Category: Financial Literacy and Money

Looking to Improve Your Office? Here Are 5 Types Of Professional Services You Should Hire

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. At certain junctures in the road, the time comes to improve your office space. There are specific services that you need to employ in order to properly do this. The following contributed post is entitled, Looking to Improve Your Office? Here Are 5 Types Of Professional Services You Should Hire.

* * *

Photo by Marc Mueller from Pexels

Are you looking to upgrade the look and functionality of your office space? Then there are certain outsourced professional services you should seek. As a business owner, you always want what’s best for your company.

And although there are certain changes you can make to the space as a team, there are other aspects that are better in the hands of an external professional company that has years of experience in that particular industry. To help kickstart this process, here are 5 types of professional services you should hire:

Architects

Do you want to completely change the appearance of your office? Whether it’s a new office that you’ve just moved into or you’re looking to give your current one a refreshed look, hiring an architect is a great solution. Although it might seem like an expensive outlay, their creativity and innovative ideas can prove to be invaluable.

Making the space more practical and functional, you’ll have an office that suits your business’ needs down to a tee. Once completed, you can then add your own features to the space.

Of course, the alternative is building your own office. Although this is great if you’re on a budget, it’s not a choice that will suit every business – especially one that might have a little more budget to spend on the renovation.

Plumbing Services

Plumbing isn’t something that should be undertaken by anyone who isn’t trained – especially when working on an office renovation project. If you’re looking to improve the state of the restrooms in your office building, consider hiring a professional plumbing service. Making your restrooms functional and practical, you can then bring in a decorator to finish the job.

Electrical Services

Similarly to the above, you should never try to undertake electrical tasks by yourself – no matter how skilled you think you are. Instead, opt for a professional, skilled and experienced company to come and install new lighting/fix broken electrics within your office.

Companies such as GPE Electrical and Communications Contractor Pty Ltd can come to your building and complete the task, ensuring that it’s working perfectly and maintained throughout the years.

IT Outsourcing

When improving your office, it’s not just about the aesthetic look of it. You will also want to consider how you can improve it, in terms of technology. In the modern-day, the importance of having a watertight IT infrastructure is undeniable. No matter what industry you’re working within, you need to know that your data is kept safe and that your systems are up and running 24/7 – which is where an outsourced IT company comes in.

Tracking your systems, implementing cybersecurity and running continuous checks on the infrastructure, they offer an invaluable service that will help your business to thrive in the long term. Something that should never be overlooked, it’s an investment that’s worth making whether you are a new or long-established organization.

An Interior Decorator

Have you spent countless hours looking at office interiors on sites such as Pinterest? Then it’s time to create your own dream office with the help of an interior decorator. With years of experience in the field, they know what will work within a space. And while you can obviously share your vision with them, they will also suggest pieces of furniture, lighting features, and more that will align with it.

How to Find Your Perfect Home

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. Does the perfect home exist? If so, how do you find it with all the houses available in your particular location? There are a couple of key considerations when searching. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Find Your Perfect Home.

* * *

Are you looking for a new home? Or maybe a first home. Everyone wants a home as it is a valuable asset, and owning one gives you that peace of mind you have been craving. There are a lot of options on the market, and it may not be very easy to narrow down precisely what you want. For a lot of us, money is the major driving factor in purchasing a home, and there are also considerations such as the area, school, vicinity to shops, etc. Not to mention the house itself, does it tick all the boxes and more. Whatever type of home you are looking for, here are some tips on how to find that perfect home.

Image from Pixabay

Make a list
Talking of boxes, well it is a good idea to create a list of things you want, and another list of things you do not want. If you want the perfect house, you have to know what you want. Price is going to have to be on the list for some of you a ceiling price you cannot surpass. There are also considerations such as the number of bedrooms, if you want a house, or would settle with a flat, sharing entrances and exits. Have you thought about a fixer-upper? It may be worth thinking about how much work you would be willing to do yourself. Once you have your list then, you can search with a narrowed focus.

