An Introduction To Business Continuity

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Something to consider when starting a business is the continuing of your operations. Even if you don’t think about it at the beginning, you will want to eventually. The following contributed post is entitled, An Introduction To Business Continuity.

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Pixabay / CC0 Licence

Business continuity is a subject that few business owners consider. In many ways, this reluctance is understandable; entrepreneurs tend to be optimistic people, who always look for, anticipate, and then plan for the best case scenario – so focusing on business continuity goes against their instincts.

However, as an entrepreneur, one of your foremost concerns should be that your business is always able to continue to operate. In fact, it could be argued that business continuity is perhaps the most essential concern.

Why is business continuity so important?

To put it simply: if your business cannot operate, then you don’t have a business. While it is vital to spend time strategizing to improve your company’s SEO performance, capture the attention of new customers, design your office layout effectively, and all of the similar ways that business owners seek to improve their business, these efforts can only bear fruit if the company can fully operate.

Due to the above, it is helpful to see a focus on continuity as the underlying structure of your business. With good continuity, you can think about the future, seek to improve performance and strive for success – because you can always be confident that the company can be relied on to survive.

How should you begin focusing on business continuity?

Business continuity is a wide-ranging concept, and considerations as to how you can keep your business operational should apply company-wide. However, there are two particular areas that should be focused on first: your companies’ IT and network and your premises. Both of these are essential to your business being able to stay afloat; most businesses rely on their IT systems for everything, from managing finances to customer communications; while your physical premises hold your stock, are where you meet with clients, and – in some cases – a retail space. If you can protect these two areas, then you can be assured of excellent continuity.

How can you ensure continuity in these areas?

● When it comes to your business’ IT, network, and data, planning and backups are crucial. It is best to contract a professional service for this purpose; you can learn more about the benefits of doing so, research companies, and then choose a provider who specializes in ensuring continuity in the most important areas.
● Protecting your premises encompasses many different considerations, but perhaps the most important is building maintenance. With proper maintenance, you can be confident that your business’ property can survive rain, shine, and everything in between. In addition, it’s also advisable to look for a good commercial property insurance policy that covers the costs of everything that might be lost in scenarios such as fire and flooding.

How can you address continuity in other areas of your business?

With the most important aspects covered, you can move to examine other aspects of your business in terms of continuity. By and large, the simplest way to do this is to examine an area of your company and ask “what can I do if…?”, for example:

● What can I do if… one of our suppliers goes out of business?
● What can I do if… one of our clients goes into liquidation and cannot pay invoices owed?
● What could I do if… multiple employees were to fall ill at the same time?
● What could I do if… the company receives an unexpected tax bill?

There are no answers to these questions that fit all businesses; most are subjective, depending on your cash flow and other resources. However, by asking these questions – all of which genuinely could happen, and would be hugely detrimental to your business – you can begin to formulate a way to prevent these problems, or how they could be overcome if prevention is not possible.

In conclusion

With a focus on business continuity, you can protect your business against the worst case scenarios, and ensure that your company is able to thrive for many years to come.

The Top Cyberthreats That Could bring Down Your Business In 2019

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. No matter what type of business you are running, a key consideration is cybersecurity as there are a lot of elements at work that are looking to infiltrate and take down everyone’s operations. It’s important to be aware of these threats. The following contributed post is entitled, The Top Cyberthreats That Could bring Down Your Business In 2019.

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Cyber threats are continually evolving. In the past, companies had to worry about things like DDoS attacking and phishing, but in 2019, things are changing again, and there are new threats on the horizon. Businesses need to be careful. Not only can interruptions to their IT infrastructure cause issues operationally, but the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly unfriendly. Companies that admit data breaches risk significant fines and years of sunken profitability.

Check out the top cyberthreat of 2019 that could bring down your company.

AI-Based Attacks

DoD – Defense.gov

With artificial intelligence becoming open source and widespread, it won’t be long before hackers start using it to infiltrate companies and trick them into handing over data. AI-based attacks could automatically sweep company communications and create new emails that appear to be legitimate but which aren’t.

