Author Archives: DFWBizPros

7 Compelling Benefits of a Flat Organizational Structure

Flat Organizational Structure

The organizational structure you choose for your business says a lot about your company and yourself. So it’s important to consider the industry you are in before you start structuring your managerial infrastructure. 

But of course, many business organizational structures aren’t chosen; they simply come into form. A lot of times the nature of your business and your clientele will dictate how you structure your staff. And for as far back as most people can remember, tall organizational structures (ones with multiple echelons of management personnel that trickle all the way down to entry-level employees) have dominated the business landscape.

But a new organizational structure is emerging and turning a lot of heads for good reason: flat organizational structure. But what is a flat organizational structure? In essence, a flat organizational structure is any business or corporate staffing structure with little to no middle management tiers. Flat organizational structuring more or less does away with the hierarchical method of layering different degrees of managers on top of one another to oversee different levels of staff. They essentially put as little space between the executives and employees as possible.

What Company Has a Flat Organizational Structure?

Some of the most successful companies in the world employ a flat organizational structure to great success. These companies include:

  • Nike
  • Facebook
  • Squarespace
  • General Electric
  • Zappos

Of course, with huge multi-national companies like the ones mentioned above, special modifications to the flat organizational structure need to be implemented. But the spirit of the flat organizational structure remains intact to be sure. And one of the driving forces behind flat organizational structures that work is an innovative staff capable of critical thinking and decision making. With fewer management hoops to jump through, a flat organizational structure depends on staff to more or less manage themselves. This comes with a great many advantages…

What are the Benefits of a Flat Organizational Structure?

First and foremost, a flat organizational structure encourages staff to be more independent which has a good amount of side benefits that we will get into shortly. But right off the bat, if you decide to go with a flat organizational structure, you will automatically be considering more qualified staff members, thus upping the value of your workforce. 

You aren’t going to want inexperienced staff or employees that exhibit no initiative to man your flat organizational structure. So the quality of your staff becomes the first benefit of a flat organizational structure. Here are more:

1) Project Success

As Forbes points out, a company with a structural hierarchy sees less high-quality projects through to the end. When an important company project needs to be distributed among and filtered through many levels of management, the purpose and aim of the project get distorted. The finished project may not be what the company as a whole had intended at all. Flat organizational structures are more suited for project success because the message of various projects is preserved better among leaders and staff.

2) Company Savings

Middle and upper management types usually command a high salary. But in a flat organizational structure, the upper and middle management staff is minimized which can save the company a tremendous amount of money. 

3) Encourages Employee Development

When employees are entrusted with more duties that would typically be reserved for managers in a traditional staff structure, they feel more vested in the company and the company’s success. This encourages employees at all levels to take on more responsibility and increases their value to the organization as a whole.

4) Better Company Culture

In a typical flat organizational structure, when a project is not going right, it gets taken out of the hands of a staff member or team. While this is always discouraging, it breeds a better culture than micro-managing and telling employees what to do, which is what typically occurs in a hierarchical organizational structure. It also allows for coaching opportunities for employees who show and enthusiasm and aptitude for the work. 

5) Everyone’s Voice is Heard

Because projects in a flat organizational structure are a team effort, more people’s voices get heard in the decision-making. This makes more staff members feel valued as opposed to thinking that the manager directly above them conveyed their good ideas to the higher-ups without giving them any credit.

6) Creativity and Collaboration

Creativity and collaboration are not only encouraged in a flat organizational structure; they are vital. This kind of culture hones the staff’s ability to effectively communicate with one another and breed creativity naturally – without having to shove it down people’s throats.

7) It’s Progressive

Flat organizational structures are seen as progressive. Companies who use them are more attractive to the massive millennial workforce that is looking to break free from conventions and Draconian corporate structures.

Learn More From DFW BIZ Pros

Running your organization is a challenge. But by empowering your employees to have a voice, you can reap long-lasting rewards. Every company has a different philosophy, but learning the best structure to implement is a major component of success in the year 2020. We hope our list has shed some light on this topic for you. For more resources become a member of DFW Biz Pros.

How to Start Your Own Catering Business in Dallas, TX

How to Start a Catering Business

So you want to learn how to start a catering business? Starting a catering business is an interesting prospect for many people who either love food or are already in the catering business. It also attracts a lot of people who are looking to break into the restaurant business but aren’t ready to take on the risk. Take the following statistics brought to us courtesy of Bizfluent into consideration: the average profit margin of catering businesses is 10-12% whereas the average profit margin for actual restaurants is just 4-7%. These numbers indicate a great opportunity for people interested in starting a business.

