The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. No matter what your line of work is, having a productive work environment is critical. In order to do this, you must consider what’s important to your employees. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Renovate Your Office For A More Productive Environment.
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A productive environment is often the one thing a company lacks. Because it can either go one of two ways. It can either be super exciting and energetic, but with a lack of control that means employees rule the roost and do as they please, rather than it being a place of perfect balance. Or you get the offices that are just so boring and horrible to work in, that the lack of life leads to poor productivity. So when you have no clue how to really manage an office, and what you should be doing to make sure your employees are happy more than anything. Because if you want our first clue as to how to run an office, and how to make it super productive, you have to know that putting your employees happiness first, rather than ignoring it, is key. So, we want to show you how you can renovate your office to make it a place that harbours employees happiness, yet aims to be one of the most productive in the world.
Employee feedback is so important if you wish to create an environment that’s perfect for all. Because at the top of the food chain, you might not have all of the information, and you won’t know what it is like to have to sit through a day in your office. Well, you won’t know what it is like for your employees, anyway. They could give you a really constructive idea as to how they think the office should be, and what it might be lacking at the minute. They could even give you criticism as to how you can renovate your management. Sometimes the people you put in charge just aren’t right for the job, and you won’t truly realise that until you get an insight into the people working for them. Sometimes better people in management is all you need.
The Life & Soul
It has to have life and soul in it if you want to make sure your office environment thrives, and the best way to do that is to have a complete overhaul, and make everything bright and interesting. You could get van hire for the day so that you can take all of your old things out and to where they need to go, and bring in anything new. You could also hire a painter and decorator to make sure the place ends up just the way you need it. We recommend using bright colours and features to brighten the place up a little, and using things like indoor plants to lift the mood. They have been proven to bring spirit and life to a room!
What Feeds Creativity
To feed creativity, you need to have space for your employees to relax, recharge, and then face the rest of the day. Having a great social area where people can put their feet up during breaks is so important. We also think you should have things like mood boards to help your employees brainstorm any ideas as they go.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When running any business enterprise, it’s important to know what things you can do to assure its longevity. What are some things you can do? The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Things That Will Keep Your Business Running Smoothly In The Long Run.
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If you want to keep your business running smoothly in the long run – and let’s face it, who doesn’t? You’re going to need to know what to do. Long term success is all down to the habits and methods that you adopt now, so take a look at the 5 things below and see what you should be doing:
1. Know What You Can Outsource And What Only You Can Provide Outsourcing is a very effective technique for keeping your business going and helping you to free up time. You could outsource to a freelancer for example, and this is a great thing to do if you only need a job doing occasionally rather than all the time – why make a permanent hire if it’s not something you will always need? Outsourcing can be super effective if you know how to do it properly.
That being said, you should also make sure you’re aware of what only your business can provide. If you’re experts in something or you’re selling something as completely unique and special to your business, you should probably find a way to get that done in-house.
2. Find Apps That Can Automate Many Of The Tasks You Do There are likely many apps and pieces of software out there that you can use to automate many of the tasks that you do. If there are small tasks that you tend to do every day, for example, then have a look for things that could take the burden away from you so you can free up more time. In business, time is usually more valuable than money, or at least just as important.
3. Hire People And Find Services Who Can Help You To Keep Your Business Up And Running Have a look at people and services that will help you to keep your business up and running. Sometimes, this is something very simple, such as a professional cleaner to come once or twice a week and keep things looking presentable – expecting your employees to do this is a mistake. It can cause resentment, and they won’t do as good a job as a professional cleaner. You might find something a little more specialised is important, like medical gas equipment repair and full maintenance services from a place like MTAUSA.com/medical-gasservices/. Whatever you need, make sure you do your research to find the right service and company for you.
4. Take Marketing Seriously Marketing should be taken seriously, whether you’re a small home based business or a business that already have a steady stream of customers. Social media marketing and content marketing are two of the most effective ways to market your business right now.
