Monthly Archives: October 2021

10 Cheap and Easy Ways to Boost Morale in Your Office

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One of the most important aspects of successful leadership is understanding how to motivate your employees or subordinates, and keep them happy. The way you manage can have a significant impact on employee morale throughout your office or business. If you are aware of employee motivation and tools to increase workplace satisfaction, you can apply them to your leadership strategy and become a more effective manager.

If you are looking for ways to increase employee motivation, keep reading for some great tips to help you out! Happy employees will work harder and be more productive than unhappy employees. In addition, you’ll have more of a chance at building a successful business if your workers are loyal to you and your company.

When you’re looking to understand how to motivate employees, you’ll want to have a good understanding of what motivates people in general. Of course, different things inspire everyone, so finding the right way to motivate your specific team members will be the key. Here are 10 affordable and simple ways to boost morale in your office environment.

1. Recognition for Hard Work

Be sure to give employees recognition for a job well done. It doesn’t have to be something big, either; everyone likes a simple pat on the back or an ‘atta boy’ from their boss every now and then.

Of course, the most well-known (and most highly appreciated) form of employee recognition is a raise in their annual salary (or their hourly wage, if they’re not working a salaried position). However, recognition does not have to take the form of money. For example:

1) Write a letter or a thank-you card, showing your gratitude for their hard work
2) Arrange regular performance reviews, at which you mention everything you’ve noticed and show your appreciation
3) Call a weekly meeting at which you mention every employee and something they’ve recently done that you’re impressed with

It’s really important to let your employees know that you notice and are grateful for even the small ways that they contribute.

2. Rewards and Incentives

Employees are more likely to work harder when they feel appreciated and rewarded for all the work they put in. There’s no better to boost morale than giving your employees or subordinates a physical gift as a thank-you for a job well done.

You don’t have to spend a ton of money or break the bank – what matters more than the monetary value of the gift is the thought you put into it, i.e. how personal it is to your employee. Tailor your rewards according to each individual and give them something they really want. For example, if you have an employee who will soon be starting university, you could provide them with a small Amazon gift card to go towards new textbooks.
You also can reward your employees by providing incentives for those who complete projects ahead of schedule, or do something great. For example, you can offer to take the employee and a guest out for drinks at a local establishment.

Why not make it a competition? If there’s a deadline that everyone has been struggling to work towards, or a new project that you need to get done ASAP, set a work target and offer a prize to whichever employee gets the job done first (without sacrificing quality in their work).

3. Employee of the Month

An employee of the month program is a great way to boost morale and motivate your team members. It shows them that they are being recognised and appreciated for all their hard work and effort. You can even get employees involved in picking who will be the employee of the month, which will help them feel more engaged in your business.

Of course, it’s really important that you aren’t biased towards certain team members here. Each employee should have the chance to make employee of the month at least once – as it’s crucial that everyone on the team feels recognised for the work they put in.
You could schedule a little ceremony at the end of each month to announce this month’s winner. Be sure to specifically mention what you love about each employee and contributions of theirs that you’ve noticed.

4. Remember Important Dates

If you make a real effort to remember your employees’ important dates, they’ll feel appreciated, and will feel as though you see them as an individual rather than just a cog in a machine. This is an effective and easy way to boost morale.

Important dates may include:
1) Birthdays
2) Wedding anniversaries
3) The anniversary of when each employee joined your company
4) Religious holidays such as Christmas, Eid, and Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

The easiest and most popular way to recognise your employees’ important dates is by giving them cards, such as birthday cards and Christmas cards. You could also celebrate with a special work lunch, or by hanging banners and decorations around the office.

5. Team-building Exercises

Some employers think that office games are a waste of time, but they can be highly beneficial. Team building activities will help employees to bond together and work better alongside each other.

Some good team-building exercises include:

1) Brainstorming sessions to help your employees develop new ideas for projects or ways to improve their work
2) Team challenges that will test the skills of each member within a certain topic. This can be helpful because it will show which employees are strongest in which areas, and showcase any areas for improvement
3) Team building days where everyone comes in dressed up and performs a skit or sings a song for the other employees. Not only will you get some laughs, but you’ll also be able to see your employees in a more light-hearted environment

You’ll find that people will have more fun at their jobs when team-building exercises are being done frequently – leading to higher office morale, happier employees and a higher quality of work produced. There’ll also be fewer office conflicts, and when such situations do come up, your staff will find it easier to resolve them.

6. Pep Talks

Pep talks are a simple tool that can motivate your employees. Be sure to give them positive feedback on their work and let them know how much you appreciate the effort they put in each day. It doesn’t even have to be a long talk; just a few brief words of encouragement can go a long way.

