Category: Business/Entrepreneurship

How Future-Proofing Your Office Can Save Your Business Money

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. If you’re using an office to conduct your business and operations, you may want to consider future-proofing your office to ensure its continued operations. The following contributed post is entitled, How Future-Proofing Your Office Can Save Your Business Money.

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If you run your business from an office, you’ll likely also employ many staff to take care of the daily running of things. As you can appreciate, today’s modern offices require a lot of equipment and technology to operate at optimum efficiency.

The trouble is, some business leaders don’t invest much time or money into modernizing their working areas. As a result, it takes longer to do things due to outdated or faulty systems. And that ultimately means a lower annual turnover and reduced profit.

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The good news is that all is not lost. You can take several steps to future-proof your office and ensure that your business is a market leader. Here’s what you can do to bring your company into the 21st century:

Install fiber optic cabling

One of the first things you need to look at is how your business interacts with the outside world internally. All modern business offices have network cabling that allows computers and electronic devices to communicate internally and across the Internet.

But, if you have a large office or your business is spread across several different offices, you could easily face the limitations of CAT5 and CAT6 network cabling. To overcome those challenges, it makes sense to use fiber optic cabling for trunk communications.

You might need fiber optic cable installers to install the cabling for you. But, any person competent in IT communications can install and set up fiber equipment such as switches and routers to utilize fiber optic cabling.

Upgrade to high-speed Internet access

You should also upgrade your office’s Internet access to complement your new fiber optic cabling. The shocking truth about many business locations is they only have basic broadband speeds – completely inadequate for the needs of today’s modern business.

Did you know that fiber optic Internet access is very affordable these days, even for small businesses? It makes sense to upgrade to such Internet connection technology. Plus, as your business grows, you can upgrade to higher speeds in the future with ease.

Upgrade to a unified communications model

It goes without saying that all businesses need telephone systems, whether they are landline-based or mobile. But, one of the challenges that face all companies is tying together the various communication methods they use each day.

Thankfully, it’s now possible to upgrade to a unified communications model in your business. What does that mean exactly? In layman’s terms, you can unify your telephone, voicemail, fax, and email systems into one single setup.

For example, you can receive voicemail messages and faxes in your email inbox. And you can easily divert your phone number to any location around the world, making it easy to work from home or abroad.

Final thoughts

The above is just a few of many ways that you can future-proof your office – and your business. In an extremely competitive market, it makes sense to do everything in your power to stay ahead of the competition.

Future-proofing your office is one of the biggest ways to achieve that goal, yet it’s also one of the least thought of methods.

Why More Iowans Are Using Solar Panels in Their Homes and Businesses

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In addition to being more environmentally friendly in terms of powering homes and businesses, there are financial incentives for incorporating this type of technology and one state in the union seems to be leading the charge in terms of its usage. The following contributed post is entitled, Why More Iowans Are Using Solar Panels in Their Homes and Businesses.

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Thanks to a number of incentives available, more and more Iowans have been adopting the use of solar panels in their home. Whether it’s tax incentives or easement laws, it’s become easier than ever to start using solar as your renewable energy source of choice. Regardless if you’re a homeowner or a business owner, solar can reduce your energy bills by a significant amount and also offer you a number of other benefits depending on your use case.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/mIlvCv21W1s (CC0)

What are the benefits of solar energy?

Solar panels come with a range of different benefits, but the most important ones are:

● A renewable energy source that reduces your carbon footprint.
● Reduced electricity bills thanks to solar energy powering many devices and electronics in your home.
● Low maintenance costs due to no moving parts and high reliability.
● Low maintenance as a user; all you need to do is clean it occasionally to remove debris and dirt that covers the panels.
● Constant technological improvements to efficiency and power generation.
● Space-saving design; solar panels typically stay on your roof and don’t demand extra space in your home or business.

The average cost of solar panel installations in Iowa

According to Energy Sage, the average cost of installing a solar panel in Iowa ranges from $14,408 to $19,492. This can seem extremely expensive, but it offers a constant return in the form of energy savings and there are many financial options and incentives to help you afford the installation. For many businesses and homes, you can expect to get your investment back in just 8 years. This is also known as the solar payback period. After that 8 year mark, any savings from solar are going to be pure savings that will be helping you save money.

These numbers are a rough estimate so it’s important to get in touch with a local solar company such as Iowa Solar to help you crunch the numbers and give you an accurate estimate based on your use case and location. Although the amount of sunlight that Iowa gets per year is fairly average by U.S. standards, it’s the incentives that have helped push many Iowans to adopt solar in their homes and businesses.

