Tips on How You Can Grow Your Business

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Grow your business|Tips on How You Can Grow Your BusinessEveryone wants to succeed in the business world, yet not everyone achieves the goal since some lack the tools, skills, and attitude to grow their businesses. Many start their businesses thinking that they will open their doors, turn on their computers, and start making money even as the business grows. Unfortunately, this has never been the case since growing a business is more challenging than many think and needs many sacrifices.

Here are six simple steps you can use to help your small business grow and achieve the success everyone is hoping for.

Enhance Creativity

Always be in the business of looking for ways to improve your business and make it stand out from the many competitors. One of the ways you can use to reach the market is through proper branding through a design cloud that is fast, flexible, and affordable. This will change how your business uses graphic design to reach the target market.

Stay Focused

“Rome was never built in a single day; thus, starting your own business never implies that you are going to start making money straight away and grow. As much as it will take you time to grow, always stay focused as people recognize you in the market, and with time, you will succeed. Besides your long-term goals, make sure you also focus on the short-term goals that are very necessary to grow to newer heights.

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Keep Good Records

If you want your business to succeed, you must keep detailed records of your finances, assets, and even liabilities. This will help you know where your business is, the hurdles you have to overcome to grow, and the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. In addition, knowing your financial position backed with the records will give you time to strategize on how you can overcome any challenge and be ahead of your competitors.

Be Organized

If you want to grow and enjoy much success in your business, organization is vital as it will help you complete tasks in the proper order. First, you have to create a to-do list that will help you plan your day and stay on top of tasks to be done. Then, as you complete every job, you must check it off to ensure you don’t forget any of them.

Make Sacrifices

The lead-up to growing your business is hard work and sacrifices right from when you open your doors. In most cases, you have to put in extra effort and spend more time at work than with your family. You will have to make both financial sacrifices and time to stay ahead of your competitors, who are also coming up with better strategies to be ahead of the curve.

Conclusion

Instead of growing, approximately 20% of businesses fail in the first two years of operation, while another 45% fall in the first five years. The failure to grow can be associated with a lack of strategies and a proper plan. The tips mentioned above can help you achieve success and help your business grow.

Small Business Owners: Here Are 8 Services You Shouldn’t Skip if You Want to Grow Your Business

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Small business owners|Small Business Owners: Here Are 8 Services You Shouldn't Skip if You Want to Grow Your BusinessIf you’re a small business owner, then there’s a good chance that your biggest goal is to grow. You do have a few cards in your favor: the internet has made it easier than ever for you to reach new customers all over the globe. But to capitalize on this opportunity, you need to take a look at the services that could help your company grow even more. No matter what type of business you’re in, one of these eight services is critical for your company’s growth.

1. Online Marketing

If you want to grow your business quickly, you can’t skip out on online marketing. One recent study found that internet users in the United States spend an average of 16 hours a week on their computers and mobile devices. That’s a lot of time spent browsing the internet, and it could translate into a lot of lost sales. You can effectively double your reach by adding a company website to your existing advertising efforts. Plus, you can use this space to provide more detailed information about your company’s offerings and services. Visitors are more likely to stay on your website for a more extended period if they can easily find what they’re looking for.

2. Online Payroll Services

The payroll department is one of the essential parts of any business, but it’s also one of the most overlooked. By handling payroll in-house, you may end up paying high fees that force you to do business with an expensive payroll service. Instead, it would be best to consider using an online payroll service. These services can offer you the same benefits as your local payroll company, but they’ll do it all electronically, so there’s no time wasted. At the end of the month, you’ll have a fully-filed and complete payroll report that all employees will receive.

3. Online Office Supplies

The growing popularity of office supplies like coffee shops, bookstores, and even restaurants has made everyday office supplies in high demand. That has made office supply stores a precious asset. However, if you’re operating a small business, it’s important to note that in-store prices tend to be higher than their online counterparts. Instead of driving out to an office supply store, you should use an online office supplies shop like Staples or Amazon. These services will sell the same goods at a lower cost, and they offer fast shipping so your business can keep running smoothly.

