Building High Performance Organisations
In today’s highly competitive business environment, smart preparation and disaster prevention strategies are essential to achieving success. For the astute business owner, making the organisation equipped against unexpected, unfortunate incidents should be given more attention compared to establishing a speedy response and recovery system. This future-oriented perspective is proven to be a helpful approach to crafting the company’s occupational health and safety policy: successful companies understand the direct link between effective risk management and increasing business bottom line.
In order to build a sound risk management framework, companies need to invest in the right training systems to ensure employees are equipped with the relevant skills, tools and knowledge. There are various internationally recognised occupational health and safety certifications today that business decision-makers can choose for their managers, supervisors and staff.
Reduced costs
The total cost of a work-related accident or illness involves a wide range of components. For the affected employee, the costs are measured with the pain, suffering and mental anguish they have felt, the lost wages during their recovery period, and the medical expenses they have accumulated. For the employer, accidents can cost the company insurance premiums, compensation claims (if served by the affected worker) and extra expenses in terms of overtime work or training hours to compensate for the injured worker’s absence. In fact, the UK government estimates £13.4 billion get lost each year due to workplace health and safety incidents in the workplace.
Improved output
A healthier workplace promotes worker productivity and better performance. Studies have shown how employees equipped with basic health and safety knowledge can be more efficient and will show more accountability compared to their peers without proper safety training; experts say that being exposed to international-standard best practices is the first step towards career development.
Business credibility
Companies with key managers and supervisors holding a NEBOSH or IOSH certificate earn the respect and acknowledgement of other companies, industry leaders and general consumers in the locality and the global business stage. For most professionals, proper risk management training is almost synonymous with being a responsible, reliable organisation. For leaders of winning teams, guarding the safety and health of people in the workplace is the first step towards stellar performance.
The Yorkshire and Humber region is a hotspot for companies which have the potential to grow as the economy recovers, research by the BBC suggests.
The report, published earlier this year, shows that our region has the second highest proportion of “business champions” – small firms with rapid growth potential – of any region in England.
“Creating the right condition for these ambitious [firms] to flourish, with the right support and investment, could prove key to rebalancing the economy,” the report states.
“These firms have been identified across England but relatively higher proportions are located in some of the least resilient areas of the north of England, suggesting a serious mood for growth there.”
On this page you will find areas of business that the report focused on and suggested could indeed drive our economy forwards.
Business to Business Services
When we talk about Business to Business Services we are refering to the experts who help other businesses achieve what they do not have the resources to do themselves. The key to business success is knowing when to outsource and delegate, which is esspecially important when it comes to areas of marketing, branding, accounting and law. Outsourcing is not limited to these areas though, it can also include a wide variety of tasks comprising of accounting, receivables collection, administration, HR administration, recruiting, training, security and computer-related services.
This industry is one of the major industries in Yorkshire that has seen major growth in the last decade due to recent technological developments. And as organisations have become more comfortable with the benefits of outsourcing transactional processes, they have progressively started to outsource higher value-added services and more comprehensive processes for example, they move from outsourcing just one, discrete function to outsourcing an entire end-to-end process (from accounts payable to complete finance and accounting operations, from payroll to entire HR operations).
As companies move to more comprehensive outsourcing relationships, they are able to benefit from greater economies of scale, broader transformation of their processes and an accelerated speed to value.
Conferencing
Everything in life benefits from an injection of glamour now and again, and finding the right venue for your conference is no exception. You need space, style, comfort and all the technology to run your presentations and best show off your products and services.
In an ideal world you want your organisation to benefit from the latest cutting edge audio-visual technology in the most comfortable environment, with the benefit of experienced staff who deal with hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide on a daily basis.
Not only does hiring a conferencing suite show that your business is a large and successful organisation, but it shows you to be one that really cares about the people. So whether you need a convenient space for a critical meeting, a business-like environment for training or team building, or a prestigious location for a high-calibre conference, make sure you take your time in choosing a place to impress.
High-Tech Conferencing
Technology redefines communication particularly in business. One such technology is conferencing services. It is a valuable resource for distance communication.
