Tag: Business

How to Make Automation Work for Your Business From Day One

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Automation is infiltrating most every sector of our lives. If you have a business, it’s critical to think about how automation can help you. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Make Automation Work for Your Business From Day One.

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Image by Quân Lê Quốc from Pixabay

Automation can feel like it’s a big step for any small business, and that’s because it is. You may have heard about how it will save time and improve efficiency while helping to make things run very smoothly.

While all of this is absolutely true, the real benefit is going to come from knowing exactly how to set it up in a way that will support all of your daily operations. When it is approached correctly, automation does not cause any form of complication.

Starting with clear goals

By adding automation to your business, it will help you to understand exactly what you want to achieve. Instead of trying automation for everything, you should focus on just one or two areas where you wish to spend most of your time.

This might include responding to some common queries, handling routine tasks and managing appointments. By starting off with clear goals you will give automation a definitive purpose. This makes it a lot easier for you to measure whether it will actually assist your business.

Keeping things simple

From the very start It’s very easy to assume that more automation is going to mean that you get better results. In reality, starting simple is often going to be a lot more effective.

You should choose one process and then just build from there. When you keep things as manageable as possible, it becomes a lot easier for you to understand exactly how your system works and how you can improve it.

Simple setups are very easy to maintain, which is extremely important for long-term success.

Choosing tools that fit your workflow

There may be several tools available, but none may actually suit your business. Instead of selecting based on popularity, focus on what will fit smoothly into your workflow. Think about how you currently operate your business and look out for tools that will support all of these processes rather than changing them entirely.

The goal is to make your work much easier and not to create new challenges. When your tools are aligned with your workflow, automation will feel extremely natural.

Building around what already works

You do not need to start off from scratch when you’re introducing automation. In many cases, you can build on the processes that you find are already working very well. If you have a system that you use regularly, then you should consider how you can improve it with automation.

This type of approach will help you to avoid a lot of unnecessary challenges and it will keep your operations very consistent. It also makes the transition much smoother since you will not be trying to learn everything all at once.

Using automation to save time, not replace anything

Automation will work best when it is supportive of your efforts instead of replacing them completely. There will still be areas of your business that can benefit from decision making and personal attention.

By focusing on tasks that are very repetitive or time consuming, you’ll be able to free up a lot of time for the parts of your business that require you to have more focus. Using small business automation tips will assist you with identifying exactly which tasks are worth automating and which ones you need to stay hands on with.

Testing and adjusting as you go

Even when you have a good plan, your setup will still not be perfect. This is very normal. The key is to ensure that you’re testing your automation and then making adjustments where it is necessary.

Pay attention to exactly how it performs and look for areas where you can make improvements. Small changes will usually make a very big difference over time. This type of ongoing process will help you to refine your system and make it much more effective.

Making automation part of your routine

Automation should always feel like a very natural part of your workflow. Once you have set it up, you should ensure that it supports your daily tasks instead of interrupting them.

By integrating them into your routine, you reduce the need for you to constantly manage it. It will become something that will work silently in the background and allow you to focus a lot more on your priorities.

This is where automation will start to deliver a lot of real value.

Growing your system over time

Needs will also begin to change as time goes on. The automation that you start today will usually not be enough for the future, but that is perfectly okay.

The key is building a system that will grow along with you. Once you feel comfortable with the initial setup that you have made, you’ll be able to gradually expand into various areas.

This type of workflow should keep your system extremely flexible and it will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.

Avoiding overcomplication early on

One of the easiest mistakes that you can make when you are doing automation is to add too many steps too soon in the process. When your system is overly complex, then it becomes a lot harder for you to manage.

It’s also more likely for there to be a breakdown. Keeping your setup very simple from the beginning will allow you to stay firmly in control. You’ll understand exactly how everything works.

As you become a lot more comfortable, you can always add more features and vary them gradually. This type of approach will help you to build confidence in your system and you will avoid a lot of unnecessary frustration.

It will also ensure that your automation remains extremely reliable and easy to maintain even as your business starts to grow.

Creating a more efficient way to work

When automation is done right, it will create a much smoother way for you to work. Jobs will be completed in a more consistent manner and your processes will become much clearer.

This means that your time will be used a lot more efficiently. This does not only improve efficiency, it will also make your business a lot easier to manage every single day.

Is Money An Issue In Your Construction Business?

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Like any business, a construction business requires proper management of capital and management. The following contributed post is entitled, Is Money An Issue In Your Construction Business?

