As an employer, it's important to prioritize work-life balance for your employees, as this can lead to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and retention. Here are some tips for finding work-life balance as an employer:

  • Offer flexible work arrangements: Consider offering flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible schedules, to allow employees to better balance their work and personal lives.R SAMILL160221 00043 01 Small
  • Encourage breaks and time off: Encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day and to use their vacation time. This can help prevent burnout and promote overall well-being.
  • Foster a healthy work culture: Create a healthy and supportive work culture that promotes work-life balance. This might involve setting clear expectations for working hours and promoting a healthy work-life balance as a value.
  • Provide resources and support: Offer resources and support to help employees manage their work-life balance, such as employee assistance programs or wellness resources.
  • Set a good example: As an employer, it's important to lead by example. If you prioritize work-life balance for yourself and model healthy habits, your employees are more likely to do the same.
  • Communicate with your employees: Regularly communicate with your employees about their work-life balance and listen to their concerns. This can help you identify any areas for improvement and work together to find solutions.

By offering flexible work arrangements, encouraging breaks and time off, fostering a healthy work culture, providing resources and support, setting a good example, and communicating with your employees, you can work towards achieving a healthy balance between work and personal life for your employees.

Coworking could improve your work-life balance, because you're not at home. It offers some separation! Come try Work Hive in Downtown Salt Lake City or Sugar House. And, be sure to let us know if there is anything we can do to set you up for success.

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Finding work-life balance as an employee can be a challenge, especially in today's fast-paced and always-on work environment. However, achieving a healthy balance between work and personal life is important for overall well-being and can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Here are some tips for finding work-life balance as an employee:

  • Set boundaries: It's important to set boundaries between work and personal time. This might involve setting specific times for checking email or avoiding work-related tasks outside of regular business hours.
  • Prioritize your tasks: Take a look at your workload and prioritize your tasks. This can help you focus on the most important tasks and avoid feeling overwhelmed.R SAMILL160221 00038 01 Small
  • Take breaks: It's important to take breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. This might involve stepping away from your desk for a few minutes, going for a walk, or taking a lunch break.
  • Find time for activities you enjoy: Make sure to carve out time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as hobbies, exercise, or spending time with loved ones.
  • Communicate with your employer: If you are struggling to find work-life balance, it can be helpful to communicate with your employer about your needs. They may be able to offer flexible work arrangements or other solutions to help you achieve a better balance.
  • Seek support: If you are struggling to find work-life balance, it may be helpful to seek support from friends, family, or a professional, such as a therapist or coach.

By setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks, taking breaks, finding time for activities you enjoy, communicating with your employer, and seeking support when needed, you can work towards achieving a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Coworking could improve your work-life balance, because you're not at home. It offers some separation! Come try Work Hive in Downtown Salt Lake City or Sugar House. And, be sure to let us know if there is anything we can do to set you up for success.

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Salt Lake City is a great place to start a new business, offering a variety of resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs. Here are just a few reasons why Salt Lake City is an ideal location for starting a new business:

  • Strong economy: Salt Lake City is home to a strong and growing economy, with low unemployment rates and a diverse range of industries. This can create a favorable environment for small businesses.
  • Favorable business climate: Salt Lake City has a business-friendly environment, with relatively low taxes and a streamlined regulatory process. This can make it easier to start and operate a small business in the city.120516 WorkHive038
  • Skilled workforce: Salt Lake City has a highly educated workforce, with a number of top-ranked universities and technical schools located in the area. This can be beneficial for small businesses that need access to skilled employees.
  • Supportive community: Salt Lake City has a strong sense of community, with many organizations and resources available to support small businesses. For example, the city has a number of business incubators and accelerators, as well as organizations like the Salt Lake Chamber and the Small Business Development Center, which offer business development resources and support.
  • Access to funding: Salt Lake City is home to a number of venture capital firms and angel investors, as well as organizations like the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund, which provide funding and support to small businesses.
  • Quality of life: In addition to its strong business climate, Salt Lake City also offers a high quality of life, with a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, a thriving arts and culture scene, and a diverse range of neighborhoods and communities.

