6 Tips For Getting Into Sports For The First Time

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“For many, sports are a part of childhood that lives on into adulthood. However, not every child participates in sports or grows up in a household where inviting friends over to watch a game is common.”

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A key focus of my blog is Athletics/Sports. The sports world is a magical one no matter which part you get involved it. There’s nothing like the thrill of competition, but the spectator experience brings with it it’s own luster as well. The following contributed post is entitled, 6 Tips For Getting Into Sports For The First Time.

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Photo by Tembela Bohle from Pexels

For many, sports are a part of childhood that lives on into adulthood. However, not every child participates in sports or grows up in a household where inviting friends over to watch a game is common. If you didn’t have a strong exposure to sports but are interested in getting involved now and don’t know where to start, here are six easy-to-follow tips.

Find a mentor

The best way to learn about sports is to spend time with a sports fanatic. As with any career type, you need to find someone already in it. If you want to get into journalism, then mentors like Jeff Derderian are a great follow on social media. If you want to get into sports journalism, knowing the basics of getting into the industry would help, right? A mentor is your guide, your compass and your critic. They will listen, advise, and if you’re lucky, give you a way into the industry and a foot in the door. If there’s someone in your life who is a big sports fan, ask them if you can watch a game together or join their fantasy league. That way, if you have questions about anything, you have someone you can turn to without feeling embarrassed.

The best way to learn about sports is to spend time with a sports fanatic. If there’s someone in your life who is a big sports fan, ask them if you can watch a game together or join their fantasy league. That way, if you have questions about anything, you have someone you can turn to without feeling embarrassed.

See a live game

While watching sports on television is lots of fun, seeing a live game is a completely different ballpark (pun intended). If you’re not sure you’ll enjoy a sport, seeing it live for the first time is a great way to get into it. With a passionate, screaming crowd around you and the players up close and personal, it’s almost impossible to not get excited yourself.

If you’re concerned about the cost, look at pre-season tickets and advance tickets, which usually go for less. Some stadiums reserve discounted tickets for students as well. You could also look into some of the more affordable sports if money is a real issue. Consider visiting a live horse racing event to see stars like Freddie Vasquez Jr. take to the track. It’s a more affordable option than some of the bigger sports like basketball, soccer, or football. As a bonus, niche sports tend to have smaller crowds so the atmosphere can be much better and friendlier. You’re also likely to get better seats for the price you pay.

Listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos

One of the best ways to learn and get into sports is simply by watching games, but without expert knowledge, it can be hard to figure out exactly why a penalty was called, or why a certain play was chosen.

By supplementing games with podcasts and YouTube videos, you’ll gain deeper insight into the game. HORSE is a great podcast about the NBA and includes not just breakdowns of games, but also goes into detail about all the things that happen off the basketball court. As many sports lovers will tell you, it’s not all about the game – it’s also about the culture.

Stay up to date on the latest sports news

Staying up to date on the latest sports news isn’t just beneficial for catching up on the results of a game you missed. It’s also a great way to connect with other people and find out what’s going on off the field as well.

Sites like https://sportnews.in/ provide updates and live streaming on multiple different sports, while other sites focus on just one or two. Following your favorite sports teams and leagues on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are also a great way to stay informed.

Start playing sports

Even if you just want to get into sports to watch games with friends, you should still consider registering to play on a recreational sports team yourself. Most people who love watching sports also love playing and having that first-hand experience will give you a new appreciation for the skill level of professionals, while also upping your own investment.

In addition to the physical health benefits, there are mental health benefits of playing sports. Being part of a team, even recreationally, is a great way to improve your social life and make new friends.

How To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Once you business is up and running, you want to determine if you have competitors. If so you, need to determine how to set yourself apart from you competition. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge.

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Keeping a business afloat isn’t always easy and this is largely due to the threat of the competition. If you don’t take steps to give your business the competitive edge, your nearest rivals could steal away your potential and existing customers and limit your chances of making a profit.

There are a number of things you can do to gain a competitive edge and these include the following.

#1: Improve your SEO

The higher your business website ranks on search engines the better, as you will instantly elevate your business over the competition. This is because customers tend to trust the businesses that rank highly so you will be giving your business the credibility it needs To improve your SEO, you could take steps yourself, such as tweaking your website content to accommodate the keywords your target demographic will be searching for. You could also outsource to web design services akin to WebX360 as they have the know-how to improve your website, manage your content, and elevate your search engine ranking.

