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SandraAljonHinshelwoodSampaga LAYOUT/DESIGNEDITORBusiness Partner Magazine is Sandrabi-monthlyissuedbyHinshelwood of EffectiveMarketingWebsite TABLE CONTENTSOF Project Hours Tracking vs. Productivity Tracking: You Don’t Have to Choose Micromanaging Will Get You Nowhere - Try This Instead 4 Ways Businesses Can Use Technology to Deal With Worker Shortages How Psychometric Testing Can Benefit Your Business in 2022 The Origin of Third Culture Bakery Compared To The Private Sector, How Does The Public Sector Handle Procurement Ways of Working and Doing Business Are Changing ....................................................................................................03 ....................................................................................................1307 ....................................................................................................17 ....................................................................................................2321 ....................................................................................................19 www.businesspartnermagazine.com01
Therefore, to increase productivity in the workplace, we should reduce working hours.
To your success, Sandra
To learn more about tracking and increasing productivity, look at our article: Project Hours Tracking vs Productivity Tracking: You Don’t Have to Choose. We also recommend that you look at your management style. For example, do you follow Theory X or Theory Y? Read Vanja Zivkovic’s article - Micromanaging Will Get You Nowhere, for some great tips. Take a look at the other articles in this edition. We have some great tips for dealing with worker shortages, recruiting and keeping your staff and generally looking at how you work. Also, don’t miss the remarkable success story of Third Culture Bakery.
Fast forward to the workplace, and it seems that nothing has changed. According to Parkinson’s Law, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
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Welcome to Issue 54 I hope you have been enjoying the summer. As summer draws to a close, the start of the new academic year is upon us, and this takes me back to school days and homework. For many of us, deadlines were set, giving a fixed time to complete projects. However, no matter how long the deadlines were, it was always the night before the due date that the assignment would be completed.
Project Hours Tracking vs. Productivity Tracking: DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion,” says Parkinson’s law. Reduce working hours, track them wisely, and increase productivity. Back in 1997, I was working on a construction project where they added a new work hours tracking system, forcing employees to punch in and punch out with an electronic card. That system had a nice gap: whenever you had to leave early, you would leave the card to the secretary to punch everyone out at 6 P.M., the allotted time to go home. Otherwise, there were no time entries of an employee to confirm the 9 hours spent in the office.
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In some organizations, project hours tracking becomes a ritual. What about intellectual jobs and the remote working teams at the pandemic and related employee control? Does that make sense in terms of productivity?
PROJECT TIME TRACKING: LEARNING PROS AND CONS
Project time tracking software helps you
YOU
manage projects by keeping track of tasks, deadlines, and expenses. It also facilitates you as a project manager to share project information with team members. Let’s overview the pros and cons of project hours tracking software.
PROS OF PROJECT HOURS
For many IT jobs, controlling how many hours employees sit at their desks makes no sense. Some organizations still have this factoryoriented conception around many workplaces where time tracking is a kind of ritual but not a necessity. If you write down everything your team is doing, you might be tempted to overload them with work. That won’t encourage productivity but is likely to multiply mistakes. Besides, if you are trying to have them get things done quickly, they might end up doing less quality work than they could do. Rigorous time tracking might foster a sense of mistrust within your team. The specifics of many projects require developers to track the time in more than one system.
When you are working in a taxi-like environment, time tracking becomes critical for the stakeholders. They might demand time consumption analysis to measure and assess the status of a project and team capacity. On this point, a project manager is responsible for knowing the number of billable hours spent on a project to invoice that effort to the client.
While managing teams, one of the key monitoring tools you have is time tracking. It helps you trace the current status and plan the following phases. But that is true only if your workers provide information about how they use their time close to Onereality.of the main reasons for using time tracker software is its power to make you more productive. It helps you keep track of time spent on projects and provides visibility into where the time goes. It also lets you set up recurring tasks and automate them. Finally, time trackers ease the recording and sharing of data with team members. When you use time tracking apps, you can view all of your projects at one time. You can then organize them into different categories based on what stage they are in. By doing this, you can keep track of everything your team is working on. A comprehensive time tracking allows easy integration with, for instance, a calendar and ticketing applications. If you know how to track project hours wisely, you can give your team the necessary freedom to organize their time and goals, as long as they finish their part of work on time.
