Michael Levitt's Blog, page 66

How To Choose A Professional Reliable Nanny For Children Under Five

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Selecting a nanny for your children can be challenging. For children under five years old, you must choose a trustworthy, reliable nanny so that you can go about your daily business with the knowledge they will be well cared for. It can sometimes be stressful for both parents and children to be apart, so choosing a nanny that is not only qualified but also nurturing and loving is crucial.  

You should start by considering the attributes you are looking for in a nanny. Consider things such as education, nutrition and their ability to entertain your children. Here are some of the ways you can choose a nanny for your children under five.  

Write A Clear Job Description 

Write a comprehensive job description detailing the different duties required. Let applicants know the required hours and qualifications. Prioritize the qualities that are most important to you.  

Choose Someone Who Loves Children 

Someone with a love of children and wants what is best for them will provide the best care. Use the interview and employment record to get an idea of how much a person enjoys working with children. Put a potential nanny’s personality and experience ahead of their qualifications.  

Look For A Proven Track Record 

Choose a nanny that has at least a year’s prior experience. Avoid nannies who have multiple, shorter jobs on their resume. Ask friends and family for recommendations. 

Ask For References 

Request references and talk to their previous employers. Ask about their previous work, reliability, the ages of their children and their reasons for moving on. Do a criminal history check before making a hire.  

Consider Their Qualifications 

Decide what, if any, qualifications you require. Some people focus more on experience than qualifications. Consider any special care your children may need and seek individuals with the skills to work with them. Ensure they have any qualifications required by state law.  

Broaden Your Children’s Horizons 

Hiring a nanny from overseas can help broaden your children’s worldview. Consider a nanny whose first language isn’t English and ask them to teach your kids about their first language. Ensure that your potential nanny can get a caretaker visa USA. Utilize expert immigration lawyers like Farmer Law PC to help an overseas nanny obtain a work visa.  

Hold In-Depth Interviews 

Discuss in detail your requirements for the role, including any additional housework duties. Ask questions about their first aid knowledge, experience with babies and very young children and any areas of particular concern to you.  

Arrange A Trial Run 

Request a short trial run of around two hours while you are in the home. Observe how the nanny interacts with your children. Ask your children, in age-appropriate language, their thoughts on the nanny afterwards, taking these into account.  

Provide An Excellent Salary 

If you want to hire the best nanny, you must provide an excellent salary and benefits. Consider the average wage for nannies, the hours you expect from them and the different duties when deciding on a fair wage.  

Encourage Honesty From Your Children 

After selecting a nanny, let your children know you will listen if they have concerns or issues with the nanny. As very young children, you should listen to their opinions but remember that they may not always be truthful.

Managing a Remote Team: What You Need to Do

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The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way that most of us work. As the virus has spread around the world, the majority of governments have encouraged their citizens to stay home wherever possible, minimizing contact with others. For those who can work from home, this has meant a shift to remote work. The thing is, even though vaccines are being rolled out and many elements of life are getting back to normal, many small business owners have found that remote work better suits them and their employees. From the employees’ perspective, working from home reduces commute time and costs and allows for a better work-life balance. From an employer’s perspective, having a remote workforce means saving money on office spaces and related overheads. So, it’s not all too surprising that many small business owners want to stick with this remote working basis. Of course, you need to make sure that you can still manage your team well while doing this. Here are some steps you can take to achieve this.

Continue Team Building

When staff work from home, it can be easy for them to lose touch with their colleagues and the wider company. It’s important that you ensure your staff maintain these communications and bonds, as it leads to increased collaboration and higher levels of productivity. But how can you encourage team building within a remote workforce? Start by holding daily or weekly meetings between the team, where everyone can catch up and check in on each other. You may also want to hold a day once a month or so where the team meets up in person, working from a hired venue or meeting for social activities, like visiting a steakhouse for a meal.

Focus on Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a significant weakness for many companies with remote employees. Why? Because staff may not be aware of the threats that face them when working from their own internet connection off-site. It’s important that you train your staff in cybersecurity to minimize risk and maximize data security within your business. There are a number of steps you can take to achieve this, but some common ones tend to include using a VPN (or “virtual private network”), encouraging staff to work from devices that you provide and offering training in cybersecurity.

