​We all want to be more efficient, right? You want to get to the end of the workday and feel as if you’ve crossed a bunch of items off your to-do list. Who doesn’t? Here are some ways to have a more productive day at the office:

Have the right office products and furniture. At Strive Workplace Solutions, we know that the right furniture and supplies can make all the difference when it comes to employee wellness and productivity. Learn more about all of the ways we can help your workplace de-clutter, de-stress, improve ergonomics and pave the way for everyone to have a great day at work.

​Many employers don’t realize that employees’ feelings about the companies they work for are often shaped in the first weeks and months on the job. It’s a critical window of time for employees to find out about the companies they work for and whether the company, culture and co-workers are a good fit.

It’s a time period too important to leave to chance. Studies show there’s one common factor for many employees who leave companies within six months of the time they were hired: A lack of new-hire support. Studies show that as many as half of employees who quit jobs soon after hiring had little in the way of onboarding assistance — or none at all.

​These last 18 months or so have been eye-opening in so many ways, but one of the things we hear people talk about most often is how there’s been a seismic shift in priorities. Things that used to be important aren’t so important anymore, and things that used to be elusive – like time spent with loved ones over a leisurely meal – once again became part of the regular routine.

It’s like someone pressed a giant reset button for society, and as a result, slates filled with endless carpooling and errand running, and too many late nights at the office, were wiped clean and repopulated with the things that really matter to the individual at hand.

We’ve all learned lessons as a result, and perhaps changed our behavior and set new priorities for the coming months and years. It is our sincere hope that among these new priorities and goals, you’ve sprinkled in a few of these:

​Running a business is no small feat. If you ask the U.S. Small Business Administration, they’ll tell you one-third of all new businesses fail in the first two years. If you let them continue, they’ll say half of all new businesses make it four years, and only 40 percent survive for six years or more.

So how do businesses survive? And more importantly, how do they thrive? We thought we’d take a break from industry topics today and focus on a broader business discussion that has undoubtedly touched every entrepreneur reading this blog.

Meeting and networking with new people can be a great benefit to business professionals at nearly any stage in a career and in any industry. But it’s also important when you’re a business leader. Did you know that a strong business network has been linked to a host of benefits, such as better company performance, higher firm value, greater innovation and even more favorable financing terms? It’s true.

Are you effectively growing and leveraging your business network? Here are five great ways to use networking as a business and career development tool:

We all want to be more efficient, right? Yet research shows that many business leaders are going about it the wrong way. Here are some ways that research suggests can help us be more efficient at the office.

Focus on one thing at a time. You may think that multitasking will make you more productive, but it rarely does. The research is clear: Our brains simply weren’t designed for effectively doing more than one task at a time. Focusing on one task — giving it your full attention — can produce better results than trying to get more than one thing done at a time. It’s important to give your employees your full attention when you meet with them. It signals that they are important to you and that what they have to say is important to you. both of which can results in more productive and loyal employees.

A quick Google search will confirm what you probably already know: When it comes to finding ways to make a workplace more environmentally friendly, there are more ideas than any one company could possibly implement in a week, or even a month.

In other words, greening the workplace is a marathon, not a sprint.

Starting today, we’re going to use this blog space to periodically zero in on a few ideas at a time. Today’s installment focuses on three S’s: stationery, screensavers and suits. Disparate elements, yes, but with two things in common: better environmental practice and savings.

​As students across the U.S. head back to the classroom this fall, chances are good that they’ll hear reminders about wearing masks indoors and maintaining six feet of social distance. After all, it’s good advice offered by Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative designed to prevent epidemics, headed by President and CEO Tom Frieden, the former CDC Director.

A recently released report from Resolve concludes that schools can and should be open for in-person learning this fall, as long as safety measures like social distancing, mask-wearing and proper ventilation are in place.

To that we’d add one obvious measure: handwashing.

​As life slowly returns to normal, employees return to their workplaces on a part- or full-time schedule and students return to their classrooms, there are certain steps employers and educators can take to make everyone feel safe post pandemic.

Key among these things is ensuring that the workplace and classroom are safe and sanitary.

​At Strive Workplace Solutions, we’ve always been able to say that our employees are good about washing their hands.

It’s that most basic function that we learn as toddlers at our parents’ knees: soaping up our hands, singing the ABCs and making sure that all the bad germs wash down the drain.