great time to call out exceptional performance. Unexpected gestures that communicate sincere appreciation can also be effective. If your employee closes a new client deal, for example, congratulate them publicly. Deloitte adds that if you can create a culture in which peers recognize and show gratitude to one another, your employees are more likely to stay happy and satisfied in their roles.

Deepen engagement further by instilling a sense of purpose. If the only thing motivating your team to go to work is a paycheck, their performance will suffer more than those who feel a sense of purpose in what they do. When employees connect the impact of their work back to the real world, daily tasks, which once seemed tedious, gain meaning. Start by making purpose a part of your business plan. Even if it’s not declared in your mission statement, help your team understand by showing them the impact their work has both within the company, in other departments, as well as outside the organization, on society. You should also share your purpose during recruitment, and search for candidates that support it.

Burnout, and the consequences it reaps when unacknowledged, are detrimental to employee well-being and business performance. To battle this growing epidemic and create healthier work environments, leaders need to commit to changing what “workplace wellness” looks like. Let these steps guide you. If you are successful, you will not just reduce worker stress. You will create a workforce with happier, more productive employees, and be a better business for it.

From: hbr.org

By Marcella Bremer

Is your workplace positive and loving? Does the question make you flinch? The word love is reserved for the private space. It is a taboo at work. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no love in the workplace! We call it differently, we express it differently than at home, but all positive organizations practice love. Moreover, fresh research shows that employees who feel love perform better.

In my work as a consultant, coach, and trainer in organizations I’ve always enjoyed the thought that I was spreading love while selling it as business. Helping people to practice dialogue; to respect differences and diversity, to listen to each other and support each other is another way of helping them to practice love.

Over the years, my definition of love developed into:
Love is being ready, willing and able to let go of your ego for the benefit of the other.

Building your capacity for love

Yes, your ego protects you and that’s important. It’s a crucial part of loving yourself. When you love yourself, you feel strong and confident, and you may be calm, open, and accepting of what the world and the workplace throw at you. When you’ve worked on your fears, limiting beliefs, harsh inner critical voices, you can feel safe and strong enough to lift (some of) that ego and show up as who you are: authentic and sometimes vulnerable. A genuine human being.

It is not until then that you can be ready, willing and able to let go, and practice love for others. That’s why I often use personal exercises in my workshops, and my Positive Culture book has a whole part dedicated to personal development. We cannot develop a positive culture without being aware of our own limitations. We cannot be the change we want to see in others without love.

Personal development is not expected in culture projects, I know. Just like the word Love is “not done” at work. But it makes all the difference. After some time, if an organization wanted to hire me for a culture project, I made it a condition for leaders to be open to personal coaching if needed. That’s because it happened too often that a CEO or other senior executive wasn’t ready, able, and willing to practice the culture they preached. That undermines any change. That entices people to close themselves off, instead of open up to others, learning, and change.

Working with love

The average manager or leader may not focus on building connection and collaboration, even though it’s one of the four ingredients of a positive culture.

Ryan Niemiec shares a typical conversation with a manager in Psychology Today:
Manager: “But what about love? There’s no place for love in the workplace. This stuff has its limits, right?
Ryan: “Is it not relevant to express warmth and care to your coworkers? To show support and genuineness when a co-worker is upset? To offer the practice of careful listening to customers and thoughtful, mindful speech with your boss?” These are examples of love.

“Love is believing that everyone’s perspective adds to the betterment of all, especially if I strongly disagree with some of those perspectives,” describes Rich Schaeff. “Love is reaching out to understand those different than I in pursuit of strengthening the bond between all people.”

What’s love got to do with it?

In the study, ”What’s Love Got to Do With It?: The Influence of a Culture of Companionate Love in the Long-term Care Setting”, Wharton professors Sigal Barsade and Olivia A. O’Neill, surveyed 185 employees, 108 patients, and 42 patient family members at two points in time, 16 months apart, at a healthcare facility.

Employees who felt they worked in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork. They showed up to work more often. Their research also demonstrated that this type of culture related directly to client outcomes.
Barsade writes: “These findings hold true across industries. We conducted a follow-up study, surveying 3,201 employees in seven different industries from financial services to real estate and the results were the same. People who worked in a culture where they felt free to express affection, tenderness, caring and compassion for one another,­ were more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization, and accountable for their performance.”

