Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The art business is a niche all with its own caveats and nuances. If you’re interested in this type of business, it’s important to know how be successful it its unique arena. The following contributed post is entitled, Creating a Successful Business from You Art.
To build a business with your art there are three things you need to do. Of course, the most important is to be able to create work that people want, but you also need to be able to market what you have produced and put the whole thing on a proper business footing.
Create Appealing Work
This is the first thing you have to do as without any appealing work you will not make any sales. You need to make work, whether that is painting, sculptures or some other art form that people will be prepared to pay for and then you will have taken the first step.
Research Your Target Audience
Once you know the type of work you are producing you will need to do some research to find the audience that is most likely to buy it. There is no point in marketing to consumers that will not purchase items of art, as that will just be a waste of your time and effort.
There are also other things you need to be aware of such as how big is the potential market you will be aiming to engage with, and what competition are you up against? Information like this can affect your marketing strategy and the time spent on research will be well spent.
You also need to know the best places to show your pieces of work. Would that be in a public exhibition space, a commercial gallery or a studio of your own that consumers can have access to?
You can make it simple for fans of your work to connect with you by using the various social media platforms. Posting images of your work on the like of Facebook and Instagram can create a lot of interest in your products. Joining local art groups can also help to build a circle of fans that will hopefully become future customers.
Businesses do not just happen; you have to work at them for success. You should start with a business plan to work out how much finance you will need when you expect sales to start to happen and how much work you need to produce each week to make the business viable.
There are other things to consider too, such as how will you move a piece of art to the address of the purchaser. There are specialist art movers that deal with these matters, but you need to have spoken to them and let them know that you may need their services in the near future.
Having Business You Love
It is really good to be able to turn a passion into a business and if you are prepared to work hard and plan every stage there is no reason why this should not work for you. Creating a successful business from your art is a great idea and one that you should start on now and not just leave it as an idea to be forgotten.
Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending on the type of business or company you’re in, there will come a time when you’ll need to upgrade you tools and technologies. Doing so properly will prevent any interruption in your operations, while doing it incorrectly can interrupt your operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Common Mistakes Companies Make When Buying New Tools.
Buying new tools for your business? Here are a few common tool-buying mistakes to avoid.
Skimping on quality
When it comes to tool quality, you get what you pay for. Cheap tools tend to be less reliable and less efficient, especially if you’re buying used tools. As a result, you’re likely to pay more in repairs and replacements in the future. Such tools also tend to look cheap, which won’t do any good for your professional image.
Consider the factors that affect quality control before buying and research into these. If you’re buying a cutting tool for instance, consider the cutting tool material. You’ll generally pay extra for this added quality, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Splurging on gimmicks
Whilst spending a little extra could guarantee better quality, you should avoid splurging your money on tools beyond your needs. If you need to buy a printer for your office, consider whether you really need an industrial printer capable of printing hundreds of copies per minute. Make sure that you’re likely to use the tool to its full potential.
Buying single-use tools that could be hired
If you’re using a tool once, there’s no use in buying it only for it to gather dust for the remainder of its life. When it comes to these tools, use rental companies to hire them for a short period instead. You’ll save a lot of money by doing this. Just make sure to hire from a reputable company – the best companies will look after their equipment and ensure that it is top quality.
Using too many different brands
Whilst you don’t need to stay completely loyal to one brand, there are advantages to having several tools of the same brand. Firstly, it’s likely that such tools may have similar controls – a die cutter and a vacuum mold machine from the same company may have similar buttons and dials making it easier to learn the controls. There may also be a certain level of integration and cross-compatibility. Hand-held tools of the same brand for instance tend to use the same battery packs or the same chargers. Two types of software from the same brand meanwhile may be linked together so that you can easily move data from one to the other.
Overlooking energy-efficiency
This one applies only to electrical machinery, but it’s an important factor to consider. Machinery that uses up lots of electricity will cost you more in energy bills. Such machines tend to be older used machines – most modern machines are very energy efficient. You can usually find energy ratings for machinery online.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s modern age, most businesses use some form of technology. Information Technology (IT) services that aren’t operating properly can be costly and hurt productivity and thus their maintenance is paramount. The following contributed post is entitled, Taking Care Of Your IT In Business.
