5 WAYS TO HELP AUTOMATE YOUR BUSINESS

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Automate your Business|5 WAYS TO HELP AUTOMATE YOUR BUSINESAutomation is a process of replacing manual human needed in executing tasks with any form of technology. Automation is an area of business that is of immense benefit as it uses technology to perform business tasks or processes, where human effort or supervision would be otherwise needed. By incorporating automation, business-owners can boost efficiency, minimize operating costs, and ensure near-perfect consistency in business activities.

Although automation is great for business, certain factors must be considered before integration into your business. Areas any business owner should focus on are tasks or processes that are reoccurring, repetitive, algorithms can handle easily or time-consuming. Choosing the right tasks to automate is key to the growth of a business. So, here are five easy ways to help automate your business.

1. Social Media Automation

Social media has become an essential part of any business, especially in small businesses. Social media can help businesses to build an online reputation, raise awareness for their products or services, engage customers and potential customers, get feedback, and demonstrate expertise.

Automating your social media is a great way to help boost productivity, with tools that integrate your social media platforms and schedule posts across various social media platforms. There are several available such as Buffer, Hootsuite, ContenCal, etc.

2. Integration of AI Learning

The capabilities of Artificial intelligence have grown significantly over the last decade. It is now possible to feed AI’s business metrics in the form of data points that allow AI to optimize your business activities like price and digital marketing send. The benefits of Integrating AI are not no exhaustive, as there are constant developments and updates.

3. Automated Updates and Responses

Setting up automated updates and responses is great for reoccurring activities that involve your customers. Such as automated email updates that welcome new subscribers or inform them of recent transactions with your business or business promotions

The automated updates can intelligently respond to basic questions and regular inquiries customers may have, based on pre-set guides.

4. Documentation and Data Gathering

Automation in business is not limited to digital relations alone; it is also useful in areas of data gathering and documentation. Several documents and data are transferred in email correspondence, and keeping track of all the paperwork can be very time-consuming and tiring.

With automation software such as ERP Development, all the paperwork and documentation are automatically sorted according to your pre-set rules.

5. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)software

ERP software one of the best ways to ensure effective business automation. As it is a system that centralizes various aspects of business process management i.e., human resources, logistics, finance, documentation, orders, billing, inventory, customer management, and all that comprises the said business. ERP is basically a business management software.

However, the ERP software is not a generic solution, as it must be developed to suit every businesses’ metrics. Therefore in ERP Development, the software system must be modeled after the metrics of every business.

Conclusively, the first step to ensuring effective automation is to observe the repetitive and time-consuming areas of your business. Also, the development of ERP software will help in centralizing all the aspects of your business.

Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?Firefighting can be an exhilarating career, filled with plenty of opportunities for advancement. There are many different jobs available in a fire department and knowing which one best suits you can help you determine what courses you’d like to pursue during training.

Investigator

Investigators do what the name suggests, investigate the probable cause of a fire. An investigator has typically undergone police training as well as receiving their firefighter certification Texas. If you like detective work and want to keep your fellow firefighters safe, this job may be for you.

Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal

The fire marshal assesses situations and examines buildings for potential danger. They head up the Fire Prevention Bureau to keep their town and citizens safe. The deputy fire marshal works closely with the fire marshal and sends teams to inspect new buildings to make sure they’re up to code.

Engineer

The engineers on the team are trained to drive the various types of fire engines. They’re also responsible for providing water, maneuvering ladders and setting up equipment.

HazMat

These firefighters are trained in how to handle hazardous materials. If chemicals are involved in a fire, these technicians have the proper equipment and training to handle it safely.

Paramedic

Most firefighters must have a basic EMT certification to help them respond to medical emergencies on the scene. The paramedics have more advanced training and are sent in to cover the most severe medical cases.

Airport Fire Rescue

Firefighters need to be specially trained to fight fires that arise at the airport or on an airplane. Airport fire trucks have special equipment designed to respond well to this location as they need speed, high water-capacity and off-roading capability.

Captain

Once you’ve been in the firefighting work force for a significant amount of time, you have the chance to be promoted to captain. As the captain, you’re in charge of the fire station and you’re responsible for the other firefighters on your team.

Chief

The next step above fire captain is fire chief. They have similar responsibilities as the captain, but farther reaching. Instead of being responsible for one station of firefighters, they are usually in charge of multiple stations.

As you can see, a firefighting career can be diverse and fulfilling. With so many specialty training options, you’ll be able to tailor your career to your strengths. This will allow you to advance quickly through the firefighting ranks.