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Source Image – CC0 License

If you own a construction company, and you’re struggling with finances, then you need to do what you can to get yourself back on track. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, and we know that, but this doesn’t mean that you can ignore the problem and hope that it just sorts itself out, because it won’t.

You need to start taking active measures to ensure that money is no longer an issue, and we’re going to be giving you some advice on where to start with this. So, if you’d like to find out more, feel free to read on.

Rent Bigger Equipment

We’re going to kick things off by suggesting that you rent some of the bigger equipment that can be expensive to hire. We know that it’s not always easy to not have everything you need at your fingertips when you need it, but it’s a good source of money saving. For example, you can look into larger excavator hire if you already have a smaller option, but there are projects in which you’re going to need more digging power.

This is especially a good idea if your business doesn’t use the large piece of machinery regularly, and instead only will use it for specific jobs. At this point, it just feels like a waste of money to splurge on a larger purchase, when you can just rent for the jobs you need.

Use Project Management Software

The next thing that we’re going to recommend is that you use project management software as much as you can. Yes, you’re going to have to pay for this, but it helps to keep your construction business efficient, and ensures that you stay on the right track. There are too many companies out there right now that don’t use the right software, and this ends up meaning that you are lagging behind your competitors.

Project management software helps you to keep everything on track, and generally improves the performance of your construction business. While it can feel like it’s not working sometimes, give it time, it will.

Take On As Much As You Can

Finally, you’re going to need to take on as much as you can. This means that there are probably projects you’re going to come across that you don’t want to take, but you’re not going to have much choice because you’re going to need the money. As long as it’s worth it financially, you want to take on as many jobs as you can, as this helps you to build up a name for yourself, and helps you to establish yourself as a company that wants to help everyone.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be doing if money is an issue in your construction business. It isn’t something that you should simply ignore and hope for the best, as it’s only going to get worse without proactive measures.

Is Your Business Still Not Visible Enough?

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what your product or sector is, potential customers and leads have to know about it. Thus it in large part always goes back to marketing. The following contributed post is entitled, Is Your Business Still Not Visible Enough?

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Is your business still not visible enough on the market? Do you feel as though you have tried pretty much everything that you can, but you’re still not seeing the results that you need? We know that this is annoying, and we know that there are going to be times where you want to give up because it’s just not going your way, but you need to keep pushing forward.

In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should try if this is the case because we know it’s hard, but we also know it’s doable. So, let’s look into it.

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Signage

The first thing that we’re going to be looking at is signage for your company. If you don’t have the right signage for your company, this is going to be a huge issue because nobody is going to know who you are, or if they do, they’re not going to like what they see. For example, if your signs look like they are super old, not taken care of, and generally run down, this isn’t going to work out well for you. It gives a poor first impression, which is not what you need.

So, ideally, you need to be looking into finding a sign company that can create the perfect sign for outside of your business building, to attract people. It needs to be on brand with the rest of your company, and it needs to stand out.

SEO

For some reason, there are people out there who don’t think that SEO is important for business, and that’s exactly why they are not as visible as they would like to be. The SERPs are hugely important to visibility, so you need to take this seriously.

Working with a professional is probably the best way to go about this, but you can also take the time to learn about the different types of SEO yourself. The more that you learn, the easier it will be for you to understand what is going on, but working with a professional will give you that extra edge.

Improved Website

The final thing that we’re going to recommend is that you work on improving your website. Your website is one of the most important elements of your business, and you need to make sure that it’s up to standard. If it isn’t, you will have a massive bounce rate and a low conversion rate.

As such, hiring a web design professional will ensure that you have a functional, and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. This is what you need, and if this is not the case for your site right now, your professional will help you make sure that it is going forward.

Hopefully you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be trying if your business isn’t visible enough. It’s not always going to be an easy process, but one that you can get through.

The Most Important Elements to be Mindful of in Business

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Successfully running a business requires several elements to account for. The following contributed post is entitled, The Most Important Elements to be Mindful of in Business.

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When you’re running a company, it’s often like you’re spinning plates. There is almost always so much for you to focus on and think about at any one time. Because of this, it can be hard to prioritise. However, there are always going to be certain elements of the business that are vital for you to be on top of. In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at exactly what you need to focus on.

1. Operating Ethically

The number one thing that you need to concentrate on here is making sure that you’re operating ethically. When you’re a business that has integrity, and you communicate that to the world, people will take notice. Consumers are tired of buying from business owners who don’t care about their impact. Instead, when you are somebody who operates within the law, and you don’t blur lines, consumers will thank you for it.

