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How to win contracts as a start up

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Can you really compete?

The ‘solution’, is in the question, what will win the contract? Considering many new startups set up in business because they believe they have a new, better and more innovative solution – it really is the driving force behind the growth of new start ups.

If you are a new or very small business you have a lot of strengths, which larger players do not have. Often a new business is set up around the development of an innovative product or service, which isn’t currently offered in the marketplace, therefore giving you one USP right from the start.

Turnover does matter, but how much should you worry?

If you have a turnover of £100k and are trying to win a £500k contract, it can and does happen, but often the winning bidder really has to consider their strengths and weaknesses and what is required to win and get over the financial turnover minimum requirements, for example.

An opportunity such as this can make or break a business and if the business fails, then the contract is not being delivered. Therefore, we are to risk and how it can impact the chances of win rates/ winning contracts.

In some situations, and, if your brand ‘feels’ larger, your business stability, size, financials may not be assessed. This is often the case if a small or medium enterprise (SME) is buying the product or service, even if substantial sums are involved. These are often a good route to try and win new business or to grow a new business.

But with an innovative product or solution you can still sell it into large corporations and the public sector. Sometimes this is due to product and the lack of risk involved in the purchase. E.g. a consultancy service.

The expertise will be assessed which is more important than financial stability, for example, of an individual. There may also be significant risk due to a larger organisation buying from a new business or smaller business but another reason for a purchase despite this risk is due to lack of competition or simply the values involved not requiring finances to be assessed.

Innovation and price are imperative

The first piece of software which Thornton & Lowe developed, which was largely for my own in-house staff to use, we thought it was worthwhile putting a little marketing focus behind it. Our first formal sale of the product was to Scottish Southern Electric (SSE PLC), a large corporate organisation.

The product was without references, without many users other than my staff but due to the solution being aligned to their requirements, the price point in the market and I believe we put more time and effort into creating a compelling bid, I was able to start off selling the software with a very large and recognisable client.

There will always will be many ways to grow a new start business, which all need to be weighed up in terms of profit, sustainable growth, deliverability, competition and importantly the client’s requirements.

These can be tried and tested but if there is a good product there will always be a way of selling it even into the most formal of procurement requirements such as those associated with construction tenders.

How to Get Your Dentist Business Online

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Many businesses including ones like dentist practices rely on their customers for return business. They also rely on their families and through word of mouth to attract new customers. However, sometimes those ways alone won’t drive enough patients to your door for you to be a viable practice. If that’s the case, then you will want to start thinking about other ways to attract clients. You may have used traditional methods before such as newspapers and local advertising. Although these are great ways to get more interest, you can also use other methods such as creating a presence online.

First Thing is a Website

Before you think about getting your business online, you will need to set up a website. It will enable you to put all the information people will need and create a good base from where to grow your online profile. You don’t have to spend a lot of money creating a website; there are many online site creators that allow you to design and build your own site for free. It is a good place to start, and you can add as much or as little as you want. It is also easy to use, so you don’t need to worry about not being technically minded. The other thing you will need to do is to create your domain name. You will need it to reflect your business name, and what you do; you can then get your site uploaded onto the internet.

Hosting Your Site

When you have a site and a domain name, you can find a company to host your website online. There are many to choose from, so you need to look at a few and see what they offer. Most will give you an amount of space for your site, plus they will keep it up to date for you. All you will need to do is change or add details as you need to. Although there are free hosting sites out there, you will get more functionality from a paid host.

Create Your Website Content

There are a couple of avenues you can use when it comes to content for your site. Some companies prefer a site that has all their information and prices already on there, they then leave it until something changes. The other method is to have the same information, but also add other parts such as a blog post at regular intervals. Having a blog or something that keeps people returning to your site can create more potential patients. You will have to think about what you want to blog about; it can be anything in the dentist news or special offers and services you may be running. You can also ask some of your patients to write a short testimonial that you can put on the site. New customers like to have reviews and testimonials to read, and it creates more trust for your patients.