Whole Foods Market has a set of management principles that begin with “Love”. Zappos states: “We are more than a team though. We are a family. We watch out for each other, care for each other and go above and beyond for each other”.
(Here‘s their article in Harvard Business Review)

Imagine what it feels like to have your work and existence reaffirmed by your leaders and co-workers, and to be allowed to be who you are at work? It’s the basis of a positive culture, as I describe in my book on Positive Culture.

I love this quote from lawyer, filmmaker, and interfaith leader, Valerie Kauer:
“Love is not a passing feeling; it is an act of will. It is the choice to extend our will for the flourishing of others and ourselves. When we pour love in places where there is fear and rage, we can transform an encounter, a relationship, a culture, a country. Love becomes revolutionary.”
(Shared by Ellen McGirt in Fortune).

A positive culture begins with personal development and healthy self-love. Next, it’s possible to respect, hear, see, acknowledge and support others. Then, more others will open up to co-workers, to learning, to collaboration, to performing at their best.

* How much love can you handle?
* What’s normal in your current culture? What’s the love quotient? How many conflicting opinions and information can it hold without violence, but with respectful attention?

from: leadershipandchangemagazine.com

Giving your employees appreciation for their hard work not only helps your organization, but creates a foundation of loyalty. Here are three ways leaders can give thanks to drive employee engagement.

By Mattson Newell

Scott had worked at the same organization for 35 years and the day he retired he cleared off his desk, emptied out his workplace, handed in his access cards and keys, and walked out with a box containing just a few items. They consisted of a picture of his family, a picture of his first day on the job, his personal journal, and a handwritten thank you card he had received from the CEO 15 years before.

Why did Scott keep the card? When I asked him, he struggled to put it into words, he simply said that the card meant a lot to him and it was something he felt proud of. This example illustrates the power of giving thanks!

Attitude of Gratitude

Growing up my mother reinforced in me the power that can come when you have an attitude of gratitude. Not a week would go by that I wouldn’t see her at her desk writing handwritten thank you cards.

We would have what we called, “Family Home Evenings,” where she would teach my siblings and I about the importance of writing thank you cards and then assign us to write five each. She worked hard to teach us an attitude of gratitude. This is also an attitude that can have a powerful impact in our organizations and drive employee engagement.

Appreciated Employees = Engaged Employees

In fact, as reported by the Harvard Business Review in 2012 the American Psychological Association surveyed 1,700 employees and found out that more than half were intending to search for new jobs because they felt underappreciated.

Charles Schwab said this about growing his organization and his people, “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” As leaders, we can oftentimes be moving so quick that we don’t stop to say, “thank you,” and when we fail to give thanks we fail to acknowledge, uplift, and appreciate those around us.

A simple thanks can make an employee’s day and drive powerful business results.

3 Ways to Give More Impactful Thanks

1. Make It Specific

Don’t just give thanks for thanks sake, but make the thanks specific to what action they did, what result they accomplished, or what behavior they exemplified that you appreciated.

Naturally, you aren’t probably going to thank someone for coming to work on time, that is an expectation, but if someone does go above and beyond to help deliver a specific result, that is definitely something you would want to praise.

You can use gratitude strategically as you give thanks for the behaviors and results you want people to deliver time and time again.

2. Make it meaningful, not necessarily monetary

One of the traps we can fall into as leaders is feeling that we need to give a financial, monetary incentive, or bonus anytime someone does something good. While monetary thanks is appropriate occasionally, thanks in general is also very impactful as people feel noticed and appreciated.

You can make it meaningful by how you deliver thanks, which can range from delivering it in a personal meeting, in a phone call, in a handwritten note, or in a public email or meeting, etc.

3. Be consistent, set aside “thankful time” every week

Employees will expect that a leader will give thanks and praise when a significant accomplishment, project, sale, or result is delivered–what they won’t expect is when thanks is given along the way at “unexpected” intervals.

This is where leaders can create a powerful experience by being consistent and creating a different experience for their employees. Some of the most impactful leaders I have met, and yes, this includes my mother, set aside time every week for a few minutes where they sit down and write out thank you cards or send emails to those who have impacted them that week.

