Danville, KY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/14/2019 -- In the digital age, staying relevant means that one can't rest on their laurels for a moment. Continuous improvement and constant innovation are the keys to staying ahead of the pack. New trends, products, and habits develop on a daily basis and part of staying relevant involves recognizing changes in customers' wants and needs before your competitors do.

Here are some tips from Josh Tarter, a consultant with experience that will help business owners stay relevant.

Know the Importance of Relevance
Some business owners already feel out of the loop and don't want to struggle to keep up. It's all a matter of perspective. Staying relevant means the difference between moving forward in your career or as an entrepreneur. Anyone reading this doesn't want to stay in the same spot forever. Whether a competitor is a franchise down the street or Bob from across the hall, staying relevant is the key to evolving past the current situation.

Recognize When Things Are Changing
OK, so things are always changing. This is about big changes, sea-level changes that one can capitalize on — if approached before the competition does. To accomplish this, pay attention to what's happening in the industry of interest. Join professional associations, read the latest books and articles, and talk to other leaders in the field. Trade shows, open houses, and conventions can reveal the product line that becomes the next bestseller. Stay in tune long enough and start to recognize what trends will evolve into crazes soon enough to capitalize on them.

Enrich Knowledge, Then Apply That to Business
To remain relevant, a business has to be valued by others. This could be leaders in the company, distributors who consider the company a good partner and push its products or a prospective employee who sees the spark and takes a chance.

The easiest way to gain trust is to provide knowledge that prospective customers don't already have. To pull this off, take classes, shadow experts in the field, do whatever it takes to gain more than pedestrian knowledge in the field. For example, getting an MBA or technical certifications, or hiring people who have them, is a great way to gain invaluable insight into the financial management and IT industries, respectively.

Embrace Cross-Industry Innovations
Tarter adds, "From my experience, you're far more likely looking outside your industry than in it for innovation. For example, when I'm dealing with a personnel issue or trying to attract employees with a certain skill set, I look for individuals with experience in other fields who can provide a fresh perspective. Consider hiring an engineer to run your product development team or a business leader to consult with an out-of-touch IT team."

The consultant goes on to say he spends nearly two hours a day reviewing journals, articles, and resumes from other industries. Some of his top inspirations have come from this research. His motto is to never stop learning.

Put Customers First
Some things never change. Focus on the customer. Reach prospective clients and customers where they like to hang out. That could include targeted social media campaigns or experiential events on the lawns of college campuses.

Tarter says it's important to engage the customer, so reserve a high percentage of marketing and ad spend for channels that allow customers to comment, share ideas and provide rich feedback to inform your decisions. When customers consistently bring up problems with product availability, pricing or performance — pay attention and fix it fast.

Don't Be a Blackberry
What went wrong? Studying companies like Blackberry provides deep insight into how hubris and lack of innovation can kill a company — even if one starts out with a monopoly on the market.
Blackberry was a mobile communication device, a precursor to the cellphone. Hollywood stars, CEOs and the insanely rich didn't go anywhere without theirs. It allowed users to receive emails and make phone calls on the go. But they failed to recognize what was happening in the industry. New technology-enabled companies like Apple and Android started to develop smartphones, which made Blackberry obsolete. Tarter says, don't be a Blackberry.
For more information visit http://www.joshtarter.com.

About Josh Tarter
Josh Tarter helped grow the start-up, Stateline Steel in Columbia, KY as Owner/Operator. He has since passed on the day-to-day responsibilities to focus on two new start-ups, to be announced in the coming months, while still maintaining an ownership position. As the President at Stateline Steel, Josh Tarter has combined financial and business planning with tactical execution to optimize long-term gains in performance, revenues, and profitability. He not only improved the company's efficiency, he also reduced the cost of the business' operation.

Contact:
Josh Tarter
Josh.Tarter@tartercompanies.com
270-731-8121
PO Box 12
Danville, KY 40423

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Danville, KY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/13/2019 -- Business consultant, Josh Tarter recently spoke about a little known fact - most people say they aren't happy at work. In fact, now there's a number to quantify that. According to Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace" survey, 85% of employees aren't happy at work. As a manager and mentor to employees, I've picked up a few tips and tricks to create a productive, happy workforce. The hope is, they help keep employees out of the unsatisfied majority.

