When you’re in your 20s or 30s, retirement might be the last thing on your mind, but it’s never too early to save money, invest cleverly, budget your lifestyle, avoid debt and get a foot on the property ladder. In fact, your future self will thank you for it. In this article, Copper Quail Consulting …
Having a financial safety net is a critical component of any small business. If something unanticipated occurs, there could be serious repercussions if you don’t have this safety net. So Copper Quail Consulting discusses best practices to establish a financial plan that will not only provide you peace of mind but also ensure the success …
As a business owner, it’s not uncommon to have properties in multiple states. Whether you’ve bought a vacation home or you’re looking to expand your business into new markets, owning property in multiple states comes with its own set of challenges. From keeping your household organized to stocking up on food and water, Copper Quail …
Stress. It’s the shadow that follows us everywhere we go. And like the famous Robert Lewis Stevenson poem, My Shadow, “…he hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play, and can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.” Getting a break from our day-to-day stress-inducing routine requires more than …
Collaboration within a company is necessary to achieve common goals. However, this can only occur where there is true teamwork and a certain level of commitment to each other and to the business as a whole. So if you are keen on building the right bridges within your company, here is how you can use …
Many women in the workforce are seeking a balance between their career and personal lives. According to an InvestmentNews Research survey, only 19 percent of women reported they were very satisfied with their work-life balance. In particular, women entrepreneurs can find themselves struggling to find parity. Running the show often means working long hours, especially …
Whether you’re looking to start a business or are thinking about relocating, consider Waddell, Arizona. You’ll benefit from a low crime rate and affordable housing, along with access to adequate business resources to help set you up for success. High Quality of Life Residents of Waddell are genuinely happy, so you’ll benefit from employees who …
As a small business owner, you know what it means to be busy every day and sometimes even every hour. You also know how important it is to find ways to free up your time, even just a little, so you can balance your work with the rest of your life. As one means to …
Expanding a business is not often easy, and the decision can be more complex if you want to expand internationally. Unless you have extensive experience, you need to ask questions and find answers that will guide you in expanding your business. The path to building a business includes challenges and opportunities. Regardless of your growth …
If you’re looking for new talent to hire for your small business, you may want to consider hiring immigrants. There are a number of reasons why hiring immigrants is a good idea for any small business! If you’re on the fence about this recruitment process, keep reading. We can guarantee that you’ll be on board …
With its low cost of living, loose regulations, cultural riches, and a job market as hot as the weather, Arizona’s state capital city Phoenix is fast becoming a target destination for new or relocated small businesses. Courtesy of Copper Quail Consulting, read on as we explore some of The Valley’s key entrepreneurial benefits. Affordability Many …
Your employees are the driving force of your company, ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly and your customers are happy. Obviously, it’s important that you keep your team satisfied and motivated. While traditional benefits like dental are a big boon, today’s employees have higher expectations when it comes to benefits in the workplace. Read on for …
While a large home office can be a fantastic place to work if you have the space for one, a well-designed workspace is the most important thing when it comes to working productively from home. So whether you’re setting up an office in a small bedroom, walk-in closet, or living room nook, these tips and …
If you can run in the heat, you can run anytime, anywhere, so there’s never a better time to start training for a 5k. A five-kilometer (5k) run, which is about 3.1 miles, is a great launching point for distance running goals. Whether you’re starting from the couch or changing up your routine for a …
As a business owner, there may be times when you need a bit of extra help, but not so much that you must hire a new employee. Teaming up with freelance workers may offer the right middle ground. What’s the proper way to find and hire reputable contractors? Copper Quail Consulting shares how to save …
Have you seen this year’s 2021 KNOW Book featuring Tara Bethell, Founder & CEO, of Copper Quail Consulting? This feature would not have been possible without the amazing clients that turn to Copper Quail Consulting for their Strategic Planning, Human Resources, and Wellness needs. Our goal at Copper Quail Consulting is and continues to be …
Guest Blog by Katie Conroy, Advice Mine As a small business owner, few things are worse than being forced to close your doors. Even if the COVID-19 pandemic is over soon, you’ll likely be dealing with the aftermath for a long time as a small business. Luckily, there are many things you can do during …
Guest blog by Stephanie Haywood, My Life Boost During the pandemic, it’s incredibly important to avoid crowded places where you may contract the disease or spread it to others. But this doesn’t mean you have to put your health and fitness routine on hold. There are many great ways to work out at home! We’ve …
Guest Blog by Katie Conroy, AdviceMine.com Being self-employed and owning your own company is incredibly exciting. After all, you get to be your own boss! Entrepreneurship can also be challenging, however. You are responsible for every aspect of your business. Many entrepreneurs get so involved in their work, they neglect to take care of themselves. …
Confession time: My intern and right-hand gal, Shweta, and I were reviewing our content and social media calendar recently h to see what holidays and celebrations are coming up that employers might benefit from HR tidbits about. We saw National Hispanic (now Latinx?!?) Heritage month starts in September and thought great – we can celebrate …
Arizona SHRM successfully concluded its first-ever virtual conference last week. The theme was, “Human Factors in Technology” and what a perfect topic as we embrace working remotely in some fashion more and more the future as well as consider what the future of AI holds for us. What could have been a boring, humdrum, “Zoombie” …
This blog comes from guest writer, and Copper Quail Consulting (CQC) HR Intern, Shweta Deokule, MBA! Shweta holds an MBA and several HR certifications. She and Tara Bethell, CQC Founder, recently attended an event featuring Harriet Dominique who serves as a Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Community Affairs at USAA as a lead …