Search
If you want the perfect house, you are going to have to put in the leg work. Start online, adding all the desired parameters into the real estate search engine sites, and create as big a radius area as possible. Then you need to go out and start looking. View as many houses as possible. Only through this will you get the best idea of how the reality of what you want stacks up against the dream. Perhaps this will alter some of your immovable items on the checklist. You may decide that a Bellriver house & land package is the best option for you. Anyway, the more you hunt, the more you will develop a feeling about houses, and when you finally walk into the one you want, you will know. Everything will fall into place, and it will have that home feeling.

Be a tough bargainer
In this world, the only person you can rely upon is yourself. Searching the real estate market is no different. Do not allow yourself to be swayed by beautiful salesy talk. Stay focused at all times, and know what you like and don’t like. If they see a crack in your resolve, they will go for it. Bid low and negotiate. Ensure you go through all the correct routes like having the house surveyed, and do not overlook the basics. If you see something you do not like, point it out. Make another list of all the potential problems and ensure you discuss them with the agent. The more problems you spot, the cheaper you will be able to get it for.

Settling The Very Real Emotional Trouble Of Business Management

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. Working in business management is much different than being on staff as an employee. Decisions must be made, sometimes difficult ones with can impact one’s quality of life. The following contributed post is entitled, Settling The Very Real Emotional Trouble Of Business Management.

* * *

Pexels – CC0 License

Running a business is not an easy process, no matter what anyone tells you. To run a business or to get to a CEO, CFO or executive position, you need to work harder than you may ever have in your lifetime. This is why those fields and positions are so competitive, because you often get out what you put in. However, it’s 2020, and it’s time for the recent healthy talk surrounding mental wellbeing to find its way into the workplace.

It’s astonishingly easy for us to burn ourselves out in pursuit of our dreams. You give all you can, and sometimes in business, that may not be good enough. This can lead you to think that you’re simply not giving enough, to the point where you may sacrifice health and comfort in order to make matters work. We know that as a business leader, a solid 7-8 hours of work in a day may not be enough to get things going. That being said, settling the very real emotional trouble of business management should not be considered a side concern, but a pressing measure you should attend to.

We would recommend doing so in the following ways:

Talk Through Your Problems

Don’t bottle everything up. Business struggles sting, and it’s okay to admit that. Having to let staff go can be a real hardship, and pretending as though it isn’t can only make you feel colder about things. If something is troubling you, talk about it. It may be that through services like Bluesky Psychology, you are able to define a real, particular problem you are going through, and get the true assistance you need.

Don’t Overpromise

It’s easy to think of the overpromising businessperson as someone who is insecure and unable to confidently stand behind their product offering. Perhaps they feel as though they need to bend over backwards at every turn because this makes the most business sense. It doesn’t. Remember not to overpromise, because that can leave us without a clear goal, and when the time does come to make good on those offers, you will disappoint. This can only lead to stress, and it will make you feel like a failure, ironically stemming from a desire to help everyone.

Live In Reality, Not In Expectation

Live in the reality you are part of. There can be many ‘would haves,’ ‘should haves’ or ‘fake it til you make its’ in the business world, and this can lead you to think in terms of your vision. There is a certain self-deluded quality that all successful people have to have, especially if they’re making something from nothing. But this must never take precedence over actual objective living in the moment and making the daily decisions as felt. In other words, are you responding to the situations present now and curating your best business, or are you trying hard to live up to what you think you should be as a business leader? These measures are not always in sync with one another. Be here now, to the extent that you can.

With this advice, we hope you can help your mental and emotional health, even working within a stressful business role.

5 Ways To Increase Your Local Visibility As A Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the most important aspects of your business is your visibility. Customers are more likely to patronize your business if the more known you are. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ways To Increase Your Local Visibility As A Business.

* * *

Image by Welcome to all and thank you for your visit ! ツ from Pixabay

One of the hardest things to do as a small and local business is to ensure the people in your area know who you are. Whether you’ve been running for years or you’re just getting started, increasing your local visibility should be one of the main priorities for your business. Luckily, there are lots of tips and tricks you can pick up to ensure you’re doing exactly that. From using business directories to investing in PPC, the more you’re doing the better. With that in mind, here are 5 ways to increase your local visibility as a business:

-Attend Local Events And Networking Sessions

One of the best ways to increase your visibility in the local area is to attend local events and networking sessions. Although it may be daunting at first, attending networking events is a great way to meet like-minded people. Not only that, but it’s the perfect way to meet people that may be interested in your products or services. Although you don’t want to use these networks to sell if the topic comes up, take it as a good opportunity. For a guide to attending local networking events, you can visit this site here.