5. Consistent Customer Service Training Customer service is key to your success. In the digital age where people can share information about your business in a matter of moments, keeping people happy is a must. Make sure you invest in consistent customer service training so that you can build a great reputation and a happy customer base.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The lifeblood of any business is its customer base. Keeping them happy is in most cases, ensuring success. The following contributed post is thus entitled, The Customer Is King: How To Ensure Your Clients Feel Like VIPs.
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If you run a business, there’s every chance you’re familiar with the old adage, ‘the customer is king.’ Sadly, while many companies strive to provide a VIP experience, not all succeed in the mission to put the customer first. If you’re eager to improve your review scores, you’d like to put more emphasis on customer service, or you’re looking to raise your game to leave the competition in your wake, here are some suggestions to ensure your clients feel like royalty.
Analyze what you’re offering If you’re running marketing campaigns, you’re offering promotions, you’re sending out emails on a daily basis, and you’re providing new customers with incentives, it can be difficult to keep track of what you’re actually offering. Take a moment to analyze exactly what you’re providing for new and existing customers, read through your offers and adverts carefully, and make sure you can deliver on your promises. Check the small print, and ensure that clients have access to information about the terms and conditions attached to promotions and discounts. It’s also essential to realize your legal responsibilities as a business owner. If you sell products, for example, the last thing you want is to be challenged by a customer seeking legal advice about consumer claims. Your products should meet the relevant safety and quality standards, you should provide accurate descriptions, and you should have a refund policy in place. To avoid complaints and negative reviews, it’s crucial to ensure that you can fulfil promises, so take a good look at the promotions, products, and services you’re offering, verify that the information you’re providing is correct, and make sure you tick every legal box.
Act on feedback More and more businesses ask for feedback. Research shows that over 90% of people now read reviews before making a decision about which product to buy or which brand to choose. With reviews playing an increasingly important role in the decision-making process, it’s crucial to make use of feedback. If you’ve asked clients to provide and share comments, take the time to read and digest them, and act on them. It can be tempting to focus on positive feedback, which provides a feel-good factor, but negative comments can be even more valuable. If you know you’ve got something wrong, or you’re doing something that your customers don’t like, you can take steps to address the issue before you get any more comments. Feedback can also give you an insight into how consumers view your brand and provide you with ideas and inspiration to push your business forward.
Don’t overlook loyal customers Sometimes, businesses are guilty of chasing new customers so ferociously that they overlook their existing clients. As a company owner, there is nothing more valuable than a repeat customer. You’ve got a ready-made client ready and waiting to buy from you again, and that customer is also likely to recommend you to friends and family. If you’re building your client base, it’s natural to want to attract new customers, but don’t underestimate the importance of loyalty. Offer incentives for new clients, but don’t forget to reward those who have already contributed to your profits. There are lots of ways you can celebrate loyalty, from rewards cards to access to special offers or exclusive events. Remember that there’s nothing to stop your customers being lured in by introductory offers advertised by the competition.
Offer a personalized service Even if you’re one of a million customers, it’s nice to feel special. When you run a business, and you’re focused on providing exceptional standards of customer service, it’s incredibly beneficial to add a personal touch. This could mean anything from offering a bespoke shopping service to sending out personalized emails or offers on a customer’s birthday. Instead of addressing all your customers with a generic subject line and welcome, add that customer’s name. Research shows that personalized emails have a higher conversion rate. Use your own experiences as a customer. What has impressed you, and what has put you off choosing a specific company or brand?
Create a positive user experience When you go shopping, you browse your inbox, or you take a look at a website, what do you look for? Many buyers are now looking for more than a simple transaction, which involves swapping cash for a product or a service. Modern consumers want to enjoy an experience, which feels new, fresh, and engaging. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes for a moment. Take a walk through your salon, store, or restaurant, spend half an hour navigating your way around your website and take a look at the emails you send out to subscribers. Make notes. Are there changes you could make to enhance the experience? Could you offer new features on your site? Is it possible to improve the aesthetic of your shop or add ambiance with music or lighting? Could you provide a more luxurious experience by offering clients at your hair or beauty salon a coffee with fancy latte art or a glass of bubbly? Try and be original, and match the changes you make to your brand and the target market.