Set KPIs

You don’t want to micromanage your staff while they work from home, but you also want to make sure that they are performing as expected. So, set KPIs. KPI stands for “key performance indicator” and will serve as a goal that your team members need to reach in order to show that they are working productively and efficiently. This will offer guidance, as well as giving you a means of checking in on staff performance.

These are just a few suggestions that should help to get the ball rolling on managing a remote workforce. Hopefully, some will come in useful and you will experience success in your venture!

Essential Parking Lot Maintenance Tips for Your Business

Maintaining a beautiful business sometimes requires you to focus on the uglier parts inside and around the building. No one enjoys looking at a parking lot, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect the area.

Smooth, clean lots outside businesses provide patrons with the best experience—especially if they’re spending only a short time inside before heading out again. Before summer ends, take care of your parking lot with these essential parking lot maintenance tips for your business.

Ensure the Lot Has Ample Lighting

When a parking lot is dark due to a lack of streetlights or lighting on the front of your business, it becomes unsafe for everyone. Even if your business isn’t open during typical dark hours, make sure that your lights are fully functional. Without adequate lighting, drivers may not see pedestrians or hazards common in a parking lot, such as shopping carts. The darkness may also make it difficult to see the paint lines that separate each parking spot, especially if the paint has lost its sheen.

You may also want to install surveillance cameras if your business is in a high-traffic area. The cameras may help record any crimes when they happen or bring a new perspective to a fender bender.

Improve the Clarity of the Lining and Reserved Parking Signage

Parking lot confusion can lead to unnecessary accidents. Take the time to check the clarity of your parking lot paint and decide whether you need to reline the lot this year. If lines are difficult to see in a vehicle, you know that it’s time for a repaint.

Pay special attention to your reserved parking spaces—drivers must know when there’s a handicap parking space, or they could accidentally take it from someone who needs it. Go over the parking lot paint by clearly marking the reserved parking space and the space next to it. Remember, your handicap parking spot isn’t legal without a sign, so remember to fix any broken signage and adhere to reserved parking sign laws to prevent fines.

Fill in Problematic Potholes or Repave the Lot

This is one of the most essential parking lot maintenance tips for your business—addressing potholes and cracks in the pavement. Potholes that grow large enough can cause damage to patrons’ cars or act as tripping hazards for pedestrians. Hire a team to fill in any dangerous potholes before they get out of control. If your parking lot contains many holes and cracks, you may want to consider repaving the lot for a fresh start.

Whenever you’re doing maintenance in your parking lot, put yourself in the customer’s shoes—would you want to use your parking lot as it is? How could it be better? Making thoughtful changes, however small, will keep everyone safe as they bring their business to your store.

Hacks to Prevent Burnouts: The Remote Workplace

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Burnouts are a severe problem in the workplace. Employees become so burnt out from their job that they have to take time off or even quit altogether. If such habits continue, they can lead to financial losses. 

This blog post will discuss ways you can reduce your chances of burnouts occurring in your company by optimizing the remote workplace.

Schedule Electronic Interruptions

To prevent burnout, employees must set aside time for themselves. This means they need some measure of control over their schedules and what happens during those periods of downtime. 

Scheduling electronic interruptions is an easy way to make sure people have the opportunity to regain their focus without feeling guilty about taking a break from work.

Have a Workday Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is someone who will check in with you to make sure that you're staying on top of your work. They don't need to be physically present for this, but they need a shared goal and timeframe. 

This way, both parties can discuss their progress and develop strategies if one person isn't doing as well as the other.

Schedule Time for Tasks

Perhaps, this is one of the best ways to avoid work burnout. Scheduling for all activities that should take place from morning to afternoon can help keep you motivated and focused on the tasks. For example, schedule when to have a meeting with a web designer to work on your website. Know when to interact with a logistic company, your internet provider, and more. 

Schedule Break Time Before Burnout Happens

When working remotely, it's essential to take breaks to avoid adverse side effects like feeling unmotivated and exhausted. Schedule your work around what you know will make you most productive for that day; this way, it won't feel as tricky with the proper preparation!

