Saving for retirement is easier than you may think. It’s more of an exercise in behavior than head knowledge. That means anyone can save for retirement. All it takes is a little determination and discipline. Unfortunately, in our I-want-it-now culture, discipline seems to be running quite low.

You’re jeopardizing your future if you have a habit of:

Staying in debt

Debt does not help you build wealth for retirement, nor does it save you money. Debt is not a tool that can build prosperity. Every day that you’re in debt is a day that you sabotage your retirement.

If you want to be rich when you retire, then do what rich people do. According to Forbes magazine, most rich people agree that the best way to build wealth is to become and stay debt-free.

Forgetting about taxes

Some people mistakenly assume that their retirement account is all theirs; Uncle Sam can’t lay a finger on it. That’s not entirely true.

Unless you have a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k), you will pay taxes on the money you withdraw from your account when you retire. Therefore, your retirement account can easily be 25–30% less than you’re expecting.

Failing to plan

Many people assume that if they simply make a monthly deposit into their 401(k) or IRA, they’ll be able to retire with dignity. They don’t really have a true plan. These people are playing a risky game of roulette with their retirement.

Even if you’ve done the math and know that your family should have $2 million for retirement if you save a certain amount each month, that’s still just half a plan. What if one of you isn’t around next year?

Reliable retirement planning prepares for all the risks in life. From making sure you’ve got term life insurance to having long-term care at the appropriate age, you need a plan for it all. That’s why using a professional investment planner is such a great idea. Not only do they help pick the best funds for your situation, they also prepare you for all the risks you don’t even know exist.

Courtesy of DaveRamsey.com

Did you know that one of the most contagious conditions in the workplace today is attitude?  How you walk into a room or into a meeting will often set the tone for the day for you, your co-workers and your team.  Displaying a positive attitude starts with self-awareness.  Before you walk into the office and start interacting with others, consider the following:

* How do I want people to experience me?
* How will I show my positive attitude?

Remember that you are the conductor who sets the tone for your day.  Think about the tone you want to set that would help you work at your best.

A 2012 Robert Half Management Resources survey of CFO’s found that only 7% of private companies share financial information with their employees.  The reason given for not sharing this information is the fear that secrets will be revealed  and the information will leak out to their competitors.  Another fear is what will happen when the employees find out how much profit the company makes.  So, in a nutshell, fear is the primary motivation for not sharing financial information and fear, in every setting in life, can often cripple progress.  Of the companies that have overcome these fears and adopted the open book management approach, most will tell you that their employees are more productive and more positive than employees left in the dark.

According to a recent article in the Society of Human Resources Management publication “HR Magazine“, the open book management concept is spreading among small private companies as a resolution to overcoming the pitfalls of a challenging economic climate.  Bradshaw embraced the open book management concept over 15 years ago and it has defined the overall culture of our organization in a positive way to say the least.  Our employees are never in the dark about the economic climate of our organization.  All employees meet twice monthly to take a look at the business line by line.  Collectively, we have daily, monthly, quarterly and yearly goals and expectations and we track the progress of the goals, communicate changes in these goals and foster an environment to ask questions about anything pertaining to the financial outlook of the organization.  We think like owners which means that all of us have a little skin in the game to achieve or exceed these goals.  Our decisions are based on the question “what would I do as an owner of the company.”  And it works!  Bradshaw employees received their incentive checks yesterday for exceeding first quarter goals.  A little extra spending money is always a good thing!

One of the core values of Bradshaw is “Have High Expectations” but sometimes this phrase is just thrown out there with no clear definition of what it actually means or how one goes about accomplishing it.

First, it starts with leadership establishing concrete goals and communicating these goals effectively and continuously.  The goal can’t be something as ambiguous as “make more money in 2013″.  The goal or expectation must be detailed and specific…no matter how big or small.

Once the goal or goals have been established, be convincing in your communication.  Big goals are possible!  Everyone works harder when the overall belief is that they are expected to work harder.  Expectations, whether low or high, are a self fulfilling prophecy so set the expectations high but within reason for a successful outcome.