4. Employee Management Tools

To be successful, you need employees who are happy and productive. But that’s easier said than done if your employees have no idea what to do or how to do it. Fortunately, you can take advantage of the growing popularity of free employee management tools that can help you manage your workforce. It is crucial if you are running a distributed team. You can use these tools to help your team members stay on the same page with their work. It will also help you keep track of task-specific details. And if an employee is struggling, you’ll be able to know right away and help them improve. There is not much difference in the work management tools you may use when running distributed versus remote teams. If a service is helpful for one, it’s useful for the other.

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5. Accounting Services

The last thing you want is to lose a lot of money from making an error on your taxes. Fortunately, you can use online accounting services to help prevent that from happening. You can use these services to keep track of your business’s figures and keep an eye on your transaction. You’ll be able to import your accounting data into these online services and make sure you’re doing everything right. Once you have everything posted, you’ll have an audit report that your tax advisor will be able to read. By using an online accounting service, you will be able to save on costs that you would otherwise have to pay to a full-time accountant.

6. Customer Service Tools

Customer service can get very complicated for small businesses if they don’t have the expertise to handle customer issues. However, you can find excellent customer service tools that make managing customer support more accessible. Some of the most popular customer service tools include live chat, a web form, and email. For example, you can provide live chat support on your website so that customers can get an answer in real-time. You can also have a form where visitors can submit their complaints or questions. Or, if using email is more convenient for them, you could have an auto-responder that routes emails to the right people in the company.

7. Online Communications

Paying for an internet marketing service can cost a lot of money, so you should check out other options before committing to one. One of the best ways to get more exposure is scheduling social media posts on your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles. This way, you can attract many new followers who have been looking for a local business in town. But don’t forget about email marketing either. You can create an email campaign centered around a marketing offer and send it out to your list of customers. It’s important to send these emails out promptly because if you do not get them off your list, they’ll probably end up in the spam folder. Allowing customers time to sign up for your email list can make them more likely to buy products or services once you launch the campaign.

8. Contact Management

It’s essential to keep in touch with everyone in your network. By using a contact management tool, you’ll be able to maintain current relationships and build new connections. Many different contact management tools are available for business professionals, but one of the most popular is LinkedIn. This service allows you to connect with thousands of professionals who can help grow your company. You can use LinkedIn Groups and the website’s career section to look up potential employees and even vendors that can help you further your business’ reach and success. By carefully planning your social media strategy, you’ll be able to connect with new people who can share your business. Using the right tools at the right time can increase your reach and ultimately increase profits.

9. Employee Training Services

If you want to grow your business, you will need trained employees. But if you can’t afford to pay an expensive training expert, you can still use some free strategies. One of the best ways to train employees is using mentor programs to learn from an experienced business owner, ask questions, and clarify mistakes or frustrations. The best way to stay current on training is by joining communities of professionals like LinkedIn. You’ll be able to find people who share your same interests and connect with them for professional advice. It’s also essential to train employees to use the tools you’re already using. It will help you make sure all of your employees are using the right equipment in the right way.

Summing Up

As you can see, several services are essential if you want to grow your business. Whether you’re a small team or a large corporation working with multiple remote offices, these services can help your company improve in all the right ways. Remember, when you develop your staff, you are creating the potential of your business. Moreover, It doesn’t matter if you are a one-person team or a huge corporation. These services can help you stay competitive and improve your bottom line.

How to Grow Your Business: Pro Tips for Managers

StrategyDriven Managing Your Busines Article |Grow your business|How to Grow Your Business: Pro Tips for ManagersAre you trying to grow your business but feel like you keep running into a brick wall? Don’t worry; this is a common experience that all managers go through at some point in time. It’s the nature of the business world: nothing is supposed to be easy!

Fortunately, you can put the following pro tips into action if you need a boost. These tips will help to protect your business, get it on the right track, and ultimately make growth a realistic possibility.

Hire security guards

For your business to grow, it first needs to be protected. Otherwise, you’ll be at risk of break-ins and theft, which could lead to devasting cost damages.

If your current business premises isn’t protected – whether it’s a small commercial office or a large, multi-floor building – you should consider hiring security guards who will be able to provide controlled gate access, entry point monitoring, and more. Get started by visiting https://usprotective.net/commercial/.

On top of this, you should also have security cameras and alarms installed throughout and around your building for extra protection. Security cameras, in particular, are a great deterrent for would-be criminals, so make sure to bear this in mind.

