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Tag: communication

Strapped for Success: The Importance of Corporate Team Building

In the fast-paced and competitive landscape of the corporate world, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration among team members is crucial for success. That has only gotten harder in a remote or hybrid landscape.

One effective way to achieve this integration is through well-planned corporate team-building events. These beneficial opportunities extend interactions beyond the traditional notion of office meetings and deadlines, providing an arena for employees to connect on a personal level, build trust, and enhance their collective effectiveness.

READ: Beyond Icebreakers — 5 Team Building Activities You’ll Actually Enjoy

The team here at ColoradoBiz recently took a break after our Winter issue to take aim at next year; what to plan and prepare for but also how to adjust our sights and how to improve the product we love to produce. In this article, using our own example of a trip to the Centennial Gun Club in Centennial, Colorado, we explore the significance of corporate team-building events and how they contribute to a positive work environment and improved organizational performance.

The Centennial Gun Club experience was also educational as we learned about a new business we hadn’t yet discovered (forgive us, there are more than 70,000 retail establishments in Colorado alone.) The gun club boasts a training simulator creating real-life scenarios for gun-carrying Coloradans, a bank-like vault for storage of rifles and pistols, and the Statesman Room, a private club/lounge area for its highest level of membership. Picture a golf country club but for firearm enthusiasts. And not to worry if it’s been a while since you’ve fired a round or two, they offer quickstart training sessions to get you up to speed again before shooting, and at least one Range Safety Officer is onsite at all times ready to help and answer questions.

And while our trip to this unique and incredible establishment was both fun and educational, it’s the benefits we walked away with that we’ll value most.

Building stronger connections

Corporate team-building events offer a break from the routine work environment, allowing staff to interact in a more relaxed setting. Whether it’s a day of outdoor activities, a themed workshop, or a team-building retreat, these events create an atmosphere where individuals can get to know each other beyond their professional roles. Stronger personal connections lead to improved communication and collaboration within the workplace.

READ: Don’t be an “Average” Company — The Power of Prioritizing Team Happiness

Enhancing communication skills

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful team. Team building events often include activities that require participants to communicate and collaborate to achieve a common goal. These experiences help employees develop better communication skills, learn to listen actively and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Improved communication translates to more efficient and productive teamwork in the office.

Building trust and camaraderie

Trust is a vital component of a high-functioning team. Team building events provide opportunities for employees to build trust by engaging in activities that require cooperation and reliance on one another. Trust fosters a positive work environment, where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and supporting each other in the pursuit of common goals.

READ: Strategies for a Healthier, Happier Workplace

Boosting morale and motivation

Corporate team-building events serve as a morale booster for employees. Taking a break from the daily grind to participate in enjoyable and engaging activities can re-energize the team. When employees feel appreciated and valued, their motivation increases, leading to improved performance and a more positive workplace culture.

Identifying and utilizing strengths

Team-building activities often highlight individual strengths and talents within a team. Recognizing and leveraging these strengths can lead to a more effective distribution of tasks and responsibilities within the workplace. Understanding the unique contributions of each team member allows for better collaboration and a more strategic approach to achieving organizational goals.

Creating a positive workplace culture

The impact of team-building events extends beyond the duration of the activities. It contributes to the creation of a positive workplace culture where employees feel supported, valued, and connected. A positive culture enhances employee satisfaction, reduces turnover, and attracts top talent to the organization.

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

The bottom line

As we found at Centennial Gun Club, corporate team-building events play a pivotal role in fostering a sense of unity, trust, and collaboration among employees. By investing in these activities, organizations not only enhance the personal connections between team members but also contribute to a positive workplace culture that ultimately leads to improved organizational performance and success. In a world where teamwork is the key to success, corporate team-building events are an investment that pays dividends in the form of a motivated, engaged, and high-performing workforce.

 

Jon Haubert Hb Legacy Media Co 2Jon Haubert is the publisher of ColoradoBiz magazine. Email him at [email protected].

How To Start a Fully Remote Business in 2023

From saving money on monthly overheads to increased flexibility and easier access to global talent, it is no wonder that fully remote businesses are on the rise across the world. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted you to take your business online permanently or you are an entrepreneur eager to start a fully remote business in 2023, we have you covered.

In this guide, we briefly highlight the seven easy steps to start a fully remote business in 2023. 

READ — Managing a Remote Work Team with Communication and Ease

Step 1: Develop a Business Plan 

Whether you are transforming your existing brick-and-mortar business into a fully remote business or building a remote business from scratch, developing a business plan is essential. A business plan is a document that includes an executive summary of your business and comprehensively outlines your business’s objectives and the strategies your business will take to achieve its goals. 

A business plan will set you up for success when you start a fully remote business. The plan will provide you with a thorough overview of your business, which will highlight the immediate actions you can take to start achieving your goals. It can also help you gain any necessary investment during the finding finances step. 

