What You Don’t Know May Be Hurting Your Business

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We tend to think of our companies in terms of what we can do, what we can bring to the table. However, while it is, of course, recommended to focus on those positive aspects of your business, you should also keep in mind that there are other things that’ll influence your chances of success. For example, the things that you don’t know. If you’ve got some blind spots in your knowledge bank, then your venture won’t be as watertight as it could be — and what’s more, you might not even know it. Below, we take a look at a few key areas where entrepreneurs often fall down.

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Your Competitors

You might think that you’re doing all the right things at your business, but are they as good as what other companies are doing? If you’re not actively keeping tabs on your competitors, then you should be. By checking the practices/products/services of other companies, you can see the areas in which you need to improve. Now, it’s not like you need to adopt everything that rival businesses are doing — just being aware and making sure you’re not falling behind will be enough.

How to Hire

You might have begun your venture as a one-person operation, but there will eventually come a point when you need to hire employees if you’re going to develop. If you’ve never been an employer before, however, then this might prove to be more difficult than originally thought. There are right and wrong methods for bringing a member of staff on board; get it right, and you’ll have an employee who can help push your company forward. Get it wrong, and you’ll have an expensive mistake on your hands. As well as knowing how to hire, you’ll also need to look at yourself, and learn how to work with others. You won’t get the full benefits of having an employee if you can’t properly delegate work.

Specialized Fields

It’s not possible to be all things for your company. You’ll be spreading yourself too thin if you’re the leader, the paper pusher, the receptionist, and so on. And there’s another reason why you shouldn’t take on all the tasks: some are specialized, and too important to be handled by a non-expert. We’re talking about things like your internet marketing. Because SEO is so important to the success of a business, you’ll want to work with a company such as Local Spark Marketing. Other areas of your business you’ll want to outsource include your accounting and legal matters – these are complex tasks that require expert hands to ensure they’re completed correctly. You may also find it very useful to take a look at this Data Analytics Infographic; it is so important to consider analytics if you want to be successful in your career. Understanding the big picture of how your marketing strategies impact certain target demographics, can really help you to hone in on your audience. Exploring the impact of data analytics might be worth the while if you want to specialize in this industry.

Where You’re Going

While you’ll want to mostly focus on the day to day tasks of your company, you should also keep an eye on the future. If you don’t, then you might find that it arrives and you’ve got nothing in the pipeline; you are just where you were two years ago. Additionally, you’ll also want to stay on top of any upcoming issues that may affect your industry in general.

Why Your Business Needs To Be Tech-Savvy From The Get-Go

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We’re well into the second half of 2019 now, and boy do we have some crazy hardware, software, and apps around. Everywhere you go, and almost everywhere you look, you’re bombarded with a piece of technology. The future really is now; lord knows what our communities will look like in a decade or so. If you look back at around twenty years ago; you’ll picture things being awfully different to now.

From a business and money-making standpoint, it’s kind of crazy how many opportunities to earn a good living are based around the tech and gadgets we have in our households. For example, you could sit in your home working on a website, and within two years, you could be the CEO of a thriving online business. It would obviously take a lot of work, but it’s completely possible – isn’t that amazing?!

With that said, if you’re currently running a business or you’re planning on launching one, then you might want to get yourself online and figure out how it all works pronto. There are still some old-school business and old methods being applied, but they’ll soon be swallowed up by an industry that is only going to grow from here on in. There will be more and more tech in our faces as the years go by, so you’ll need to get to grips with this stuff ASAP.

It’s not a mad rush; don’t panic. But you will want to be a tech-savvy company with a sexy online presence sooner rather than later – the success is waiting for you; all you have to do is get with the times. Here’s why it’s probably a good idea to have modern online existence right from the word ‘go.’

You’re Ready Immediately

A proactive attitude is better than a reactive one. If you’re constantly on your heels and behaving to what happens around you, then you’ll also ways be second best. Beginning on the front foot is the right way to go about things.

