The Skills that Every Entrepreneur Must Have

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Entrepreneur Skills|The Skills that Every Entrepreneur Must HaveWhether you’re a homemaker turning a hobby into a business or a dedicated innovator looking to create the next big thing, there are certain basic skills that you can improve and build upon to enhance your chances of success. The simple fact is that most entrepreneurs have a great idea, yet have no idea how they can make this into a business. The following basic skills can be developed to enhance entrepreneurial businesses’ creative and innovative aspects.

Business management

You need to have a very good understanding of all the business functions if you are going to run your own business. The Bachelor’s in Business Management at Point Park is a great example of a professional means to create a great business knowledge foundation. Without a clear knowledge, understanding, and practical know-how of business processes and functions, it will be nigh on impossible to start your own business.

Teamwork/leadership

One of the top skills required by all those starting a business is leadership and teamwork. Being able to inspire others and create a solid working team has got to be one of the top skills to have and to practice ensuring that you have the team and drive to power the business.

Analytics and problem solving

In an age where data is taken so seriously, it is critical to have the understanding and knowledge to be able to gather and interpret data for the benefit of the business. Being able to think of solutions in an analytic fashion and solve problems are the must-have skills of any new business owner, and in the modern age, this cannot be done with big data.

Technology

There is a wide range of technology skills that every entrepreneur will need; those that are mentioned herein are the most basic that will be essential to have in place to then build upon. Cloud computing, mobile and remote access to work, smart and integrated hardware are essential for any new business. And last but not least, a clear understanding and appreciation of cyber security must be seen as part of these essential tech skills.

Communication and customer service

Communicating the brand story and benefits of the business to both customers and possible funders and investors is key to getting the business off the ground and keeping it there.

Time management

Linked to analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, a successful entrepreneur must be able to manage their time professionally. Keeping a detailed diary and using all the software at your disposal, such as Gantt charts and Workflow spreadsheets, will keep you on the ball and avoid you missing any critical meetings.

These are the skills that no entrepreneur can do without. Most can be learned and accessed in some form online, and the process of garnering the skills and starting the business can actually happen in tandem. However, it would be business suicide to expect to start and run a business without the skills noted herein, as these will be the foundational aspects that will keep your business running.

4 Business Services To Outsource In 2022

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Outsource|4 Business Services To Outsource In 2022Throughout the turbulent, unpredictable, and often even distressing business climate the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has, and is continuing to cause, if you are either the owner or manager of a business that has continued to trade then you are to be commended.

With the Covid-19 pandemic still exceedingly prevalent as the new year arrives, it is time to start buying yourself more time to give attention to the areas of concern within your business model. With that being said, continue reading to learn of the top four business services to outsource in 2022.

1. Recruitment Processes

Recruiting and hiring for new staff is one of the most time-consuming and vital responsibilities of running a business and as a result, outsourcing the entirety of your recruitment management is one of the best decisions you could possibly make.
The primary advantages of outsourcing your business’s main recruitment processes include the simple fact that it makes it easier to run the fundamentals of your business, the beneficial assistance gained from industry experts, and the fact that the right hire means your business is more likely to succeed in growth and expansion.

2. Social Media Management

Whether you like it or not, social media is a prominent, and possibly even necessary, tool in running a business—regardless of industry—in the modern world.

Content across all of your social media platforms should be consistent, uniform, and most importantly, exceedingly engaging so as to entice both recurring custom as well as new consumers of your products or services.

As successful social media management requires such a lot of time and effort to be spent on it, outsourcing this service often results in a large intake of new customers to a business. Other benefits of outsourcing social media management include the injection of fresh content and ideas, the delivery of immediate and effective results, the important saving of cash monies, and the enormous amount of time you will save to focus on other areas of the company.

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3. Vertical Transportation Systems’ Inspections

Obviously, one of the principal roles of a business owner or manager is to ensure the safety of every single employee and customer who enters your business premises, and the best way to do this is to ensure you have everything inspected as regularly as possible.

When it comes to your vertical transportation inspections, it makes perfect sense to outsource everything related to each system to ensure optimum safety, performance, and compliance, and professional escalator companies will deliver unrivaled services every single time.

4. Website Design

In 2022, especially due to more and more consumers choosing to shop online, your company’s official website needs to be as simultaneously aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly as possible.
Outsourcing your website design and maintenance will mean you will benefit from cost-effective yet professional assistance, save valuable resources, and of course save that much-valued commodity of time—not to mention unprecedented access to the latest and most innovative technologies to make your website as professional as possible.

Tips For Improving The Way Your Team Works

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Team Building|Tips For Improving The Way Your Team WorksDo you find that your team could be working much more effectively? There are many ways that you can improve the way that your team works, and these will depend on the kind of team that you are running and whether you are in the position to make some changes or not.
Here, we are going to give you some of our top tips for improving the way in which your team works. Keep reading to hear what these might be.

Introduce New Software

Is your team wasting time on things that could be done by a new piece of software? It can be easy to get bogged down by mundane tasks that need to be done but this can have a negative impact on the way that your team works. To combat this, you should try to invest in new software that your team can use to automate tasks and focus on the work at hand.

Improve The Working Space

If your team is being forced to work in a cluttered working space that is not good for aiding their creativity, then you might need to make some changes. To do this, you should spend a few days decluttering the workspace and call a junk removal service to come and pick everything up. Once you have done this, you can go about rearranging furniture and improving the working space that you have for your team.

Allow For Better Communication

Does your team know how to communicate effectively with each other and yourself? Communication is key in business and you need to make sure that there are appropriate channels that they can use to talk to each and solve problems quickly. Try to implement an open door policy and encourage team conversations to get your team working to the best of their ability.