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TRACKING
CONS OF TIME TRACKING
One of the easiest ways of productivity tracking is by setting goals. You might set weekly, monthly, or yearly goals. To improve your employees’ work habits, you should also consider setting measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals.
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Start by creating an action plan with measurable goals. Then, set up a system to measure your team’s progress toward those goals. For example, you might use a spreadsheet or a simple app – whatever works for your team will work well. It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing too much on the goal itself rather than measuring results. That can lead to disappointment when your employees realize they haven’t achieved what was expected. So instead, you may encourage them to track progress toward their goals and use employee productivity tracking
Oncesoftware.you’ve identified what your team needs to accomplish, reward them for reaching milestones along the way. That helps keep motivation high and urges your team to chase the goals. If you wish to improve your team’s productivity, start by tracking how much Mark Gaisford from Redsprout, an English advocate of productivity tracking, says, “If you want to be seen as loyal and committed to your employees, you work more and more.” But the problem with that archaic approach in our mindset is that productivity falls off a cliff the longer hours you work. To increase productivity, you have to reduce the working hours. The pandemic has emphasized the importance of having flexibility in work-life activities. Measuring time consumption is vital for your project, but you should also remember to measure employees’ results and know how to track productivity. You need to make employee productivity monitoring as simple and transparent as possible so as not to make it a burden and a means of control. Here is how to do that efficiently.
That may make them think, “Do I have to log every single minute because they don’t trust me?” If employees distrust their managers and feel intimidated, that may lead to increased employee turnover or burnout. When you have a lump-sum pricing plan, your client doesn’t care how many hours you spend to deliver what is needed. As a manager, you need to observe the fine balance: prioritize the quality of deliverables over tracking time.
CELEBRATE SUCCESS • SET GOALS • CREATE AN ACTION PLAN • MEASURE RESULTS • REWARD YOURSELF
HOW TO TRACK PRODUCTIVITY AND INCREASE IT
www.businesspartnermagazine.com 06 time they spend on each task. Then, set up an automated system to send reminders when they should take breaks. Finally, reward them when a part of a project is
HOURS TRACKING SOFTWARE •
Numerouscompleted.
At current projects, Solvd teams have a Harvest integration. One of its greatest features is that it recognizes what tasks are associated with what entry in the past and may suggest the fields. We can also log your hours directly from Gmail or ticketing systems, like Jira, by entering them manually or starting a timer. That eases the process of submitting that information to the billing department at the end of each week. Time Doctor is an employee-friendly tool that also provides productivity insights, thus helping teams to be more efficient. This scalable application helps plan and put flexible and most convenient schedules for remote, hybrid, and outsourced teams. You can automate project hours tracking to save time and easily share reports with colleagues and clients. This project hours tracking tool is loved and hated by many since it tracks all the activities on your computer. It is ultimately accurate but also very invasive. Time Doctor can even be configured to record mouse activity and take regular screenshots, although such kind of control is a debatable
tools and plugins, such as Harvest, Time Doctor, Clockify, and many more, may help you track project hours easier, make time consumption analysis less of a pain point for your staff, and handle productivity tracking. I’ve worked with teams in the past where we had to log hours in a ticketing system and then move all that information manually to the billing system that was on a separate compartment and not integrated with anything else. Whatever the tools are, a sensible suggestion here is a healthy combination of tools, education, and a bit of policing until it becomes second nature. Harvest is a cloud-based time tracking tool that suits projects of varied sizes. It has a time tracking feature that helps you track online how much time you spend on different projects. It also allows you to set goals and receive alerts when you’re falling behind schedule. If you’re looking for a simple time management solution, then Harvest might be right up your alley. This software offers a free 30-day trial, so you can see whether it’s worth the money before committing to a monthly subscription.
Thepractice.most popular software that allows millions of users to start tracking time for free is Clockify. It helps teams track how much time they spend across projects. It has timesheets and assists with productivity HOW TO CHOOSE PROJECT HARVEST TIME DOCTOR CLOCKIFY
•
•
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TAKEAWAYS
07 tracking, monitoring attendance, billable hours, and collecting employee data in real time. This application makes reporting and management utterly convenient, so you can see where you’re spending most of your time and improve your productivity.