-Target Local People With Pay Per Click Advertising

If you know who your target audience is and where they’re going to be located, you can use pay per click advertising to create ads that will increase your local profile. Although it can be quite expensive at times, pay per click advertising is incredibly effective. For a guide to using pay per click to grow your business, you can visit this site here.

-Consider A Local Business Directory

Another great way to improve your local visibility is to consider a local business directory. Although they may be hard to come across at first, directories are a great place to list your business and your services. Chances are, you’ll find customers from them more often than not. For more information when it comes to using a business directory, you can visit this site here.

-Consider Working With A Local PR Agency For Coverage

If you want to gain local coverage on TV or in local papers, you might want to consider approaching a local PR agency for assistance. Although it can be expensive, gaining local coverage for your business is a great way to ensure people are seeing your brand everywhere they go. If you appear in local news, it will be much easier to grow as a business.

-Try And Promote A Loyalty Scheme In Your Local Area

Finally, you might want to consider promoting a loyalty scheme in your area. Although it may take some time to grow, it’s the perfect way to get people talking about your business.

Are you looking for ways to increase your visibility as a business? What can you do to ensure you’re doing all that you can to grow locally? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

4 Rules For Interior Design Business Success

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Many individuals have started interior design businesses. If run correctly, these be successful ventures. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Rules For Interior Design Business Success.

* * *

When it comes to dream jobs, there are few more romanticized than a career as an interior designer. You’ll be taking existing places and bring them to life, all within the framework of the rubric set by the client. You’ll be using your creativity, your critical thinking skills, and helping people in the process. What’s not to love? As you can imagine from a job that scores highly on the satisfaction front, this is a career that is in high demand. So how can you ensure that success comes your way? We take a look at a few tried and tested tips below.

Pexels – CC0 Licence

Love Your Job

First thing’s first: if you’re going to throw yourself into the challenging and satisfying life of an interior designer, then it’s important that you’re fully committed to the job. While there are some professions where you can “tip your toe in the water,” so to speak, when it comes to creative jobs, you have to be all in. It’ll be more of a lifestyle than a job. If you’re not willing to throw yourself into the craft, then it’s best to choose something else — only the most committed make it!

Get the Ball Rolling

No-one walks straight into success in the interior design world. It’s like any other challenging profession: before success is achieved, the person usually has plenty of experience under the belt, it’s just that they probably weren’t paid all that much, or at all. When you’re taking your first steps as an interior designer, you’ll want to look at performing jobs for free, or at least cheaper than you will one day charge. This will give you the opportunity to develop your portfolio, so you have something to show to future clients.

A Professional Look

Appearances are everything when it comes to interior design. After all, you’re selling your expertise at creating a visually appealing space; if you don’t have “the look,” then people will — rightly — question your professionalism. The two areas you should focus on is your digital life and your personal look. Online, you’ll need a website that is slick, clean, and which shows off your talents. You’ll also need to carefully manage your social media channels, too. On a personal level, it’s all about dressing well and presenting a professional, trendy look. People would rightly raise eyebrows if you were dressed in old, tattered clothes!

Know Your Place

You’re not going to get every interior design job that’s available, and you shouldn’t try to, either. You’ll find that you get more work once you’ve specialized and can focus on one particular type of design. This could be designing interiors of homes, for example, or stores, or hotels. It’s a good idea to play around with a few styles in the early days, but at some point, you’ll want to find your niche. Like with most professions, it’s better to pick one specific area, rather than make yourself available for all jobs. It’ll show that you’re an expert in that niche.

Expanding Your Business The Right Way

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you started off as a small business, at some point you will want to expand. While expansion may be your next step, it’s important to do it in the smartest way possible. The following contributed post is entitled, Expanding Your Business The Right Way.

