New food spaces to open soon in Ardee

If you are a food producer and if you are based in Louth or in the North East Region, you should take note.

New facilities for food producers in Ardee

Ardee Community Development Company are proud to announce a new facility which will establish Ardee as the centre for small food producers in the North East region. This facility to be known as the North East Regional Food Centre (NERFC) will comprise of a timeshare fully fitted kitchen, food finished production units and a training suite which will provide training in all aspects of food related issues and product development.  

Timeshare kitchen

The timeshare kitchen will be available for rental on a daily, or half day basis. This facility will be of particular interest to small producers who wish to trial new products or existing producers who wish to look at new possibilities in a confidential research situation. Since the premises are approved by the EHO, and has an extensive range of food production equipment, it will be suitable for batch production for farmers markets and specialist products. 

Launch on 11 December

The official launch of the North East Regional Food Centre will take place on 11th December in Ardee Business Park. In conjunction with this it is intended to hold a trade fair for food producers and associated businesses. 

Show your wares

It is hoped to attract artisan and small food producers to show their products at this launch and have it open to the public. There will be a covered Marquee for producers and it is hoped to have the various support agencies at the event.

If you wish to participate please let us know within the next week to secure a place at the event.  

Book

Bookings can be made by contacting 041 6857680 or 0872432258 or by email at the address shown below. The event is free to all participants. 

Details as follows – 

Date/Time – Friday 11th December @12.00 noon

Venue – Ardee Business Park, Hale St. Ardee

Facilities – Marquee and tables

Cost – Free of Charge

Ph- 041-6857680 or 087-2432258

E mail –  info@ardeebusinesspark.ie

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The future of Ireland

The first ‘Future of Ireland’ nationwide study, published today by leading media agency OMD with the support of Ulster Bank, has found that Ireland’s citizens are optimistic about the future and that our values and priorities have significantly changed.  Based on conversations with over 1,000 people, the Future of Ireland report asks a series of questions exploring what people believe the future will hold, both for them personally and our country as a whole, in 2025. 

The predictions are collated in a research report which is available online at www.futureofireland.ie, with a view to sparking a national conversation about who we want to be in the future and whether our expectations of what will change are welcome or not.

Beliefs, hopes and expectations of Ireland’s citizens today and for ten years’ time

Commenting at today’s launch, Tim Griffiths, Managing Director of OMD said: “The Future of Ireland captures the beliefs, hopes and expectations of Ireland’s citizens today and for ten years’ time.  Its findings show that whilst we live in a society that is fast-changing, Ireland’s traditional optimism triumphs, with respondents feeling positive about the future and in control of their destiny.  This snapshot of how we feel and what we want for 2015 is a really valuable insight into communities across Ireland and just the starting point for a wider conversation that we look forward to everyone joining.”

Ulster Bank

Paul Stanley, interim Chief Executive of Ulster Bank, said: “Ulster Bank is delighted to have this opportunity to listen to people from across the country talk about what matters to them for the future.  Like all businesses, we want to be able to understand our customers and communities better.  Listening to the insights from this study will enable us to make a more impactful contribution to society both through our business offering and as part of our commitment to being a responsible member of Ireland’s business community. ”     

 

The main findings from the study include:

We’re a positive nation

There’s an overall feeling of optimism from participants in the study, when it comes to our happiness, wealth and relationships.  44% of us believe we will be our lives to be better in 2025 than we are today, 43% of us expect our family relationships to have improved and 48% of us expect to be in a better financial position.  When it comes to happiness, 42% of us expect to be happier, with the top three factors in achieving this identified as free universal healthcare by 52%; work-life balance by 50% and freedom of choice by 49%.

We plan on taking greater control of our own destiny

There’s recognition that if we want something then we need to go for it, rather than waiting passively for the future to happen.  Over half of us, 51% intend to learn a new skill that will earn us money and nearly a quarter expect to set up their own business while two thirds of us expect to make new friends and take up new hobbies.  Over 1 in 5 expects to sell up and opt for a simpler life and 30% expect to live abroad for a year or more.

 A female Taoiseach and Dublin on the wane? 

