Business

Having motivated employees should be at the top of your priority list if you want your business to succeed. If your employees don’t feel that they are part of the team, if they feel that you don’t value them or their opinion, if they feel that they can be replaced at the drop of a hat, you have a big problem. Your employees needs to work together as a team in order to be productive. They need to know what the other employees are doing in order to do their job in a timely manner. Everyone needs to feel valued so they will want to work and do a good job for the business. So how do you go about motivating your employees? Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking. • A simple pat on the back can go a long way. If someone in your organization does a great job, thank them for their efforts. They are working hard for you. Make sure they know you appreciate it. • Don’t draw lines between the employees. It is not you and us. It is we. One is not any better than the other. Management and “worker bees” need to know that they are on the same team, working for the same goal. • Training is very important for everyone. Make sure you hold meetings or seminars when new products and services are introduced. Send your employees to workshops to better their skills. Not only will it help you because your employees are equipped to do their job properly, but it will help strengthen the self-esteem of your employees. • Host a summer picnic or holiday party to bring everyone on the team together. All business and no play is not fun. Letting your employees get to know one another in a social setting just brings everyone closer as a team. • Listen to what your employees have to say. Showing your value their opinion will only want them to do better at their job. You never know who will come up with the next best product or service. • Be flexible when it comes to personal situations. The work-life balance is getting harder and harder. Try to give your employees the time they need to take care of personal situations. They will appreciate knowing you care. It takes time and money to acquire and train new employees. Do what you can to motivate your staff so they want to stay with you as long as possible. You and your business will grow in the...

Kelly Collier, the most recent Coffee With… guest, was a young, healthy, athletic student at Carnegie Mellon University. But she suffered from severe lower back pain. As a senior engineering design project she and her classmates were tasked with designing something – anything. As others in her group had also suffered from back pain, the idea of designing a posture training shirt to help rehabilitate back pain was discussed. Getting an A on the project helped her secure a spot in the 2012 AlphaLab accelerator program. After graduating from the program and collaborating with biomedical engineers and a practicing physician, ActivAided Orthotics was born. ActivAided Orthotics is dedicated to supporting active lifestyles and keeping people of all ages strong, healthy and pain free. Their products are based on a unique treatment philosophy that remedies pain by encouraging self-correcting habits. Their posture training shirt teaches people how to use their body and posture in a proper way so they can pursue their passions without limits. Kelly talks with Christopher Evans on Coffee With… about her business journey. Local Pittsburgh resources were a big part of her beginning. Even though ActivAided Orthotics is now a national company with other user friendly innovated products in development, she still counts on her Pittsburgh resources for her business growth. Coffee With… is an informal interview with prominent business, community and government leaders covering a wide array of issues from business planning to entrepreneurship, and business challenges that affect the economic landscape of the region. Watch the latest installment to see more about Kelly Collier and ActivAided...

6. Connect with People Connecting with people is a critical marketing strategy done with minimal expense. Connect with coaches, mentors, and experienced entrepreneurs in your industry. 7. Find Your Natural Talent Examine yourself and look for a natural talent that you may possess— then develop it. It may be speaking, networking, or a hobby right under your nose. 8. Become an Expert Learn all you can about your chosen craft. Know the ins and outs and be able to answer questions or inquiries about what you do and how you do it. 9. Provide Distinctive Service Provide excellent service to your clients; service they can’t receive anywhere else. Set yourself apart from the competition. 10. Define Your Vision Know your vision and define it. Be able to visualize who you are and what you want. Keep these 5 additional Business keys to staying on track in mind...