Overall, Salt Lake City is a great place to start a new business, offering a range of resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to succeed. 

Work Hive is a flexible coworking space featuring a range of solutions to suit your need: we have private offices, solo work stations, conference rooms for group work, a kitchen area, and all the space, technology and amenities you need to get your team off the ground. We have locations in Downtown Salt Lake City, and Sugar House.

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September 05, 2023

Marketing 101

Creating a marketing strategy is an essential part of running a successful business. A well-developed marketing plan can help businesses attract and retain customers, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. Here are a few key steps to follow when creating a marketing strategy.

R SAMILL160221 00021 01 SmallFirst and foremost, conduct market research. This is essential for understanding your target audience and their needs, as well as your competitors and the market landscape. By conducting thorough market research, you can gain valuable insights that will inform the rest of your marketing plan.

Next, define your marketing goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your marketing efforts? Do you want to increase sales, build brand awareness, or improve customer loyalty? Clearly defining your goals and objectives will help you stay focused and measure the success of your marketing efforts.

After you have defined your goals and objectives, it's time to develop a marketing plan. This should include a detailed description of your target audience, your marketing message, and the specific tactics you will use to reach your goals. Your marketing plan should also include a budget and timeline for implementing your marketing strategy.

Once your marketing plan is in place, it's important to regularly monitor and adjust your strategy as needed. This will help you stay on track and ensure that your marketing efforts are effective.

By conducting market research, defining your goals and objectives, developing a plan, and regularly monitoring and adjusting your strategy, you can effectively reach your target audience and drive sales.

Work Hive is a community of professionals across industries and roles -- from marketers to web developers to non-profit organizers and designers, someone in our network of members likely has expertise you could draw on to help your business solve its current pain points... ask around at Work Hive! We're located in Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices Downtown and in Sugar House. We have open studio space if you need to drop in for a day, or book your own dedicated desk. Give us a call, or book a tour!

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You’re passionate about what you do. So, protect the time you spend doing what you love. Too many people let email control their workday.

Karbon HQ Magazine offers some thoughtful pro tips in their article, “10 Email Tips to Increase Productivity and Control your Inbox,” The first three of ten ideas are paraphrased below. You can read the full article here. 

How to ensure email doesn’t impact your real work

1. Have a plan: what’s your ideal day?

Like most things, success with email starts with how you approach it. Email is an extremely high volume activity, so even a small change applied over hundreds and thousands of conversations will add up to a lot of time saved. You need to have a purposeful approach, checking at specific times in the day and then leaving email to focus on other things. 

You should have an ideal day in mind that lays out specific tasks you want to accomplish. This will ensure you always prioritize focused work over email.

For example, when you first sit down at your desk for the day, you might be in the habit of checking email and social media before anything else. Instead, make that first step be to determine the top three things you want to accomplish for the day. Then, block out time to dedicate to these top tasks. During this time, you should close down email completely. 

2. Don’t let email be a constant distraction

To deliver high-value work efficiently and effectively, you need to be able to spend some dedicated time focusing on it, and nothing else. This requires turning off notifications, including ignoring email, so you can achieve a state of deep work

3. Dedicated time to complete email

Of course, email is essential for communication and collaboration. So you can’t completely ignore it. A proven way to use email effectively is by allocating specific blocks of time to focus your attention on it. A best practice approach is to take three or four 20-minute blocks each day to work through your inbox.

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There are several productivity tips that can change the way you work by making email more efficient and practical. But, we won't cover them all at once. Take some time this week to reevaluate the way you email and try out one of these tips. Then, check out our upcoming blog posts for a continued series on mastering emails. 

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Apply one piece of advice to help your career work better for you

Today’s post is about inspiring you to choose one thing you can do now to help your career work better for you. We’ve listed three of the best pieces of advice offered by experts in conversation with Business Insider. If you have heard these before, remember that it’s because these are tried and true! To read the full article, click here.

1. Say 'yes' to the scary stuff

Another career coach once told me to say "yes" to things you don't think you can do. Whether it's applying for a higher-level job, taking on a new task at work, or learning a difficult new skill, one of the best ways to rapidly level-up or advance your career is to say "yes" to the scary stuff. 