Over half of us, 56% believe Ireland will have its first female Taoiseach by 2025.  Whilst the influence of both national and local government is expected to largely stay the same, by 2025, when it comes to traditional institutions, 75% of us expect the influence of the Catholic Church to have declined and over 40% of us expect the influence of Irish media, specifically that of RTE and daily newspapers to decline.  Over half of us believe that younger generations will hold greater influence than they currently do while older generations are expected by 33% of us to have less influence.  Over half of us, 53% believe that foreign companies will have more influence on our daily lives and countries like Germany and China will become more important. 

Alongside this, 58% of us anticipate Dublin becoming less important both commercially and politically compared to other Irish cities.  Almost two in five of us, 37% would welcome this development, although perhaps not surprisingly Dubliners were less supportive, with only 22% viewing Dublin becoming comparatively less important as a welcome step.

Town and country will continue to diverge

Although we expect Dublin to be less important, when it comes to bridging the differences between urban and rural Ireland, a majority of us, 60% don’t anticipate this happening.  This might have something to do with the fact that over half of us believe Ireland’s main streets will struggle to recover in the next ten years from the combined impact of the recession and increasing online shopping – over 62% of us hold this view.  And, we aren’t positive about the future levels of coverage of high speed internet access, with only 31% of us thinking this likely to happen even though 83% of us would welcome it.

 The United States of Europe?

Today, 69% of us still think of ourselves as being Irish first and European second and 59% of us are proud of our nation’s achievements.  But there is a belief that the things that make Ireland different from other countries are fast disappearing and 40% of us expect that by 2025 Ireland will just be a region of a European super state.  Even among the younger generation, where life as a European has always been reality, 41% of under than 25s feel that a sense of Irish distinctiveness is being lost.

 One of the drivers of the changing sense of Irishness is the impact of immigration and emigration.  Over half of us, 51% expect immigrants to have greater influence in the future and some 38% of people expect that there will be more Irish citizens speaking Polish by 2025 than speaking the Irish language.  We also expect those who emigrated from Ireland to stay overseas, with only 21% believing emigrants will be back home by 2025.

Marriage in decline but family bonds stronger than ever

One of the most significant trends emerging is the redefining of the traditional family model.  60% of us believe that marriage will be less important but that doesn’t mean we won’t continue to value our family and relationships.  Over half of us (51%) now include friends in our definition of family, along with relatives, rising to 71% of under 25s. 

Rather than butting heads with older generations, there’s agreement to disagree.  Whilst 53% of us say we have different values to our parents when they were the same age, intergenerational relationships are strong, with 63% of people having a strong sense of openness between parents, children and grandparents.  Positively, 43% agree that today, different generations get along better. 

 Actively managing our health

71% of us expect our health to be either the same or better than it currently is in ten years’ time as it is now, with the unsurprising exception to this being the older generations, with 51% of over 60s, expecting their health to worsen.  A majority of all ages, 70% plan on taking greater responsibility for managing their health in the future rather than relying on public health services and over half, 54% would be prepared to wear technology devices to monitor their health if it led to reduced insurance premiums. 

 As Ireland’s population ages, a majority of people, 78% think it is important to discuss the care of ageing parents with them and whilst 45% would be happy to see elderly people cared for by adult children at home, only 21% think this is likely to happen in 2025.

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Innovation As The New Normal

Ulster Bank is basing their innovation team in Dogpatchlab. The coolest tech start up space in Dublin. Here is why.

Dogpatchlab

Dogpatch Labs houses some of the IDA’s most promising clients, including many well know tech companies that are scaling operations in Europe for the first time, and Enterprise Ireland backed early stage Irish start-ups. All companies in Dogpatch Labs have potential for high-growth and are looking to create, test, market and deliver scalable world-class technology products and services

CHQ

It is located in the heart of the Dublin Docklands in the historic CHQ Building, it currently spans an area of 13,500 sq ft of space on the ground floor. Very soon that space is nearly doubling with the support of Ulster Bank.

Robin Marshall, CIO Ulster Bank

One of the people behind this is Robin Marshall, the CIO of Ulster Bank. His job is to manage what he call the two speed IT. The enterprise part of the IT and the agile, innovative part. Both are important, but in his view, particular the agile IT is essential for Ulster Bank to stay relevant.

Statement of intent

“The partnership with Dogpatch is one of the main statements of intent to increase the agile IT capability and bring business customers into the process of innovation. Because customers are at the heart of this initiative. it will be a combination of making space available, bringing in the capabilities and access to events. The aim is to improve customer experience, which means it does not all need to be bing bang, it can be incremental improvement too. Above all we try to keep it simple”.