Iowa’s history as a renewable energy leader

Even back in March, Iowa passed important legislation that provided opportunities for solar energy to grow in the state. The bill highlighted the codifying of net metering in Iowa law and the grandfathering of existing customers into their current plans. It also discussed the transition to a Value of Solar rate in the future. Thanks to this legislation, Iowa’s solar industry has become a little more predictable and will continue to focus on low costs for all customers for both residential and commercial uses of solar.

Iowa has been a leader in renewable energy sources for many years now. They’ve constantly been pushing for wind and solar investments and, thanks to many collaborations between different organizations, Iowans have continued to enjoy the benefits of the state’s transition to clean energy at all levels.

Finding The Best Entertainment Booking Agency

Two focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship and Entertainment and New Talent. In some instances, you may need to book an entertainment act. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, it can be a gargantuan task and as such, finding the a good booking agency could be very helpful. The following guest post is entitled, Finding The Best Entertainment Booking Agency.

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If you have ever thought about booking an entertainment act, you know that it can take a lot of work. Instead of doing all that hard work yourself, there are other ways to get the act chosen quickly and affordably.

Consider using an entertainment booking agency. Below are some of the big advantages of these companies:

They Save You Time

This might seem rather apparent, but you may not realize how much time and energy it takes to find the act that you want. There are many entertainment options available and almost limitless entertainers within each option. You will need to look at dozens or even hundreds of performers, look for testimonials, watch videos, and get their contact information.

If you want to blow your guests away with the quality of your entertainment, you will need to put in long hours to find the right people.

But when you hire an agency, the process is fast, simple, and clan. A good entertainment agency should have several appropriate options available quickly, once they understand you needs and goals. An entertainment agency’s reputation is its most important commodity, and it will not waste that precious resource on bad entertainment. There will be few if any poor or unreliable performers. Your agency should take care of everything you need and provide you with great entertainment for your event.

Reduce Risk

Even after you spend hours researching an act or group, you may not be certain that what you viewed is what you will get. An entertainer’s tape can look fantastic, but may not deliver the goods when the lights go down. Or, they can be great on stage and very difficult off stage. There are stories of some acts getting drunk, making absurd demands and taking offense to strange things.

When you work with an agency, you minimize the risk of something bad happening. They have done the research and worked with hundreds of entertainers. They know who are seasoned pros and who to avoid. They also know who has talent and who is not. They know who will be a perfect fit for your act.

They Have Industry Knowledge

You could have the greatest entertainer for your event but you don’t have their contact information. Should you call their agent or call them directly? Where to get the information you need?

When you need to reach some entertainers, it helps if you have connections. An entertainment agency has great connections in the industry and more and better talent available. As your success means their success you know they will deliver a great product.

They Have Experience

If you partner with an entertainment agency, you are gaining an organization with decades of experience. This is something that is hard to beat, even if you are new to event planning. Beyond the instincts and knowledge that come with many years in this industry, the agency will be able to help you deal with drafting and negotiating the contract. If you try to do this yourself, it could be confusing and may create problems later.

While not every entertainment agency available out there has the exact same experience and benefits, you should get a clear, simple process that provides you with a good entertainer who is reliable and matches your needs. Booking good entertainment should not be a high-stress process. The agency will take most of that stress away and let you focus on other aspects of your event.

Now that you understand the benefits of working with an agency, you should be able to find the best entertainment option for your next event.

Keep On Top Of Every Little Thing When You Run A Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the type of business that you’re trying to grow and running, it can be a gargantuan task. That said missing and or neglecting some of the details can be costly. The following contributed post is entitled, Keep On Top Of Every Little Thing When You Run A Business.

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Running a business is no easy task, as we’re sure that you are aware. It requires a lot of effort and commitment from you to even be able to think about seeing success. You need to keep on top of every single thing that is going on in your business, even though you have other people to oversee the departments. At the end of the day, it’s your company, which means you need to have your fingers in all the different pies. In this article, we’re going to look at some of the departments you’ve especially got to be on top of, so keep reading if you want to know what they are.

Finances

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The first thing that we want you to think about is finances. Finances are really difficult to manage, which is why you’ve probably got an accountant doing it for you. Even though this is the case, you need to look over what they are doing every now and then to make sure that they are on top of everything. We’re sure that they are, but it’s always important to check so that there are no surprises. Make sure that they’ve got everything that they need to complete their job effectively, such as crypto tax software, if this is necessary, and other software to make their job easier. Ask them what they need, and then learn how to use whatever they use as best you can so that you know everything is going well.

