Category: Business Blog

Business Blog

Figuring Out The Best Kind of Marketing For Your…

There are numerous ways you can market and advertise a business, and getting your name out there to the right people really is key for running a successful company. Online marketing techniques such as social media marketing, selling with email, blogger outreach and banner ads on websites tend to work for most businesses- but there are other options to which you can add to your strategy. Here are a few examples so you can figure out which are right for you. 

 

Door to door marketing

Door to door marketing is considered as an ‘older’ type of marketing- it’s often overlooked by modern businesses since it can be more time consuming and expensive. This is because first you need to find salespeople (meaning there are recruiting costs such as job ads, interviews and training to consider). It takes time, since unlike putting an advert or posting a video online, these people have to physically go and knock potential customers doors, bearing in mind that response rates can be low. With this being said, it’s not a method to completely overlook, for some companies it can be an excellent way to go. Do you sell high value products that perhaps need more explaining so customers can see the benefit? In the case of things like windows, for example, customers will need to spend thousands on them and so having a representative who can answer questions, explain why it’s worth replacing them and gently persuade them to make that purchase could be an excellent tactic. If you sell lots of lower value items that need little explanation then of course, door to door marketing wouldn’t be right for you. 

 

Events and expos

Attending events or business expos are a great way to get your company out there to lots of relevant decision makers and interested customers and businesses. Again, it’s a particularly good choice if you have a product that needs to be demonstrated or used hands- on to appreciate. It can also be a great choice for very visual kinds of business, for example if you’re selling beautiful art prints or handmade craft goods. 

 

Flyers and posters

Another form of advertising which is often overlooked due to it being more old fashioned is flyers and leaflets- but again, it all depends on the business you run. If you’re a company that only sells to people in your local area- for example, a food establishment, a launderette or perhaps something like a student study cafe then you wouldn’t need to advertise far and wide on the internet. Instead, putting flyers through peoples doors and leaving them in places your potential customers will see them, and hanging posters can be highly effective. 

If you’re noticing a decline in profits then taking a closer look at your marketing is a smart move. In many cases, simply updating your marketing materials and trying something new could be enough to generate new interest.

Blogging

Set Up A Business In 10 Simple Steps

Starting a business has to be one of the most challenging things you will ever do. Coming up with a great idea, building that idea into something workable, and then successfully selling the idea is something which is incredibly challenging and can take up all of your time and energy. That’s why today we want to go through some of the simple steps you need to take to start up your own business to make sure that the stress doesn’t cause you to forget something important. 

1: Do Your Research

Before you dive in and start setting up a limited company for yourself you need to take some time to research what it means to own a business. There are so many things you have to think about when starting a business and this is why it is good to spend a few days reading articles and resources online to get your started. Make sure that you are ready to start your business and that you know it is the right thing for you at this stage in your life right now, otherwise it might be wise to hold off for a while. 

2: Plan It Out

The second stage to starting a business is to sit down with a pen and paper and plan it out. Planning your business is something which can take a bit of time but it will be an invaluable reference for you to look back on later in the game. When planning out your business you need to think about things such as platform, audience, product, budget and more. Having this plan in place will make sure that you don’t slip behind when working on your project. 

3: Plan Your Finances

The most crucial step to starting a business is getting the money you need to get it off the ground. Depending on the type of business you set up you might need a substantial investment when starting off and of course this may be difficult for you to get hold of. There are a lot of ways to fund a project such as using your savings account, taking on a loan from the bank, and even crowdsourcing your money through a site such as KickStarter

4: Come Up With A Business Structure

Once you have funded your business and you are ready to get going, it is time to think about the physical structure of the business. There are a lot of departments involved in a business supply chain from start to finish and whether you hire in house or outsource, you need to know where a product goes from start to finish and how you will get it there. Make sure you know exactly how you want your business to flow and create a full process to follow every time you get an order.

5: Pick A Name

The name of your business is one of the most important things you will decide upon during the first few months as a business owner. Your brand name will be forever associated with you and this is why it is crucial that your name is a good one. Make sure that you take the time to think of a name which is memorable, unique and interesting. This is the key to great branding and it will ensure that whenever someone thinks of your brand, they know who you are. 

6: Get Licenses and Permits

It is important for you as a business owner before you begin practices to gain any licenses you may need to perform your business legally. This could include a license to run a commercial business from home, a license to sell certain products and much more. 

7: Choose Helpful Tools 

Running an empire it really difficult and it is incredibly crucial for you to utilise the tools you can to make it easier this year. For example online these days there are tonnes of tools to help you as a business and many of these are free: 

  • Buffer – to manage and schedule social media posts 
  • Canva – to create flyers and marketing materials 
  • Slack – to manage a project team 
  • Google Drive – to store and edit documents 
  • Quickbooks – to manage finances 

8: Find A Location

Once you know what you plan to do for your business you will need somewhere to set up camp. A lot of the time new businesses will work from home as they get on their feet and this can be a handy way for you to save money and build up some revenue in your first few months. However after this you may need to scale up and hire team members and this means an office is the best port of call. Choosing an office will depend on you, however it is best to choose a place with good transport links to make life easier for the people who will be travelling to you every day for work. 

