Well-being at work is more than a vague concept. For some time now, it has become one of the main topics of debate in companies, a real issue that leads to a high rate of absenteeism due to work-related accidents or illnesses. Several actions are then adopted to ensure the well-being of employees if in 2019, nearly 40% of employees admit that employers were not paying attention to it.
The notion of well-being in the workplace is not only about the environment in which the employee is exposed: the organization, space, decoration and design, although these elements are essential. The various rules and regulations as well as the extra-professional life are also included, such as health problems and social benefits. This well-being is primarily assessed in terms of the stress generated in the employee’s work environment: the pressure, the difficulty of the tasks, but also the relationships the employee may have with colleagues or the general atmosphere within the company.
According to surveys conducted by social protection groups in 2018, the burdens produced by absenteeism are exorbitant. Burn-out, extended recovery time, depression, but also benign everyday ailments, this illness-related absenteeism costs companies dearly. In the same year, 37% of employees had to stop work and in 2019, 20% claimed from a doctor a total stop of work, if in 2016 they were only 9%. Observing the expenses caused by this rate of absenteeism, companies have decided to address health and safety at work as well as well-being at work.
Business leaders are well aware that the quality of life at work and psychosocial risks are major issues for the development of their structure. Many of them believe that this issue is one of the biggest challenges they have to face. Revitalizing employees, building loyalty… Because the well-being at work has considerable impacts on the performance, productivity, attractiveness of the company and its development. Thus, well-being at work has become the new priorities of human resources departments.
Most of the professions nowadays are almost all concerned by the drudgery at work. Indeed, employees are exposed to occupational risks, including psychological risks and physical risks, which affect them directly.
In general, an occupation is defined as arduous when it meets certain criteria. When there are physical constraints at work (such as fatigue), mental or emotional hardship (with stress), occupational hazards or safety risks in addition to organizational concerns at work (too much pressure at work), it is considered to be strenuous. The degree of arduousness at work is currently higher, i.e. employees are more exposed to occupational risks than reaching early retirement.
For this, a prevention plan & work arduousness with ID Prevention would be required for each establishment.
Mainly, there are ten (10) professions that are the most concerned by the drudgery at work. These are employees or workers who are exposed to psychosocial risks and physical risks.
Public works workers in the field of BTP (Building and Public Works) who are machine operators are among the most affected. Their work consists of site preparation, digging and clearing with manual or mechanical construction materials and tools. These employees should be careful to protect themselves from accidents or incidents.
Workers in industrial companies are most often exposed to various noises and lack of independence, as they are always at work.
Cashiers usually perform repetitive tasks, which can lead to tendonitis and back pain.
Farmers, ranchers and lumberjacks are always busy in the field, and therefore these occupations are unfavorable for psychological health.
Security and guard workers have unpleasant occupations because they usually have to work the whole day to guard a place.
Midwives and nurses are exposed to emotional disturbances with complicated patients, and ethical conflicts in hospitals because these professions are also difficult.
Insurance and banking employees also face ethical conflicts at work, with various administrative tasks and getting them done as quickly as possible.
Caregivers are most often exposed to psychological and physical fatigue because they should ensure the comfort and hygiene of their patients most of the time.
Bakers, butchers and delicatessen workers are among the most unpleasant occupations because the working conditions are very difficult and affect morale.
Cooks and hotel employees (maitre d’, waiters,…) are also exposed to various noises and a lack of independence.
Every company should always opt for occupational risk prevention, in order to ensure the occupational health of all employees. This prevention contributes to the implementation of internal provisions and to the preservation of the safety and health of employees. The important thing is to provide a favorable well-being in the internal environment of the company.
Faced with suffering at work or psychological distress, employees have difficulty finding their way around. This article informs you about the causes of unhappiness at work and advises you on who to call.
Suffering at work refers to mental suffering. This suffering is defined as a psychological distress or a malaise. It is a state that worsens over time and gradually leads to depression, post-traumatic stress and even suicide.
