Small Business Insurance: What You Need to Know

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | Small Business Insurance: What You Need to Know

Designing and creating products. Marketing. Selling. How no day is the same. There are many exciting aspects about running a small business. Yet beyond those fun points, the ones that get your creative juices flowing, there are those not-so-entertaining elements.

Business insurance certainly falls into that latter category.

While it may feel like an unimaginative, irksome part of running a business, make no mistake: business insurance is essential. Failure to have the right insurance in place could cause major issues for your company down the line.

To prevent that, here’s what you need to know about small business insurance.

The Insurance Essentials

No business is the same. As a result, your insurance needs will be different from others – even companies you are competing against directly. This is because there are numerous factors which go into the type of coverage you require. These factors include:

  • Business turnover
  • Number of employees
  • The industry you operate in
  • Your business premises (if applicable)
  • If your business directly deals with the public

Once you have noted down these aspects, you are in a better position to select the right insurance options for your needs. For example, if you deal with the public directly – this could be visiting a customer, being visited by a customer, or conduct work in public – you will have to purchase public liability insurance.

Getting Advice From a Financial Advisor

As a small business owner, it can be difficult to try and figure out exactly what insurance coverage is necessary. Ultimately, you want to be fully covered – even a small oversight could end up costing you.

This is why it’s highly recommended to seek advice from a financial advisor. As Grand Life Financial notes, an experienced financial advisor is capable of helping in many different areas – including insurance. With their knowledge, they will be able to figure out what is necessary for coverage. They account for how your business functions, using this information to decide on the right insurance package.

While you have to spend money on this advice, it can save you in more ways than one in the future.

Find an Insurance Provider

If you don’t have a financial advisor pointing you in the right direction, you’ll have to select an insurance provider for your business. This isn’t an easy decision. There are many insurance companies available, so there are various points to think about to pick the right one for your business.

You’ll want to compare prices and, in the best case scenario, pick the most inexpensive one. Yet you also have to look at each provider’s experience and credibility.

What Happens if You Don’t Have the Right Insurance?

A lack of insurance can lead to you paying out significant sums of money to cover your liabilities. That’s the last thing you want when you’re a small business where profit margins are generally small. Yet it’s not just financial damage that can be caused. You could face lengthy legal processes, and these can be stressful and damage your company’s reputation.

How an Online MBA in Marketing Can Help You Transition Into a Marketing Career

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | How an Online MBA in Marketing Can Help You Transition Into a Marketing Career

An online MBA in marketing is a great way to transition into a marketing career. It provides you with the advanced business skills and leadership knowledge you need to succeed in this growing field.

The business world constantly evolves, so marketers must stay current on new trends and technologies. This online MBA program in marketing prepares you to tackle the challenges of today’s fast-paced, data-fueled world.

Boost Your Skills

If you are interested in working in marketing but don’t have a bachelor’s degree in the field, consider an online MBA in marketing. A master of business administration in marketinghelps you learn the specific skills necessary to succeed in this career and are typically more affordable than traditional full-time programs.

These programs combine business administration and marketing to train students to plan and implement marketing strategies. They also cultivate general business management abilities, including a solid understanding of economic trends and consumer behavior.

These graduates often have a competitive edge when competing for high-paying marketing jobs. They can work in advertising and public relations or various industries. These professionals control product interest and can impact sales domestically or globally.

Get a Better Job

Marketing is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing industries. Marketers must continually adapt to suit the requirements of an ever-changing marketplace, thanks to the advent of social media platforms, e-commerce, and integrated analytics.

As a result, the demand for qualified marketing professionals is high. Fortunately, many schools offer an online program in marketing, allowing you to build your skills and experience while still working full-time.

Whether you want to work in a large corporation or an entrepreneurial venture, an online degree in marketing will provide the business knowledge and leadership skills needed to succeed in this industry. The program is a great way to enhance your resume and increase your salary potential.

