Tag: Business

Key Essentials For Opening And Running A Successful Business

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re starting a business, there are some key elements that you need to know be mindful of for your enterprise to have a hope of surviving and thriving. The following contributed post is entitled, Key Essentials For Opening And Running A Successful Business.

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If you have decided that now is the time to open and run your own business then congratulations. You may just be realizing how tricky this field is to navigate, with all the legal worries and whether you can keep your business going. If you are unsure of anything related to opening a new business then take a look at the article for some much needed inspiration.

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Budget

One of the most important parts of opening a business is your budget. While you may have heard that you can open a business without any money at all, this tends to be companies that have been handed down the generations. To open a brand new business, unfortunately, isn’t free. You need to work out just how much you will need to get everything off the ground.

Once you have worked this out, give yourself some extra wiggle room for emergencies. It can take up to three years sometimes for profits to start rolling in. If you don’t want your company to shut down during this time, then the key is money and budgeting. If you don’t have the money you need to hand right away then consider applying for a business loan or use investors.

Website

Another essential that your business won’t be able to survive without is a website. Before you launch your new company, you will need to build a strong website. When your main doors are closed this is where your customers and clients will place their orders. Typically online shopping happens between the hours of 7pm and 10pm so ensure your website is never down during these hours.

When it comes to designing your website, you need to remember that not everyone who is accessing it will be tech savvy. They could be elderly people who are wanting to buy or browse for a special occasion. Try and include a search bar on your site so there is no need for endless scrolling and clicking.

Marketing

Finally, consider which marketing techniques and strategies you are going to use to boost your business to success. There are plenty out there, it is just a case of choosing which one is most suitable for you and your business. It needs to cater to the wants and needs of your business, for instance, if you are based online then social media and video marketing will be your main go tos. If you have a physical location then you could go for something more old school like leafleting in the local area.

If you need extra help and support with your marketing campaigns then you could work with a marketing agency, hire an in-house marketing team, or even use an SEO expert like Jason McDonald. They know exactly what they are doing and will give you the right marketing ideas to excel your business.

We hope you found this article helpful and that it gave you some ideas on the essentials needed to open and run a successful business.

5 Tips for Making Your First Publicity Event a Success

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A major part of some businesses is their publicity events. Successfully hosting these events can bode well for your business in the future. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Tips for Making Your First Publicity Event a Success.

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When it comes to making your business work, there are so many things you need to put in place. You can dedicate a lot of time and attention to your marketing and never really know what will work. But even as you start to gain traction and realize that things are paying off, you still need to diversify. It’s easy to think that marketing online and on social media is all you need to do. But that can be quite limiting. Instead, you need to branch out a little. This is where the idea of hosting a publicity event can come in.

Regardless of your industry or how far along you are in your career, looking to gain publicity for your company can be key. In this blog post, we’re going to explore some of the key ways you can ensure your first event is a success.

1. Set Goals to Work Toward

When you plan an event, it’s not just a fun party that you get to enjoy. Ideally, you’re going to get something out of it. You might want publicity for a certain product launch or just to raise the profile of your company in general. To do that, you need to set an objective for the event. Then you can plan everything around reaching it.

2. Choose a Suitable Venue

One of the biggest parts of putting on any event is ensuring that you have the right venue. Not only does it need to fit the whole purpose and vibe of the event, but it needs to have the right capacity. Location is key here too. So, don’t rush in making your selection!

3. Hire the Right Professionals

You’ll also need the right team by your side when it comes to executing the event. This means having a catering team to provide any food and drinks, as well as looking to book event videography services and a photographer. That way, you can document the event. You may also want to bring entertainment in too. So, there’s a lot to think about here.

4. Curate Your Guestlist

Then you have the guest list. This can be the most important part of all. Planning your event’s guest list can be quite intricate. You need to ensure that you invite the relevant people, while ensuring that the group will mesh well–especially if it’s an intimate event. So it’s important to get it right.

5. Make Sure it Goes Well

Lastly, you then need to make sure that the event itself runs smoothly from start to finish. As much as the planning phase can feel like a lot of work, it can often be the easier phase. On the day or night of the event, you may get nervous–but as long as you’re flexible and you’re on the ball, it will all go well. There can sometimes be issues that crop up, but as long as you have a contingency, you’ll be just fine. From people turning up late and uninvited guests trying to get in to food being wrong or cold, and your timescale falling behind, it’s all about making the most of the time. You may even find that the guests don’t notice! So relax and enjoy the event.

