Financial Literacy and Money – Page 73

Cloud Computing Technology: Why Your Business Needs It

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In our new digital age, the cloud has become a major piece for many businesses. Learning to maximize its usage is key to any business that wants to survive as the years go on. The following guest post is entitled, Cloud Computing Technology: Why Your Business Needs It.

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Over 83 percent of business workloads will be done on the cloud by 2020, according to a recent report by infrastructure monitoring firm LogicMonitor. Despite concerns with security and implementation, cloud adoption continues to grow, as the industry is projected to earn 17 percent more in 2020 compared to last year.

A lot of articles and experts that talk about the importance of technology in business cite cloud computing is the future. This is because it has a wide variety of cost, collaboration, and efficiency benefits to companies, especially small and medium-sized ones.

How does the platform work and what are its benefits to your company?

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing involves using applications and storage on the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive or office servers. Think of it as renting computing capacity from an outside provider.

It comes in three categories:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) – This involves renting the servers, virtualization, and other network hardware and software of your provider to create software based on your chosen platform.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) – PaaS has everything that IaaS has, but with development and business intelligence tools built-in. All you need to do is to develop your enterprise software.
• Software as a Service (SaaS) – Here, the provider hosts applications on its servers and makes it available for customers to use immediately. This includes applications you probably already use in your business, like Salesforce, Google G Suite, MailChimp, and more. For small businesses, it’s best to stick with SaaS since all you need to do is learn and use the software instead of developing it yourself.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing usage continues to grow, and it’s because of the following advantages:

• Work Anywhere, Anytime – Cloud applications can be used on any device with a browser and an internet connection. Some providers even provide mobile apps. As such, you can check on your company’s productivity or even get some work done from anywhere you are in the world.
• Better Collaboration – Gone are the days of passing files manually either through hard copies or email. Cloud applications, like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offer collaboration tools that let you and your team edit and comment on the same live document. This provides one source of truth instead of multiple revised files.
• Scalability – Cloud providers often have a pay-as-you-go model, which means you only pay for the resources you use. If your company is still starting out, you can get a basic subscription that provides usage for a few users. As you expand, you can scale up your subscription to accommodate more employees. Because you don’t need to install any kind of software or hardware, the modifications to your plan happen immediately.

If you want to improve and save on your business processes, try to look for ways to take them to the cloud. Apart from freeing up your office space of large stacks of servers, it provides you with flexible, scalable, and collaborative applications that can increase the productivity, quality, and efficiency of your work. As long as you have a trustworthy and experienced cloud computing provider, your business is sure to enjoy these benefits and more.

How COVID-19 Is Affecting Garages

Three of the focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The Coronavirus/COVID-19 Crisis/Pandemic has caused a lot of changes to numerous business sectors. One sector that has been severely impact by people social distancing due to COVID-19 is the auto repair garage business. The following contributed post is entitled, How COVID-19 Is Affecting Garages.

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COVID-19 is changing the way we interact with vehicles. Cars are an essential part of everyday life. In a normal situation, your car would be the preferred mean of transport to get to work. As more and more companies are moving their business into the digital sphere, the commute to work has been temporarily transformed, except for essential workers. Nevertheless, people still rely on their vehicles to support them in their everyday trips. From grocery shopping to necessary doctor appointments or helping vulnerable relatives, the car makes it possible to stay connected and alive during the pandemic.

Unfortunately, essential repairs and services are being interrupted as a direct consequence of the quarantine. For garages, COVID-19 creates an impossible dilemma. How do you keep people safe on the road when you can’t get the parts you need?

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Social distancing means remote solutions
When most businesses are going remote, there’s a practical argument for garages to do the same. Unfortunately, as most manufacturers have stopped activities worldwide, mechanics and garage owners find it impossible to get essential automotive parts for repair and servicing. However, they can jump on the digital bandwagon to teach their customers how to perform essential maintenance on their vehicles. It is crucial to remind customers how to look after their vehicles at a challenging time, such as now. Cars that are left untouched for several days or weeks will face difficulties restarting. The battery could go flat; the brake pads could rust, etc. Basic maintenance tutorials during the quarantine can make a difference!