Marketing

Marketing is massively important to your business, even if some companies have got it into their heads that it isn’t. How else are potential clients going to know who you are, what you can do, and what you can offer them? The short answer is that they won’t. You’ve got to know exactly what marketing campaigns are being used for your company, who is being featured in your ads, what marketing techniques you’re making use of, and so on. You never know, you might have some ideas to improve it, such as posting more varied content on social media. If you don’t know what’s going on, something could be missed!

Customer Service

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Lastly, your customers are essential to your business because without them, you don’t exist. It’s for this reason that you need to make sure your employees are providing the highest standard of customer service possible to each and every customer. You want a reputation for doing everything in your power to fix any mistakes you’ve made and doing everything to make your customers happy. Send your employees on training courses periodically if that is what it takes, but your reputation for customer service must be good if you want to stay afloat.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see why you need to keep on top of every little thing when you run a business. It’s essential that you don’t let anything distract you from having the information that you need, or your company is the one that will suffer. Good luck.

In Case You Missed It: My Interview With Dennis Wilson Jr. Regarding Business/Entrepreneurship And Branding

As many of you know, I’ve branched out from the Big Words Blog Site into YouTube where I now have four channels. My original channel is Big Discussions76 where I now discuss general topics. One of my recent guests is fellow Buffalonian Dennis Wilson Jr. (see the video at the bottom of this post). Being in the same peer group, Dennis and I played basketball in Buffalo’s “Yale Cup” high school basketball league around the same time in the early 1990s. After launching a career in education, Dennis started and has steadily built his own business empire. In addition to owning one of the more popular restaurants in Buffalo, the Oakk Room, Dennis further hosts high quality and sophisticated events and has also started his own clothing line.

In this interview, I asked Dennis about his background, his educational path, how he launched in the business world, and finally what he foresees going forward. Links to Dennis’ business websites are in the description box below the video. If you want to read more about business topics of all kinds including branding, select the “Business/Entrepreneurship” category from the list of topics in the drop-down menu in the left-hand margin my blogging platform. Thank you for watching, and if anything in our discussion resonates with you, please like, share and subscribe to my channel.

Improving Your Business Travel Experience

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Many businesses involve some sort of travel. While it’s necessary in business, it doesn’t have to be an altogether unpleasant experience. The following contributed post is entitled, Improving Your Business Travel Experience.

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Whenever you have to travel for business reasons, whether it’s just for a couple of days or even several years, it can often be an experience that you simply dread. The chaos of airport security, cold lifeless accommodation, a considerable distance between you and family or friends and a general sense of an uncomfortable countdown slowly grudging by are just a few of the side effects that many professionals fear, but it needn’t be like this for much longer. There are so many tips and tricks that you can make the most of to ensure you have the best time possible, no matter where you might be, and it couldn’t be easier to begin planning your journey today. So, if you would like to find out more, then read on to uncover some of the greatest steps that you can follow now to improve your business travel experience in no time at all.

Image Source – Pexels

Book Your Own Accomodation

More often than not, your employer will be the one who chooses, books and pays for your accommodation. This means that you’re probably going to end up with the easiest, most affordable option, whether you like it or not. However, rather than suffering through a 1 star hotel, it may be possible for you to approach your boss and request a new method of handling the situation – simply ask them to set a budget, and request that they allow you to find and arrange your own suitable accommodation. Hosting sites such as Airbnb can be a great place to find excellent accommodation in the centre of every city or town, and the fact that your host is likely a local will be of real benefit to your trip too! There are so many ways to find affordable accommodation, and gaining the opportunity to pick and choose based on your own personal preferences can make your travel experience feel less lonely.

Research & Organise Transportation

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your location to find no taxis, public transport or car hire as far as the eye can see. Organising the right transportation is such a key aspect of your trip, as you need to have the freedom and capacity to visit any location you wish to. Business travel does provide some down time, and it’s such a bad idea to simply sit inside your accommodation and watch the hours crawl by when you could be out on the road experiencing all of the sights and sounds. Whether you arrange accommodation close to a regular bus route or train station, hire a vehicle straight from the airport, or even use a site like https://carsrelo.com/ to transport your own car from your hometown for ultimate comfort, there are just so many different options that you can explore. Why stay isolated inside when you can just get outside and experience the culture of the area surrounding you?

Improving your business travel experience has never been so simple when you are able to utilise the tips and tricks detailed above.

3 Things You Have To Remember When You’re Launching A New Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Launching a new business can be a daunting task if you’ve never done it before. It can be exponentially easier if you understand some of the basic concepts. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Things You Have To Remember When You’re Launching A New Business.