Recently, I’ve been back in recruiting mode to help a new company and while I love connecting with interesting people, there are so many things applicants do that drive me crazy. This experience solidified my thought that I could never be a full-time recruiter. It also inspired me to share a few tips and ideas …
Are you falling prey to the movement right now to not take PTO (paid time off) because you can’t go anywhere exotic this summer? Or you don’t want to “just stay home”? Well, stop that! You’re doing yourself, your family/friends, and your work a disservice. And if you are still finding barriers, I will offer …
Employee engagement, the emotional connection, excitement and readiness employees should feel each day to tackle their work, can be influenced greatly by the relationship (or lack thereof) they have with their supervisor. If a supervisor, or company leaders in general, feel that engagement is down, there are several ways to gather data and put new …
“Refer your friends and family to earn a bonus!” We’ve all heard about these programs and I know I’ve used this as a recruitment tool. Does this create Homogeneous Hiring? Does it perpetuate Systemic Racism? It certainly can, but like most things…it depends. I am still a huge fan of having a robust employee referral …
Tara Bethell, Founder & CEO, Copper Quail Consulting, will be the featured guest on The Nonprofit Show, presented by the American Nonprofit Academy on Monday, July 27th, 9:30am, via Zoom. We will be discussing employees and PTSD symptoms due to COVID-19. This event is free. Register at: https://americannonprofitacademy.com/thenonprofitshow/
What are you doing with your newfound time since you’re not commuting to work as often as you used to? Why not use that time to sharpen your skills & support your community?! With the newfound time many folks have from less commuting, traveling, or going out, it is the perfect opportunity to volunteer in your …
If you missed the AzODN Recognition and Appreciation Zoom Program, you missed a good one! We talked about successful and failed attempts in giving and receiving recognition and appreciation and the lasting impact (positive and negative) those experiences had on us. Here is a list of resources to help get you started (or you can …
Ten years ago, when an employee asked to work from home, the answer was often something like, “Well, if we do that for you, we’ll have to do it for everyone.” As an HR gal, I get that it’s important to consider all sides of an option to see what precedent it sets. I understand …
June 30 – Appreciation & Recognition Join Lori Howard, Liz Kinsfather and Tara Bethell for a facilitated conversation on Appreciation and Recognition – The Differences, The Whys and The Hows. Not only are these ladies AzODN members, they are SMEs in their respective areas. Lori is a seasoned OD and HR consultant who hails from …
I love to help clients create and launch employee handbooks. Seeing all their ideas, mission language, and benefits they provide come together with their specific policies and procedures is often a labor of love. A way to show employees they care and want to do right by them in a whole host of ways. The …
For Arizona Minority, Women, and LGBTQ-owned Businesses I have long been a people-person and will talk to anyone (playground, grocery store, on the sidewalk) and try to learn about them. This can be to the chagrin of my parents (when I was little talking to strangers), my husband, or my friends (who feel like I’m …
My yoga journey began in 2002 as a way to lose weight for my wedding. I had no idea that completing that VHS (!) tape workout every day for three months would have such an impact on my life. I lost weight doing yoga, but more than that, I gained confidence in my body and myself. Anytime I took …
Diversity… inclusion… equity… We hear these words a lot and rightfully so. Research shows time and again that diverse workplaces lead to innovation, creativity, loyalty and much more. However, for too long, organizations have invested time, money and energy into DEI programs that result in little to no lasting change. How are we botching this …
Not sure where to spend your finite employee dollars? I believe there are three buckets you should invest in and these can all be started by HR staff (caveat: you need directors/owners buy-in early!) and they are wellness, appreciation, and training-outside-the-box. Wellness, Not a Check-the-Box Program Employees are whole beings and they need holistic support …
I was recently asked for tips (probably because it is graduation season) on making a resume stand out. Here are my top three tips all resume writers should utilize when writing or updating their resume. 1. Use Key Words Job applicants should know the keywords for the industry they are applying in (do your research!). …
It is important to first identify how or why the interview went bad before crafting a recovery strategy. It is always best practice to send a follow up thank you email and/or snail mail card (depending on when they plan to make a decision) after the interview and this can be a great place to start …
The short answer: absolutely. In fact, I would go so far as to say you should bring a few notes. This shows preparation to those that are conducting the interview! I am a fan of bringing an old school padfolio to every interview I do whether it is for a new job, a new client, a new …
Are your virtual team meetings in a rut of listening while everyone reports out? What if you could bring purpose, collaboration, and energy back into team meetings? Take a time-out from the same old Zoom meeting to use something new to ideate, brainstorm, retro review, reprioritize work flows and more! Online Collaborative Whiteboard Platforms I …
Are your All-Hands Meetings feeling humdrum? There are several ways you can pump some life into them. I am a firm believer that these meetings can be informative and fun – thus, making staff want to attend and actually retain the information shared. Before The Meeting Lock your meeting dates/times down on calendars at the …
With the majority of teams moving to remote work quickly and a bit haphazardly, I wanted to share a few things I’ve found through research and tried with colleagues to increase morale in this new virtual environment. Before diving into the tips, it is important to recognize low morale in the team environment. Identifying Low …
I recently received this question and wanted to share a few thoughts. My overall experience is that no, you should not leave jobs off your resume because it often creates more questions than it eliminates. However, like so many things in life and work, this question is not black and white. Reasons to List the …
Cover letters still matter in this day and age for three reasons: they provide another quick layer to weed out candidates, they paint the picture for the screener on why the candidate is applying, and they help connect the work they’ve done to the work they would like to do for the new company in …