Using time tracking tools and employee productivity tracking software is essential to keep abreast of the status of your project. If you track time and results and analyze employee data, you can understand if you are still on track or not. It also allows you to see retrospectively for future sprints and projects. Making a tracking system as easy as possible for your team is paramount.
Leo Prada is a former Technical Project Manager at Solvd, Inc., Argentina department. He is passionate about leading distributed teams and has vast team management experience across 10 different time zones. An avid traveler, he has spent many winters in the backwoods of Maine and some in Croatia, reclaiming his inspiration to work productively.
Once a work period is over, a user gets a PDF with the hour’s breakdown. She also mentioned how it was hard when, in the beginning, she had to think about setting the activity on pause if she was taking a break. With time, it has become second nature. Now it is helpful for her as she has the hourly rates in it and can see at a glance her monthly billable amount.
There is a possibility of initial resistance to keeping track of time and efficiency. You might escape the tension by clarifying how to track project hours in a simple system. Once you have confirmed the utility of the time tracking and productivity tracking and measuring system, promote it to your team members. You should be flexible about the amount of work done and hours spent if your team delivers results on time and within the scope.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Klara Franciskovic, a virtual assistant, shared that she has been using Clockify for keeping a time log. Among the reasons that have tilted her choice towards that tools are its free access and user-friendliness.
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MICROMANAGINGWILLGETYOUNOWHERETRYTHISINSTEAD
“Theory X” management believed all humans are lazy, work-avoidant, and selfcentered. Workers were treated in an authoritarian, overly controlling way, as their managers believed that it was the only way to assure productivity. Does that
Even in the bustling 21st century marked by groundbreaking employee tracking software and various management tech, many companies sadly still haven’t managed to completely eliminate micromanaging from their work culture. Micromanagement can be defined in many ways, but at its essence, it’s an extremely controlling management style where a manager closely observes, controls, and is way too involved in an employee’s work. This approach can have particularly harmful effects on all parties involved and often creates contradictory effects. In a futile attempt to control everyone and everything around them, the “allcontrolling” manager becomes overbearing to their team, drives productivity down, and gradually loses the trust of their team members.
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Theory X, Theory Y, Micromanagementand Douglas McGregor, an American management professor with a Harvard Ph.D. in psychology, noticed of common management issues and the micromanaging phenomenon when he entered the workforce. This led him to publish The Human Side Of Enterprise in 1960., which highly contributed to the development of management and motivational theories. In this book, Douglas described two distinct leadership styles in management based on their assumptions about human nature and behavior. These leadership styles were known as “Theory X” and “Theory Y”.
Ask Employees How They Want To Be Managed
Another great thing about open communication and effective team management is that the good word travels fast. People want to work in a system that treats them as humans, not robots. By creating an environment that promotes more holistic practices through frequent communication and a motivating approach, you’ll be able to attract and retain top talent. It’s about gaining insight into their work, not intrusion or surveillance. Once you realize that research confirms that hybrid work is here to stay, there is no better moment for a business to transform its management methodology with the help of employee monitoring software and better communication techniques.
Nowadays, management modeled after Theory Y is achieved with employee monitoring software. of punishing, try to suggest communication training, courses, unified communication solutions, etc. With better communication among remote employees, managers can trust that their teams have everything they need to collaborate and drive productivity. Together, employees and managers can slowly eliminate the need for micromanaging and prepare for the future of work.
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on the other hand, believed that people take pride in their work and have a strong drive to be self-sufficient. This approach was focused on treating employees like people and offering them more autonomy and trust; Douglas called this “scientific management”.
description remind you of a certain type of “Theorymanager?Y”
In addition, leaders now have the unique opportunity to motivate and empower their workers no matter where they are, with the help of technology. It’ll help you better organize your work, To be a good manager, you also need to learn to trust your team. In order for that to happen, you need to communicate with them. If this is an area that your leadership style struggles with, there are lots of ways for you to educate and become a more effective communicator.
Different employees like to be differently managed, so sometimes, all it takes is to ask. If managers communicate with their workers in a passive-aggressive way, especially while micromanaging, the employees are going to notice it, whether they are working onsite or remotely. As a business leader, you need to ensure effective communication with your employees. If you notice ineffective communication at the workplace, instead
www.businesspartnermagazine.com11 improve your collaboration, and end the practice of micromanaging.
