How to Make Your Entire Supply Chain Greener

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Supply Chain|How to Make Your Entire Supply Chain GreenerAs more and more businesses start to pay attention to how they operate in greener and more efficient ways, one of the things that your business can’t afford to overlook is its supply chain. It’s all well and good making your business green, but if the tentier company depends on a supply chain that’s anything but environmentally friendly, it doesn’t mean much. So here’s how to make your entire supply chain greener.

Reduce Distances

Using more local resources is one of the things you can do to make the supply chain of your business a bit greener. When you reduce the amount of distances that products need to travel, it makes it easier for you to reduce your carbon emissions. If you’re supplying items from the other side of the world, that’s obviously going to cause a much greater impact on the planet.

Plan Smarter Routes

The routes you plan can also have an impact when it comes to how green your supply chain is. If you can make sure that you’re taking the smartest and most efficient routes, you should be able to make your supply chain greener than it was before. If you’ve been using the same routes for transporting and distributing goods for a long time, you might not even be aware of how outdated or inefficient they are.

Use Electric Vehicles for Transportation

Another thing to consider when it comes to transportation is using electric vehicles. It’s something that most businesses are now able to embrace. By committing to only transporting goods on the road with electric vehicles, you’ll massively reduce the environmental impact of your business and its entire supply chain. As EVs become more affordable, it’s something more and more businesses are doing. It’s definitely an option for you to explore.

Work with Suppliers That Take a Sustainable Approach

Working with suppliers who are as committed to green changes just as much as you are is obviously something that’s very important. Superior Farms is an example of a food company that’s committed to those goals, and there are similar options in just about every industry and niche. All you need to do is go out of your way to find them and see if you can then work together.

Shrink the Packaging

Shrinking the packaging and making sure that you’re not wasting resources with the packaging you choose is something that’ll be really important. Having green practices in place will be meaningless if you’re relying on tons of plastic to get your products into stores and to customers. So try to find alternative packaging methods and do what you can to shrink the packaging.

It might seem like a lot of work and effort, but taking gradual steps to make your supply chain as green and efficient as it can be will not only help the planet; it’ll help your business too. It becomes a selling point and by maximizing efficiency, you can save yourself a lot of money too.

Don’t sell the steak – sell the sizzle

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Selling|Don't sell the steak - sell the sizzleIn business, it’s all too often too easy to sell the steak rather than the sizzle. That is, to focus on what people are buying rather than why they should buy it.

Most consumers will purchase your product because it’s functional and fulfills a need in their lives. If you want your products to fly off the shelves, you must also give them an incentive- an emotional benefit- that doesn’t come with just any purchase of your product. Don’t just tell them “here is our newest release” or “our product lasts longer”.

Even a humble compression spring has a sizzle to be sold

When you look at humble compression springs it can be hard to see beyond the fact that a spring is springy. How can you look at a spring and come up with a story to sell it?

A compression spring’s history

It’s history for a start. In 1763 by R Tradwell filed the first patent for a coiled spring which was used to replace the leaf spring in automotive suspension systems. Another interesting patent for a compression spring was filed in 1865 when the use of a compression spring in a mattress was patented.

Comfort is the common factor in both patents. So why not build on this history? It’s all about knowing what makes people buy. The proof is in the history books. People want to buy comfort while they sleep, they want to be able to go on a long journey without the fear of their car breaking down, and they certainly don’t want the risk of their body being uncomfortable in any way at home or at work.

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A sizzle to support your steak – ease of use

The next product sizzle that you may be able to build around is easy of use. Ballpoint pens offer writers a clean writing experience that has been improved by the inclusion of a spring that allows the pen’s nib to be stored with the pen ensuring fewer leaks.

As you can see, even a humble spring has features and benefits that can be used to create a sizzle to sell.

Creating the sizzle

To create a sizzle that is going to sell, you must ensure that everyone on the development team, from the marketing and sales teams to the engineers and the QA testers, are all part of the process. If you don’t do this and try it all yourself or go at it alone you won’t be able to build a product with a good enough sizzle.

It’s important to build a product with a good sizzle because in today’s competitive market if you want to succeed you need to stand out. To stand out, you need an edge that is going to make your product sell.

To come up with a good product idea, break down the composition of your product, or the process behind it. From there draw on the history of your business and its products. You may be able to find something that has gone before that can help you create a story about your new product.

Every new product is an opportunity for you to give customers an added benefit that they won’t get from anyone else.

Here are the Biggest Hiring Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right Now

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Hiring Mistake|Here are the Biggest Hiring Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right NowIf you want to make sure that you hire the right people for your team then you have come to the right place. Here you can find out what mistakes people make when hiring team members, while also finding out if there is anything that you can do to avoid them yourself in the future.

Hiring without a Set Process

Meeting and even interviewing candidates for the job becomes too easy if you are an experienced business owner. You may find that it is too easy for you to hire someone based on your gut feeling and that everything else goes out of the window. If you want to do something about this, then you need to make sure that you have a process in place so that you can make sure that you end up making the right decisions from the get-go.

Not Knowing what You Need

Not knowing what kind of person you need to hire often means that you hire a generalist. You may also hire people who are good at everything, and this may not be what you need. Before you dive right into the recruitment process, you have to make it clear that you know the person you need for the job, and you also need to be clear on your recruitment process. If you are aware of what you need, then you may find that you can let your potential candidates know, and this will save you and them money, time and energy. During the screening process, it is a good idea for you to have a list of criteria that you are looking for, so you can then take steps to eliminate who is and who is not fit for the job.