Cyptomining Malware

Cryptocurrencies require a lot of processing power to “mine.” Miners need to use hundreds of processors to crunch the data in the hope of discovering a new and valuable coin. The temptation, however, is to get somebody else to do it for them.

This is where crypto malware comes in. Crypto malware gets installed on another person’s machine without them knowing, and then starts performing calculations that benefit the miner. It’s not a direct attack in the traditional sense of the word, but it can undermine a business’s compute capacity as well as cost it more in terms of energy. The mining means that the companies processors are active, diverting them from other business-relevant tasks.

Botnet Attacks

InrsITe points out that companies need to do more to protect their data. But without adequate protection, it’s likely that many will fall prey to the predations of hackers. More than 70 percent of companies operating today will see a botnet attack that involves machine learning or artificial intelligence. Not all will be affected (because many will be protected by good software), but many will suffer and lose profitability as a result.

State-Sponsored Attacks

With the business world becoming so important, we often forget about the role of the state – a human organization which seems more redundant every year. States still hold all the weapons and still jostle for power. It’s likely that 2019 will see public institutions attacking private companies associated with particular rival governments. Granted, this probably won’t affect the average small business, but it may be an issue at larger firms.

Password Logging

Pexels

The majority of businesses still rely on single-factor password authentication to grant colleagues access to their networks and data. In short, all most companies do to protect themselves is require that when an employee gets to the office, they log in with their name and passcode.

Unfortunately, this form of security is hopelessly outdated in 2019. It’s often easy for hackers to install keyloggers on work machines remotely and then wait until the employee taps in their password. Once they have it, nothing is stopping them from accessing all the company’s data.

Two-factor authentication gets around this. With two-factor, the hacker must prove that they are an employee via a second method (such as tapping in a code that comes through to their phone).

Small Changes Towards A Big Business

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. As you grow your business, it’s important to know what changes you can make along the way to boost your performance. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. The following contributed post is entitled, Small Changes Towards A Big Business.

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Sometimes it’s the subtle things in life that make the biggest difference for us. You don’t have to be someone who is always shouting about, making crazy big business moves, and actually regretting them. Because the thing about these big business moves that you could make, is that they carry a hell of a lot of risk. So you could have all of these big plans, and expect them to turn out a certain way, and you could invest a ton of money into the idea… for it to only backfire in your face. But the small changes that you can make are such a low risk and low investment move, that it really won’t do you much harm by trying them. After all, you should always be looking for the next best thing for your business, and that means making little changes along the way, adjusting and adapting to the situations around you. You have to be able to adapt to survive with your business, and the vision or dream that you had in the beginning will most likely not be what the outcome is! So if you know you need to make a few little changes, hopefully this article will inspire you to make a few of them! Keep on reading to find out more!

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Small Changes Inside The Office

So the office is most likely where you’re going to spend all of your time, and we just know that the majority of you will have an online based business in some way, and the time you spend in the office can be so consuming. So much so, that you’ll probably have the long standing joke that you might as well move into the office. Well all of the time you’re spending there could be made so much more simple, you just have to look for the solutions that you might have been missing out on. One example we have, is with the phone systems you’ve got. The phone will no doubt ring a million times a day, and having a complicated system to manage this through is only going to make things more difficult. But changing your phones and systems is no doubt something you’ve never thought of before. A small business phone system is going to be so much better with technology like VoIP, which is renowned for making communications so much easier. It’s little solutions like this that your business is missing out on, and you never know, this one might actually get you away from the office. A VoIP system would allow you to connect your calls and messages from work to your mobile phone, meaning that even if you feel like you can’t let your business go, you can at least take it out of the office with you!