Provide staff training If customer service is an essential part of your business, or this is an area in which you’re keen to make improvements, make sure your staff has the relevant training, knowledge and skills to achieve the desired outcomes. If you own a restaurant, it doesn’t matter how brilliant the food is or how spectacular the interior looks. If the waiting staff is rude, this is what the diner will remember. Training can help employees to develop confidence and to understand what exceptional customer service entails.
To make it to the top in business, you have to be able to impress both new and existing customers. Consumers aren’t happy to settle for sub-standard products or poor customer service, and as a business owner, it’s your job to make sure that your customers feel like VIPs. If you can prioritize customer service, deliver on promises, add a personal touch and provide your clients with a positive, memorable experience, this will stand you in good stead to expand your business, attract rave reviews, and hopefully reap financial rewards.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If your business generates products that need to be shipped, you must understand the logistics of your operations and make sure they run seamlessly. The following contributed post is entitled, It’s Time to Focus On Your Small Business’ Shipping Options.
As a small business owners, chances are that your thought process focuses mostly on developing products, manufacturing them, advertising them, and encouraging consumers to buy them. But processing a sale isn’t the end of your work. You need to make sure that your products can make their way to them too! Shipping is an extremely important business process, especially if you are based online. So, let’s take a moment to focus on shipping and how your business should deal with it!
National Shipping
The first type of shipping that you should focus on is national shipping. It’s highly likely that the majority of your customers are going to be from the country that your business is based in – especially when you are first starting out. But it’s still good to offer them a few different options when it comes to shipping. Different customers have different preferences and needs, and you want to cater to as many people as possible!
Economy
Every business should offer economy delivery. This is the most basic of the basics. Depending on the courier you use, items should generally be with their recipients within three to five business days. It tends to be a good option for customers who aren’t all too fussed about getting their items straight away and who have patience. The benefit of economy postage is that it tends to be the lowest cost option. It can save customers money and this is likely to boost sales, as it brings the overall price of purchasing and receiving the product down.
Next Day
Next day delivery is a great option. Customers will have to pay more for it, but it does mean that they can have their goods the very next day, as long as they order before the deadline. Make sure that the deadline is set at a reasonable time that will allow you to source and package the product that they have requested and get it on its way to them. Increasing numbers of customers are leaving their shopping until last minute. This means that the option of next day delivery can make or break a sale – if they’re not going to get their item in time for when they need it, they’re not going to purchase it.
Same Day
Same day delivery tends to remain in the territory of major corporations who have huge numbers of staff to fulfill orders extremely quickly. But it may be an option for locals who are interested in having products delivered nearby – you could take their purchase to them yourself!
International Shipping
While you don’t have to offer international shipping, it really is a good idea. At the end of the day, you never know where your next biggest market will be. If you are selling online, chances are that anyone with an internet connection can access your online store and browse your goods. Make sure that all of these people can make purchases if they want to! Sure, international postage can be expensive. But at the end of the day, you can just charge the customer the true cost of posting and if they really want the product, they’ll pay the full amount.
Shipping Hazardous Goods
When you send items via the national postal service or by courier, you will generally have to declare whether you are sending any hazardous goods. But it’s important that you familiarise yourself with what constitutes hazardous goods – there may be items included on the list that surprise you. Batteries are a good example of this. The majority of us wouldn’t consider batteries to be dangerous, but if they leaked or came into contact with heat, they could actually prove to be. Remember to ensure that any hazardous goods are packaged appropriately and declared. This will help postal staff to deal with the package safely and correctly. Battery packaging can be found at C.L. Smith. Other potentially hazardous items include:
• Aerosols • Alcohol • Ammunition • Asbestos • Balloons • Biological Substances • Clinical or medical waste • Controlled drugs and narcotics • Corrosives • Dry Ice • More – you can find a list here.