Employees naturally look to their higher-ups for guidance and motivation, so you need to make sure that they see you leading by example and working hard every day. Giving a daily, weekly or bi-weekly pep talk is a great way to accomplish this.

7. Buy Lunch

A simple act as buying lunch for your employees can make a big difference in their lives. Even if you don’t buy them lunch every day, you should try to do so at least once a month. It will boost morale in the office, and create an opportunity to sit down and chat with all of your employees one-on-one. You’ll be able to get to know them better as individuals, and have a great opportunity to offer praise.

8. Office Parties and Outings

An office party or day out (fully paid for, of course) is a great way to help the team bond with one another, and help boost morale at work. Try scheduling one for the completion of a particularly long or difficult project, for example, to help all of your employees feel appreciated and recognised.

Turn the office into the party venue, hire a hall, or simply take everyone to the local pub of an evening – there are no rules other than to have a good time! Why not invest in some personalised party invitations to help build excitement and anticipation in the office?

9. Employee Benefits

Although the government mandates things like statutory sick pay, holidays and maternity/paternity leave, your employees will be happier with their position and more motivated to work hard if you offer additional benefits.

For example, why not offer each of your employees their birthday off each year on top of their statutory 28 days’ holiday? Just one extra day per employee won’t cost your company all that much, but it will be enormously appreciated.

You could also set up a private health care scheme with your employees. As well as being better for them, it means they’ll be seen quickly by a doctor or dentist in their time of need, rather than having to wait potentially weeks for a NHS appointment. This translates into your staff getting back to work sooner, which will save you time and money overall.

10. Give Gifts

While you certainly don’t want to resort to bribing employees for performance, a nice gift every once in a while does wonders for employee morale. A lovely annual gift or a small token of appreciation can be the cherry on top when an employee has had a stressful month or year at work. And gifts don’t need to be expensive to be appreciated!

For example, why not gift each of your employees a personalised mug? Coffee and tea mugs can be customised with your company’s name and logo, your employee’s name, and a personalised message like “greatest employee ever” or “thank you for your hard work”.
Customised keyrings and letter openers are further examples of small, affordable, and thoughtful employee gifts. They’ll be used regularly and will serve as a constant reminder of your appreciation for your employees.

Other Ways to Keep Employees Happy

There are many other ways that you can keep your employees happy at work. Some of them include:

1) Giving credit where it is due – whether an employee has done something good on their own or has helped another fellow employee out with something, you must give them credit for their work. Employees enjoy being appreciated and credited for an excellent job.

2) Providing praise – it might seem like common sense, but don’t forget to praise your employees when they do something great! Your employees will be more inclined to do great things if they’re praised.

3) Letting them know what is expected of them – employees are more likely to be motivated when they understand what is expected. For example, if you tell them they need to complete a certain number of tasks, then let them know how well they are doing by providing weekly reports. This will help your employees to feel more accomplished and show them what they are doing right.

Employees want to feel like they matter and that those above them appreciate everything they do. By putting these cheap and easy ideas into action at your office, you’ll be sure to see a boost in the morale of your employees. As a result, they’ll put out even more effort and work harder than ever before!

9 Effective Flyer Design Tips that You Need to Know

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Flyers are one of the most effective marketing tools for small-medium businesses and large corporations alike. Some may say it’s annoying to get a flyer through your front door, or be handed one on the street – but do they ever work!

Create an effective flyer and you’ll spread awareness about your company, which is vital for drawing in new customers. You may even attract new business then and there by advertising some of your bestselling products or a new sale or promotion. At the very least, even if your flyer is thrown away, they’ll have glanced at your logo – and repeated exposure is crucial for brand recognition.

Designing effective flyers is a process that entails strategy and careful planning. Here are the top 9 pointers that you need to know to ensure you have an eye-catching, persuasive flyer that will grab the attention of potential customers.

Make It Look Professional

It should be your aim to create a flyer with a professional look. If your flyer looks unprofessional, your company won’t be taken seriously.
A professional-looking flyer uses the right colour and font combinations, a neat and well laid-out design, professional-looking images and strategic placement of your logo. Professional flyers also must be printed onto high-quality glossy paper, with the right kind of printer.
We’d always recommend using an expert business stationer like 123Print, rather than trying to print your flyers at home and risk them appearing unprofessional.

 Make It Compelling

Your flyer needs to have a “call to action”, which will provoke your audience and make them respond to your offer or message.
So, if you want readers to buy products, invite them to visit the nearest branch of your business for further details on how they can place an order. A company looking for clients should mention the type of services they offer, any contact information like a telephone number or email address, and where clients can write to get in touch with them.