Innovation as the new normal

“Innovation has to become the new normal for Ulster Bank, which means that everyone, staff, clients and stakeholders need to get involved. It is not a static process or a project, it is constant movement and it is culture”.

“I think innovation has to become the new normal for most business and I am sure we can learn from each other. I am looking forward to it”

Engage!

If you want to engage with Ulster Bank, contact ron@smallbusinesscan.com. He will point you in the right direction. Or feel free to drop into Dogpatchlab. We will be there.

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5 Must-Have Features of a Small Business Phone System

Running a business – big or small – is incredibly tough, but it can be rewarding. Even more tough is getting all of your equipment in place, like a computer network, phone system or one of the many other tools you’ll need to operate.

One thing you absolutely need when it comes to making sales and generating leads is a reliable phone system. If you don’t have a way to contact potential customers or clients, or a way for them to reach you, then you won’t have much business. While email and online contact certainly work great, sometimes you just need to speak to a person directly to get things ironed out.

A modern phone system in today’s hyper-connected world involves using VOIP, or Voice Over IP, communication devices and software to talk to people via the Internet. This includes programs like Skype or Google Chat on the consumer side of things and services like Vonage, 8×8 or Jive for business.

Before making a commitment and setting up a VOIP phone system – or any system for that matter – it makes sense to understand a little bit about it first. In particular, you’ll need to know system requirements and limitations to ensure you get the most of your new service.

Know Your Equipment

Before choosing a system and having it installed or activated, do your research. This may seem pretty straightforward, but a lot of people skip over this step.

Compare prices and reliability when choosing a VOIP service provider. Ensure your Internet connection and bandwidth can handle your incoming and outgoing call loads. Know how many people will be working at a given time and how much equipment or hardware you’ll need to accommodate them.

Depending on how often you’re calling clients, you might want to skip that unlimited plan VOIP companies are offering, especially if you’re a small business with fewer needs. You never want to overpay for service.

Identify Bandwidth Limitations

Since VOIP services require an active Internet connection to work properly, you’ll need to be sure that you not only have a reliable connection in place, but also one that provides the proper bandwidth. You’ll need to figure out the amount of voice traffic that your system will be handling.

You can calculate the amount of bandwidth you’ll need yourself by taking a look at your current PBX (private branch exchange) system if you have one in place.

The reason you need to know this is because every time someone picks up a VOIP phone, it ties up a certain amount of bandwidth on your network. You’ll want to be sure there’s enough for everyone to be working at the same time. If not, you could experience call drops, shoddy connections and poor sound quality.

Establish an After-Hours System

No one works 24/7; you need some down time and so do your employees. Make absolutely sure you have an after-hours system in place that can take calls when no one is available. This could include contact information for sending an email, a voicemail system or even forwarding calls to a personal number.

If you do set up a voicemail account, be sure to offer explicit instructions for how callers can get in touch later. If that means informing them to leave their contact information and promising to call back, then do so.

A great feature to enable for a system like this is voicemail-to-email transcription, which most VOIP and business PBX systems provide. The system will automatically transcribe new voicemails that customers leave and send them to you via email or text message. No more fumbling with the voicemail system or trying to write down contact information. It’s all sent directly to you.

Activate a Call-Waiting Service

During business hours, you do not want to send potential clients or existing customers to voicemail. This could give them the wrong idea about your business.

Set up a call-waiting service so your customer is automatically connected to the first available representative. This also allows you and your staff to put contacts on hold for a period of time if you’re super busy.

Use a Hosted PBX System

A Private Branch Exchange, or PBX, system is like an operator for business phone lines. It connects and manages various extensions throughout a company. This is how automated systems direct your call to the appropriate department when you phone in.

There are two types of PBX systems available: hosted and on-site. A hosted PBX system is primarily handled by the VOIP provider and all of the equipment is in a remote location. An on-site PBX is located somewhere on the business property and requires an active team to manage it.

It’s always better to go with a hosted PBX system as opposed to an on-site one because it’s cheaper and less time-consuming. Not to mention, if you set up an on-site system, you’ll need to hire an IT team to manage it.

