Business builders Archives - Trade Press Services

How to Boost Employee Engagement with Marketing Communications

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Gerri Knilans

Employee engagement is one of the most crucial drivers of organizational success. For the first time in a decade, employee engagement saw a decline in 2020. It hasn’t stopped dropping since, according to a survey by Gallup. The survey measured employee engagement by asking about specific workplace elements as they link to organizational outcomes. These elements included profitability, productivity, customer service, retention, safety and overall wellbeing.

6 Growth Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

The United States has 12.3 million women-owned businesses that generate $1.8 trillion a year and employ nearly nine million people. These numbers continue to grow. In fact, there are 114 percent more female entrepreneurs in America today than there were 20 years ago. Despite those staggering numbers, there is still no simple framework or guidebook for women interested in navigating the business world.

Supercharge Your Workforce with the Power of Employee Appreciation

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

When we think of Labor Day, the anticipation of a three-day weekend filled with rest, relaxation and fun is often first and foremost in our minds. But the initial intent of the holiday, scheduled for the first Monday of September, was different. Labor Day was originally a celebration to recognize the social and economic achievements of American

6 Keys to Understanding Gen Z and Its Implication in the Workplace

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

For many years, Baby Boomers were the dominant generation in the workplace. Millennials and Gen X followed, but now the water cooler talk is about Generation Z (Gen Z). Born after 1996, most members of Gen Z are not yet old enough to vote. At the same time, their sheer numbers still leave roughly 24 million Gen Zers of age—the oldest of whom are in their mid-20s and entering the workforce.

Increase Your Business Agility With 3 Essential Components

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

Since the COVID-19 pandemic first took hold in early 2020, the need for greater business agility has been on the rise. In fact, 92 percent of C-level executives believe organizational agility is critical to business success. Yet only 27 percent consider themselves highly agile. The discrepancy creates a mandate to abandon business as usual and transform business operations for the new normal.

Make Your LinkedIn Profile Work for You with These 8 Tips

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

Launched in 2003, LinkedIn is the oldest of the major social networks that is still widely used today. The site has evolved from its origins as an online job and career board. LinkedIn is now a business-oriented social networking platform with 722 million members strong. Usage of the platform continues to grow.

5 Keys to Building Profitable Customer Relationships

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

An excellent service or product is a huge accomplishment. Yet, this isn’t enough to make sure your business will grow and thrive. There are many moving parts to any business, but the fuel that keeps it all moving is your customers. A company culture that values customers, cares about their experience and focuses on building

How to Understand Your Target Markets Through a Stakeholder Analysis

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

The foundation of successful marketing requires a complete understanding of the audiences and industry sectors companies serve. By developing deep insight and knowledge, marketers address pain points, propose solutions and communicate effectively with prospects and customers. Accomplishing this goal, however, can be a daunting task. Where do you begin? One place to start is with a stakeholder analysis.

The Role of Personality Assessments in Building Strong Teams

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

Everyone works differently. Some individuals like to work on multiple projects simultaneously, while others prefer to focus on one goal at a time. Some work best alone, while others excel in a more collaborative environment.

Need an Infusion of Cash? Consider Grants

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

In the ongoing COVID-19 environment, many companies have recognized the need to pivot. Whether that means creating new products or services or changing the business model, very few companies are doing business the same way now as they did a year ago. Budgets were cut. Revenue and profits have shrunk.

How Does Your Decision-Making Style Impact Your Business?

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

Decision-making exists at every level of a corporation. The effects of one decision can cause a chain reaction throughout the organization. This includes, but is not limited to, purchase decisions, strategic planning, talent acquisition or daily activities. According to Dr. Kenneth Brousseau, CEO of Decision Dynamics, there are four common decision styles.

Don’t Let COVID-19 Stop Your Business Growth

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

Most business development professionals are growing weary of hearing “things are on hold” or “our budgets have been frozen.” Those positions don’t bode well for meeting sales and revenue goals. COVID-19 took all of us by surprise and companies are still struggling to understand how to recover. One thing is clear: we cannot simply wait it out.

How (and Why) to Shape Company Culture

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

If someone asked you to define your company’s culture in a few words, how would you answer? Employees’ answers to this question reveal a lot about how a company operates and how they feel about working there. Despite sounding like a corporate buzzword, a company’s culture can make or break the productivity, collaboration, loyalty and overall contentment of your team members.

Why Should You Conduct a Competitive Analysis?

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

Regardless of the industry you’re in, it’s essential to have your finger on the pulse of the market. At a minimum, an annual review of the competition (competitive analysis) is one of the most important methods you can use to gain direct insights into your customers’ and prospects’ world.

Now Is the Time to Reassess Your Corporate Vision and Mission

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

Most states are beginning to emerge from the COVID-19 shutdown. For many, it’s a relief to reopen, yet there are challenges that still lie ahead as companies and individuals learn to navigate this new normal. Whenever a major change occurs, whether it’s on a small scale or a global one like COVID-19, it’s the perfect opportunity to assess the relevancy and sustainability of a company’s vision and mission.

The Importance of Practicing Business Ethics

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

In business, we tend to obsess over the bottom line. As a result, we focus on strategies and tactics to improve skills, generate more revenue, expand marketing outreach, and boost performance and productivity. While those actions are vital to business success, what’s lacking is a discussion about how optimizing our values and the resulting ethical business practices contributes to success as well. The reality is these verbal and non-verbal cultural principles are important to employees, customers and other stakeholders.

Reflections on a Decade: 10 Ways Business Has Changed

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Gerri Knilans

The end of the year is a good time to look back on the last 12 months and contemplate strategies and priorities for the year ahead. But as we come to a close of this decade, it’s even more powerful to reflect on the last 10 years and evaluate the amazing ways in which business has changed. Let’s look at some of those shifts and see what implications there are for business growth as we enter the third decade of the 21st century.

4 Industries to Watch: A Glance at 2020

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Gerri Knilans

It’s hard to believe that 2019 is rapidly coming to a close. While many of us are still busy in our quest to achieve our growth goals, it’s not too soon to look ahead and plan for next year. A good place to start is to research the industries that are projected to experience significant growth next year and see if any of them are a fit for your products and services. You might be surprised at what you discover.

Expand Business Transparency With Reputation Marketing

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Gerri Knilans

Reputation management used to be a word-of-mouth strategy, but today’s digital marketplace takes reputation marketing to a whole new level. Users talk about your company and brand via numerous digital avenues, and balancing all of them can be a full-time job. A good reputation can seal the deal, while a single bad review can turn off potential leads.

How to Develop Corporate Mission Statements

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Gerri Knilans

If you search the word “mission” in Trade Press Service’s website search tool, you’ll find that the word appears in nearly every blog we’ve posted. That isn’t a coincidence. A company’s mission is one of the essential foundations of business success. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur in the business start-up phase or you’re polishing or rethinking your mission after years in business, we’ve compiled a short guide to help evaluate the strength of your mission statements.

Are Chatbots the Next Business Priority?

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Gerri Knilans

Savvy marketers know how to read the pulse of the market. They stay on top of digital trends, behavioral shifts, new regulations, social norms and technology. One development making waves in the sales and marketing world for the past few years is the chatbot. Similar to website popups, the topic of chatbots comes with some debate about their effectiveness in supporting sales, marketing and the customer experience.

The Difference Between a Practice and a Business

Posted on July 8, 2019 by Gerri Knilans

In the book The Thought Leaders Practice, author Matt Church defines and notes the distinction between a business and practice. According to Church, recognizing this difference is essential, especially when it comes to financial considerations, marketing outreach, operations and even your future retirement.