Any business in the world needs to use a considerable amount of IT if they are to keep on top of things and to keep moving in the right direction. If you are starting up a new business, and you are unsure how to approach the whole issue of IT, then there are many things that you might want to consider in order to make it a little easier. For most entrepreneurs, the tech behind a business is one of the more challenging aspects, and it might be something that you find you need to work on in order to improve it and keep the business going strong. In this article, we are going to take a look at just some of the things you might want to do in order to properly take care of your IT. Do that, and you will find that your business is much better off for it.
Only Have What You Need
One of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make is trying to get technology to do absolutely everything, even that which is clearly not intended to be completed in that way. The trouble with overusing tech is that you only end up causing more issues for yourself, as you inevitably will find that you are going to have to spend more time fixing and keeping it running than the amount of time you will have saved by using it. Therefore, you should make a point of only making use of technology where you need to, so that you can hope to keep it as simple as possible, and also keep the process of looking after it simple too.
Outsource IT
Something that the vast majority of business do these days is outsource their IT. There are many great benefits to doing this, and it is one of those things that you will find you absolutely have to do if you run a smaller business or a startup. When you outsource your IT, you effectively free up time and space in your own business for whatever else you want to do. At the same time, you will find that it is inevitably going to be looked after considerably better, and that you will run into few problems. Any problems that remain are likely to be fixed quickly by that team, and you might never even heard of it. If you visit https://www.ribbitbusiness.com/ you will see a great example of this kind of service which you might want to consider for your business.
Consider Training
If you do have any IT teams in your building, you will want to make sure that they know exactly what they are doing. In order to do that, you will need to think about training them up wherever necessary, in order that you might be able to keep the IT running as smoothly as possible. The more training you give them, the more likely it is that they will be able to do whatever is required to keep it going.
Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key aspect of any business is marketing and there are several ways to market. Marketing need not be high-tech with a lot of bells and whistles and can sometimes be simple. The following contributed post is entitled, How Does EDDM Work?
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If you’re looking to put your small business on the map, have you thought about embracing the tried and tested marketing concept of EDDM, or every door direct mail? If you’re keen to increase customer numbers, target a local audience or get your name out there, this could be an excellent way to attract more attention. If you’re not familiar with EDDM, here’s a handy infographic to tell you more.
EDDM is different to conventional direct mail marketing, and it is ideally suited to businesses that want to reach out to clients in the local area. Using a service offered by the United States Postal Service, you can use EDDM to advertise your business to local residents.
The process involves a series of steps, the first of which is to create a USPS account. Once you’ve done this, use the map to select a route and choose areas to cover. The next stage is to design your flyers, postcards or leaflets. For the best outcomes, keep things simple, and make sure you get your brand message across in addition to the services you offer, your contact details and information about any promotions. Next, print your mailpieces at home or via a printing company and select a drop-off date. Arrange your mailpieces in tidy stacks of 50-100 sheets that are no higher than 6 inches. Fill out your processing forms, attach a facing slip to each order and then pay for the shipping online via your USPS account. Finally, take your bundles to the post office on the drop-off date selected and your customers will receive them shortly after.
If you’re searching for a local marketing method that will drive your business forward, why not consider EDDM?
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending on the type of business you’re running, a key to success is recruiting the right talent mix. Recruitment companies can valuable tools in these instances. It’s important to understand how to get the most out of your partnerships with them. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, How to Get the Most from a Recruitment Company.
When you need to find the best talent but don’t have time to sift through 100s of average applications to find “The One”, you should definitely consider hiring a recruitment company. Recruiters spend all their time matchmaking talented executives with their ideal roles. This means that while you have to start from scratch every time, they already have a great talent pool to choose from.
However, when you hire a recruitment company, you can’t just pick the first one you happen to stumble across. You need to look for certain qualities that suggest that you will work well together, and though a brilliant executive recruiting portfolio is a good place to start, it’s not the be all and end all of partnerships. You have to put some work in too.