How To Regain Or Maximize A Market Position

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Market Position|How To Regain Or Maximize A Market PositionAs the world begins to get used to no longer living a normal routine-like life, every business has to change how they operate. If you read Forbes or Fortune 500, you will have seen quite a few articles, spelling out the new business world that we are in now. The spread of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns around the world, has shifted how we work, how we think about business and consumerism, and most importantly, who our customers really are. Local SEO has become the highest priority of all, as supply chains and logistics have been massively disrupted and in some cases, halted altogether. Market share and thus positioning has become paramount, as those that fall by the wayside, leave openings to be filled. But just how do you regain lost ground or perhaps, capitalize on a hole in the market?

Stay relevant through blogging

Business blogs are the main way brands stay relevant in today’s fast-paced social media environment. Your content strategy is perhaps the single-most-important part of your market-hold or market-expansion campaign. Writing engaging content doesn’t come naturally to some, and thus business leaders should seriously consider outsourcing in this regard. Working with a trusted digital marketing agency that has a successful content marketing service makes perfect sense. They have a number of options in terms of a content type. They will create good blog posts that have sound SEO techniques, such as in-bound links, off-site links, authoritative linking, keyword and key phrase research and implementation, etc. They will also use expressive imagery, infographics, statistical reports, and educational videos.

Mixing up the content and giving viewers something new every time they click on your posts or links, keeps consumers coming back. They do so for a number of reasons.

  • They see your brand as an educational outlet. They learn something new about the products they like when reading your blog posts.
  • They feel part of something moving, happening and being part of the scene.
  • The visuals are entertaining, and they help them understand your brand.

Dog eat dog

Sadly many companies won’t have made it through 2020 and although this is unfortunate, it’s an opportunity for you. It’s a dog eat dog world, and those that survive do so because they are efficiently ruthless in their acquisition of other companies. Snapping up competitors is highly advised if you can afford it. Sometimes the best way to slay the competition is to simply buy them out and merge them into your brand or perhaps, make them a sister company. Capitalizing on today’s economic uncertainty and utter disarray is going to help you to stabilize your own business’s position in the market.

  • List your competitors and see who is failing.
  • Once you have this list, go through and select which of those companies, you would like to buy the most.
  • Do a little research and find out, which of your rivals are near insolvency and collapse.
  • Make a list of those that are and begin to contact them with the proposition to buying them out.
  • If they agree to talks, start the ball rolling by setting up an initial feel-out meeting.

Be more flexible

One way to regain your position in the market, is to just out-work the competition. Be more flexible in your working hours and allow employees to work longer hours while offering them more wriggle room in the pattern of hours they work. If some employees can work longer hours but they prefer to work at 12am to 9pm, instead of 9 to 5, they should be accommodated for.

It’s most likely, your workforce is largely operating from home anyway. So remote working should be recognized for the benefits it provides.

  • Do tasks need to be completed in unison? In other words, since employees no longer have to rely on colleagues to complete tasks at the same exact time, as you would in the office, could teams work at different times? Maybe your marketing team could work 9 to 5, but your sales team could operate from 5 to 12pm?
  • Could you offer employees time to work on the weekend instead of the weekdays? Maybe one team could work Tuesday to Sunday and another team, the usual 5 working days.

By working longer hours, working on the weekends, you will effectively have a business that doesn’t stop. Normally, the world of work begins on Monday and ends on Friday. Since you have a more flexible approach, there is constant progression of tasks and projects are continually being pushed forward, 7 days a week.

New product

When you need to penetrate into a new market or perhaps maximize your market position, making a new product is always a strong idea. It’s important to contemplate creating a brand new product instead of making a new iteration of an existing product because you want to show your customers and indeed the industry that you are innovating. Innovating companies always stand more chance of retaining loyal customers because they are offering something new. Customers who are loyal, want their favorite brands to make new products in the same sort of style they have become accustomed to.

  • It’s best to shoot for a short timeline to capitalize on a gap in the market. Or, you could release a marketing blitz campaign about your new product. Companies like Samsung do this because they want to wet the appetite of the markets well ahead of time. They release a trailer for a new phone that will take another 12-14 months to release.
  • Allow customers to get in on the product’s nature. Run a social media campaign, giving them multiple choice questions in the form of polls. They’ll feel directly involved in your business and thus, they will encourage the expansion. This confidence will filter out into the markets, and benefits such as increased investor appeal, may be your reward.