#2: Work on your brand identity

Your brand is what sets you apart from other businesses. At a very basic level, it’s about working on your businesses’ physical image, such as the logos and colors you choose to represent your business. However, it’s also about less tangible qualities, such as the values that your business represents. One such value could be care for the environment as this would do much to win over the hearts and minds of those shoppers that prefer to go green with their purchases. Check out our branding tips for more advice and browse our website for any similar topics.

#3: Become an industry expert

If you have worked in your industry for a while, you will have built up quite the knowledge base related to the products and services you provide. You can use this to your advantage by sharing what you know with others. When you do this by speaking at events and conferences, you will increase your credibility with a wider audience. You could create your own podcasts and YouTube videos too, write ebooks, and write informative articles that could be placed on prominent sites online. This is your way to make an impact on the people that use your business and is an excellent way to leverage yourself above your competitors.

#4: Find your niche

If your business isn’t very different from the others in your industry, it’s understandable that your business might get lost amongst the crowd. You need to stand out in some way, as we have discussed within our other suggestions. One way to stand out is to find your own niche, giving people something that isn’t being offered by any of your rivals. To do this, you need to research your competitors, look for gaps in the market, and then fill those gaps if you think there is a demographic for something unique.

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Too many businesses experience failure because of the competition but you don’t have to let this happen to you. By giving your business the competitive edge, you may be able to sidestep failure, as you should be able to attract more customers to your side. Consider our suggestions and then think about the other things you need to do to elevate your business over the competition.

How To Succeed In Your Newfound Small Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re fortunate enough to have had your business survive its initial stages, you must continuously think about how position it to survive and thrive. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Succeed In Your Newfound Small Business.

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Creating your own small business is an incredible feat. It is something that most people dream of and with more people taking the plunge, there seems to be more competition than ever. With that being said, it is important to know the best tips so that you can take your business idea to new heights and succeed in your newfound small business. No matter which industry you work in, here are some tips to help you succeed in your small business.

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Stay up to date with the latest trends and news

Being behind on the latest trends and news within your industry can result in your business falling behind. Opposingly, staying up to date with the latest trends will ensure that you offer the most effective solutions for your customers.

Simply researching the news and trends once a week will ensure that you are always inspired by new ideas and don’t fall behind should there be a leading trend that is winning over customers.

For instance, if you work as a freelance gamer and miss out on the new gaming updates, then you could lose your audience to others that have bothered to be on-trend and give the audience what they want. You can do your research and stay up to date with websites like iGaming News so that you can be ahead of the game and succeed in your business.

Keep learning new skills

Attaining new skills and continuing with training will move your business to greater success. The more skills and knowledge you have, the more you can offer.

For example, if your new business is a marketing agency then the more skills you have, the more you can offer clients in terms of packages and results. It is ideal to have the most skills possible so that you can win over clients and ensure to be efficient and achieve the best results.

Ensure to get your marketing under control

Speaking of marketing, it is an important area of the business that you need to get right. The more you knuckle down on your marketing strategies, the greater your business’s reach will be. A higher reach will result in more sales and therefore, more profit.

Although business success isn’t defined by finances, more money certainly helps take a newfound small business to new heights. It will enable you to hire more staff so that your business can grow.

To get your marketing under control here is some advice:

● Start automating. Automation in marketing is extremely useful to reduce the amount of manual labor that you have to put into your business. It allows your business to share marketing content throughout the day without having to manually push the publish button. You still need to create and schedule the content. Yet, you won’t have to worry about sharing it. Automation means that you can share more frequent marketing content, which will increase reach and brand awareness.
● Cross-promote. Cross-promotion is crucial if you want to reach out to as many people as possible. Although your business will likely have a target audience or a niche, reaching more people will likely result in more sales. Use email marketing as well as new marketing methods, such as social media, to reach as many customers as possible.
● Get help. Should you lack knowledge and experience in marketing, then you could put your spare money to good use and pay for help. Although a small business does not always have the extra money to pay for help, the return will be worth it. When your marketing is under control by someone who knows what they are doing, they can help expand your reach and therefore, grow your business.

Focus on customer service

Happy customers are the backbone of every business, no matter how big your business is. Should you disappoint customers and not fulfill their needs, then they will likely lose interest and go elsewhere.

Therefore, it is very important and beneficial to offer the best customer service possible. To do so:

1. Respond as quickly as possible. You can lose a customer’s interest by taking a week to reply. Thus, reply as quickly as possible to maintain their attention.