2. Sourcing the Right Supplie

Next, you need to make sure that you are sourcing the right supplies for your company. Not only do you need the right products, but you also need to get them at the right price. If you go with unreliable suppliers, you may find that this impacts the way you run the business overall. Instead, you need to find specialists who supply exactly what you need, such as Genuine 3 Way Coolant Valve, to keep the business running. If not, this can limit the success of your company overall.

3. Take Care of Your People

This is a topic that is quite simple, but it can make a huge difference. Taking care of your people will help you go the distance. This doesn’t just mean your customers, but
of course, you need to make sure that they are well cared for too. It’s all about looking after your employees and ensuring that they are happy. Because when they are, they will do a good job for your company.

4. Being Financially Viable

One of the most important things of all is ensuring that your company is always financially viable. Of course, in the beginning, you may take a little while to break even, and that can be normal. Yet so many companies fail within the first few years. This is why it’s important to keep an eye on the financial health of your business to ensure that you’re not only viable, but that you have the potential to grow in the future.

Minimizing Your Impact

Lastly, we also have the idea of your impact on the environment. When it comes to being a successful company, you can no longer get away with building a profit that harms the planet in the process. Consumers are more conscious than ever, and they are reluctant to buy from or work with companies that don’t care about their impact on the environment. So, making sure that you’re working to build a sustainable future, not only for your company but for the planet as well, can make a huge difference. This can also help you to operate the business in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way, as well as contribute to a better future.

How to Protect Your Business from Crime

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Once you have a business, you must always think about protecting it as issues of all kinds can arise. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Protect Your Business from Crime.

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Unfortunately, crime is a major issue for businesses all around the world. There is nothing worse than working extremely hard to build your company up from scratch, only to find that everything is put in jeopardy by criminal activity. Though, you can never protect yourself completely, you can take steps to reduce the risks and respond to the situation in the best way possible. Here are a few ways that you can better prepare your business.

Undertake a Full Risk Assessment

First and foremost, you need to be totally clear on the risks that you face. As well as carefully assessing your office and working out where the weak spots are, you should also consider how vulnerable your business is to cyber attacks. Calling in the professionals can give you a better idea of where your business is most at risk.

Secure the Premises

There are all kinds of steps that you can take to ensure that your business premises are better secured. Just some of the top methods include strengthening doors, fitting window locks and installing security lighting. You may also decide to install CCTV and have an alarm fitted to give you that extra bit of protection. You also have the option of installing shutters or grilles for even more peace of mind, and look at commercial overhead door repair if this is what you need.

Secure Your Equipment and Stock

All businesses have pieces of equipment that are more valuable to them than others. This is where you need to begin when it comes to securing your equipment. You should carry out property and equipment audits on a regular basis to make sure that everything is completely protected as best it can be. Tag computers and also carefully record details of their serial numbers. You could also secure expensive equipment to the walls, floors or desks.

Stop Information Theft

The virtual world is the place where businesses have found themselves to be under a huge amount of threat in recent years. With the risks changing at such a rapid rate, it makes sense that you consult with people who know what they are talking about including business ransomware recovery experts. Your business will have all kinds of sensitive information that you will want to do your utmost to protect including client financial records, employee details and access codes. There are plenty of ways to better secure your IT systems including installing the latest antivirus and firewall systems. Also, you should consider using cloud-based storage systems.

Undertake Checks on a Regular Basis

One of the main reasons that criminals have success is because they keep finding new ways to access property and steal information online. The only way that you can defend against them is by constantly reviewing your processes and finding new methods to tackle the threats that you face. You should always seek advice wherever it is available as there are plenty of companies out there who specialise in what can be a complicated field. Remember, you can never be 100 percent protected but you can be 100 percent prepared.

Essential Tasks to Keep Your Business Premises Looking Their Best

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One the most import aspects of your business is your physical premises. In many instance, your premises appearance will impact your business’ operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Essential Tasks to Keep Your Business Premises Looking Their Best.