Don’t Throw Out Old Hardware

If you’re simply making the switch to VOIP or have old hardware lying around, then don’t toss it. There are analog-to-digital converters that allow traditional LAN phones to work with VOIP services. There are even PBX converters if you already have a PBX system in place.

Don’t waste money picking up brand-new hardware if you don’t have to.

The right phone system will help your small business run smoothly and improve your image.

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Horizon 2020 Funding Secured by North South Projects Surpasses €19 million

The value of North South R&D activity secured in the Horizon 2020 programme to date is €19.36 million, which is a 62% increase compared to the same period in the Framework Programme 7 (FP7).

These encouraging figures were revealed at the recent InterTradeIreland ‘Collaborate to Innovate Conference’ which focused on ‘Delivering Competitive Proposals’.

Long term plan
To address the ambitious national targets set out by the respective governments on both sides of the border, InterTradeIreland has developed a Strategic Action Plan for Horizon 2020, which is supported by the all-island steering group for Horizon 2020 and includes representatives from government departments and support networks in both jurisdictions. This outlines a plan to achieve a competitive North South funding target of €175 million between 2014 and 2020, which opens up great opportunities for organisations on both sides of the border.

Belfast event highlights supports
More than 140 business and academic representatives attended the fifth annual all island InterTradeIreland ‘Collaborate to Innovate’ conference in Belfast and the Strategic Action Plan for Horizon 2020 was a key element of the event’s focus.

Both jurisdictions have placed a high priority on North South participation in Horizon 2020 and the InterTradeIreland’s conference highlighted the range of supports available for businesses and researchers alike who are considering creating North South partnerships to apply for Horizon 2020 funding.

Successful projects
InterTradeIreland has discovered the top performing areas for North South co-operation are in the area of ‘Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions’ followed by ICT, health and agri-food. These projects range greatly but are fundamentally designed to demonstrate a positive impact on EU societies and citizens. They include the creation of solutions to prevent online attacks from hackers and stem cell therapy to treat diabetic kidney disease.

Co-operation works
With a North South industry participation rate at 60%, which is three times the target participation rate as set by the European Commission, local companies are taking full advantage of the opportunity to work together and innovate on a cross-border basis. For example, the €4 million REMEDIATE project involves Carlow-based SME T.E. working with Queens University, Belfast while Northern Ireland’s Seagate Technology is partnering with University College, Cork and Dublin’s X-CELEPRINT on the €5.25 million TOP HIT project.

Importance of Horizon 2020
Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s largest ever investment in research and innovation with a budget of €79 billion available between 2014 and 2020. It is open to everyone and funds a wide range of activities from frontier research through to close-to-market innovation activities with around 20% of the total budget specifically allocated to opportunities for SMEs.

Encouragement from Horizon 2020 alumni
Attendees at the recent InterTradeIreland conference were also encouraged by keynote speaker, renowned European expert Sean Mc Carthy of Hyperion Ltd, who related his experience, guidance and advice in pulling together successful Horizon 2020 proposals.

More Information
More information about the choice of Horizon 2020 supports on offer from InterTrade Ireland can be accessed at www.intertradeireland.com/horizon2020

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How Video Conferencing Can Benefit B2B model

Gone are the days when arranging a B2B meeting was as easy as corralling the appropriate people in your building and taking over a meeting room. With companies occupying multiple sites, and business deals taking place over multiple time zones, it’s not easy to get everybody together and talk. Since the introduction of online technology, there’s never been so many options for hosting your conferences.

However, with such a plethora of choices, which is best for your B2B plan? Blue Jeans feel that the modern conference room’s most effective choice is video centric conferencing. With so many benefits, why would you choose anything else?

Concentration increases

Research has shown that 76 percent of video conference users feel that attendees don’t pay as much attention to a meeting when they’re attending a web conference. After all, the temptation is high to check emails, chat to colleagues, or otherwise slack off if no one can actually see you. As video conferencing is face to face, attendees pay much more attention and stay more focused on what’s happening within the meeting.

Conferencing is more personable

Clear One have noted that video conferencing allows attendees to see each other in real time, watching facial expressions and other non verbal cues in order to understand each other fully. When communication is often 93 percent non verbal (as stated by Bomb Bomb), video conferencing can mean that no one is missing out on the vast majority of the conversation.