This might mean accepting an offer when it's given to you or proactively suggesting something you'd like to take on. It's not that you shouldn't be scared to do these things — be scared and do them anyway.

 Brie Reynolds, senior career specialist at FlexJobs

2. Get out of your comfort zone

Don't be afraid to try new things. Getting out of your comfort zone is key to getting ready for your next role. Remember, sometimes the ride is bumpy, and you don't get it perfect the first time, but that's the process to go through to learn and grow.

— Michelle Armer, director of HR operations at CareerBuilder

3. Always be building your brain trust

I didn't get this advice, but I learned it by doing, and now it's what I tell others: Always be building your brain trust. This is the web of contacts you can call on when you have questions or need expertise beyond yours. 

Meet colleagues you have a good feeling about, but don't work directly with. Have coffee (virtual or real) with teammates in other locations. Get to know the corporate vendors (digital, legal, policy, creative) who do good work. Follow up with promising job candidates who didn't get or accept an offer. These are all people you may want to call on over time for ideas, questions, or reality checks. The broader your network, the smarter you'll be.

—Karen Wickre, former editorial leader at Google and Twitter, and the author of the forthcoming book "Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert's Guide to Making Connections That Count

We hope you can find application for at least one of these items in your work this week. Another tip: try coworking. If you normally work alone, coworking can be a great change of pace to see if your workflow and sense of focus respond well to sharing a space. Plus, in a coworking space, there are plenty of people to meet and talk with when you’re taking a break from your screen. Come visit us in Salt Lake City if you’d like to try our space. We have locations conveniently located Downtown and in Sugar House.

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ESO, or Employee Stock Ownership, is a type of business model where employees have an ownership stake in the company. This can be in the form of stock options or a profit-sharing plan, which allows employees to share in the company’s profits.

One advantage of ESO businesses is that they can foster a sense of ownership and investment among employees. When employees have a financial stake in the success of the company, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. This can lead to higher productivity and better overall performance.

Another advantage of ESO businesses is that they can provide a sense of security and stability for employees. Because employees have an ownership stake in the company, they have a vested interest in its long-term success. This can make them more loyal and less likely to leave the company, reducing turnover and improving morale.

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In addition, ESO businesses can also provide a way for employees to build wealth over time. As the company’s value grows, so does the value of the employees’ ownership stake. This can provide employees with a source of financial security and potentially allow them to retire with a significant nest egg.

However, there are also challenges to ESO businesses. One potential challenge is that employees may not have the knowledge or expertise to make informed decisions about the company’s financial health. This can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings, particularly if employees feel that the company’s leadership is not acting in their best interests.

Additionally, ESO businesses can also be complex and require careful planning and administration. This can be particularly challenging for small businesses, which may not have the resources to devote to setting up and managing an ESO plan.

In conclusion, ESO businesses can provide a range of benefits, including fostering a sense of ownership among employees, providing stability and security, and allowing employees to build wealth over time. However, they can also be complex and require careful planning and management to be successful.

If you're looking for other ways to boost morale at your company, and offer employees flexibility and support, consider reimbursing them for a membership in a coworking space, like Work Hive. Coworking is a great way to support your employees' work environment, with office amenities and opportunities for networking. Work Hive is located in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah and across town in Sugar House.

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Offering a competitive benefits package is an important way for small businesses to attract and retain top talent. While large corporations may have the resources to offer a wide range of benefits, small businesses can still compete by offering creative and flexible benefits that meet the needs of their employees.

One way for small businesses to offer competitive benefits is by offering flexible work arrangements. This might include flexible hours, the ability to work from home, or the option to take extended time off. These types of benefits can be particularly appealing to employees who value work-life balance and want the ability to tailor their work schedule to their personal needs.

Another way for small businesses to offer competitive benefits is by providing wellness programs. This might include gym memberships, healthy food options, or the ability to participate in fitness classes or activities. These types of benefits can help employees maintain their physical and mental health, which can lead to improved productivity and overall job satisfaction.