This form of psychological distress is due to the numerous working conditions. The demands and stress generated by work represent psychosocial risks. The higher the pressures, the more the braid increases. As a result, there is a need for increased control, vigilance and competence. All these efforts only increase frustration, anxiety and loss of control. A perception of imbalance can also be the cause of suffering at work. This problem arises when you realize that you are working too hard for your salary. This perception has a negative impact on your mental health and safety.
If you have all these feelings in the context of your work, consulting an occupational physician is the first solution. In addition to systematic visits, an employee can consult an occupational physician on request in case of suffering at work.
An occupational physician has the appropriate skills to diagnose work-related malaise and psychosocial risks that affect health. He has the ability to put an employee on leave if necessary. In the case of a stoppage, the doctor prescribes treatment and carries out psychotherapeutic follow-up to monitor the improvement of your condition. He or she may also recommend that the employer review the employee’s position or conditions for a better situation.
Talking about suffering at work to the staff representatives is also a solution. By exposing your problem to them, they will be able to take a special look at your case. They have the possibility to improve your circumstances or to give you advice for a better health at work.
With the help of the occupational physician or by your own motivation, you can also address the employee representatives. By means of a written request, it is possible to explain to them the psychosocial risks that employees are facing. Thanks to this approach, actions can be taken.
There are several steps to follow in order to go from the founding idea to the final launch of your company. You are in the start-up phase of your entrepreneurial journey, and the first step is to create your business model or business plan. People who want to start their own business often tend to put aside the business plan. Neglecting the crucial step of developing a business plan when you want to start a company is like building a house without established plans. Discover the path of the business model or business plan.
Depending on the type of project, the business plan is a written file of 20 to 50 pages that helps you structure your project by confirming many essential questions. It gives you the opportunity to gather your ideas and organize them to study the feasibility of your business or company creation program. The business plan is an indispensable factor in the promoter’s journey. It is advisable to make it properly because it represents the roadmap of the project. The business plan will determine the viability of the project and give coherence to your project. There are as many business plans as there are promoters or entrepreneurs. The business plan must be the written description of the project of creation of company. It must include some information.
The business plan will give you a general vision of the activity of your company. It will allow you to choose the right strategic decisions according to your market and its evolution. The business plan will allow you to grasp more easily the resources and the needs necessary for the activity of the company. It is a real means of steering the company. It gives you the possibility to establish the economic plan model of the company’s activity, by looking for the way to self-finance the company and to generate profitability. The business plan is a strong argument to convince the banks. If you want to obtain a loan for your program, it can prove the feasibility and solvency of the project and bring credibility.
In general, each business plan is uneven. However, it is composed of parts such as the summary of the project, the market, the offer, the team and actors of the project, the commercial strategy, the legal, the appendices, the financial forecast. It is necessary to prioritize the information, to have a solid structure. It is also advisable to highlight the necessary passages to facilitate reading. It is preferable to embellish the business plan with images, graphs and tables related to your project. The business plan is also a springboard to attract major investors.
You probably have an innovative business idea in mind and are certainly ready to turn your business idea into reality. You’ll want to gather information as part of the planning process, conduct an analysis and make sure your business concept is feasible. There is a short list of people you can talk to before moving forward with big steps like filing for a business loan or finding a commercial property.
The advisor is someone who has done what you are about to do. He or she will have a range of experience, intelligence and knowledge that you don’t have, and will be able to support you with advice, tools and new ideas on a variety of issues. But also be sure to talk to a trusted friend or family member before you start a business appointment for additional advice. Accountants are one of the first people you can turn to for small business guidance. They can suggest ways to finance your business and prepare financial proposals. Accountants can help you if you need advice on developing a business budget.
Meeting with business owners who already have credibility in your area is one of the easiest ways to build a reputation. This has two major benefits. First, you’ll get the secondary credibility benefit of being associated with that professional influencer who might share your content and give it a massive boost, or send you new followers on social media. Secondly, this person will offer you services, opportunities and connections to meet your needs. Peers are also nice to meet on your startup date, but they may have less experience than mentors.