Many businesses are facing monetary issues
Most small-town garages are independently owned. For them, a loss of income could put their survival at risk. When you consider the costs of a lease, insurance plan, and basic business maintenance, many small companies have to find ways of borrowing money to survive. While commercial loans are typically available to businesses, banks and other money lenders may not be willing to take the risk. Consequently, garage owners need to think outside the box. Joining a credit union and taking a secured loan against an asset are some of the most popular options.

Businesses have to face unfair complaints
Unfortunately, garages still face demands for last-minute repair works. Clients who have postponed repairs or services before the lockdown are now in a rush to get their car road-safe. But, as it can be difficult to secure car parts, garages have to focus on the repair works they can make. As such, it’s not uncommon to face complaints when a vehicle is not fixed to the owner’s expectations. Automotive defense attorney William Ferreira is the first to warn mechanics and garage owners against unnecessary activities during the pandemic. Clients have to understand the risks related to the supply situation.

Post quarantine is going to be worse than the holiday rush
As soon as it is safe to go back to normal life, garages are likely to face a rush of clients. Cars that have been left unmaintained during the crisis will need servicing and repairs. Preparing your business to meet the rush will make a difference. Small garages need to start planning to face demands as quickly as possible.

In those difficult times, car specialists need to get creative to support their community safely. From offering online tips and tricks for everyday maintenance to explaining to your customers why you can’t provide full repair services, maintaining positive communication with your audience could help save your garage business.

Discover The Ways To Make Your Online Marketing Magnificent

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. With today’s world being highly digital, it’s important maximize your online marketing so that it’s as efficient as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, Discover The Ways To Make Your Online Marketing Magnificent.

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Each day, the only world is getting more competitive and this is true regardless of the business sector or industry that you are part of. If you are operating in the e-commerce sector then there will be hundreds of thousands of other sites that are selling the exact same or similar products to you. So, you’ll need to make sure that you are choosing the right price point and you definitely have to ensure that you have a USP. A USP is a unique selling point and is a key feature of your business that is going to help you stand out. This could be anything from rapid delivery times to exclusive offers. Of course, you have to go beyond the USP because you also need to make sure that you have fantastic marketing for your company as well.

Marketing will ensure that your business is noticed in the first place and that’s never going to be a complete guarantee. You’ll need to work to ensure that people take notice of your business brand and pay attention to what you can offer on the market. So, let’s explore some of the ways to ensure that your marketing campaign does stand out the right way.

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Dynamic Design

You should ensure that your business does have a dynamic marketing design because this feels more immersive. In other words, key parts of your brand profile should be moving and versatile. You need to ensure that it feels like something that an audience can not only connect with but be a part of. One of the easiest ways to do this is by exploring video marketing. But again, it needs to be the right type of video marketing. You need to make sure that you are connecting with an audience and delivering something more than what they might imagine.

One of the ways to do this is to utilize the latest tech to create videos that are part of your marketing campaign. For instance, you can think about exploring sites like Dr Drone. Here, you’ll find plenty of information on the different drones available, some of which have steadying technology. This will be perfect for capturing video that will be suitable for marketing and designing unique ads for your business.

Semantic Marketing

You need to think about the tech that customers are using when they are accessing the online world. Today, that means putting more of a focus on voice control technology. This has become more popular in recent years and more accessible. So, for instance, you can easily find that the majority of people will have a smart system in their home. It could be anything from Alexa to the Siri on their iPhone. This means that they will be able to search online by asking questions and that completely transforms the way that you should be approaching website optimization. Ultimately, you need to think about how you can ensure that you are directly connecting with the queries that your audience has. The best way to do this is to research the type of questions that they are asking and then provide a direct answer. In doing so, you are far more likely to end up higher in the SERPs. This is due to the fact that you are going to be able to provide the high-value content that your customers are depending on and that Google wants to see on a website that reaches page one. You might even end up with your website being chosen as a featured snippet. This is going to push claims for your business through the roof.

Personalization

Finally, you should make sure that you are exploring some of the ways that are going to help you personalize your business brand. This is going to make it easier for people to connect with your company and understand exactly what you can offer. Some of the key examples will include injecting fun into your social media profiles. It’s important to engage with customers the right way through social media. This means that it should be about simply promoting your brand or your product. You need to help them feel like they are connected with people behind your company rather than just a brand name.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key ways that you can guarantee your marketing is going to stand out online. In doing so, you’ll be able to ensure that your business is not forgotten by the market and that you do get a high level of attention your business brand deserves.

