Home Business - Con Prevention; Learn the Cons

Potential cons and things to watch out for when running a small business

Keywords:

Home Based Businesses,Best Work From Home Businesses

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If, like many of us, you're a home based business owner, you know that there are many hooks and crooks out there. If you're new at it or still thinking about opening a home based business then hear this! Crooks do exist in business and they will take your money if they can. So does that mean it's safer to not run a home based business? SAFER? Are you looking for something safer? If you don't take chances you're not going to win. Abolutely not! You stand to make much better money working for yourself and you're sure to be much happier being your own boss. Like anything in this World, you just need to be aware of what's really going on in your business arrangements. Don't be naive and think that everybody is a nice person. This is BUSINESS! The rules are *almost* 'there are no rules'. Most businesses are dependable and trustworthy. They value your long term opinion of them because they are fully aware of your potential ability to bring (or prevent) business for them in the future. A saying in business goes 'if you'll only do business with people that you trust then don't bother trying to do business'. Here are a few tips to help keep your eyes open.

#1. Partners - business partners can range anywhere from your best friend to a financial supporter to a franchise business. When it comes to partnership arrangements in business, NEVER accept a word of mouth arrangement. Even if your partner is your very best friend, make sure that written legal agreements are drawn up that specify in detail the ownership, compensation and responsibilities of each party in the agreement. Make sure the agreement is signed in the presence of witnesses who could be called into court and properly notarized. Also, be wary of payment in stocks or stock options when you don't have control over company stock splits and dilutions.

#2. Marketers - new businesses start up by the thousands on an ongoing basis. Marketers know this and some prey on new businesses. They'll show you in graphs and statistics and eloquent words how you can make mega-bucks by using their strategies. Far too often, it is the marketers who make the money, not the businesses they're marketing. They know you won't come back and they don't care. Even legitimate businesses can accidentally trap you. Take for example, Google AdWords. Open your Internet browser and go to www.google.com and search for any popular search words like say, 'scuba diving trips'. Notice on the right hand side 'sponsored links'. These are companies who pay Google each time a user, like you, clicks their link. Watch the 'sponsored links' for a given set of keywords (ie. 'scuba diving trips') for 3 months or longer. See if the ads (companies) don't frequently change. If they do, Google made money, not the business who placed the ad. Otherwise, their link would stay there. Don't misunderstand, Google AdWords can make you a lot of money if *you* know how to work the ads. Another example is email SPAM. How many times have you purchased something from an email advertisement? So, who do you think makes money from the endless onslaught of email SPAM? Usually, it's the companies doing the SPAMming and not the companies who they are supposedly trying to sell products for. In general, if you see *one* given company using the same advertising over and over, it's working. Otherwise, it's probably not. Of course a business that does no marketing is doomed to a dismal failure. However, don't be duped by fast talking advertisers. Quite often, they make the money, not you.

#3. Lawsuits - it is a bad practice to enter contractual arrangements thinking that other parties will not violate the agreement just to keep from getting sued. Take a trip to your local County Records department (or look it up on the Internet) and see how many judgements are still outstanding after 10 years or more. You may be shocked to find that a judge's ruling that somebody owes you money does NOT guarantee that you will get it. A person can just disappear and the government will not give you privileged information to help you find them. A corporation can withdraw all their money, file for bankruptcy, close their doors and reopen as a different corporation. Also, quite often you'll find that it may be more expensive to sue someone than to count your losses and walk away. Business dealers know this and use it. If I illegally conned you out of $150.00 would you sue me for it? Even if you could it probably wouldn't be to your advantage. Or what if a business offered a '30 Day Money Back Guarantee' and then didn't make good on it? That con is a classic. When making business deals don't count exclusively on legalities to keep you out of trouble. Make sure the other parties in the deal have genuine motives to stick to the agreement.

Being in business for yourself can be very liberating and quite lucrative. But business is about making money. Most of us believe that we can do better for ourselves by engaging in genuine commerce. That is, we provide a genuine product or service for a price at or near the monetary market value of the product or service that we provide. That's what we call a 'win win' situation. Both the provider and the purchaser end up pleased with the outcome of the deal. However, there are business dealers who deem it entirely ethical to take whatever they can from you, whether legally or illegally as long as they don't get hurt. Always be wary of business dealings like this. Try to work, within reason, with people who have already proven their trustworthiness and always try to foresee every potential outcome of any business deal you intend to engage.

Employee Burn Out Prevention

Employees who are motivated are the assets, even secret to the success of successful companies. However, these employees aren't robot nor machines. They can feel pressure, be overwhelmed, or even worse, be burned-out. Recognizing and preventing symptoms of burn-out will save your company and your employees from self-destruction. Organizational psychologist David Javitch, PhD, names the most common signs of burn-out. According to him, the most telltale signs of burn-out includ...

Keywords:

employee management, employee scheduling, employee training, employee rights, employee incentives

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Employees who are motivated are the assets, even secret to the success of successful companies. However, these employees aren't robot nor machines. They can feel pressure, be overwhelmed, or even worse, be burned-out. Recognizing and preventing symptoms of burn-out will save your company and your employees from self-destruction. Organizational psychologist David Javitch, PhD, names the most common signs of burn-out. According to him, the most telltale signs of burn-out include a decline in productivity. It is most noticeable when a highly productive employee starts turning in mediocre work. Lateness, leaving on the dot, leaving work early, prolonged breaks, and increasing absences are the most common actions of burned-out employees. He also named the simplest means to prevent it such as employee scheduling, employee training, employee rights, employee performance, employee time, employee incentives, and regular evaluation.

Employee scheduling
Rotating employee's schedule may refresh your employees. However, there is a risk that you may hasten the burning out process. To prevent this from happening, be sure to consult with your employees about the rotating schedule. Put morning persons on the a.m. shift and the late risers on the afternoon shift. Night owls would definitely prefer the evening shifts. This will significantly reduce stress and pressure on your employees to perform at the time when their energies are low. Plus, you will get to benefit from their top performances because they would work at the time when their productivity levels are at their peak.

Employee Training
Provide training on areas that interest and help your employees. If your business is all about computers, train your employees on new programs or applications. A fashion or entertainment business would do well to conduct image consultancy and development training for its employees. Writers would benefit from writing workshops. Aside from breaking the monotony of their daily schedule, the employees and your company would also benefit from this move. You will have more trained and confident employees that are motivated to put their training to good use. Also, widen employees' responsibilities or cross train them. Have them handle other projects than their regular work to challenge them.

Employee Rights, Employee Incentives, And Employee Time
Convene with your employees and discuss with them their rights and the incentives they would get if the company performs well. They would get a big boost from being reminded and knowing that the company's future depends on them and their productivity. Give them employee time or a break from work. Declare a company holiday and treat your employees to an outing. A change of scenery would refresh them and energize them for another work season. In addition, they would feel that they are important to the company and that they are rewarded for all their efforts. Nothing boosts a person's morale most than praise and reward. These will encourage them to perform well and top their earlier efforts.

Employee Performance and Regular Evaluation
Conduct regular evaluation system to monitor your employees' performance. Reward good employees to encourage them to perform better. Encourage slackers with training and an assurance that the company, and you, as their employer, would help them in coping with their workload. Present your employees with a definite career growth plan such as promotions for top performing employees. Their enthusiasm for work would be revived if they know that they can move up the corporate ladder.

According to Javitch, these motivation methods will serve to aid you and your employees in the evaluation of their present company roles. He stressed that these are key improvements to an efficient employee management program. These methods would increase motivation, satisfaction, and most of all, productivity in your employees. Implement these and you would be saved from mediocre performances and work disruptions.