Give Feedback

Our final tip for those who want to improve the way in which their team works is to try to give feedback. You should consider hosting weekly meetings with your team members to discuss their work and what they could improve on. This meeting should be a two-way conversation that allows them to discuss any issues. They should then take the feedback on board and improve their working style as time goes on.

Final Verdict

It is entirely possible to improve the way in which your team works if you know what to start with. Consider changing the work environment that they spend their days in and try to encourage communication in the office.
If you can follow the advice that we have given you in this article, then you should be able to get your team on track to getting results. It is important that your team knows how to work effectively together in order to have your business be a success. Follow our advice and you won’t regret it when you see a massive change.

The plain English no-nonsense guide to demand-side platforms (DSP)

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Demand-side platforms |The plain English no-nonsense guide to demand-side platforms (DSP)When paying for online advertising space, your business probably dips into a wide array of digital ad platforms – think the likes of Google Ads, Facebook Ads and probably many alternatives not quite as well-known to the average marketer.

However, approaching all of these platforms individually can be a cumbersome process costing you more time and money than strictly necessary. It’s therefore easy to see the appeal of demand-side platforms (DSPs), which collate online advertising opportunities from many different providers.

In a nutshell, why use a demand-side platform?

HubSpot defines a DSP as “an automated programmatic advertising platform where marketers can purchase and manage ad inventories from multiple ad sources.” Much of the attraction of using a DSP is summed up in the word “automated”, as it allows you to streamline the ad-sourcing process.

The main benefit of using a DSP, according to HubSpot, is that “you can manage all your digital ads across many networks on one interface.” The ads you can buy through a DSP include mobile ads on apps, banner ads on search engines and video ads on social media.

Hence, you don’t strictly need to set aside time to approach Google Ads, then Facebook Ads and so forth when you want to utilize many different advertising networks. Instead, you can just use one platform – a DSP – and leverage multiple networks through that single access point.

How do you actually source ad slots through a DSP?

Using a DSP can feel akin to participating in an auction conducted by robots. Through an automated system, DSPs buy and sell ads in real time, using what is known as programmatic advertising. The real-time nature of the proceedings enables ad placements to be auctioned off in milliseconds.

However, as with any auction, you should – before using one – think carefully about how much you would be willing to spend in the process. How much you do need to spend for online advertising can be determined on a cost-per-click and cost-per-action basis.

When using a DSP, you would specify your ad-buying budget so that the platform does not go over this when automatically fetching ad placements for you.

Using a DSP can bode well for you in the long term

This is because a DSP can help you to not only secure digital ads but also manage them for the long haul. As a TechFunnel article explains: “DSP platforms enable media buyers to manage campaigns from multiple channels, [and] optimize, analyze and gain insights into them in one interface.”

A DSP allows you to see, at a glance, the effectiveness of your ads – including impressions, clicks, click-through rates and conversion rates. While referring back to this data displayed on the reporting dashboard, you can tweak and optimize an ad campaign in the hope of improving results.

DSP advertising can even help you to build profiles of people who do see your ads. Each of these profiles can detail – for example – what type of content the user consumes and where and how often they click on the ads.

Tips To Break Into The Airbnb Market

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Airbnb|Tips To Break Into The Airbnb MarketThe Airbnb market is enormous, but there are no guarantees that you’ll be the next big thing. However, learning from other entrepreneurs who have succeeded in this space will increase your success chances. In this blog post, we highlight four tips to help you break into the Airbnb market and offer some advice on succeeding as an entrepreneur!

Look For Undervalued Properties

The best way to break into the Airbnb market is by finding undervalued properties. This can be done in a few ways: looking for areas that are growing and have a lot of potential or targeting currently underserved neighborhoods. By finding a place with lots of upside potential, you’ll ensure that your property will be in high demand.

Carefully Plan Your Renovations

Renovations can be costly, so it’s important to plan them carefully. When renovating for Airbnb, focus on features that will make your property stand out from the rest. This could mean adding unique amenities or focusing on high-end finishes. To keep costs as low as possible, try doing as much of the work yourself as you can. This way, you can keep your costs down through heavy equipment rental, sourcing your own material, and tackling labor yourself. It is essential not to do any work you are not qualified for, as quality is crucial when guests book an Airbnb.

Work Tirelessly To Become A Super Host

Superhosts are the cream of the crop when it comes to Airbnb hosts. They go above and beyond for their guests, offering excellent customer service and creating a truly unique experience. To become a Superhost, you’ll need to work tirelessly on your hosting skills. This means being responsive to inquiries, keeping your property clean and well-maintained, and being available to help guests with anything they need.

It’s also important to remember that Superhosts are always learning. So keep up with the latest trends in the Airbnb market, and make sure you’re implementing new features and amenities into your property.

Analyze The Airbnb Market In Your Area

It’s important to know your competition if you want to succeed in any market. When it comes to the Airbnb market, this means analyzing who your competitors are and what they’re offering. This information can help you decide on the type of property you should buy or renovate, as well as what amenities you should focus on.

You can also use this information to price your property correctly. If you’re aware of what similar properties are charging in your area, you can set a price that’s competitive while still making a profit.

It’s also important to stay up-to-date on the latest changes in the Airbnb market. This way, you’ll be able to make sure your property is always in high demand.

In conclusion, breaking into the Airbnb market can be daunting, but it’s not impossible. By following these tips, you’ll give yourself the best chance of success! Of course, the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship and business management are still key to success, so work tirelessly towards your vision, learn along the way and have fun every now and then.