5 Great Ways to Make Your Business More Efficient & Productive

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what type of business you’re in, a major key is maximizing both efficiency and productivity. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Great Ways to Make Your Business More Efficient & Productive.

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Image Credit: Isaac Smith from Unsplash.

When you run a business, you’ll want it to be as productive and efficient as possible. But, that doesn’t mean your business will be running as smoothly as you’d like it to be. It could be slower than you’d like, and you’ll want to make your business more efficient.

As natural as this is, it’s often harder to put into practice than many business owners would want. That’s especially true when you consider all of the other areas you need to focus on.

It doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as you’d think, though. Focusing on the right steps and strategies should be more than enough to help with this. It’s just a matter of putting them into practice from as early as possible. Once you do, they’ll offer more than a few benefits.

Some of these should have much more of an impact than others, which is why they’re well worth looking into. There’s no reason not to use them in your business.

What is Business Efficiency?

Before going through how you can make your business more efficient, it’s worth looking at what business efficiency is in the first place. It can often come across as a relatively vague term, after all, so it’s worth breaking down a little.

It refers to your business’ output in relation to the time and resources that went into creating it. The higher your efficiency, the better it’ll be for your business. It offers multiple benefits:

1. Helping increase the volume of work that’s done.

2. Letting you minimize the costs of your outputs.

3. Improving your profit margins as time goes on.

4. These can all be great benefits to work towards. But, that’s often a lot easier said than done. You’ll need to put the time and effort into it.

This doesn’t have to mean it has to be nearly as complicated as you could think. Focusing on the right areas and taking the right steps should be more than enough to help with this. Some of them could have much more of an impact than you might’ve thought.

Five of these could be worth starting off with. Not only should they have a significant impact, but they should be relatively easy to put into practice.

Make Your Business More Efficient: 5 Ways to Try

1. Reduce Interruptions & Distractions

Distractions and interruptions always get in the way of productivity. That’s why they’re always worth minimizing as much as possible. Once you do, you create an environment where you and your employees can actually focus on what needs to be done.

Meetings are one of the more common areas you can focus on with this. If the point of the meeting can be summed up in an email, then you’re much better off saying it in an email. It saves a lot of time and effort so everyone can focus on their actual jobs.

2. Outsource to Specialists

You’ll have quite a few tasks that need to be done, and many of these will need specific expertise. But, that doesn’t always have to mean you have to hire an in-house team for it. Sometimes, it could be worth outsourcing many of these to experienced professionals.

You can outsource more than a few areas, from accounting to toll manufacturing. This offers plenty of benefits, like letting you focus on areas that could be seen as more important. It should help your business be more efficient and productive long-term.

3. Motivate Your Employees

The more productive your employees are, the better it’ll be for your business. One of the best ways to help with this is to properly motivate your employees. This gives them much more of a reason to go above and beyond for your business.

You can do this in various ways. Acknowledging and rewarding hard work can be one of the better ways to do this. While that means finding the right ways to reward them, it’ll be more than worth it once they’re more efficient and productive in their roles.

4. Invest in Automation

You’ll have plenty of time-consuming tasks you’ll need to get through every week. At least, they’ll be time-consuming when you do them manually. By automating as many of these tasks as you can, you drastically cut down on the amount of time and effort they take.

You don’t even need to worry about the quality of the work done, either; it should be done to the same standard. In some cases, these tasks can even be done to a higher standard. There’s no reason why this shouldn’t help you improve efficiency in your business.

5. Discourage Multi-Tasking

Countless people believe that multi-tasking is a great way to get several tasks done at once. But, that doesn’t always mean it’s the best approach to take. It could end up meaning that you – or your employees – end up making mistakes with various tasks or duties.

These then take more time to fix, making your business less and less efficient. You’re much better off focusing on one task at a time to make sure everything’s done properly. Discourage multi-tasking in your business to prevent some hassle later on.

Summing it Up

It’s natural to want to make sure your business runs as efficiently and productively as possible. But, that doesn’t mean it’ll always work out that way. You could need to make a few changes and improvements in time. These help to make your business more efficient.

As obvious as this is, it can often seem like an overwhelming process. But, it doesn’t always need to be as hard as you’d think. More than a few strategies will help with this.

By focusing on these from as early as possible, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You’ll see the benefits more and more as time goes on. It’ll still take time and effort, but it’ll reap dividends as time goes on.

There’s no reason not to put the time and effort as time goes on.