Knowing Who You Are as a Business
When you are working on your branding, you are most concerned with how your customers see you. But when you are looking for new talent, you also need to think about how your company reputation will be seen on the job market.
Communicating your company ethos to your recruiter is vital as they will be able to use this information to refine the candidates they present. It’s important to remember that when candidates approach recruiters, they are also looking for something specific. By showing off your company’s personality, you are much more likely to attract someone who will fit in.
Employees aren’t just looking for a steady paycheck anymore, they want a healthy culture and greater prospects too. When you are looking for new talent, don’t forget that the interview goes two ways. They will be looking for the qualities they want too.
Knowing What You Are Looking For
Writing a job description is much more than a list of responsibilities, it should also clarify the type of person you are looking for and how they will fit in with the rest of the team. It’s at this point that you really need to be certain about what you want. The job description is also a good chance to put across a bit of your company’s personality so please don’t hide behind buzzwords!
Though you might be determined to get an experienced candidate in, the reality is that most people who use recruiters are looking for roles that will challenge them and build their skill sets. This is important to remember because it’s pretty rare for someone to make a sideways move. Instead of looking for experience, you should be looking for potential.
Look for the Best in Every Applicant
When you have a list of requirements, it’s pretty easy to work through applications and simply discard those that don’t immediately tick every box. Instead of doing this, you should give every applicant a fair chance to show you their best – and this goes for the interview too.
Recruiters are bound to send you a few curve balls now and then so take the time to see how these applicants might fit in. You never know when you might hire the person who makes a real difference to your company.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Career Discussions. Arguably the most critical aspect of your experience in the business world or any career is your start. There are advantages to breaking in on the ground level versus ascending right away. The following contributed post is entitled, The Benefits Of Starting On The First Rung Of Any Business Ladder.
When it comes to starting in any career, most of us are loathe to start at the bottom. It’s no wonder when you consider that such jobs tend to involve long hours for little pay. Not to mention that, if you have your eyes on the prize, low-rung jobs may not be anything like the positions you imagine yourself in. Instead, then, we ignore those starting jobs and reach for the skies.
The trouble is that, while vision is crucial, it’s not always the best way to get a job. Often, aiming for high positions when entering an industry will set you back. There’s no way, after all, that you’ll be able to stand out against someone who’s worked their way up. Even if you do manage to get a high role from the off, you may find everything a struggle. You won’t know what you’re doing, after all, and that will be plain to everyone around you.
While reaching high is essential, then, you could see the following benefits by sucking it up and starting at the bottom.
It’s the easiest way into any industry
Breaking into a new industry is never easy. Even qualifications aren’t a sure bet into a decent job anymore. Now, employers love to see experience. And, that’s not something you’ll have if you’re starting. As such, you may find that you don’t even get interviews when applying for those higher roles. By comparison, the first rungs of most ladders are entry positions. They don’t require experience or even qualifications in many cases. Yet, they could provide your resume with the boost you need to get to the top.
You’ll be able to learn from the bottom up
When you gain a high position, it’s always beneficial to know every area of the business you’re in. All the better for running things smoothly and keeping on top. The trouble is that there’s no way you can do this if you enter at the top. You’ll have no clue about those bottom rungs you bypassed, and that can be problematic. By comparison, starting at the bottom and working your way up is a sure way to success when you reach the top. Consider professionals like Anton Kalafati of B Side Construction, who managed to work his way to up to be a majority owner in a leading company. His beginnings as an on-call repairman are part of the reason why he’s able to keep things afloat. Follow in his footsteps by accepting that lower position and learning everything you can from the bottom up.
It’s no surprise that, if you enter a field from the top, you’re going to struggle to gain respect. Employee engagement is near enough impossible when you’re attempting to manage a team who know more than you do. That’s a fact. If, however, you’ve worked in their positions before, you’re pretty much guaranteed more respect. You’ll undoubtedly be able to manage everyone better as a result.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. For those who get into it, the trucking industry can be very lucrative if run the correctly. A major component is managing your fleet so that it runs as efficiently as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ways To Make A Fleet of Vehicles More Affordable.
