I learned at an early age that working together is the best way to get things done. My baby sister was born on a freezing Tuesday night in February. As Dad traveled for work, Mom sank into what we now know was post-partum depression. I was the oldest child, and it...
Do your workers seem bored and listless, as if they’re just going through the motions? Yeah, you say, but I can’t do anything about it. Work is work. At least they get a paycheck. But all work—or at least all workplaces—are not created equal. Whether or not you think...
As 2018 gets underway, we all are striving to set goals and take those first steps to meeting them. Structure for Success is no different. Our biggest goal this year is to expand. We aim to work with more clients this year at a higher level, and to provide more...
My January best practice tip builds on all the hard work you put into creating your Year End Strategic Plan. Didn't get that done? No problem! There is still time to review what worked and didn't work for your business last year and to create a custom blueprint for...
Remember Proposition 206? The one that requires all businesses with at least one employee to provide paid sick leave effective July 1, 2017? Another important provision of Prop 206 is an incremental increase in the minimum wage for hourly employees. As a result, the...
Did you say 2018? Where did 2017 go? More to the point, how did it go? Did you hit all your business goals? If you did, congratulations. Set even higher goals for next year. But if you didn’t, don’t beat yourself up—build yourself up. Now is the time to figure out...
You’ve taken that last exam and marched proudly in your college or grad school graduation. You’ve had jobs before—waiting tables, stacking boxes, checking out groceries or clothes—but not a career. You’ve sent out a few resumes because that’s what you do, but nothing...
Hiring good workers is a critical function for every small business, but it’s only the beginning. One of the biggest costs to small businesses, both in the outlay of actual money and in lost productivity, is worker churn. Once you hire good workers, how do you keep...
In my work with small business owners, I hear all the time: “Wendy, I just can’t find good workers.” It’s as if they expect these mythical creatures to materialize before them, fully trained and ready to go. But that’s not how it happens. You don’t find good workers,...
You’ve heard it everywhere –books, Blogs, Twitter, Workshops. If you want to grow your business, network, network, network. But what does that mean? Networking is more than the sum of your contacts – it’s the depths of your relationships. Here’s how to transform your...