Startup & Small Business

Check out our latest entrepreneurial-driven content geared toward helping startups and small businesses grow their brands.

Why Better Benefits Keep Your Best Employees From Leaving

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betterenefits

Employee turnover is a costly issue, both financially and operationally. High-performing employees often have options, and benefits play a critical role in their decision to stay. While salary remains important, comprehensive benefits packages can outweigh marginal pay increases elsewhere. Retirement plans, flexible health insurance options, paid time off, and wellness incentives are often cited as deciding factors by employees considering a move. A 2023 SHRM study found that 61% of workers view benefits as a top reason for staying with their current employer, highlighting their direct impact on retention strategies.

 

Offering benefits that reflect employee priorities signals respect and long-term investment. Health coverage remains central, and many companies are now exploring cost-effective alternatives to traditional group plans. One emerging question among decision-makers is, what is a level-funded health plan? This hybrid model blends features of fully insured and self-funded plans, providing cost predictability while potentially lowering expenses. When employees see that their employer is proactively offering competitive, practical solutions, it builds trust and reduces the appeal of offers from other organizations.

 

The most effective benefits strategies are those based on actual employee feedback. Regular surveys and exit interviews can reveal gaps in current offerings and provide data-driven direction for adjustments. Retaining top talent requires aligning benefits with what employees genuinely need, whether it is better mental health coverage, dependent care support, or flexible work arrangements. Benefits are not static; they must evolve alongside workforce expectations. Employers who adapt their packages based on ongoing input send a clear message that employee satisfaction is a sustained priority. Check out the infographic below for more information.

SelectedBenefits

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Keeping Business Travelers Safe: A Strategic Approach To Corporate Travel Security

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Successful corporate travel safety begins well before departure. Risk assessments should evaluate current conditions in the destination country, including political stability, crime levels, and health risks. Employees should be briefed on local laws, cultural norms, and potential scams common in tourist or business districts. Travel managers must ensure employees are registered with the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and have access to up-to-date emergency contacts. Confirming accommodations and transportation from vetted providers is essential, particularly in unfamiliar or high-risk regions.

Once on-site, employees should maintain a low profile, avoid discussing business plans in public, and keep identification and important documents secure but accessible. Business travelers should avoid unvetted public transportation, particularly in areas with high incidents of theft or violence. A reputable car service company can reduce exposure to risk by ensuring reliable transportation and professional drivers familiar with local safety conditions. Additionally, travelers should use hotel safes, secure digital devices with strong passwords and VPNs, and be cautious about sharing location data online.

Organizations must provide employees with a clearly defined emergency response plan that includes protocols for medical incidents, natural disasters, and political unrest. This plan should also outline how to report incidents, access legal or medical assistance, and stay in contact with company security or management. Employers should conduct regular safety training and scenario planning to ensure employees are prepared to respond appropriately in various situations. Strong communication channels and pre-arranged contingency plans can make a significant difference in mitigating risks during corporate travel. Check out the infographic below to learn more.

Sunnys Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation

Recharge The Right Way: Smart Strategies To Fight The Afternoon Slump

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afternoon office slump

Most office workers are familiar with that sluggish feeling that sets in mid-afternoon. It’s not just in your head. Our bodies naturally experience a dip in alertness after lunch, especially when combined with long periods of screen time and sedentary habits. Factors such as high-carb meals, dehydration, and poor sleep the night before can also make energy levels crash hard just as productivity is expected to peak.

Managing your daily energy effectively begins with small adjustments to your work routine. Short, scheduled breaks that involve movement can restore focus faster than pushing through fatigue. Choosing lighter lunches packed with protein and fiber instead of heavy, carb-filled meals helps stabilize energy levels. Staying hydrated with water or low-sugar beverages is key, and having access to drink vending services can support smarter refreshment choices during a busy day.

Supporting consistent energy throughout the workday benefits both individual performance and team morale. Encouraging flexible break schedules, creating inviting spaces for movement or brief relaxation, and promoting balanced eating habits all contribute to a more alert and engaged workforce. A workplace that actively supports these habits builds an environment where productivity and well-being thrive side by side. For more information, check out the infographic below.