• Will
Logging employee success through monitoring data is immeasurably more fruitful than any momentary positive effect from micromanaging. It’s time to elevate employee autonomy, not diminish it.
By lengthening and complicating work processes, micromanagers hurt employee morale, and the company revenue, as well as severely damage the overall performance of a team. a dependent staff not attract top talent satisfaction don’t stop micromanaging right now, the low employee output, high staff turnover rates, lack of talent retention, and poor creativity can eventually cause your business to fail.
Why Micromanaging Needs To Be Avoided About the Author
Vanja Zivkovic is a content writer at Insightful with a particular interest in SaaS and improving the workspace through technology and information. She was born and raised in Rotterdam, educated in Belgrade and Iowa, and is currently living and working in Belgrade. Apart from writing about technology and how it transforms the world that we live in, she enjoys poetry, learning, and traveling.
The complex job of a manager requires them to be authoritative and highly responsible while being closely involved with their team and their productivity levels. Unfortunately, leading managers who try to control every part of their team or project, do this because they feel they lackcontrol, power, or management knowledge.
f you
• Lower job
Here is a quick overview of the negative effects of micromanaging: • Unhappy, unmotivated employees • Lower trust • Lower productivity • Lower company revenue • Low employee retention • Creates
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he worker shortage in the US is growing at an alarming rate. While quit rates improved from 3% in December 2021 to 2.8% in January 2022, hiring new people has been exceedingly difficult. For example, in January of this year, there were 11.3 million job openings in the US, but not enough workers to fill them. This was a record high number for worker shortage; the previous peak was 11.1 million, set in July 2021.
Ways Businesses Can Use Technology to Deal With Worker Shortages
Businesses are feeling the effects of this shortage in a variety of ways. The pool of available workers has narrowed in recent years due to a combination of factors, including an aging workforce and increased competition for skilled labor. Businesses of all sizes and industries are dealing with worker shortages in one form or another. However, there’s still hope. The solution is not to find more workers but to use technology to make your existing workforce more efficient and productive. In doing so, you don’t have to worry about worker shortages and can carry on with your business as usual, and maybe even Herebetter.are four ways your business can use technology to deal with the growing worker shortages. Investing in technology for these areas will also improve efficiency and productivity at the workplace and for your business.
One way that businesses can deal with their worker shortage is by using virtual employees. Virtual employees can be used to fill positions that require specialized skills 1. Virtual Employees
T
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3. Data Analysis for Improved DecisionMaking
2. Pre-Recorded Video Classes for TrainingEmployee
www.businesspartnermagazine.com or experience that may be difficult to find in the local area. In addition, these types of employees may be able to perform work from home, which can help businesses avoid paying for office space, equipment, and utilities. So, for example, you need a receptionist to schedule appointments, manage phone calls and call routing, handle incoming calls, etc. You can get a digital or virtual receptionist for this role. You don’t have to look for a new receptionist that way. So, it shouldn’t matter whether the job market has capable receptionists or not. The average receptionist salary in the US is around $25,000 per year. So, when integrating a digital receptionist or hiring a virtual one, you can also save a lot of that Pre-recordedmoney. video classes have many benefits for businesses. They’re super easy to use. All your employees have to do is log in online and watch the class when it’s convenient for them. They’re also costeffective since you only pay once for the class, but everyone can access it whenever they need it. With this type of employee, you’ll be able to streamline your employee training process and save yourself time and energy. Most importantly, you don’t have to hire trainers or specialists to train employees. You can simply ask your recruits to watch these video lectures, test them on those topics, and see how much they’ve learned. It’s like taking MOOCs or attending a Masterclass. By using tools like data analytics, businesses can make smarter decisions about their staffing needs. They can see where they’re short on workers and what positions are most needed, then adjust accordingly
Remote work monitoring apps allow employers to keep tabs on their workers without needing to have them in the office. These apps allow employers to see when employees are logging in and out of their computers, how much time they spend on their computers, and even what they’re doing while they’re there. This helps ensure that employees are working in a way that aligns with their job descriptions. It also helps ensure that no one is taking advantage of the system by spending less time than they should be at 4. Remote Work Monitoring Apps
Another way big data and data analysis can help is by reducing the need for toplevel decision-makers.