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Four Things To Think About Before Setting Up A Healthcare Business

Two key focuses of blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A sector of business that will never go away is the healthcare business. There are some important considerations to think about before setting this type of business up. The following contributed post is entitled, Four Things To Think About Before Setting Up A Healthcare Business.

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Are you looking to set up your own healthcare business? Although technology has made it easier to start an enterprise, starting up a health care company involves a lot more preparation than your average business. There is a multitude of things to remember, such as policies and procedures that need to be followed and funded.

In this article, we are going to look at some of the primary considerations to make when you think about starting your own healthcare company.

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Do you have the right qualifications and experience?

In an ideal world, you will have plenty of experience working in the healthcare business. But, if you don’t, it is worth getting some. If you’re going to take a hands-on role, you are going to need to be as qualified and trained as possible; otherwise, you should always recruit professionals.

As well as the actual care experience and skills, you may also want to seek training in business management. Of course, if you are trained in a certain kind of health care, such as dentistry or sports massage, you are going to need different qualifications for that kind of business.

Do you have the budget for the infrastructure?

A healthcare business can be costly – you need all of the medical equipment and machinery, adequate staffing, and technology. Healthcare is one field where you cannot skimp on any of these things, as you could be putting your patients at risk. Healthcare IT Support will prevent any technical failures and keep your business up and running so that you can focus on the important thing: your patients.

Is there a need for your service?

Healthcare is almost always an in-demand service. However, before you pour all of your time, effort, and money into it, make sure it is needed in the location you are considering setting up in. If several other clinics or providers are offering the same thing in the area, you may want to reconsider.

Can you stay on top of the legalities?

Legalities are one of the most important things to be aware of when beginning a healthcare company. When you work with members of the public, you will be responsible for their health and treatment. This means that you will be expected to comply with a specific set of guidelines and regulations.

It can be a good idea to seek professional advice when starting up your healthcare business to ensure you comply with the rules and regulations to stay on the right side of the law. You will also want to make sure you have adequate insurance in place. That way, if anything does go wrong, you will be protected financially.

Setting up a healthcare agency is a lot more complicated than other types of businesses. The above are some of the main things you should consider before diving in. Make sure you do plenty of research and enlist legal professionals’ help to ensure you meet all necessary legalities.

Top 7 Profitable Industries To Start a Business in

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are numerous businesses-types that one can start but it’s also important to think about what the most profitable industries there are to start in. The following contributed post is entitled, Top 7 Profitable Industries To Start a Business in.

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Are you thinking of starting a business? Then one of the first things that you should do is consider what industry you’re going to enter. And with so many to choose from, this process can be very daunting and one that you’re not fully certain of from the get-go.

To help guide you and give you some inspiration, here is a list of 7 profitable and extraordinary industries that you can start a business in this year:

1) Artificial Intelligence

This might sound like an obvious one, but it’s still worth a mention due to its potential. An industry that’s expected to grow to $125 billion by 2025, there’s no better time than now to discover the possibilities within it.

Whether you’re looking to introduce devices that consumers can use within the home (think Amazon’s Alexa) or technology that can be used by other businesses, the industry is on the brink of an explosion – so take advantage when you can. You will have to come from a tech background for this one, however.

2) Hydraulic Power

Fluid power is another very profitable industry to enter this year. An industry that’s applications are used in everyday life, from agriculture to irrigation, there is ample opportunity to expand within it.

Of course, for this type of industry, it’s a good idea to fully understand the ins and outs of hydraulic/pneumatic engineering i.e. what equipment you’ll need to invest in (such as https://tameson.com/solenoid-valve-types.html) and the science behind it. But once you have an in-depth understanding and the right employees beside you, you can quickly grow your business exponentially.

3) Accounting and Bookkeeping

This is an industry that’s incredibly profitable as it has jobs within it that are specialized (like the hydraulic industry). Every business needs accounting and bookkeeping – no matter what type of business they are running and their size.

And with on-going development and changes within financial legislation, it’s good to have professionals on hand to ensure that they are on the right path with your finances. Because of this, this industry is a great one to start a business in. Just ensure that you have the skills in mathematics, and when your business grows, skilled and motivated employees.