The Office Slump Cycle_ Managing Daily Energy Dips

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How CRM Helps Small Brands Compete with Industry Giants

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CRM Helps Small Brands

A small business trying to rise in a market where logos glow on skyscrapers and advertising eats entire city blocks is something akin to tossing pebbles into a sea of searchlight-rigged cruise ships – only with fewer lifeboats and a stronger Wi-Fi signal. Still, people do it. Not out of blind optimism, but because tools exist – quiet, powerful, structured in rows and columns and dashboards – that offer leverage where once there was only guesswork. Among these tools, CRM – customer relationship management – has become the unassuming scalpel, precise and sharp; it enables small businesses to carve out a competitive edge previously reserved for the industry’s big players. This article examines how CRM helps small brands compete with industry giants through a lens that acknowledges the complexity of commerce and the value of data.

What CRM actually is (and what it absolutely isn’t)

CRM, stripped of brochure-speak and inflated promises, is a software system that remembers things on your behalf. It remembers who your customers are, what they said last Thursday, how many clicks it took for them to abandon their cart, and what they’re most likely to want next month. It compiles, sorts, and recalls everything from birthdays to broken promises, and it does this in a central location, like a very fast brain with a perfect memory, if such a thing were desirable.

In other words, CRM stores your customer interactions, your leads, your transactions, your support tickets, and your notes – all in one place.

And today, as big companies like Microsoft emphasize, CRM is powered by AI and integrations that work together seamlessly. It notices trends before you do and draws maps where you saw only roads. It doesn’t feel that way, but it behaves as if it does.

The result is not flashier branding or louder marketing but smarter decisions. CRM is there to guide you on where to invest your effort.

Why smaller brands keep “running uphill in cement shoes”

There’s something about the word small that carries a certain romance. The little coffee shop with hand-lettered menus, the boutique that wraps your purchase with care, the software startup that still answers its own support tickets. But in a spreadsheet, being small can cause problems.

Margins are tighter. Mistakes have sharper consequences. Visibility costs more, and loyalty is much harder to earn. A small brand simply can’t afford waste. It can’t afford disorganization or vague hunches about what customers want. There’s no room for friction, redundancy, or the kind of bloated inefficiency that larger corporations simply absorb.

Small businesses have to out-think what they can’t outspend. CRM won’t make your brand instantly big. It will make you smarter about being small.

How CRM helps small brands compete with industry giants

Size isn’t everything. But structure? Structure is survival. And CRM offers structure. A central nervous system. A machine that learns and teaches you to learn along with it.

We’ll begin, as most things do, with people.

1. Service is everything

What a small brand learns first is that service isn’t a department. It’s the whole thing: the product, the policy, the apology. And CRM helps hold the weight of those stories – what the customer said when their order arrived late or the email that revealed they’d been silently loyal for years.

CRM helps by making the customer visible across every interaction and every channel. And visibility breeds empathy. Empathy, when practiced without burnout, leads to trust.

2. Target your audience wisely

But there is something oddly moving about a spreadsheet that contains not only a customer name but also what they’ve browsed, when they clicked, how they buy, and when they ghost. You begin to see shape and pattern, a kind of story in progress. CRM lets you write into that story.

You can stop blasting generic emails into the void. Send offers to people who may be interested. You can stop offering discounts to people who would’ve paid full price anyway.

In other words, you can listen. You say fewer things, but you tell them to the right people. That’s exactly what it means to boost personalization with CRM data. It’s quiet work, but it changes just about everything.

3. Money: the one conversation we keep postponing

If your business burns cash trying to remember what it should already know, CRM will notice.

A well-used CRM makes waste visible. It shows where you’re spending effort with no return. It will highlight duplicated work, ineffective outreach, and missed follow-ups. In its own manner, it will ask you the following: Do you need three separate tools for this, or could one suffice?