Step 2: Outline Software Tools You Will Need 

From task management and document sharing to tax compliance software, starting a fully remote business will require an array of software tools specific to your business and industry.

Depending on your business, you may simply need a project management tool and a virtual fax number in Canada, or you may need advanced software solutions to run and manage your remote business. Create a comprehensive outline of your necessary software tools, begin searching for reliable providers and note any associated costs. 

Investing in a digital sales room would provide an ideal virtual space where salespeople can engage with, and pitch to, potential clients. This enables the sales team to have a dedicated, and branded, virtual sales environment to entertain clients and it also offers a means to measure and track the team’s progress on a sale.

READ — 5 Ways to Elevate Your Virtual Conference Room Technology

Step 3: Register Your Business

To establish legitimacy, be eligible for funding opportunities and reduce personal liability, you will need a new registration when starting a fully remote business. When registering your business, you will need a virtual business address, a business bank account, a name for your business and a formulated business structure. 

Registering your business is an exciting but often overwhelming aspect of starting a fully remote business. You can hire a company that specializes in business formation services to ensure this step is done accurately, compliantly, and is aligned with ensuring your future success. 

Step 4: Find Funding 

While a fully remote business comes with the perks of not having to pay rent on an office, there will still be initial costs involved with any necessary software tools, supplies and potential employees. There are three common funding sources for businesses: 

  1. Business Loans: Fund your business by applying for a business loan from a bank. 
  2. Personal Funds: Finance your business with your personal funds, such as with personal savings or credit cards. 
  3. Angel Investors: Approach an angel investor or angel investment group for funding in exchange for an equity stake in your business. 

There are various other methods to fund your fully remote business, allowing you to find funds in the best way suited to your business. 

Step 5: Create a Remote Work Policy

If you are planning on hiring employees or transforming your existing employees into remote workers to start a fully remote business, you will need to develop a remote work policy. 

Your remote work policy will act as a formal guideline for your remote employees and will cover aspects such as data security rules, availability and responsiveness requirements, legal, home office recommendations and more. In your remote work policy, you will also need to outline your medium of business communication for your employees. 

It is also important to make sure that you find a way to foster team engagement as part of your work policy. These could be through scheduled virtual team building events or even an activity that requires the remote team to meet in person. 

Having a strong remote work policy is essential if you want to have high-performing virtual teams. You will also want to encourage a positive team culture of global thinking and shared responsibility to bring people together.

READ — 5 Tips for Building a Strong Company Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment

Step 6: Hire Your Employees

Get your fully remote business operating by hiring your first employees. In America alone, 68% of the workforce would choose a fully remote job, so there will be plenty of high-quality candidates for any vacancies when starting a fully remote business. As they’re fully remote roles, you can choose to hire locally or globally, allowing you to gain the best talent for your team.

It’s also worth considering how your teams will be set up in order to reach business goals and make improvements in various processes and services. For example, perhaps splitting up a larger group of employees into a small, agile team can help deliver faster results and ensure better communication across the business.

Step 7: Start Marketing Your Business 

Use effective marketing to allow your fully remote business to start reaching your target audience and converting them into loyal customers. Marketing your remote business will include a website and developing an online presence, as well as creating a marketing plan that will outline long-term marketing strategies. 

Unless you’re experienced in marketing, you should consider outsourcing to professional marketing services or hiring a dedicated marketing employee to ensure your fully remote business is marketed successfully.  

READ — 12 Ways to Repurpose Social Media Content for Email Marketing 

The Bottom Line

Starting a fully remote business or transforming your existing business into a permanent remote model can be easily achieved when you follow the right steps. 

 

Grace LauGrace Lau is the Director of Growth Content at Dialpad, an AI-powered platform for better and easier team collaboration with the help of Dialpad business phone systems in Vancouver. She has over 10 years of experience in content writing and strategy. Currently, she is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. Here is her LinkedIn.

Communication is the Key: High 5 Plumbing Explains the Unique Nature of Working with a Spouse

Starting an independent business can be a difficult venture. Along with having the money to fund the project, one must develop a business plan, create working systems, hire employees, convince customers to purchase the product or service, and a multitude of other important business management issues. It is a long and sometimes daunting task. 

For some, it becomes a family business that incorporates a husband-wife duo overseeing operations. That is the case when it comes to High 5 Plumbing. The home service company offers a multitude of plumbing solutions to residents in the Denver area, including repair and installation, drain cleaning, pump plumbing, piping, garbage disposal services, sewer line repair, gas plumbing, water heater installation and much more.

The company is led by Levi and Cassi Torres. When running a company with your spouse, keeping a work-life balance can be complicated at times. “Everyone talks about a work-life balance,” said Levi.

“In all reality, when we go home, we are in a different mindset. But we still discuss work. We talk about our plans and the future of the company. The only difference is we don’t go home, open a laptop and start working directly on the business. The balance is we are not working in the company, we are working on the company.” 