Conferencing technology had helped a lot in the business industry. Through it much time and money is saved for there is no longer a need to travel. It improves productivity, allows collaboration on business proposals in real times plus it enables employees or even family members to constantly and conveniently exchange information. There are three widely used conferencing services.
Perhaps the earliest for of conferencing technology is audio conferencing services. It is the most basic and easy to use conferencing service. It simply works this way: two or more speakerphones and multiple dial up numbers are used. Then you can choose if you will do it on your own and run the long distance charges by yourself or you can sign up for audio conferencing services. These services also come in many package types. There are also several options you can choose from once you sign with the provider of the audio conferencing services.
Another option for conferencing services is web conferencing. It provides a wider spectrum of communication that many businesses are taking advantage of. This can be done by having participant sit at their own computer while logging into a service that connect to other applicable participants. Through web conferencing, participants can listen, watch, as well as communicate with presenters. There are a lot of options that web conferencing services can offer such as slideshow presentations, live or streaming video, VoIP (Real time audio communication through the computer via use of headphones and speakers), web tours, meeting recording, text chat, whiteboard with annotation, screen sharing/desktop sharing/application sharing, polls and surveys.
Third type of widely used conferencing services is Video Conferencing. It is an interactive means of communications between two or more places. This can be achieved in a variety of ways but typically it consists of live video and audio feed in both directions. It also allows participants to display slideshows and interactive whiteboards just like in web conferencing. The advanced and constantly upgrading technology turns the used to be grainy video and poor sound into a clean, clear, crisp video and high quality sound during a video conference.
Property Management
Property management can prove to be a difficult task to accomplish without professional help. As a result, property management companies have become common in Yorkshire. When choosing a property management company, the property manager has the sole intention of having all aspects of the property well taken care of. The property owner stands to reap benefits from the services offered by the companies as compared to trying to handle the property by him or herself.
An increase in the income of the property is one of the benefits of hiring of the right property management company. The company will be responsible for marketing the property and bringing in potential clients. Those properties which have no proper marketing strategy in place find that they incur losses by having unoccupied units on the property. A good company will have the necessary knowledge of the local markets and therefore will know the best pricing strategy to use to attract potential clients.
Better time management is also a benefit when working with a property management company. You, the owner, could spend a lot of time trying to deal with the different aspects of management such as marketing and the general maintenance of the property. With the help of a good Property Management company, all these issues are taken care of, allowing you to spend your time on more important issues.
A good company can also lower expenses, which is something most owners are eager to see. This is because the property management professional has all the necessary knowledge of the market and will even know who to go to for services, such as those associated with maintenance, who will charge fair prices. A good company will also take care of issues that could easily turn into lawsuits as they are conversant with the laws of the land.
Besides gaining all these benefits, the property owner can be assured that the property will achieve the best returns, especially when there is trust between the property owner and property management company. They will work hard to strike up good relationships with the property owner as well as with the tenants as they want to continue handling the property in question. Therefore their staff will not leave anything to chance as they will work diligently to meet the needs of you, the property owner.
Staff Training
Your personnel are an integral part of your company. So aside from hiring qualified individuals, you need to make it your responsibility to provide your staff with constant skills update and training. Find below the exact reasons and benefits of providing staff training.
For starters, any industry undergoes constant changes. This means that whatever works well now may not be a good idea anymore later. So your staff really needs to be trained with the necessary new skills and techniques, for the company to keep up with all the changes happening in the market. Aside from this, know that staff training can improve your business because your people will be able to identify their weaknesses and then work to overcome it. If the training is successful, you will now have employees that are better equipped to deal with all the challenges in their work. Plus, they would surely be thankful to you for helping them out. This could result to your people becoming more dedicated and loyal to your company!
Another benefit of providing staff training would be seen later on in your company’s operations. For sure, processes would become more effective and more streamlined. In fact, if the training is really successful – initiative within your employees would rise and they can even help your company come up with better operating procedures!
As you can see, the time and money you would spend on providing your staff with the needed coaching will be all worth it – especially in an area as dynamic as Yorkshire.
Logistics
In business, logistics refers to the network of systems that controls how resources flow through a business and from one firm to another over the course of a supply chain or production process. The field of business logistics is its own course of study and expertise for managers who understand the benefits of controlling logistics. Logistics professionals concern themselves with the goal of continuous improvement, which can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line.
