Happiness is Essential in Work

A simple way of explaining happiness is, well, the state of being happy but many of us have different definitions of what we feel happiness truly means. For some this could mean overall well-being and others this could mean feelings of high joy. Often, we hear people say they “know” the key to happiness. Although there is no concrete key to happiness, there are plenty of ways happiness benefits your company and numerous ways to incorporate more happiness into your business.

The many benefits of happiness in your business

Just like happiness makes our home life better, happiness has amazing value in your business as well. For starters, happier people are seen as better leaders overall. People seem to perceive those as more trustworthy, nicer, and generally more supportive. Also, having an office full of happy people makes conflict resolution better for everyone and decreases stress overall. Finally, employees are often more committed, go above and beyond, and are more productive. According to a study done by the University of Oxford, workers are 13% more productive when happy. Additionally, the research says that they do not work more, they just get more done. Although 13% may not feel like a lot, any bigger percentage means more for your business.

As a business owner, having happy employees is shown to cost less for you as they are less likely to make mistakes, more efficient, and are more healthy which in turn reduces any health costs for you. Having happy employees also causes better customer loyalty because of the commitment to their job. Furthermore, this usually equates to more word of mouth reviews which is one of the most significant ways to increase traffic to your business. Being happy is clearly profitable for everyone involved but now you may be wondering how do I implement more happiness into my worklife?

How to improve workplace happiness for yourself and others

Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas at Greater Good Science Center calls their system for increasing happiness “PERK.” They like to think of it as perking up your happiness. PERK stands for Purpose, Engagement, Resilience, and Kindness. Using this system is exceptionally useful in trying to boost happiness for your workplace.

Starting off with P for Purpose; Purpose connects what you do and what you care about. In a study by Dan Ariely, he writes that cash bonuses only go so far and that individuals desire appreciation and meaningful progress in their lives. Every business should have a mission statement and goals they aspire to reach and are meaningful to them as the owners. Ways to show purpose through your business could be incorporating things that connect with your core values as a company. For example, if you’re a recycling company, you could use eco-friendly papers and shipping products or if you’re a business who really cares about community, you could have an onsite daycare to help new parents out. Next, we go to E for Engagement. Having activities at work where the team can work together and focus on what they’re good (or bad) at will increase engagement as well as allow your team to take a clearer look at what they envision for their career. Additionally, granting employees a more flexible schedule gives them a better flow at work and may reduce everyday meetings and offer increased downtime/time to rest. (As we all know, resting and breaks are vital to less stress and improved mental health!) Finally, adding in some playfulness and fun can make a difference in your business as it gives employees the creative space and makes the job all in all more enjoyable.

After E is R for Resilience. Resilience looks like the ability to manage challenges, not prevent them. One way to practice resilience is mindfulness and staying true to yourself. You spend less energy in the day if you are genuinely you instead of pretending to be someone else. Mindfulness just means finding some peace in yourself and in day to day life. As we briefly said earlier, taking a break is extremely valuable and this can contribute to more resilience as you may feel stronger after some rest. Finally, we have K for Kindness. Kindness helps manage conflict and create further respect, trust, and empathy. As a part of being kind, this means having the ability to apologize. Apologies show that you truly care and are committed to the team. Furthermore, it helps teams recover better from setbacks. For more on the value of kindness in business, we have a different monthly blog about this that you can check out under this one on our page!

Happiness has a place in business

Happiness clearly plays a major role in our lives as well as our business. By remembering to PERK up your business’s happiness, you will have an enhanced and more comfortable workplace for everyone!

Small Businesses & Insurance

There are a million types of insurance out there. From medical to auto to renter’s, it seems like we are always shopping for insurance. Just like any other important insurance, business insurance is crucial to take care of your business.

Why insurance is important & Tips to pick the right insurance

Business insurance is extremely important because it protects the business from having to pay out-of-pocket for expensive damages via property damage or legal claims. Most insurance is not required for a business. Although, if you are of a certain size, you may have to pay different kinds of insurance. For example, employers with fifty or more employees are required to provide health insurance to their employees. Despite the fact that most states don’t require insurance, if you own or rent a workspace, there is a good chance you’ll need a business owner’s policy (BOP). BOP usually combines general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. Typically, these policies are flexible and you may add more types of insurance atop of this to get the coverage you desire. BOP is not the only type of insurance out there though, there are many different types of insurance out there for businesses. Finding the right insurance may take a lot of research but it will be well worth it!

When picking insurance out for the first time, it can seem really overwhelming. Remember to really take your time and now what your policies will cover. Although BOP may be a good general blanket for insurance, it has many of its own exceptions and additions you may have to make to cover your business perfectly for you. Furthermore, there may just be other types of coverages that work better for you. Consider a few different things when picking out insurance. For starters, different business industries require specific coverages- make sure you’re finding something that matches the type of work you do. Next, think about where your physical property is located and how much property and other equipment you have. Finally, assess your intellectual property and amount/type of employees and customers. After you’ve determined what you need, make sure you know the risks of the coverage you’ve decided on. Compare quotes to see what will give you the most for your money and the best protection. Last but definitely not least, find a good agent and review your policy regularly!