4. In the belly of the workflow

Employee productivity increases not because you’ve suddenly hired geniuses, but because you stopped asking them to guess, or search, or re-type the same thing seventeen times. CRM will reduce the friction of work and create a clear space where tasks are organized and progress is visible.

No more sticky notes and more questioning who was supposed to email this person. No more inbox archaeology.

5. How to grow without stretching until you snap

A small business with a good CRM doesn’t expand like an inflating balloon. It adds carefully, piece by piece. CRM tracks what works so you can replicate it. It surfaces opportunities so you never miss out on them. It will let you grow without collapsing under your own ambition.

There’s nothing magical about growth. However, there is something beautiful about planning for it and watching your plans unfold.

6. Departments that actually talk to each other

The idea that small teams automatically communicate well is a myth perpetuated by awkward Slack channels and brief syncs that last only an hour.

In truth, silos appear quickly – even in ten-person companies. Sales doesn’t know what marketing sent. Support doesn’t know what sales promised. Operations doesn’t know why the customer is angry.

CRM dissolves those silos. It lets everyone see the same thing. No translation is needed. When someone opens a customer profile, they see everything: history, pain points, and tone. This reduces the so-called internal ping-pong. It increases accountability. People start pulling in the same direction.

And that changes things.

7. The crystal ball that works without magic

With CRM, you can see which leads are warming up, which are cooling off, and which are dead but pretending not to be. You can track sales cycles by the week, not the quarter. You get pattern recognition that doesn’t require a finance degree or a lucky gut feeling.

CRM provides you with the numbers, telling you what to expect.

This, of course, doesn’t magically eliminate surprises. But it reduces them. And for a small brand, fewer surprises mean more sleep.

Conclusion

At the end of it all, we return to the beginning: a small brand in a large market, trying to stay visible, solvent, and human. The market doesn’t slow down for you. It doesn’t reduce the price of mistakes. And it won’t explain the rules. But CRM helps you keep score. And not just keep score – play smarter, remember better, and act faster.

How CRM helps small brands compete with industry giants comes down to this: it gives small businesses structure, memory, insight, and rhythm – four things that turn effort into growth and growth into something sustainable.

Navigating Your Funding Options: A Guide For Small Business Owners

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funding method small owners

Securing the right funding is a crucial step in growing and maintaining your business. Whether you’re just starting or looking to expand, understanding the different options available can help you make informed decisions that align with your business goals. From traditional bank loans to alternative funding methods, it’s important to explore all avenues to ensure financial stability and continued success.

Traditional loans, such as those offered by banks and credit unions, are a popular choice for many entrepreneurs. These loans typically require a solid credit history and a detailed business plan. However, if your business doesn’t qualify for conventional loans or you need faster access to capital, alternative financing options such as invoice factoring can be an excellent solution. Distributor factoring, for instance, allows businesses to convert their outstanding invoices into immediate cash, helping to improve cash flow without taking on traditional debt.

Exploring the various funding methods is essential for every business owner, and each option comes with its pros and cons. Whether you choose a bank loan, venture capital, or invoice factoring, it’s crucial to assess your business’s unique financial needs. Understanding your cash flow and growth trajectory will guide you toward the funding method that best supports your business’s success. For more information on funding option, look over the accompanying resource below.

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The True ROI Of Employee Engagement: Why It Pays To Invest In Your People

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Employee ROI

A disengaged workforce is a silent drain on productivity, morale, and ultimately, profit. When employees feel valued, heard, and connected to their work, the ripple effect is undeniable—higher retention rates, increased efficiency, and stronger customer interactions. Engagement isn’t just a feel-good initiative; it’s a strategic move that directly impacts the bottom line. Companies that prioritize workplace culture and invest in recognition, professional development, and even small incentives like custom branded apparel see a measurable boost in team cohesion and brand advocacy.

Engaged employees don’t just clock in and out—they actively contribute to the company’s success. They are more motivated to problem-solve, collaborate, and provide exceptional customer service. Studies consistently show that organizations with strong engagement strategies experience reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and increased profitability. Employees who take pride in their workplace also help attract top talent, creating a cycle of continuous growth and innovation.

