4 tips for how to grow into a medium-sized business | Enhance content efforts with varied voices | Use wonder and rigor to foster a culture of creativity
As a growing business with increasing numbers of employees, leaders should bring in a human resources expert to create an employee handbook and streamline communications for a better work environment, suggests Hanna Lee, chief operating officer of CJ Chemicals. Leaders should also begin to standardize the array of technology used at the company to protect against cyberattacks and promote collaboration.
Content marketing typically relies heavily on quotes from males such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and fails to include women and other underrepresented voices that match audience demographics, writes marketing expert Penny Gralewski. She suggests tapping sources such as customer references, industry analysts and influencers and accomplished individuals and notes the effort can shift content from "expected and boring to being interesting and memorable."
Creativity is at every level of an organization -- from finance to marketing, says Natalie Nixon, the president of Figure 8 Thinking, who urges leaders to get curious and bring both rigor and wonder to foster an innovative culture that brings out the best in their teams. "And that curiosity leads to new strategic partnerships, those new strategic partnerships can lead to identifying new revenue streams. That's a business result, that's a business impact," Nixon says.
Being strategic about headcount management can help companies control costs, streamline operations and avoid overstaffing and layoffs, writes Tushar Makhija, the founder and CEO of TeamOhana. "It provides headlights that allow the company to look forward rather than make difficult decisions in the face of economic challenges," Makhija notes.
Choose a payment processing platform that has advanced encryption security measures and give your team the tools to spot fraudulent transactions, says Nick Chandi, CEO and co-founder of Forwardly. Money managers should also look into two-factor authentication for their systems to keep payment logs secure.
Erica Santiago offers 230 ChatGPT prompts that help brands maximize the tool for a variety of business functions, including marketing, content creation and social media, analytics and e-commerce. Understanding the desired output, assigning specific tasks and providing details and feedback will enhance results, but output always requires double- or triple-checking for accuracy, writes Santiago.
When you check in for the night at the Deep Sleep hotel in Snowdonia, Wales, you're given boots, a hard hat, a headlamp and a guide to take you 1,400 feet below the surface -- a trip that will take about four hours and includes dark caverns, a zip line and some tight spaces. When you arrive, you'll find a climate-controlled cabin equipped with Wi-Fi, a bathroom and meals served from a pouch. Oh, and each night will set you back about $500.
Since earning a master's degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, I have spent the better part of two decades covering breaking business news and business features across the Southeast.
As content editor for SmartBrief, I have the opportunity to edit a number of business briefs, as well as several food and beverage briefs. If there is small-business news you would like to see covered in this brief, please let me know. I would love to hear from you and welcome your suggestions and comments.
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