Owning and maintaining a fleet of vehicles can be very expensive. If you’re looking to trim costs for your company, here are five ways in which you can make owning a fleet more affordable.
Weigh up the costs of leasing vs buying
There are two ways to acquire a fleet of vehicles – lease them or buy them. Both options can have their financial perks which are worth considering.
Leasing involves paying a monthly fee to effectively rent out the vehicle. This saves on initial costs. Whilst maintenance is still your responsibility, leased vehicles tend to be brand new and so are generally more reliable, saving you money in repairs.
Buying vehicles could be more expensive initially, but it can be cheaper in the long run. That said, the most affordable vehicles to buy are likely to be used vehicles, which may require more frequent repairs.
In either case, always buy through an official vehicle dealer. By shopping around and negotiating you may be able to lower costs.
Shop around for fleet insurance deals
Insuring every vehicle in your fleet can also be a big cost. Fleet insurance can save you a lot of money compared to insuring each vehicle individually. Make sure to shop around thoroughly to find the best deal at comparison sites such as this one.
You should also consider some of the factors that affect fleet insurance such as the quality of your drivers, the quality of your vehicles and your claim history. Adding surveillance cameras to all your vehicles could also save you huge amounts (this provides insurers with footage of any accident that occurs and can make drivers take more care behind the wheel).
Track your vehicle’s running costs
It could also be a good idea to track the running costs of each vehicle. When it comes to fuel, consider getting your drivers to log their fuel or to use a card as found at this website. This could help to ensure that drivers aren’t spending too much on fuel.
As for vehicle maintenance, keep a record of this too so that you know how much you’re spending in repairs on each vehicle. Try to shop around to beat repair quotes (just make sure to read reviews of repair centres so that you know you’re likely to get good quality service).
Tracking these expenses could be useful simply for tax purposes as they’re likely to be tax deductible. Make sure that you’re deducting all the expenses that you’re entitled to.
Prioritise energy efficiency
Encouraging energy-efficiency is important for saving you money on fuel. This should start by choosing the right type of vehicle – ideally you want something with a high MPG. Modern vehicles tend to be greener than older ones, so factor this in when choosing a vehicle.
Taking steps to encourage energy-efficient driving can also make an impact too. This could include rewarding drivers that drive more smoothly and conserve more fuel. This guide offers just a few incentives that could help you to encourage drivers to watch their fuel consumption. You may also be able to recommend routes to save time and fuel. Be careful however of laying down too many rules regarding how to drive and this may negatively affect the morale of your drivers.
Know when to replace vehicles to save costs
It’s important to know when to replace vehicles too so that you can save costs. Many companies overextend the life cycle of their vehicles to the point that parts start deteriorating. This results in more frequent repairs and more costs.
By keeping a record of repair expenses for each vehicle you can tell when a vehicle is starting to cost too much in maintenance – at this stage it’s best to cut your losses and buy a new vehicle.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Seasonal businesses are in a class all their own. They have their own unique considerations and rules to think about if you’re getting involved in one. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Seasonal Business and Your Company: Things You Can’t Afford To Forget.
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Everyone in business knows that success levels tend to fluctuate with the seasons. Of course, to make the most out of this as possible it’s crucial that you know what to expect at the different times of the year. Luckily, that is something you can find out by reading the post below.
Spring
For many businesses, spring can be partially busy. After all, it’s past the winter lull brought on by Christmas the New Year and trade should be steadily picking back up again. Of course, there is the end of the tax year to think about as well, which can make the month of April particularly challenging.
Although it’s worth noting that if you get your accounts up to date for all months apart from this beforehand, you can save yourself the April tax rush and make it much easier on everyone too.
Additionally, spring is the right time of year to start thinking about any possible issues you may encounter some summer. That means not only getting in an air conditioning contractor to service your current units, but also get extra ones installed if you are expecting it to be a hot year.
Additionally, taking some time to check who is off when during the summer vacation is a smart move, as then you can start filling any absences early to be sure that things keep on running as usual.