An investment in engagement isn’t an expense; it’s a long-term strategy that fuels business success. Whether through leadership transparency, meaningful rewards, or fostering a culture of inclusivity, companies that commit to engagement see tangible returns. A workforce that feels appreciated and empowered will always outperform one that feels disconnected, proving that when businesses take care of their people, their people take care of the business. Check out the accompanying infographic to learn more.

How Enhancing Customer Experience Reduces Churn For Small Businesses

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Customer retention is one of the most critical factors in ensuring the success of small businesses. A great customer experience goes beyond simply meeting expectations—it builds loyalty, trust, and long-term relationships. When customers feel valued and heard, they are less likely to seek alternatives, reducing churn rates. Consistently delivering exceptional service can transform one-time buyers into loyal advocates for your brand.

Personalization is a cornerstone of a positive customer experience. Small businesses can leverage customer data to tailor interactions, anticipate needs, and offer solutions that resonate with their audience. Prompt communication, seamless support, and convenient processes, such as an automated billing system, can also enhance the customer journey. By eliminating pain points and providing an effortless experience, businesses can foster satisfaction and strengthen customer loyalty.

Retaining customers is far more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, making the investment in customer experience essential. Regular feedback collection, whether through surveys or direct conversations, can uncover areas for improvement. With a proactive approach, small businesses can adapt to customer preferences, creating a competitive edge. A strong commitment to experience not only combats churn but also establishes a foundation for sustainable growth. To learn more, check out the accompanying resource below.

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Leveraging Financial Solutions To Fuel Entrepreneurial Growth

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You’ve got a big idea, and you want it to change the world. You know that starting a business is a lot of work, but it’s a lot of money, too. Although it’s common to want your startup to pay for itself, the fact remains that you’ll need to pay the bills to keep your business afloat. While you should take care when considering financing for your business, there are plenty of reasons to take advantage of financial solutions. By learning more about your options, you can get the capital you need to achieve your business goals.

Reasons to Consider Financing for Your Business

About three in four startup founders use personal savings to fund the business, according to research from a financial services company. While using your own money has certain benefits, it can create some issues for long-term money management of the business. Relying on your own funds comes interest-free, and you never have to pay it back. On the other hand, when the money is gone, it’s gone.

In a world where about half of all startup businesses fail due to a lack of funding, looking for alternatives can be a matter of survival. You don’t have to rush out and apply for every funding opportunity you can find, but you should take the time to consider your options. Having a plan to provide funding for the crucial aspects of your startup can simplify your path to establishing a viable business. 

Advantages of Financing Your Business Operations

If you’re still debating whether you should apply for a business loan or other type of financing, you should consider these advantages of business funding:

  • Get the capital you need to pay for costly equipment and materials
  • Pay yourself, so you can continue to devote your energy to the business
  • Pay for contractors and other services that keep the business running
  • Manage your cash flow, leveling out the peaks and valleys of the invoice cycle

You can customize the type of financing that you need for a specific situation or project, even for a particular piece of equipment. Within the boundaries of your personal credit and a few other factors, the sky’s the limit in your ability to tailor funding to your business needs.

Financial Solutions for Business Growth

Before you start applying for funding, you should consider the various types. Some require that you make regular payments, while others may take a share of equity or future income. The right one for you depends on your business, financial situation and the reasons for the financing.

Term loans

Term loans are one of the most used types of financing for businesses. The premise is simple: You get a certain amount of money with a set interest rate and payment term. Each month, you make a payment until the loan is paid off. These loans are easy to understand, which makes them appealing to new business owners. Keep in mind, however, that you can’t use the loan to get more money if you need it.

Lines of credit

For businesses that have variable spending needs, a line of credit may make more sense. Lines of credit offer a draw period in which you can take out as much money as you like, up to the stated limit. At the end of this draw period, you shift to repayment. This financing makes a reasonable option for funding needs that extend over time, such as a construction project with ongoing costs over a period of months or years.