During your MBA, you’ll learn the key elements of successful marketing and how to apply them globally. You’ll also learn to identify new opportunities and apply research-based data for strategic decision-making.

Start Your Own Business

Whether you’re already a marketing professional or simply looking for a way to advance your career, an online MBA in marketing can help you transition into a career that fits you better. With the constant advancements in marketing tools, it’s more important than ever for professionals to stay abreast of new trends and developments.

A good degree program in marketing will teach you the basics of marketing, including understanding your target market and developing a buyer persona. You’ll also learn about the importance of segmenting your audience and how to reach them in a more targeted way.

The best aspect of an online MBA in marketing is that you can learn from specialists with diverse backgrounds and expertise. This can be especially helpful if you’re considering starting your own business or working in a startup. Moreover, you can choose to take your education part-time or full-time. The latter option is great for busy students who want to earn a graduate degree without sacrificing their time with family or other obligations.

Get a Graduate Certificate

If you have a full-time job and want to transition into a marketing career, you can get an online MBA in marketing. Often, these programs allow you to complete your degree more quickly than traditional MBAs.

An online MBA in marketing will give you a deeper understanding of business and marketing. This can help you land a marketing-related role in any industry.

You’ll study various marketing topics like consumer behavior, marketing analytics, and brand management. You’ll also learn about current and emerging trends in the industry.

In addition to this, you’ll take core business courses, including economics, finance, and accounting. You’ll also study the importance of digital and social media marketing and how to integrate these channels into your business strategies.

You’ll also have the opportunity to choose from various specializations and concentrations in the marketing field, such as advertising, digital marketing, or consumer packaged goods marketing. These concentrations can help you tailor your degree to your interests and professional goals.

Appealing Career Paths When Pursuing an MBA in Supply Chain Management

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Appealing Career Paths When Pursuing an MBA in Supply Chain Management

Students can choose various career paths when pursuing an MBA in supply chain management. These include supply chain managers, logisticians, and management analysts. The right career path for you may depend on your specific interests and background. However, these options are a good start to understanding what kind of career you’d like to pursue.

Logistics Manager

Every day, an unimaginable amount of goods and materials move worldwide to keep our economy churning. It requires a lot of talented workers and adept logistics professionals to oversee the many steps in this massive process. As a logistics manager, you’ll coordinate the delivery of your company’s products from the production line to customers. You’ll work closely with employees involved in picking, packing and shipping to ensure your business delivers on its promises and exceeds customer expectations. The logistics profession is highly rewarding, with many career paths available. You can start as an entry-level transport or warehouse manager before advancing to higher-level roles. Graduates can pursue this career path by completing a graduate training scheme or pursuing an MBA in supply chain management. These schemes can last anywhere from 18 months to two years and involve working in a variety of roles in logistics.

Supply Chain Analyst

A supply chain analyst analyzes and optimizes a company’s operations to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure products are delivered on time. These professionals identify and measure inefficiencies and costs, develop strategies to streamline the supply chain and create systems that optimize inventory management, transportation, and distribution. They also monitor production, inventory levels, and shipping times to meet anticipated customer demand. They analyze data to identify bottlenecks and problem areas, develop new processes or technologies, and re-negotiate contracts with suppliers when necessary. This career requires strong mathematical, analytical, and problem-solving skills. This is especially true for analyzing large data sets, requiring knowledge of relational database management systems and SQL to access information.

Supply Chain Manager

A supply chain management career may be right if you’re a manufacturing process fan. From cell phones to name-brand sneakers, your favorite products have their start somewhere along the production line.

A supply chain manager helps to integrate the processes of all those who have a hand in producing and delivering products. It’s a complex process that requires collaboration, efficiency, organization and tight deadlines.

Without integrated supply chain management, modern society would come to a standstill. It’s a field that has seen huge growth in recent years and offers a variety of entry points and career paths.

A supply chain manager typically oversees all aspects of a company’s supply chain operations, including inventory management, manufacturing and procurement. They create strategies, examine information and procedures, develop innovative fixes, produce reports, and communicate results to higher management and other departments.