4) Real Estate

Real estate is an industry that’s continued to grow and thrive globally throughout the years. And with so many opportunities within it – whether that be real estate technology, online design services or a similar field, the scope for a new business is simply extraordinary. As technology continues to develop and the need for housing increases, it’s easy to see why this is such a fantastic industry to start a business within.

5) E-Commerce

With the rise in technology and more people utilizing the internet, the e-commerce industry has rapidly taken over the world. A safe bet for entrepreneurs looking to start a business, you’re able to easily sell what you want from the comfort of your home/office – meaning it’s great for entrepreneurs who are just entering it.

Plus, with sales in the global e-commerce market now over an incredible $2 trillion, it’s truly a booming industry that’s only expected to continue progressing.

6) Hospitality

As the global population grows, as will the need for hospitality businesses. With two sectors in particular booming – sustainable food providers and hotels, it opens up the possibilities for new businesses looking to enter the market and diversify what they have to offer.

As long as you keep up with the trends, adapt to developments in technology and listen to customer wants, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed within it.

7) Transportation

Yet another industry that’s adapting with the rapid advancements of technology, transportation is screaming out for growth and new talent. An industry that is relied upon by businesses and the general population daily, the demand within it is undeniable.

From ride-sharing to automatic cars, the future looks bright for this industry – making it an extraordinary one for entrepreneurs to enter.

Final Thoughts

So, there you go! Those are the top 7 profitable industries that you can start a business within. No matter which industry you choose, with the right knowledge, preparation, financing, employees, marketing and advertising, etc. you’ll be able to thrive in no time at all.

Even if it doesn’t happen right away, you have to be determined to succeed and showcase to potential customers why they should opt for your services over your competitors – a skill that’s possessed by only the most driven entrepreneurs.

Coronavirus and Your Business: Preventing Things From Going Bad

Three of the focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The Coronavirus has not only created a human health crisis, but also an economic crisis which business owner didn’t see coming. To be one of the businesses to survive this event and to continue generating profit, you’ll have to be very smart and vigilant. The following contributed post is entitled, Coronavirus and Your Business: Preventing Things From Going Bad.

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It doesn’t matter what your business sells, Covid-19 will have impacted upon it in some way or another. If you’re a smaller company especially it can be extremely difficult to navigate your way through what are essentially completely uncharted waters. Here are some things to bear in mind, and how you can prevent things from going bad.

Slowing profits
Most kinds of businesses will have highs and lows when it comes to their profits over the course of the year. This is normal and can depend on things like public holidays and celebrations. For example, retail businesses usually peak in profits around Christmas time and can often drop for a while in the new year once everyone is spent out. The current pandemic is of course affecting just about every business, if yours has slowed down then it’s a time to start being innovative and thinking outside of the box for ways to promote and boost your profits as much as you can over this time.

Negative press
Negative stories about you in the press can affect your business due to spoiled reputation, so be sure to think carefully before you respond. In more extreme cases, you might even want to seek legal help. Many companies have gained bad press over this time where they’ve inadvertently gone about things the wrong way with social distancing, letting staff members go, upping prices due to increased demand and a whole long list of other things. Once things have blown over you’ll need to rebuild your reputation and regain the approval of those who shop with you. Be sure to apologise, we’re living in unprecedented times and no one is going to get it right all the time. If you’ve slipped up or done the wrong thing, make it clear that you apologise for that and admit your mistake.

Poor service
Many businesses have now had to make the switch to selling online, and this can come with some problems. Due to social distancing restrictions, warehouses that dispatch items are working to less capacity meaning things are sent out slower. There’s more demand on the postal service and courier companies so your customer will receive their order later than they’d usually expect. You might also have less customer service staff available to deal with queries so overall, customers may feel as though they’re getting poor service. The best thing you can do is put a notice on your website explaining the situation, while at this point most people will be aware of these things it ensures that people are buying and knowing what to expect. If it’s going to take a number of weeks for them to get their order for example then they need to know this from the get go.

Illness
When someone is injured or becomes unwell as a result of your business it can spell disaster for your company. And right now, we’re dealing with a virus that no one knows too much about so bringing employees back to work too soon could lead to an outbreak that you’re then blamed for. Make sure you have all of the right insurances in place to protect your business, and seek legal advice on any matters that arise. Be sure to follow health and safety laws to the letter, for example social distancing guidelines state that people should remain two metres apart. You’ll need to make changes in your workplace to accommodate this.

