Business Builder

Labor Day is fast approaching – and while this is an occasion to reflect on and celebrate our hard work at the office, those long desk hours can get really exhausting! Here are a few tried-and-true tips that the Out of Office team uses to rev up the workday and avoid those dreaded afternoon crashes.

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• Change Gears – sometimes breaking up your daily routine can be the perfect way to refocus. Get away from your computer and chat with a colleague about his or her weekend or schedule a quick team check-in to find out what everyone’s working on.
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• Corporate Cardio – working in an office can lead you to become “one” with your chair. To prevent this from happening, take a brisk walk around the office. This will get your blood flowing and help you tackle your projects with renewed energy.

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Just like when you move homes, if you’ve decided to relocate your business lately, there can be a laundry list of things to remember during the process. From identifying a new location, packing and moving, to joining a local Chamber of Commerce and updating your current customers on where you’re moving to -- the “to do” list never seems to end! Eventually of course, you find yourself settled in and ready to open up shop again.

Now that your business is in its new place, it’s important to make sure your logo, address and phone number are updated in all the right places. This will make it easier for current customers to find you and to build awareness about your business with new customers who are visiting for the first time.

Signage – Make sure you update any exterior or window signage with your business name, address, phone number and hours of operation. Aside from your new address, this information may have changed since you moved to a new site. ...read more

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.”

I have always found charity to be an important part of my life whether I am donating my time, my money or helping organize others into charitable acts. Beyond my own charitable endeavors outside of work, our office participates in two major fundraising drives each year for the March of Dimes and United Way. My fellow team members are always interested in finding out how the campaigns are going – and while e-mail updates are nice, a visual representation really helps people see the goal and how far we need to go to meet it.

The thermometer goal like the one in the picture above is tried and true and does this job admirably. As I say, don’t mess with a classic! ...read more

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How – and where – we work is changing. I’m sure many Out of Office readers know people who work from a “home office,” which I’ve learned can be anything from a clearing on the kitchen table to the local Wi-Fi hotspot. You might even be a home-office-based worker yourself!

I know professionals who work in their pajamas, take their dogs for walks during lunch hour and have no problems getting through rush hour traffic to pick up kids from soccer practice or daycare (like one of my best friends). With all of this flexibility, who wouldn’t want to work this way?! For some, it’s ideal. And for others like me, it can be hard to focus on work when there’s so many distractions around the house (e.g., my dog Oreo anxiously placing his toy ball at my feet for a game of catch).

Truthfully, there are a lot of things to weigh when considering the telecommuting work style. I’ve been doing my homework, weighing some of the pros and cons, and wanted to share some of the great resources out there for people who are already taking advantage of a home/mobile office or those who might be looking to start.

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 Summer’s Here and the Time Is Right for Signs to Sell Your Beets

The Farmers’ Market is probably one of my favorite weekend destinations. I love fresh vegetables and fruit – not mention these days you can find farm-fresh eggs, fresh organic cheeses and dairy products, just-picked herbs, and some fantastic organic grass-fed meats if you’re really lucky. For a foodie like me it is absolute nirvana…a perfect state of peace, not the ‘90s Seattle grunge band!

Yet on my treks to various markets recently, I’ve noticed one thing that often could use some extra pizzazz – the signs many of these small businesses use to market their farm-fresh goodies. Whether you’re selling homemade crafts, grass-fed brisket or the oh-so-delectable banana-pineapple-macadamia nut salsa I can never resist, the signs you use to advertise your business and set you apart from the other vendors selling similar wares are critical! ...read more

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Ah, summer. The days feel longer, the sun is shining, the kids are out of school and the beach/mountains/your favorite vacation spot are beckoning. But what about your responsibilities at the office? No worries! We here at the Out of Office blog have some tips to help conquer the frenzy that always arises in the days leading up to that glorious summer vacation! ...read more

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We’ve written before about the importance of building a strong personal brand and professional image for yourself – and if we haven’t made it clear yet, we think it’s very important!  But obviously branding is an enormously important issue for businesses, too. Building a consistent brand image can make a business of any size stand out from the crowd.

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Guest blogger Barbie Tate is a senior account executive at Ketchum, the public relations agency for FedEx Office. From her days as a college peer career counselor to present, she has seen many different approaches to networking. We wanted to share some of Barbie’s experiences with readers who are searching for the big trends in career building.

 

Calling all professionals and recent grads! Everyone knows that networking is a great way to meet future employers. Most job hunters these days carry business cards with them, but a plain contact card can easily get lost in the shuffle. Along with your sturdy handshake and confident smile, a great way to stand out is by distributing “resume business cards.”  ...read more

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Building business – whether you’re a large, established company or an up-and-comer just starting out – almost always comes down to relationships. Fostering and growing strong relationships with customers, key opinion-makers, industry leaders, important officials and the like can help a business thrive in good times and bad. 

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Guest blogger Julia Kosygina is a summer fellow at Ketchum, the public relations agency for FedEx Office. We thought it would be great to share some of her post-interview learnings with readers also on the hunt for a temporary or full-time position this summer.  

 

You just had a great interview with the company of your dreams, but with so many great candidates out there you have some stiff competition for the job.  Everywhere, employers are sifting through stacks of resumes and hiring only the candidates who have killer credentials and personalities to match. 

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