When starting a business from the ground up, almost every aspect of the business is discussed daily, according to Cassi. 

“It comes up naturally,” she said. “Our kids have been around the company ever since they were younger. They were always around the business, so it’s just natural for us to discuss it when we are at home. It comes up all the time.” 

The couple, who started High 5 Plumbing in 2012, said there are plenty of advantages of running a business with your spouse. Being able to share a clear vision for the company helps develop a clear company culture. 

“We are the leaders of the company, so our relationship with each other is reflected in the company,” said Cassi. “We have a common vision of where we want the company to go. I think having that vision has allowed us to constantly be understanding of each other. Like four years ago, having a common vision and direction helped us develop a plan to grow the business.” 

Building a successful plumbing company with two locations and plenty of happy customers isn’t simple, even for a happy couple. Levi said the biggest obstacle to success is a lack of communication.  

“It may be a cliché answer, but communication is the answer to a lot of problems,” he said. “If you can communicate how you’re feeling, then you can avoid hurting other people’s feelings. If you can communicate what you want to accomplish, then there won’t be any confusion. Communication is the key.” 

While the couple has been together for 21 years, Cassi said they still use a coach to help them communicate better both inside and outside the office. 

“Levi and I are completely opposite when it comes to our personalities and how we interact with people,” Cassi said. “We’ve had to learn how to respect how each other communicates. Even though we’ve been together more than two decades, we are actively working with a coach on how we can improve our communication skills, build a stronger relationship, and be aligned in the same direction.”   

Both Cassi and Levi agree that getting a mentor is the best thing a couple can do to help run a successful business. Due to the unique nature of running a business together, a coach can help the owners “go through the weeds of it” and come out the other end successfully. 

 

Cassi Torres High 5 Plumbing
Vice President at High 5 Plumbing, Cassi Torres, and the teams behind High 5 Plumbing are innovating the plumbing industry across Denver.
About High 5 PlumbingFounded in 2012, High 5 Plumbing is a local, family-owned company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area. The company was recently recognized by the Denver Metro Chamber Business Awards as a 2022 finalist for Small Business of the Year.
With a professional team that has extensive experience and a commitment to service, High 5 Plumbing offers comprehensive plumbing, sewer, and drain services. The company was built on the values of solving plumbing problems and serving every customer with professionalism and respect. For more information, visit: High 5 Plumbing

5 Communication tips for hotels and restaurants when reopening

While nearly every sector of business was abruptly dropped into unchartered waters this year, the coronavirus has had a profound effect on the hospitality and tourism industries. With many reopenings beginning, and others on the horizon, here is what hotel and restaurant operators should consider to effectively communicate with guests.

Be concise and clear to manage expectations

It’s no surprise that everyone is learning to adjust to “the new normal.” To help calm consumer anxieties, it’s critical that businesses clearly communicate the ways in which things will be different when they reopen. From adding outdoor tables, reducing capacity and limiting indoor waiting areas, to managing the number of guests during check-in, be clear as to the changes guests can expect to see. Communicate these changes in advance of welcoming them, so there are no surprises. This might come in the form of website and social media messaging, outdoor signage or a pre-arrival email.

Communicate cleanliness and new standard operating procedures

Understandably, consumers are demanding more transparency surrounding cleanliness than ever before. For hotels, this could include everything from mobile check-in to increased daily housekeeping checkpoints. Restaurants may be implementing increased cleaning products and procedures, single-use condiments, menus, and more. Any new procedures that have been put into place – especially those that go above and beyond the government-mandated procedures – should be added to your website and clearly communicated via multiple channels to increase guest confidence while considering a reservation.

Be flexible

With regulations, guidelines and suggestions updated almost daily, travel plans are also consistently evolving. Businesses that demonstrate empathy and understanding in the current climate will stand out to consumers. Showing that your business is adapting by being flexible with reservation and cancellation policies (to the extent that you are capable) will help build brand loyalty in the long term.

Be authentic and available

While these past few months have changed life as we know it, it is crucial for your brand to retain its voice, and most importantly, its commitment to your core values. While messaging may lean towards being empathetic and reassuring during these times, remaining true to your brand voice – in a way that is also sensitive to the current climate – reminds customers who you are and why they care. If guests have questions, it’s important to be responsive. This can include everything from phone calls and email inquiries, to social media direct messages or public posts to address any concerns.

Present a united front

It’s important that your audience can easily find accurate information about your reopening or expanded offerings wherever they choose to interact with you. To that end, make sure that your phone message and website are accurate and updated, as well as your social media pages and other online platforms where potential guests may be searching, such as Google or Yelp. Place your announcements prominently and take advantage of any special COVID-19 tools these platforms may be offering to help spread your message.

This is a time of confusion for businesses and consumers alike. Stand apart from your competition by taking a position of control and leadership as it pertains to safely reopening, and clearly communicate it with your guests; they’ll be ready to come back before you know it.