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These days you need to make the right decisions at the right times, and moving forward in the right way is so important. When you are launching a business it is vitally important that you take steps to focus on what you can do to launch the business in a more successful way. There are so many factors that you need to make the most of right now, and this is something that plays a massive part in this.

Here are some of the ideas you are going to need to work on right now, and there are a lot of things that you need to keep an eye on when it comes to launching a new business. This is something that you need to work on to help make this as successful as possible. You are going to have to factor in what you need to launch the best possible business right now.

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1. A Business Plan is Vital

There are a lot of ideas you are going to need to work on doing as much as you can to work on improving your business plan as much as possible. A strong and detailed business plan is something that you need to try to work on when you are trying to move forward. The business plan is the most important part of the process when it comes to the initial phase of developing and executing a successful business for the future. The business plan is the blueprint for taking your company forward in the best possible way, and this is something you need to work on right now.

2. You Need to Do Your Research

Doing your research is really important and this is something that you need to make sure you keep in mind right now. There are so many factors that you need to keep in mind when it comes to making the right business decisions, and research is absolutely essential for this. Make sure you factor in the best ways of being able to do this moving forward, and there are a lot of things you need to know about. For instance, you should be researching the cosmetics industry if you’re looking to launch a beauty business, and check out the trends and things to look out for. The more you can do to get this right the better the decisions you will be able to make in the future.

3. Reputation Matters

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and this is something that you need to try to make the most of right now. There are a lot of ideas that play a role in this, and it is important to make sure you focus on doing what you can to take things to the next level. There are so many things you need to get right here, and you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. So this means you need to work on making a good first impression as much as possible, and this is something you have to try to make the most of as much as possible moving forward.

As you can see, these are a few of the key things you need to keep in mind when you are looking to make the right decisions for your new business. It is important that you come up with ideas that you can use to take things to the next level right now. Here are some of the key elements you need to make right now, and getting this right is important moving forward.

Taking Your Business International

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Our world has now become global in terms of economics to the point where business is no longer restricted to your own shores. It is now possible to extend you business activities overseas. The following contributed post is entitled, Taking Your Business International.

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When you first start a business, you’re probably focused on engaging with your target market within your town, region, or country. As you get off the ground, however, there’s nothing stopping you from taking your business international. With the potential to generate more income and expand swiftly, an international growth plan could be your route to commercial success.

Of course, there are lots of elements and potential issues to consider before you can begin selling or providing services internationally. To simplify the process, take a look at these top tips for taking your enterprise international:

Do your research

Turning a local or national company into a global business requires a considerable amount of research. In fact, you might spend months or even years researching different markets and plotting potential growth plans. However, major business decisions should never be made on a whim. By investing your time into research, you can determine whether an international growth plan is right for your business and, if so, how you can reduce operational costs and maximize your return on your investment.

Understand trade regulations

Selling in another jurisdiction from the one you reside means you will likely be subject to new trading regulations and legislation. Even if you’re dispatching goods from your hometown, you’ll need to ensure that they meet certain legal criteria, for example. In addition to this, you’ll need to know whether you are likely to incur additional tax liabilities as an international trader. As this can depend on the size of your enterprise, it can be well worth getting professional advice in order to determine what the true financial impact on your company would be.

Identify growing markets

Deciding to trade internationally doesn’t necessarily mean making your products or services available worldwide. Instead, you might want to identify the most profitable markets and focus on expanding your business into these areas. You can access more info about citizenship and migration in Australia here, for example. This type of information gives you the quantitative information you need to determine whether a potential market is the right one for your business. By analyzing and assessing different markets around the world, you can determine which is going to be the most profitable for your firm.

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Consider logistics

If you manufacture goods, you’ll need to find out whether it will be more cost-effective to produce and ship goods internationally or to set up a factory in a new jurisdiction. Similarly, if you’re a reseller, you’ll need to determine whether the cost of logistics would outweigh your potential profits.

Shipping goods and paying export and import taxes can significantly increase your costs, which may need to be passed on to customers in the form of a price increase. If so, you’ll need to conduct market research to confirm that your products or services will be in demand at an increased price. By doing so, you’ll get a clear idea of whether taking your business international will be as profitable as you hope it will be.

Have a contingency plan

As a business owner, you’ll already know that things can go wrong when you least expect them to. When this happens at your headquarters, you can probably be on site quickly to resolve any issues. When you’re trading internationally, however, this won’t necessarily be possible. That’s why it’s essential to have a viable contingency plan in place. Whether you choose to hire regional managers to handle your international operations or you build up a network of reliable suppliers you can use when you need to, it’s vital to know how you’re going to cope when something goes wrong.