Small Changes Outside The Office

You shouldn’t always be thinking about what’s going on in the office, you have to be able to pull yourself away from it, and think about the changes you can make on the outside, that will greatly improve the inside. One thing we recommend you taking a look at, because we know you won’t have made any chances since starting up your business, is your brand and your website. The two link really closely together, because you can’t have a good website without a good brand, and you can’t have a good website without having the brand to back. So in terms of your brand, you only want to think about the small changes you need to make. So it could just be touching up your logo, making better use of colours. When you first designed it, it might have been done in a rush or without much consideration at all, meaning a sub par quality was created. But simply sprucing up your logo can make a big difference to your brand, with it looking so much more professional. The same goes for your website. It might just be that you need to touch a few things up, make the layout a little better, and iron out any bugs that might be giving your website a bad reputation! There will be plenty of web developers out there who would be able to go through the whole process with you, making sure that you have the best possible outcome!

Small Changes To Your Marketing

Marketing is something you’ve either grasped by now, or it’s something that you’re just totally winging and hoping that it goes right. If you’re the latter, then there definitely are a few changes that you can make to improve your marketing and how you’re making use of it. So if you only really stick to the easy marketing techniques, it’s time to get a little bit creative, and really make changes to your marketing. One technique you can use, which many chose not to for reasons unknown, is billboard marketing. It’s literally plastering your business for the eye to see, and if you get a good location, many eyes are going to see this one. But that’s just it, you really do have to have a good location, even if it means paying slightly more for it! Another technique you should try, which although it’s not as fast acting, it’s still incredibly good, is SEO. This aims to improve your ranking within search engines, through techniques such as link building. It might be one of the more costly marketing options, but it’s subtle improvements like this that you really need to be making!

Small Changes To Your Finances

The way that you use your business finances is so important, and if you’re not using them at all, then you really are missing out. All you need to think about, is things like investments, and you’ll be in the right track. As soon as you’re making enough money, this is what you should be doing. Although you’ll always be bringing money in, you want to make sure that you’re building on it, and putting it in the right places so it isn’t just sitting in the bank. There are so many investment options for you to choose from, just check out articles like this and you’ll see!

The Benefits of an Office Relocation

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When you’re a business owner, there may come a time where it will make sense to move your business. There are several reasons for making this type of move. The following contributed post is entitled, The Benefits of an Office Relocation.

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If you’re thinking about a relocation for your business office, then it can be a pretty exhilarating time. Relocating offices happen for many reasons, and it could mean moving your office to a different city, or perhaps even different countries. But the reason that it can be an exciting time is that it means that your business is growing and improving. Plus, when you relocate offices, it can be just the thing that can help you to create more innovative ways of working. You can set things up as you want then, have better organisation, as well as helping to create a sustainable, eco-friendly, and more productive office space. So it could be just what you need to help the business to continue to grow. Here are some of the reasons that it can help your business.

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Boost Productivity

If your office is getting too small for the number of people that you have working for you, then it is obvious why you will need to move spaces. When an office space is congested and overcrowded, then it means that your team will be unable to complete all of their tasks efficiently, a it can mean things don’t run smoothly when things are overcrowded. Creating a fresh and new environment to work in, that is designed for the growing number of staff that you have, will help to boost morale as well as boosting the productivity of your employees; they can work more efficiently and effectively in a space that works for them.

Flexible Working

If your business does not offer flexible working for people already, then an office move, whether you use a commercial moving company or not, could be a way to help implement flexible working for your team. It can be a good time to create things like quiet zones for teams to have focus activities or use as breakout areas to relax. I can be a good thing to have open spaces for collaborative working too. When you have an office relocation then it gives you the chance to plan the new space around the team’s choices and styles of working, which gives them some flexibility.

Grow Your Business

A new space that uses best practices methods of working will give your employees to work more effectively, as well as more productively. That is going to help to improve the profitability of your company without question. Having a new office looks more impressive for prospective employees too, so it can be a good way to attract talent to your business that will help them to grow.