How to Make Your Business More Mobile

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital age, businesses have a great deal of mobility which did not exist before which is highly advantageous. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Make Your Business More Mobile.

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In business, mobility isn’t just a convenience, it’s a competitive advantage. Businesses that can operate seamlessly on the go are better equipped to serve their customers while adapting to change and scaling their operations efficiently.

Whether you’re running a small start up or growing an enterprise, making your business more mobile can significantly boost your productivity and customer engagement levels. If you’re looking to make your business more mobile, let’s take a look at some actionable steps that you can take to get started.

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● Move to cloud based systems. The foundation of a mobile friendly business is the cloud. Storing your data, tools and communications in the cloud allows your team to access what they need from anywhere, under any device. Cloud platforms eliminate the need for bulky hardware and enable remote collaboration in real time. By switching to a cloud based communication system like the one Supreme Call offers, you can ensure that your team can handle calls, monitor interactions and analyse data whether they’re in the office, at home or on the move.
● Adopt mobile first tools. Using software that’s designed to work well on smartphones and tablets is important. This includes project management tools like Trello or Asana, cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox, messaging platforms like Slack, and CRM systems that have robust mobile apps. By picking the tools that function seamlessly on mobile devices, your team can remain productive no matter where they may be.
● Enable scalable communication. Communication is the backbone of any business and in a mobile environment it needs to be both reliable and adaptable. Tools like Supreme Court offer scalable voice solutions with real time analytics that can help you to track customer interactions and team performance from anywhere. Their system easily integrates with any CRM or business software, giving your team immediate access to caller data and conversion history without switching between platforms. You’ll get a faster service, better customer experiences, and more informed business decisions as a result.
● Train your team for mobile work. Technology is only part of the solution. Your team has to be trained to work effectively in a mobile first environment. This means understanding how to manage their time, communicate clearly and use mobile tools responsibly. Offer training sessions, establish mobile work policies and encourage the use of secure practices when accessing sensitive data.
● Monitor remote performance. Once your business becomes more mobile, you need reliable ways to track performance and customer service quality. This is where real time data analytics becomes essential to you. These insights can help me to make smarter decisions, respond to issues faster, and ensure that you have your mobile operations running smoothly.

Making your business more mobile isn’t about going fully remote, but enabling flexibility and responsiveness with smarter communication tactics. By leveraging the right tools and training your team, you’ll position your business for growth no matter where the work is happening.

Marketing Will Help Your Business Move Forward, If You Do It The Right Way

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the key components of your business is its marketing which is not all entrepreneurs understand. The following contributed post is entitled, Marketing Will Help Your Business Move Forward, If You Do It The Right Way.

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Marketing is one of those things that has been the center of debate for many years now. Some say that it’s an essential element of a business, and others say that it should be low down on your list of priorities. It’s up to you what you think it is, but you will quickly see that you need to put effort into your marketing if you want to see any kind of success in your business.

In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the different things that you can do to move your marketing forward, and hopefully see better results for your business overall. Keep reading if you would like to find out more.

Work With A Marketing Agency

We’re going to kick things off by talking about working with a marketing agency. If your business is currently trying to coast by on its own, this could be the problem. If there is nobody with marketing experience in your business, this could be causing you a world of problems. You won’t be using the correct methods which we’re going to be talking about a little further down, you won’t know what the latest market trends are to use to make decisions, and you generally won’t be able to create the quality marketing materials that they can.

Do not get us wrong, we’re not saying that you’re not doing a good job, we’re just saying that it can be improved, and you should want it to be.

Try Out New Methods

Another great choice when it comes to marketing is trying all methods to find what works. While the oldies, like leafleting, are the best. There are some new methods out there just waiting for you to try them out. You never know they might be the ones that bring you the most success, then you can save money and not use any others. Do your research when it comes to marketing, branch out on social media and give video marketing a shot. For help, guidance, and assistance with your video marketing and production, take a look at www.indirap.com.

Track Your Efforts

Lastly, when you decide which marketing techniques and strategies to use, you will need to keep track of these. In doing so, you can find out what is working and what isn’t working for your company. For instance, if you are doing a PPC campaign then your online report will tell you exactly what you need to know. Who is clicking, when are they clicking, and what are they clicking? Without this knowledge you could be forking out for marketing that your business doesn’t actually need.

You can do the same with your business website. Track where customers are hovering for a while and where they might be clicking. This will give you a better understanding of the type of products and information that your customers like and don’t like.