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Creating the best possible first impression of your business is absolutely essential if you are to keep attracting customers. Every business owner wants to ensure that their customers and potential customer think about their business in a favorable way. One of the most effective ways to do this is by ensuring that your company is well-presented and represents the brand in a positive way. Keeping your business premises looking at their very best is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. You want your customers to feel positively about your business premises every time they visit. Here are some of the practical ways you can ensure that your business premises always look their best:

Keep Up With Maintenance Tasks

All buildings require maintenance to keep them looking at their best, and this is especially true for commercial buildings that are subject to lots of wear and tear. Simple maintenance tasks, such as ensuring that everything is in a good state of repair, that paintwork looks fresh, and that the building looks well cared for is essential if you want to build trust with your customers.

Make Cleaning a Priority

One of the most basic things to do to ensure your business premises always look at their best is to ensure that they are always spotlessly clean. Areas with heavy foot traffic can become dirty extremely quickly, and this can instantly create a negative impression. Ensuring that these areas are cleaned regularly will help to maintain the positive first impression that you are hoping to achieve.

Keeping up with basic cleaning tasks may be simple enough. However, there are some more intensive cleaning jobs that also need to be dealt with. One of these is the removal of chewing gum. Chewing gum removal is no easy task. But leaving it to litter external areas of your business premises looks unsightly and creates a negative first impression. Investing in gum removal equipment that helps your cleaning team to remove gum quickly is an excellent way to keep your premises looking pristine.

Set Clear Expectations

Ensuring that your business premises consistently look clean and tidy is vital. But this can only be achieved if your cleaning and building maintenance teams have a clear idea of what you want the space to look like. Setting clear expectations and standards detailing the tasks that need to be performed and how frequently they should be done is a helpful way to keep your business premises looking at their absolute best at all times.

Final Thoughts

It’s helpful to think of your business premises as a visual representation of your brand. You want to ensure that your business is respected and trusted by customers, and make sure your buildings communicate these values is a must. Once you get into the rhythm of looking after your premises, and get them looking at their best, it will be so much easier to keep them this way and to continue creating that all-important first impression for your customers.

Moving Your Business to a New Location: Things to Consider

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Sometimes businesses move locations. It’s something that has to be done while not disrupting operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Moving Your Business to a New Location: Things to Consider.

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If your business has outgrown its current location and you need to find something bigger to accommodate the business’s booming growth, your lease is up, and you would rather find a better location, or you are just ready for something new, there are some things you need to consider, regardless of the reason for your impending move. Continue reading to learn more.

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Consider the Logistics for a Renovation

Perhaps you have found an amazing new location, but the property needs a lot of upgrades. If renovation is the right answer for you, make sure you work with a reputable architect, contractor, and tradespeople to ensure the job is accomplished on time and to your satisfaction. Discuss your current location, its advantages and disadvantages, what you liked, and any other insight you can bring to the planning stage. If you have visited other office spaces and appreciated their design aesthetic, functionality, or the flow of the area, mention that in the planning stages.

Once the renovation begins, you will likely have a lot of debris and recyclable materials to remove from the property. If that is the case, you will want to contact a reliable local skip hire. They will bring a bin straight to your property and leave it on-site during the renovation process. You can schedule pickups as needed or wait until the project is complete based on your needs. It is so much easier to remove unwanted materials this way instead of hauling them yourself or piling them at the end of the lot, only to have a big pile that has to be picked up later.

Create a Moving Plan

It is one thing to start a new business at a new location. It is an entirely different beast to move an active and thriving business from one location to another. The logistics are considerable, but not insurmountable. The best way to tackle a move like this is by creating a detailed plan and then delegating the oversight to a team member. This person will be in charge of keeping everything on track and reporting back to you. Essentially, they will be a project manager for the move.

Watch this comprehensive video to learn how to schedule your move along with a handy guide to keep everything in order.

It is important to note that any moving plan should encompass the daily operations of the business. After all, you need to keep things running and avoid any downtime or disruptions to your clients, if you can. Consider an all-hands-on-deck approach to the move. If it will be less disruptive, you can schedule the move on a weekend and mandate your team to work. However, they may be less than enthusiastic about that option. Alternatively, offer overtime if they work the weekend to help move offices, or offer a staggered schedule the following week or two where your employees get to pick two days off to make up for the two, days they had to work.

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Moving to a new office takes a lot of effort, but you can do it if you work with the right companies. Make a comprehensive plan for relocating to the new property, and everything will go smoothly.

Three Financial Things to Consider When You’re Starting a New Small Business

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. It’s exciting to start a new small business, but there are many things to consider as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Three Financial Things to Consider When You’re Starting a New Small Business.