The pandemic has brought many companies to their knees and some have ultimately collapsed. Market share and position is thus, the number one urgency for brands around the world. These ideas have been proven to be successful in similar circumstances in the past, so you should consider the benefits they could bring for your business.

4 Guidelines for Starting Your Own Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | 4 Guidelines for Starting Your Own BusinessStarting your own business is a complex process that requires careful planning and important financial decisions. Here are a few steps to guide you through your journey and help get your business off the ground.

Reanalyze Your Idea

If you’re interested in starting your own business, you probably already have an idea of what you want to market. However, you’ll need to reanalyze your idea to ensure that it’ll offer something original to the public. Asking yourself questions such as, “Is there a need for this product?” and “Is this product innovative?” will help you determine whether your idea has the capacity to succeed.

Create a Business Plan

Once you’ve decided that your idea has what it takes, you’ll need to draft a business plan to take your business to the next level. Your business plan serves as a roadmap that details the various stages of development, ranging from start-up to eventual advancement. Mapping out your business plan can be a complicated process, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. A business coach near me can identify your business’ strengths and weaknesses, instill a sense of professional confidence and ultimately help you reach your goals.

Create a Financial Plan

Starting a business requires an initial investment before you can make a profit. Some of the costs you’ll have to cover include insurance, licenses, rent and utilities. One of the main reasons why small businesses fail early on is because they run out of money before earning a profit. Therefore, creating a financial plan can help you map out how much money you’ll need to launch your business and ensure that you have enough to keep things running smoothly for at least the first year.

Choose a Business Structure

There are four main types of business structures: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and limited liability company. A sole proprietorship is the most popular structure, in which you are the only person who owns and runs your business. In contrast, a partnership consists of two or more individuals. A corporation is owned by its shareholders, not individuals, and you won’t be personally held liable for your business’ debts. A limited liability company is similar to a corporation in terms of its protections, but it allows for similar tax benefits as a partnership. It’s important to educate yourself on the various business structures to ensure that you choose the best one for your business.

If your business doesn’t achieve success as quickly as you’d like, don’t be disheartened. Although starting your own business can seem overwhelming at first, following these steps will help you on the path to success.

5 Things Your Business Needs To Focus On In 2021

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business 2021|5 Things Your Business Needs To Focus On In 2021For anyone glancing back over 2019’s plans for 2020, it will become glaringly obvious that flexibility and survival were always going to come naturally for some companies, but for other companies, the very need to survive wasn’t even a consideration.

A Big Learning Curve

If 2020 has taught businesses anything, it’s that you need to be ready to be adaptable and that trusting our employees to work with you rather than against you is vital to the survival of any business -both large and small.

Here are five things that your business needs to be doing in 2021 to weather the storms to come over the next year and, hopefully, set yourself up in a better position to weather any storms in the medium and long-term future too.

Improve Your Website

The switch to online has accelerated in the last 12 months, and any business still relying on that ‘good old fashioned handshake’ to survive is being and will be left out in the cold.

Investing in your website now will improve your chances of survival, employ some professional web development services, and get involved to make sure your website works for your business as well as your customers or clients.

A Resilient Marketing Plan

All marketing strategies for 2020 went down the pan by about March time, and, as shown by the Keep Calm and Travel On campaigns, marketing had to adapt and change within days along with the changing guidelines issues by every country.

In 2021, as a vaccine is rolling out for a lot of the world’s major economies, your marketing department will need to be working overtime to keep up, so keep your marketing plan flexible and resilient, and don’t be afraid to pull campaigns at the last minute if needs be.

A Strong Remote Working Policy

Remote working and working from home has been popular for a few years, but in 2020 that took on a whole new look when hundreds of thousands of workers were forced to take their office home with them.

There’s not much you can do aside from going with the flow, but putting in some strong policies around expectations can help employees feel connected without feeling like they’re being micromanaged and monitored every five seconds of the day.

The Ability To Be Flexible

Flexibility is likely to be the new buzzword of 2021, and for a good reason.

With rolling lockdowns and changing restrictions coming every few weeks, you will need to now an incredible amount of flexibility around employees, time off, and working allowances to keep things going. Still, flexibility isn’t all bad and some employees, especially working dads, may be thriving in this new working atmosphere.

Focus on Talent Acquisition

While many companies will be considering sweeping redundancies in 2021, it’s important not to lose sight of talent acquisition.

If you can find new employees to cover the skillset that would normally take two or three employees, now might be the time to invest in better talent over just more talent.

Quality over quantity.