So there you have it, now you should hopefully have some more tips and tricks on how marketing can help your business. You should always be aiming high with your company, you don’t want to get left behind as your competition soars.

Building A Great Business From The Ground Up

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Many people want to start businesses, but not everyone can do it successfully. There are special considerations for building a business from the ground up. The following contributed post is entitled, Building A Great Business From The Ground Up.

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Is starting a business something that you have decided you want to do? If it is, then you should be sitting down and coming up with a solid plan to help you do this. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or too detailed to begin with as you can build on this over time. Having said that, it’s imperative that you have all of the details that you need to continue building your plan.

Down below, we’re going to be taking a quick look into some of the elements you need to consider when you’re building a business from the ground up. If you would like to find out more, feel free to read on.

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Work Out Your Budget

The first thing that you’re going to need to do is work out how much money you have to spend, and how much money you’re going to need to make your business a success. This is going to depend on how you’ve decided to fund your business, whether you have already secured the funding or whether you need to apply for it, and so on. If you already have the money you have, you’ve got to make this work. If you don’t, then you might have a little more wiggle room.

The best advice that we can give you is to write down every single expense that you know you’re going to have so that you don’t miss anything. This way, you know what you’re going to need to spend, where it’s going to be spent, and if you’re going to need to make any adjustments to make it feasible.

Work On Marketing

Marketing is vital for all businesses, without this you won’t get very far. It is one area of your business that will take the most from your budget and with good reason. Look into the different types of marketing strategies and techniques to find which one will work best for you. It might be that you prefer the older methods of leafleting through doors to the newer ones of using social media. However, the newer ones tend to lead to the most sales.

Attend Trade Shows

Lastly, there are trade shows dotted around the country that are calling out to businesses like yours. If you are wanting to showcase your skills, talents, and products then why not attend one. The pros certainly outweigh the cons here, and you can also network with other businesses. Trade shows are a wonderful way to market your business and find customers who may not have ordinarily searched for you.

If you do decide to attend, you will need to carefully plan what you are going to take and who is going to attend with you. If you don’t have the time to set up your stall yourself then you could always speak with a trade show installation team. They will set up and take down whatever you need.

We do hope this article provided you with the information and guidance you needed to send your new business soaring to success. Remember, take your time and get everything you need before you get started. That way you won’t fall at the first hurdle.

Tips That Will Give Your Business A Competitive Edge

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Many people start business and want to be successful, but only a few achieve longevity and profitability. The following contributed post is entitled, Tips That Will Give Your Business A Competitive Edge.

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These days, there’s a lot of noise and competition to cut through in the business world. You can’t go on with business as usual and expect that you will thrive and stand apart from the rest.

Instead, you must go above and beyond to produce attractive products or services and satisfy your customer base. There are some areas you should be focusing on that will allow you to make a name for yourself in your industry and get the results you desire. The following tips will help give your business a competitive edge so you can succeed long-term.

Getting Creative with Marketing

Many companies are committed to marketing, but not everyone is doing it right. It’s something that you should be deeply invested in and pay close attention to. If you want your business to have a competitive edge, then get creative with your marketing. You should implement a strategy that includes online and offline ways to get your message in front of your target audience. There are many ways to do so, such as launching polished and professional videos or working with authentic influencers who can help you expand your reach.

Having A Commitment to Innovation & Technology

Another tip that will give your business a competitive edge is having a commitment to innovation and technology. For example, you may want to experiment with AI or put out a mobile app your customers can use. In order to be successful in this area, you’re going to need the right people and top talent on your team. Recruiting can be tough, so make it easy on yourself by working with an experienced company that specializes in deep tech executive search. They have access to hidden talent, tech leaders, and innovators who can bring your ideas to life.

Fostering A Strong Company Culture & Positive Workplace Environment

You can give your company a competitive edge by fostering a strong culture to be proud of. It will help you attract and recruit top talent to your business and ensure you stand apart from your competitors. It will help you retain employees and get everyone working together and collaborating so you can reach your goals. It’s important to invest in professional development and training of your staff, and be supportive of having a good work-life balance. You want your staff to enjoy coming to work each day and like that their efforts and hard work matter.

Providing Excellent Customer Service

You can also stand out in the area of customer service. Providing excellent service and a personalized experience will delight and satisfy customers who are spending their hard-earned money with you. Make sure your customers feel valued and heard, and that you are not only meeting their needs but exceeding their expectations. Communicate openly and effectively with them and let them know you appreciate them.

