5 Key Tips for Starting Your Own Office Cleaning Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | 5 Key Tips for Starting Your Own Office Cleaning Business | Office Cleaning BusinessSmall businesses are booming and there’s no end in sight. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, there were 30.2 million small businesses in the US during 2018.

So why not use the opportunities available to pursue your dream of opening an office cleaning service.
But what do I know about starting a business? No one is born with all the knowledge necessary to thrive in business. But if you are willing to put in the time and effort you can learn what you need to start your business.

Read on to learn more.

How to Start an Office Cleaning Business

There are no foolproof steps to begin a successful office cleaning business. Businesses grow and flourish through effort.

But be sure to ask yourself some questions such as “what do I need to start a cleaning business.” You may even consider starting a cleaning business checklist.

Gathering information is key to beginning a business. However, there are some tips you should use to get going on the road to success.

Choose Your Target Client

When deciding to start a business you should consider who you will serve. Offices come in many shapes, sizes, and locations.

Will you have the manpower to clean large, corporate offices? Or do you want to focus on smaller operations like daycares or banks?

Perhaps cleaning universities or shopping centers sparks your interest.

Whichever offices you want to clean do your research on the types of cleaners you can use in schools or hospitals.

Select the Services You Will Provide

Now that you know where you want to clean select the services you’ll provide.

Some of the cleaning your business offers may include:

  • Commercial Carpet Cleaning
  • Doors and Windows
  • Green Cleaning with environmentally safe products
  • Interior and Exteriors
  • Restrooms

Now that you’ve chosen your services it’s time to decide where you’ll work.

Select Your Office Location

In the early days of your business, you may decide to work out of your home to cut down on costs. Yet, this may not be an option if you need storage space for cleaning equipment and products. Plus an area for hiring and training employees.

But if you have space in your home and begin with a small crew of people you may be able to use your place.

Handle the Business Details

Now comes the not-so-fun part of beginning your business. Each business must go through growing pains in order to evolve.

The following are steps to creating your business:

  • Name your business
  • Get small business insurance
  • Price your services
  • Open a Business Checking Account
  • Register your business with your state
  • Consult an attorney
  • Choose if your business will be a single owner LLC, multi-owner LLC or corporation
  • Hire and train employees

Market and Get Customer

After all the paperwork tasks are complete you can focus on marketing and gaining customers.

Getting your website setup, order flyers and distribute them, advertise on social media, and tell your friends and family are helpful was to get your business brand’s name out to the public.

Continue to Grow

Running an office cleaning business is tricky but also beneficial. You get to be your own boss and help keep people work in a clean environment.

Yet, over time the fruits of your labor will result in profits and popularity among your peers. It just takes patience.

If you enjoyed this article continue reading our website for information on creating a successful business.

Creating A Website For Selling

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Website design experts offer the ability to have the perfect shop front for your business. It is so important in this day and age for your business to be found online, regardless of your trade.

If you’re new to the trading world and looking to be a success, then Internet shopping is the way forward and you’ll soon find that you will need an ecommerce site. Building an online shop is not easy for the average business person though; so seeking a digital agency will ensure your site is amongst the best and is going to work for you and your business.

In this blog post, we are going to take a look at creating a website for the purpose of selling in further detail. We hope this gives you the assistance and inspiration you need for your own e-store.

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | Creating A Website For Selling

Some advice and recommendations for new businesses

You have a new business and you have the stock you need, now you just need a multitude of customers. Simple, right? But, where can you find these customers, or more importantly, how can your customers find you? It’s all very well relying on word of mouth, or passers-by if you have a shop front, but why limit yourself when you could reach a worldwide audience? With the use of the Internet, the sky is the limit when it comes to attracting an audience, meaning more potential sales for you, resulting in more revenue. Sounds good? The difficult bit is knowing where to start.

Thankfully, there are professional website design experts who are also eCommerce experts. These experts can build you a bespoke ecommerce site, meaning you can instantly start to benefit from this growing market. If you do it right, ecommerce is the way to go, attracting both men and women of all ages. It’s a great time to be a start-up business in the ecommerce world.

Another advantage of using a website design company to build your ecommerce site is that they are also likely to be professionals in SEO. This means they can ensure that your shop will be found more easily by people searching for your products. They can also maintain your site, ensuring you remain higher on those search engine results. A good SEO agency will have a number of different techniques and tools at their disposal to make your website more visible online. After all, you can have the most amazing website visually, but if no one views it, you’re not going to make any sales, are you?

Have you considered using Shopify?

There are many options for ecommerce sites available, so what makes Shopify the perfect choice? Firstly, the cost. Shopify is one of the more affordable shopping sites to run, with low monthly costs but a reliable website. Businessmen know the key to a successful start-up is keeping outgoings as low as possible, but still keeping the quality high.

Companies specialising in Shopify can ensure this happens. Shopify offers reports on your click-throughs, and even includes features that can improve your SEO. The reporting system can inform you of which search terms have brought the most visitors to your site.

