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Link the strategic plan to the budget

Robert C. Harris Association Management

It is said if you can read a budget, you know an organization’s priorities. A strategic plan should be closely tied to the board-approved budget. A budget is a forecast of income and expenses. A strategic plan is a multi-year roadmap for leadership to deliver value. There are several ways to link the strategic plan and the budget. First, goals require allocation of financial resources. Before agreeing to new ideas, leaders must consider economic consequences. Second, some goals generate new revenue. For example, increasing membership will impact income. Third, the strategic plan communicates value to members. Thus, members will judge the leadership on how they funded the programs and priorities.

How to finally solve employee engagement

David Horsager Business Management, Services & Risk Management

We toss around the word "engagement," but what is it? High employee engagement has a few standout elements: genuine connection, commitment to one’s role and workplace, and a willingness to go the extra mile to achieve the mission. High employee engagement is a great aspiration, but the first step to fixing the engagement problem is realizing it can’t be solved by changing the workplace into something more similar to leisure time. Ping-pong tables and free lattes aren’t the solution to a disengaged workplace culture. In fact, disengagement isn’t even the core issue. Disengagement is the consequence, not the problem.

How to get started with Facebook Ads: Small business edition

Brian Meert Marketing

If you’re a small business owner who has struggled in the past with getting started with Facebook Ads, you’re not alone. Handling your social media marketing, especially when it comes to something with as steep of a learning curve as Facebook Ads, requires time, energy, and a certain depth of knowledge. Not every business owner has what is needed to create, monitor, and update ads. But if you don’t have an in-house ad team or the means to hire a professional contractor, you’ll have to add it to your list of must-do’s. Luckily, we’re here to help.

7 big organizational benefits of remote work for employers

Richard Conn Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Remote working may sound attractive to employees, but there are huge organizational benefits for employers, too. With 74% of professionals believing that remote working will become the new normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, it looks like its popularity isn’t going to end any time soon. So, how can you make it work for your business and reap the benefits?

Product configurator: The key to e-commerce personalization

Brian Wallace Retail

Personalization has been a potential promise of e-commerce since the early days of the internet. Since the dawn of the modern internet, the belief has been that getting a product down to a specific user’s need is beneficial, as it leads to greater loyalty and exceptional customer experience. There are four main approaches of how to handle customization. Learn more about those approaches and how the product configurator achieves a superior level of collaborative, high customization with this visual deep dive.

5 steps you should take to ensure website security

Jayson Davis Science & Technology

If websites are separate properties partitioned as part of a planned city, the internet is the network of roads linking all these properties together. Websites rely on the internet in order to reach billions of people situated all over the world, and just like a city, the internet generates a lot of traffic. However, just like a large city, the internet faces a number of security concerns. At any given time, someone is trying to steal your data and exploit it for their own gain. Whether it’s customer bank details, company secrets, or even your own personal information, you need to keep your website data safe and secure from cyberattacks.

Board evaluations: The argument for a shorter, more targeted evaluation

Bill Pawlucy and Benjamin Colvin Association Management

A high-functioning, strategic board requires the ability for it to be introspective and capable of self-reflecting on its overall performance. It is by no means an easy task to accomplish regardless of the board's size or composition. Let’s consider the difficulty staff often encounter when conducting self-evaluations during annual reviews; this is compounded when trying to evaluate a large group as a whole. An evaluation tool is one of the most effective ways for a board to reflect on its impact on the organization as a whole.

Audio marketing: From radio to Clubhouse

Kristen Klepac Marketing

Audio has substantially evolved since its early analog radio days, and today, it is an incredibly effective way to emotionally resonate with audiences and leave a lasting impression. In the past decade alone, there has been a continual upward climb of audio markets. As consumers look for ways to multitask or consume content on the go, podcasts, audiobooks, and streaming services are becoming more popular. As businesses learn about the power of audio, incorporating it into their marketing strategies will give voice to their brands and help them connect to customers through authentic conversations.

7 lessons for the new manager or supervisor

Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Being a first-time manager or supervisor can be a very scary time. The confidence you had in performing every facet of the job as one of the team now seems to abandon you as you ready yourself for your first day as the new supervisor. A little pep talk with yourself in the car on the way to work settles things a bit. But now, as you enter the department, it seems as if every eye is on you. You smile and warmly greet your team, though your mouth feels as dry as a cotton ball. You think, "What have I gotten myself into?"

How to effectively onboard new remote employees

Sunny Dhami Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Remote work has all but become standard as the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 crisis and its upcoming aftereffects. Of course, this means many teams will be welcoming new members without getting to meet them in person. These remote employees will have a completely different onboarding experience than many of their teammates did. The importance of doing a good job in this area can’t be overstated; the majority of employees are more likely to keep working for a company that provides them with an excellent onboarding experience. This article will take a look at the most effective tips for onboarding new remote employees.

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