As the company’s boss, if you know how to use data analysis for better decision-making, you need not hire analysts to do the same task. You and your programming or IT team, along with a couple of advisors or company directors, will be enough to handle important financial and company decisions.
based on those findings. This helps them keep costs down while focusing on where they need the most help at any given time— whether it’s an influx of new clients or an upcoming holiday season that requires more time off than usual.
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work or doing something other than their job during work hours. These apps are ideal for when you’re hiring freelancers and paying them by the hour. Using the monitoring apps, you can see whether or not they’re working or just passing the time and increasing their bill. Once you’re done implementing these technologies, you can move on to other types of tech like automation or IoT. For now, however, these four should suffice and help you overcome the employee shortage.
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PSYCHOMETRICTHETESTSSIGNIFICANT
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sychometric testing is an effective measure of the competency of a person. It can also lead to increased efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity in businesses. The value of psychometric testing will only see further growth in businesses as they continue investing in a more robust workforce pipeline. Here’s how you can use psychometric testing as part of your business plan in 2022: WHY ARE
How Psychometric Testing Can Benefit Your Business in 2022
Psychometric tests are used to measure your ability and personality characteristics. They are used in various fields, including education, business, and the military. This type of test is also called a personality or psychological test. The best psychometric tests can measure your abilities and traits, such as intelligence and personality.
Psychometricians can help organizations identify what their employees need and want from their jobs, how best to provide this, and how to measure their performance on these things. You can also consult a trusted team like ASC for psychometric testing. While there are other benefits that your organization can gain from psychometric testing, here are three ways your business can use it for your benefit: This article aims to show that the benefits of psychometric testing are numerous. In addition, it helps the development of the individual to help the company benefit from a well working, fulfilled and happy employee all round. Psychometric testing creates positive results for the business if it is used with the correct results. Ideally, your goal should be to use psychometric testing to create benefits for your business, such as increased sales and productivity, less stress, and a comfortable work environment.
WAYS CANORGANIZATIONYOURBENEFITFROMPSYCHOMETRICS
Psychometric tests have been used for many years. However, they have recently become more popular because they provide accurate and reliable information about individuals’ traits, abilities, and interests. Psychometric tests measure cognitive ability (IQ) and personality traits such as motivation and persistence. This helps employers determine whether they want to hire you for a position or not. In addition, psychometric tests can help parents or teachers identify children who may have learning disabilities or other problems that need special attention from trained professionals.
FINAL VERDICT
• Identify talent gaps: By identifying the top performers among a group of people who may not be performing at their highest levels, you can better understand how to address gaps in skills and knowledge. This can help you identify people who need more training or coaching before being promoted into positions with higher responsibilities.
• Measuring employee engagement: Some companies use psychometric tests as part of their annual employee evaluation process.
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• Evaluate employee quality: Psychometric tests can be used to evaluate the quality of an employee’s performance at work. By comparing their scores against those of other employees in similar positions, managers can identify areas where they need improvement and take steps to improve them.
Running your own company is a little different right now. Yes, the Covid -19 pandemic brought the world to the point where life will never be the same. But another level of dimensional thinking is worth exploring from a business owner’s perspective. Employees and working people in general now accept the option of working from home. Flexible working hours, good mental health/wellbeing provisions and better working conditions are the new normal. Leveraging your brand value, whether as a worker or business entity, is also part of the accepted new normal. The world will never be the same again. This is literally the case and is no longer an overutilised cliche. The rise of cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other online financial trading platforms create hubs of convenient ways to make money. As a result, small to medium-sized businesses face competition to be patronised for the goods and services they provide. This degree of seemingly hostile competition creates an excellent opportunity for smaller businesses. Let me explain the reasoning behind this positivity. People appear to value their time and good experiences much more because they have been through a global lockdown. They have had time to reflect on the meaning of life, enjoyed spending quality time with family & friends and been allowed to take stock of what’s truly important to them.
www.businesspartnermagazine.com19 WAYS OF WORKING AND DOING BUSINESS ARE CHANGING
Malik Muhammad was raised and educated in Jamaica and read law in London. He created The influence,MasteryEmpowermentSystemtohelpand inspire businesses to cultivate their visions. Malik enjoys vegan cooking and quad biking. He is an after-dinner speaker, event host and convenes empowerment seminars internationally. His latest book COFFEE & CONTEMPLATION: a taste of empowerment is available on Amazon.