IMG 6314 5 6Small businesses can also offer competitive benefits by providing professional development opportunities. This might include training, workshops, or conferences that allow employees to learn new skills and advance their careers. This can be particularly appealing to employees who are looking for ways to improve their job performance and advance their careers.

In addition, small businesses can offer competitive benefits by providing perks and rewards. This might include employee discounts, free or discounted products or services, or the ability to participate in company events or activities. These types of benefits can help to create a positive and enjoyable work environment, which can lead to higher levels of employee satisfaction and engagement.

Overall, small businesses can offer competitive benefits packages by providing flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, professional development opportunities, and perks and rewards. By offering these types of benefits, small businesses can attract and retain top talent, improve productivity and job satisfaction, and create a positive and supportive work environment.

If you're looking for other ways to boost morale at your company, and offer employees flexibility and support, consider reimbursing them for a membership in a coworking space, like Work Hive. Coworking is a great way to support your employees' work environment, with office amenities and opportunities for networking. Work Hive is located in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah and across town in Sugar House.

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Offering vacation time is an important way for small businesses to support the well-being and work-life balance of their employees. While small businesses may not have the resources to offer the same level of vacation time as larger corporations, they can still provide valuable time off that can help employees to recharge and come back to work refreshed and productive.

One way for small businesses to approach vacation time is by offering a set number of days off per year. This might include a certain number of personal days, as well as paid time off for holidays and other important events. By offering a set number of days off, small businesses can provide employees with a clear and predictable schedule for taking time off, which can help to manage workloads and avoid burnout.

Another approach is to offer flexible vacation time. This might involve allowing employees to take time off as needed, subject to approval from their manager and in accordance with business needs. Flexible vacation time can be particularly appealing to employees who value the ability to tailor their time off to their personal needs and priorities.

In addition, small businesses can also offer additional time off for special events or circumstances. This might include additional time off for the birth or adoption of a child, caring for a sick family member, or other important events. By offering this type of time off, small businesses can show their support for employees’ personal lives and provide them with the flexibility they need to manage their responsibilities and priorities.

Overall, offering vacation time is an important way for small businesses to support the well-being and work-life balance of their employees. By providing a set number of days off, offering flexible time off, and supporting special events and circumstances, small businesses can help their employees to recharge and come back to work refreshed and productive.

If you are on vacation, but need to take a call or get a few things done for work, stop into Work Hive. We have day pass options if you just need to drop-in, use a phone room, have a coffee, get those few crucial emails sent, and get back to your friends or family! Work Hive is located in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah and across town in Sugar House.

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Team meetings are an essential aspect of any successful organization. They provide an opportunity for team members to come together, discuss important issues, share updates, and collaborate on projects. By holding regular meetings, teams can stay aligned, informed, and motivated, ultimately leading to increased productivity and achievement of goals.

However, not all team meetings are created equal. Ineffective meetings can be a waste of time and can even hinder progress. To ensure that your team meetings are productive, there are several key factors to consider.

First and foremost, it's important to have a clear agenda for each meeting. This will help ensure that the meeting stays on track and that all relevant topics are covered. It's also a good idea to distribute the agenda ahead of time, so that team members can come prepared with any updates or questions.

R SAMILL160221 00017 01 SmallAnother key factor is to limit the length of meetings. Research has shown that the human brain has a limited capacity for concentration, so long meetings can actually decrease productivity. Instead, aim for meetings that are no longer than an hour, with shorter meetings being even more effective.

It's also essential to have a designated facilitator for each meeting. This person can help keep the meeting focused and on track, facilitate discussions, and ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute.

Additionally, it's important to create an inclusive and collaborative environment in meetings. Encourage team members to share their ideas and listen to each other with respect and open-mindedness. This will foster a sense of teamwork and help everyone feel invested in the success of the group.

Finally, follow up on any action items or decisions made in the meeting. This will ensure that progress is made and will keep the team accountable.

If you need a space to collaborate with your team, or just a place to focus, consider spending a day at Work Hive, whether in Downtown Salt Lake City or Sugar House. We have the amenities you need -- from conference rooms to coffee to high speed internet. Give us a call or stop in!

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