But there is a lot to consider if you are thinking about starting a catering business in Dallas, TX in particular. In the following guide, we will be talking about the first basic steps you need to take, the kind of equipment you will need, and what foods you can legally cater in Texas.

What Equipment do You Need to Start a Catering Business?

Depending on the kind of food you plan to provide to your clientele (foods ready for office lunch hours, formal event-goers, etc.) you will need certain types of equipment. Take a look at the following breakdown:

Guest Equipment

If you plan on catering guest events (weddings, corporate events, etc.) you will need portable chairs, tables, linens, beverage dispensers, serving trays, and utensils. Be diligent about estimating the expected turnout so that you have enough supplies for everyone.

On-Site Cooking Equipment

Catering companies are formed by the types of food they provide. If you plan to serve food that can be prepared in a home or commercial kitchen and transported, you won’t need on-site cooking equipment. But if you plan to cook food on-site you will need food pans, holding cabinets, commercial induction ranges, cold food tables, etc.

Serving Equipment

In most cases, you will need chafing dishes and buffet serving materials like tongs, ladles, and trays. You should also know that most of the aforementioned equipment can be bought or rented. Pricing can vary, but when you buy or rent in bulk, you get a discount. This is especially true if you’re a regular customer with a catering license.

Transport

The biggest item here is a catering van that can transport refrigerated or heated food. Ultimately, your entire business rests on your ability to transfer food to the destination. Without transportation, catering is never going to work out.

Get the Proper Insurance

Even if your catering business is small and operated out of your home, don’t assume that your current insurance will cover everything that can happen. From workman’s compensation insurance from your employees to liability insurance, you need to be properly covered. 

In the case of catering businesses, general liability insurance for commercial businesses should cover everything. But be sure to talk to an insurance agent who is familiar with food services in Texas. Also, be sure that your vehicles are properly insured. 

Create your Menu

When you are creating a menu for your catering business, you need to plan carefully. You must first identify your target market. Will you be catering to offices where lunch items like sandwiches, soups, and salads will be common fare? Or do you plan to cater special events where the menu is going to be more varied? Planning your menu with your clientele in mind is essential because you don’t want to waste money investing in materials and equipment that don’t suit your operations. 

There are some other considerations based on where you stand right now. Take a look at what we mean:

  • If you Own a Restaurant – If you want to start a catering service as an extended arm of your existing restaurant then you can’t simply offer the same menu you do in your establishment. That’s because your kitchen probably produces a lot of dishes that can’t be transported. Instead, you should think about the dishes you can make in your existing kitchen in bulk that can be easily and healthily transported.
  • If you Don’t Own a Restaurant – If you don’t have access to a commercial kitchen and plan to operate out of your home kitchen, the principle is still pretty much the same: create a list of foods that you can make en masse that can also be transported easily. But if you can, do try to rent out commercial kitchen space to expand your menu. Using a commercial kitchen will also enable you to legally offer more foods which leads us to our next section.

What Foods can you Legally Serve?

If you plan to run your catering business out of your home kitchen, your options are going to be very limited. That’s because Texas is very restrictive on the foods that you can legally serve out of your home kitchen. You are pretty much relegated to dry baked goods, dehydrated fruit items, coffee, candy, and condiments. But if you use a regulated commercial kitchen, your horizons will be broadened substantially.

Get your Catering Business off the Ground

We hope you have found this ‘how to start a catering business’ guide helpful. For more helpful resources and professional business guidance, become a member of the thriving community here at DFW Biz Pros today.

5 Advertising Techniques for Dallas Business Owners

Advertising Techniques Blog Cover

One of the most interesting things about the dominance of digital media is that it evens out the playing field for businesses. The reason big companies were the only ones that could afford large and consistent ad space in the newspapers of old was because that ad space was limited and therefore expensive. But those days are gone and internet space is near infinite – which is a good thing if you are a small Dallas business owner but only if you are savvy about your digital advertising strategy.

Infinite advertising space can be a double-edged sword because while you can have as much of it as the big guys, getting buried by the vastness is equally likely. In other words, the internet is so vast that your website can easily become obscured. But there are some proven advertising techniques tailored for the digital age and in this blog post, we are going to go over them with you. If you want help with digital marketing and advertising for your Dallas-based business right now, contact us here at DFW Biz Pros.

1) Building Brand Trust

Brand trust is what will keep you afloat when the competition starts to ramp up around you. And brand trust is one of the most valuable commodities your business can possess. Brand trust is also of critical importance to consumers in this time of economic instability because everyone wants to make sure that every penny they spend is going towards a quality product or service. 82% of U.S. consumers will stick with a brand they trust even if newer ones are gaining in popularity. So how do you build brand trust? One of the most effective ways is through good customer reviews. Customer reviews, in general, have become the new digital advertising standard so make sure you are requesting them as often as possible. 