As leaders give specific, meaningful, and consistent thanks to their employees, loyalty will go up, results will improve, and more importantly, lives will be impacted–lives like Scott who I don’t think will ever throw away the thank you card he received years ago.

Who do you need to reach out to and thank today?

from: inc.com

By Andra Picincu

Do your staff members really trust you? According to a survey by Harvard Business Review, 58 percent of employees would trust a stranger rather than their own boss. One way to build trust with your employees is to be genuine and honest in the workplace. These attributes will allow you to create a culture that drives business growth and fosters collaboration.

Are White Lies Acceptable?

Most companies have core values like honesty and integrity. Yet, only a few live up to the claims. About 60 percent of adults tell at least one lie during a typical 10-minute conversation. Your employees are no exception.

White lies, or small lies, are common in the business world. Employers and employees alike tell lies to motivate others to work harder or take action toward a goal. For example, you may tell your employees that a customer needs to have a project delivered within three business days. That isn’t necessarily true, but you want them to work faster and stop wasting time.

The problem is that dishonesty can cost you big. In the above scenario, your employees may feel pressured and make mistakes that affect the entire project; this can negatively impact the customer experience and hurt your brand. Why not tell them the truth in the first place? Let your employees know that you’re not fully satisfied with their performance and that they’re wasting too much time chatting or surfing the Internet. Explain to them how this kind of behavior can affect the organization as a whole.

Importance of Honesty in Business

Although white lies are socially acceptable, they can have a cumulative effect and hurt your business. Dishonesty affects organizational culture, teamwork, management, communication and employee relationships. Additionally, telling small lies – even if they are well-intentioned – makes it easier to lie more often, leading to a vicious cycle. This can hurt your business reputation and branding efforts, fuel distrust among employees and disrupt their performance.

Remember the old saying, “Honesty is the best policy?” It applies to business, too. Honesty and integrity are essential for creating a healthy workplace. Employees who are stressed by dishonesty are more likely to quit their jobs, which in turn can affect your turnover rate and make it harder to attract talent.

Being honest in the workplace fosters open communication and constructive feedback. Let’s say that one of your employees does a mediocre job, but his peers keep praising him. Perhaps they don’t want to hurt his feelings or ruin the relationship. They’re not doing him any good, though. Their honest feedback would help him overcome his shortcomings and deliver better quality work.

How to Demonstrate Honesty

Whether you’re a business owner or employee, it’s important that you demonstrate honesty and integrity in the workplace. First of all, keep your commitments and don’t make promises you can’t keep. For example, if you miss a deadline, don’t shift the blame around. Take responsibility for what happened and make sure it doesn’t become a habit; come up with a plan to remedy the situation and stick to it.

Integrity is at the core of honesty and trust. Be a role model for your team by following through on your decisions, treating everyone the same and practicing what you preach. Address issues in a timely manner instead of telling your team members that they have nothing to worry about. Always tell the truth rather than sugarcoating it.

Reward your employees for being open. If something goes wrong, seek solutions rather than placing blame. Let your team know when they’re doing a good job and when they’re doing something wrong. Back up with statements with hard facts and explain your point of view. Be known as the kind of person that people can trust and rely on in any situation.

from: https: bizfluent.com

SHOW LOVE FOR YOUR CLIENTS INSTEAD OF YOUR PRODUCTS

By Team Tony

Many can claim they have the secret formula to business success, but one truth always remains: focus on your clients (or customers) and you are destined to win. Oftentimes, we are so focused on delivering a great product that we neglect what’s really important: our core customer. What good is a product or service if there is no one there to buy?
If your business is suffering or if you haven’t achieved the level of success you want, it’s time to ask yourself: “How do I love my customers more?” Your customer’s life is your business life. Get to know them well so you can deliver customer love that keeps them loyal and turns them into raving fans of your company.
So how do you love your clients? Make it all about them. When you focus on your clients’ needs, you will most certainly succeed. Here are Tony’s steps to “falling in love” with your client:

1. FORGET ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
2. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR CLIENTS WANT/NEED
3. FOCUS ON THEIR NEEDS
   Listen to Tony explain this in his own words below:

SHOW CUSTOMER LOVE BY FORGETTING ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
To be a disruptor in your field, stop focusing on yourself. Success isn’t about falling in love with your products or services – it’s about focusing entirely on showing love for your clients. Customer needs change over time and when you love your products or services too much, you won’t be flexible enough to change what you offer to fit your market. When you stay flexible, you can turn problems into opportunities and always ensure you know the answer to “How can I love my customers more?”

