LIFE HACKS
TO EMPOWER YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Find Your Company’s “It” Factor
DISCLAIMER
The information provided herein by Zane Benefits is general in nature and should not be relied on for commercial decisions without conducting independent review and analysis and discussing alternatives with legal, accounting, and insurance advisors. Furthermore, health insurance
Let’s Connect!
What is Zane Benefits?
Zane Benefits is the leader in individual health insurance reimbursement for small businesses. Since 2006, Zane Benefits has been on a mission to bring the benefits of individual health insurance to business owners and their employees.
Zane Benefits' software helps businesses reimburse employees for individual health insurance plans for annual savings of 20 to 60 percent compared with traditional employer-provided health insurance. Today, over 20,000 customers use Zane Benefits' software, services, and support to reimburse individual health insurance plans purchased independent of employment.
Zane Benefits' software has been featured on the front-page of The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times. Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Zane Benefits' Partner Program is an opportunity for insurance professionals to provide clients with custom Zane Benefits solutions. Request a Partner Evaluation at www. ZaneBenefits.com/Partner.
CONTENTS
Introduction // 2 7 Life Hacks
Life Hack #1 – Find Managers and Employees Who Rock // 3 Life Hack #2 - Know Your Customer // 5
Life Hack #3 - Be Part of Something Bigger // 6 Life Hack #4 - Look for Opportunity to Grow // 7 Life Hack #5 – Offer the Best // 8
Life Hack #6 - Inspire the Wildfire // 9
Life Hack #7 - Trust: The Beginning of a Healthy Life // 10 Conclusion // 11
Resources // 12
www.ZaneBenefits.com
1
INTRODUCTION
Owning a small business is a lot of work, yet, it’s also extremely rewarding. If you own a small business, you know this all too well.
But, owning a small business is a lot like riding a bike your first time. How so? Imagine when you were young and would see the neighborhood kids riding their bikes. It looked so easy, didn’t it? Now, think of the first time you rode a bike - suddenly it wasn’t so easy, was it?
You see, owning a small business is very similar. Often it appears to be so easy, but owning a small business is very different. Having said that, there’s absolutely no reason running your small business shouldn’t come as second nature, just as riding a bike did.
And as you blaze your way through the steps of becoming a successful small business, you find life hacks (invaluable knowledge) along the way that become as good as gold. This knowledge helps you run your business smoothly and successfully. So, we’ve come up with seven of the best life hacks for your small business to help you find your “it” factor.
With this eBook, you’ll discover useful knowledge you may have never thought of that will ultimately
become the foundation of a successful business.
LIFE HACK #1
FIND MANAGERS &
EMPLOYEES WHO ROCK
Managers and employees: the key to a well-run, successful small business. Since managers and employees are such an integral part of small businesses, they must be flocking to you, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Instead, you’ve got to be the one to find them. But, finding great managers and employees really doesn’t have to be hard - you simply need to know what to look for.
Here’s what you should be doing in order to find managers and employees who rock:
www.ZaneBenefits.com
3
Put yourself out there. If you want to find the manager or employee, you’ll need to put in the time and get your hands dirty. This will include interviewing, reviewing resumes, and talking with everyone you know for referrals. Don’t look at it as something you have to do, look at it as a personal challenge to find the manager or employee who will help lead your business to success.
Develop an eye for great talent. As you’re out in the world, look for candidates who would make a great manager. It might just be a hunch at first, but you’ll never know until you talk to them. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with random strangers.
You never know where you’ll find the manager you need.
1 2
LIFE HACK #1
FIND MANAGERS &
EMPLOYEES WHO ROCK (CONT.)
Make use of what you have. To do this, think of your current employees. Chances are, if your current employees are amazing, they may know someone for the position.
Additionally, don’t count out your current employees as a candidate for a great manager.
It makes finding a great manager less difficult when they’re right under your nose.
Make a friendly offer. If you find a candidate, talk to them, see them working in their
element, and if you’re impressed, don’t hesitate to “steal” them from their current position. It can be as simple as “I’m really impressed with your work ethic and have really enjoyed our conversation, what would you say to coming to work for me?” Simple as that.
“It” Factor Tip: If you really want to get a head of the game, start looking at hiring millennials. Why?
Simply put, they’re the future of your business.
3 4
LIFE HACK #2
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER
If you don’t know who your customer is, you need to sit down and map this one out. Knowing who you’re selling your product or service to is the very first thing you should do. So, what’s the best way to know your customer? Talk to them. Simple as that. No matter the type of small business you own, your customers have wants and needs. The key is to find what those are and provide them to the customer.
Providing your customers with exactly what they want will keep them coming back time and time again. What are some ways to do this?
www.ZaneBenefits.com
5
One or two question verbal survey with each purchase
Feedback section on your website
Contests for best ideas (feedback)
Quick, in-person conversations with customers to get feedback (in applicable small businesses)
“It” Factor Tip: Go above and beyond, and try something new and be bold in how you treat your customers. Don’t be afraid to be the first to do or offer something.
LIFE HACK #3
BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
Sure, opening your doors for business and providing a great, new product or service is valuable to consumers, but have you ever considered other ways to give back to your customers?
Make your business a special part of the community. This can be done by simply sponsoring local athletes, fundraisers, entertainment, and even scholarships.
