Your Employees

Here are a couple of key things Virgin Group founder Richard Branson does to make sure he brings in the best people:
Don’t delegate this critical task. Branson likes to get his hands dirty in the hiring process. Especially at the top level, nobody knows better than you who’s a good fit – and who isn’t.

Put character first, résumé second. Branson sometimes has applicants play games or tell jokes to let their personality shine through. Often, you’ll get more insight from real-life interactions than from words on a page.

Adapted From 3 Rules From Richard Bran- son for Hiring Remarkable People by Zoe Henry in Inc.com

Your Marketing

Here are three ways to WOW your customers – and turn them into raving fans…Be sincere. No- tice little things and show genuine interest. Observe and use what you see to connect. Making sales is easier when you first make friends. Ask questions…lots of them… Listen and your customer will tell you what they need. And knowing that is the shortest path to an easy sale. Know your product. What’s unique about it? What fun facts can you share? Bring those facts to life and you gain not just the sale – you win over a customer.

Adapted from 7 Ways to Wow Your Customers by Nicole Smartt on Business2Community.com

Your Money

A recent survey from Bank of America and Braun Research found that 70% of small business owners are concerned about the costs of providing health care coverage. After all, even budget-minded plans can be pricey. So what can you do?

Regardless of how you may feel about the Affordable Care Act, take advan- tage of the way it promotes employee health. Create a wellness program that rewards employees for embrac- ing healthy behaviors such as losing weight, quitting smoking and eating well. A 2012 AFLAC report showed that wellness programs can reduce sick days, health costs and workers’ comp claims by 25% or more.

Source: Bank of America Small Busines Owner Report

Your Office

Here are three tips from the ancient art of feng shui to make your office more productive – and less stressful…

1. Place your desk with a solid wall behind you, so you can see the room’s entry. This enhances your sense of control and confidence.
2. Get rid of clutter. An uncluttered space leads to clear thinking and reduces stress.
3. Replace fatigue-inducing fluorescent lamps with natural and incandescent light. Tungsten and halogen lamps,
too bright for direct illumination, can be reflected off walls and ceilings for an energy-efficient source of daylight spectrum lighting.

Adapted from The Practical Encyclopedia of Feng Shui by Gill Hale

Your Security

According to the Ponemon Institute, 69% of data breaches are caused by insiders. Compare
that to just 16% caused by outside intruders. Here are three things you can do to combat this threat.

First, make sure that identities and passwords are changed regularly. Second, guard closely against un- authorized use of credentials. And finally, human error is the leading cause of insider data leaks. Build

and monitor systems that are more or less “fail-safe” and can withstand human errors. Of course you want to trust your team, but today’s realities dictate that it’s up to you to keep a watchful eye.

Adapted from Five Steps to Preventing Insider Data Breaches in IT Business Edge