Schedule Time to Cook

Cooking is something that many people enjoy, but it can be hard to find the time when you work remotely. That's why it's important to schedule some of your downtimes for this! Make sure you're taking care of yourself and planning breaks throughout the day, so you don't get burnt out.

Stop Working on Weekends

While it may seem like a good idea to work on weekends, this can make burnout worse. Therefore, it's crucial for your productivity that you do not work during the weekend and instead take time off to rest. This can help you gain back lost energy and prepare you for the week ahead. 

Pair Up with People who Are in Similar Fields

The best way to reduce the risk of burning out is by working alongside someone who has similar goals as yourself. This will help keep both parties motivated! Try using social media or specialized websites dedicated to remote workers within any given field to find these colleagues.

Stay Hydrated when Working Remotely 

Staying hydrated is crucial to avoid feeling fatigued throughout the day! Try adding water bottles near your desk so you remember to drink up, or use a water app to remind you when you should drink.

Schedule Your Emails Out

In this day and age, it can be difficult not to check emails constantly. However, when working remotely, you need to make an effort not to over-commit yourself if you want your mental health intact at the end of the day (or week). 

To prevent feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities, schedule your inbox so that only emails pertaining directly to what you are doing now show up while focusing on something else.

Encourage Workers with Different Skill Sets

When you hire someone new, do your best to not just find somebody who matches all of your needs as that person may narrowly focus on one particular skill set or perspective. Instead, encourage workers with different skill sets so there are more perspectives available among the team, leading to better decisions in general.

Schedule Time to Eat Lunch

It's important not to skip eating when working remotely to avoid feeling tired and cranky. Instead, schedule the times you're going to break for lunch into your workday so that it doesn't feel overwhelming.

Take Care of Yourself First

This seems like a no-brainer, but many people forget to put themselves first. Many successful business owners have a personal assistant or other support to take care of their day-to-day needs to focus on the bigger picture.

Schedule Check-Ins with Your Team Members

Make sure it's easy for employees to get together and chat in person and online, whether through video conferencing or just emailing back and forth. Not only will this keep them connected during the workweek, but it'll also provide an opportunity for workers who might not otherwise interact regularly to connect outside of work hours which provides valuable perspective.

Work in Person During the Day on Fridays

While working remotely is a great way to manage your work schedule, many people feel disconnected from their team members. To combat this loneliness, try getting together with them for meetings and other events during your Fridays when everyone can be present at once! This will make workers feel more connected, which might help keep burnout away.

Don't Work from Home Too Often

Don't do all of your work from home daily. This can lead to isolation which is another cause of burnout. Instead, staying connected by going into the office periodically for meetings and events is vital! Plus, if you need more human interaction once per day, it'll also cut down stress levels.

Dim Lights while Working Outside of Hours 

Working remotely doesn't have to mean being awake long past your bedtime. Dimming the lights or wearing earplugs to block out sound is a great way to keep from getting too tired while working remotely.

Have a Conference Room Available for Remote Employees

If you can't have in-person meetings with your staff occasionally, try having a Skype call instead of giving up altogether! This can promote productivity and commitment to what you do. 

Remove Temptation by Limiting Access to Distractions During Work Hours

Turn off notifications and return emails unpredictably throughout the day so that they don't get mixed into your daily routine. This will minimize the chances of being distracted and staying focused on what needs doing at any moment. If you're trying to focus on something and an email comes through, it'll just be a simple "read later" or "delete."

Remember Why You're Doing What You Do Every Day

Helping people solve problems can sometimes lose its luster over time if you don't get regularly reminded of the bigger picture and how your company helps users fix their issues every day. So please take 30 minutes each week to think about these things and how they make you feel.

In conclusion, doing what you love will only last so long without a break. However, your remote company can be happier and healthier by implementing the hacks above, which means fewer burnouts!

Effective Brainstorming Tips and Ideas

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Some of the best ideas are spare of the moment, some are planned over the years, and some come from effective group collaboration. Team meetings and corporate planning are vital components of idea generation, but Brainstorming is one of the best techniques. 