Better for sensitive issues

Web conferencing can seem like a good idea for handling sensitive HR issues, but in the long run it can be a hindrance. As seen above, most of the conversation is lost without non verbal cues, which can often be a problem when handling tricky topics. Speaking face to face, no matter where you are in relation to the other person, can make these conversations much easier all around.

Know exactly who you’re talking to

Sixty-two percent of video conference users say they feel unsure who’s dropping in and out of web conferences during a B2B client call. If they don’t know who’s listening in, they can feel unsure of what they can and cannot say, ruining the productivity of the meeting. Video conferencing eliminates all doubt, making connecting to others in the meeting much more simple.

Keeps everybody in the loop

Video conferencing can ensure that everybody in your company is kept informed of what’s going on. When a business is spread over several sites, or even several continents, that can be invaluable for keeping employees happy and abreast of what’s happening in the workplace. Since happier employees are 12 percent more productive (as noted by Entrepreneur), video conferencing can be a vital component of a successful business.

More effective communication between multiple sites

Communication between different branches of the same company is vital. Poor communication can lead to taxation problems, poor cash flow or duplication of work, according to NI Business Info. Video conferencing can bring multiple branches together instantly to iron out problems and plan for the future, meaning everybody is on the same page.

Reduces travel time

One of the most pressing problems any executive deals with is time. When there’s so many things to be done and so many people to speak to, how can you fit everything into your day? Attending meetings can be nigh on impossible if you’re constantly having to travel to different sites to attend them. Video conferencing drastically reduces travel time, letting you attend the meeting and then carry on with your day in an instant.

Makes companies more productive

Picture Phone list several ways that video conferencing can increase productivity. It can speed up decision making, keeps meetings brief and to the point, and can be used to cut down interview time for new employees. A surprising amount of time can be saved by simply meeting in a video meeting rather than face to face. When less time is spent putting together meetings, more time can be spent on other activities, improving your business.

Video conferencing is the future

Forty-six percent of people polled feel that web conferencing is an outdated concept. With so many things that can go wrong, or make the process more complicated, many feel that it’s just not worth the time and effort to use. Video conferencing, on the other hand, is the future of meetings. Quick, reliable, and personable, it’s just as good as conferencing with the other people in the room with you.

In conclusion

In a world where business is routinely conducted on a global scale, traditional forms of communication often just cannot cut it anymore. Video conferencing is an option that brings people together quickly and efficiently, and lets them communicate clearly without any fuss or extensive technology know how. Try it out in your own company, and see just what a difference it can make to your day to day working life.

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SEO and Mobile Traffic: How It Can Improve Traffic

1 to infinity accessible info, 140-word news bit, 2 to 3 seconds page load, 1 click of a button, easy smooth typing, perfect page dimensions, swift scrolling—these are the living proof that online mobile consumers in today’s age have short attention spans. To satisfy their standards, you got to give them what they want in an instant. WHat we are talking about here is SEO and Mobile Traffic.

If they’re looking for info, hand it over in lightning speed. If they want to buy products, ensure their purchase in a snap. Because if it isn’t your mobile site that people go to online, chances are that there’s someone else. Even if you’re offering quality services that can top your competitors but it isn’t being showcased properly with how slow your mobile site is, then you lose the chance of getting a sale or sales even.

Don’t let this happen. Leave it to an SEO agency to improve your mobile site. Here’s a brief overview of how SEO can improve your mobile traffic and your mobile site in general:

  • First things first, an SEO agency will focus on the mobile user experience. This means that they will engage the visitors of your mobile site and eventually convert them into customers. As a result, this certainly has an increasing effect on your site’s rankings.
  • Only the most relevant content is allowed on the site. The general rule of thumb is, “Informative content, the more sales.”
  • A responsive layout will be created to complement the relevant content. The experts will display the content in such a way that the users will find important info from top to bottom without them perceiving it to be endless. What’s more is that they can put a button that says “back to top” so that users can easily relocate on the page.
  • They can provide videos, gifs, and 3D images to create a more visual experience for the users to make the text even more engaging.
  • They will decrease to zero any feature on the mobile site that annoys potential customers. For instance, involuntary clicks because the buttons or links are too close together and too small for the fingertips. It’s a general rule to establish a certain distance from one button or link to the other.
  • Another thing that annoys potential customers is pop-up banners. The experts will get rid of these fast to avoid distractions that may interrupt a sale from becoming a purchase.
  • The experts will allow the users to filter their search. This will make it easier for users to immediately find what they’re looking for.
  • They will provide a click-to-call button so that the users can easily voice out their queries or concerns instead of giving them extra work by saving your number and using another device to call your company.
  • Last but not the least, they will create a sense of urgency for visitors to become customers through the use of incentives. These include discounts, exclusive and limited offers, free shipping, and so on.

