Starting a New Business and Want to Make It Look Professional? Here Are Some Steps You Should Take

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Turning a start-up into a professional business requires all sorts of different actions, approaches, and outlooks. You certainly need to be good with your use of financial resources, and you obviously need a strong work ethic. Networking with other people in your industry certainly doesn’t hurt either.

But, it’s one of those interesting facts of life that no matter how good your service or product may be, and no matter how much work you put in, it can all be made pretty much redundant by poor presentation.

We all know that, in principle, we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and yet that is precisely what we all do to some degree or another.

Having a professional presentation is extremely important if you want your new business to be successful. Businesses that look amateurish in any obvious way present a red flag to prospective clients or customers, and this can be fatal for start-ups in particular.

Here are a few steps you should take in order to ensure that your business looks as professional as possible.

Get a high-quality logo to use in your marketing materials

Have you ever noticed how the biggest and most successful brands out there have logos that they display prominently, at every possible opportunity? This might not be the kind of thing that you necessarily think of a lot, but that’s just because those logos are so ubiquitous that they almost fade into the background after a while.

Still, everyone knows what the McDonald’s arches represent, or the Apple apple, or any number of other professional logos.

At the earliest possible opportunity upon starting a business, you’ll want to have an effective professional logo in place. That’s because, as you start marketing and putting yourself out there, your logo will serve as a shorthand psychological trigger to bring awareness to your business, and to help people to identify with who you are.

Images stick in people’s minds in a pretty profound way, and on a pretty deep level. So, look into using a service such as Instalogo.org in order to obtain a logo for your business, today.

Ideally, your logo will be something quite unique, and won’t be easily confused with any other logo that can be commonly found out there in society. At the same time, however, your logo should be quite simple and elegant. Simple logos stick in people’s minds well. Highly complex logos often seem like “clutter” and get forgotten about.

Host your own domain name, and set up a WordPress site (hire a web designer if needs be)

In the digital age, you absolutely need to have a high-quality website up and running in order to look professional, and even just to be on people’s radar at all.

An unfortunate mistake that some new entrepreneurs make, however, is to host their websites off free domains, which then make the fact that they are free openly known through their generic URLs and watermarks.

Instead, host your own domain name. This is achieved in mere moments with any number of online domain management services, such as GoDaddy.

The next step is to subscribe to hosting plan, and create your own website using WordPress or a similar platform. WordPress tends to be ideal for a number of reasons, not least of all the fact that it includes a huge number of potential plug-ins and themes that allow you to build your own website from scratch, with no real coding skills required.

Experiment with this for a while, until you’ve got a professional and appealing website up and running. If you struggle with this, however, hire a professional web designer. It will be well worth the investment down the line.

Get some professional head shots taken – it’s really a big deal

Prospective clients and customers look for certain markers of professionalism and authority when they’re browsing the market and weighing up their options.

If your website is going to include any photos of yourself (and there’s a good argument that it should) it’s imperative that those should be professional head shots, taken by an expert photographer.

People really can tell when you’ve just skimmed selfies from your Instagram profile, and this is an immediate red flag that screams that you’re an amateur who may be there today and gone tomorrow.

Including photos of yourself on your site, along with a well-curated “Our Story” or “About Me” section will help to build rapport, and make you seem like a real person rather than just an algorithm.

Pronto Payments: Get Clients To Cough Up Quicker With These Tips

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Payments| Pronto Payments: Get Clients To Cough Up Quicker With These TipsDo you have a problem with clients and customers not paying their bills and invoices on time? Not only can this be very annoying, but it can pose a more practical problem for your business when it starts to affect your cash flow. If the majority of invoices aren’t paid on time, you could find that the amount of cash in your bank starts to dwindle and you might even struggle to pay your own bills as a result. But you shouldn’t let it get that far! There are a few ways you can encourage your customers to pay on time and, in some cases, even early. Read on to find out more!