Hiring without Testing

It is very easy for you to hire someone based on what they say. They may look like they are the cream of the crop, and they may look like they can do just about anything in a very short space of time. One way for you to check to see if people are able to show the skills you need would be for you to set them tests. You can find a lot of these online so that you can test how proficient someone is or even their aptitude. You can do this depending on the field of your industry. Remember, it is also more than possible for you to create your very own test so that you can see how they do. You can do this during the interview, or right after, so you can find out if they are a good fit for your team. Remember, employee screening should be an essential part of your process too.

Of course, there are many things that you can do to make sure that you are hiring the right team, and if you follow this guide, you should find that you are able to come out on top without experiencing any issues at all. Why not implement these tips for yourself today?

The Secrets to a Successful Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Secrets to a Successful Business|The Secrets to a Successful BusinessThere are many secrets to a successful business. However, not every business knows what they are. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most important secrets that you need to know in order to be successful. We will also provide tips on how you can apply these secrets to your own business. So, if you are ready to learn what it takes to be a success, keep reading!

1. Have a Clear Vision and Mission

Your business needs to have a clear vision and mission. What do you want your business to achieve? What are your goals? When you have a clear vision and mission, it is easier to stay focused on what is important and make progress towards your goals.

You can create a vision statement for your business by answering the following questions:

  • What kind of company do you want to be?
  • What values will guide your decisions?
  • What impact do you want to make?
  • How will you know if you are successful?
  • When creating a mission statement, ask yourself the following questions:
  • What problem does my company solve, or how does my product improve people’s lives?
  • What are the unique benefits of my company or product?

Your vision and mission should be something that you can always refer back to when making decisions for your business. It is important to remember that these statements should be achievable but also challenging enough so that you continue to strive for excellence.

2. Have a Strong Team

No business is successful without a strong team. You need people who are passionate about what they do and are committed to helping your business succeed. When you have a great team in place, it makes everything easier. They can help with tasks such as marketing, sales, product development, and more.

In order to build a strong team, you need to find the right people. This cannot be easy since not everyone is a good fit for your company. However, there are a few things you can do to make the process easier:

  • Make sure your company culture aligns with the candidate’s values
  • Check their references
  • Do an interview that focuses on their skills and how they will contribute to the team
  • Make sure they are a good fit for the company culture

It is also important to provide your team with the resources they need to be successful. This includes things such as training, development opportunities, and a positive work environment.

When you have a strong team in place, it will make running your business much easier.

3. Have a Strong Marketing Strategy

No matter how great your product or service is, if no one knows about it, you will not be successful. This is why it is important to have a strong marketing strategy in place. Your marketing strategy should include things such as:

  • A plan for reaching your target market
  • Tactics for attracting new customers
  • How you will measure the success of your marketing efforts

It is also important to continually update your marketing strategy so that it remains relevant. As consumer trends and technology change, you need to make sure your marketing tactics are keeping up.

When you have a strong marketing strategy in place, it will help increase awareness of your business and bring in more customers.

4. Safeguard Your Business

No business is immune to risk. There are many things that can go wrong such as Web Scraping. This is why it is vital to have a plan in place for safeguarding your business. This includes having insurance, a disaster recovery plan, and security measures in place. When you have a safeguard plan in place, it gives you peace of mind knowing that you are prepared for anything that could happen. It also helps protect your business from potential losses. Having a safeguard plan in place is essential for any business owner who wants to protect their investment.

5. Have a Strong Financial Plan

It is not easy to be successful in business if you are not making money. This is why it is important to have a strong financial plan in place. Your financial plan should include:

  • A budget
  • How you will make money and how much profit you expect to make
  • What your expenses will be
  • How you will invest in your business

When you have a solid financial plan, it makes it easier to stay on track and achieve your goals. It also allows you to make better decisions for your business since you have a clear understanding of its financial health.

In conclusion, there are many things you can do to help your business be successful. However, by following these five secrets, you will be on the right track.

Readjusting Your Business During The Pandemic

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business during the pandemic|Readjusting Your Business During The PandemicThe pandemic is not over, much as we would all like it to be, and it is as important as ever to make sure that you are taking it into account when you make major and even some of the minor decisions you need to make in your business, every day. In fact, most businesses are going through a process of constant readjustment in order to keep up with the many changes of the world right now. So how can you make sure that you are doing this right – and what kinds of adjustments might you need to make in this regard?

Build Your Customer Relationships

In order to continue to survive as a business, you need to make sure that you have some strong customer relationships. This is often easier said than done, but it is something which you can be sure to work on easily enough if you want to make sure you see your business through these testing times. To build on your customer relationships, let them know you value them, and make things as easy for them as possible – for instance, by ensuring that you are easy to find online and easily contactable.

Maintain Social Distancing Without Harming Productivity

This is one of the puzzles that most businesses have been struggling with recently, but it is hugely important to make sure that you are aware of some of the solutions. In fact, it is perfectly possible in most scenarios to maintain social distancing without harming productivity, but you do need to think carefully about how you are going to achieve it. For instance, social distancing in the office by allowing people to work from home, and changing shifts around so that there are fewer people but all the same work still gets done when it needs to.

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Secure Your Finances

Finances are always important for a business, of course, but it is vital that you are looking after your business’ money at this turbulent time. You never quite know what might happen at the moment, so being able to have something to fall back on is certainly going to be helpful in any case. Securing your finances is easily achieved as long as you make a point of planning ahead, and you are budgeting your business accordingly. If you can do that, you should find that you are able to be in a much safer position on the whole.

Consider Alternative Products & Services

Sometimes, it can prove helpful to have a variety of different products and services which you can turn to, especially if your business is particularly struggling with the changes of the pandemic. If your business can shift gears in some important way, you are more likely to survive these strange times, so this is certainly something that you will want to bear in mind as best as you can. If nothing else, you are going to find that it keeps you busy and you are not over-relying on this or that, which is always wise.