Tracking
It would be great if we could send anything that we sell as a standard parcel and know that it will definitely make its way to the customer and that the customer will be acknowledge its arrival. But, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. There are cases where items go missing in the post and don’t actually make their way to their recipient. There are also cases where dishonest people will claim that a parcel never arrived in a bid to keep its contents but receive a refund too – essentially getting the goods for free at our expense. So, if you are sending an item that is of particular value, chances are that you don’t want to risk this. You can combat these potential issues by sending your packages with tracking. This means that you will be able to see updates on the parcel’s progressing, seeing where it made it to and determining when and where it went missing if this were to happen. It also means that in order to take the package, someone will have to sign for it. People cannot then falsely claim that it hasn’t arrived. Sure, tracked postage costs more. But if the item you’re sending is of value, then the extra postage costs are more than worth it.
Returns and Exchanges
There’s always a chance that customers will want to return or exchange their products. So, to make this process as simple as possible for all involved, you might want to include a returns label in their package. If they don’t like what they’ve got, they can simply package it back up and stick the returns label on. This means that they won’t get the wrong address and the item will make its way back to you.
Shipping might not be the most exciting business topic, but it is essential. So, make sure that you’re doing it properly and offering your customers sufficient choice. This could help you to make a whole lot more profit in the long run!
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When you start your own business from scratch, it’s important to know when and how to scale up your business. This is particularly important when you have a unique product and there is an increased demand. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, How To Scale Your Craft Biz.
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It sounds like the biggest oxymoron in the business world, because the idea that you can scale a handmade sounds ridiculous. After all, a handmade business is just you, doing your thing and making cash from it, so how can you scale a business that you create with your hands? Some people paint, some write and others make jewelry. The good news is that even if you are a small business with a labor-intensive production, you can still achieve scale – you just have to be willing to work for it.
Most people start out their crafty biz on sites like Etsy and Amazon, and as they’re involved in the production of the items, it’s a good place to start small. The issue comes along when the product takes off, and if you are in the position where you know your product is going to be a hit, you need a plan in place to take on the additional volume without trying to stay awake 24/7 to manage the workload. You need to learn that you have had an idea for a side hustle, and while you’re doing everything right now from the comfort of the spare room, you may well be inclined to start watching the reviews of Boss laser for equipment to invest in later – particularly if what you create requires cutting on a large scale! You should put as much effort in as you can – of course – but always have a back up plan for when your business booms. Below, you’ll read all the ways that you can scale your handmade business and stay balanced while you make it a success:
Don’t Try To Be Perfect. You are going to get a lot of interest and orders, and you can’t always have total perfection with a handmade product. The thing is, perfection doesn’t exist with handmade products, and that’s why people love them so much: they’re unique. So, you need to ensure that you have put the customer experience first so that your business thrives for the right reasons. Streamline Your Process. You cannot take on more volume if you haven’t itemized your production process and identify the glitches. You need to know what’s taking up your time, what the biggest causes of waste are and how you can get your process from setup and creation to fulfillment and shipping. Timing your process to perfection is important before you try to grow and potentially stretch yourself out in the wrong way. Find A Partner. In manufacturing, not life! Diversify your product offering before you scale up from the spare bedroom, then partner up with a manufacturing business to speed up your processing times. Not only can you up the amount of product that you have in one go, you can help the customers to have the best possible experience.
You can scale your crafty business with some forward planning and careful arrangements. Take your time; there’s no rush to make yourself bigger than you can and all it will do will bite you if you grow too quickly.
A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. A key component for wealth-building for most people is the purchase of a home. The more research done ahead of the better. Markets are different as are years. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Costs You’ll Need To Consider When Buying A Home in 2019.
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Will 2019 bring a big purchase for you? For some readers this will be the year in which all of your scrimping and saving pay off and you finally get a foot on the property ladder. It may be the year in which you upsize your home to accommodate a new addition to the family. Or it may even be the year in which you get your first ever investment property and begin to earn money as a landlord. Whatever your reason to buy, 2019 looks to be a promising year for property. Interest rates have been hiked multiple times throughout 2018 (more on those later) but they now show signs of stabilizing. Lawrence Yun; chief economist of the National Association of Realtors told the Washington Post;
““The forecast for home sales will be very boring — meaning stable” although Yun was quick to note, “Home-price appreciation will slow down… The days of easy price gains are coming to an end, but prices will continue to rise.”