9: Gather Your Team

Speaking of people coming to work for you, now you need to gather a team. The first few months of a business will likely consist either of you alone or with a partner managing the whole process of your business. However it is also important for you to hire new blood once the workload gets high and they will be able to help you grow and develop further. Make sure to choose the best and also the most enthusiastic people for your team and they will make a whole world of difference to your business. 

10: Promote Your Small Business

Once you have started running your empire once and for all it is time to promote it and get the word out there. This will include creating a website and social media accounts for your brand, sharing content with your followers and engaging in conversation. You may also want to invest in a Google Ad during the first few months to help you gain some traction. 

Business Blog

Top Tips For Employee Satisfaction & Ultimate Productivity

Keeping your staff happy in their various roles is often overlooked, and there’s little evidence of any attempt to improve the quality of life for employees in many businesses. The way that your staff view you and your company will have such a huge impact on how they carry out their work, as a bitter or unhappy employee will complete tasks to a bad standard with little care or passion. Luckily, it’s a very simple process to turn your whole ethos around and create a positive working environment in which every employee is motivated and appreciated. By doing following the steps below you can make sure that each member of your staff arrives at their workstation every morning with a smile on their face and the right attitude to get the work done in a productive and timely manor and be a valued addition to your business. 

Offer Room To Grow

In order to properly encourage your staff to perform to the best of their ability, you have to offer them the prospect of growing and advancing onto a more senior position. The best leaders are the ones who once followed, as they can relate to every level of employee and should in theory have the necessary experience and knowledge to require less training on your company specifics. In order to allow internal staff to progress to more official roles with a greater responsibility, you may need to put them through some kind of extra education to adequately improve upon their technical knowledge and help them gain the necessary skills and experience to make the leap from their previous role. If you opt for something like an apprenticeship you can still keep your employees at work for most of the time they spend completing the course, but you will need to search for the relevant endpoint assessment organisations to test their knowledge and allow them to gain that all important qualification. By offering room to grow, your employees will have a constant motivation to work that little bit harder in order to prove themselves to you, in an attempt to gain a better role that offers more pay and privileges. 

 

Promote Good Health

Ensuring good health among all of your employees will actually benefit your business a lot more than you might think. If you totalled all of the days off that your staff have taken due to illness, you will likely see a greater number than you had originally expected. However, if you constantly promote your staff to follow a healthy lifestyle, and provide them with the means to do this in the workplace too, you will see that number begin to fall. Many workers will bring in their own lunch from home, which could be full of bad sugars and fats that will disrupt their energy levels and possibly have an impact on the quality of their work and their potential productivity. By offering some nutritious options on site, you can help to increase your staffs focus and vigour to return from lunch satisfied and ready to complete their remaining tasks for the day. You will also be showing them that you care about their wellbeing, which will make them feel more valued and respected in the workplace. To better their productivity even further, encourage your workforce to take breaks frequently if they stay seated throughout their usual working day, as getting up from your desk for a short walk around will encourage their blood flow and help them to stay aware and alert instead of slumped in their chair. 

 

Reward Quality Work

One of the best ways to motivate your staff and positively impact upon both their satisfaction and productivity is by rewarding them for any quality work they produce. Even by passing on some kind words of praise or congratulations when they have done well, you will be able to make your staff members feel appreciated and help them to strive towards completing all of their work to the same great quality. Offering a monetary incentive such as an end of year bonus for those who particularly excel, such as surpassing a certain number of sales or showing an excess of commitment and dedication, can usually persuade employees more than anything else to put in a bit more effort in their day to day tasks. Those who receive the benefits will be more than satisfied with what they have achieved, and will want to have the same feeling again the following year. You will also have a much better relationship with your workforce, as they will respect you and want to gain your respect in return. 

 

Efficient Communication

Being able to communicate with every member of your workforce in an efficient way is key to both productivity and job satisfaction. If you fail to make things known or disclose the relevant information, results can be catastrophic and subsequently respect and motivation can be lost entirely. There is really no such thing as too much communication, and it’s really important that you can create an open and honest environment inside which your staff can share their thoughts and understand everything they need to know about their job role and what you expect from them. Set an example by always being sincere but direct during every conversation and meeting, as you as owner of the business are the front face of everything and they will look up to for inspiration on how everything should be done and handled. They can then implement these practices during their own tasks, and greatly improve the standard of their performance during group work and boost their productivity and efficiency.

 

These tips should help you to see how easy it can be to keep your employees satisfied in their role and encourage them to be as productive as possible during every shift they attend. Show them you care about their wellbeing and help them to acknowledge the rewards they can achieve by putting in a little more effort and dedication to the tasks they complete.