Category: Marketing blog

In the modern age, it’s not unheard of for big businesses to operate solely online. You only have to look at Amazon to see the potential of such an enterprise. And, no one can deny the benefits of this move for new companies. You can cut startup costs in half by eliminating the need for a physical shop space.

But, even an online business needs to find its place in the real world. You may well find some level of success in your bedroom, but if you want to take things to the next level, it’s important to reach out into reality sometimes. In the future, that may change. But, for now, finding a balance between both options is your best bet. Even Amazon has been dabbling in the physical world since 2015. And, if the most well-known internet giant in the world has to do it, so do you.

The good news is, there are ways to keep it real, and still save money. You don’t have to jump right in with a physical store if that’s what you’ve been avoiding. Instead, consider the following ways to make ripples in reality.

Get other shops to stock your stuff

You may not want a shop space of your own, but what’s to stop you using other people’s? Many department stores, supermarkets, and other big names stock from outside sources. There’s nothing to stop you arranging meetings with such companies and pitching your product. If your online sales are booming, they’re sure to at least offer you a trial period.

Of course, nothing is free in the business world. You will have to pay a percentage of your earnings. But, this is usually small enough that you still stand to see a significant return. Not to mention that getting your brand noticed in shops could lead to online customers who will be all yours.

Attend events

It’s also worth getting out and attending events. These are a fantastic way to get your name known. Trade shows would be an excellent way to appeal to other companies. Public events could also bring you an influx of customers. It’s just yet another way to get your name out there. It also gives you a chance to put a face to your product, which is crucial. Even better, this is sure to be cheaper than an ongoing space. You’ll only be paying for one-off occasions, after all. Plus, you can keep things cheap with something like these shell scheme stands. These may be simple from the outset, but companies like Rocket Print Promotions can help you turn them into eye-catching spectacles.

What about employee space?

When you start employing, it’s also worth looking into a space for your employees. This doesn’t have to be anything significant. Just having a physical workspace will make all the difference to your team. Remote working may be okay as a temporary measure, but if you want to build good working relationships, you need to work side by side.

We all know that most businesses and self-starters own their own domain name, whether that’s self-hosted or through a service provider. We all know that we personally visit these websites to conduct our shopping, check for deals and research new information about select products we most want. This is the business market in 2017. Whole industries have been built around the online world, and that doesn’t show any signs of stopping in the least. This is a wonderful thing, as not only is it easier to become more informed as a customer but as a business owner, the speed and ease at which we work and communicate is unprecedented.

However, revelling in the benefits of this new methodology of working is great, but there are still ways to execute your efforts here badly. While it’s easier to reach more people than ever before with your online strategy, consumers are smarter than ever before and are more than capable of weeding out the wheat from the chaff. Appealing to their better instinct is the challenge and goal here. If you manage to effectively do this, repeat business will overwhelming fly in your direction.

You need to take care of your online presence to even think about making the most of this. If you’re a new business or believe you need help in this department, you can be sure that the following tips are likely to help you out:

Awareness

While consumers look for businesses that provide a positive product or service experience, they also want to SEE your awareness online. What does that mean? Well, a customer is more likely to regard your firm as intelligent and in-the-know about what’s going on if you have support for multiple different online platforms. How can a customer feel comfortable doing business with you when you neglect to run anything more than your website?

At the very least, you will need Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn profiles to network effectively and conduct business. These platforms can serve as free marketing, so you’d be wrong to neglect opening them. Just make sure that they are manned by professionals, as a public blunder here can spell disaster for your image.

Compatibility

It’s very well being hosted on online platforms and as a result being seen, but what utility are you offering? Are you allowing your product lines to be hosted for direct purchase using links from your social media pages? Are you targeting your demographic directly with ads and potential ‘members clubs’ of those who use your platform? What can a customer even do when they visit your website? These questions are all important to ask, because these days it’s not enough to attract someone’s attention, you must also retain it.

At the very least you must stay online and keep your IT services relevant to take advantage of your growing platform, and services such as Prosyn can help you with this, leaving you more time to expand your zone of influence and less time worrying about your capacity to do so.

These two considerations are balanced in import, but like the Yin-Yang circle, one should not exist without the other. Make sure you balance them well for the best results, and you’ll be sure that your online dominance will grow at a steady pace.

When you are a company or entrepreneur starting out, it can be a minefield to know exactly what is right and what is wrong in how you deal with some of the key business aspects. Regulation is one of those things that differ depending on each industry, and when you are growing your business, you will find that you hit more and more issues, so it can feel much harder to protect your baby in this respect. So, the idea of protection encompasses so many different things, especially for your own company. So, what do you need in place?

Legal Protection

The first and most important thing you need to help navigate any dangerous waters is to hire an attorney. Make sure you hire one that is competent, not cheap. It can be quite an expense, but depending on where you are operating your business, you may be able to find a local attorney that is knowledgeable in the local laws and regulations, so this may mean you can negotiate a better fee, but also establish an effective working relationship. It’s also important to find an attorney with expertise in specific fields. Something like a tax attorney would benefit you more if you were anticipating financial issues.

Data Protection

This is a very complicated area in the modern business world. Looking after your information and the information of your customers or clients is something that needs addressing. Due to the influx of computer hackers and the various ways they can steal information; it’s not just about installing an anti-virus program anymore! It’s important to establish a good relationship with a managed IT company, and there are plenty, such as managed IT services by USWired that can offer various ways of protecting your information. Handling sensitive data is something that has been enforced in many businesses over the years, but it’s not just about hiring the right company to look after your data, it’s also about teaching effective working processes, and this means educating your employees on how they can minimize data theft.

Business Protection

By insuring yourself, especially if you have customers in your place of business, it’s going to stop you losing lots of money in case you get sued. There are various types of insurance, such as liability insurance, which will protect you if a customer was to fall and hurt themselves. There are also types of insurance cover such as errors and omissions coverage. This way of protecting your business is not just about purchasing the right insurance policy. It’s about putting this protection into the contracts. A good example is if an unforeseen circumstance makes it difficult, if not impossible, for you to fulfil a contractual obligation, you can find yourself in hot water. Insuring your company in its various states is no doubt something that has crossed your mind, that the importance of it cannot be underestimated.

Startups can, in effect, operate in many precarious ways. And some not have any methods of protection in place, so if this is you, it’s now time to start addressing these issues. And these three are the perfect place to begin.