While 2019 seems as safe a time as any to invest in property, buyers will need to familiarize themselves with some of the costs incurred when buying real estate, especially if they are doing so for the very first time.
Interest rates
After years of stagnation, interest rates have risen sharply with no less than 3 interest rate hikes from The Federal Reserve in 2018. While rising interest rates are nowhere near bad enough to result in negative equity or chase buyers away from the market in their drives, but it is significant enough to add a little extra onto your monthly mortgage repayments.
The difference will depend on the size of the property you wish to buy. It could be as little as $50 or it could be a couple of hundred dollars.
Surveys
There are a number of different types of surveying which the property may require and it’s up to you to find a good engineer to carry them out. The property may well be subject to;
• ALTA / Land Title surveys (usually required by mortgage lenders)
• Surveyor’s real property reports
• Property boundary surveys
• Easement surveys (a survey that determines where an outside agency, for example, a utility company has the right of access to a portion of your property to carry out necessary maintenance or repairs.
Realtor’s costs
Unfortunately, realtors don’t like to work for free. Between your agent and the seller’s agent you can expect to pay around 6% of the value of the property in realtor’s fees.
Property taxes
They’re the only thing in life that’s certain other than… Wel, you know!
Closing costs
Aside from the surveyor’s fee you will likely also have to pay a range of closing costs to cover the legalities of conveying the property from the seller’s ownership to yours. These may include;
• Appraisal / valuation fees
• Wire transfer fees
• Underwriting and origination fees
• Document prep fee
• Credit report charges
• Title insurance: This protects you in the event that the seller doesn’t actually have full deed and authority to the property.
• Recording fees.
Miscellaneous running costs
Finally, you’ll need to account for all the extra miscellaneous costs that come with running your new home. These can quickly add up even if you live a frugal life. For example, if you’re used to an apartment, you may find that a house costs more to heat, water and tax.
Still, so long as you’ve taken the time to familiarize yourself with the inherent costs of buying real estate in this day and age, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the home of your dreams in 2019!
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and key area of focus is Technology. Networking is an important part of anything you try to do these days whether it’s starting a business, starting a blog or writing a book. Knowing how to network online can be the one piece that puts your project over the top, and not knowing how to do so could kill it. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Online Networking Success.
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Networking is essential for any professional or business owner. Over the years, networking has changed considerably, with the vast majority being conducted online nowadays. But, are you networking effectively? There is a big difference between networking and simply liking other people’s posts or seeing how many connections you can get on LinkedIn. With that in mind, read on for five top tips for successful online networking.
Start local – When you are first getting started with online networking, it is a good idea to stay local. You may think that this is counterintuitive. After all, isn’t the whole point of using the Internet to reach a global audience? While this is true, and there are many benefits to gain by reaching your immediate geography in some situations, there are advantages of starting in your own backyard. This means that you will build a social network and have a better shot of meeting face-to-face, which will help you to establish quality connections that you can build on.
Find a shared point of reference – When you are looking for people to connect with, it is good to look for something you have in common, for example, someone with the same causes or interested in volunteering, like Drew Fasy, clubs and organisations, previous employers, or your hometown. By referencing this when reaching out to the person, it gives them a reason to connect with you, offering a good conversation starter.
Have a clear reason for choosing the person in question – You need to have a clear reason for wanting to meet the person in question. The person will be more likely to give you some of their valuable time if you give them a reason why you need to meet them specifically.
Put some thought in – Before you meet with someone, you need to put some thought into what it is that you are asking for. This ensures that there is a clear structure and that the person you are meeting has a distinct idea of what it is you want and how/if they are able to assist. Don’t be vague – lines like “I want to pick your brain” or “I would like to meet you” just don’t work. Would you want to give someone your time if they simply said that?
Ask for the meeting – A valuable contact is not made by simply connecting with someone on LinkedIn. You need to talk to the person, preferably face-to-face, but if that is not possible, a video chat will suffice. This is the only way to learn from someone or get the help that you need.