This sums up the SEO strategies that can boost your mobile traffic in no time. Mobile traffic equate to a higher ranking, so what are you waiting for?

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Are You Doomed to Fail?

On the 5th of November Alan Jordan and Ron Immink will go on stage and deliver the log awaited Bookbuzz MBA in a day.

You can still book here.

The Network Always Wins

At Bookbuzz we are huge fans of Peter Hinssen. “The new normal” was one of our anchor books for quite a while.

We have been looking forward to his second book and it does not disappoint. It will become another anchor books in our stable when we work with clients.

VUCA

It touches on a 3 core topics that our clients are struggling with; VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), innovation and organisational structures.

Are you doomed to fail?

We can safely say that some of the largest corporations are totally clueless about where to go next, suffer from horrible internal politics and inert boardroom cultures, and have given up the hope of transforming their bureaucracies. Companies are no longer smart enough, fast enough, or innovative enough to survive on their own.

New Normal

In “New Normal”, Hinssen talked about how digital will transform everything. That ship has now sailed. The consequence of digital is that everything gets connected. Which means that everything is networked. Once everything is networked, a lot of things happen. Everything goes faster and network dynamics come into play. Which brings you into the realm of complex adaptive systems.

Networks make things complex (and faster)

Information, intelligence and innovation flow fast through networks.The dynamics in the era of networks seem to be very close to the world of complex adaptive systems structures and organisms found in nature. The key to understanding complex adaptive networks is to focus on understanding the nature of the connections, the strength of the relationships, and the intensity of the information flow in a network.

  • Complex systems don’t have a master plan—they evolve, they emerge
  • Complex systems are built on connectivity.
  • Complexity arises from the interrelationship, interaction, and interconnectivity of all the elements within a system and between a system and its environment.R
  • Complex systems evolve in coevolution.
  • A complex system exists within an environment, but it is part of that environment.
  • Complex systems are not perfect. They are suboptimal.
  • A complex adaptive system does not have to be perfect in order to thrive within its environment.
  • Complex systems are not designed for optimal efficiency, but are based on the concept of perfect enough.
  • Complex systems favour variety and diversity. The greater the amount of variety and diversity within the system, the stronger that system can become.
  • Complex systems are self-organising. There is no hierarchy of command and control in a complex adaptive system.
  • Complex systems evolve on the edge of chaos.

Culture is too slow

A while ago we wrote a post, talking about culture being too slow and that organisational structure is the key to success. Hinssen brings it a lot further then that. You need to become fluid. Fluid strategy, fluid people, fluid organisation. Using network dynamics, the theory of relativity, adaptive and complex system theory, biology, cities, religion (Shiva), Schumpeter (creative destruction), silicon valley, start ups, Taleb (anti-fragile) and entropy.

Become fluid

The key message; the static structures of today will have to be reinvented for the age of fluidity. To deal with VUCA we will have to learn the aerodynamics of the era of networks, and understand how to build organisations that can thrive in a world that speeds up. Companies will have to get in touch with their inner innovation networks, understand how to turn them into fluidity, and avoid becoming rigid corporate structures. If your market is a network, you need to become a network. A fluid, networked, flat, agile organisation.

Anchor book

The reason it will become a Bookbuzz anchor book in our sessions with clients, is because it touched on so many books we have covered:

Generation N

He classifies the millennial not as generation Einstein, Y, E, Z or G (=gaming, those for whom the world is too slow), but generation N. The networked generation.

So what do you need to do?

Network

If your markets are turning into networks, your organisation needs to turn into a network. The hierarchical network is the least important network. In a world of six degrees of separation, nobody care about your title, they care about what you do.

Vacine

You need to apply VACINE

  • velocity
  • agility
  • creativity
  • innovation
  • network
  • experimentation

You need to fail forward

Failure is a manifestation of learning and exploration. If you aren’t experiencing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake: you are being driven by the desire to avoid it. And, for leaders especially, this strategy—trying to avoid failure by outthinking it—dooms you to fail. It makes you rigid and that is business suicide.