2. Help no matter what. Whether your customer has a compliment or a complaint, ensure to help them no matter what. While doing so, be friendly and never use negative language as it can put them off of your business.

3. Never promise anything. If you promise a customer something and fail to meet the expectations, then you might end up losing them for good. Should you tell them a product is coming back in stock in 5 days and it doesn’t, then they might shop elsewhere and therefore, you will lose them as a customer. Never promise anything so that you never disappoint anyone.

Build an online presence

Alongside marketing, an online presence will form. This is essential for any newfound small business in today’s technology-based world. Should you lack an online presence, then you might struggle to achieve your goals.

An online presence will showcase your business to more customers, which will result in you attaining a wider customer base. A wider customer base will always result in more profit, which is a stepping stone for small business success.

Build an online presence through social media pages, a website, a blog, and great reviews. Adding a blog to your website is a great way to be more engaging, improve your SEO, and become a more personable brand.

Be personable

On the topic of becoming a personable brand, it really helps to be personable. Simply being friendly and getting to know your customers will attain their loyalty. Loyal customers will help your business maintain regular sales and therefore, regular profit.

Get to know any new customer from the get-go so that you can create a great relationship with them. Ask their names and know something about them so that you can give them individually special service each time they use your business. Being personable as a small business will attain customer loyalty and help them trust you, which will help maintain a long relationship.

How To Teach Children About Tolerance

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and General Education. A key term into today’s modern world is “tolerance” which means to become accepting of other people’s differences. In order achieve this society-wide, the population must become educated on it. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Teach Children About Tolerance.

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We can all take responsibility for teaching tolerance, whether we are parents, aunts and uncles, teachers, or just neighbors to a child. We must begin with children if we want to make the world a more empathetic place. They are the impressionable ones who are still establishing their worldviews, and it’s critical that they have strong role models and positive influences in their life. Tolerance is promoted not just in terms of religious and ethnic diversity, but also in terms of gender, physical and intellectual disability, size, shape, and everything in between. With words like woke and discrimination being part of our daily lives, we must make the world a more tolerant place. Read on to find out more.

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Watch What You Say

Aside from never allowing your kid to bully or taunt others, be mindful of what you say yourself. Children are like sponges, and if they hear you say something disrespectful, they will feel it’s okay to say it; after all, you are their role model.

This is why, if you want your child to be a good, tolerant person, you must also respect others; your child will do the same. And remember, this isn’t just about talking about other people. Even remarks about your own physique (such as saying you look fat or that you’re stupid for not thinking of something or that you don’t like a particular part of yourself) might cause a youngster to form opinions about the people in their environment or even about themselves.

Encourage Self Confidence

A youngster who is secure in themselves is more inclined to accept differences and appreciate the worth in others. You will often hear that bullies are those who are unhappy in their own lives and have to lash out against others because they are afraid or worried about their own personalities.

The more confident a child is about how they are and what they can do, the less chance there is of them bullying or worrying about anyone else. As a parent or guardian, this is something that you can control – you can help your child be much more self-confident.

Talk About Differences Respectfully

Discuss the distinctions and differences between your family and friends (hair color, skin color, personal likes and dislikes, special traditions, and so on), and take the chance to discuss why it’s wonderful that people are so diverse. You might also talk about how people might be different, but that there will always be similarities. This can help a young child understand that differences are just a part of life and that there will always be something you have in common with someone, whether this is how you look, what you believe in, or something else entirely.

Answer Their Questions

Children might ask difficult questions about tolerance and discrimination, and if you don’t give them an answer, your lack of action can teach them that it is not acceptable to discuss differences or ‘uncomfortable’ things. This leads to more intolerance and misunderstandings.

Even if you’re stumped for words, assure them that you’ll come back to them with a response later. And make certain that you do. This is the ideal opportunity to learn something important yourself.

4 Disasters To Avoid At Home

Two focuses of my blog are Home/Living and Home/Property Discussions. One thing you have to consider when owning a home is avoiding disasters. There are some common ones. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Disasters To Avoid At Home.

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There are so many disasters that can take place in any home. No matter how careful you are, you never actually know what is going to happen in your home. Of course, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying to avoid these happening, as you can at least reduce your chances of these disasters happening, and that is worth doing. In this post, we are going to look specifically at four of the more common disasters that frequently take place in homes, and what you can do to reduce your chances of them happening – as well as what to do if they do occur anyway.

