It’s easy to start a business. It’s hard to have a successful business that turns a profit year after year. Giving your business an annual check-up will improve the chances of its long-term success. Here are 10 steps on proper protocols for your check-up:

1. Review All System Policies and Procedures
   Give your business a thorough exam to discover what is working efficiently and effectively and what may need additional tweaking. Do not keep outdated or unsuccessful methods just because they became habits. Strive to make changes that will boost performance and productivity. Take out your business plan and measure your performance over the past year. Ask yourself if you have met or exceeded your goals and if the current system’s policies and procedures are improving or hindering success.
2. Review Business Insurance Coverages
   Meet with your insurance agent every year for any potential modifications to your coverage. Review your business operations, focusing on any changes such as new equipment coverage or removing coverage if you sold any assets. Be sure to inquire about new developments in business insurance. Use your agent’s expertise to identify areas of risk and make the best decision for proper, suitable coverage.
3. Review Business Banking Relationships Relationship
   banking has endless positive features. Your financial institution of choice should be helpful in making business operations run smoothly while also providing valuable advice and information. Annually, you should inquire about products or services that could help your company and address any service concerns or problems. Your financial institution should also help look for ways to reduce idle cash, boost interest earned and improve cash flow.
4. Check Marketing Effectiveness
   Are your current marketing and advertising methods working well? Do you know how to measure the effectiveness of your current marketing campaign? If you are unsure about the answers to the previous questions, then you should look into revamping your marketing efforts. It’s important to always ask new customers how they were referred to you and also remember to ask returning clients to refer you to others as well. Make certain that your business website is up-to-date with fresh and original content, is easy to navigate and is consumer friendly.
5. Vendor Relationships
   Don’t allow habit alone to dictate your dealings with vendors. Review your business agreements with vendors and make changes when appropriate. Vendors should always provide you with outstanding service.
6. Team Evaluations
   There is no doubt that successful businesses that are larger than a one-person entity must have a dynamic team – from owners working together to owners and employees coming together as one. For businesses with more than one person working in unison on a team, having a guide to evaluate team effectiveness is beneficial. Are you providing your employees with proper training when needed? Are you giving quarterly or annual reviews in order to provide growth and strengthen weaknesses? A strong team only helps to better customer satisfaction and company profitability.
7. Checking Customer Pulse
   An annual customer satisfaction survey is a great way to assess overall company performance and get objective feedback. This tool will allow you to gain insight on potential new products and services that peaks your customer’s interests. This method will also allow your customers to know how much you value their business. Don’t forget that the best advertisement to market your business is word of mouth and repeat business from happy customers.
8. Reviewing Your Business Tax Strategy
   It is imperative that you meet with a tax advisor to discuss ways to minimize your taxes. You should not only complete this task for the current year but make it a long-term goal as well for all consecutive years. As the business grows, you need to make sure that you are using the most appropriate type of business entity -determine whether a sole proprietorship, partnership, „S“ or „C“ corporation is the best fit for you and your needs.
9. Clearing out the Clutter
   When was the last time you cleaned „house“ in your business? It’s important to frequently get rid of clutter that serves no purpose and is of no value to you or your business. This goes for the inside and outside of your business. When was the last time your business had a face lift? Employees and customers will respond positively to a neater, cleaner environment and new, exciting changes.
10. Update Succession Planning for your Business
    Consider reviewing your succession planning annually. You should have a specific plan for each key member of management, including yourself. Being prepared for a short-term absence or a permanent vacancy will allow the business to still grow and thrive despite setbacks. Your plan might mean promoting from within or recruiting externally. An up-to-date plan will be invaluable if you have an unexpected emergency or occurrence.

Don’t have your business end even before it gets off of the ground. Following these easy steps will be a great tool for any new or existing business. Remember, completing a business check-up plus hard work equals success.

Rise in Population Increases Need for Commuting Options

Whether you are here just to visit or Atlanta is where you call home, the capital city of Georgia is the place to be for business and pleasure. Burgeoning big businesses, growing cultural attractions, various exquisite cuisines, thriving nightlife scenes and major/minor sporting events all help to foster the great metropolitan identity that Atlanta has become today. That’s the good news. The bad news is that as a result of people flocking to the area in droves, traffic in Atlanta and its metro areas have created more headaches for commuters.

According to theAtIonto Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta metropolitan area currently has a population of 5.8 million people. In 2016, 77,000 new jobs were added, which helped to solidify Atlanta as the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country (the fourth-most population increase in the nation 90,650). What does this all mean? Atlanta is and will remain a top destination for businesses, employees looking for work and visitors looking for a good time.