State’s ‘U Can B’ program expands through Cyber Charter School The “U Can B” program is available for the first time to middle and high school students statewide through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, according to a recent announcement from the school. The program puts middle and high school students in direct contact with Pittsburgh business, community and government leaders. It is operated by Building Bridges for Business, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that launched in 2010. “The ‘U Can B’ program was previously available to school districts in and around Pittsburgh, but this is the first time they’ve offered it through an online school and the first time for it to be available statewide,” Pennsylvania Cyber’s Gifted and Talented Program Director Mike Hissam said. The organization uses methods including one-on-one conversations with experts; its “Coffee With” film series on CBS/KDKA; in-person lectures and “Power Trip” meetings with visits to Google offices; the Energy Innovation Center; and trips to CBS/KDKA studios and Pittsburgh City Hall. Participating Pennsylvania Cyber students have been chosen to participate through the school’s regional offices, from the gifted-talented and related STAR programs, the DECA business club, the School of Engineering and the National Honor Society chapter. The “U Can B” program meets every Thursday from 3-4 p.m. over a 15-week period that began Jan. 15. Sessions also are streamed to Pennsylvania Cyber students participating at home. Hissam added that participation in the program will remain open through the semester to all Pennsylvania Cyber students in grades nine through 12 and to all seventh- and eighth-grade students taking high school...

5  Keys to Staying on Track for Success The road to success can be rocky, filled with bumps, potholes, and dead ends. Knowing yourself and the terrain will increase the chances of your achieving your goals. Let’s review 10 keys that will help you stay focused and on track for success. 1. Passion Having a passion for your work is the most important element in finding success. You have to love it and desire to cultivate it. 2. Confidence Your actions and the way you speak about yourself and your company is the greatest selling point to your target audience. 3. Self-Discipline Disciplining yourself will help you accomplish more than you ever dreamed, not to mention be the catalyst for great happiness in life. 4. Be Open to Failure You have to increase the chance of failure and vulnerability to criticism if you want to mature your business. 5. Persistence Never allow failure to dictate your next step in the journey toward success. Rather, seek out what you can learn from it and follow that direction thoughtfully....

One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face as their businesses grow is learning to delegate tasks. By delegating what you don’t excel at, and focusing on what you do best, you in turn give your company the best opportunity to grow. But once you’ve made the decision to hire some help, do you go with an employee or a contractor? Both in-house staff and outsourcing present their own unique benefits and challenges for your company. Read on to discover which one is right for you. Employees offer the benefits of having a vested interest in your company and its growth. By sticking around longer, they learn the ins and outs of your business and your industry. They form relationships with other employees that help them to better communicate and collaborate on projects. Also, many contractors work remotely, but sometimes you need someone to be physically present to get the job done. Employees can also present some challenges. You’ll need to take into account benefits, workman’s compensation, Social Security, and healthcare coverage. Your company will need to provide office space, equipment, and other resources, such as training and software licensing. You also may not be able to afford the salary for someone who is as experienced as you might prefer. Outsourcing is great for giving a boost of expertise, knowledge, and ideas to your company that you might not otherwise have access to. Contractors can offer you fresh insights, especially for research and development projects. They can also provide experience that you might not be able to afford full time, or in specialized areas that your company needs to function, such as accounting, HR, IT, or training. Typically contractors can work with minimal supervision or input from you, and can hit the ground running as soon as you bring them on board. Outsourcing doesn’t require the same resources, such as space and benefits, that bringing on an employee does either, and ending the relationship, if necessary, is easier than firing an employee that has been integrated into your company. However, outsourcing does present its own share of challenges. While contractors may know their field, they can’t know your company as well as someone from the inside does. They may have their own ways of doing things that don’t work well with your established procedures. A contractor’s success depends on having many clients, so they won’t be as invested in the long-term success of your company as an employee is. Finally, if your company has an exit strategy that focuses on being acquired by a larger organization, employees can make an acquisition more attractive than a company built around contractors. Who to hire is an important decision for your company’s growth. Consider the benefits and challenges of employees and contractors carefully. You’ll likely find that your company needs a combination of both over its life cycle in order to succeed. Still need help figuring out which one is right for you? Contact Building Bridges for Business...