Summer
For some business, especially hospitality ones, and retail that focus on vacation items, simmer is their busiest time. This means that while many companies are slowing down for the summer vacation, they need to keep their focus on fulfilling orders and keeping things ticking over.
Additionally, any business whose busiest time is Christmas will need to begin thinking about new lines around this time. After all, they will have to be developed and produced ready for the beginning of December, so the sooner that you start, the better.
Autumn
Autumn tends to be reasonably constant for most business news whether they are B2B or retail. In fact, you can often expect a short lull once the kids have gone back to school in September. However, due to all the celebrations in autumn such as Halloween and harvest festival, many businesses can expect custom to rise this season steadily.
Of course, that means that your business needs to keep up, so be sure that you have the staff and resources to cover any increased demand!
Winter
Depending on the type of business you have, winter can be your most hectic, or slowest time. Companies that sell to other companies tend to slow down around Christmas because of the break that most people take.
Although those in or supplying the hospitality industry will still be busy. To that end it’s important to know your business well, so you are able to predict if you will need to increase or reduce resources and staff.
Additionally, if you are in a location where weather can cause issues with deliveries and people getting into work, then it’s pretty crucial that you come up with a plan B For when the snow starts to fall. Otherwise, even if it’s your burst time customer wise, you may not have anyone to work which can be devastating to your business!
Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Relocating a business is a big deal and in some instances a major undertaking. If you’re careful and map out the steps, it can help make the transition more seamless. The following contributed post discusses this and is entitled, A Guide To Overcoming Business Relocation Concerns.
When a business first moves into new premises, there is an inevitable period of mild chaos during the adjustment phase. It takes a while to ensure everything is up and running as it should be, with plenty of hiccups and discombobulation along the way. By the time you and your staff have settled into the new location, you’ve likely promised one another that you won’t ever undertake a move again – it’s too stressful, too disruptive, too complicated.
However, time passes. Your business continues to flourish; you continue to innovate; your staff continue to work at their very best – and your business grows as a result. Yet even as you embrace this new phase of your business, the memory of how troublesome your last move was remains; and besides, your premises – that once felt so alien and unusual – now feel like home, and there’s no pressing need to move.
Until… there is
As your business continues to grow, there will inevitably be a moment when you cannot avoid acknowledging the reality of the situation: if your business’ growth is to continue – which, of course, you very much want to happen – you’re going to need more space. Perhaps you need to hire more staff, or want to start to use a different type of machinery, or your existing location is proving restrictive – whatever the reason, it’s clear that you need to move on.
Yet the memories linger
For many entrepreneurs, the moment they realize they can forestall the inevitable no longer is unwelcome – especially if they have previously relocated a business, and know first-hand how very stressful and all-consuming the process will be.
There’s no denying the reality that moving can be crucial, but there’s also no denying that it’s entirely natural to feel a creeping sense of trepidation when contemplating moving your business to new premises. In fact, it could be argued that not feeling a sense of alarm is problematic, and could lead to a sense of over-confidence. Acknowledging the simple reality that moving a business is akin to moving house, only roughly one thousand times more complicated, isn’t weakness: it’s necessary.
The realization that a business needs to move can often be simply the first in a sequence of events: the realization, the decision to move, the process of looking for new properties, and then the move itself. A simple, linear progression that occurs in a timely manner.
However, it’s entirely natural if you – like many of your fellow business owners – do not see the realization that you need to move as a fait accompli. Instead, you may hesitate, perhaps even wonder if your judgment is sound, and if moving really is necessary.
It’s important to remember two things at this point of the process: first and foremost, no one is starting a clock. If you need to take time to prepare both the business and yourself for a move, then that’s okay; there’s absolutely no rush. However, the second point you need to keep in mind is that there’s a reason you realized your business needed to move; acknowledge this as fact, and then work on coming to terms with the process rather than seeking to convince yourself that relocation is unnecessary.
How long should you give yourself to accept that moving is an inevitability and move on to the next stage? That depends entirely on your situation. If your business is managing just fine as it is, then there’s no immediate need to push yourself into starting to look for new premises. However, if your business is beginning to show signs of struggling under a lack of capacity – perhaps you’re having to miss out on lucrative contracts, or can’t hire the staff you need to meet demand – then the situation is more time pressured. It’s still important to let yourself come to terms with the need to move, but try to avoid letting yourself put the matter on the back burner.