Equipment loans

For many capital-intensive businesses, the cost of equipment is the biggest obstacle. You may not want to drain your personal funds buying a piece of equipment that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Equipment financing uses the equipment itself as security, which may allow you to get better terms than you would with an unsecured loan. Just remember that you must keep making payments to keep the equipment.

Equity financing

If you want to avoid getting a loan that you’ll have to pay back, you might consider looking for financing from organizations that claim a portion of your business’s equity in payment. You’re probably familiar with the concept of venture capitalists — the organizations that may choose to provide funding based on the general success and promise of your startup. To win these funds, you’ll need to prove that you deserve the money, so you should expect a lot of due diligence before a VC firm makes a decision.

For entrepreneurs who are earlier in the process of starting a business, looking for an angel investor might make a better choice. Unlike venture capitalists, angel investors typically use their own money to help fund a startup. They often don’t put in as much funding, but in return, they can provide helpful advice that can ease the struggles of your business in its early years.

Invoice factoring

The time between the sending of the invoice and receiving payment can wreak havoc on your cash flow, which is why many businesses turn to invoice factoring. Invoice factoring essentially involves selling the invoices to a factoring company that handles receipt of payment. You get a portion of the invoice right away, minus a fee, and you receive the rest of the invoice once payment comes in. This financing works well to help you handle overhead expenses like payroll, while you wait for payment on projects and services.

Merchant cash advances

If you need quick cash, and you don’t have collateral, a merchant cash advance can be a viable short-term financing arrangement. With a merchant cash advance, you get a lump sum of money. In exchange, you promise the lender a portion of your sales receipts until the debt is paid off. These loans are convenient and often easy to get approval, but they can charge high fees for this simplicity.

Crowdfunding

For a business idea that has tons of appeal to the public, crowdfunding can be a great choice. Crowdfunding has become a popular financing vehicle for businesses that can give small-time investors an opportunity to get involved. You’ll usually be expected to set tiers of funding, with promises of goods or services once development and production are complete. Crowdfunding can be ideal when you’re organized, but if you fail to deliver, it can be a public relations nightmare.

Tips to Maximize Financial Benefits for Your Business

While applying for financing can be a great way to manage expenses and promote growth within your business, you should ensure that you make wise decisions. Avoid applying for the first financing opportunities you find. Instead, take time to sort out your options and choose the best one. If you need assistance, seek the advice of a financial advisor with experience working with businesses like yours. A minor investment in financial services, such as advising or private company financial reporting, can ensure that you continue to meet the needs of your business in the years to come.

Getting financing for your business is a big step. With the right choices, you’ll smooth out the uneven parts of your startup’s cash flow without creating too many burdens for you to manage. By considering these options, you can find financing options that provide you with useful capital your business will need to keep growing.

 

Author bio: Adam Nguyen is Senior Vice President for Donnelley Financial Solutions™, a global financial solutions company. He has many years of experience in the industry and focuses on the company’s financing activities and daily operations.

Entrepreneur’s Essentials For A Remote Office

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Business owners do not need to spend thousands of dollars on office space for their employees. A remote office can maintain high levels of productivity, especially with the right planning. By incorporating these essentials into the design and function of your remote office, you can ensure you have everything needed for an ideally productive day, every day.

Functional Design

The design of any remote office should primarily serve the most important functions. When you think about the organization of the room, break down the workday into a series of tasks to complete. Identify areas of the room you will need to use for varying responsibilities, and make sure you have enough space for each one. Give higher priority to work tasks you do every day, while offering some attention to infrequent jobs. With this information, you can start to build a design that will allow you to meet the expectations of each function.

Efficient Layout

As you work on the design for the office, also pay attention to the efficiency of the layout. An efficient layout allows you to complete the most tasks with the least amount of movement or reorganization. Look at the flow of the room and walk through your day to get a sense of the movement. Confirm you will not have to stumble to get from one place to another or spend too much moving between stations. Consider using the walls and ceiling for placement of equipment and supplies, to keep the floor clear.

