Tips to Help Improve the Employee Review Process

At Corporate Business Solutions , we have the expertise to help your small to medium – size business access the knowledge that is often needed to achieve success.  

In order to maintain a positive workplace, we recognize that employees must be cohesive while working towards similar goals. One way that business owners can help streamline this is to implement and / or improve upon their employee reviews and make them into an effective communication, goal setting and development tool for their workforce.  

Here are five tips that business owners can use to help improve their employee review process:

1. Use the review document at least quarterly to assess employee progress. The review document is a useful discussion starter since it provides a running record of employee performance discussions all year. It also offers a picture of the employee's accomplishments and progress throughout the year.​
2. Provide feedback to employees regularly - not just in the annual review.  Employees like regular feedback and effective business owners take time every day for employee feedback. 
3. Engage the employees in a two-way discussion whenever their performance is the topic. You can improve the review process by involving the employee in the discussion all year long. Then the official review is just an extension of the normal performance discussion.
4. Improve reviews by using an employee self-appraisal prior to the review. This way, you can also see the employee’s feedback on their progress and struggles. 
5. Set goals in a way that reinforces the employee's ability to plan and implement the steps necessary to reach the goal. The review must support and strengthen the employee's empowerment, his or her ability to chart the course to successful accomplishments. 

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Determining a Fitting Charity to Partner With

The business experts at Corporate Business Solutions know firsthand that small businesses looking to be philanthropic have many options today. Our business experts can help business owners navigate the world of charity. 

If your business is looking to establish a new corporate giving program, we have some tips that may help you determine a fitting charity to partner with:

1. Research charities: 

• Identify what factors are important to you and your business, such as the environment, education, animal welfare, children, etc. 
• Decide if you want to partner with a charity that does work in a specific area, including your neighborhood, region, the nation or internationally.
• Determine if you want to support a large or small charity, a new or an old one.
• Review the mission. Are their goals in line with the goals of your philanthropic endeavors?

1. Evaluate your list of charities:

• Check a charity's legitimacy. Does the IRS recognize the organization as tax exempt? If the organization is faith-based, you can ask to see its official listing in a directory for its denomination.
• Obtain the facts. A reputable organization will define its mission and programs clearly, have measurable goals and use concrete criteria to describe its achievements.
• Be sure to compare charities that do the same kind of work, especially if you're looking at their finances. The type of work a charity does can affect its operating costs dramatically.
• Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you. Reputable nonprofits will discuss their programs and finances and are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Website.

To learn more and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Note-taking Apps for Small Businesses

The business professionals at Corporate Business Solutions are renowned for solving the complex and unique business challenges our clients are experiencing in the multifaceted business world.  We are committed to bringing the positive change that your business needs to have sustainable growth and profits.  

We review and analyze your business so we can create protocols to improve functionality. Our experts will help your staff become more productive and efficient.  Often, we help employees integrate apps into the workplace. 

With the right program, a smartphone or tablet can be multifunctional.  Many entrepreneurs especially appreciate note-taking apps. Digital notes have many advantages over the traditional pen-and-paper counterparts, including eliminating loss and adding convenience.

If you’re considering adding a note-taking app into your workplace, here are three free options:

• Papyrus is a multiplatform app designed to let you jot down notes and sketch out ideas on your mobile device using a stylus or your fingertip. The notes engine lets you cut, copy and paste items between pages, and features touch gestures so you can zoom and pan around your notes easily. Once you're finished, you can sort your notes by category, and export them to share with colleagues, co-workers or employees. For iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
• Evernote lets you dictate or manually enter notes, snap photos, create to-do-lists and more. The app features text identification, which can recognize and index printed — and even handwritten — text. That means you can search for specific words, whether they're in a PDF, a typed memo or a photographed note scrawled on a scrap of paper. Evernote is available for a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mac and PC, so you can access your notes on any machine and stay organized. 
• Simplenote prides itself on being a simple app. It excludes most of the extras that you’ll find in apps like Evernote , but the tradeoff is that it’s a lot easier to use. You can quickly create new notes and add bullet points. It also allows you to search through your notes with keywords.  Compatible with iOS and Android.

To learn more and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.