Addressing the practicalities
When you’re ready to begin planning the move, it’s important to first reflect on your previous experience of relocating a business – even before you begin browsing for new premises.
The reason past reflections should come first is simple: prevention. By learning from the mistakes that you may have made during the last move, you can address these and put plans in place to ensure the same issues do not reoccur. Perhaps you previously struggled to get your machinery up and running; this time around, you’ll want to contact rigging contractors to ensure all goes smoothly this time; or maybe you struggled to establish the right layout for your office, a problem that can be overcome by working with office fit-out specialists who can create a custom plan that will suit your business perfectly from day one in your new location. Whatever issues you experienced the last time you moved, understanding these problems and then seeking solutions is the best way to avoid a rerun of past unpleasant events.
Anticipating new issues
It is incredibly important to learn from the mistakes of your last business move, but it’s also essential to ensure you don’t rely too much on the past. You have to think about the new problems you may experience, and especially those that could not have occurred the last time you moved; maybe you’ve introduced a new service since you last moved, are using a new piece of equipment, or simply have far more members of staff.
Given the above, it’s helpful to list the ways your business has changed since its last move, and then brainstorm the problems you may experience as a result of these new developments. By doing so, you create a complete picture; a blend of past and present that can help to prevent problems occurring as you step into your business’ future.
It’s entirely natural to be nervous about the idea of relocating your business, but the key to overcoming these anxieties is proper planning. By examining your past experiences, and then including considerations related to recent changes, you can create a roadmap that forms the blueprint for a swift, smooth relocation process. From there, you can begin to look for premises, think about notifying the right people and companies, and start working on the practical side of the move itself.
Three of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. A key to running any business/organization today is having the proper technology in place. Doing so will have improve your staffs productivity and your overall efficiency. The following contributed post discusses this and is entitled, Office Technology that Will Improve Your Staff Productivity.
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If you would like to stay competitive in your marketplace without having to invest a lot of money in new processes and procedures, you can rely on technology to help you improve the productivity of your staff while making their life in the office easier. Companies are looking for new ways of providing more value to their customers at a lower cost, and some smaller IT improvements can do just that. Find out more below.
It is important that you answer customers’ queries as soon as possible. Today’s consumers’ attention span is much shorter than the previous generation’s and they are looking for immediate answers. You can find a system that will gather all the feedback and pop up on one of your employees’ computers, so they don’t have to stay logged into various systems and get distracted just to provide excellent customer service.
If collaboration is something that is necessary in your business, you will need to allow your staff to work on projects together and collaborate. You can create a virtual workplace where they can share and update projects. While a Google Suite system might do the job in the beginning, you might want to talk to an expert at inc-systems.com/services/managed-it-services/ to find out whether or not your business could benefit from a custom calendar and a CMS system.
Cloud Computing
It is crucial that you encourage the use of cloud computing. You will not only be able to automatically back up your files and take notes, share insights, update your team on the go, but also share information with your customers faster. You will have to install advanced security, though, so you can prevent the accidental disclosure of sensitive information.
Social Media Tools for Scheduling
If you are involved in digital marketing, you might have a member of staff updating your social media accounts and posts regularly. If they have other jobs as well, they will find managing everything very challenging. Instead of giving them half an hour a day, every day, you can allocate a few hours every month when they can schedule the jobs ahead. You can use an advanced scheduling and posting service and a social media calendar to make the most out of your reach and engagement.
Digital Learning Platform and Knowledge Base
It is also important that you empower your staff and help them become more efficient. This is why improving your office technology is necessary. If you have a knowledge base available for staff, they will find the answers without having to speak to a manager, and deal with customer queries faster and more professionally. You might also deliver your regular training or updates using your internal systems accessible any time, so they can complete the tasks when they are not compromising customer service or their own productivity.
Upgrading your office IT system can help you manage the different tasks in your company and improve your staff productivity at the same time.
