How many times have you stepped into an old “mom and pop” shops where the technology is outdated and they don’t even take credit cards? How many times have you worked for someone that is still doing inventory without a point of sale system? These are obvious examples of managers or business owners stuck in their own ways, but many managers are stuck in their old ways on many different accounts. Here are a few ideas on how to get out of your typical routine.

First Idea, checkout local seminars on what small businesses are doing to survive in your vicinity. Better yet go to a conference out of your area to see what other regions are doing to keep their competitive edge. Many corporations do the same for their employees to help them develop. This same concept should be considered for your business. (more…)

Recently, I was able to attend an orientation for new hires and noticed something all to familiar, the trainers had a hard time training the new hires. The crucial factor that aided to this problem was the ambiguity of the training. This is not the only company that has a problem in this field, in fact I have been employed by numerous corporations that also had the same problem. Since this seems to be a common problem every time I have been trained I put together a list of some things for employers to think about.

First, try to provide a brief summary of all the topics we will be discussing on the first two pages of the 500 page booklet you just passed me. Yes, the table of contents provides you with a lot of the place you need to find, but sometimes the employee just needs a little refreshment on a topic not 10 pages of hunting for a definition. This leads into my second point.

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