Working with Insurance Agents – Country Financial with Gabrielle Zenner

Finding a good insurance agent is vital as they are also responsible for helping to protect your business. Country Financial is a boutique, regional insurance carrier that writes coverage that serves homeowners, farmers/ranchers, and small business owners. Their vision is to enrich the lives in the communities they serve. Gabrielle Zenner at Country Financial loves putting together thoughtful recommendations for clients to meet their scope of needs which is essential in having a good insurance agent. She says that her business can sometimes be challenging during inflationary periods in the market because budgets could be made to cost a certain amount but end up being a higher total. Although they experience rates like everyone, their business has made changes to make the loss ratios reduced and continue to give clients the best coverage they can. The number one advice for clients is, “If you want a total loss claim to go smoothly, make a video walkthrough of your home belongings showing manufacturer’s labels every year. You never know exactly what you have when there is a fire, but a video record makes it easy for an adjuster to cut the personal property check.” says Gabrielle Zenner. Another important thing she mentions for clients is to update their insurance policies- especially after renovations. If you don’t update your value on your insurance, you would be getting the old version of something rather than your new, renovated one. Don’t leave your policy the same as the first time you bought it years ago! These are all extremely valuable tips and a good reason to have an insurance agent like this!

Overall Insurance Importance

Even though there are many different types of insurance and most aren’t required by law, it is still very important to insure your business. Having the right agent also plays a vital role in helping you find the right insurance and creating security in your business.

Social Media Presence

Social Media is a huge part of our daily lives. Whether it’s where we get our news, catch up with family or friends, or follow people with similar hobbies to ours. You may already have a business account that isn’t used very often or you are all about social media. Either way, social media is essential in our modern day.

Why is Social Media important?

Social Media can be extremely impactful in marketing as a business. For starters, this allows your business to build brand awareness. According to LinkedIn, “When an admin posts on their Page, 30% of the engagement comes from their employees, who are 14X more likely to share that content vs. other content types.” So even if you’re just starting out, you’ll most likely have the support of your workspace! Also, this allows the content to spread even further since your employees are sharing it within their spaces as well. Next, social media allows you to generate and nurture leads. Customers/clients are given the space to communicate through your posts about questions they may have or start conversations about interesting topics you posted about. This may inquire them to learn more about you & your business and thus further your potential business together. After this, listen to feedback! Read through what people are saying about your business and consider what you can do to improve these things but it’s important to remember that you can’t please everyone! (In general, business reviews are extremely important- for some extra information on this, check out our other monthly blog titled:” Kindness & Its Value In Your Business”) Finally, social media shows off brand authenticity. It allows people to see you as a real person- especially if you’re interacting with customers and showing you’re personable behind the screen.

How to Improve Your Socials

Now that we understand why social media is so vital to business, you may be wondering how to improve yours. Well, there are many different ways to make a mark and let your socials stand out! The very first thing to figure out is who is your target audience? Are they more likely to use a certain platform? Depending on the type of content you’re trying to upload, a certain platform may be more suitable for you but don’t be afraid to be on multiple platforms! Next, remember how we just talked about being personable behind the screen? This means showing who is behind the business. Taking pictures of your life or the group activities you do with your employees. Let people know there’s a real side to you and you’re not just a robot posting every week. Third, get visual with your posts! According to HootSuite, LinkedIn posts with images get two times higher engagement than posts without. Having a common theme makes your account appear more appealing as well. Fourth, accessibility goes a long way. This means making each social media platform & website accessible to one another. This could also include captions or subtitles for videos for those who are hard of hearing or individuals who struggle with English not being their native language. Finally, don’t be afraid to piggyback on what’s trending! Use hashtags that pertain to what’s getting the most attention in the moment or maybe even just jump into the conversation. This doesn’t mean you have to copy what everyone else is saying or doing but by using what’s trending, you’re riding a wave to get ahead.

Social media for business nowadays has tools that are extremely helpful in measuring marketing efforts. Platforms like Meta Business Suite allow you access to both your Instagram and Facebook account (since they are owned by the same parent company) and see your engagement, amount of followers, page visits, and more! Additionally, there are other platforms that allow you to link multiple different social media sites to be able to post & track engagement as well. These websites can also be helpful because they can automate posts for you, allowing you to have a schedule; that way you can keep active and have consistent content.

Social Media Impactfulness

Social media has a major influence on businesses but it doesn’t have to be difficult to change yours. With all the different types of social media and its resources, there are plenty of ways to update yours with no cost to your business! All in all, it’s a long game of natural growth. Paying for views/subs/etc. doesn’t really reach your target audience and doesn’t connect you with the real people who want to be connected with your brand in the long-term.