Operations Manager

As an operations manager, you oversee converting materials into goods and services. This includes coordinating how these resources are distributed and used. You also manage budgets and negotiate contracts to ensure each department achieves its goals. An operations manager’s job can be rewarding but requires high energy and focus. You may be in tense situations that can cause stress, so it’s important to manage your emotions and keep going. If you want to escalate your professional level, consider earning an MBA in supply chain management. This program will help you develop the skills needed to maximize efficiency in any organization’s operations, making it an ideal choice for those who are looking for a career path that’s both challenging and lucrative.

The Advantages of Earning a Business Degree Online

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | The Advantages of Earning a Business Degree Online

Online business degrees are a great option for anyone who wants to earn a degree without disrupting their current lifestyle. They offer many benefits, including flexibility and increased job opportunities. There are several different types of online business degrees to choose from. Whether you are looking for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, you can find the perfect one.

Personalized Learning

When pursuing an online business degree, there are many opportunities to personalize your learning experience. Your instructors will use your existing knowledge of you to provide training materials that will connect your previous experiences and abilities with new information. Personalized learning can greatly benefit learners, educators and schools alike. It can help learners remain motivated and engaged, reduce the stress of knowledge, and empower them to take ownership of their education. The best-personalized learning programs will strongly emphasize the student’s aptitudes, interests and learning needs and a clear understanding of curricular standards and academic achievement. It can include using shared objectives, feedback that identifies targets for improvement, higher-order questioning and self and peer assessment. Choosing online business programs accredited by a reputable institution is also important. Your education will be of the highest caliber possible, preparing you for success in the real world.

Flexibility

Whether an undergraduate student looking to earn your degree or a professional seeking a better career, pursuing an online business degree can help you achieve your goals. This program allows you to take classes from any location on a flexible schedule, including at home. Many of our students find it a great way to stay on track with their studies while working full-time. Ninety-one percent of online MBA students continue to work while pursuing their degrees. Another benefit to pursuing an online bachelor’s degree in business is that you can choose to take courses from a variety of colleges and universities. You can also choose to major or focus on a particular business area, such as marketing or management. If you need help determining which online bachelor’s business degree is best for your needs, look for a program that offers affordable flexibility. Then, choose a school with regional and programmatic accreditation from organizations.


Higher Salary

A business degree online is a wise decision whether you want to boost your job or launch your future. The typical annual salary for employment in business and finance is roughly $30,000 more than the overall national average. In addition, a business degree provides you with many valuable soft skills you can apply to any job. These include communication and creativity. A business degree also helps you develop important interpersonal and leadership skills. It is crucial for effective management and achieving organizational goals and objectives. A business degree you may acquire online can help you save time and money. It is especially true if you work full-time and have other responsibilities like family obligations.

Increased Job Opportunities

Business degrees provide many job opportunities and are highly sought-after by employers. They enable graduates to apply their knowledge of different parts of a business, including finance, marketing, and management. The business industry constantly evolves, and students earning a business degree are better equipped to stay current with the latest trends. They also gain the skills necessary to succeed in a global economy and better understand business practices’ motivations. Online business degrees typically include specializations, enabling learners to customize their education to align with their career goals. Typical specializations are accounting, business management, and marketing, but schools may offer other options, such as entrepreneurship. Most programs have the same core curriculum regardless of your online business degree program. These classes teach the skills that all workers need for professional success. They may focus on topics like financial accounting, the principles of marketing, or managing in a global business environment.

What Is CRO Marketing?

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | What Is CRO Marketing?

The marketing world is ever-evolving so you should always aim to stay ahead of the game in order to keep your business relevant. Increasing traffic to your website is one way to do that, but it isn’t enough to simply increase web traffic. You also have to convert that web traffic into actionable results. CRO marketing is a powerful tool business owners can use to do just that.