LOVE YOUR CLIENTS BY FINDING OUT WHAT THEY WANT/NEED
What issues are your clients facing that makes their lives more difficult or less fulfilling? What products or services do they wish were available but currently aren’t? Your ability to answer these questions with solutions shows plenty of customer love, with the added benefit of making your business talkably different. You can find out what your clients’ needs are by having them take surveys, using social media to generate conversations and doing market research.

INCREASE CUSTOMER LOVE BY FOCUSING ON THEIR NEEDS
How can you uniquely address your customers’ needs with your products or services? Do you need to make tweaks to ensure they are user-friendly? Are you constantly innovating so your services evolve along with your customers’ needs? Create a cycle of constant feedback so you can always anticipate your customers’ future needs as well as address current ones. When you plan for the future, you’ll stay on top of social shifts and show customer love by addressing your customers’ needs before they are even aware of them.

You can answer the question “How can I show I love my customers?” by adhering to one rule: it’s not about you, it’s about them.

from: tonyrobbins.com

By Melissa Locker

In what sounds like a tie-in for the upcoming new installment of the Ghostbusters franchise, an employee at the Massachusetts Market Basket grocery store claimed to have “spotted” a Victorian-era specter haunting the frozen food aisle.

Market Basket in Wilmington. (WBZ-TV)

https://t.co/Mfu78krRwG?amp=1

The employee, Christiana Bush, who works in the store’s bakery department, posted about the ghost sighting in a local, private Facebook group. ”This is going to sound really strange….but has anyone seen a ghost in the Wilmington market basket?” she wrote according to the Boston Globe. Adding that after she saw the woman, she looked to see if anyone else was catching a glimpse of the apparition and when she looked back she was gone.

“She looked kind of like melancholy and a little angry. So it was kind of a creepy kind of sense, but it was something,” Bush said Monday, according to the local NBC affiliate. She believes the woman was a ghost and asked the Facebook group whether anyone else had a paranormal experience in her store. The modern day ghost story has since gone viral with people across the country weighing in on the likelihood of a Victorian era ghost choosing to haunt a Market Basket.

“If the rumors are true, it makes this Market Basket a lot more interesting,” said one shopper, according to CBS Local. News of the haunting even caught the attention of Massachusetts’ U.S. Representative, Seth Moulton who tweeted out the story. “Apparently a ghost is haunting the Wilmington Market Basket,” a tweet from Moulton’s Twitter account said Sunday. “I thought I only needed to worry about witches and ghouls in Salem!”

The Wilmington police department is getting in on the action, too. They posted a video on Facebook with “proof” of the haunting.

While they undoubtedly appreciate the free advertising, Market Basket officials say that, to their knowledge, their stores are free from ghostly visitors. “As far as we know, all of our stores are ghost-free,” a spokesperson for the company told the Globe. ”But if there’s anything to it, she’s probably attracted to our Victorian-area prices.“

from: time.com

By Susan Ward

Want to start a business but don’t have a lot of startup money or time to invest in developing specialized skills? Then you’ll want to have a look at this list of ideas for easy businesses to start.

Each is a business that you can start inexpensively; some can be started for nothing if you already have the equipment. Every one of these suggestions will let you start a business quickly—in some cases, almost instantly. And all can be operated as home-based businesses.

Be warned though; these types of businesses are not suitable for a “get rich quick” plan. What these inexpensive, easy businesses offer to the person prepared to work at them is a good living and, of course, the satisfaction of being your own boss.

Pet Sitting

More and more people are looking for someone to care for their pets when they can’t. Professional pet caregivers come into the home to feed, walk, and play with the animal(s) while the owner is away. If you love animals and are knowledgeable about them, this could be a great business for you. According to the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, in-home pet-care is one of the fastest-growing industries in North America today.