Theft
There are a number of ways people can steal from your business. The first is criminals actively taking assets from you, such as shoplifters stealing items, or burglars breaking into offices or warehouses. You could also come up against cyber theft, or even fraud or theft from your own employees. Another thing to be aware of is competitors stealing your ideas, if you’re worried about this being a possibility then look into stealth mode startups. This enables you a chance to get set up and running and protect your assets so that your ideas aren’t taken by others. You’ll need to protect your business both online as well as in person, as well as keep certain ideas under wraps until you’ve got things like copyrighting or patents in place.

Becoming Obsolete
We live in an incredibly fast paced world, even when things are normal before the virus, here technology ever evolving meant that once thriving businesses are left in the dark ages within a couple of years. Now that things have changed dramatically (and will likely stay this way for the foreseeable future) you have to be careful that you’re not rendered obsolete. There are certain businesses that people can’t use in the normal way at the moment, if you fall into this category it’s important to think outside of the box. Could you teach what you do via online lectures and presentations? Could you switch things up to offer customers what they need right now?

Bankruptcy
Things can and do go wrong in business which can lead to your venture failing, and in the current economic climate with the pandemic this is happening to many businesses (particularly smaller and newer ventures). Consider loans and government grants to keep you going, but be aware this won’t always be possible. While it’s hard to deal with now, you will have learned a lot through your failures. That way, later down the line when you’re ready to get involved in business again, you can build upon this knowledge and experience.

Considerations When Getting A Mortgage

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. The biggest and most significant purchase many people will make is their home. Most people have to secure a mortgage in order to purchase their home. While the upside is getting the property that you want, the transaction can also harm your financial health going forward. The following contributed post is entitled, Considerations When Getting A Mortgage.

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For most people, buying a home necessitates that they are going to get a mortgage, as most people simply can’t afford to buy a home outright. If you are looking into getting a mortgage, you are obviously going to want to be careful. It is probably the biggest loan that you will ever take out, and it’s important to remember that, and not start thinking of it as somehow less than a huge loan. However, as long as you are sensible about it you should find that you can keep up with the repayments. In this article, we’ll look at some of the top considerations to think about when you are getting a mortgage, to ensure that you do it as well as possible and get the most out of it.

Don’t Land On The First One

Essentially, we are saying that you should shop around and not merely go for the first mortgage that you come across. If you do make the mistake of doing that, you might find that you don’t end up with the best option possible. That could mean that you are going to be paying in extortionate interest rates, or that it is going to last forever, or many other possibilities besides. Make sure that you look around and compare mortgages as if it was the most serious and important decision of your life – for it may well be just that. That way, you can at least avoid being in any particular trouble with the mortgage that you have chosen.

Have A Plan For Repayment

Be sure that you are fully aware of how you are going to get the money together to repay the mortgage every month. The bank will certainly be asking for evidence of this as well anyway, but it is also important to think about it for yourself. After all, you need to make sure that you are going to safely pay it off and not land yourself in any kind of serious trouble. If you are not careful, and you fail to pay back your mortgage, you might find yourself having to look into how to stop foreclosure, and that is not a position you want to be in if you can help it. So think about your real, practical plan for repayment, and make sure that you are going to follow it as closely as possible.

Consider Different Types Of Interest Rate

There are a couple of main types of interest rate that you need to be aware of. It is a good idea to know about the pros and cons of each and to weigh them up against each other, so that you can ensure you are going to be in the best possible position in terms of knowing where you stand with it. You might have a fixed rate, which is usually higher but cannot change over time, or a variable rate, which can change, but will probably start off much lower. It’s up to you what you would rather do.

5 Essential Pieces of Equipment for Your Warehouse

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re running a business that involves the use of a warehouse, there are some pieces of equipment that you’re going to need. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Essential Pieces of Equipment for Your Warehouse.

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If you want to run an efficient warehouse, you will need the right equipment that can handle materials efficiently. You may have a 50,000 square foot warehouse, but without the right, equipment to store or move your products, then most of the space will go to waste. Time is a key factor when running a warehouse, and the more equipment you have to handle specific operations, the better.