If you are having a sale on your products or services, highlight that in your flyer by showing how much you have slashed prices. Make sure there is still room for more discounts.
Other persuasive techniques you can use in your flyer include the word “only”, testimonials from satisfied clients, and interesting statistics. Don’t hesitate to be creative and write something imaginatively worded – or even use a poem if that will catch people’s attention.

 Avoid Clutter and Waffle

Try not to clutter up your flyer with too much text, as it will make it hard for people to read. Avoid using a low-contrast font or a loopy or handwriting-style typeface that might look cool but is hard to decipher.
Also, don’t be tempted to cram your flyer with a lot of information – this runs the risk of causing readers to lose interest in it. Instead, get straight to the point and keep your message simple, short and relevant.
Be sure that what you write is easy enough to understand even by someone who does not know much about your business. For instance, if you are selling cars, avoid using a lot of jargon and technical terms. Make it clear and easy for Joe Public to understand what you’re offering.

Divide the Copy into Sections

When you’re designing a flyer, it is advisable to divide the content into short, concise sections. This will help readers quickly go through your flyer and get to the point of what you are trying to say.

That means doing away with long paragraphs that take too long to read, and skipping most photographs because they tend to slow down the response time of people reading your flyer.

Use an Attention-Grabbing Headline

In writing a headline, you should always be direct and to the point. Your headline or tagline should make it clear what you’re selling or the service you’re offering, and intrigue readers into wanting to know more about your business.

Feel free to use some humour or irony in your headline to make it stand out, if it’s appropriate for your business. Avoid making it too dull or lengthy because readers might skip your flyer if it is not interesting enough.

Add Customer Testimonials

Testimonials are vital in flyers because they give people an idea of what they can expect from your business. Potential clients will get a feel of how good you are at what you do by reading through past customers’ experiences. They also serve as social proof, empowering them with confidence that you deliver on the promises you make and that they will get what they expect from you.

If your business has been around for some time, there should be testimonials that you can use in your flyers. If not, ask clients for a short blurb of how happy they are with the job you did for them or if they received good service. You can also put up a survey or a contest where you give out prizes in exchange for testimonials. If your business is relatively new, do not hesitate to ask regular clients for their comments on how great your service was. You can also create an online survey and invite people to fill out the survey.

Use Relevant Images

The images you include in your flyer should be relevant to the theme of your flyer. For example, if you want to sell a new product or service, show what it looks like so people will instantly know what they can expect when they buy it. Likewise, if you have testimonials from happy clients, include photographs of them so people will relate to your product or service.

A picture can be worth a thousand words, so don’t forget to fill up your flyer with images to capture the readers’ attention and make it more interesting. Try not to use stock images such as clipart – but show people photographs of your actual premises, staff, or products. And of course, the photographs should be of a high enough quality to not appear grainy.

Keep the Typography Simple

What typeface you use will have a huge impression on your readers. Avoid using too many different fonts as this can make the flyer look too busy or messy. Stick with one or two fonts and colours that will effectively convey your message.

Do not underestimate the power of the right font, as this will make or break the way people read your flyer. As a general rule, serif fonts work best for established, serious companies, whereas sans serif typefaces come across as more modern and fresh. Stick with something clear yet professional like Arial, Times New Roman, or Tahoma if you’re unsure.
And of course, always ensure that your text isn’t too small for people to be able to read clearly. If your clientele are mostly older, this is particularly vital. It’s better to have large, easy-to-read text with less information than too much information crammed in a smaller font.

Proofread Your Work before Printing

After you have finished designing your flyer:

1) Proofread it carefully before printing to ensure there are no spelling errors, typos, grammatical errors or punctuation problems.
2) Have some colleagues, peers or friends read through the text and suggest any corrections they may see fit.
3) Be open to their suggestions to know how things are read and what will work for your flyer.

Always remember that a good flyer is not just about the design or look of one, but it should be engaging and compelling too. It requires careful planning, but the results you get in return are worthwhile!

Where Can I Order Professional Flyers?

Flyers are still a great marketing tool if done correctly. The tips in this article will help you create a flyer that will not only appeal to your audience but also get them to invest in your products or services.

At 123Print, we can help you design the perfect flyer for your business that gets results. You can choose between DL, A5 or A4 sizes for your flyer template, and create a custom design for both the front and the reverse. Choose from a range of fonts and colours, and upload your own artwork and logo for the finishing touches.

With the ability to order anywhere between 50 and 20,000 flyers, our innovative printing services will boost your marketing campaign and greatly increase your brand awareness. We always aim to print and ship orders within 48 working hours, so you can get distributing straight away!