Requirements: Knowledge of and affinity with animals, good time-management skills. Currently, accreditation and special training are typically not required (although some states require a license). You should be ​bonded and insured.​

Residential Cleaning Services

Having your house cleaned by someone else is no longer only for the rich With everyone getting busier all the time, more people than ever are willing to pay to get the benefits of a cleaner home and more free time to do things they consider to be more important. Residential cleaning services are normally provided on a once-a-month or once-a-week basis. All you need to start this business is some basic cleaning supplies. If you’re an organized person who can build a clientele, you could do extremely well if you start a cleaning business.

Requirements: Knowledge of cleaning products and procedures, the ability to attract and keep reliable staff, and strong scheduling and organizational abilities.

Variations on the theme: Specialized cleaning services, such as blind cleaning.

Delivery Services

Talk about an easy business to start—a vehicle and a good driving record and you’re good to go. We’re all familiar with the big names in the delivery industry, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no room for the little guy (or gal). If you can deliver things quickly and efficiently in your local area at a reasonable price, this may be a good business idea for you.

Requirements: Clean driving record and good driving skills, strong organizational skills, and a suitable vehicle—it may be necessary to transport large items.

Grass Cutting and Snow Removal Services

Some people still mow their own lawns or shovel their own snow. But many would rather pay someone else to keep their yard looking good. The great thing is that in many places, you can combine lawn care and snow removal and have a viable business all year long.

Requirements: Equipment, such as power mowers, edgers, etc. You need to be prepared to trim as well as to mow. You’ll also need trucks equipped with blades for snow clearing, and basic mechanical knowledge to run and repair equipment.

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking has changed a lot in the digital age, but it’s still a popular craft and a business idea that could be very profitable. Many people want a tangible collection of their favorite photos more than ever. You can start a business as a creator of original scrapbooks or by becoming a consultant for a scrapbook business that’s already established.

Requirements: Artistic talent, knowledge of scrapbooking (which you can get through research and experience or by taking scrapbooking courses), materials to make scrapbooks, digital know-how if you decide to offer digital scrapbooking.

Hauling Services

Ever try to fit a sheet of plywood into the back of one of those new compact SUVs? Then you know why the demand for hauling services is on the rise. Besides the size issue, there’s are materials and goods that people don’t want to haul in their own shiny vehicles, such as yard waste or loads of compost for the garden. All the things they don’t want to or can’t haul could turn into money in your pocket.

Requirements: A suitable vehicle or vehicles and a clean driving record. A strong back is handy if you’re loading the material yourself.

Variations on the theme: Specializing in hauling a particular product, such as delivering loads of compost or soil for gardeners.

EBay Selling

Very few people haven’t bought or sold something on eBay. But did you know that eBay is also a solid business idea? If you have an in-demand product that’s suitable for online sales and shipping, eBay selling may be the way to go. It can be a much less expensive, simpler option than setting up your own online store. EBay offers all kinds of information to help you sell successfully—including eBay seminars.

Requirements: A worthy product or products, a computer, and knowledge of online selling and shipping.

Gutter and Siding Cleaning

If you’re willing and able to do things that other people don’t want to do, you can get a viable business going. For many homeowners, chores such as gutter and siding cleaning are right up there on the “I don’t want to do that” list. Besides being messy, there’s always an element of danger involved when people are working with ladders.

But the great thing about this inexpensive business idea is that these are chores that need to be done repeatedly, so once you’ve built up a clientele, you’ve created a regular flow of income—and there’s nothing unpleasant about that!

Requirements: Ladders, hoses, buckets, etc. Have appropriate safety equipment and no fear of height.

Event Planning

Are you an extremely organized person who can work on a deadline? Do you handle crises well and have strong interpersonal and communication skills? Then event planning may be a great small business idea for you.

Obviously, event planners plan events. But you may not be aware of the scope of possibilities. Corporations, hotels, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and government organizations all have a need for event planners to put together everything from conferences to pedestrian-only days.

Or you might specialize in a particular kind of event, such as becoming a festival or wedding planner. Best of all, you don’t need a degree to become an event planner.

Requirements: Strong organizational, planning, and communication skills with an eye for detail and an ability to work to deadlines.

Gardening and Landscaping Services

Gardening has been one of the most popular hobbies throughout the U.S. and Canada for the last few decades. Its popularity is only increasing, perhaps thanks to a growing interest in the freshness and quality of food that we put in our bodies.

