Managers and their employees often have a lot to learn from each other, and when they click, it's a productivity bonanza for for everyone involved. What makes that click possible, though? For many, it means an exceptional manager, but what makes a manager so great? Read on for the seven traits of a great manager. 

The end of 2017 is rapidly approaching, and many employers will be handing out year-end bonuses or other perks and presents. But will a bonus bestowed at the dawn of a new year really keep an employee happy, satisfied, and ready to settle in for another 12 months of productive work?

If any of these women have anything to do about it, 2017 in Atlanta is shaping up to be a great year for women. Here's how nine women are trailblazing across Atlanta in multiple industries - from startups to Fortune 500 companies - and what you can learn from them.

One of the most daunting challenges as a business owner is building the right team around you. After all, it has been said that your employees are your best asset. (And whoever said that was smart).

Elevator pitches aren’t just for people appearing on Shark Tank. Any business owner should be able to describe their business and its goals in around 30 seconds. After all, you never know when you’ll need to impress a prospective client or investor, convince a new recruit that your business is the one for them or just help someone understand exactly what it is your company offers (and why you’re the best at it.)

For companies battling through tough economic times, effective internal communications may not sound like a top priority. But clear and effective communication within a company, no matter what size, is a big deal. Get it wrong and you’ll soon have a workforce that is unsure, inefficient and struggling with motivation.

According to James Cameron’s Terminator franchise, 19 years ago to the day (August 29 1997), the computer system Skynet became sentient and triggered the nuclear holocaust known as Judgement Day. Two decades on, we’re thankfully still some way from computers having the technological know-how to wipe out humanity unaided.

So you’ve had the idea that you hope is going to make your fortune - what next? However excited you may be, before you rush into choosing office space and chasing clients you need to put together a business plan – something that sets out your business goals, and helps you assess whether they are actually attainable.

It’s a busy world these days. As a small business owner, it perhaps goes without saying that I’m switched on to work even when I’m at home. But juggling work with all the other things we have to think about - childcare, eldercare and the domestic problems that go hand-in-hand with everyday life – isn’t easy. Even when my business is running smoothly, I feel like I’m failing in other areas of my life and vice versa.

There are lots of amazing things about being the boss, but it does occasionally come with some downsides and, for me, these include having to have tough conversations with my employees. Normally I’m pretty informal and like to think that I get on with my team really well, which makes it even harder when I have to put on my ‘boss’ hat and have an official conversation with someone.