You need to stay at the edge of chaos

For example, Netflix deliberately and “unexpectedly” sabotages its own systems with the Chaos Monkey algorithm, which kills processes randomly. It haphazardly disables production instances to make sure that they can survive common types of failure without any customer impact. So, by being constantly under fire, its processes grow stronger. And the more frequently failure occurs, the more the organisation learns.

You need to know the the clock speed of your company

The phrase “Here today, gone tomorrow” has been replaced by “ Here today, gone today. There is an accelerating external clock. So he asks the key question. “What is the internal clock speed of your company?” How fast does it cope with change? Inside your organisation, how quickly does an idea evolve from a brainstorm into a marketable service or product? Internal clock speed itself is irrelevant nowadays. All that matters is whether you’re moving faster than your market: Is your internal clock outpacing the external clock?

You have to find your hidden innovation network

The first thing most large companies will have to do is to rediscover their hidden innovation network and unlock its potential. Industrial Age structures, mechanisms, and strategies aren’t helping them win the hearts and minds of networked workers and customers.

You need to unfreeze your own thinking first

For anyone in a large corporation, in an Industrial Age construct, we wish you all the best in unfreezing your company, your structures, and, perhaps most important, your own thinking. Bookbuzz can help you do that.

Bookbuzz MBA in day

We will be covering this book at the upcoming Bookbuzz MBA in a day. Your opportunity to get a full overview of the latest business thinking from hundreds of the latest business books. Book here.

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5 Reasons Cloud Communication Is Vital For Business Prosperity

There is more to running a successful business than just having a good niche in the supply and demand market. Keeping customers satisfied and maintaining a high level of quality customer service is the key factor in how many customers come back. But what allows a good business to meet these demands in a highly competitive and global market? In today’s market economy, technology is the make or break point. Having up to date technology that is easy to use will keep your business running smoothly and more optimal. Today’s up to date technology is cloud based communication systems.

What Are Cloud Based Communication Systems?

Communication systems that utilize the internet as opposed to a computer’s hard drive for accessing programs and data are known as cloud based communication systems. These cloud based systems basically do all their work in the ‘cloud’. This process is known as cloud computing. Cloud computing can take place over various systems; some can be accessed through applications from purchased subscriptions such as Google Apps, Microsoft Office 365 etc. Further, you can smoothly integrate Office 365 with cloud based phone system to enhance your peer-to-peer and clientele communications. Others can take place from a custom created application designed and implemented by the company for everyone within the network to access.

A few of the more commonly used business cloud computing technologies are:

  • Software as a Service (SaaS): these are purchased subscriptions
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS): these are the custom made ones
  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): these can be rented out from much larger corporations such as Google or Microsoft.

Cloud communication systems are a huge business in and of themselves, generating billions of dollars a year. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider looking into a unified cloud communication system for your business like many others already have.

Advanced Features are More Affordable

Advanced features are often the most sought after in the industry as these features integrate your business’ technological capability. By providing easy access to integrated capacities such as conferencing, presence, phone, messaging, and even mobility, you are putting your business at a greater advantage over others in your market area. Buyers do need to know up front that some cloud based systems utilize storage of some data in the devices there on-site so some mobility issues may need some working through. However, the best unified communications systems are those that are 100% cloud-based with no on-site data storage. This means no on-site IT maintenance.

All Communications Can Be Managed Online

Unified cloud communications system is the term used to incorporate all aspects of technology used in running your business. Unified cloud communications systems allow online portals for easier access from off-site IT specialists to address any troubleshooting needs. Online portals allow greater productivity and help to keep costs low because IT functions are able to be delegated and streamlined in a much more simple and efficient manner. Employees are also empowered to have a greater level of control, maintaining their devices and making communication for all involved much less complicated.

The User Holds the Power

Users covet the ability to have flexible access and more control when it comes to the tools they need to maintain a high level of professionalism with their colleagues and their clients. Being able to have the same resources in and away from the office increases dexterity of the business as a whole and productivity levels of all involved. Not all cloud based systems are able to offer this level of flexibility. Only the 100% cloud based telephone system are designed with the user in mind and not the devices.This also allows technicians to troubleshoot most problems “in the air” rather than on the actual device.