Brainstorming is essentially collective creativity that aims to solve a problem through spontaneous thoughts and ideas. So wheel-in the whiteboard, break out your best chalk markers and get ready for some storming fun.

Brainstorming Tips

Brainstorming is straightforward in principle, but it requires some knowledge for practical use. The Brainstorming theory is based on spontaneity, but on-the-spot thinking and idea generation don't come naturally to most people. Therefore some initial setup is required before you begin your Brainstorming session.

Set Up the Meeting So People Can Prepare

While there are those among us gifted with lightning-fast neuronal activity that facilitates amazingly creative ideas in seconds, most of us cannot do this. Therefore, it is essential that you inform all team members that you intended to hold a Brainstorming session. Pre-knowledge of the activity will allow anyone invited to prepare for the session by getting their creative juices flowing.

Define the Intention

Additionally, everyone that is to be present needs to be aware of the end goal of the session. Therefore you need to define the problem that needs to be solved clearly. Without this, you run the risk of losing scope and including irrelevant information during the sessions. This can relate to solving a problem or getting something done by a specific fate. It would help if you also considered the feasibility of an idea before you begin. Some things are impossible.

Invite all Ideas and Include Everyone

Idea generation isn't easy, and sometimes people will say the first thing that comes into their head. However, nothing should be dismissed as one thought can lead to another. Instead, try to include all ideas as a good idea. The point of Brainstorming is to conclude a series of linked thoughts. You should also never state out loud that you think an idea is terrible and try to get everyone involved in the activity.

Effective Brainstorming Methods

The concept of Brainstorming is creative spontaneity, and the simplest method is shouting out ideas and writing them down. But there are multiple methods of Brainstorming that companies all over the world use every day. Some are suited for specific goals, and others are excellent for team collaboration and inclusion that facilitate idea generation.

Shared Brainwriting

Brainwriting is the opposite of traditional Brainstorming. Instead, you have everyone write down their Brainstorm on paper for a limited period - say a minute, and then the personal Brainstorms are passed along clockwise to the next person in the group. The aim is then for each group member to build upon the Brainstorm they received. Brainwriting is effective because it ensures that everyone's ideas are heard - a common problem with regular Brainstorming.

Role Storming

Role Storming is a fun method of Brainstorming. First, ask the team to pick a well-known public figure or someone everybody knows. You then ask your team to get into the person's mindset to approach a problem how they think that person would. The chosen person could be your boss, your CEO, or a celebrity. For example, ask your team, "What would Steve Jobs Do?". The method of approaching a problem from someone else's mind alleviates shyness, shame, and time constraints.

Net Storming

A modern take on classic Brainstorming, Net Storming uses collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams and Google Docs so that everyone can pitch their ideas using the software. You then arrange either an online collaboration meeting or an in-person session. From there, all thoughts are put forward for the team to expand. One Of the best things about Net Storming is that it can be anonymous, so team members who might be shy or awkward can contribute as much as they want to without being uncomfortable.

In Summary

Brainstorming has been around for the deceased, but it is still an excellent tool for solving problems and generating ideas. Essentially, a group of people get together and spontaneously put forth their ideas for solving a problem. However, this kind of thinking doesn't come easy to most. Therefore, you need to plan and inform everyone involved of an upcoming session and state the goal. Then, during the session, include everyone and accommodate all ideas.

Traditional Brainstorming revolves around writing down ideas from the group. But there are effective methods. For example, shared Brainwriting allows ideas to be expanded upon by the entire team, while Role Storming gets your team to approach a problem from someone else's perspective. Net Storming is more complex as it uses collaboration software. But it alleviates the problem of shyness and can be done anonymously.

Tips for Outdoor Commercial Building Design

Most new business owners put way more focus on the interior of their stores or restaurants than they do on the exterior. While that’s a good starting point since customers will see more of the inside than the outside, you also need to focus on the outside since that is the part that draws people in. Unfortunately, many past businesses have failed due to this massive oversight, so you need to make sure you don’t make the same mistake by reading our list of tips for outdoor commercial building design.

Colors and Textures

We’re sure that all of you have heard about how the colors we see subconsciously affect us in various ways. If for some reason you haven’t, you need to look it up immediately. Not only for the general knowledge aspect of it, but for the business strategy side as well. To give an example, red and yellow are both highly associated with hunger, which happens to be McDonald’s exact color scheme.