Conclusion

These tips are going to help give your business a competitive edge in the marketplace. This is your chance to get a few steps ahead and increase conversions and sales. Work on differentiating your brand so that consumers view it in a positive light and feel motivated to do business with you.

What’s the Secret to Selling More Small-Ticket Items?

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One aspect of business is selling small-ticket items. If you can work this niched, you can achieve high profitability. The following contributed post is entitled, What’s the Secret to Selling More Small-Ticket Items?

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Image credit

When you’re running a retail-oriented business, your main concern is going to be things like visual appeal, having a strong brand presence, getting more foot traffic, social media and website traffic, yeah, you get the idea. And yeah, while these are all really important, sometimes there are the “smaller things” that also need attention too. For example, the small ticket items that your business sells. Now, think about it, as a customer, you’ve had quite literally fallen into this “trap” before as well, right?

For example, maybe you were at the checkout line at TK Maxx and you saw some cute-looking cookies on the rack, or you were at a gas station and at the checkout counter, you saw something on display there, like a keychain or something. Well, bluntly put, small-ticket items are sneaky little profit makers. They’re not the thing someone came in for, they’re not even on the shopping list, but give them the right stage and they’ll strut their way to the checkout like they own the place.

Okay, do what’s the problem here? Well, it’s not like they’re entirely pulling their weight; you need to do what you can to make them irresistible.

Put them Right in the “Danger Zone”

This pairs perfectly with the TJ Maxx example that was mentioned in the intro, because that’s basically it. So, people aren’t making a special trip for a mini notebook or a novelty mug. However, with all that said, if you stick them near the register or where the line naturally slows down, instantly, customers are picking them up like it’s destiny.

It’s weird, but yeah, it’s true. So, think of it as the “oh, why not” zone. Someone’s already got their wallet in hand, they’re feeling spendy, and then, boom, they spot your cute little display of tiny treats. Game over.

Play Matchmaker

Okay, so what does this one even mean? Well, on their own, a candle is just a candle. But next to a jar of stylish matches? Well, it becomes a vibe. Actually, the same as a beach tote hanging right above a rack of fun sunglasses, or a travel-size lotion sitting next to the handbags. Just think about it this way: you’re not just selling an item, you’re selling the perfect pairing your customer didn’t know they needed until you put it right in front of them.

Let the Display do the Flirting

This one might be the best of them all. So, a messy table isn’t “rustic charm,” it’s just messy, and that’s not ideal. But if you want someone to grab a small-ticket item, you’ve got to make it look like it deserves a place in their bag. So, tidy, easy to browse, and zero barriers to picking it up, that’s the winning combo.

A lot of business owners will buy plastic display stands, or they might even DIY something, and yeah, this is something most shoppers see anyway. So when everything is nicely displayed, it’s practically begging to be taken home, right? The cleaner and more inviting the display, the more likely someone will stop and have a little browse.

Price it Like an Impulse Buy

Now, why do this? Well, if someone has to ask how much it is, they’re probably putting it back. Keep prices obvious and low enough to make it a “sure, why not” decision. That little moment of “it’s only a few bucks” is your golden ticket.

What’s the Secret to Selling More Small-Ticket Items?

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are numerous kinds of items that can be sold when doing business. Small-ticket items are one of them. The following contributed post is entitled, What’s the Secret to Selling More Small-Ticket Items?

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Image credit

When you’re running a retail-oriented business, your main concern is going to be things like visual appeal, having a strong brand presence, getting more foot traffic, social media and website traffic, yeah, you get the idea. And yeah, while these are all really important, sometimes there are the “smaller things” that also need attention too. For example, the small ticket items that your business sells. Now, think about it, as a customer, you’ve had quite literally fallen into this “trap” before as well, right?

For example, maybe you were at the checkout line at TK Maxx and you saw some cute-looking cookies on the rack, or you were at a gas station and at the checkout counter, you saw something on display there, like a keychain or something. Well, bluntly put, small-ticket items are sneaky little profit makers. They’re not the thing someone came in for, they’re not even on the shopping list, but give them the right stage and they’ll strut their way to the checkout like they own the place.

Okay, do what’s the problem here? Well, it’s not like they’re entirely pulling their weight; you need to do what you can to make them irresistible.