2) Start a Dialogue

Nowadays, it isn’t enough to simply have a Facebook page, Twitter account, and Instagram for your company. You have to follow up. Online conversations have become a form of advertising in the digital age. If you are afforded the opportunity to engage and start a dialogue with potential customers, you have a sterling opportunity for advertising. Of course, it all starts with posting quality content on your social media platforms. When someone comments, shares or likes your content respond to them with an engaging question or simply thank them for sharing. Be sure to respond to comments in a timely manner and maybe even set specific guidelines for social media responses that you and your employees can follow.

3) Optimize for Mobile

In 2019, 2 billion people used their mobile devices to conduct some sort of online transaction. And that number is only going to rise as smartphones become faster and accessible to more people around the world. So one of the most important advertising techniques in the modern age is making sure your mobile site is up to snuff. Making sure your actionable buttons are sized for people’s fingers, keeping images formatted for mobile, streamlining your code, and making sure that your pages load quickly on mobile formats are all necessary for effective mobile advertising.

4) Focus Locally

This technique is specifically for brick and mortar businesses or businesses with a local focus on the Dallas Fort Worth area. Including the city and state where your business is based on the metadata of your site is very important if you want to show up on local searches. And just to give you an idea of how frequently local searches are performed consider this statistic courtesy of Social Media Today: 46% of all Google searches have local intent. Local SEO should, therefore, be one of your focuses. Things like including long-tail keywords with your city and state and using geolocation services are good ways to implement a local advertising strategy.

5) Reach Out to Bloggers

You may have already heard that posting blog content on your company’s website is good for SEO and advertising. And that’s true. If you have a blog that already draws in a lot of traffic and leads, congratulations. You’ve accomplished something that many business owners struggle mightily with. But if you are not seeing the results you would like from your blog efforts, you may want to consider reaching out to some influential bloggers who already have a large following. If you can, offer sponsorship or request that they mention or recommend your product or service. Working with established bloggers can get your name out to a ton of people.

Get Professional Advertising Help

Last but not least, you can become a DFW Biz Pros member to have immediate access to professional resources that can optimize your local advertising campaign and help make your business more profitable. For more information on becoming a member, get in touch with us.

COVID-19 Resources for Dallas Business Owners

Covid-19 Resources (Blog Cover)

The ongoing pandemic has hampered many businesses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and in other areas of the state. It is an uncertain time but business owners can take heart knowing that their plights are not going unnoticed. Several organizations have stepped up in a variety of ways to help business owners all across Texas get the assistance they need to weather the storm.

This may not seem like the most hopeful time to be a business owner, but there are COVID-19 resources available to you that you should know about. Today’s post is all about the COVID-19 resources you may be able to take advantage of. As always, you can reach out to us here at Dallas Fort Worth Biz Pros for a wealth of business resources or if you simply have any questions. Believe it or not, some businesses are actually thriving during this time. We can help you thrive too. But to start with, be sure to take a look at this list of COVID-19 resources for Dallas business owners.

  • The Economic Injury Disaster Loan – As a result of COVID-19, many small businesses have suffered economic injury – be it through broken down supply chains or simply a lack of customer patronage. The U.S. Small Business Administration is making $2 million available to private non-profit organizations, co-op agricultural organizations, and small businesses that qualify for financial assistance. The fund is intended to provide organizations and businesses like these the operating capital they will need to get through the pandemic intact. You can find all the information you will need about this fund at the Texas Division of Emergency Management website.
  • The Dallas Commerce Map – This resource will be useful for any business that is operating in a limited capacity during the partial shutdown. The Downtown Dallas Open Merchant Map is essentially a listing for businesses offering delivery, pick-up, ones that are still open in a limited capacity and ones that are practicing social distancing. Being listed on this map will help consumers find your business. This resource was made available by a private Google user and you can be listed on the directory by filling out a questionnaire. 
  • The NACD Cyber-Security Resources Center – The NACD website offers a treasure trove of useful resources and information for employees and employers during COVID-19. One aspect of your business that you can’t afford to overlook during these times however is cyber-security. Unfortunately, many tech-savvy opportunists are exploiting the pandemic and launching malicious cyber-attacks ranging from keylogging to device hijacking. To help business owners and employees safeguard themselves from such attacks, the NACD provides many different cyber-security resources on their website.
  • The Department of Labor Fact Sheet – The U.S. Department of Labor has initiated the Family First Coronavirus Act which provides paid leave for certain employees and their families affected by COVID-19. If you are a private business owner with fewer than 500 employees or a public employer, you may qualify for this paid leave. This coverage is currently valid through December 31, 2020, and you can find out if you qualify and other important information on the fact sheet.
  • Facebook Grants – Facebook is putting up a total of $100 million for small businesses with between 2 and 50 employees, that have been adversely affected by COVID-19, have been operating for at least a year, and are in or near an area where Facebook operates. The grant comes in the form of either cash awards or ad credits on Facebook. You can see if your business is eligible and apply for the grant here. 
  • Dallas Testing Site List – Last but not least, it is important to keep yourself and your workforce aware and healthy. If you are in the Dallas area, be sure to familiarize yourself with the location of your nearest COVID-19 testing site. The Dallas City Hall page has a full list of operating testing sites in the city.