Even if you have a frugal business model, your business will still need working capital to get started. If you don’t have money to manage on your own, you’ll need a business startup appointment with an investor to build momentum or help you solve difficult problems. If you’ve decided to hire employees but don’t know where to start, consider turning to recruiters. Talk to a hiring manager who has experience with your company’s needs within the industry.
The term business angel is common in the business world. But what exactly is a business angel? Focus on the subject.
An adventurer is an individual who evolves in the unknown, and especially a person who likes to take risks. It is the same for a business angel. He is above all a natural person, with a considerable financial heritage. With a taste for adventure, he acts as a sponsor for innovative concepts. New concepts, i.e. new experiences, new products and new services that others would not have found attractive. It finances projects in any sector. However, before investing, the business angel learns about the entrepreneur, and chooses the one he considers suitable for a promising future. If you want to attract business angels, make sure your project is well presented. And above all, be sure that your company has a strong growth potential.
Statistics have identified three types of business angels. A former company director or a former executive, an entrepreneur who has just created his own company. And thirdly, the “family office” grouping private investors from the same family. How to face a crisis? How to find clients? A business angel has gone through various trials during his professional life. He has lived through these ordeals and has found the answer to these questions. It is therefore logical to qualify him as an expert. He can offer the entrepreneur the skills and experience he has acquired during his professional career. Therefore, when several business angels are involved in a common project, the entrepreneur benefits from a multitude of information. Therefore, the probability of success of the project will be at its highest. Consider yourself lucky if this opportunity presents itself to you.
If you are an entrepreneur, a business angel does not only provide you with capital. They also provide you with important knowledge. They play the role of a coach. And like any good coach, he establishes an alliance with you based on respect. He accompanies you in the process of development and creation in order to increase your chances of success. He gives you facts, informs you about potential markets, and guides you in all your research. Thus, he contributes to the development of your company thanks to his judicious advice, without participating directly in its management. Also, its financial support is a minority in relation to the company’s capital. This gives you the freedom to look for other investors to take your business to the top. As in sports, the coach does not play, but his advice is essential for his team to win a game. It is the same in business.
In a field where it is essential to remain competitive, a commercial enterprise constantly needs to conceive and conquer new markets. Before embarking on a commercial project, it must conduct marketing research. A market study or a marketing study is an analysis of the demand and the offer on a market in order to set up an effective commercial strategy. The data resulting from this kind of study are mainly used in the framework of a project of extension or creation of companies. There are different steps to follow in a supply and demand study.
A supply and demand study or a market study is a process of analysis and information gathering. It is a practice whose origins go back to antiquity, even before that time, when commercial exchanges already existed between different human groups or groupings. The processes and approaches used in a market study have evolved and have been modernized especially in the middle of the nineteenth century with the appearance of new communication media such as television. It is a study that is necessary for the proper conduct of a commercial project.
The marketing studies are activities of commercial or marketing explorations whose main goal is to measure the various existing forces and in actions on a market. They are mainly carried out in order to see and ensure if a project or projects are commercially viable. The different objectives of a market study are generally: to test and validate a commercial idea, to analyze the offer (to see if it answers a real need), to evaluate the competition (the means implemented by the competitors) and to reduce the risks as well as the uncertainties related to a commercial strategy. It is a study whose steps are complex and require the respect and the follow-up of several stages.
Whether it is during the creation of a company or the extension of this one, a study of the offer and the demand constitutes a key stage in the development of a business plan. The different steps in this study are: the definition of the objectives, the preparation of the resources or means, the collection of information, the analysis of the data and finally the writing of the reports. In addition, there are different types of market research.
Business development coaching can help you overcome problems and difficult situations. The steps to be taken may vary depending on the number of employees and your sector of activity. Coaching is a very popular means of support for entrepreneurs who wish to achieve effective results in terms of production.
Business development coaching is first and foremost a strategy put in place to improve productivity. To reach your objectives, the professional will have to make a diagnosis to understand the current situation of the structure. You will get a personalized support according to the problems of the company. As it is a strategic coaching, the action plans will be based on the potential and opportunities of the company. You will be able to understand the type of system that is appropriate for your industry. You must be able to influence your organization. Executives and managers will be able to make decisions commensurate with the system chosen. Before hiring a professional, it is advisable to get quotes from several coaches.