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Important Equipment When Running a Warehouse

Dock equipment

Dock equipment are an essential part of any warehouse. They are used for receiving and shipping purposes. However, choosing the wrong docking equipment can put your staff in harm’s way. Therefore, its safety should be your top priority. To optimize workflow in the dock area, you need loading equipment to load and unload goods from trucks.

Packaging equipment

You need packaging equipment to efficiently package products before shipping. Shrink-wrapping equipment has a variety of uses, all of which make it essential in any warehouse. You can use this equipment to package goods or combine multiple products together with wrapping film for easier transportation.

Storage equipment

The right storage equipment can help you to efficiently utilize the space in your warehouse, and help you to achieve your goals. It will help your staff to easily and efficiently find inventory and also protect your valuable inventory. What’s more, there are a variety of storage equipment, which means you can choose one that matches the needs of your warehouse.

Conveyors

Apart from increasing efficiency, conveyors are important for quality control. This is because they safely transport products to their final destination. Compared to moving materials manually, a chain conveyor can move the materials quickly, and it can be easy to automate the process. Because conveyors involve minimal human intervention, there is a reduced risk for injuries. Additionally, they can improve picking, packing and dispatching.

Lift equipment

You will definitely need equipment to help your workers lift heavy items to store or move them safely. However, the lift equipment you choose will depend on some factors, for instance, will you be moving pallets or small goods, and how high your shelves are. It’s a good idea to research What you need to know about 2-way pallets and how these can be lifted and utilized in your warehouse too. Perhaps the most common warehouse lift equipment is the forklift. Forklifts can move goods with little risk of damaging products or injuries. You will also need service carts, which make the manual picking process easier. Your employees can use the service carts to move products to the shipment area easily.

While a forklift can help lift and move goods, they can only go so far. Therefore, you will need a pallet truck that can quickly transport goods easily from one location to another. This equipment will come in handy when moving goods in tight spaces where a forklift cannot make its way into. Investing in truck and equipment decals also helps with this and improves overall safety.

Bottom Line

While every warehouse has its unique needs, the above warehouse equipment will get you headed in the right direction, especially if it’s the first time upgrading to a warehouse. Additionally, choosing the right equipment will increase the productivity of your warehouse and also result in higher customer satisfaction.

The Importance Of Making Expansion Plans For Your Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Once you start your business, if it’s successful, you will eventually have to think about expansion. The following contributed post is entitled, The Importance Of Making Expansion Plans For Your Business.

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If you are a regular reader around here then you may have noticed that the three main topics of my blog are money, business/entrepreneurship and health/wellness.

In this day and age there are many aspects to consider when starting up your own business. You can run a successful start-up company from the comfort of your home which may then lead to needing to expand.

A lot of people start their own businesses through sheer desperation at being that unhappy in their current 9-5 job, that they make a leap of faith in starting their own venture. For some people it may have been something they had considered for a very long time before building up the courage and confidence to take the decision to quit their average job and take control of their future as an entrepreneur.

Not only is starting your own business a little daunting to say the least, but quitting your current job can be a very stressful thing, especially if you have dependents and commitments whether it be a mortgage, loan or your rent.

However, before making the decision to jump straight in, it’s important to understand that timing is everything. You need to make sure that you have all of your affairs in place for your new venture before deciding to take out the safety net that is your regular guaranteed income.

The absolute first thing to make sure of is to be confident that you know your business will work. You need to know where your business will fit into the market and you need to have made a plan to progress once you get there.

A business plan is a must, without one your business will probably fail before you have even properly started. A well thought out business plan will help you to maintain a company direction, to spot potential pitfalls before they arise and to set realistic business targets.

Depending on the type of business you go into, part of your business plan may involve future proofing your business with the possibility to expand out of your home office or shared business space.

Shared business spaces are really popular and they are invaluable with start ups where there may be limited funding. They aren’t a long term solution though and this needs to be considered – which leads back to your business plan.

Expansion of your business should be a very important part of your business plan, these could include:

1. Adding to your existing line of goods and services

2. Targeting your existing customer base to sell more products

3. Look for a new customer base to add to your existing one

4. Discover new sales channels

5. Merge with another business or acquire them

Well established high street businesses are turning to opening online stores to help strengthen their core business and this is where start ups hold the advantage. There will become a point where you will master the online store or online services and will need to look into expansion in the form of bricks and mortar, an office and/or warehouse to help future your business growth.