Other tools available on Shopify include discount codes and gift cards, integration of social networking sites, and email marketing options. All of these can improve the success of your site, when used properly. There are more advanced packages available if you are looking for something else specific, such as pop-ups or similar.

Design and imagery can be a big part of a purchase. The layout of Shopify is simple and eye-catching, making it easy for the user to navigate and therefore resulting in a purchase is more likely. Teamed with website designers, your online shop will soon be turning heads. If you’re looking to purely run your business and sell your products, without the hassle of website hosting, payment gateways and software maintenance, then Shopify is for you.

All things considered, there is no denying that there is a lot to think about when you are selling products online. However, we hope that this blog post will help you on your journey by outlining some of the things that you are going to need to do in order to get started.

7 Ways To Save Money On Equipment For Your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | 7 Ways To Save Money On Equipment For Your Business | business equipment | entrepreneurshipLots of companies can end up overspending on equipment. Whether you’re buying office furniture or industrial machinery, here are seven tips to keep the costs down.

Shop second hand

Used equipment is always cheaper than brand new equipment. You do however need to be wary of the condition. Older equipment that has been well used may be more likely to break. For this reason, you should always inspect such equipment in person before buying.

If you’re buying used equipment online, make sure that a description of the condition and photos are provided. It could also be worth buying from a reputable seller – read reviews to see what other customers have to say.

When it comes to general equipment, it could be worth looking out for company closures in your area. Many companies will be selling equipment for cheap simply to get rid of it – some of it may be in very good condition.

Look out for sales and coupons

Dealers of both new and used commercial equipment may have sales throughout the year. A popular time to hold a sale is in January, whilst the Black Friday weekend is another popular sales period. Also look out for off season sales on seasonal equipment – commercial mowers may be cheaper to buy in winter when there’s less demand for gardening equipment. You can also check some great suggestions here for a professional mower.

You may also be able to grab discounts by using coupons. These can be found on coupon sites or by signing up to commercial equipment retailer mailing lists.

Avoid splurging on gimmicks

It’s important that any equipment you buy is appropriate for your needs. Try to avoid splashing out on equipment that’s more complex than necessary. If you’re only looking to do some basic printing, you don’t need a heavy-duty industrial printer capable of printing 60 sheets of paper per minute – a basic commercial printer will do the job and will save you money. Only high end niche businesses are likely to need the most complex equipment available – if you’re starting a printing company, a heavy duty printer might be more suitable.

Hire single use equipment

A popular mistake made by many companies is buying equipment that will only ever get used once or twice. By hiring this equipment, you could save a lot of money.

Hiring equipment can also be sensible if you don’t have the storage space for such as equipment. For instance, a construction company may hire a crane rather than buying one. This could save money having to create extra warehouse space.

By shopping around, you can find the best equipment hire prices. Make sure that the company has a good online reputation so that you know you’re hiring good quality equipment. A good company will keep all equipment well maintained – although you may still be liable for any damage you cause.

Consider energy efficiency

Energy-efficiency is an important factor to consider when it comes to buying machinery. A machine that consumes a lot of energy will cost you more in energy bills. Older equipment is likely to be less energy efficient than modern equipment, which is something to consider when buying used equipment. You may be able to find information on the energy efficiency online, as is the case with these energy efficient desktop computers.

Know when to repair, when to replace

You can also save costs by knowing when to repair and when to replace equipment.

Choosing to repair equipment could save you money in many instances. You can find all kinds of niche parts online from a wafer ring/frame to a new monitor screen – if you feel up to the challenge, you could do your own repairs. Alternatively, you could hire a repair technician to do repairs for you – this may still be cheaper than replacing with certain equipment.

You may want to consider replacing equipment if it is old or has broken numerous times in the past. It’s possible you may be able to sell old broken machinery for parts – this could help give you some money to put towards a replacement.

Warranties or contents insurance may be able to cover the cost of repairing or replacing machinery in some cases. This is worth looking into before you make any decisions.

Maintain your equipment

You may be able to stop equipment breaking in the first place by keeping it well maintained. Certain maintenance may be able to be carried out by your employees, whilst more complex equipment may need to regularly serviced by a professional technician (such as construction vehicles or medical machinery).

Cleaning is often one of the most important maintenance tasks – this is not just a matter of health and safety but also a way of keeping machinery working properly. Dust build-ups can affect many types of machinery and are a common cause of computers failing. If there’s a lot of dust in the air, you may be able to install an extractor fan or use an air purifier to keep it clean.

You should also be careful of environmental factors like cold and humidity. Certain machinery may break if it is stored somewhere that is too hot or too cold. Agricultural machinery for instance may need to be kept indoors when not in use and covered up to prevent damage from rust.

Fall in Love With Your Career all Over Again

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Choosing a Career Path|Fall in Love With Your Career all Over AgainOne of the things so many people crave these days is a career that they love. There are a lot of factors that you need to keep in mind if you are serious about this, and it is crucial that you do as much as possible to look at how you can make the most of your job. There are so many different factors that can impact our careers and the way we enjoy them, and it is important to keep this in mind moving forward.