But gardening is no armchair hobby. It takes time and work to make a garden flourish—two things that many would-be gardeners aren’t able to provide. Working people with families are often short on time, and many aging gardeners have physical ailments that prevent them from doing all the outdoor work they would like to do.

Those are two problems you can solve by providing gardening or landscaping services. From basic weeding and spreading mulch to hardscaping, there are all kinds of business opportunities here for skilled, willing hands.

Requirements: Physical fitness and the knowledge of plants, gardening techniques, and possibly landscaping and design principles.

DJing

Love music? Then maybe DJing is the small business idea you’ve been looking for.

While many of us think of DJs as providing the nightly music in glitzy clubs packed with dancing hordes, that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to DJ opportunities. There are many more DJs performing at weddings, parties, and in venues such as small pubs than spinning tunes in big clubs.

Notice the use of the word “performing.” To be a successful DJ, you need to have an entertaining personality as well as music-mixing skills.

Requirements: DJ and mixing skills, and the appropriate equipment—while some DJs spin vinyl records, others go digital with DJ apps. You’ll also need the desire and ability to work nights and weekends, when most of the gigs are.

Variations on the theme: Specializing in a particular type of music or event. If you choose to do this, be sure you thoroughly research your market first.

Painting

Painting, whether exterior or interior, is another of those chores that many people don’t want or have time to do, which makes it another of those chores that you can make money doing for them.

One of the great things about this inexpensive, easy business idea is that it’s not seasonal—interiors can be painted any time of year.

Another is that, unlike a business idea such as DJing, painting is easily scalable. Once you have the clients, you can hire others and become a manager of your painting crew(s). Either way, it’s relatively easy work that there’s always a demand for.

Requirements: Physical ability, painting skills, and equipment such as brushes, drop sheets, and buckets.

Variations on the theme: Creative? Interior design or home staging might interest you.

Yoga Instruction

Perhaps because of its accessibility (practically anyone can do it) or because of its diversity (there are many different types of yoga), yoga is one of the fitness practices that’s here to stay.

And if you are a practitioner and enjoy teaching, why not share your expertise with others and become a yoga instructor? Business opportunities range from setting up your own commercial yoga studio (either in a retail building or as a home-based business) to freelancing and teaching classes in different venues.

Requirements: Yoga expertise and teaching ability.

Variations on the theme: Yoga-related products are good business prospects, too.

Local Tour Guide

Do you live in a place that others like to visit? Do you enjoy meeting and chatting with new people? Would you be comfortable leading and addressing a group?

Then here’s one more question for you; have you thought about being a local tour guide?

Now, obviously, this is only an easy business to start if you live in a place that attracts a lot of tourists. But the scope is wide—you don’t need to live in a place chock-a-block with historical landmarks. While historical walking tours are obvious candidates, don’t forget about the natural wonders that locals tend to take for granted. Guided nature tours, such as exploring tide pools or bird spotting, can also be big winners with tourists.

Requirements: Specialized local knowledge, a cheerful, outgoing personality, strong communication skills, and good physical mobility.

Variations on the theme: Gallery or museum host.

Tutoring

Knowledge is power. But the right kind of knowledge can also be money in your pocket. There is a steady demand for tutoring students of all levels in particular subjects such as math, physics, and English.

Many English speaking people want to learn a second or third language, making French, Spanish, and German (to name three of the most popular) tutoring a good business opportunity.

There is also a steady demand for teaching people who aren’t native speakers of English how to speak and write English (English as a Second Language, aka ESL). Influxes of immigrants from West Asian companies means people who can speak and read Arabic will find there’s no shortage of work available.

Requirements: In-depth knowledge of your particular subject and an ability to teach it.

Variations on the theme: The demand for translators is also on the rise, especially for people who can translate Arabic and Chinese (Mandarin) languages.

You Don’t Need Much Money But You Do Need…

So there they are—15 ideas for inexpensive, easy businesses that almost anyone can start. What else do you need to turn one of these ideas into a successful business? The kind of people skills that will allow you to attract and build a regular clientele. But I’m guessing that you have these, or you wouldn’t be thinking of starting a business in the first place.

If one of these business ideas appeals to you, the next step is to see if it will work for you by developing a business plan. Take the next steps to turn your business into a reality.

from: thebalancesmb.com