You’ll Look A Lot More Attractive Overall

When you look at a company’s website to learn a little more, how annoying is it when the site isn’t available because it’s not ready yet? Quite. First impressions are key, so you’ll want to make sure that people’s perceptions of you are great right from the start. Being online and knowing what you’re doing in this walk on life also looks a lot more professional. People are comfortable being around a group that knows what they’re doing.

You Can Be Protected At All Times

If you know your onions, then you’ll know that you can be attacked by hackers and alike at any time. Knowing what you have to do in terms of cybersecurity may save you a lot of stress and a lot of money. Getting help from companies like Vertex Solutions early on can save you any hassle or heartbreak as they’ll keep you secure and deter any wrongdoers.

You Can Evolve Quickly

Sooner or later, technology and different apps are going to go one further and become something even more powerful. If you’re in the position to move with the times, then that’s only going to be beneficial. If you’re stuck in the past and aren’t really familiar with what’s around now, then you’ll be forever playing catch-up.

How To Run A More Successful Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | How To Run A More Successful BusinessIt’s important that you’re always trying to improve if you want to run a more successful business. You may be getting by as it stands today but this type of approach isn’t what’s going to help you grow and reach your full potential in the long run.

It’s important to take matters into your own hands and figure out ways for how you can set and achieve your goals in a timely manner. You’ll find your job that much more rewarding when you’re able to overcome obstacles you’re facing and reach new heights. Avoid wondering what could be, and instead focus on putting the following ideas into action so you can experience future success at your business.

Deliver on Your Promise

One way to deliver on your promise is to have a strategy in place that you can execute on time and time again. Always provide great service and never let your reputation or quality of work and products come into question. For example, check out how one company came up with a winning formula for solving problems related to designing Silicone wound care products for their customers. The more consistently you deliver on your promise the more business you’re going to be able to retain and win over.

Hire Leaders

Your company will experience greater success when you have leaders in place who are supporting you with your endeavors. As you expand your company over the years, you’re not going to be able to execute on all you want to do by yourself. You’ll need individuals in influential roles who can help you move the needle in a forward and positive direction and ensure that your company becomes a leader in your industry.

Organize Your Finances

Run a more successful business by understanding your financial situation and what money you have going out and coming in each month. Know where the majority of your profits are stemming from and take time to recognize and cut unnecessary spending. You’ll find that your company performs a lot better when you’re making wise financial decisions and avoiding making assumptions when it comes to your books and record keeping.

Take Calculated Risks

Another way to run a more successful business includes being willing to take calculated risks when the situation calls for it. Sitting back waiting for opportunities to come to you will likely leave you feeling defeated and frustrated at the end of the day. So, it’s important to step up and take initiative, and to figure out ways for how you can outsmart your competitors and innovate your products or services to show you’re committed to evolving over time and not settling for a mediocre business.

Conclusion

Your business will become more successful when you’re willing to fix problem areas and focus on the right types of projects. Use these tips as a starting point for coming up with a winning formula that will make a real difference in your performance and customer satisfaction scores. Be sure to track your progress so you can see exactly which modifications are bringing you the greatest rewards.

How to Choose a Good Business Partner

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Having a business partner is beneficial for a huge number of reasons. If you want to reap these benefits, then you have to make sure that you choose someone who is reliable as well as someone who can devote the same amount of time and energy into the company structure.

Trust

Trust is essential if you run a small business. If you don’t trust someone with your bank details, you shouldn’t appoint them as your business partner. This is a very simple rule, but it can save you from making a bad hiring decision. It may even help to search your partner online to see what organisations they have been involved with. Here’s an example, of Aubrey Ferrao.

Friendship

If the person you are hiring is a good friend, then you may think that they are a good fit for your business. This is great, but you do have to make sure that their goals align with your own. They need to be responsible for the company and they also need to have a good level of devotion too. If your friend is going through some personal problems, then this could complicate your business operation and sometimes this can cause issues.