Keep Employees Invested by Investing in Them

Health, dental and vision insurance affect not only employees but their families. Give employees decent benefits and they will give more at work. Though they cost a bit more, several other programs help build loyalty, such as:

- Paid sick/vacation time

- Tuition assistance

- Flex-time and/or remote work opportunities

Everyone loves free stuff, so spring for freebies that keep employees in the office and fuel their brains, such as:

- Free Keurig coffee

- Healthy snacks in the break room

- Free lunch or dinner during month-end closing or other crunch periods

The bottom line is, the more business owners invest in their employees, the happier they'll be and the more productive their workplace will be.

Integrate New Hires Quickly

Tarter, a consultant, and longtime business owner says, "Over the years, I have heard horror stories by newly employed friends left alone in an empty cubicle, waiting days or weeks for the appropriate equipment, system access and even acknowledgment from their boss or other team members. Maybe this type of treatment accounts for the fact that over half of all voluntary terminations occur within the first year. One of the main reasons cited is lack of engagement."

Tarter says, getting new employees comfortable with their responsibilities and including them in team meetings helps them feel included and gives them a sense of purpose. Here are some tips to help integrate the next new hire quickly:

- Provide a clear schedule and agenda for the first few days to help them feel productive

- Give new hires a run-down of how they will be managed and what is expected from them

- Let them know how their role contributes to the business

- Encourage questions and ask their opinion on various topics

- Provide opportunities to interact with coworkers

- Invite them to lunch

Create Work/Life Balance

"If you've created your business from scratch, you may still be "on" 24-hours a day. However, the people you hire are much more likely to stay if your business keeps predictable business hours. Some industries work around shifts that require nights and weekends. However, balance is possible for any company that's properly staffed and well-managed. Be that business," Tarter adds.

Employees are the public face of your company, so it's to a business owner's benefit to make sure they are getting enough time with their families and to sleep. Burnt out workers move on to greener pastures. On the other hand, if there is flexibility with time off and an acknowledgment that they have priorities outside of work, an employer is likely to get more out of employees while they're in the office, driving around clients, or on the retail sales floor.

Compensate Competitively

This is a sticky point with a lot of business owners, especially small to midsize businesses. Nearly 90% of working Americans are stressed about their bills. Business owners want to maximize their bottom line. Minimum wage workers make about $20,000 a year, which barely pays the bills. To help employees to concentrate on the company's goals, pay them enough so that they don't have to get second jobs to support their families.

To stay competitive without giving away the farm, check out Glassdoor and other websites for accurate pay ranges based on industry, role, and location.

Career Path

Some people may be content to stay in the same job for the same pay year after year. However, Tarter has found that most employees want to know what their chances of advancement are. It's easy to create a career path in the restaurant and retail industries. Employees who work hard move from the stockroom to the retail floor to assistant manager positions, or from the dish room to the hostess station to the restaurant manager's office. Business owners may have to be creative structuring positions in an office environment with low turnover and a flat organization chart, but it can be done. Give people something to work toward, and they'll stay long enough to achieve it.

Emphasize Culture

What kind of culture are employees attracted to? According to Deloitte, culture is more important than leaders ever realized. People want to go to a workplace where they are accepted and like their coworkers. A clear culture is nurtured in every aspect of the business, from the people hired to the people kept, and in the example set by leaders.

There is a saying, "Your vibe attracts a like tribe." This is true. Acknowledge people's ideas, good or bad. Say, "Thank you!" and "Good morning." and solicit feedback from all levels of the organization — a business needs everyone to run a successful enterprise.

About Josh Tarter
Josh Tarter helped grow the start-up, Stateline Steel in Columbia, KY as Owner/Operator. He has since passed on the day-to-day responsibilities to focus on two new start-ups, to be announced in the coming months, while still maintaining an ownership position. As the President at Stateline Steel, Josh Tarter has combined financial and business planning with tactical execution to optimize long-term gains in performance, revenues, and profitability. He not only improved the company's efficiency, he also reduced the cost of the business' operation.

Contact:
Josh Tarter
Josh.Tarter@tartercompanies.com
270-731-8121
PO Box 12
Danville, KY 40423

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm