Are you interested in learning more about your customers in order to improve sales? Conducting a focus group might be your best bet! Focus groups began in the 1930s as a means of gauging the impact of World War II on American citizens, and since then they’ve been incredibly helpful to the companies that use them. Focus groups provide a snapshot into the lives of customers, and rather than brainstorming about what people want, you can hear it straight from their mouths.
Planning an event, no matter the size, can be a difficult task. Not only does it feel like there are a million things to do, but you also have the pressure of executing a perfect finished product. There are some things that get easier with practice, but nobody is perfect! Even the most seasoned meeting and event planners can make a mistake or two.
Office managers are the glue that keeps businesses and corporations together, and their behavior can make or break your company’s success. There’s a lot of pressure on office managers to keep things together at all times, even when they have a million things going at once. Maybe you’re brand new to management and don’t know where to start. Or, you might be a seasoned administrator looking for ways to improve your office environment. Either way, keep reading for tips on how to be the best office manager you can be:
Biophilic design is the newest trend amongst interior designers, and many are hailing it as the solution to some of America’s health crises. It’s now cropping up in creative offices and corporate meeting venues in NYC and San Francisco ––but what exactly is biophilia?
Forget pool tables and bean bag chairs– peace and tranquility are the most important qualities employees look for in a workplace. According to the ADP Research Institute, employees seek balanced and stable work environments where they can feel secure and supported. As a manager, you can directly influence your company’s office culture and modify it to be a more calm and comfortable environment for your team.
The world of entrepreneurship is very attractive to many, for a number of reasons. Some people want to be their own boss, some don’t fit the corporate mold, and others just want to change the world. Whatever their reasoning, all entrepreneurs must face the same struggles of getting a business up off the ground and turning it into a profitable entity. There are many moving parts when it comes to starting a small business, and it can be difficult to predict exactly how any venture will fare. But, there are a few things that an entrepreneur can do to keep their business afloat.
The most important part of establishing a business’ longevity is high customer retention, but the first step to achieving that success is acquisition. Finding and convincing new clients to work with your business is extremely difficult; in fact, the cost for client acquisition has grown 50% in just five years. When getting clients becomes a numbers game, it make it harder for small companies to stand out, so you’ve got to go above and beyond to make a lasting impression on the public.
Do you know how much money is spent every year on unproductive meetings? According to a TED report, companies in the United States waste a collective 37 billion dollars on meetings that don’t actually address viable solutions and often just lead to more meetings. Over time, this can severely lower your company’s profitability and, in some cases, lead to bankruptcy. Think about it: if your employees make $50 an hour and you have eight of them attend a one hour meeting, that meeting costs your company $400. Now apply that principle to all of your meetings –has the time spent been worth it?
Creativity is the most precious resource any individual or company can have, because as process-driven jobs dwindle, the ability to solve problems with original ideas is becoming more lucrative. Because of our growing dependency on creativity, however, it can be extremely frustrating when employees find themselves in a rut, unable to come up with any viable ideas. When focusing on being creative can’t guarantee good innovations, what will?
Did you know that only 15 years ago, researchers predicted that the meetings industry would collapse with the introduction of more technological advancements? Clearly, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Rather than distracting and confusing us like some pessimistic futurists described, technology has allowed for meeting organizers and attendees to focus on what matters most in any meeting—communication.
Send this to a friend
How to Run a Successful Focus Group
Blog Post SoHoSoleil 0