Create an interesting, emotion-driven marketing campaign

It only takes one really good marketing campaign to get your business off the ground and into space in the modern age. If you strike gold with a marketing campaign, it will get shared across all the major social media platforms; gaining your business some major traction.

Here’s an example of an excellent marketing campaign. Back in 2013, Dove launched their ‘Dove Real Beauty Sketches’ campaign, and it gained a lot of positive attention online.

Essentially, the aim of the campaign was to draw attention to women’s beauty standards and how they have led to many women having low (and untrue) perceptions of themselves.

In the promotional video (which you can watch on YouTube), participants in the campaign had to describe themselves to sketch artists. After this, their partners and friends were asked to describe them to sketch artists, too.

The sketches derived from their friend’s descriptions were much more beautiful and realistic than the ones derived from the actual participants, creating a powerful message.

Regarding this campaign, Dove state:

‘More than 50 million people viewed the Dove video within 12 days of its release. To date, Real Beauty Sketches has been viewed almost 180 million times. We want the film to continue to inspire every single one of the 80% of women who feel anxious about how they look to reconsider their view of their own beauty’.

The point is clear: when a marketing campaign is good, it will gain lots of clicks and have a lasting impact for years after.

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Improve your business homepage

Your business homepage should include enticing imagery, good branding, effective call-to-action, and your contact details. On top of this, it’s also a good idea to include a customer service chatbot in the corner to help guide any visitors to your website who need assistance.

Implement a hybrid work model

Modern business managers have embraced hybrid work models. Hybrid work models allow employees to work from home and enjoy greater flexibility. It also allows business managers to hire new and talented employees from different cities and countries.

Lastly, embrace the hard times

Remember, your business growth journey isn’t supposed to be easy. However, by following the tips above and placing your focus on the right key areas, you’ll be able to grow and expand your business over the coming years.

How To Ensure Your Business Move Across States Goes As Smoothly As Possible

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business Move|How To Ensure Your Business Move Across States Goes As Smoothly As PossibleIf moving house is one of the three most stressful events in your personal life, then relocating your business premises to another state must be one of the top three in your professional career.

With that being said, continue reading to discover how to ensure that your business moves from one state to another goes as smoothly as can be expected.

Start Planning Early!

Planning (when it pertains to relocating your business premises) is absolutely paramount and must always involve checking all the proverbial legal boxes as well as the practical ones.

Ensure you always keep both your employees and customers informed and updated, the former so you are unlikely to lose any valuable employees that have initially agreed to transfer to the new location and the latter to ensure that your customers feel important and valued.

Some of the best ways to maintain relationships with both customers and staff ahead of the move include, but are categorically in no way limited to:

  • Ordering and using stationery with your new contact details clearly displayed
  • Informing any relevant authorities or legal practices of your move in good time
  • Speaking personally to corporate companies and informing them of the change in location
  • Including a map to find your new location with every e-mail and mail correspondence
  • Consulting the relevant trade union representatives for your business and departments
  • Holding weekly employee briefings to update them on every step of the relocation process and progress

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Ensure There Are No Gaps In Operation

Before, during and naturally after the move, it is vital to ensure that your business is operating completely normally and the products or services you offer do not suffer in quantity, quality or speed at which they are provided. Additionally, your customer service standard should not be compromised during this time in any way.

Managing & Directing The Moving Day

The moving day itself needs to be planned and scheduled as much as feasibly possible and one of the most beneficial and cost-effective things to do is to contact a professional and established company such as Acertus automotive logistics who will help with ensuring your company’s vehicles arrive safely at your new destination.

With the threat of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic ever-present in today’s modern world right now, always remember to execute each phase of the re-location process as safely and securely as possible. Accessibility is of vital importance, for your employees and where applicable, your new premises needs to be up to date with both the moral and legal accessibility rules.

The other key considerations when changing the location of your business premises is local, professional and renowned IT solicitors and specialists and the new layout and any changes or additions you will be required to make that differ from the current floor plan.

It would also be prudent to point out that if you are renting your current business premises to thoroughly read through the terms and conditions of your lease.

Top Tips on Choosing the Right Fulfillment Company for Your eCommerce Store

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Fulfillment Company|Top Tips on Choosing the Right Fulfillment Company for Your eCommerce StoreWhether you are new to the eCommerce world or are a keen investor with some extra money for a new business venture, eCommerce fulfillment is a great business to get involved with. eCommerce is only evolving and growing, and in 2021 alone, it is estimated there could be up to 24 million eCommerce stores around the world.