The type of space you will need will depend solely on the type of business you run. For an online services only business, a business space without the need for storage is relatively easy to come by. As a start up, running an office from a residential premise is widely accepted providing you follow the guidelines set out by your local government.

There are some major advantages to having a residential space as your office. However, the disadvantages quickly start to add up as and when your business starts to grow. Client meetings at your home ‘office’ may put potential new clients off as it is not the most professional look to hold a meeting in your house. As with most residential places, parking is also as adequate as you would find in a commercial space.

However if you are a start up with ‘movement of goods’, then this will then turn your residential premise into a commercial premise. This means you will then require approvals and licences from your local government and authorities. If your business is deemed as being commercial this could also impose additional property tax on your residential address, even water and electricity bills could incur additional fees based on being a commercial space.

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This is why part of your business plan should include the possibility of expansion of your business through the need for a commercial office space.

When thinking about the type of commercial space needed to run your business, it is also a good idea to think about the maintenance and upkeep costs associated with having a commercial space and who this falls to to maintain.

Depending on the size of your space, this could have huge financial implications with your yearly costs. Most residential properties use asphalt shingles, whereas commercial properties will vary greatly in the materials used.

Without being a trades worker, you will struggle to identify all of the hidden costs associated with your space so it is best to choose skilled companies who can take on the hard work for you which will help to bring down on your maintenance costs.

For example, choosing the right commercial roof repair can impact how much you spend or save per year. Pick the right company and they can help you to reduce your yearly costs through using the best energy saving materials.

The key to success in any expansion is to recognize what your limitations are. This is specific to you and your business. Long before you make any firm decision, plan a worst-case scenario of how much the expansion will cost and how many resources it will take to get to that point.
If a business tries to grow too quickly, it can lead to failure. Which makes it so important to plan carefully for the day you’ll expand and only make the move once you’re sure you have the resources to handle it.

Little-Known Techniques You Can Use To Better Market Your Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Marketing is a critical piece to your business. While many business owners have good ideas and services, marketing doesn’t necessarily come easy. The following contributed post is entitled, Little-Known Techniques You Can Use To Better Market Your Business.

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Marketing your business can seem like a massive challenge sometimes. Getting the word out about what you do is tricky in a world where millions of other people are doing the same thing.

There are, however, a bunch of little-known marketing tricks that you can use to swing things in your favor. Mostly your competitors don’t know about these, so it often pays to use them whenever you can. But what are they? And how can you deploy them successfully to improve your business?

Referral Programs

If you want to build your audience fast, you’ll want to launch a referral program.

The idea here is to get your customers to market your business for you.

This strategy has two main advantages: it costs very little compared to traditional advertising, and it helps get around any branding issues. Prospective customers are much more likely to trust the opinions of their peers than they are any official marketing messages from you.

All you need to do is get a hardcore of customers who are entirely loyal to you and your brand. Startups, in particular, often generate a loyal base of people who are willing to stick with them through thick and thin. It is these people you want to target. Provide them with a kickback for every customer that they sign up and then wait for the revenue to start flowing.

QR Code Embeds

Pixabay – CC0 License

Digital marketing is a great tool, but it is not the only way to get the word out about your business. You have many other options.

Modern companies, for instance, still like to use direct mail. It tends to have higher open rates and more impact than traditional email marketing, making it highly worthwhile, even in today’s business environment.

Providing links to your business website through flyers you send out in the post sounds impossible, but it is not. All you need to do is use QR codes.

QR codes are essentially two-dimensional barcodes that can contain a vast amount of information. What’s more, most modern smartphones can read these codes. Thus, you can send out correspondence in the post with printed codes, have your customers scan them with their mobile devices, and then forward them to the relevant product, service, video, or article online.

Finding the best QR code generator can be a challenge, but there are plenty of options out there.

Make Your Beta Exclusive

If you’re a company that develops software, you might want to offer an exclusive beta. This marketing method allows you to attract the type of people who are most likely to want to sign up for your full service in the future. Plus, they can provide you with valuable feedback on the current state of your technology.

Give Away Stickers

Pixabay – CC0 License

Giving away stickers might seem like a ridiculous way to market your business, but it is highly effective. People naturally love stickers because it reminds them of their childhood. Plus, both you and they can put them in places where they will give your brand a lot of exposure.