Controlling Costs
One of the most visible and valuable benefits of continuous improvement in business logistics is the ability for a firm to control its costs. Many costs tend to rise over time, such as labor, raw materials and energy. Rising costs cut into profits unless businesses can raise prices without hurting consumer demand. By continuously improving logistics, a business can take control of its costs. For example, pursuing energy-saving manufacturing methods helps a business
guard against the rising price of energy.
Utilising Production Capacity
Logistics supply a business with the materials and other resources it needs to produce goods for sale. Improvements in logistics allow a firm to utilize the fullest extent of its production capacity. Any shortages or slowdowns of raw materials or labor could mean idle factories and production that can’t satisfy demand or meet sales targets. Managing logistics can ensure there is a steady stream of resources available, regardless of market conditions. This will be the case when a business identifies and invests in new suppliers of essential goods or pursues a vertical integration strategy to take more control of the upstream supply chain.
Improved Quality
Quality is a major element of business logistics. Having access to the right materials at the right time is of little use to a business if the materials are of poor quality and unusable. Continuous improvement in logistics strives to supply firms with rising percentages of quality resources. This is especially important for specialty goods, where there is a low tolerance for error and customer returns or rejected products are costly.
Facing Competition
Every business faces competition in some form from another company. While there are numerous ways in which businesses can compete, logistics ranks high among them. Improving logistics to a point and then taking a passive approach to the system allows competitors to gain advantages in terms of cost savings, improved quality and production capacity. Even incremental improvements in logistics can translate into significant savings over time and lay the foundation for further improvements in the future.
The Importance of Marketing for these Businesses
The heart of your business success lies in its marketing. Most aspects of your business depend on successful marketing. The overall marketing umbrella covers advertising, public relations, promotions and sales. But what is it and what does it include? Well, Marketing is the process by which a product or service is introduced and promoted to potential customers. Without marketing, your business may offer the best products or services in your industry, but none of your potential customers would know about it. Without marketing, sales may crash and companies may have to close.
Getting Word Out
For a business to succeed, the product or service it provides must be known to potential buyers. Unless your business is known in the community and have communication with your customers readily available, you have to use marketing strategies to create product or service awareness. Without marketing, your potential customers may never be aware of your business offerings and your business may not be given the opportunity to progress and succeed. Using marketing to promote your product, service and company provides your business with a chance of being discovered by prospective customers. Using mediums, such as newspapers (our publication included) is hugely important if you are looking to drive those living in the local area to your business.
Higher Sales
Once your product, service or company gets on the radar screen of your prospects, it increases your chances that consumers will make a purchase. As awareness becomes a reality, it is also the point where new customers start to spread the word, telling friends and family about this amazing new product they discovered. Your sales will steadily increase as the word spreads. Without employing marketing strategies, these sales may not have ever happened; without sales, a company cannot succeed.
Company Reputation
The success of a company often rests on a solid reputation. Marketing builds brand name recognition or product recall with a company. When a company reaches the high expectations of the public, its reputation stands on firmer ground. As your reputation grows, the business expands and sales increase. The reputation of your company is built through active participation in community programs, effective communication–externally and externally–and quality products or services, which are created or supported by marketing efforts.
Healthy Competition
Marketing also fosters an environment in the marketplace for healthy completion. Marketing efforts get the word out on pricing of products and services, which not only reaches the intended consumers, but also reaches other companies competing for the consumers’ business. As opposed to companies that have a monopoly on products and services that can charge almost any price, marketing helps keep pricing competitive for a business to try to win over consumers before its competition does. Without competition, well known companies would continue to sell while lesser known companies or new companies would stand little chance of ever becoming successful. Marketing facilitates the healthy competition that allows small businesses and new businesses to be successful enter and grow in the marketplace.
Considerations
Although marketing is hugely important for a business to succeed, it can also be very expensive. In its first year, a company might spend as much as half of its sales on marketing programs. After the first year, a marketing budget can reach as much as 30 percent–sometimes more–of the annual sales. A marketing program that gives your company the best chance is a healthy mix of different forms of marketing, such as website development, public relations, print and broadcast advertising, design and printing for all print materials, trade shows and other special events.