Recent census data published by the Office for National Statistics in the UK appear to support this view. Some 77% of people working from home in February 2022 claimed that it improved their work, with 53% admitting that they enjoyed having fewer distractions. The data also reflects that there were significant spurts in UK homeworking between October –December 2019 and January to March Between2022. August 3-14, 2022, over 4 in 10 people expressed that they were genuinely concerned about new variants of Covid-19. These sample statistics give a fair indication of what people experienced all over the globe. People still buy from people, and even with the advent of online shopping, there is still a human component behind the rise of artificial intelligence and developmental technology. Emphasising the personal touch is where businesses like yours will strive. Assess your customer service protocols from the initial point of contact through to aftersale interactions (including returns and complaints). Zero in on the entire customer experience because repeat custom bodes well for any business. Repeat custom is more likely when the last experience was a good one.
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About the Author
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Revolutions have historically taken place when the masses take action to bring forth major change. This period bears witness to a series of mini-individual revolutions leading to overall changes in how we work, live, shop and do business. Businesses can effectively embrace this revolution by developing a fresh level of awareness and responding emotionally intelligently within your business to help strengthen your position in your industry. It’s often the little adjustments that have significant impacts.
The world is changing…
Chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu’s journey began on the grounds of Berkley, but the bakery’s foundation starts much earlier. Our parents were from Indonesia and Taiwan, and though we grew up in a culture much different from our parents’, their cultures are a strong influence. When we first began this journey, we wanted to create a business that reflected our ancestry and yet embraced our love for our community. What better way to do so than to bake unique, delicious pastries inspired by the flavors of two island nations and sell them to coffee shops, the heart of Bay Area culture?
In April 2022, Third Culture Bakery had reason to celebrate. It was our fifth anniversary. We survived, even though 45% – 51% of all businesses fail within the first five years of operation and despite the extraordinary challenges the world has faced since the start of 2020. It has been a wild and exciting ride, and we have much to be grateful for. We look back in wonder at how this all started. We’ve come so far and couldn’t have done it without our Bay Area community, our staff, and all those who’ve shown their support through the years.
After much discussion and planning, we took the leap to start a bakery business in 2016. Sam created the mouth-watering Mochi Muffin®, butter mochi donuts, and other culturally inspired foods and drinks, with Wenter happily offering his support in Building Third Culture Bakery on the Foundation of Our Cultures Growing Third Culture Bakery From the Ground Up
THE ORIGIN OF THIRDBAKERYCULTURE
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You may think that blood creates family bonds, but for the Third Culture Bakery, it was the Mochi Muffin®. The muffin’s popularity took off, creating a stir and bonding people in the Bay Area community. We could never have predicted how successful a muffin could be.
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After two years in business, the bakery provided goods to more than 60 wholesale locations and had a team of more than 20 people. Third Culture Bakery is more than a business. It’s a family, and it’s the best kind of family because everyone here chooses to be a member. tasting the recipes and providing input. Initially, we sold these goods to just six Bay Area wholesale bakeries. During this time, we burned the candle at both ends. Sam spent his days in the kitchen while Wenter held a full-time job. In the evenings, Wenter joined Sam in the Third Culture Bakery kitchen to help him finish up with the baking and do the dishes. We were lucky to catch a few hours of sleep before making the delivery rounds while most of the world still slept. Watching the sunrise every morning is one of our favorite memories of that first year. We were exhausted, but with each new dawn, we felt a renewed sense of excitement and hope as we dropped off each batch of goods. Finding Our Third Culture Bakery Family
term that
to organisations that provide free Private sector companies cover any type of business including: • Manufacturing and engineering companies • Health and beauty companies • Restaurants, hotels, and catering services • Accountants, insurers and solicitors • Online and physical retailers • Media organisations • IT and software developers
businesses
In the private sector, businesses are privately owned, for-profit that are not affiliated with the government. businesses fall under the private sector. Approximately six million private businesses employ more than 27 million people in the UK. an umbrella refers
Most
www.businesspartnermagazine.com23 Compared To The Private Sector, How Does The ProcurementSectorPublicHandle In the UK, all organisations can be classified into these sectors: public, private and what is known as the third sector, which refers to charities and other voluntary bodies. What is the sector?private What is the PRIVATEsector?publicSECTORBUSINESS EXAMPLES
The Public Sector is
• Building or decorating public buildings with the help of private contractors
• For public sector workers travelling, private sector accommodations can be used as a base of operations
www.businesspartnermagazine.com 24 • CENTRAL GOVERNMENT • SCHOOLS • NHS • LOCALORGANISATIONPUBLICGOVERNMENTSECTOR EXAMPLES
Private sector companies are hired by public sector organisations to provide products or services. Some examples are:
As a devolved matter, education in the United Kingdom is organised and delivered by each of the separate governments. The education sector oversees schools, higher education, nurseries and early years, as well as adult education such as traineeships and further education.