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http://www.pexels.com/photo/couple-people-woman-desk-6963857

If you’re in the process of starting a business then most likely this has been a dream that you’ve had for a really long time, but until you actually start taking the steps to get things started it’s impossible to know how things will pan out. Especially when it comes to your business finances, lets face it unless you’ve already worked as an accountant or you’re just really good with money then this will be all new to you. It’s not always the most exciting part to sit and think about when you just want to get your products, services or whatever it is you sell out there to the world! But if you do it now it can save a lot of stress later on when things (hopefully!) get busier.

Start up costs

When you sit down to work out the money you’ll need to spend then you will probably start by looking at the obvious things like equipment or any tools you need for the job. For example if you’re planning on running a coffee shop then the coffee machine along with the premises will likely be the most expensive bit. If you want to start a dropshipping business then it’s the stock and probably the storage/ fulfilment side of things where you’ll need to spend the most. But then you realise there’s fees for registering the business and getting insured and paying for the software you use every day. Your website, your branding and marketing and so many extra bits that do add up a lot. Write it all down and plan properly, it’s so important to go into things with your eyes open about what things will cost and how you can cover the costs if you’re going to be successful. You might need to look into business equipment financing or other loans depending on how you’re planning on going about paying for your startup costs.

Paying yourself

Your own income still matters even if you’re happy to put everything back into the business for now. You need to know how you’re covering your personal bills until the business is confident enough to take that on. Being straight with yourself about that early on gives you a clear idea of what needs to happen, not a hope that it might sort itself out at some point. Once you know this you’ll be aware of whether you can afford to go full time with your new business or if you need to earn some extra income for a while or rely on your savings.

Running costs

Finally there are more costs to think about too once everything is set up and you’re fully operational. Things like your bill costs for your premises and travel money are all examples. These will be needed when you do your tax return too since they can be tax deductible (and save you a few dollars). Your accountant will be able to help you out with what to track but make sure you do it early on, use an app or software to make it easier.

So, You Want Your Business To Make A Splash On Social Media: Here’s What To Consider

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Social media impacts everything today and the business world is no different. The key is using it correctly. The following contributed post is entitled, So, You Want Your Business To Make A Splash On Social Media: Here’s What To Consider.

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Social media is an ocean. It’s the largest on earth, if you really think about it. So when a new account comes into the ecosystem and wants to make a splash, very few people are going to see it. It’s like dropping a pin; only those closest will hear it, and with all this online space, very few people will be nearby.

So what can you do to make a bigger and louder splash? How can you draw attention in a way that catches the eye of those just looking to scroll past? It’s difficult – incredibly difficult – but it can be done.

A bit of viral marketing can go a long way to setting a standard for your business and its brand recognition.

But you need to be careful about how you approach a method like this. You don’t want your splash to have unintended consequences, and you also don’t want to waste the limited time and money you have within your marketing budget.

And with all that in mind, here’s a little guide to keeping your focus on the right things when trying to create some noise with your social media presence.

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Don’t Just Hop on Trends, Think About if They Really Fit

It’s easy for any and all brands to hop on the social media trends that come and go. It can even be fun to do so, and provides a bit of a shake up to your usual marketing routine.

That doesn’t mean the trend is right for you, though.

Hopping on trends that don’t align with your brand name, messaging, or image won’t really translate into anything meaningful for you. It can even be just a waste of your resources.

For any trend you like the look or sound of, think about the ways you could relate it back to your product. Is there a workable angle, that doesn’t require a lot of squeezing to make fit?

If not, you might want to focus on creating other content. And don’t worry, the FOMO really won’t last for long. There’ll be another trend along in 5 minutes!

Be as Interactive in the Comments as Possible

When brands get chatty, people pay attention to it. Be interactive in the comments section, both your own AND other accounts’.

This way you can start to draw some attention your way, with some real words and messages, and even a few expert tips or funny jokes that help to make someone’s day a bit better.

Of course, you won’t have the same kind of splash power as companies like Microsoft – who often comment on comedy videos centering around tech or the workplace.

But the more you interact within your niche, the more recognizable you can become.

Want to Collab with an Influencer? Choose Carefully

Collaborating with influencers is a good way to combine your target audience idea with an audience niche that fits in the same bracket.

That means you can sponsor someone with influence in the sphere to talk about, review, or recommend your product – just make sure you’re aware of advertising rules on social media before doing so.

That being said, you need to pick and choose the influencers you sponsor very carefully. You need to know they actually have a real stake in the niche, as well as an audience that will be receptive to your product or service.

