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Be ready to end the deal with grace.  If your business partnership has gone south, don't dwell on the unfortunate circumstances that you find yourself in. Instead, embrace the issues quickly so that you can move forward before things get worse.  Scheduling a mutual arbitration process is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your assets, but be willing and prepared if you need to cut some of your losses in order to gain peace of mind,  cooperation, and the ability to break free from a contract—sooner rather than later. Below are 9 tips, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board members to get you started down the right path to ending the arrangement on a positive note.

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Utilize these strategies to win over the job candidate you have your hopes on. In the fall of 2022, it's still a candidate's market. Leading employers must bring their A-game to the table if they want to compete successfully for the best talent around. But it's more than just offering to pay a higher salary or simply throwing in a few superficial perks.  And while it's true that a start-up brand may have a tougher time attracting new hires, with limited resources, compared to larger establishments in the industry, that doesn't always result in a missed opportunity to secure the right person to fill the department's needs. Now more than ever, creating a healthy, flexible, and inclusive work atmosphere is one place they can begin to build the process of developing a unique and compelling appeal in the workplace.  Here are 12 ideas, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board experts, to keep your company on a potential employee's shortlist.

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Keeping a close eye on your cash flow is essential to running a successful company. When you are founding your first business, there are so many lessons to absorb—particularly when it comes to hiring the right staff members to ease the workload, so you can focus on your strengths. In addition to attracting a talented and trustworthy team, who can help move the company forward, staying on top of the organization's finances is a priority if you want to maintain and grow a thriving business.  To offer a few more suggestions to keep the business afloat, a panel of 14 Fast Company Executive Board members are here to shed some light on the top financial advice they've received throughout their journey. The following best practices have positively impacted their entrepreneurial careers. 

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Those who accept the need for mutuality in business will be the ones to grow and succeed.

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Don't turn your back on the naysayers—there's always room for growth. No one ever looks forward to hearing negative feedback from their colleagues or clients, but when it's delivered in a constructive manner to teams who are willing to listen, it can make all the difference in the world.  Whether an organization needs to work on closing the communication gaps or elevating its product and service delivery process, implementing a new way of doing things in a timely fashion, will also boost a team's morale to develop their skills and help the business improve further. In this latest panel, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members describe how some criticism, taken, can actually be more beneficial for the company.

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Here's how business leaders are getting customers to participate and connect on a regular basis. Launching a viable company is not only about developing a quality brand of products and services, it's also about building long-lasting relationships with loyal clientele. But how can a business owner gain initial attraction from potential customers and partners in the marketplace that will enable their early establishment to grow?   Whether it's an online chance to stack up on reward incentives, or an in-person special event featuring a CEO AMA, the customers are sure to appreciate every opportunity to rub shoulders with the company's representatives, share their feedback on an added value item, and much more. To offer leaders and their teams some additional ways to keep the conversations going, below are 14 Fast company Executive Board members to share tips on what's been working for them.

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Salary alone isn't enough to attract and retain top talent amid the Great Recession. You need great benefits, too. Over the course of the last few years, employees' values and priorities for their work lives have shifted. Many are searching for employers that will provide them with not only a competitive salary but comprehensive benefits that offer them balance, stability and overall well-being. As the labor pool continues to tighten, it's essential to make your business stand out to top-notch talent by providing competitive benefits, especially if your business is just starting out. To that end, 13 members of Fast Company Executive Board each described how new businesses can provide a solid benefits package for employees without breaking the bank.

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If you're worried about consumer loyalty in the current climate, apply these business tips to help your company regain its confidence and continue to grow. To remain competitive and fresh in the eyes of loyal customers, lean in a little further to focus on the clients' potential needs. You'll be one step ahead of their own anticipation. As you continue to also address their immediate issues, remember to demonstrate your company's willingness (through your actions and gestures of appreciation) to be completely present and accessible throughout every stage of their journey.  By practicing these simple methods, you'll secure their interest, enthusiasm, and excitement about your company's capabilities to sustain them over time in today's marketplace.  Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their creative ideas to build multiple revenue streams and upgrade your offerings.