Lower Costs

For many businesses relocating can be a good way to save money. Could using some best practice design methods help you to downsize to a space with a smaller space, which will mean paying less rent? There are going to be costs associated with moving to a new space, but if you think of this with the bigger picture in mind, it can be an investment rather than an expense, and other costs can end up being lower if you’re in a newer space.

How To Open Up More Opportunities For Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When owning a business, it’s important to always thinking about where your profit streams are going to come from. This requires a certain degree of foresight and planning. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Open Up More Opportunities For Business.

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Opportunities come along for every business at some point but the best ones to come along, don’t just always fall in your lap. Here’s how to open up more opportunities for business.

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Pay Attention To The Industry

Within any industry, a business should be focused and pay particular attention to what’s going on around them. If there are competitors, what are they doing? It’s useful to monitor competition in order to find what’s working for them and what isn’t. Having an ear to the ground can prove useful to stay in the know of what’s trending and what isn’t when it comes to the market. So doing some market research will certainly benefit the company both now and going forward as it grows and becomes more successful.

Give The Business More Exposure

If a business isn’t putting themselves out there to be seen then it’s going to be limiting itself by how many opportunities will come from being spotted. There are plenty of ways that a company can get exposure. For example, social media is a great tool in building brand awareness and for growing a customer base on a global scale. Attending networking and conferences within the field is also super beneficial in meeting those who may be able to benefit the business. Being online can open plenty of doors for a business from online CFD trading for WTI crude oil to partnering with other companies on products and services.

Be Constant With Goal Setting

Goal setting is important to any business, whether they’ve just started out or been going for years. Setting regular goals keeps the company as a whole moving forward instead of going stale. It helps motivate staff as they’ll know what they need to achieve and when. A business needs to have a direction, so it should be setting goals constantly. A mixture of small and bigger ones can compliment each other, and it’s only with these goals that a company will improve and grow.

Believe In The Work

A strong company will believe in the work that they do, and that should be the case for every staff member that works for the organisation. They need to believe that what they’re doing is going to lead to something great and that it will have a great impact, whatever that intention may be. So keeping this idea strong within the company is key, and it’s something that should always be revisited. Having confidence in the ideas and results that come from what the business provides, will help open up more opportunities down the line.

Visualise The Opportunities Everywhere

There should always be the mindset that there are opportunities everywhere. Whether it’s a casual coffee meeting with a client or brainstorming in a meeting. By having this vision and attitude, opportunities will crop up.

Success is something that is earned, and unless a business gets lucky, it needs to be chased so don’t let all of this potential that’s out there, go to waste!

Could You Run a Business Green? Details to Consider Before You Decide

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A lot of businesses are going ‘green’ and doing their part to help the environment. Before attempting to go green, there are some things you need to consider before updating your operations. The following contributed post is entitled, Could You Run a Business Green? Details to Consider Before You Decide.

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If you have a small business, you will have to make the most out of your point of differentiation, and make your brand stand out from the competition. It is also important that you align your personal values and your business ones with your customers’. Below you will find a few pointers on how to make your business more sustainable and whether or not you can run it off the grid.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Communication

One of the things you can do to reduce the carbon footprint of your business is to work through the internet and avoid flying to meetings and meeting clients in person whenever necessary. Thanks to the latest technologies in communication, you can now set up a conference call in your office with people from all over the world. You might even run all your advertising online, setting up social media marketing campaigns, instead of advertising in print magazines. This would certainly be a good start if you are looking to improve your business.

Transport

One of the things you have to consider is the transport you and your colleagues use to get to the office. If you have more than a dozen employees, you might be thinking about setting up a car pooling scheme, offering bike discounts, or an incentive to buy electric vehicles. This will help you align your values with your employees’ and create a shared vision and mission for the company.

Energy Use and Generation

Image via Dugway Proving Ground – Army.mil

There are loads of ways you can make your business sustainable and ensure that you are not putting too much pressure on the environment. You can get solar panels installed on the roof of your building, create wind energy, or set up a gym that your employees can use for free, as it is hooked up to a battery, and they can generate electricity while working out. There are plenty of great ideas you can use to make your business greener.