Pic Source – CCO Licence

Fire

It goes without saying that a fire breaking out in the home is a true disaster, and one that can be incredibly damaging. At its worst, it can even be fatal. So you will definitely want to make sure you are doing all you can to keep the risk of fire as low as possible. There are a lot of ways you can make sure of this, from being careful with using electrical equipment to taking care with lighters and matches. You should also ensure you have the appropriate fire safety equipment in your home. And make sure you know what to do in case of fire – being prepared makes all the difference.

Water Damage

Of course, fire is not the only element that can damage your home. Water can also be surprisingly damaging, and in fact a lot of people fail to really comprehend just how dangerous it can be. Not only can it lead to serious damage throughout the home, but it might be hand in hand with flooding too, which can be truly disastrous. Water damage repair is important if this takes place in your home, and to prevent it you should make sure that the plumbing is up to scratch at all times.

Roof Damage

At first glance it might not sound as though a damaged roof is the most worrying problem in the world. However, the truth is that this can lead to all sorts of problems, and it is the kind of thing that you are going to want to be aware of if you are keen to keep your home in one piece. A damaged roof could lead to a leak or flood, or being exposed to the elements, and it might mean a cold home that is more prone to damp too. Be sure to have it checked regularly, and fix any tiles that might need fixing.

Pic Source – CCO Licence

Electrical Failure

Electrics are another very important part of the home, and when they go wrong the consequences can range from frustrating to fatal. In order to avoid this kind of problem, you should make sure that you have a professional, qualified electrician come in as and when it might be necessary to check it all out. That way, you should be able to avoid most problems with electrics, and this will mean your home is much safer on the whole.

The Dos And Don’ts Of Advertising Your Business Successfully

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the most important parts of your business is its advertising. Though some may not know it, advertising is an art form. The following contributed post is entitled, The Dos And Don’ts Of Advertising Your Business Successfully.

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Getting people to know about your product and business, and to trust your brand are all vital aspects of being successful. The good news is the best way to achieve all of these goals is to embrace advertising for your company. Of course, for this to be effective you will need to understand what does and doesn’t work, topics you will find covered in the post below.

Don’t forget the power of video

The first thing you need to remember when advertising your business successfully is that video is one of the most powerful forms of promotion at the moment. This is because a large majority of people consume video content online both on video only platforms like Youtube as well as social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

The great thing about video advertising content is that it no longer costs a fortune to produce or edit. It can also be embedded in other forms of marketing such as your website and email to add interest and get even more engagement from viewers.

Do use an agency to help you get the best ROI

Another important point when advertising your business is to remember that it’s OK if you aren’t an expert. Indeed, advertising is an entire specialism and for your efforts to be effective you will need an expert to help you come up with your strategies and concepts.

The good news is that you can work with advertising agencies to get the expertise you need and create a campaign that will provide the best return on your investment possible. Indeed many businesses find that in terms of ROI, actively advertising their company is far more effective than many other marketing techniques.

Don’t ignore the reach of podcast advertising

While podcasts may be the new type of content on the block, their reach is undeniable. They also tend to be pretty specialized, which means they are ideal for businesses looking to target a very specific demographic. (Something that has been shown to be most effective).

However, when advertising through a podcast there are some rules that it’s important to use. The first of these is that you need to provide a special offer along with your advertisement, as this can help give listeners that added push to buy. Additionally, choosing a podcast on which to promote your product should be done carefully, with particular attention being paid to finding presenters that can talk about your product engagingly and genuinely.

Do use PPC as part of your SEO strategy

Last, of all, another form of advertising that can be very helpful to your business is PPC or pay per click. This is when you pay for your business link to appear above the organic search results online. The advantage is that because it’s first, prospects are much more likely to choose your link to click on.

Indeed, combining the paid form of advertising along with other marketing techniques like SEO can be the most effective way of getting your products in front of people that will buy them.

Health Hazard: What Happens if You Don’t Look After Your Teeth?

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. The say that our mouths are the gateways to our bodies in terms our personal health and wellness. Likewise it’s critical to be vigilant about our oral healths. The following contributed post is entitled, Health Hazard: What Happens if You Don’t Look After Your Teeth?

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Source: Pixabay

Most people know that they need to do certain things in their daily routines to ensure they remain as fit and healthy as possible. Consuming a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and having some regular exercise are two such examples of those daily routines.