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Maintaining a professional and positive tone, in your response to a colleague's request, can strengthen your business relationship and build common ground. One of the most difficult skills, for some business leaders and their colleagues, is mastering the art of saying "no." This is especially true for those who are just starting out in the industry, trying to become well-established in their professions. On the other hand, saying "yes" to every single project or event that requires your full engagement and bandwidth, can be just as detrimental to your career path if it doesn't align with your business priorities and immediate goals. So don't fall into the trap of being sidetracked.  No matter where you are on the employment hierarchy at your present company and beyond, experts from Fast Company Executive Board agree that turning down a request—from anyone at any level—is appropriate at times in the workplace, especially if you are trying to move ahead on the projects that currently matter most and maintain a good work-life balance.

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Those who listen, and become equally fluent in the language of growth, can be the first to retain the most eager-to-engage people and benefit from their stretching, developing, and belonging.

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Don't play guessing games when it comes to building consumer trust and brand loyalty. Developing a brand's long-term success in any marketplace largely depends on a team's ability to strengthen healthy customer relationships and meet their ongoing needs. But if retention is thriving, then it is obvious the team must be doing something right.  On the contrary, how can a leader accurately gauge whether their team is truly hitting the mark, or if there is still room for improvement, so the company receives positive reviews while making a profit?  Here are 10 points that Fast Company Executive Board members have found useful when it comes to measuring their customers' satisfaction levels throughout the product or service journey. Try implementing these tips to provide invaluable insight into your business efforts moving forward.

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Here's how to build brand ambassadors, no matter what you're selling. Getting your clients to stay on board while trying to attract a few more good ones, is never an easy task—whether you're trying to push an item that is older, dull, and irrelevant in the changing marketplace or promoting something you just launched. However, before you entertain the thought of removing a low-performing product or service from your company's portfolio altogether, experts from Fast Company Executive Board are here to advise leaders on their best strategies to put a fresh spin on your offerings that are sure to re-engage and excite a growing customer base. This promotes brand loyalty centered on your company's  mission statement and purpose.

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Follow these side-hustle business success strategies prior to stepping out on your own. Turning a part-time passion into a full-time paying career is no easy feat, especially if you are responsible for keeping the lights on through a regular 9-to-5. But maintaining your balance does not have to result in around-the-clock burnout. Make the start-up life a little easier on your grind by scaling back in certain areas of the gig business that can be outsourced or even automated. This will free up your limited time, energy, and other possible resources to focus on reaching your future entrepreneurial goals and aspirations. Based on their personal experiences and objectives, experts from Fast Company Executive Board are here to discuss some practical guidelines for turning your side hustle into a thriving and independent hit.

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Here's how to humanize the funnel conversion rate and win at relationship building.  Whether you are a seasoned business owner or just starting out in the market, it's important to realize that if you want your company to grow and have relevant longevity, you need to put the needs of potential and current customers first. It's not always about making a quick buck on the next sale or convincing your current clients to sign up for add-on products and services in the rush of the moment. Sometimes it's more appropriate to sit back and continue to get to know them even better. Figure out how best to find a solution that is the right fit for the client and not all about promoting how much your company can do for them. To help you begin an alternative approach to doing business and become more successful at retaining customers who may be willing to provide positive bonus referrals, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members chime in to share their best practices.

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It takes a special leadership skill set to successfully motivate and inspire employees that you don't see in person every day. Managing a remote team comes with its own set of unique challenges, especially for companies with remote employees located in different time zones. Employees may struggle to feel like they are a part of a team when working alone from home all day. They may struggle to feel heard without the option of an in-person open-door policy. They may also feel burned out from merging their work and living spaces. Great leaders anticipate problems like these and know how to respond in a way that benefits all. To that end, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members share their best tips for supporting remote employees. 