Water Supply

Preserving water at the office is another area you should focus on. There are several ways you can reduce your water usage. If you are in the manufacturing business, you might want to install your own water treatment system to eliminate waste and ensure that you are minimizing your impact on the environment. There are great ways of measuring your water use, such as getting a 10000 litre water tank to see how long the water can last.

Sustainable Materials

When it comes to your office carbon footprint, it is also important that you invest in sustainable materials and furniture. You might need to pay more in the beginning, but your investment will pay off. Whenever you are installing new insulation or windows, consider the carbon footprint of the materials.

If you want to make the most out of your mission and vision alignment, you should consider going green as a shared goal between you, your staff, and your customers. This goal will help you create value and strengthen your brand long term, too.

Website Words: 3 Tips For Perfect Copy

Three of my blog’s key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Important aspects of your business are your branding and technology. You have to be sure that your website and all of the messages you communicate on it are clear. The following contributed post is entitled, Website Words: 3 Tips For Perfect Copy.

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Pixabay / CC0 Licence

When considering your business’ website, your focus will primarily be on the design and functional elements. You’ll want to ensure that your site looks good and works exactly as you expect – which is undoubtedly important, but there is a final part of the puzzle that can often be overlooked: the text.

The text on your website – which is more conventionally referred to as the “copy” – is just as important as the look and performance of any business website. The text is how you convince customers to buy from your company and how you affirm your brand’s voice, so getting it right is critical. In an effort to help you achieve this goal, below, we’ve assembled five tips that will help you to make sure that your website copy is at its absolute best.

#1 – Be cautious of tone

When writing website copy, there’s a line you have to walk: the text should ideally have an element of personality to it, but it should also remain professional. To achieve the right balance, it’s usually best to try and use the same writing style and word choice you would use if you were writing an email to an acquaintance – someone you know well, but not well enough to consider them a ‘friend’. Viewing your text through this lens should help you to keep things light, but without crossing the line into over-familiarity.

#2 – Consider translation

To work well, website copy has to be understood. As a result, businesses whose target audiences are likely to be bilingual may want to consider opting to translate their website copy to benefit some customers. While translating your entire website’s copy sounds like a dramatic, time-consuming undertaking, professional companies such as Para Plus Translations can help to simplify the entire process and allow you to display perfectly-translated text with ease.

#3 – Watch out for typos

No matter how well written your copy is, if it’s riddled with typos, your customers will notice – and may even judge your company as a result. Unfortunately, finding typos in text you have written yourself is inherently challenging, so you’ll need some form of assistance when seeking to overcome this issue. The best option is to hire the services of a professional proofreader, but a combination of using a service such as Grammarly and then asking a friend to proofread can also work well.

#4 – Too much information is preferable to not enough information

With website copy, convention suggests that you should provide information succinctly. However, while the quality of the words you choose is more important than quantity, the amount of quality copy needed is more up for debate. While some customers may be more than happy with a few sentences about your products or services, others will want to know more before they commit to a purchase; we all have different opinions about how much is enough when it comes to information. To account for this, it’s best to opt for a higher word count; it’s easier for customers who prefer short text to pick out the most pertinent details for themselves – perhaps aided by short summaries – than it is for those who would like more information to convince themselves to settle for less than they would like.

In conclusion

With the tips above, your copy can join your great design and flawless functionality to create a business website that your customers are sure to love.

Holding Your Own as a Woman in Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Now more than ever, women are competing and forming their legacies in the business world. There are unique challenges and distinct for women learning to compete in this arena. The following contributed post is entitled, Holding Your Own as a Woman in Business.

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The big world of business, as well as many other industries, is unfortunately very much still a man’s world. Men still dominate many companies, and certainly upper management. Women are still less likely to start their own business as men, partly because they are put off by male domination or because they are worried about going into negotiations and meetings with a room filled with strong, powerful men.