It is extremely easy to set up an eCommerce store, and much cheaper and more practical than setting up a physical store. And there’s no wonder, with over 2.14 billion people browsing and shopping online in 2021.

However, there are some key strategies that you need to know if you want them to be successful.

You can have a great store, a great marketing plan, and a great offering, however, if you do not have your fulfillments in order, then you cannot serve your customers. Without a good fulfillment company, and strategy, you will ruin your reputation and your business is likely to fail. With giants such as Amazon Prime offering quick next day deliveries, and some are even available on the same day, the expectations of customers are the highest they have ever been. Fulfillment is key to your bottom line and a successful eCommerce store.

Here are some top tips to help you get started with your new eCommerce business, and everything you need to know about fulfillment.

What is fulfillment?

Fulfillment can be done in-house or can be contracted out to a third party, but it involves the storing, picking, packing, and shipping of inventory from the warehouse to your customers. There is a lot involved in the fulfillment process before a product can be shipped to a customer. Some of these things include the sourcing of high-quality materials and products, managing the warehouse and the inventory, choosing the right packaging for your product, communication between contractors and staff, and keeping the costs down throughout.

Inventory is the first and most important thing to think about in business. Without an inventory, you cannot fulfill orders for your customers. Some businesses choose to keep the fulfillment process in-house, which means sourcing a warehouse to store all of the inventory, as well as staff members to fulfill the orders. Other businesses choose to outsource the fulfillment process, which is usually with a third party logistics (3PL) provider. This option is not just for large corporations, there are plenty of 3PL for small business contracts.

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Why is it important to pick the best fulfillment company to work with?

Outsourcing this part of your business comes with many benefits, such as allowing you to focus on other areas of your business, broaden your reach and grow into new markets, cheaper operating and shipping costs, and much more. If you choose to fulfill your goods with a third party, then you must pick the best one for your company if you want to reap these benefits. You can have the best product in the world, but if you cannot get it to your customers, it doesn’t matter. The right company can positively contribute to your brand success. It is therefore important to conduct thorough research before signing up with a fulfillment company, to ensure they are the right ones for you. Here are some things to look out for.

Shipping speeds

Modern consumers are expecting fast deliveries, and you have a lot of competition with companies such as Amazon. Make sure you work with a fulfillment company that can offer good delivery times and will stick to its promises. Good shipping speeds are key to the success of the future of your online store. Without good shipping speeds, you risk losing customers as they are more likely to opt to purchase the product with a competitor instead.

Location of the fulfillment company

You will need to know where the location of the fulfillment company is, and ensure that it is in a location whereby the products do not have to travel far. This will help with quicker delivery times, as well as costs. Ideally, they should be located near your target customer base. It can also be helpful to ensure the warehouse is located near ports and main transport routes to more efficiently receive materials and send goods. Depending on the goals of your company, now and in the future, you may also wish to consider if they have warehouses in different locations, and offer a quick and easy global shipping solution. It is also a good idea to visit the warehouse so you can see for yourself how they work to ensure they are a good fit.

Order fulfillment processes and software

When you start and run a business, it is likely that you already have numerous rules, best practices, spreadsheets, software, and processes in place. You will therefore need to ensure that the processes and the software offered by the fulfillment company can easily integrate into your company and values. This is vital because you need full transparency and visibility from the company, so you can keep up-to-date with fulfillments and what is going on with deliveries. This way you can manage customer expectations and trust much better.

Management

The staff and management of the fulfillment company are also key to the success of the partnership. You need to ensure that you get along, the communication is clear and regular, and that your business can get personal attention from them.

When you start or run an eCommerce store, building your brand and trust with customers is vital to the success, and future growth of your business. The fulfillment process is going to play a key role in building trust with your customers, and your reputation. This is because not only do customers expect deliveries quickly, but they also want to be able to track them, and their promise of delivery day and time is kept. If the delivery date offered at checkout is too long, if the delivery is delayed, or if the fulfillment is wrong, then your trust and reputation can quickly be shattered. It is therefore crucial that you conduct your research, speak to different companies and find the best fulfillment company that will work well with your business and keep your interests a priority.