Not only does this apply to colors, but textures as well. When someone is looking for a car, they want something that looks sleek, which is why many dealerships use floor-to-ceiling glass windows and metallic paint on the exterior of their buildings. No matter your business, you can employ the same tactics for your building to garner similar results.

Pictures and Lettering

Making your establishment bright and welcoming isn’t enough. You need to let people know what you have inside to convince them to check it out. This is where plastering your company’s name and logo everywhere comes into play. Obviously, there is such a thing as too much, but you want to make sure anyone that’s passing by has a chance to see it.

Choosing the right font for your building is vital to this process, but you need to consider who will be seeing it most often in order to make the right decision. Are you on a busy road with lots of moving cars? If so, make sure you choose lettering that is large and easy to read at a quick glance. Maybe you’re located downtown. That means you’ll have a lot more foot traffic, which will allow you to keep things smaller and give people more to read while they stroll by.

Overall Theming

The most important thing to note in this list of tips for outdoor commercial building design is to keep your theme on point with your current brand. If you think a glossy blue finish is the best way to seem trustworthy and inviting to your guests, but you have not a single drop of blue inside or as a part of your logo design, then it’s going to be off-putting or confusing to potential shoppers.

You need to either find colors and fonts that match your theme, or do something a little more drastic and change your current theme to match the plans you have for your exterior. Either way you go about it, you need some level of consistency, or else your new design direction might turn off new and existing customers.

How Restaurants Can Promote Healthy Living

Creating a successful menu for your restaurant requires more than concocting delicious recipes. You also need to include diet-friendly and health-conscious options for customers. It may not be possible to tailor your menu to the needs of every individual customer, but simple adjustments and item additions can make a significant difference. Want to know how your business can be more health-conscious? Continue reading to learn how restaurants can promote healthy living in our blog below.  

Organic Ingredients

One of the best ways to create a health-conscious menu for your restaurant is to use organic ingredients. Although organic products are typically more expensive, these foods also come with a ton of immediate health benefits for customers.

For example, businesses can order bulk organic raw, unfiltered honey to include in recipes rather than standard store-bought syrup. This raw honey will add an incredible amount of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to recipes. Review our list below to see what other organic products are beneficial to include in your menu. 

Foods Restaurants Should Buy Organically

Strawberries

Spinach

Honey

Cherries

Lettuce

Healthy Portions Sizes

Another easy and practical approach to creating a more health-conscious menu is to decrease the portion sizes of your meals. While customers always appreciate getting the biggest bang for their buck, limiting your meals’ portion sizes could help promote a healthier lifestyle.

Even if customers are full, they’re more likely to continue eating if there’s still a substantial amount of food on their plate. Sticking to standard serving sizes will help your restaurant serve fair portions of food without overserving customers.

Gluten and Dairy Alternatives

While it’s impossible to customize your menu items to every customer’s specific needs, your business should add options for common dietary restrictions. For example, gluten allergies and lactose intolerance are two of the most common nutritional conditions that customers experience. 

Restaurants should automatically include gluten and dairy alternatives on their menu to ensure that customers with these dietary restrictions can order healthy meals. Since there is an abundance of alternative gluten-free and diary-free products to choose from, restaurants should have no problem adding these items to menus.

If you’re unsure how your restaurant can promote healthy living, review this guide, and consider changing the ingredients, portions, and dietary alternatives on your current menus. Businesses that consider their customers’ well-being while crafting their menus will create a more loyal customer base.

How to Ensure You Effectively Prioritize Tasks at Work

Prioritizing tasks can be challenging, especially when every single one seems urgent. You may be dealing with pressures from different angles as well and conflicting demands. If you learn to prioritize effectively, however, this can be a great asset in any role. Whether you’re a team leader or have an entry-level position, improving the way you manage your workload can help you progress in your career. It also takes a lot of the stress out of working. Here are a few ways you can ensure you effectively prioritize tasks at work. 