Offer A Range Of Payment Options

Firstly, it’s now necessary to offer your customers and clients numerous ways they can pay you. Even though most people will go online and do a bank transfer using their online bank account, there will still be some people who would prefer not to. So, you need to make sure they can just as easily pay you. You could give customers the chance to ring your office or headquarters so that they can pay with their credit card over the phone. Another option is to accept checks. Even though these are seen as quite an old-fashioned method of payment these days, most of the older generations who aren’t so tech-savvy still prefer to pay this way.

Ensure Payment Processes Are Secure

No matter what kind of payment methods you offer to your customers, you need to make sure that they are all safe and secure. The general public is now very aware of the various ways their sensitive data could end up lost or stolen, and one of the most common reasons for stolen bank details is using unsecured methods of payment. Ivrnet offers secure solutions for over the phone payments, so it’s worth contacting them if you want to continue to offer phone payments that your customers can trust. Make sure that you also use an ecommerce platform that is known for their tight security as well so that your online customers can shop with plenty of peace of mind.

Send Out Invoices On Time

Some companies wait until the very end of the month to carry out their invoicing for work that they have completed over the month. However, this means that you will be invoicing for projects that you did at the start of the month quite late. It’s a much better strategy to send out your invoices and bills as soon as the work has been completed. Your clients will then have a month to pay up from the end date of the work.

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Payments| Pronto Payments: Get Clients To Cough Up Quicker With These TipsDon’t Leave Any Information Off An Invoice

One of the main reasons some clients will give for not paying on time is because they were unable to. There are a few different reasons why they might have been unable to pay on time, but sometimes it is all down to not having enough information to do so. This could be because you have missed off some information from the invoice you sent them. The client will need more than just your bank details to pay. For accounting purposes, they will also need a date on the invoice, your company address, and also the address of your bank. It’s always worth asking them what information they need on your invoice when you first create one for them so that you don’t miss anything that could be important.

Chase Up Payments As Soon As They Are Overdue

Have you just noticed that one of your invoices hasn’t been paid and is now overdue? You need to chase it up right away. It’s worth sending a polite email to remind the client as they might have simply forgotten. It’s a good idea to direct this to their accounts payables department so that it goes straight to the individual who has the responsibility of paying it. If no one responds to that and the invoice continues to be unpaid, you might want to send a more formal demand for payment.

Add Late-Payment Fees And Interest To Overdue Invoices

It’s also important to add some late-payment fees and interest on invoices that are overdue by more than a week. You should calculate a new invoice that includes the original fee and these additions added on. Hopefully, these extra charges will prompt your client to cough up finally!

Follow these tips and your clients should start paying a lot quicker in the future!

Getting Things Done: The Golden Rules Of Productivity

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It should be fairly straightforward, right? You come into work in the morning, do whatever is needed to be done to complete the tasks before you, and then go home at the end of the day. Job complete! Except it isn’t that easy. We aren’t all as productive us as we should be, and work is often less unfinished come close of business. It can be frustrating, especially if we are then forced to work overtime as a result.

Here then, are what we have termed the Golden Rules of Productivity. By adhering to each principle, you should, as our title suggested, stand a better chance of getting things done.

Rule #1: Prioritise your day

There will be some tasks that need to be completed during the day, and others that can wait until a later date. Therefore, focus on the most important tasks first, and only when they are done, focus on the other things. This way, you won’t run the risk of having to stay behind at work to complete those tasks that come with a deadline. Continuing with this principle, consider doing those jobs that you hate first too. While they will be a drag, you will be less inclined to procrastinate if you make an effort to get them out of the way first. You will then have more time to concentrate on the other tasks that are on your to-do lists.

Rule #2: Simplicity is king

Don’t get bogged down with tricky or time-consuming tasks throughout the day. If you can find a way to simplify your business tasks, then do so. There are some ideas in the linked article, for example, with descriptions of software tools that are designed to deal with some of those tasks that you might need to focus on during the day. And there are hundreds of other apps and programs available that are designed to streamline your day and boost your productivity. Do your research and download anything that could help you manage your workload.