But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t women doing it. Many mothers start their own businesses to avoid having to find expensive childcare or leave their children. Women with experience in industry are eager to go it on their own, knowing that their unique skills could make them very successful and many of these women are more than holding their own.

Women are often well organized and great at managing their time. They are passionate, and great at arguing their cause. Women inspire others and don’t take risks without preparation. All of these skills can make them excellent in business. But only if they have got the confidence to take a chance on themselves. Here are some of the ways that you can hold your own in the man’s world of business.

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Find Strong Role Models

There are many, many strong women in business. They launch their own startups, they become CEOs of major firms, they slowly climb up the ladder, and they do it with confidence, grace, passion and even style. Women like Belinda Stronach can be fantastic role models, and having them will help you to pick yourself up on the bad days and draw strength when things are tough.

Build a Support Network

Role models are all well and good, but as a woman trying to hold your own in business, you might also need people close by. You need a strong support network of supportive and understanding people. Friends and family that will pick you up when you are down, understand that you need to work long hours, and commit time and effort to your job if you want to do well. This might also mean cutting those people that bring you down or tell you that you can’t do it. Make sure that you are surrounded by people that make you feel confident and like you can take on the world.

Dress for Success

As a woman in business, you’ve probably heard some frightfully sexist comments about how you should dress. You might have even worked in places that insist upon skirts and high heels.

Well, dressing the right way can have a significant impact on your career. But, the right way should be right for you, not everyone else. Wear clothes that make you feel confident and powerful, but also comfortable and ready to work.

Never Stop Learning

As a woman, you might feel as though you always have to prove yourself and that people are always questioning your knowledge and experience. It might help you to feel better if you know the answers. Keep an open mind and never stop learning and you’ll always be on top of your game.

The Next Big Thing: Steps To Ensure Your Brand Is The Name On Everyone’s Lips

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Potentially the most critical piece of your business is the branding and marketing. In today’s age with all the technology at our disposal, it’s important to make sure your brand is out and well-known. The following contributed post is entitled, The Next Big Thing: Steps To Ensure Your Brand Is The Name On Everyone’s Lips.

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One of the most crucial aspects of succeeding in business lies in beating the competition. If you’re eager to entice new clients, increase sales, and ensure that your brand is the name on everyone’s lips, here are some steps to take.

Get social
Social media marketing is an increasingly potent weapon for modern businesses. If you don’t already have social media campaigns running, you may be missing a trick. There are several platforms to choose from, and you can select different sites based on your target market. Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the world, but options like Snapchat and Instagram tend to be more effective when targeting a young demographic. Research social media trends, define your ideal buyer and start using the power and popularity of social platforms to get your brand name out there. Start by creating pages and profiles and offer incentives to encourage people to like and share your posts and sign up for updates. Focus on creating and sharing quality content, which is going to appeal to the target user, and interact with your followers. If you’re getting comments, for example, take the time to read them and respond. If you’re considering posting adverts on sites like Facebook, take advantage of the audience tools, which enable you to define specific groups you want to target.

Image from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/social-media-blocks-blogger-488886/

Revamp your website and SEO strategy
Even if you don’t have an online store, having an online profile is vital in this day and age. If your website isn’t up to scratch, or you’re not getting much traffic, it’s wise to revamp your site and review your SEO strategy. If you don’t have expertise in web design or digital marketing, consider outsourcing. Consumers like to research online, even if they plan to place an order or shop in-store, and ensuring you appear at the top of the search results page will stand you in good stead to outshine your rivals and increase lead generation.

Make the most of trade shows
Trade shows offer a brilliant opportunity to showcase your products and get people talking about your brand. If you are planning to attend an event, you want to make sure that your stand attracts attention. There are several ways you can do this. Aesthetics play a key role in drawing crowds. People are much more likely to gravitate towards a stand that looks enticing and interesting than one that looks drab and dull. Giveaways are also a great idea. If you can offer samples, for example, if you’re selling food or drink products, or you’re handing out branded keyrings, caps, pens or USB sticks, you may find that you get a lot more visitors. For more ideas for promotional products, click here. Interactive displays and demos are another way to pull people in. If you’re selling toys, pet products, kitchen or office gadgets, for example, demonstrate how they work, and let customers have a go. It’s also important to make sure your staff is well-versed in answering questions and dealing with queries about pricing and special offers.