The objective of business development coaching is to ensure the management of your company. It is a development lever for your organization. The decisions taken must enhance the relational side of your group. The collaborators must be motivated to reach a common objective. Coaching will help you improve the performance of all the actors in the company. By focusing on coaching, you will highlight a preventive action. Indeed, you will minimize conflicts within an organization. Even if you have a consultant in your company, it is important to use this type of service to have an external vision of the situation.
You don’t have to face problems to engage in business development coaching. The expertise of a professional will allow you to master all types of situations encountered in your company. The intervention of a coach can bring you a certain assurance. You will enhance your performance and your company will be able to surpass the current level of production while having a welcoming and relational framework. Your employees will not be forced to be under pressure to provide you with good results. The weaknesses of your structure will be the first points addressed by your coach.
When we talk about competitive intelligence, there are certain activities and methods to implement. These methods are used to keep an eye on potential competitors. Through the implementation of a competitive intelligence, the identification of the market development of competitors on a geographical or marketing level will be more precise; in other words, the competitive intelligence allows to take the best measures to position oneself on the market and to improve one’s reputation. Setting up a competitive intelligence is therefore a necessity for those who want to remain the best.
To set up a competitive intelligence, you must always have precise objectives, and know how to answer some fundamental questions. It is also necessary to put in place human and technical resources. The human means will be in charge of the competitive studies, while the technical means are used to specify the data necessary for the study.
On which theme should a competitive intelligence be done? The first step is to answer this question by identifying the strong points to be analyzed. Then comes the assignment of tasks to people in charge of collecting information and setting strategies corresponding to the information received. It is also important to set the right periods to do this study and to process the information. The duration of the watch must be well defined.
When we talk about competitive intelligence, we have to know how to identify the analyses and studies to be carried out in order not to waste time and collect failures. First of all, you have to define your competitors by making a list by type of company: direct competitors who carry out the same activities as you and indirect competitors who carry out activities that are not similar to yours, but who have the same goals as you. It is important to identify the means they use to attract their customers. You also need to analyze their financial situation, without forgetting to make approaches like looking at their websites and their coverage in the media to gather more information.
You need to know how to use some of the tools necessary for competitive intelligence: social networks, RSS feeds, Google alerts, competitor identification software. These tools are necessary to track down your competitors in every corner.
In business, it’s always about making the most profit possible. More profit means more sales and a larger market. Going international is a realistic way to maximize your profit. Here is how to proceed to develop your business internationally.
Considering international business development is not a goal to be taken lightly. Before choosing which country you are going to set up in, make an assessment of your company. The quality of your services, your weaknesses, your strengths. Then, make a list of countries in which your company could be established. Find out about the countries on the list. Analyze their economic potential. Review the traditions and cultures as well as the different laws governing these countries. And most importantly, research your potential competitors if there are any. Find out how they operate. Their strategy, their pricing and their service. And finally, find out about the constraints that may impact your business. Choose the country that seems to be the most advantageous to you.
In order to expand your business internationally, you need a team you can trust. Establish clear criteria for recruiting future team members. You need to build connections and relationships with professionals. So, choose the best in their field. In marketing, in technology, and also in finance. Make contact with potential collaborators and investors from the country where you want to set up shop. Attending international trade shows is the best way to do this. Alternatively, you can talk to your current employees. Ask them if they know of anyone in your target country that they trust in the same field as you. Make sure you find someone who knows the behavior of your target customers.
Investing in the best possible marketing strategy is the key to growing your business internationally. Analyze your target market and figure out how to reach it. Since you are moving to a new country, getting the word out about your product is critical. Good advertising and promotion will be your best allies. First of all through the internet. Create a website available in the language of your target customers. You can also propose a promotional offer to communicate the value of your product. Also, offer affordable products that are in line with their tradition and culture. For example, if you are moving to a Muslim country, try to offer a halal product. Make sure you satisfy your targets and they will bring more customers.