So there’s a few things you need to do here during your research:

1. Identify the influencer’s audience demographic

This is the first step in making sure you’ve got the right person with the right reach.

There’s no point sponsoring someone who has a primarily 18 to 25 year old audience base if you’re selling vitamins for those aged 50 and up!

2. Make sure their audience is real

Many influencers out there (whether a well known personality or those on a micro scale) have paid for followers before now.

Similarly, there are many social media personalities out there who have worked with marketing companies who have ‘botted’ their following numbers, in an attempt to chase vanity metrics.

Either way, you need to verify influencer followers before you reach out with an offer. This way you can be more sure that you’re working with someone who has a properly engaged audience.

3. Check their audience engagement

Speaking of, a large and real follow count won’t automatically equate into more signs-ups or sales for your company. You need to know the influencer is actually capable of engaging the audience.

You can do this by checking the comments on their posts. Are there any to begin with? How many comments are there? And how often does the influencer actually respond?

Check both these quantity and quality metrics. Because even if you see a lower number of engagement points, you might find that the influencer has a lot of loyal fans checking in time and time again.

You’ll Still Need a Goal

Viral marketing is the kind of thing that can lead to big impacts and a lot of new customers. It can also lead to a total nothingburger, in which you gain the attention of the moment but nothing of any substance.

Remember your initial marketing goal here. What do you want to achieve with this campaign? Don’t let this splash of success be a one-time thing. How can you keep the momentum rolling after the hype has worn down?

The only way to do this is to know what you’re building towards.

Making a Splash on Social Media: What to Keep in Mind for Your Marketing

Marketing your business on social media is often about trying to make as much noise as possible. But in the long run, you need to know how these splashes are going to create value for your brand.

Make sure you have a goal to reach. Make sure you’re ‘collabing’ with influencers who’ve got real influence. Be interactive and get your name out there. And most of all, let the trends come and go.

How Plucky Small Businesses Can Seem More Appealing Than Larger Corporations

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are several classes of businesses. Though larger corporations get all the news and are most visible, there is a lot of opportunity with small businesses. The following contributed post is entitled, How Plucky Small Businesses Can Seem More Appealing Than Larger Corporations.

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Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ethnic-female-cafe-owner-showing-welcome-we-are-open-inscription-4473398/

As someone running a small business, it’s true you may have a tough time competing with big corporations that can afford massive marketing budgets, huge product ranges, and prices that make use of international economies of scale that you can’t necessarily source yourself. The reality is that you’re never going to out-spend or out-scale them, and trying to do so is just going to drain your resources and leave you frustrated. Luckily, you don’t need to compete on their terms at all, because small businesses have advantages that corporations can’t necessarily be as capable with, no matter how much money they throw at the problem.

Remember that what you’ve got going for you is personality, flexibility, and the ability to build more grounded relationships with customers, even at a point where they feel human and real. In general, most consumers are tired of being treated like account numbers or dealing with automated systems, or writing a support request to an AI chatbot.

So, now is the time to really push that authenticity. Here are some ways to go about it:

Personal Touch In Every Interaction

There’s a level of care you can provide as a small business that corporations aren’t going to, because they’re too big and too process-driven to treat people as individuals. When someone contacts you, they’re probably talking directly to you or someone on your small team who likely knows the business and cares about solving their problem. You can remember repeat customers, adapt to special requests if each customer has any, and even have a nice chat with small talk. Some people will even go to a direct shop for that in their local area.

Quick Adaptability To Customer Needs

Any institution of a larger size will invariably have layers of bureaucracy that slow down any changes or special adaptions when they’re needed, but because you’re small, you can pivot quickly when a customer needs something different or when you spot a gap in what you’re offering. So, if someone asks for a custom option or suggests an improvement, you can more easily make that happen, but you’re not going to have to wait or begin needing approval from five different departments and a board meeting.

Being nimble in that way also means you can test new ideas without massive risk, so if you notice your customers want something specific, you can try it out and see what happens without the red tape.

A More Grounded Online Presence

Custom small business websites that show your proud team of people behind the business, tell your story and honestly, and speak in a voice that’s your own and accounts for any regional quirks can be quite nice. You can also make it more of a community space or blog, sharing behind the scenes moments perhaps, even being honest about challenges, and showing your face.

This way, you can have more of a stage presence so to speak, that people will want real updates from.

With this advice, you’ll be sure to remain plucky and become more appealing than even the huge companies out there.