So there you have it – some top tips to help you with online networking. As mentioned, online networking should be viewed as a starting point, you then need to connect with the person face-to-face. Of course, this is not always geographically possible, but with video chat available nowadays, you can use this instead.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. It’s important for any business to be able to correct mistakes and crisis situations, especially in instances where products are being shipped and sometimes be delayed or lost. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, Client Emergency: Shifting Products Fast.
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One of the greatest excitements about being in business is no day is ever the same. Every single day, there is a new challenge that you face. Something that many companies need to be more prepared for is when a client is in an emergency situation. If you have a business partnership, you should always prepare for the unexpected needs of your client. You have both taken on each other as partners and thus you must also be ready to pick up burdens from time to time. One such burden can be when a client is in desperate need for a sudden and new delivery of your products. For example, you are a truck engine manufacturer and a truck manufacturer just lost a shipment at sea due to bad weather. They have a client that is still awaiting their delivery of their trucks however new ones need to be made quickly. The partner now needs a fast and urgent delivery of your engines. Have you prepared for this, and what do you do?
Assess the urgency
Even though some companies are always going to keep a backup of their products for emergencies, sometimes when orders are filled up and more keep coming in this batch is used. A drill manufacturer might need to suddenly supply a home building company as they have chosen to expand at short notice. The backup batch is therefore used on this occasion. However now that they lack that backup batch, should their call to your metal company be treated as urgent? Assessing the urgency is somewhat of a hidden art but really, it’s the skill of gauging what the client really needs. You might be too busy to supply a client with your products but if put all your stations into overdrive you could end up making more mistakes, employees could end up making silly mistakes and getting hurt and quality control can drastically drop. Sometimes some emergencies aren’t really emergencies, so communicate with your client and assess how urgent their need is so you can cope and not make mistakes that will cost you.
Use reliable logistics
One thing that cannot ever be discounted or devalued is reliability. A company that can offer you their expert logistics expertise and services reliably should be placed high in your esteem. A hauling company that can transport freight at great pace and consistency to your client will save you both time and reaffirm and strengthen your relationship. A company such as Jayde transport is something to consider as being a reliable workhorse to come to your aid in cases of urgent client requirements. They have warehouse services but they stand out most in interstate trucking where their massive freight haulers can carry huge loads at one time. When you need to supply a business partner quickly and in large quantities, this is the kind of service that should be taken seriously.
Shifting products fast when a client is in a tight spot is incredibly important. They need you to come through and help them. Fulfilling their needs speedily will only go to strengthen your relationship and show them they made the right choice by entering into a business partnership with you.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship, and Technology. The healthcare industry has been transformed by technology over the last decade. Whether you’re in a healthcare profession, a consumer/patient or an investor, it’s important understand these impacts. The following contributed post is thus entitled, 3 Major Ways Technology Has Transformed Healthcare.
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Technology has always been considered rather a driving force behind the healthcare improvements that hit the headlines today. It’s easy to come to that conclusion when you see the rate of innovation with technology in medicine today. Any graduate of health will agree with the fact that technology is having a positive impact in our lives today, from the data collection breakthroughs to the research and treatments that allow leaders in medicine to find fresh ways to practice medicine in the years to come.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the three ways that technology has really packed a punch with healthcare and medicine in the last decade.
Better & More Accessible Treatment One of the biggest technological observations of our time is the way that we have more access to better treatment due to the innovations that are occuring. For example, geneticists have managed to deliver healthy cells to the right places using non-viral PiggyBac DNA Modification. The efficiency in which this works enables a large amount of genetic cargo to be delivered into T cells to create therapies that weren’t around in the early CAR-T therapies. Most therapies are viral based, which presents problems relating to safety concerns. Instead of the viral vectors to create therapies, the NVPB delivers CAR molecule genes to T cells.
