The Most Important Processes To Simplify

Every part of your business is important, right? Well, we’re sure you can admit that there are some that should come further up the pecking order than others. Some that require that extra bit of attention to ensure that your business is running in tip top condition. But, just because these processes get a little bit more attention, that’s not to say that they’re easy. No, the ones that require the most attention are usually the ones that give you the biggest headache, and that’s what we want to talk about today. We’re all about trying to make your lives a little bit easier, and we think we know just how to do that. If you have a read of the pointers we’ve got below, you’ll see how we can make a day in the office a lot easier for you.

Managing Payments

As your business grows, the payments you’ve got coming in and out of your bank account are no doubt going to be some of the hardest things to manage. We know you’ll have an accountant, but they might not necessarily be in house, and they might not necessarily be there to crunch the numbers as you need them to. Plus, trying to get your customers to pay the right amount at the right time can be tricky, so that’s why you need to rely on a system such as the SATbill. It’s a great way to regulate the billings your company has to make, making your life a lot easier on a daily basis. If your business is still relatively small, make sure that you’re still managing your payments and logging every detail on a daily basis. It will help to build up a profile of the profits you’re making, so that you can compare them to your losses! Being financially prepared and in the know is the key to ensuring your finances actually do stay afloat.

Keeping Custom

The last thing you want is your customers leaving you left right and center, and we’re not saying that’s happening to you right now. But, trying to keep your customers happy when you have so many competitors fighting for their attention is hard. So, that’s why we always urge you to be doing one better. Know every move your competitor makes in terms of trying to bring in custom, and smash them out of the park. The more research you do, the more you will be able to offer your customers. More custom is more money, so it’s definitely worth investing the extra effort into!

Creative Genius

If you’re running out of creative juice, then your process probably isn’t simple enough. If you find that your ideas for services or products is dull, then call in an outsider to help jazz things up a little bit! It’s so easy to get creative when you have another mind to bounce off, and fresh ideas are always good for the company. Even if we were talking about marketing here, it’s still good to have a fresh set of eyes having a look in, and spreading some of that creative genius.

Is It Time To Move Your Business Away From…

Having a home business can allow you a lot of freedom, and there’s no feeling quite like being your own boss. However, there comes a time in many home businesses when it’s time to move away from home to allow for more expansion. Is it time to move your business away from home? We explore this question in more detail below…

You Want To Grow Your Business

If you want to grow your business, a great way to do this can be to move away from home. Setting up your new business premises can allow for expansion and growth in many ways. Your business can appear more professional, you have room to hire staff, and you can purchase equipment that you may not have been able to purchase at home.

You’re Experiencing Interruptions At Home

Experiencing interruptions at home can be one of the biggest drawbacks of working there. If people are coming over to see you because they don’t believe that you’re actually doing any work, or you’re constantly answering the house phone to nuisance calls, it could be time to move away.

Make Sure You’re Ready For The Move

You need to be ready to move out of your home, as you don’t want to over stretch your business for the sake of appearing more professional. If you’re renting out office space to improve your credibility, you might be better off looking at a virtual office. Virtual offices still give you a professional address and telephone answering service, and you can even make use of meetings rooms.

Finding The Right Premises

If you’re still set on moving out and finding a new business premises, you’ll need to think of your client base, who you work with, and the sort of people you’re looking to hire. However, if you’re working with people who are scattered all over, you can usually get away with a business park or industrial estate for cheaper rates.

If you want to attract customers by having them walk in off the street, then you’re going to need a location that gets a lot of foot traffic. One important thing to note about having customers on your premises, is that it must be safe. Places like Allcott Commercial can check premises over so you feel more confident, and having insurance is recommended too. The last thing you want to do is put your customers or employees at risk. It could ruin your business reputation!

Things To Consider

There are a few things you’ll want to consider when you’re contemplating moving away from home, including:

• How many members of staff do you want to hire?
• Can you hire virtual staff members instead, such as a copywriter and a virtual assistant?
• What is your budget?
• How much will your overheads increase?
• Will the area be suitable for the work you do?
• Will it be easily accessible for customers and employees?

So, is it time to move your business away from home? Listen to your gut and you should know the answer

What Does it Take to Market a Modern Business?

When it comes to advertising, we all have the same end goal. We want to get out business and products out there, stand out from our competitors and reach the customers who are interested in buying from us. However, when it comes to marketing and promotion, things are always changing. Advancing technology, changing consumer demand and the way we live our lives all influence the way people shop and therefore the way we need to target them to generate interest.

Don’t overlook offline techniques

In the modern age it’s easy to assume that all marketing needs to be done online. After all, much of our businesses are now run online- and with so many people using the internet it’s an accessible way to get yourself out there. Online marketing methods are of course essential to most kinds of businesses, but that’s not to say you should look ‘old fashioned’ methods too. You could market directly at a business expo or host your own event- go to a t shirt printing company and have them create some tops for your staff with your company name. You could recruit sales staff and have them canvas for sales or conduct presentations with clients. You could even put up posters, billboards and hand out flyers if you’re a local business that sells mainly to customers nearby in the area.

Think about networking

For a successful business, you need connections. This could involve chasing larger clients to work with or simply getting your customers to spread the word to people they think will also be interested. If you already have good connections with old clients and colleagues then you’re one step ahead, but consider the cold market too. Work out which network marketing techniques will best allow you to generate leads online, then you can reach out to target customers on social media. Connecting with people in real life, whether you’re handing out promotional merch or having casual conversations is a fantastic way to give people a personal experience and make your brand feel real in the eyes of potential customers.

Utilise influencers.

In recent years, influencers such as bloggers, Youtubers and social networking personalities have become incredibly influential. These people can often have followings that rival that of Hollywood actors. Working with an influencer means you get to put your product or business out there to a massive group of people. Influencers are more relatable than your average celebrity, and consumers are more likely to listen to a trustworthy voice than a commercial advert and so this is definitely something to get on board with.

Experiment with mobile advertising

Mobile phones might be nothing new, however using them to advertising on is. Now that a massive proportion of the population owns a smartphone, creating an app or advertising via browsers is a great way to get your business seen. Mobile advertising can be extremely powerful if it’s done correctly so be sure to do some research and consider branching out your marketing here.