Devise a Business Model that Encourages an Entrepreneurial Mind-Set Says Blue Branch

Direct sales and marketing company Blue Branch, in Edinburgh, reveal the benefits of creating a company culture and business model than enables employees to develop and think for themselves.

Blue Branch believes that, because of the fast-paced environment that we live in where customer demands are changing constantly, it is beneficial for businesses to create a culture where employees are able to develop and think for themselves. The firm believes that the only way to thrive in business is to find workers who can co-create value with customers and constantly improve operations. No business can benefit from followers who can only act on what they have been told rather than figure out their own solution to the problem, believes Blue Branch.

About Blue Branch: http://www.bluebranch.org/about/

Blue Branch believes that in order to move forward businesses need to redesign their company culture to give people ownership of (1) how they perform tasks, (2) their identity, and (3) their time. The firm has outlined these three steps in order to help businesses achieve a successful company culture:

The Process
The first step involves shifting ownership of the process from the manager to the worker. Managers tend to request that employees think for themselves but then punish their subordinates for failing to follow instructions – this is a vicious circle that creates a negative environment. To avoid this, managers must separate the outcome from the process. That means specifying what good work should look like but not specifying how they reach this outcome. Giving workers a hand in the process while still holding them accountable for the output is good for performance. With control of the process, individuals are able to continue to develop and learn.

Identity
To engage workers' heads, organisations must help them gain ownership of their identity at work – specifically by bringing their true and best selves to work. By asking employees who they were when they were at their best and asking them to introduce themselves to others in this way, makes the individual feel positive about who they are. Blue Branch also believes that by doing something simple like giving someone a name badge, this can heighten a sense of individuality and make the individual feel proud to be themselves and represent the business.

Time
In a recent survey that looked at what Millennials want from work, development ranked first, money came third, but in second place came time. Workers are looking for more effective ways to control their schedules. Flexible working hours are becoming a huge part of business. However, even if a business' operations require an on-site presence, there may be ways to give employees greater time flexibility. Combined with process ownership, which includes accountability for outcomes, time flexibility allows individuals to consider how best to complete the work that needs to be done within the constraints of the company and their own lives. Blue Branch believes that this will improve engagement and also increase the number of hours spent on the job as the individuals respond to their enhanced commitment.

Blue Branch is an outsourced sales and marketing firm based in Edinburgh. The firm specialises in a personalised form of marketing, designed to increase their clients' customer acquisition, brand awareness and brand loyalty. To do this, Blue Branch works closely alongside their clients to develop unique campaigns that accurately represent their brand, products and services and takes them directly to their established target markets. The firm connects with consumers on a face-to-face basis in order to create long-lasting and personal connections between brand and consumer.