* * *

Source Location – CC0 Licence

Expanding your business is always going to be an exciting time for your company, but you’ve got to be sure that you are doing this the right way. There is no use expanding if it is not necessary, or it is not going to benefit your company in any way. That is why we have written this article, though, to give you some advice on expanding your business the right way, so if you want to know more, keep reading.

Hire More Staff

How many employees do you have working for you right now? If you expand, are you going to have enough to cover the extra demand? Likely, the answer is going to be no, which means you are going to need to hire some more staff sooner rather than later. Make sure that you aren’t just hiring anyone, though, because you don’t want to have people who aren’t contributing effectively to your company. Go through all of your applicants, pick out the ones who have experience in the role you are looking to fill, call them in for an interview and see what they can offer your business.

When you are expanding, it’s not just about getting more people to fill in the jobs, it has got to be the right people. You don’t want to hire someone who has no idea what they are doing and aren’t pulling their weight. So, be careful with who you select, but make sure you hire more people.

Look At Your Suppliers

The next thing that you have got to do is look at your suppliers. Where are you sourcing all of your stock from, and is there a more efficient way to do this? For example, you might be better off purchasing your stock from China, and in this scenario, you have got to look at how to find a China sourcing agent. There are plenty of ways that you can do this, so just make sure you do your research and find the one that suits you best.

Or, it might be the case that your current supplier is able to offer you a good deal. If this is the case, then you aren’t going to need to go anywhere else to source your products. At the end of the day, it is all about doing what is best for your business.

Think About The Cost

Is the cost of expanding going to hurt your business? In the beginning, you are going to have to put money in if you want to take it out, and that’s just a fact. You’ve got to be willing to put that money into your business to expand it, thinking that you will make a profit soon. If this doesn’t sound like the case for you, then expanding your business probably isn’t the right idea, and you might want to wait a little while.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know how to expand your business the right way and some of the things you need to think about.

Does Your Retail Store Need Security?

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. I key concern for any business is its security. Tightening up the security of your business can increase the likelihood of its continued operations in addition to continued profits. The following contributed post is entitled, Does Your Retail Store Need Security.

* * *

As a customer, you might have been into shops that have abundant security. They might have security guards at the door and wandering around the store as well as tags on clothing and CCTV cameras. You might have wondered why the owners were bothering to throw so much money into security. Surely it can’t be worth it, just to stop a little shoplifting?

If you own a retail store of your own, you should certainly consider upgrading your security to the same levels. Let’s take a look at why.

Image – CC0 Licence

Keep Your Stock Safe and Avoid Loss

Shoplifting might only be a small problem. But, over time, that problem can grow. Every time you lose stock, you lose money. While big businesses might be able to cope with a little loss here and there, if you run a small company, during a quieter period, this can make a world of difference.

Increase Staff Comfort

Even if you aren’t concerned about a little shoplifting, what about the safety of yourself, your customers, and especially your staff, who will most often be the ones on the front line, confronting any shoplifters or other signs of criminal activity? Hiring a security team, as well as installing other security devices, can help them to feel more safe and secure. It can improve staff morale, increase loyalty and decrease staff turnover. This could save you money, and help you to create a happier, well-run workplace.

Decrease Other Threats

Image – CC0 Licence

Shoplifting isn’t the only threat that your business could face. Other criminal activity in the area could affect your reputation and the footfall in your area. Having security in, and around your store will decrease these threats.

Helps You to Build a Reputation

Every time someone successfully steals something from your store, they see it as a win, and you start to become known as an easy target. Shoplifters begin to sell your stock on cheaply, and you begin to get a reputation as a cheap store, as well as one that is easy to steal from. The shoplifters return, bringing criminal friends with them. Your customers might not if they hear they can get your good cheaper elsewhere.

Improved Customer Service

Getting a Security Company in could even improve customer service. If you have the same guards in store all of the time, they’ll become part of the team even if you don’t employ them directly. They’ll develop relationships with your customers, and help you to offer excellent customer service.

Customer service will also be improved because your staff will have more time to interact with customers, knowing that other threats are taken care of.