Start with a detailed list of your tasks

First of all, you need to compile a list of your tasks. You can arrange this in a way that works best for you. A good method is to break projects down into tasks or group tasks for different departments or areas of your work. You then need to make a note of all the relevant details that could affect how you prioritize these tasks. These could include the other people involved, any necessary resources, and estimated timeframe. You can write your task list on paper or on a digital calendar, whatever you prefer, as long as you have notes to refer to.

Measure tasks according to importance and urgency

Once you’ve compiled a list of tasks you can then use popular methods to measure them according to importance and urgency. You could create a decision matrix, for example. This will help you weigh up all the relevant factors in order to choose which task to take on. Tasks can either be urgent or important. Urgency is more related to the deadline whereas important tasks are relevant to your business’s success in some way.

Develop your organizational skills

If you enjoy prioritizing tasks and managing complex projects. You could consider developing your skills in this area. By studying a masters in project management, for example, you will learn new methods and techniques. This could open many doors for you in the future, and will teach you how to be productive in any role.

Set aside distraction-free time

If you have a list of smaller tasks to do or ones that can be done within the working day with minimal involvement from others, you could set aside a block of time for these. Use one of the latest work management tools to clear an afternoon in your calendar, for instance, as distraction-free. Don’t book any meetings or take on other tasks until you’ve completed the ones you’ve assigned to this period.

Communicate your priorities

Communication is key if you want to improve productivity. Ensure your staff or superiors are aware of the tasks you have to complete and update them on your progress. If you manage a team, get plenty of feedback on their progress as well. You can use the latest in cloud-based communication tools to do this. If you find ways to effectively prioritize tasks at work, you can then use your experience to inspire others to do the same.

How Has Covid Changed The Workplace?

Over the last year and half, Covid-19 has forced companies all over the world to accommodate their employees working from home, which has potentially forever changed the world of work. A lot of employees have enjoyed the benefits of working remotely, whereas others have also experienced some drawbacks. 

As more people get vaccinated, a return to the workplace is starting to be considered, although it seems that neither staff nor businesses want things to be exactly as they were before. A more hybrid workplace seems to be the answer. In a hybrid workplace model, employees can work in different places, such as the office, coworking spaces, public places, or from home. 

A study by American Worker showed that many workers want to continue working remotely at least some of the time, and businesses intend to be flexible about this. Productivity does not seem to have declined due to more remote work. However, there are also people who want to return to the office, and companies intend to accommodate them too.

When employees have more flexibility, companies benefit too, thanks to greater levels of productivity, engagement and loyalty. Giving employees more control, flexibility, and freedom in where and when they work is at the heart of the hybrid workplace. The pandemic has revealed that greater flexibility can benefit both employees and companies and that the traditional way of working may not be the best option after all. 

To see more of the results of the survey, check out the infographic below. 

Infographic design by Ezra Coaching Platform

What You Need To Do To Improve Your Company Culture

A company is a place of hard work, but productive work depends on the employees. That means that the name of the game is getting your workers to work efficiently. However, the best way for you to improve worker efficiency is to accommodate your staff’s needs. Workers give their best to businesses that treat them properly. The best way to encourage your employees is to form a company culture that supports them. So, try using this guide on what you need to do to improve your company culture.

Build Core Values

You should provide an environment that your employees can be proud of. Revisit your core values and ensure that your decisions follow these values. By following these few standards, your business will transform into a place your entire workforce will want to work at.

Engage With Employees

The more your staff engages with your company, the more motivation they’ll have to provide good work. Make an environment where coworkers can connect to create a company culture that encourages people’s work. Hosting events can be a great way to accomplish this, whether you’re planning a company picnic or an awards ceremony. Everyone will interact with each other and feel closer as a team through these events. Also, use these occasions to recognize hard work from employees. This can really encourage hard work.

Communicate Effectively

Another way you can grow your company’s culture is to promote effective communication. Encourage your staff to work together, as it’ll help individuals produce quality work. You should improve the communication across the different levels of management and staff as well. Have your managers listen to those under them. People work much harder when their managers value their opinions. Furthermore, you may learn of problems that need fixing with this change.

This is what you need to do to improve your company culture. By following this simple guide on improving your business, you’ll retain employees and improve efficiency.