Improved Care It’s a growing area, but the biggest area that has grown in medicine and continues to do so is the care of the patients. The use of IT has made patient care far safer than it used to be and the fact that doctors and nurses in front of the patients are using tablets and smart devices to record their data, and then sharing it right away is indicative of the benefits of health IT. The accumulation of lab results and the recording of vital signs and other patient data into one system is only going to result in better patient care and more efficient services in a medical setting. Scientists need new ways to study the trends in healthcare and with better access to data, and medical breakthroughs can be studied at a quicker rate.
Disease Control There have been huge developments in software programs that resulted in the WHO being able to classify illnesses along with their causes and symptoms and putting all of these into a huge database. This database gave each individual illness and their symptoms 14,000 individual codes and allows medical professionals and researchers to track, retrieve and use all their data in the fight to control diseases. The better research that is done, the better outcomes in general for the wider world. The software that is created for the medical community plays a huge role in tracking procedures, reducing waste and paperwork levels. These also allow doctors and healthcare professionals to improve the quality of care and the all round efficiency of what they do.
As there is a drive toward better health IT, doctors are getting enormous benefits from the drive toward a better system and it’s expected that there will be more developments in the future.
Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In order to successfully run a business, controlling cash flow and money management key. It’s always important to consider how to increase sales and earn more money. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Here’s How You Could Increase Your Retail Sales without Breaking the Bank.
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A lot of people think that they need to spend money to make money, and sometimes this is the case. There are however things that you can do to try and boost your business efficiency without spending anything at all.
Setup Your Store
The very first thing that you need to be thinking about is how your store is set up. Think about it, where are the displays? How long is the queue to the checkout? Does the store seem packed? You really don’t want to force your customers to hunt through racks just so that they can find what they need. Your displays need to be clean and they also need to make it easier for your customers to find any items that they MUST have. There are a couple of ways for you to do this. The first thing that you need to do is use this “power wall” wisely. In the US, people drive on the right-hand side of the road. For this reason, you need to make your right wall into a feature. Customers will naturally turn right when they walk in, and this is a fantastic way for you to capitalise on that. If you are in Australia, New Zealand or even the UK then your power wall will be on the left.
You need to remove any excess merchandise from the store floor. If you sell shoes for example, you need to make sure that you only have one pair of each size on show at any one time. This will encourage customers to buy because they think that it is the last one, and it also stops your floor from becoming too cluttered. When you sell that size, put another one on display. You also need to keep an eye on your decompression zone. This is the first 10 feet inside your front door. Customers are very prone to distractions when they enter this part of the store, so keep it as clean and as de-cluttered as possible. This will encourage your customers to walk right into the heart of the store, which is exactly what you want.
It’s very easy for a customer to become spooked if they see a huge queue. They don’t want to wait that long and they may even weigh up whether or not the product they are buying is worth the time it takes to queue. If you want to stop this then put your register at the back. You can also go mobile if you want. A POS payment system is a fantastic choice here because it gives your team the chance to serve anywhere on the store floor and this can keep your customers from leaving without making a purchase.
Staff for Traffic
A lot of stores will ask their staff to work when the most sales are made. You shouldn’t do this at all. In fact, you should always staff according to the amount of traffic you have. Your employees will be able to help everyone much more efficiently and this can lead to you experiencing way more sales. This will also stop your staff from becoming bored when working on the store floor as well, which leads onto the next point.
Your Staff have a Huge Role to Play
You have to make sure that your store is well-staffed. You also have to make sure that they are helping you to boost your conversion rate. They can do this by meeting and greeting customers as soon as they walk through the door. The best way for you to do this would be for you to have a staff member working the door at all times. If you just have them stood there then this can be intimidating for a customer, so have them “tidy up” or look busy around the front of the store. This will help your customers to feel more at ease and it can work wonders for your branding as well. If your team are having trouble engaging with customers, then stop them from asking yes and no questions. For example, instead of them asking “Can I help you to find something?” tell them to ask questions such as “What are you looking for today?” This requires the person who is shopping to engage, and even if the outcome is still negative, at least some engagement happened. Little things like this can also work wonders for your conversion rate as well because it gives your staff the chance to locate products that might be in the back of the warehouse.