Security Options

Security staff are an excellent option. Having someone in your store full time, or at least during busier periods where your staff might be less vigilant, or less able to watch all areas of the shop, can be exceptionally effective at improving safety and decreasing crime. Alternatively, if you are based in a small shopping area, you might want to work with other businesses to share a security team. CCTV, tags and alarms are also worthwhile.

4 Tips For Businesses Throwing a Fundraiser

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are any number of reasons for your business to throw a fundraiser. Fundraisers are good ways to raise awareness of issues and help those in need. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Tips For Businesses Throwing a Fundraiser.

* * *

Entrepreneurship is a great way to take your career in your own hands and make a living for yourself on your own terms. It’s also an opportunity to rewrite the rules and work towards a better, more equitable and more sustainable form of capitalism. Business owners get to shape the economy and reverse the fundamental inequalities like wage repression, racial inequality and gender pay gaps that are still sadly rife in the world of business. It’s also a great opportunity to use your brand to do good for charitable causes in ways that might not be possible for you as an individual.

Image by Drew Rae via Pexels

When you throw fundraising events as part of your business operations, it can be hugely beneficial for you and your cause. It can demonstrate your sense of Corporate Social Responsibility to your local community and the world at large. It can also be a huge morale booster for employees and help them feel that they are a part of something special.

Here are some tips to help you throw a fundraiser for the ages…

Choose a cause that resonates

While the choice of cause is, of course, up to you, you’ll find that you have more success with a cause that resonates with your community and your workforce. If you have a number of causes that matter to you personally, you might benefit from holding a poll on your social media feed and encouraging your employees and / or customers to vote for the one that matters the most to them.

Add a touch of class

A fundraiser is all about the cause… but it’s also about finding ways to add value to your brand. Thus, any effort you make to add class and prestige to your brand should be embraced. Whether you choose to throw a chic cocktail party, a lavish charity ball or even get in touch with casino equipment suppliers to help people game their way to charitable giving is up to you. But adding a touch of class will add to the sense of occasion and elevate your brand.

Build awareness and hype through your content marketing

With so many causes worthy of our attention it can be hard to get people to consider donating to your cause at the expense of all others. However, your content marketing allows you a valuable storytelling opportunity to help your cause better resonate with your following. Focus on the personal stories of the people you’re trying to help and focus on the good that people’s donations will do.

People are likely to be all the more generous when they know for sure that their donation will make a tangible difference.

Make donations easy and accessible

However you choose to hold your fundraiser, it’s imperative to make it easy for people to donate, whether they attend or not. As well as taking cash donations at the door, you should also make it easy to pay through Paypal or contactless payment via their credit card, debit card or mobile device.

Get it right, and you’ll be able to do some good for a worthy cause while also increasing your business’ ethical standing.

Getting Started On Your Entrepreneurial Journey

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the most exciting and fulfilling anyone can do is set off on their own and become a business owner. While it has potential perils, it also has potential rewards. The following contributed post is entitled, Getting Started On Your Entrepreneurial Journey.

* * *

If the arrival of a new year has prompted you to think about changing career or given you the confidence to think about setting up your own business, you might be experiencing a mixture of emotions. Going it alone can be daunting, but it’s also a hugely exciting proposition. If you’re preparing to take your first foray into the world of entrepreneurialism, here are some steps to take today.

Image credit https://pixabay.com/photos/office-business-accountant-620822/

Figure out what you want to do
If you want to become your own boss, the options are endless, but some avenues may be much better suited to you than others. Some people will go into the process of thinking about setting up a business knowing exactly what they want to do, while others will be exploring different possibilities and conjuring up ideas. If you haven’t already got a set idea in mind, it’s beneficial to focus on your skills and talents, to use your experience and to indulge passions and interests. You can utilize transferable skills to get started with something you already have knowledge and understanding of, for example, providing consulting services or tutoring or mentoring, or you could undertake additional training to offer something different. Training is also incredibly beneficial for learning how to run a business effectively and efficiently. If you’re used to pitching to buyers, teaching kids or providing massage therapy, for example, you might not be au fait with managing books and filing tax returns.