Disruption Management

In many ways, a remote office can be even more distracting than a conventional workplace. Disruptions from other residents, pets, children and external sources can make it more difficult to pay attention to important tasks. Ideally, the office is its own space with a door you can close. Spend time in the room throughout the day and pay attention to the sounds, lighting and other aspects that affect your productivity. Install window coverings that allow natural light without putting bright sunlight in your eyes. Consider installing sound proofing especially if you spend a lot of time in remote meetings or recording video content.

Adequate Storage

Converting a bedroom into a home office often provides little room for storage, which may call for improvements. As a rule, you should assume you will need more storage than you originally expect, especially if you are starting a new business. Confirm you have storage for the following:

  • Reference books
  • Little-used equipment
  • Office supplies
  • Transportation equipment such as a laptop case or backpack

Use shelving, drawers, cabinets and hanging storage to meet your needs. If you notice piles or boxes accumulating on your desk, take it as an indicator that you need better storage.

Ergonomic Office Furniture

Business owners with remote offices may spend long hours sitting in office furniture, requiring ergonomic options. Ergonomics refers to optimal design to allow a person to function with minimal pain or discomfort throughout the day. An ergonomic chair provides sufficient support for the lower back with adjustable seats and armrests. An ergonomic desk is the right height and depth, allowing eye-level screen viewing. If you want to increase your movement throughout the day, consider a standing desk. 

Organizational Systems

Organization is key to keeping your business running each day. If you run a mostly paperless office with primarily electronic products or services, you can use apps and other online systems to keep your finances, sales and inventory in order. You might only need a file on your computer or cloud-based storage to hold important records. By comparison, if you store inventory or supplies in your office, you’ll need an efficient organizational system. Consider built-in or custom storage with cabinets and drawer liners that give you the precise size you need for papers, tools, and other bits.

High-Speed Internet

More than 90 percent of households have some kind of internet, according to market research, but the quality varies significantly. The speed of uploads or downloads can significantly affect how long it takes you to receive or send a file to an important client. When you shop for internet, look for options that provide the upload and download speeds you need for the type of work you do.  Some services may require installing equipment or upgrading existing devices. Choose a provider for home internet services with a low rate of outages and great response time.

Data Backups

To protect your data, you will need some kind of backup. Set a timer for your system to perform a regular backup. Periodically check your data to confirm that the backup is working, while maintaining encryption and accessibility of the information. Although cloud-based storage and backups can minimize much of the risk of storing information, they are not faultless.  Consider adding a backup to a physical drive that you keep in your office.

Productivity Tools

To ensure that you have everything need to complete the work each day, consider using a variety of productivity tools. Productivity tools speed up several tasks, such as:

  • Storing documents
  • Collaborating with others, including employees and clients
  • Tracking inventory
  • Preparing, sending and processing invoices
  • Organizing ideas
  • Managing social media accounts

Because there are more tools available than you could possibly use, you should explore a few before settling on one. Many apps have free options that you can test before you sign up for a subscription.

A productive workspace can happen in almost any place, including the home. Creating an effective home office calls for attention to various aspects of the working environment, from layout and ergonomics to internet service and productivity tools. The right design from the beginning can lead to improved productivity and better health for you and the business. 

 

Author bio: Laura Kocher is Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Great Plains Communications. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and Marketing Management from Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. She has over 25 years of experience in strategic marketing, successful brand management, positive campaign revenue generation, internal communications, effective public relations, content creation and marketing team development.

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A Guide to Agile Team Sprints

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Agile project management

The agile framework has only existed since the 1990s and was developed to counter the rigid traditional waterfall project management approach that was popular at the time. Agile became even more popular in 2001 when the Manifesto for Agile Software Development was released.

What is Agile?

The Agile methodology is characterized by adaptability, collaboration, and responsiveness. It takes an iterative approach to project management and product development, emphasizing teamwork, customer input, and the ability to quickly change course based on feedback. The goal is to swiftly deliver products or solutions to market.

It uses cross-functional, self-organizing teams that work alongside customers and end users (the collaboration part of agile) in product development and delivery. 