Always have a Trial Run

Another thing that you can do is appoint someone who you already have experience working with. This way you know if they are a team player and you also know if their personality reflects the business you operate. If you do a trial run, you won’t have to let them down or fire them. You simply make a call at the end of the trial period and you can also avoid setting any unrealistic expectations.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | How to Choose a Good Business Partner

Focus on Varied Strengths

Make sure that your partner’s strengths are different from your own. If you and your partner are good at sales but nobody is good at customer service, then this won’t help you on an operational level. Running the business will become much more challenging and you may even find that you don’t benefit from having a partner at all. To get around this, find someone who is able to compliment your strengths and balance everything out as much as possible.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | How to Choose a Good Business Partner

Balance your Responsibilities

Both parties need to agree up-front what responsibilities they are going to have. You also need to make sure that you stick to them too. If you have one person who is trying to take over and do everything then this won’t do your company any favours and you may even find that the partnership itself unravels.

Talk about Money at the Start of your Partnership

Money can cause major problems in a business. Therefore, you need to agree in the beginning what kind of funding you are going to use and even how you are going to distribute the profits too. If you are able to discuss this properly from the beginning, then this will really help you out in the future and you may even find that you and your partner have a better relationship.

8 Tips For Newbie Freelance Writers

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Freelance Writer|8 Tips For Newbie Freelance WritersSome get into freelance writing because they want the flexibility, others because they love to write, most are probably somewhere in between! Whatever the reason behind braving the freelance writing world, as a newbie you might be in search of a little advice to help you along your way.

Get blogging

When you’re starting out, you’ll definitely want to get yourself a blog as part of your website. You’ll still be honing your craft at this stage; so your blog can help you to create samples for your portfolio and improving your writing. If you’re looking to write in a niche area, then you should generally focus all your blog content around this topic. The great thing about blogs is that it’s easy to get plugins that can link to your social media. If you promote your content enough, it’s more likely that potential clients will discover you.

Teach yourself SEO

When you are writing web-based content for clients, it’s often all about search engine optimization. Due to this, if you make it your mission to teach yourself about SEO, then you’ll ensure that you have the skills you need (and you won’t have to try and wing it)! Teach yourself about basic keyword research, meta titles, anchor text, and how to best format an article.

Perfect your research skills

As a freelance writer, you’ll want to ensure that your research skills are top-notch. Ensure that you are using credible sources and properly fact-checking all of the information that you come across. Don’t just go for the first sources that you find, if you take a look at the writing and the quality isn’t high, keep looking. Take your time, find reports, statistics, and quotes to support your writing. Practicing thorough research for your blog articles can help you to improve these skills for when it comes to dealing with clients.

Plan & Organize

When you are managing multiple projects for a range of different clients, it’s vital that you plan and get as organized as you can. Set yourself a schedule which helps you to allocate the time that you need to work on each piece of writing. Don’t take on too many projects when you are starting out. In the beginning, it’s likely to take you longer to complete your research and writing, so make allowances for this.

Get on top of your invoices

One of the challenges of being a freelance writer is keeping on top of your invoicing and ensuring that each client pays you on time. To help you with this, it’s a good idea to use freelance invoice software. Doing so can help you to create invoices and automate the chasing up of your payments too. Ensure that you keep records of all your invoices for tax purposes later down the line.

Keep redrafting

When your still a newbie, you can’t expect everything you write to be amazing straight away. If you’re writing something and you don’t like the sound of it, just keep going. Get the first draft done and you can come back to perfect it later. You’ll often need several first drafts to get something to the standard that you want. Over time, you’ll get quicker, and the redrafting process will become easier!

Use tools

There are a range of tools and apps out there that you will want to take advantage of as a beginner freelance writer. Grammarly is a great tool that can help you to run a thorough check of your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It’s often handy to have a tool like this to check your work (especially when your a few projects in and your eyes are heavy)! If your working from home it can be easier to become distracted so you can also make use of some productivity apps to help you to stay on track.

Keep searching

If you want to keep gaining new clients and stay afloat, it’s vital to keep searching for new projects. Make sure that you SEO optimize your freelancer website and advertise your services on LinkedIn. Look on sites like Problogger or Upwork to source new jobs. You should also ask your clients so far for testimonials that you can use on your website. Testimonials will allow you to show off your credibility and gain more interest. The more that you improve your portfolio, the easier it becomes to get more work (so hang in there)! Treat your website as a way to market yourself as a business.