or subsidised services to the public, typically funded by the taxpayer.
The Public Sector employs over 5 million people, spends £235 billion and represents almost 40% of GDP. Additionally, the NHS is the largest employer in Europe. choose how to spend public money in its geographical area. Local government includes councils, police, fire services, and housing associations.
• Providing technological solutions and resources through a private sector company
The NHS budget in the UK is set by the central government, allocated to the devolved governments (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), and each government is responsible for its own healthcare spending. It includes primary care, hospital, social care and GP services. For administrative reasons, the UK has local Theauthorities.localauthority is given the power to
It is a unitary state that governs the UK. In other words, the UK is governed as a single entity. However, the Central Government can also delegate authority to local governments.
HOW DO THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WORK TOGETHER?
When it comes to the public sector ensuring taxpayers money is spent efficiently and transparently is a priority
Transparency plays an important role in regulatory obligations. Public service procurement must be transparent.
• price, • available contracts, • planning, • budgets, and • appointment of contractors.
The Social Value Act (2012) has also made social value a major factor in public procurement. In order to ensure that their procurement approaches achieve economic, environmental, and societal goals, organisations must take these factors into consideration before proceeding.
The budgets for public sector departments are much more rigid than those for private companies Public sector organisations can also lose funding, which can delay procurement processes. AND REGULATIONS
There is no requirement for private sector companies to provide equal contract opportunities.
• TRANSPARENCY
Public sector procurement differs from private sector procurement mostly in terms of how it is funded and regulated.
Public and private procurement have regulations, but public procurement has a broader scope and is often more stringent When a contract exceeds a threshold value, these regulations apply Anything over a certain amount is seen as a high-value contract. These thresholds are £213,477 (inc VAT) for Supplies & Services and £5,336,937 (inc VAT) for Works.
• LAWS
MOTIVATORS
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• FUNDING
www.businesspartnermagazine.com25 PUBLIC CONSIDERATIONSPROCUREMENTSECTOR
A procurement process must also ensure that all interested parties have an equal chance of winning the contract. Special treatment should not be given since this prevents a level playing field for all suppliers in the procurement process.
Accurately documenting procurement information is crucial, and will include:
1.Find a targeted public sector database that includes the types of public sector organisations you most want to reach,
Targeting the right public sector prospects usually means considering an entire group of people that may be involved with and use the service or product. This includes all those involved in dayto-day activities, as well as those with budgets and influence. Essentially anyone responsible for the delivery of their organisation’s services.
www.businesspartnermagazine.com 26 SHOULDCOMMUNICATIONBEDIRECTED TO THE CORRECT PEOPLE TIPS FOR
When it comes to smaller organisations like GP surgeries, there is usually one specific person that is the best point of contact for the majority of marketing. It will ultimately depend upon the nature, value, and type of product or service being offered, as well as the type of organisations involved, to determine who to contact.
2.Investigate each organisation to find out what they need, and how they advertise opportunities. Procurement strategies can be found online which outline how and what public sector organisations will purchase, 3.Information about what will be procured in advance can be found in contracts registers or procurement plans, 4.Ensure your company’s policies are aligned with public sector aspirations such as environmental protection and equal Withopportunities.MoreThan Words Marketing’s public sector database, you can find accurate and up-to-date contact details for public sector decision makers, segmented by the type of public body they work for and their funding Contactbudget. us to tell us which decision makers you want to reach and what you hope to achieve with your bespoke public sector database. You can reach us at 0330 010 8300 or email info@morethanwordsuk.co.uk
It is just as important to target the right people as it is selecting the right organisations, areas, and mode of Thiscommunication.isoftenthe reason that marketing campaigns are not successful.
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