A company culture describes the beliefs and values a business upholds. It generally includes the company’s long-term goals and visions, its mission statement, as well as various details about its work environment and company policies.
Establishing a positive company culture in your workplace can have several significant benefits, including:
Define your company’s valuesTake a moment to define your company’s core values and goals. Why did you launch your business? What is the single most important value to your business? In what way do you hope to improve the lives of your clients? What niche do you hope to fill in your industry? Turn your list into a simple, yet actionable, statement to help build the first component of a positive company culture. As you work through this step, it’s a good idea to look for ways you can improve your business practices and processes to better align them with your values and goals. Ask your employees Your employees can provide a unique perspective into your company. Send your employees a short survey to get feedback on various aspects of your business, including specific company policies, work processes and more. Here are some questions you can include in your survey:
Check out the competition Having trouble defining your company’s values and purpose into an actionable phrase? Check out the mission statements, branding and values of your competitors and peers, or of any business in your industry and beyond, for inspiration. Take note of what you like and don’t like in other companies, and use these notes to build your own company culture. Create a mission statement Now that you have defined your company’s values and goals, surveyed your employees and researched the competition, you’re ready to create a mission statement for your business. A mission statement is a concise message describing your company’s goals and products in a way the average person can understand. Your mission statement will incorporate your company values and goals, and serve as a foundation to your company culture. Put your company culture into writing You now have all the components you need to create a positive company culture for your business. Take the time to blend all the various parts of your culture, including the values, goals and mission statements of your business, as well as the work environment and employee behavior you hope to build. Implement and tweak as necessaryAfter you’ve created your company culture, you can work on sharing it with your employees and implementing it in your workplace. Build an action plan to help successfully implement your company culture. This will likely be a multi-step process taking several weeks, or even months. Be sure to incorporate your mission statement, vision, goals and values as you work through this process. When you’ve implemented your company culture successfully, every aspect of your company should reflect your defined company culture. Finally, be sure to review and tweak as necessary on a regular basis. A positive company culture can do wonders for increasing the level of productivity and employee retention at your company so you can better grow your business. Follow the tips outlined here to learn how to build a positive company culture.
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Now that you’ve started paying down debt, you and your partner have tackled big money issues, and you’ve mastered the art of spending mindfully, you’re now ready to think beyond your own needs by learning how to pay it forward.
Money management can sometimes feel inherently selfish. You’re earning, budgeting, saving and investing, all so you and those you love can enjoy a worry-free life on your own standards. But there is so much more you can do with the money you’ve been blessed with – as well as with your time, talents and possessions. Let’s explore five different ways you can make the world into a better place by paying it forward. 1. Donate funds to your favorite cause The classic way to pay it forward can also be the simplest. Find a charity or two that speaks to your heart and make a donation that fits your budget. Ideally, it is substantial enough to make a difference, but any amount you are able to responsibly commit adds value and is appreciated. Be sure to verify the authenticity of the organization on a charity-vetting site like, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator or CharityWatch. Don’t forget to save your receipt so you can claim a charitable-giving deduction on your taxes. 2. Commit to do one random act of kindness each day Kindness doesn’t have to be big or loud to make a difference. It doesn’t even have to be costly. Small things that mean a lot can really make someone’s day. You can offer to make a coffee for your coworker, feed a parking meter that’s about to run out for a stranger’s car, remove a branch or rock from the middle of a busy thoroughfare or walking trail, or let someone go ahead of you at a checkout counter. There’s so much you can do when you look to give. 3. Write thank you letters When was the last time you thanked your child’s teacher for doing such a fantastic job on providing your child with an education? When was the last time you thanked your parents for giving you life, a happy childhood and their ongoing love and support? When was the last time you thanked your mailperson? Pick up a nice set of thank you cards and spend 20 minutes writing thank you cards to the people in your life; those who do so much for you, but aren’t always thanked for everything they do. Your letters will likely be cherished by the recipients for many months to come. 4. Donate your time Unfortunately, there are numerous people in this world who are suffering from sickness, poverty, loneliness, mental health challenges or other hardships. With just a small donation of your time, you can help alleviate some of their suffering. You can volunteer at a soup kitchen, help bring cheer to hospitals, offer to babysit for a couple who is going through hard times so they can have a night out to themselves or make a habit out of visiting a lonely person. You can brighten someone’s day with your presence alone! 5. Share what you haveAside from money and time, there are so many ways you can use what you have to bring cheer into someone else’s life. You can donate old clothing to Goodwill or gift a friend or neighbor with a full set of your child’s outgrown clothing if it’s still in great condition. Offer to lend out your books to your bookworm friends. Run a low-cost, or even no-cost, yard sale for all the toys, furniture and other items in your home that you don’t use any longer. Share your unused sports equipment with children who are less privileged than yours. There are so many ways to pay it forward and make the world into a better place. And when you give to others, you’re really giving to yourself by learning how to be a better, kinder person. Ahh…summer! The season of flip-flops and sunscreen, of lemonade and baseball games. What’s not to love about summer?
Unfortunately, though, summer is also the season of overspending for many. When the sun is blazing across a cloudless sky and the day stretches on with endless possibilities, purse strings are looser and cards are swiped with abandon. But nothing kills summer fun like a busted budget and a mountain of debt. So, how can you stay financially fit this summer? Keeping your finances intact throughout the summer is well within reach if you’re ready to plan ahead and make responsible choices. Here are four hacks for a summer of financial fitness. Prepare for a possible change in income If you’re a freelancer, business owner or you get paid per diem, you can expect to see a drop in income during the summer months. Business is notoriously slower across a wide range of industries during the summer, so it’s best to be prepared for this reality. To avoid dipping into savings or going into debt, you can trim your discretionary spending and use the extra funds to cover non-discretionary expenses. You can also choose to find a side hustle for the summer to cover the gap in your income. Get your budget ready for summer Your budget will see some changes in the summertime, and it’s a good idea to prepare in advance instead of being caught unaware. Here are some changes you can anticipate:
Create a vacation budget Aside from adjusting your monthly spending plan, you’ll want to build a workable budget for your summer getaway to avoid overspending. Money choices are nearly always better made in advance, so plan for every conceivable expense during your vacation. Attach a dollar amount for your hotel stay, car rental, food costs, transportation expenses, entertainment and outings, gifts, and any other cost you might have. Leave a bit of wiggle room for miscalculations, but try to keep your budget as close to the actual cost as possible. While on vacation, be careful not to go over budget and be open to a last-minute change of plans if some expenses end up being substantially higher than expected. Review and adjust as necessary Like going off a diet, blowing a budget is never an excuse to go all out and overspend without sparing a thought to the consequences. To avoid falling into this trap, resolve to review your budget and your overall spending on a regular basis throughout the summer. You can choose to do this weekly, or bi-weekly, but be sure to take a careful account of every dollar in and every dollar out. Being aware of the state of your finances in real-time instead of waking up after the damage has been done will make it easier to make responsible choices going forward. The temptation to overspend is especially strong during the summer. Follow these tips to keep your finances intact throughout the summer. Your Turn: How do you plan to stay financially fit this summer? Share your tips with us in the comments. |
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