Finally, work purposefully and relentlessly to achieve the goals with constant evaluation of the progress of the goals.  Communicate changes that may be made due to unforeseen obstacles and communicate successes that occur along the way.  Re-establish expectations for the group and for individuals.  This will maintain a high level of energy and ownership for the goals.

The key to implementing high expectations is to understand that “high expectations” is something you DO…not just something that you believe.

Staying productive at work can be challenging even on the best of days.  Distractions and interruptions are typically the main culprits of throwing a perfectly planned day into a complete tailspin.  So how do you improve your level of productivity for your work day?  Here are a couple of tips for improvement:

1. Establish a Routine – Your entire day can’t possibly be routine but you can start by planning your day before you get to work.  Before you leave work in the evening, create a to-do list for the following day.  The list should include the big ticket items that have to get done at the top of the list and the lower hanging fruit at the bottom of the list.  Don’t forget that a big ticket item may require smaller tasks to get the big item marked off your list!
2. Tell the Truth – Interruptions are a productivity drain and often those interruptions come from your co-workers.  If an employee “pops in” your office to ask a question or solve a problem and you are on a roll with your project, be honest with them.  Let them know that you’ll be happy to help them when you get to a stopping point.  Give them an estimated time frame of when you can help.  The employee will be satisfied to know that you will help and it sets an expectation of when you will be helping.
3. Take Breaks – Our brains do not operate on “go” all day long.  Your body will go through hills and valleys of energy throughout the day so be sure to take a break every hour or so to recharge.  Walk to the break room for a drink, read an article unassociated with your job or step outside for some fresh air.  Setting the expectation that you can go all day at full speed will set you up for failure…recharge many times throughout the day for a higher level of productivity.

Here’s to a productive day!

When you think of Bradshaw, we hope you think of high quality printers, parts and supplies, but do you think of vacuums?  Well, you should!  Bradshaw is your exclusive one stop shop for printer service technicians when it comes to Atrix vacuums, filters, and accessories.

Atrix International has been in business since 1981 and is a leading US manufacturer of fine filtration vacuums and filters.  Atrix has a perfect solution for field service technicians with the Omega Plus Vacuum.  The Omega Plus one gallon pickup vacuum is a high quality, yet economical choice in a self-contained service vacuum.  The Omega Plus has six filtration options to meet any fine particulate need.  It’s quiet, ESD (Static) safe, and has plenty of power with its 1,000 hour motor.  Atrix filters and hoses for this particular model, plus others are available and in stock at Bradshaw.

When we say Bradshaw is your one stop shop, we’re not joking!  Order your printers, printer parts, computer parts and vacuums and vacuum parts from Bradshaw today.  You’ll be glad you did!

Working with the same group of folks each day often creates the opportunity to form friendships inside the workplace.  For managers, friendships in the workplace can be a balancing act.  On one hand, you enjoy participating in social settings with other employees but on the other hand, you have a responsibility to the organization to keep certain information confidential.  The two lines can cross very easily if not handled well.  Here are a couple of tips on keeping those lines parallel.

1. Stay Professional – It is perfectly fine to have conversations about personal life on occasion but keep it simple.  Don’t get too involved with the details of the employee’s personal life as this blurs the line between professional and personal.  By not compromising your professional responsibilities, you also allow  a better opportunity for  treating everyone the same…friendship or no friendship.
2. Communicate Boundaries – Creating and clearly communicating your boundaries of what can and can not be discussed with other employees is key in any workplace friendship.  Once everyone in your social group knows what is off limits, it will eliminate the temptation for inappropriate subjects like the salaries of others, how someone did on their review or gossip about another employee’s personal life.
3. Be Aware of Perception – You’ve heard the saying “perception is everything”…well it’s true in the workplace.  By staying professional and communicating boundaries, you help to minimize the perception that you are sharing confidential information to those in your social group.   Protecting the trust of the other employees is critical in any management position.

Remember the news reports on how some corporations and businesses were blocking out certain websites on Black Friday and around the holiday season due to lack of productivity from their employees? Their concern was that their employees would be surfing and shopping on the internet while on company time, essentially being paid to shop.

The holiday season isn’t the only time corporate offices and small businesses are on the lookout for employees stealing some company time. As March Madness arrived, many companies saw a dive in employee productivity. This costs companies money, time, and even potentially their reputation.
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