And don’t worry, this can be done on a budget, too. Give what you can, where you can, to better your community.
Doing so gets your small business’s name out in the open, and also shows how much you care about your customers.
“It” Factor Tip: Show your community that their business matters to you by writing personal “thank you”
cards to important customers such as regulars, big accounts, etc.
Okay, a small business isn’t called a small business for fun - they’re usually between two and fifty employees. However, your small business doesn’t always have to stay the same size - it can and should grow.
Now, that isn’t to say your small business needs to become the next Wal-Mart or McDonald’s, but modest and steady growth is a great thing. Growth can:
Open new opportunities to you and your employees
Provide a more secure future
Expand your market globally
You can begin growth by finding well-established business partners and liaisons. This will be your foot in the door to bigger and better opportunities.
www.ZaneBenefits.com
7
“It” Factor Tip: Growing your business to a well-established size will catch the eye of many investors and potential employees.
LIFE HACK #4
LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
LIFE HACK #5
OFFER THE BEST
Whether you’re a two employee small business, or you’ve grown to 30 employees, the benefits you offer your employees will say a lot about who you are as a business owner. What should you do? Offer benefits that are just as amazing as you are!
Types of employee benefits:
Affordable health benefits
Flexible schedules
Wellness programs
Tuition reimbursement
Team-building outings
Family focus
Offering amazing benefits will not only make your employees feel valued, but it will lead to better retention and allow you to have recruiting leverage.
“It” Factor Tip: If you really want to stand out to potential candidates, offer to reimburse individual health insurance premiums. It’s affordable to offer health benefits, and a great recruiting and retention tool.
LIFE HACK #6
INSPIRE THE WILDFIRE
You know what happens when a wildfire starts, right?
One little spark can spread faster than you can say,
“Grab a bucket to put it out!” Similarly, you can spark and inspire the wildfire in your small business.
How? First of all, do you have a vision? If not, write it down and memorize it. Then, it’s time to get your employees on board. Think of your vision as the spark to light the fire. Once you have sparked the fire, the wildfire of enthusiastic, hard-working employees will begin and cultivate the desire to succeed.
www.ZaneBenefits.com
9
Why do your employees need to capture your vision?
It’s simple. You, as the small business owner, are excited to succeed. You’re running a small business because you have a passion for the product or service you provide.
So, what would it be like if all of your employees were this way? One word: success. Lots of it, too. Get your employees on board with your vision, get them
excited, and passionate about what they do. You’ll see more successful employees and growth in your
business than ever before.
“It” Factor Tip: If you want to get everyone on board quicker, make it a contest. Have your employees come up with the most creative way to implement your vision and reward a winner.
LIFE HACK #7
TRUST: THE BEGINNING OF A HEALTHY LIFE
Lastly, and very importantly, trust will either be part one of the biggest parts of your small business’s success, or it will be the nail in the coffin. In other words, you have to trust your employees and they must trust in you and their colleagues. That’s all there is to it. Without trust, it’s impossible to accomplish some of the day’s simplest tasks.
Here are some of the key advantages of trust in your small business:
Less stress: Less stress means more productivity. When you trust your employees, you can delegate daunting tasks to take some of the load off of your shoulders. Furthermore, when your employees trust one another, daily tasks and challenges are solved in unity. Your small business will grow closer together.
Customer trust: When there’s trust in your small business, customers will see it and in return, trust you and your employees. Customers are good at sensing contention or when there isn’t harmony in a business. Plus, seeing trust in a business will inspire your customers to keep coming back because they feel comfortable.
“It” Factor Tip: When employees and customers see a high level of trust in your small business, they’re more likely to speak highly of your company and stick around. They’ll spread the word
CONCLUSION
www.ZaneBenefits.com
11
After going through these seven life hacks for your small business, you should be feeling pretty confident. Plus, you should have had some great epiphanies on ways you can start to better your small business.
As you begin to make these life hacks, coupled with your creative ideas, a regular part of your small business, you’ll see that riding your bike (running a small business) can become second nature.
We hope we’ve been able to inspire new ideas to help make your small business more successful than ever.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
View our Library of Free HR and Benefit Resources at:
www.ZaneBenefits.com/Resources
DISCLAIMER
The information provided herein by Zane Benefits is general in nature and should not be relied on for commercial decisions without conducting independent review and analysis and discussing alternatives with legal, accounting, and insurance advisors. Furthermore, health insurance
regulations differ in each state; information provided does not apply to any specific U.S. state except where noted. See a licensed agent for detailed information on your state. www.zanebenefits.com
Let’s Connect!
What is Zane Benefits?
Zane Benefits is the leader in individual health insurance reimbursement for small businesses. Since 2006, Zane Benefits has been on a mission to bring the benefits of individual health insurance to business owners and their employees.
Zane Benefits' software helps businesses reimburse employees for individual health insurance plans for annual savings of 20 to 60 percent compared with traditional employer-provided health insurance. Today, over 20,000 customers use Zane Benefits' software, services, and support to reimburse individual health insurance plans purchased independent of employment.
Zane Benefits' software has been featured on the front-page of The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times. Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Zane Benefits' Partner Program is an opportunity for insurance professionals to provide clients with custom Zane Benefits solutions. Request a Partner Evaluation at www. ZaneBenefits.com/Partner.