Consider your options
There are various options open to you when it comes to being your own boss. You could go freelance, set up your own business or take over a franchise. If you have experience in accounting or you’ve managed your own tax returns for a long time, for example, you could learn how to open a tax office. If you’re a caterer by trade, you could investigate the possibility of managing your own restaurant or cafe franchise. Alternatively, if you want total control, establishing your own venture may be a more appealing prospect. If this is the route you’re keen to go down, and you’ve found your niche, the next step is to draw up a thorough business plan, secure the finances you need and research the market. For those who are eager to try freelancing, it’s important to establish and make use of contact networks and to take steps to get your name out there. Market your services using professional social media platforms, email marketing and SEO. It’s also a great idea to drop flyers through doors if you’re looking to attract a local audience.

Research
Research is vital when setting up a new business, switching to self-employment or taking over the reins of an existing venture. Get to know your market, define your ideal customer, analyze the competition and use the information you gather to market your business, establish price points and create an impactful USP.

If you’ve decided to go it alone, and you’re ready to start your entrepreneurial journey, hopefully, this guide will point you in the right direction.

Building Your Own Office

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In the initials stages of your business, you want to rent or lease space. Once you’re in for a while though and your operations have stabilized, you might also consider building your own office space. The following contributed post is entitled, Building Your Own Office.

* * *

One of the most exciting things you can do in business is to get to the point where you are building your own office. That probably means that things are going pretty well, that you are ready to expand and take on new challenges and responsibilities as a company, and that is always a good position to be in. Of course, building an office does itself have a number of challenges which you are going to have to be aware of and try to overcome. But as we should discover in this article, they are relatively straightforward in theory at least, even if not always in practice, to get through. Let’s take a look at some of the ins and out of building your own office.

Credit – CCO Licence

Choosing Your Spot Well

The location that you choose to build your office on is going to have an effect on the end result. For one thing, it affects the cost of building – as you are going to need to purchase the ground that your office is built upon, and that will depend mostly upon location. It will also have an effect on what kind of reputation your business ultimately has. If you are keen on a strong reputation, a city centre address might be important for you for the prestige that it brings. However, you might instead have other priorities, meaning that you can choose to find a cheaper spot to go. It’s all about compromising and working out what really matters to you, so that you can hopefully make the right decision and end up in a good spot for your business.

Finding Cheap Materials

You are also going to have to think about getting hold of the right kind of supplies for the projects, and that is something that is not always as easy as you might hope. It often means that you are going to need to shop around quite a lot, perhaps even attending auctions for some of the bigger items. However, once you find a good source, you can be sure that this is going to be one less headache that you need to worry about. Finding good quality and affordable construction products will mean that you are going to be able to build your own office much more successfully indeed, so that is something that you will want to think about from the very start.

Credit – CCO Licence

Getting The Staff

Of course, the quality of the construction staff is another hugely important thing, and you will need to make sure that they are going to be that perfect balance between cost and quality. If you go too cheap, you might end up being disappointed, whereas if you spend a lot of money on them, you might not feel it was quite worth it. Going for somewhere in the middle is very often a safe bet, and it should mean that you are going to get staff who can do the job well but without breaking your bank. Be prepared to look around for a while before you find a team who comes with the right kind of recommendations.

Timing

You should bear in mind that this kind of construction process is always going to cause some kind of disturbance for your business, and as such it will be necessary to time it so that it causes as little of a disturbance as possible. That matter of timing is not something that comes easily to everyone, but it is going to be essential if you hope to actually make it all worthwhile. Try not to do this at a time which is going to be particularly busy for your business, as that is only going to cause damage that might take years to fix, and clearly that’s a far from ideal situation. But if you time it well, it should all go much more smoothly and to plan than you would imagine.

Credit – CCO Licence

Budgeting

As long as you manage to budget the whole thing effectively, it will have less of a direct impact on your business and its future. It is also going to mean that you don’t have to stress too much about what happens financially in the quarter or the year after the fact. Budgeting is essential to the success of the project and the future success of the business, so make sure that you are not overlooking this at all in any way. As long as you budget well, all will be well, and the project will be successful.