Just for numbers sake, let’s delve a little bit deeper into the numbers boggling the minds of not only Atlantans and its visitors, but city officials and employers seeking a fix for commuter issues. In 2015, Fulton County’s population was 1,010,562 people and swelled to 1,023,336 people in 2016. Keep those population figures in mind the next time you can’t seem to find a spot to park your car at Piedmont Park or all of the bottlenecking on your way to Mercedes-Benz Stadium cuts into the first quarter of the Atlanta Falcons football game. The same issue can be seen in Gwinnett County, located outside the city’s perimeter, about 30 minutes away. The total number of Gwinnett County residents in 2015 was 895,823 people versus the 907,135 residents in 2016. Can’t find a parking space at the Mall of Georgia? Late to the opening act at Infinite Energy Arena? The constant growth and influx of people to the area could be to blame for all of your traffic and commuting issues.

Atlanta commuters are faced with more than an issue of just wasted time. Idle time also contributes to a waste of money, which can induce stress and other medical-related illnesses. Gas and car insurance are two additional costs that vary based on your commute. Atlanta drivers must add 52 hours to rush hour commutes each year due to traffic. The price tag for delays, on average, is estimated to be 51,130 annually due to lost time, other expenses and fuel. Frantic and time-sensitive drivers are often to blame for accidents on the road which also cost more money and time.

Atlantans must all do their part to help mitigate the dilemma of commuting by committing to the available commuting options and doing our best to help decrease the number of cars on the road. One way to commute is via carpooling or vanpooling. By offering to share a ride with another commuter a few times a week, you will save money and have less wear and tear on your own personal vehicle. If you are in search of people to link up with for an easier commute, check out www.GeorgiaCommuteOptions.com. This site offers a free service where you can sign-up and search ride matches with their database of over 50,000 available car and van poolers. Car and van pools allow you to split gas costs and utilize the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes.

Public transit is another great commuting option for residents of Atlanta throughout many of the counties in the metro area. While some options are restricted to certain counties only (and we’re talking about more than just MARTA here folks), other counties have options too, including Henry, Cobb, Coweta, Paulding and Gwinnett Counties. Xpress is a public bus service that is also available to 12 metro Atlanta counties via 33 routes. And of course MARTA is available for Dekalb and Fulton County via bus and rail systems. Residents should check with their city and local transportation experts for the option that best works for them.

Forget rushing to get dressed and finding your keys, you can avoid traffic completely by working from home. Today, more and more businesses are offering the availability to work from home on one or more days out of the week. There are also more employers offering 100% telecommute jobs in today’s economy. You can easily find guidelines and parameters to implement a work-from-home program online and by speaking with your employer. Anotherviable commuter option is compressed work weeks, also known as flex time. If you must drive to work every day, at the very least you can put less stress on yourself and the environment by altering when you report to work and how often. Altering your commute time can greatly decrease the amount of time stuck in traffic and the amount of gas used on your journey. You can also create a schedule where you can not only cut your time in your vehicle but also cut down on emissions. For example, you can work your usual 40 hours per week (if you are a full-time employee) over 4 days instead of 5 days. You can have an additional day off for personal relaxation while also committing to implement an invaluable commuter option. Another example would be to change your work schedule completely. Most companies now have flex time and you can arrive at work anytime by 10am, but going ahead or after rush hour you will be able to avoid the morning and afternoon rush completely.

The last options for commute may not be viable for as many residents because it truly depends on how far you live from your job. Did you know that more than 25% of all vehicle trips are actually less than one mile? It’s true. This means that rather than driving to yourjob or favorite activity you can use your bike or just walk. This helps the traffic situation immensely and also gives way for great exercise.. Kudos to human-powered transportation for helping us to stay active, cut down on emissions and not waste gas.

Commuting isn’t just about individuals; it’s also about assisting the greater good. Working to enforce various ways to traverse the city of Atlanta will have a positive impact not just for your wallet and well-being, but also for the environment and community at large. Fewer cars on the road and more viable modes of transportation have great benefits, including but not limited to: reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, decreasing drive-alone travel, promoting „green“ transportation, saves commuters money, cutting down on travel times and increasing morale. It’s essential to partner with areas businesses and promote commuting benefits and incentives. Atlanta residents have several commuting options so enhance the environment and promote a healthy work/life balance by putting them to use.

If you have you ever wondered while sitting in traffic what else you may be doing with your time, perhaps implementing just a few of these commuting options will make that thought pattern obsolete.