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Prepare your team early so they'll be up to the task and expectations. Building a culture of adaptability, among leadership and staff, starts with clarity and transparency about the company's objectives if you want to get everyone on board from the top down.  As you train and encourage your team to be fearless about facing challenges, they will become much more resilient and willing to go the distance, implementing a new direction at the company that is positive and beneficial for all. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board present their best practices for introducing a new approach to the business process that makes employees feel confident about embracing a flexible mindset and becoming more involved as valuable company stakeholders in their role to move the organization forward.

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Greater engagement with the corporate sustainability movement can serve your brand, its employees and its customers. Many employees today want a company that supports environmental sustainability or works toward an eco-friendly future. It's important that companies consider different ways to incorporate their sustainability values into their company mission so that it's clear to all employees and customers what they support. As a leader, there are a few simple ways to ensure that your employees are engaged in the overall environmental sustainability goals that you've set. Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members shared their best advice for enhancing their company's engagement in sustainability.

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Implement the following strategies to form better alliances for your products and services. When you're running a business, the only way your company will be able to elevate itself in the marketplace for the better is by being extremely open to constructive criticism and new ideas. Encourage a company culture that is transparent with leaders that practice active listening skills if you plan to connect on a more meaningful level with stakeholders who will advocate behind what your business stands for as you lean in to help meet their ongoing needs as well.  For further ideas on how to get honest feedback from current and potential clients, Fast Company Executive Board members share some proven methods that continue to serve their company well.

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We found that people leave their jobs because they don’t feel valued or trusted, because the business doesn’t offer them stretch opportunities to experience tangible growth journeys, or because they can’t see a connection between their daily labors and the company’s greater vision and goals.

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If you're strapped for cash, you can still find practical ways to launch and grow your new establishment successfully. Building a start-up business on a small budget is never easy. But being new to the industry it's important to build the best track record and gain as much positive attention as possible to elevate and expand your company in no time. Below, 15 gurus from Fast Company Executive Board share their time and knowledge about low-cost ways to create a buzz factor of excitement about your product or service.

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Taking a creative approach to maintaining personable business relationships is just as important. If you want to instill an inviting corporate culture for everyone at your company, then it's necessary to not only model the ideal behavior but to get employees involved so they have a higher stake in the changes they want to see taking place. Enabling your staff members to help make real business decisions that impact the company's bottom line and the way people view themselves as individual and collaborative contributors will elevate morale and set a positive example for future employees to come. Below, experts from Fast Company Executive Board share 16 practical ideas that continue to foster inclusiveness and team building at work. 

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Here's how implementing good advice can improve your bottom line in the business world. The success of a well-run business is not determined by its financial performance levels alone, and that is why leaders need to take a holistic approach and consider how each area of the establishment and decisions made about specific contributions to the company can build it up or weigh it down.  As you work towards achieving your financial goals, it's also important to find the right balance and prioritize how to maintain a steady cash flow and make wise choices about how and where to invest your time and money to elevate the organization.  Below are 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board to share some of the best practices they've received about how to manage their company finances.

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Trying to build a good reputation in the competitive marketplace isn't always easy. Some of the best made relationships in business begin with constant communication between a company and its client to establish mutual trust and a deeper understanding of each stakeholders mission and purpose. Being the new kid on the block in an oversaturated market may seem intimidating at first, but gets easier in time—once you crack the code. By learning how best to solve your customers' most challenging dilemmas, you're bound to become one of their most reliable resources, time and again. Below are 13 best practices that Fast Company Executive Board members have repeated to present a great impression (beyond the first) to attract and keep their prospective clients.

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Utilize these smart budgeting guidelines to keep your company thriving, instead of afloat. When you gain an understanding of the cost to keep your company up and running on a deeper level, you'll be able to plan ahead for unexpected events that come your way and keep a better eye on the cash flowing in and out of your business. If you create a clear financial target year after year—every quarter—and remain transparent, providing financial updates to your team and clients, you're bound to be on a path to success in no time. Below, leaders from Fast Company Executive Board offer their best practices to manage your company's money properly and make sure that your financial partnership is solid and has your best interests at heart.