Minimize Downtime Risks

The coined phrase, “time is money and money is time,” rings true for every business. Utilizing a unified cloud communications system reduces lost time from downed systems that may otherwise be experienced from on-site repair needs, power outages, severe weather or other emergency related downtime. This strategic type of entrepreneurial foresight puts the business with a unified cloud communication system at a major advantage over the competition; not only in time saved, but also the costs to address these on-site risks.

On-site Systems Are Cost Burdensome and Complicated

On-site systems require the use of on-site IT staff for maintenance and repair work. These added operational costs decrease a profit margin. The increased risk of communication errors and the technology to become obsolete quicker make choosing a cloud based system over an on-site system the simple and economical choice.

The benefits of utilizing a cloud communications system is a game changer. Increased productivity, decreased overhead costs, higher customer service as a result of more effective technology all help to give your business the competitive edge.

Businesses have changed over the years from when our parents and grandparents were in the market world. The use of rapidly evolving tech is what continues to propel businesses into the future. How far do you want your business to go?

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How to Motivate Under Performers

Even the greatest company can fail if its employees are under performing. Morale, confidence, skill level and more can all have a drastic effect on an employee’s performance. Underperforming does not necessarily mean that the employee is poor at their job. It can have just as much to do with management and the company as a whole as it can with the individual. In order to help motivate under performers excel at their job, follow these steps.

Understand why they’re underperforming

The best way to tackle any problem is by understanding the cause of it. Every employee is different, and each has their own problems with varying impacts. Get an unbiased overview of the person’s behavior and work from someone like a manager or fellow co worker. In addition to obtaining some useful and unbiased information on the employee, you may also get some insight as to why they may be underperforming. For instance, a coworker could mention that the employee has been very distracted lately due to issues at home, or they’re having difficulties understanding a new software.

HR software can also be perfect to understanding just how the employee is truly performing. It allows you to see a breakdown of their performance through analytics involving their met goals, current projects and more.

Open lines of communication and provide encouragement

Once you’ve gathered some information, it’s time to sit down and have a conversation with the employee about their performance. Start off by letting them understand how valuable they are to the company and what they’ve achieved there so far. Many employees simply don’t feel like they’re appreciated, and even merely hearing these words from their boss can have a very positive effect on their work. If anything, it will likely provide them with some drive to try to improve.

Explain all of the details that you’ve collected on their performance, and offer a helping hand in rectifying the situation. If you haven’t collected enough information to pinpoint why they’re underperforming, discuss why both you and they believe this may be happening. There could be more than one reason. For instance, if you believe they’re frustrated over not understanding a new software, offer some helpful resources for learning about it, or suggest they work alongside someone else who knows the software very well for a while. They may then suggest that the reason they’ve been getting frustrated with the software is due to hardware issues in their work laptop. This could be fixed with repairs or a new computer.

Set clear goals and provide coaching

Some employees aren’t aware that their performance is lacking, and some employers and managers simply don’t provide clear goals for their employees. Lay down some clear performance goals for the employee, and offer some coaching to help them improve. Be wary of employees who refuse coaching or any sort of help. If they don’t want to equip themselves with the proper tools and resources to improve, they may not be worth keeping around.

Follow up

Just like how employees may under perform when they believe their work isn’t being appreciated, employees who are working to improve also benefit from fairly regular follow ups as well as praise and acknowledgment when they are visibly improving.

Reward improvement, analyze further performance issues

At the end of a reasonable time period of coaching and work, analyze how the employee has done overall. If they have made great strides in improvement, reward them in some way. Show them that their work has paid off, and assure them that hard work and great performance are recognized, even when mistakes are made along the way. If the employee hasn’t improved much or has stayed the same in their performance, you’ll need to evaluate whether they’re worth keeping around. Are the improvement methods ineffective, or is the employee simply not putting much effort into it? Is it worth it to try to continue with other improvement methods, or is it best to let the person go and try to find someone else for the job? Put deep consideration into this as firing someone can have a very large effect on everyone in the company.

Most people have it in them to be good employees. It just takes a little hard work, patience and understanding to help under performers achieve great things in your company. There will be instances where you may be forced to let someone go, but these tips will prevent you from losing a valuable employee and doing undue damage to the company or even someone’s life.

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