Get the Right Advice

If you’re thinking about taking your business international, you’ll want to seek advice from a number of sources. From consultants and financial advisers to tax experts and logistics specialists, there are plenty of professionals who can give you the insight you need.

In many ways, the digital era means that trading internationally is easier than it’s ever been before. Customers can easily engage with you online and purchase goods from your firm via the internet. Furthermore, fast travel options mean you can ship goods to almost anywhere in the world.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that trading internationally will be a walk in the park. To ensure your international venture is a success, you’ll want to research the options, create a long-term growth plan, and build your professional network. By doing so, you’ll have the knowledge, skills, and support you need to compete in the global marketplace.

6 Important Aspects Of Buying A Unit

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are several ways to participate in real estate and one form of home ownership is buying units. It’s important to know what to do when doing so. The following contributed post is entitled, 6 Important Aspects Of Buying A Unit.

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Whether you’re buying your first unit or your 50th this post has some useful tips to help you. There are certain things you should be looking for when you are buying a unit, so you need to take the time to assess these and find the best one for you.

Photo by SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS from Pexels

Let’s have a look at 6 important aspects of buying a unit below:

Get To Know The Area

This can be applied to any property purchase. You should research and get to know the area you are thinking about buying in and find out as much as you can. Get to know the type of people, the crime level, the quality of schools, employment opportunities, and public transport options.

Check The Quarterly Strata Fees

When you are buying a unit you need make sure you are taking strata fess into account. If you’re not sure what they are or have any questions it’s best to speak to strata lawyers. Don’t base what you can afford on council rates and current interest rates alone. When buying a property you need to take into account every single cost, this include strata.

Find Out About The Sinking Fund

A sinking fund is a pool of money that is put to one side for renovations or maintenance work that is needed on the building, roof, or public spaces such as the elevators. If block of units has a good-sized sinking fund, it’s a positive for you. However, if they don’t have one or it’s small, you could be left with an unexpected bill if anything has to be done on the building where your unit is.

Have A Building Inspection Completed

When it comes to a block of units http://www.themovechannel.com/propertyforsale/apartment/usa/, people usually avoid getting a pest or building inspection completed. They assume that the corporate body is taking care of this area (they should be). However, if there is no sinking fund, or it’s small, you may want to think about getting a building inspection completed before you think about putting in an offer.

Check The Other Prices Of Units In The Block

You will find that a lot of units in a block often have the same layout, especially if they are on top of one another. Looking at previous sale prices of the other units can help you to find out if you are paying the right price. There are a lot of tools online to help you with this.

Save Your Deposit

It’s probably very unlikely that you can buy any property without a deposit nowadays. Most lenders ask that you have between 3 and 5 percent, however, it has known to rise to as much as 10 percent before they will even consider your application. If you show that you can save your own deposit, it also shows the bank that you are disciplined to pay off a loan. It’s best to have your deposit ready before you start shopping for a unit.

These 6 tips should help you stay on track when thinking about buying a unit in the future. Is there anything that you are considering? Please share some in the comments below.

3 Ways Dry Cleaning Companies Can Increase Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If run properly, dry cleaning businesses can be very, very profitable as they are a service that will likely always be needed. The following sponsored post is entitled, 3 Ways Dry Cleaning Companies Can Increase Business.

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Operating a dry cleaning company can be fun and rewarding for someone who is passionate about what they do. As with any business, it does come with a set of challenges. Increasing a customer base takes time and effort, but the results can be worth it.

1. Perform Updates

If the equipment used is old and wearing out, it is a good idea to try to replace it with models that are faster and more efficient. This can decrease the amount of time spent on each garment and improve turnaround times, making customers happy. If the point of sale system is outdated, then look into getting software for dry cleaner that can expedite the process of receiving items from customers, quickly process payments and keep a running inventory of items.

2. Evaluate the Marketing Plan

Many companies in the modern world would benefit from integrating digital marketing techniques into their marketing plan. Think about the desired target market and figure out the best methods to advertise to them. Many people use search engines to find companies in the local area, so having a website that shows up near the top of the results page can help boost business.

3. Improve the Store’s Appearance

If the store looks shabby, customers may hesitate to trust the quality of work. If they walk into a place that looks dirty, they will probably doubt how clean their clothes will get. Make sure the outside of the store is appealing by keeping the paint touched up, the windows clean, the sidewalk swept, and the landscaping maintained. Keep the interior as clean as possible and freshen it up with a new paint job to keep it bright and welcoming.

Depending on the store’s budget and the needs of the business, improvements can be made that will entice customers. Think about what will benefit the company the most and act to make it happen.