The problem is, some folks don’t pay much attention to their dental care and hygiene. Long-term neglect of dental care can result in all kinds of issues, and not just for a person’s teeth. Take a look at why you might need to up your game with your dental care habits:

Teeth Enamel Starts to Break Down

Dental enamel forms naturally when your teeth form in your gums. It’s the hardest substance in the human body, and it provides a protective outer layer on your teeth to protect them from physical, chemical, and temperature-related forces that could cause damage.

Unfortunately, dental enamel can become eroded if bacteria remain on the surface of your teeth due to a lack of proper dental care and hygiene. Bacteria can grow on the teeth’s surface because of a plaque build-up, where it eventually hardens and turns into tartar.

Gum Disease Can Develop

Sadly, the breakdown of tooth enamel isn’t the only thing that will happen if you skip proper dental care and hygiene. Another effect of dental neglect is that you’re very likely to develop gum disease (gingivitis).

It happens because the tartar built up on teeth due to enamel breakdown starts attacking the gums. As the disease progresses, it creates gaps between the gums and teeth and results in further breeding grounds for bacteria.

If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, it’s a sign you’ve already developed gum disease and should probably get it checked out by your local dental services provider.

Tooth Infections Can Develop

As if the breakdown of tooth enamel and the onset of gum disease weren’t enough, there are further problems you will likely experience due to poor dental care. For example, tooth infections can develop inside cracks and cavities.

If that happens, the infection can spread to the “pulp” of teeth (where the nerves are found). Once a tooth’s nerves get affected, you end up with an “abscessed” tooth, and it can be excruciating when eating, drinking, and, of course, chewing.

While it’s possible that your dentist could prescribe you antibiotics to fight off your tooth infections, you may need to have root canal surgery to clean any affected abscessed teeth properly.

Bacteria Can Spread Throughout Your Body

Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that the above issues aren’t the only things to get concerned about if your dental care and hygiene are lax. For instance, did you know that the bacteria from your mouth caused by gum disease can spread elsewhere in your body?

Creating A Strong Identity For Your New Business: Essential Branding Tips

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the key aspects of your business is your branding. Your branding will help shape your reputation and will define your operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Creating A Strong Identity For Your New Business: Essential Branding Tips.

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One of the most important steps to take when launching any new business is to create a strong identity for your brand. Every business faces competition, and it’s critical to ensure that your company stands out. If you’re preparing to set up a new venture, here are some essential branding tips to take on board.

Relevancy

Relevancy is one of the most crucial boxes to cross when building an identity and working on names, packaging designs, logos, straplines, web design and social media content. Your brand name and everything that is linked to it should be relevant to the type of business and your target customer. Clients and shoppers should be able to form an association between the logo or business name and the products and services on offer. Once you have defined your ideal customer, make sure your branding will resonate with the client and create a positive first impression.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/target-group-advertising-buyer-3460039/

Research

Research is vital when working on a branding strategy for a start-up. Use market research to identify and analyze competitors, get to know your ideal customer and gather suggestions and ideas. You can use surveys, focus groups and online polls to gauge reactions to everything from logo designs to business or product names. Focus on your target audience, collect and evaluate data and use the feedback you receive.

Help and advice

Being an entrepreneur involves spinning multiple plates. It’s unusual for business owners to have expertise in every area required to set up and run a successful business. If you don’t have experience in branding or building a company, it’s beneficial to consider seeking advice and getting help. You can outsource, work with freelancers or use resources available online. If you have questions, such as ‘what is a branding kit?’ or ‘how do I design a unique logo?’ it’s an excellent idea to reach out and seek advice and take advantage of training, skills workshops, online courses and resources before you sign off on a branding strategy.

Consistency

Another key consideration for company branding is consistency. Everything that bears your brand name should fit a mold to ensure that you have a unique, distinctive identity that is relevant to the business and will appeal to the target customer. From the tone of voice of the posts you share and the look of your website to staff uniforms and your logo, everything should be consistent. Branding for a law firm or a bank, for example, should look very different from that of a toy company or a clothing brand for teens. A strong identity can help to provide clarity and ensure that customers know what they’re buying and what kind of business they are buying from.

Picture credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/marketing-exit-technology-business-7413915/

When you launch a new business, it’s essential to make sure that you have a strong identity. You want your branding strategy to resonate with your ideal customer and set your business apart from competitors. If you are currently working on a business plan for a start-up, make sure your branding is relevant to the business, prioritize consistency, test designs and ideas, carry out research and seek professional advice if you have limited experience.

How Training Moves Your Business Forward

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the business you’re running, your staff may require annual training. Instilling new skills and refreshing old skills sometimes is necessary. The following contributed post is entitled, How Training Moves Your Business Forward.

