Tips for Running a More Productive Business

Julie Starr • October 26, 2021



Running your company can be really tough at times, especially when you need to do everything on your own. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to make running your business so much easier. Whether you have a staff or not, you should really make sure to focus on productivity above all else.

When it comes to running a business , productivity is key. This can really help you to streamline what you’re doing and work to achieve your goals in the most effective manner. Let us take a look at the top ways to run your company more smoothly.

Why Should You Make Running Your Company Easier?

In today’s fast-paced world, running a business is not easy. There are many tasks that might not be fun but have to be done in order to keep a business afloat. Having these tough days can take a toll on your personal life and you’ll want to get away from it all. So, you really want to do this in order for things to be much easier for you. You want your business to do well – and to be stress-free. So it’s in your best interest to spend some time in this area.

Reduce the Time Needed for Company Management

Time management is a necessary and important skill for any individual. A recent study on workplace productivity reveals that more than half of respondents admit that they waste too much time at work. This won’t be helping your productivity or efficiency. So you’ll want to work on this as quickly as you can.

It helps to make sure you have effective communication channels between managers and employees. You’ll also want to reduce the time needed for routine tasks by automating them with software such as JIRA or Trello. Then also consider utilizing team collaboration platforms such as Slack and SharePoint to share, collaborate, and manage tasks more efficiently.

Introduce Systems and Processes in Your Business

In order to achieve sustainable growth, businesses must introduce systems and processes. This makes everything efficient by streamlining what needs to be done and saving a lot of time. This could be from creating set ways of doing simple tasks to using Virtual Headquarters to take calls for your business niche. As long as you have efficient set ways of doing things, you should find that it makes your life so much easier and manageable.

Have Better Leadership Skills

As a leader, you are responsible for making sure your employees are working in an environment where they can be fulfilled. You have to establish trust with them so that they are willing to work harder and perform better. So you need to work on your business and management skills here. Being empathetic and a people person can help. But you also need to be stern and set boundaries. It’s also a good idea to learn how to motivate and engage your employees to help them be more productive.

Keep Your Workers Engaged and Motivated

Employee engagement is an important factor to consider in achieving high productivity. When employees are motivated, they are more productive and focused on their work. You can do this by setting challenges and offering rewards. If they have a good rewards program, they may be more incentivized to reach certain goals and checkpoints. It could be to win a trip or even gift cards for their favorite shops and so on.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.