So what exactly is CRO marketing? We’re glad you asked because we’re kind of experts at it. Here’s a breakdown of what CRO marketing is and how you can use it to your advantage.

CRO Marketing Explained

CRO (conversion rate optimization) marketing is the process of drawing customers to your site for the purpose of converting them to the next step. That next step could be booking a consultation, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. If someone visits your website and then simply leaves the page, it makes it far more difficult to convert that visitor into a customer and get the sale. However, if a visitor takes an actionable next step, such as filling out a contact form to learn more, you have a greater likelihood of converting that visit into a sale.

In a nutshell, successful CRO marketing results in a greater number of customers taking the desired next step. In order to use CRO marketing effectively, you have to first determine your business priorities.

For instance, do you want to compel more customers to sign up for your newsletter? Or perhaps you want to drive more customers to sign up for a free trial so you can show them what your product or service is able to offer. Maybe you just want someone to purchase the products you sell, either physical or digital.

Prioritize your business’s objectives, and then you’ll be in a better position to determine how best to start your CRO marketing strategy.

How to Implement CRO Marketing Into Your Business Strategy

Once you’ve prioritized your business goals, brainstorm ways to attain the desired result. For instance, if your goal is to have more people subscribe to your newsletter, make the subscribe button more prominent on your website. Then track your changes to ensure they’re achieving the desired result.

There are a number of tools you can use to monitor the changes you’re making. For instance, Yieldify allows you to test up to five different website designs at a time. You could switch up the look and layout of your website to determine which one is best at improving conversion rates. You also have the option of tracking changes against a control group. Yieldify can deliver results in as little as 14 days so you’ll know in just a matter of weeks which changes are having the most impact.

For example, if you want more people to subscribe to your company newsletter, you may want to include a pop-up graphic that features the sign-up button more prominently. However, let’s say that while a pop-up graphic may be difficult to miss, you’re also concerned it will be annoying or frustrating to site visitors. Simply test it against a control version of the site to see whether it has the intended effect.

You can even compare multiple versions of the pop-up graphic. For instance, one offering a 20 percent discount code for those who sign up for the newsletter and one without the discount. Comparing the sign-up numbers will allow you to determine whether offering an incentive will actually boost your newsletter subscribers.

If you would prefer to try a free tool, then test out Google Optimize. Simply click on the “Start for free” button in the upper right-hand corner of the website. Google Optimize will build on your Google Analytics data to identify key areas of improvement for your site. Experiment with the tool free of charge to get a sense of whether the data is useful before making a monetary investment.

If the data is useful, you can continue experimenting with the many CRO marketing tools available. There’s a wide array catering to a range of budgets and business needs. For example, certain tools, such as Hotjar and FullStory, use heat maps so you can better understand how users interact with your website and gather other data about consumer behavior.

How CRO Marketing Can Grow Your Business

Navigating your business without access to data and real-time feedback can be like trying to find your way through a forest at night. Give yourself the knowledge you need to set your business up for success.

Need a little assistance navigating the CRO marketing landscape? A marketing agency like InnoVision Marketing Group can craft a personalized digital strategy for your business, one designed to get you timely results. Save money and energy by allowing us to put our skills and expertise to work developing the right CRO marketing plan for you. They’ll do all the heavy lifting, data crunching, and behind-the-scenes work so you can focus on managing and growing your business on the front end.

How exactly does a digital marketing agency make this happen? Through targeted strategies that include real-time optimization, extensive analytics reporting, and digital fraud protection, they use the tools and connections at their disposal to make your brand stand above the rest.

Knowledge is power. When you partner with an agency like InnoVision, you’ll have access to the information you need to outshine the competition. They’ll show you how to increase conversion rates while increasing your bottom line in the process.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, InnoVision Marketing Group is ready to help get you there. Simply reach out to learn more. They’ll brainstorm a customized marketing strategy unique to your business—a strategy that’s designed to maximize potential and growth.

The sky’s the limit. When you partner with the team at InnoVision, you can reach for the stars and beyond.