Put them Right in the “Danger Zone”

This pairs perfectly with the TJ Maxx example that was mentioned in the intro, because that’s basically it. So, people aren’t making a special trip for a mini notebook or a novelty mug. However, with all that said, if you stick them near the register or where the line naturally slows down, instantly, customers are picking them up like it’s destiny.

It’s weird, but yeah, it’s true. So, think of it as the “oh, why not” zone. Someone’s already got their wallet in hand, they’re feeling spendy, and then, boom, they spot your cute little display of tiny treats. Game over.

Play Matchmaker

Okay, so what does this one even mean? Well, on their own, a candle is just a candle. But next to a jar of stylish matches? Well, it becomes a vibe. Actually, the same as a beach tote hanging right above a rack of fun sunglasses, or a travel-size lotion sitting next to the handbags. Just think about it this way: you’re not just selling an item, you’re selling the perfect pairing your customer didn’t know they needed until you put it right in front of them.

Let the Display do the Flirting

This one might be the best of them all. So, a messy table isn’t “rustic charm,” it’s just messy, and that’s not ideal. But if you want someone to grab a small-ticket item, you’ve got to make it look like it deserves a place in their bag. So, tidy, easy to browse, and zero barriers to picking it up, that’s the winning combo.

A lot of business owners will buy plastic display stands, or they might even DIY something, and yeah, this is something most shoppers see anyway. So when everything is nicely displayed, it’s practically begging to be taken home, right? The cleaner and more inviting the display, the more likely someone will stop and have a little browse.

Price it Like an Impulse Buy

Now, why do this? Well, if someone has to ask how much it is, they’re probably putting it back. Keep prices obvious and low enough to make it a “sure, why not” decision. That little moment of “it’s only a few bucks” is your golden ticket.

Why Networking Outside Your Industry Actually Helps Your Core Business

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Networking is a key to success in all industries. In some instances, branching out into other sectors can greatly help you core business. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Networking Outside Your Industry Actually Helps Your Core Business.

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A few weeks ago, I found myself in one of those reluctant coffee shop queues. That shop everyone goes to because they need a break from their inbox, but no one really wants to make small talk. And there I was, chatting to a man who restores antique furniture with the kind of finesse you’d expect from a heart surgeon.

I thought we’d end up talking about varnish or wood grain. We didn’t. We spoke about juggling customer requests without becoming overwhelmed by admin. By the time the conversation had ended, I had filled the back of a receipt with my own notes. Interesting how that happens.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-holding-takeaway-coffee-cups-7490979/

Routines Are Good Things, Until They’re Not

When you’re always surrounded by people who do similar work to you, it becomes easy to forget to ask questions. Everyone’s approaching things in the same way, chasing similar goals, using the same language.

Eventually, your thinking starts to follow the same patterns. Reliable, maybe, but it can start to feel like you’re running a loop, like watching a film you once loved and suddenly noticing that you already know every word.

Something Changes When You Change the Conversation

Now and again, I find myself in a completely unrelated conversation with someone whose work couldn’t be more different from mine: a butcher, a lighting technician, a garden landscaper. And somehow, I always walk away with a fresh idea. Sometimes the link is obvious, and sometimes, it’s more like working backwards through a puzzle.

One afternoon, while helping a friend organise her delivery schedule, we got chatting about her rural suppliers. We ended up discussing stock flow and logistics for something entirely outside my usual remit Farm Supplies Shropshire. That one conversation quietly nudged me to rethink how I manage my own planning calendar. Nothing dramatic, just a gentle reframe that helped things fall into place.

Those smaller nudges are sometimes more powerful than big, flashy strategies. They come without pressure, without an agenda. And that’s why they stick. Because they come from moments that feel human, not transactional, and they open the door to creativity without you even trying.

No Pitch, No Pretence

There’s something refreshing about conversations that don’t involve trying to impress anyone. When you’re speaking to someone from outside your industry, there’s no silent comparison going on. No need to translate your job title or prove your worth.

You just tell stories. You ask questions. You listen. And in that space, ideas show up. Honest ones. Useful ones.

Shifting Sideways Can Still Move You Forward

If your calendar’s full of the same networking calls and familiar faces, consider this your nudge to shift things slightly. Say yes to the community walk. Chat to the woman running the local flower stall. Join the talk on a subject you know nothing about.

Let the conversation be what it is: natural, unplanned, and maybe even a little odd. Sometimes those quiet exchanges plant the seed for something useful to grow later on.

You might leave with nothing more than your usual flat white, or you might walk away with an idea you didn’t know you needed. Either way, the coffee queue has its moments.