We want to be a valuable resource for you too. Please feel free to reach out to us here at Dallas Fort Worth Biz Pros for all the latest COVID-19 news and resources to help your business not only survive, but thrive.

Around the Marketplace

More Than Half of Small Business Owners Expect Revenue Growth, TD Bank Reports

53 percent of small businesses surveyed by TD Bank have experienced growth this year, up from 46 percent in 2017. Is your business positioned to take advantage of a productive market? READ MORE.

CardMunch Founder Returns With HiHello, a New App Aiming to Replace Business Cards

Using the modern technology of built-in QR code readers in most smartphones, this new app allows the recipient to read and save the card without having to download the app. READ MORE.

Four Common Roadblocks In Today’s Small Business Lending Process

New technological advances are breaking down loan barriers for small businesses. Discover what this means for your business and how you can take advantage of easier loans in the near future. READ MORE.

Events Calendar

Pubcon Pro Oct 16-18, 2018
SLS Las Vegas / The W Las Vegas Hotel

Hear from marketing and advertising professionals from across the country to find the best strategies, platforms, and practices for your company.

NY Business Expo and Conference Oct 30, 2018
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, New York

Join this fast-paced expo and conference for discussions on small business ideas and strategies as well as guidance and advice in dealing with today’s market.

Adobe 99U May 8-10, 2019
New York, New York

Discuss new innovations and ideas with the nation’s top business leaders and marketers while learning new ideas, strategies, and processes.

 

Marketing 101

How To Solve 7 Major Marketing Challenges Of 2018

Do you know how to spot a dead campaign? Are you using the best marketing strategies to reach your target market? Forbes gathers some of today’s leading marketers to tackle the tough questions for real answers. READ MORE.

How Brands Can Use AI to Boost Their Email Marketing Strategy

Email marketing is consistently found to be the marketing platform with the best ROI. But how do you stand out from the crowd? New AI technology can help. Discover the ways you can use this innovative new technology to add a new twist to your marketing. READ MORE.

The Eight Best Marketing Podcasts

Stay in the know of the marketing landscape with these 7 podcasts that discuss real marketing strategies and implementation processes to help you keep your business on track. READ MORE

Training and Development Resoures

Free Webinar: Easy Tips for Analyzing Finance Data for Better Business Outcomes

Get tips from professionals about how to analyze your finance data for the best outcome possible for your business.

Free Webinar: GDPR Is Here—Seven Things Advertisers Need to Know

New online innovations and breakthroughs also lead to bigger threats and more possibility of security breaches of information and strategy. Find out what you need to know to keep your information protected.

Free Webinar: Four Days of Facebook

Learn the ways the market is changing, and how to use and keep up with social media to benefit your business.

Free Ebook: Sales and Marketing Secrets Revealed

Get the leading strategies, tips, and secrets of a successful marketing and sales team with help from these top professionals.

The Ultimate Guide to Sales Team Building Activities (+50 Recommended Ideas)

Studies show that sales team building can strengthen bonds as well as team loyalty and rapport. These fun and unique team building ideas can help your sales team excel without causing boredom.

Financial Resources

Own A Business? Six Ways To Mitigate Your Financial Risks And Liability

While we know the basic profit/loss financial business structure, these experts deliver unique business advice that you can begin implementing tomorrow. Find out how these professionals achieved financial success in business, and what you can do to raise your profit levels. READ MORE.

Free Webinar: Easy Tips for Analyzing Finance Data for Better Business Outcomes

Get tips from professionals about how to analyze your financial data for the best outcome possible for your business. ENTER HERE.

Business Management Advice and Resources

Top 16 Small Business Management Apps of 2018

These new, innovative apps can not only help keep you organized but can also save you time, money, and stress. Find out which ones are best to start using in your business. READ MORE.

Management Today

While nuances are different, management itself hasn’t changed for thousands of years. Find out how to effectively manage using these four self-categories for better results. READ MORE.