Rule #3: Focus on your strengths

It is highly unlikely that you are competent at every task that befalls you each day. And even if you are, there will be some tasks that could be handled by others. Therefore, concentrate your time on those tasks that a) you have the skills to complete, and b) that directly fall under your remit. Then outsource or delegate any other aspect of your business that would only slow down your productivity otherwise. Thinking about your IT, as an example, you could hire an IT consultant if you aren’t proficient or don’t have time to concentrate on this one area. A company such as Ntiva gives you more time to focus on core business functions, as they have the expertise that you might otherwise lack. Think about the tasks that take up your time unnecessarily, and find the people to help you.

Rule #4: Take a break

By working extensively without any breaks, you will tire yourself out, both physically and mentally. As a result, your productivity will suffer, as your lethargy will cause you to work and think slower than normal. During the day then, plan to have a break at regular intervals so you are always in peak condition to work. And the same applies at home. If you are always taking work home with you, you will limit the amount of time you get to rest. Your sleep might then suffer, and when you return to work the next day, you might get less done because you are in a tired and exhausted state. Focus on your work-life balance, and enjoy your downtime so you can be fully refreshed when you’re back at work.

Rule #5: Just say “no”

When a colleague wanders over to have a chat with you, say no if you know you have work to do. When a client offers you more work, say no if you know you won’t have time to complete it on time, or to a quality level. When you are tempted to check Facebook or any other time-wasting activity, tell yourself no, as these innocent activities will only eat into your time otherwise. There are times when you might say yes to improve your productivity. If somebody offers you a helping hand, then do answer in the positive if you can rely on them. But in all of those instances that could stop you from getting things done, just say no!

Final word

Adhere to the rules in this article, and you will stand a better chance at getting things done in the day. You might then have the opportunity to go home and relax, instead of taking your work home with you, or worrying about anything that has been left unfinished.

Let us know what you think, and if there are any other rules that should be added to this list, please share your ideas with us.

How to Improve Your Future Prospects

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professional Article |Life Skills| How to Improve Your Future ProspectsOne of the many things teenagers worry about it is their future, and how successful it is going to be. This can be a very stressful experience for you, but there are lots of things you can do that will help improve your life skills, finances, and chances of having a very successful career and future.

Scholarships

Many young people who want to go to college are hoping to be offered a scholarship. Not only will this take away the stress of debt piling up, but you can do what you love while away at college, for example, play football or baseball.

There are over 25 different athlete scholarships available which can pay you up to $40,000 per year of your college fees. The first thing you will want to do to secure your scholarship is to make a video to send to colleges; you need to make sure this video shows what you can do to the best of your abilities. Your skills are going to need to stand out so take this video seriously. This is what coaches at colleges will be judging you on and will make the difference between the score and ultimately the kind of scholarship you get.
It’s important to remember that even if you get offered a scholarship not to forget about your school studies. You will need the grades to get into college, and if you don’t keep up a good enough standard in college, then your scholarship will be taken away. So, make sure you prioritize your homework just as much as your sport.

Get a Part-time Job

Something that benefits many young people who are looking to improve their future is by getting a part-time job. Not only will this show future employers and colleges that you are keen to work it also improves your skill set.

It can give you leadership and teamworking skills, and you will learn how to multi-task with your school work, your hobbies and your work life which is what being an adult is about just as much sometimes. Getting a job will teach you lots of life skills that you wouldn’t have learned anywhere else such as communication skills and will make you stand out amongst your peers, plus it gives you the chance to have a bit of extra cash.

Delegate your time wisely

While you may be thinking about your financial future, having a part-time job shouldn’t mean it takes over your life completely. It is called part-time for a reason, and it means you should be able to get the right balance between your work, school, and home life. So, if you find yourself neglecting your school work because you are working more hours than you originally planned, it might be worth considering re-looking at how you spend your time and speaking to your manager about cutting back your hours.

Set up Goals

To keep in line for your future, setting achievable goals is key to remaining focused on what you want to achieve in life. These goals should be realistic to reach and need to be written down so that you can refer to them and change or update them.