Picture credit https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2235564

Connect with clients
Marketing plays a vital role in breaking the ice, generating leads and starting conversations, but to make your brand the next big thing, you have to follow up on expressions of interest and make sure your customers feel valued. Take the time to connect with your existing clients and make an effort to communicate with potential customers who have shown an interest in what you do. Send out periodic emails, respond to questions and queries online, and add features like live chat to your website. Customer engagement can help to enhance the user experience, tighten ties and ensure loyalty. Adding a personal touch can go a long way when you’re trying to enhance your brand reputation and raise brand awareness. Even simple things like addressing people by their names in emails can make a difference. Research suggests that click-through rates are significantly higher for personalized emails.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/chat-icon-social-network-1873543/

Do some good in the world
As a consumer, you may be aware of certain brands because of initiatives they support or causes they fund. As a business owner, you want people to recognize you because of the products and services you offer, but you also want your customers to have a positive impression of your brand ethos. If you want people to talk about you, consider using your status to do some good in the world. You could support a local charity, get involved with a green initiative or donate some of your profits to charities chosen by your customers.

Are you dreaming of creating a global brand? Do you want to see your business name up in lights? If you have grand plans, hopefully, these tips will point you in the right direction.

Lessons In Manufacturing: Four Factors You Must Consider

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Of the many businesses out there, manufacturing businesses can be particularly lucrative if they are run properly. There are several keys to excelling in this type of business. The following contributed post is entitled, Lessons In Manufacturing: Four Factors You Must Consider.

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Are you think about setting up a manufacturing business this year? Perhaps you’re not setting up a company like this but manufacturing will be part of your overall business model. Regardless of which factor is true, there are a few things that you need to know. This will help ensure that you are running your manufacturing company the right way without mistakes or issues that could impact the profitability of your company. Let’s take a look at some of the options available to you.

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Should You Outsource?

You should consider outsourcing all or certain elements of the manufacturing process for your business. This is going to be more cost effective and could actually lead to higher quality items being produced by your business. This is always a distinct possibility, particularly if you don’t have the knowledge or indeed the experience to run these processes the right way.

If you do decide to outsource make sure that you are thinking about the company you choose very carefully indeed. Ultimately, it’s crucial that you can trust whichever company you use to deliver the solution that both you and your clients expect.

The Best Materials

Yes, you need to make sure that you are investing in the right materials as well. It’s worth spending a little more to get the best supplies here too. If you don’t do this, you can end up in a situation where your product won’t live up to the performance levels you want. Look at the avionics industry as an example. Businesses in this sector rely upon LCD bonding supplies and solutions. A low-quality material here would impact the performance and the value of the equipment being manufactured. The good news is that the buyer is always king so you should easily be able to locate and purchase the high-quality supplies that you need.

Stay Automated

You do need to make sure that you think about using automated technology. Automated tech is another great way to save costs and if you are running a manufacturing company it means that you won’t have to worry about hiring a massive team of staff. As well as this, automation will allow you to streamline any and all production processes. This basically means that you won’t have to worry about your productivity and efficiency levels being painfully low.

Go Green

Finally, you should be working to make manufacturing processes as green as possible. This sector of business can feel like an analogue clock stuck in a digital age, but there are always ways to make things a little greener. Keep a check on new tech emerging on the market that could benefit you. Work to manage wastage and reduce it where possible. If you do this, then you will find that your manufacturing processes are greener than most others on the market.

We hope this helps you tackle and approach manufacturing the right way whether as a business venture, or part of a larger model. If you do this, you could find your reach even greater levels of success in this sector.