It differs from traditional planning methods because it embraces change and the teams’ willingness to pivot quickly and as needed. Agile also seeks ways to improve, although how it does this is often up to the team implementing it.

What are Sprints?

A sprint is simply a short, time-bound period where a team works as hard and fast as possible to complete a specific amount of work. In software development, that could be shipping a new feature, but it could be anything else in other industries or sectors.

Sprints are what agile and its methodology is built on and getting them right will ensure your team is better able to ship software, deliver products, or meet other goals with few issues or delays.

Key Sprint Terms You Should Understand

To use agile sprints effectively you should understand the terms used around it. 

Event

The first is “event”, which is a single sprint representing an iteration in a project’s development cycle. Put another way, an event is a small amount of planned work that a team or team member must complete and then present for review.

Each sprint takes two to four weeks, and the target is decided between the team and product owner beforehand. Each target, also known as a sprint goal, comes from a sprint backlog which is simply a list of tasks the team needs to complete.

User Story

This is a description of a specific product’s feature according to how a user views the product. User stories are crucial because the product is designed for the user, so it is important for teams to serve their users and ensure all products and features align with their needs and wants.

The user story can also describe a user. This description includes their wants and needs and why they want a product or specific feature. Understanding this helps teams develop simple product requirement descriptions that help while they work through the product catalog.

Story Point

Teams use story points to determine how challenging it would be to implement specific parts of the user story. Teams often represent this as a number, with a higher number representing a higher level of difficulty. 

Story points allow teams to figure out what their workload will be like while also helping them avoid wasting time trying to estimate this difficulty.

Story Mapping

This is a collaborative process that teams use to create the product backlog. Agile calls it a map because it captures the customer journey, which explains how they use a product.

It starts with a goal that the team breaks into user stories. The team then works through each item on the story map aiming to increase a product’s value to users and customers.

Daily Standup

A daily standup is a short, regular meeting that lasts about 15 minutes. It is typically held by teams in an agile or software development environment, but it is applicable anywhere a team uses agile.

The purpose of daily standups is to allow members to update the team on their progress and any obstacles they may be facing. These meetings are crucial for keeping a team aligned, improving communication, and identifying issues that may be slowing down a project or that might cause it to derail in the future.

Each team plans its daily standups differently, but the common thread between all teams is that they need a way to ensure these meetings are structured and organized and that they meet their goals. 

One way to do this is by using an online daily standup tool for planning and running the meetings. These tools are especially useful for remote teams where not everyone can be in the office every day at the same time.

Planning an Agile Sprint

Planning a sprint starts with a team picking the items they will include in the product backlog during a single sprint. This becomes the sprint goal and this process involves everyone on the team. The team or product owner prioritizes the items in the backlog and will usually suggest the items to include in the sprint goal. 

Phases of Sprint Planning

The first phase of planning a sprint is the design phase.

Designing a sprint is a one-time thing, and the team can tweak the design at this stage to improve the delivery process. If the design does not work, the team has to start afresh. However, team leaders can avoid this by preparing everything beforehand and letting team members brainstorm before getting to the design phase.

A subsequent meeting helps the team divide the backlog into tasks, the final stage of solidifying the design. The team can also hold daily meetings and check-ins, with remote teams better served by an online daily standup. Here, the team can prioritize tasks and assign them based on priority.

The second stage is the sprint velocity estimation. This process entails the product owner determining how much work the team needs to do in a given sprint. This process’ goal is ensuring each sprint has a different velocity because different features might have different goals and deliverables, for example.

The final stage is allocation. Just like it sounds, allocation entails the scrum master and the team working together to assign different tasks to the most capable team member. The team leader ensures the right people end up with the right tasks, which gives each team member a sense of responsibility as well as task and project ownership.

Agile sprints have become crucial tools in modern software development and product shipping. They help teams stay on track and complete a set amount of work in a given time. Planning them properly also ensures each team member is assigned tasks that best align with their skills, experience, and expertise to ensure the best product outcome.

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