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As a business can feel like you are standing still or moving at a rapid pace – both can be true. Your job as a business owner is to make sure the standing still isn’t stagnation, but instead is a period of learning, taking stock, and reflection.

When we, as businesses, have access to more technology, courses, and highly motivated individuals – the only thing holding us back – is us.

If there is one thing you can’t put a price on, it is employee training – from bank sales training to coding – it’s the one thing that can push your company forward in a whole new way.

Photo by Leon on Unsplash

Skills

The better someone is at their job, the better they can do their job. It’s that simple. Furthermore, the more trained someone is, the more confident they are in what they do and how they do it.

This is perfect for staff who want to do their best and see themselves progress.

Efficiency

Much of what your staff will learn at training is going to help them be more efficient. Now, it depends on which team the staff is in, but typically any training for any team will see improvements.

Efficiency can further be improved by reaffirming all of the targets that the staff is supposed to meet once training is over.

Motivation

Motivation comes from many places, but inspiration comes from showing your employees that they are valued when working. When you are invested in your employees, you will ensure that they have excellent training – and other things that support their career.

Highly-motivated staff is likely to perform at an exceptionally higher rate, with improved productivity and the desire to achieve the work your company will put into the world will be incredible.

Promotions

You have to have space in your company for your staff to grow up. Once a team member has done everything they can do in one role and training and expanding the role while there – if there is no upward motion available – what will they do?

Leave and take their knowledge and skills with them.

For many people, they see this as a reason not to invest in training your staff, but as the saying goes: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough, so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson.

If you don’t train your staff, you are also faced with the possibility of having a workforce that simply doesn’t have the tools to perform their best.

Retention

One of the biggest perks of having well-trained and motivated staff is less likely to lose your team. When motivation is high, and you have invested time and money into their performance, they will want to stay where they are getting the best treatment.

Your staff is the driving force behind the business, and to keep your business moving forward at a healthy rate; you need to invest in them. They are the ones on the ground who deal with clients and complete the work—making your staff one of the most essential things in your company.

Effective Tips For Closing Your Deals Faster

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In most businesses, there is some sort deal or transaction that must be agreed upon by multiple parties. Closing deals however is not a skill that understood by everyone. The following contributed post is entitled, Effective Tips For Closing Your Deals Faster.

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For almost any business owner, your ability to close sales as quickly as possible is of immense importance. That is because the modern consumer is increasingly becoming more informed and knowledgeable about products and services on the market. Consumers’ purchasing decisions change constantly, so you need a reliable sales strategy to persuade customers and close deals effectively. So, does it take you too long to close sales? Here are a few tips you can use to not only close sales faster and consistently.

1. Know the decision-maker

Your ability to identify the decision-maker is the first step to closing a deal quickly. In many cases, the decision-makers don’t readily present themselves. Instead, they send others to scout your business to find out all they can learn about your company and your sales pitch. In this case, you need to do two things. One, find out all you can about the decision-maker to understand them. Second, create a sales pitch custom-made to suit their preferences.

2. Be genuine

Nobody wants to make a deal with someone they consider unauthentic or an imitation. That’s just how a sales pitch can make you sound – as if you’re reading from a script you copied from countless other pitches. Instead of risking sounding like anyone else, create a pitch that speaks directly to the needs of your potential client. Do your best to engage them in a friendly and personal manner while remaining as professional as you can. The point here is to make them believe that you genuinely care about them or their business, and you’ve tailored the perfect solution just for them.

3. Run your ideas by the client before your proposal

One thing that rarely works is presenting a proposal similar to your potential target client has previously rejected. Before you submit a formal sales proposal, it makes sense to first speak with your target client and find out what their thoughts are while you’re still developing your sales pitch. Find what they prefer to have, what they need, what they’d rather avoid, and why. This way, you can finetune your proposal in a way that’ll deliver the result they want and give them a high ROI.

4. Know your competition

You want your target customer to believe that you have the better deal, which means knowing what your competitors offer (and presenting a better offer). Find out what your competition doesn’t provide or what extra value you bring and include that in your sales pitch. Most potential clients compare competing products, so be sure you’re giving yourself a competitive advantage.

5. Use technology to your advantage

In this modern age of doing business, nothing should come between you and a chance to close a deal on time, so use tech solutions to your advantage. For example, you can use an app like Claris Filemaker pro to help you and your sales team close sales deals faster by uploading signed contracts and other important files no matter the destination and on the go.