Think about the different elements that play a role in helping you adapt to your chosen career path better. Being fulfilled and happy, and getting the most out of your career is so important, and you need to make sure you look at what you can do to make the most of your job. These are some of the factors that can help you to fall in love with your career all over again, starting today.

Rethink What You Want

One of the first places to start is to rethink what you want out of your career. If you can understand this, you will be well-placed to be able to get more out of it. Finding your job as fulfilling as possible is something you need to make sure you get right now, and there are a lot of factors that play a role in this. Make sure you look at reassessing your career path and focusing on what you want to achieve from your job moving forward. By shifting your focus, you are able to be more productive at work and work toward achieving your long-term goals.

Look to Progress

You need to think about where you see yourself in your career path for the next few years. There are a lot of things that play a part in this, and you need to consider what your aspirations are for the future. Progressing in the business is so important, and it is natural to want more out of your life. In a career, you want to see progression and work toward being as successful as possible. This means you need to pursue success and look for opportunities to progress in the company, by way of promotions etc.

Ensure You are Getting the Right Treatment

It is important to make sure you are getting the right treatment in your career. When trying to determine if your career or the company you work for is right for you, it becomes important to look at the way in which they treat you. As a valuable member of staff, you should be valued and treated with respect by the business. You could hire a workers comp lawyer to make sure you are legally protected, and that you are getting the compensation you deserve. Taking steps to make sure you improve your career is so important, and this is one of the most essential parts of the process that you need to think about right now.

Be a Team Player

Being a team player is one of the most important things you can do in your job. The fact of the matter is that you want to make sure you work in a friendly and harmonious environment. This means looking at the best ways of becoming a team player as much as possible. You have to make sure you are focused on improving and enhancing the work-related arena, and being a team player makes you much more likely to be able to enjoy your career more. You want to find somewhere that is pleasant to work, and that plays a massive part in the process of helping you achieve more and work harder. This is why it is important that you do as much as possible to be a team player and work together with your colleagues to really enhance your working relationship.

It is important to have a career that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. While money is important, it is not the be all and end all of the business world, and this is something to keep in mind. When it comes to loving your job, you need to think about what elements of the business you can benefit from, and what it takes to improve your career path. Come up with ideas that are going to help you rediscover the way you approach your business, as well as thinking about how you can go about enjoying the different elements of your business that little bit more.

How To Choose The Right Records Management System For The Organization

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Records Management|How To Choose The Right Records Management System For The OrganizationAs the volume of records and information continues to grow as organisations mature, it becomes increasingly important and challenging for enterprises to manage their recordkeeping responsibilities effectively. Choosing an effective records management system is an important and crucial step in this process.

With many different records management solutions available in the market with their own set of features and capabilities, it can be difficult and daunting to choose the right one for your business. To assist with your decision making process, we have provided some tips that will help you select the right records management solution for your business. First we’ll cover off what a records management system is.

What does a records management system do?

The primary objective of a records management system is to provide a single, comprehensive solution that aids in tracking, locating, maintaining and disposing of organisational records, whether they are paper-based or in electronic form. Nowadays, records management systems are available as cloud-based or on-premises.

Micro Focus Content Manager is the most readily used records management software worldwide that helps organisations solve the complexity of records management. This system is ideal for heavily regulated organizations and industries.

How is a records management system classified?

Generally, records management software falls into two main categories; records management software or an enterprise content management (ECM) system which is less records focused and more of a content management system, as its name denotes. A records management system (RMS) will have greater functionality relating to the classification, retention and disposal of information.

How is an RMS different from ECM?

A RMS is designed to enable the various facets of enterprise records management. This software includes record tracking, automated retention, disposition of records and access control for physical as well as electronic formats.

ECM systems are built to assist organizations with capturing, storing, managing, delivering and preserving its files and content. A complimentary information management strategy will assist organisations in managing their unstructured information.

An electronic RMS simplifies the management of records throughout their lifecycle. A records management application assists with the automatic implementation of organization-wide and consistent records policies, which simplify compliance with state, industry and federal regulations.

Another basic difference between an ECM and RMS is their capacity to enable retention of records and disposition procedures. In this respect, an RMS system takes the top position.

Characteristics to look for in a records management system

There are a number of important characteristics to look for when choosing a records management system, including a system that:

  • Is intuitive and user friendly
  • Automatically captures and classifies records
  • Won’t change the way your teams works and will capture records regardless of their location
  • Manages content across repositories
  • Can manage physical, digital and hybrid records
  • Captures email and social media records
  • Offers a high level of security
  • Provides an audit trail
  • Is compliance with federal and state based standards and policies

Conclusion

A comprehensive, high performance records management system is a crucial component in the lifecycle of organizational information. At a high level, this system governs the way business information is developed, stored, distributed, tracked and protected.
Before you search for the right software solution for your business, it is important to understand your own business requirements with respect to records management. Having this understanding will equip you well as you begin to assess your RMS options.