Savings Account

Something that you might find that your parents have done for you is set up a savings account or a trust fund that you will be able to access when you turn 18. This will benefit you a lot so make sure you spend this money wisely – consider if you actually need the money yet, if you don’t then save it for when you will need and appreciate it.
Don’t worry if your parents haven’t set up one; there’s no need to panic as you can start a savings account at any time. There’s always time to save, and so if you get a scholarship and have a part-time job, you can start saving to make your future after college more secure.

Believe in Yourself

The most important thing for your future that you need to start doing right now is believing in yourself! Once you believe in yourself, you can do anything, and you will see yourself becoming more confident and will go on to have a very successful future.

The Significance of Self Control

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When it comes to virtues, self-control is one of them. It used in describing an attribute in a person. There are several secrets in how to exercise self-control and also pass this attribute to children. It is not always an easy task but it can be achieved.

Definition

Self-control entails the fight between doing what is wrong and right. It consists of controlling your emotions, behaviors or impulses so that you can achieve better goals. This is an attribute that is hard to exercise but it is beneficial. Self-control is a virtue one needs in order to put into practice any resolution that has been set.

Importance of Self-control

Self-control is very important. It has a very significant impact on future results. For that reason, it has to be taken seriously. Lack of self-control will prevent you from achieving the desired results. Furthermore, its absence just presents some dire consequences which would have been avoided if only you gave your actions second thoughts.

The lack of self-control makes you engage in impulsive emotions and behaviors. You will make poor choices and decisions that will harm you. You also get to react poorly whenever you miss out on what you had desired. You tend to react impulsively like a toddler who has been denied something he/she wanted.

Adults need to try as much as possible to exercise self-control in whatever they do. It helps you react in a better way even after you miss out on something. You will be able to manage anger and avoid any physical violence. The lack of self-control will see you react with rage and anger. In short, you get unhealthy coping ways.

People who lack self-control end up making unethical decisions. They will always react with anger is things do not go as they wish. These people also lack the drive to get committed to fulfilling their goals. This is what separates successful people from failures. Successful people exercise self-control which is not the case with those who fail.

Self-control vs Empathy

Empathy and self-control are controlled by a similar part of your brain. This part of your brain is known as rTPJ( Right Temporoparietal junction). An experiment was conducted by Alexander Soutscheck on the part that controls empathy. This section was altered by Alexander and the end result is the inhibition of one’s self-control. This research was supported by Rebecca Saxe.

How to develop self-control

In case you want to have self-control in your life, there are a number of practices you can adopt. They include the following:

• Get Sufficient Sleep

Insufficient sleep is one of the causes of self-control problems. Sleep deprivation leads to unethical behaviors which include lack of self-control and poor decisions. Ensure you put in place a proper sleeping schedule to develop your self-control.

• Get a ritual

You can come up with a ritual that will help you develop your self-control. This ritual should be able to affect your self-control in a positive way.

• Pray, be mindful and meditate

Praying and meditating are responsible for resetting your thinking process. You will be able to refocus your mind and enhance your self-control.

How to enforce self-control in your children

It is a good idea to enforce self-control in your children at a younger age. This will help them to grow up with a better personality and character. How do you instill this virtue in them anyway? You have to continue teaching your children self-control even in difficult situations. Your children will master the art of overcoming difficult times pretty well. This is an attribute that will really boost their self-control. You can also gift your children every time they react in a positive way despite being in a difficult situation. This will help instill in them self-control.

The Self-control Journey

This is not a character trait that you will get overnight. It is a process that requires commitment and dedication. You have to keep trying even if you fail to exercise self-control when it matters. Every time you are able to exercise self-control effectively, acknowledge yourself. Through that, you will be able to develop your self-control.

Verdict

Capitalize on self-control in your quest of meeting your goals. You can make use of Professional and Graduate Studies division at Cornerstone University in order to get new opportunities and skills. You will be exposed to practical applications of self-control that will really benefit you.