Get Social Media Working for You

One of your biggest tools is going to be social media. Almost everyone now has at least one social media account so that you will be placing your business in front of millions of potential customers. Because you are a local business, you will only be interested in those people in your area, although if your business is in a tourist area, you may also get those looking for emergency treatment. By having your business on social media, you are also encouraging people to spread the word. Get your existing customers to like your page and become followers. Then, when you post something on there, they are likely to share it with their friends and family.

Online Marketing

Just like other forms of traditional marketing, online marketing can be tailored to your location and your particular business. There are many ways you can use online marketing including placed advertising on social media, mobile phone advertising and even online streaming services and YouTube. Getting the right balance to attract new patients can take time to get right. Instead of trying this yourself, you can use an online marketing company to do all the work for you. You can learn more about how these companies work by visiting their websites.

Working with Others in the Same Market

Starting a partnership with other companies or businesses that offer complementary services can be a good way to get your business online while saving money. If you have been thinking about using online advertising, then you can share the cost by having both companies on the same ad. There may be some companies that will also want you to advertise their products alongside your company. It could be a brand of toothpaste or toothbrush, that they would like you to help them market.

Email Marketing

Email marketing has been around for some time, and it is still one of the most effective ways to get your message across to your clients. You can start by asking for your existing client’s email addresses as part of the registration form; then you can email them when it is near their time for a check-up or appointment. Along with this email, you can also add special deals or new services you are offering. As you gain more clients, you will get a bigger email list, and you can start adding more products to the email. A good way to generate new email addresses is to have a contact form on your website. It will ask them to enter their email address for you to reply to their query and then you can also send them email marketing to encourage them to come for a check-up.

By embracing the online world and seeing what it can do for your business, you are opening up your dental practice to a huge number of people. Many of them will be local to you and may not even know your practice existed. With so many people looking for services online through their smartphones and tablets, having an online presence has never been more critical.

How to Sharpen Your Digital Marketing in 2017

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Everyone is doing digital marketing as a way to promote their products, services, and brands these days. The measurable nature of digital marketing and the fact that even small businesses can achieve great results with a good campaign make digital marketing very appealing to more and more businesses.

Simply doing just an ordinary internet marketing campaign is no longer enough. To reach the right audience and the ensure maximum return on investment, your campaigns must be sharp and highly targeted. Here are some of the things you can do to sharpen your digital marketing efforts in 2017

Leave It to Experts

There are a lot of tasks to tackle when you’re doing digital marketing, from formulating a suitable campaign for the target audience to actually producing the content and executing the campaign itself. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, it is much better to leave certain parts of these efforts to experts.

There are several reasons why hiring experts to help you with your digital marketing campaign is a great idea. For starters, top services are now more affordable than ever. When you need to produce quality content for content marketing, for instance, turning to service providers such as yourcontentshop.com will actually save you a lot of time and money.

On top of that, the time you save working on details of the campaign can then be used to take care of other, more important tasks. Instead of getting caught in micro-managing the digital marketing, you can allocate more time towards ensuring the campaign’s effectiveness and monitoring its results.

Tell a Story

I can’t stress enough how important it is to tell a story when doing digital marketing. Good stories are what the audience actually follow on the internet. The story of your brand or product doesn’t have to be particularly complicated; it just needs to be compelling and relatable enough for the target audience you’re aiming for.

Instead of telling the audience about product advantages, for instance, you can get better user engagement and responses by telling stories about how the product was developed. More importantly, you can share more information about why the product was created in the first place.

The “why” matters. Your reasons for doing things will be what that set you apart from the competition. In a market as crowded as today, having a compelling “why” will make all the difference.

Maintain Consistency

Digital marketing is never a one-time thing. It is a campaign that needs to run continuously in order to capture the audience’s attention over a longer period of time. This means transitioning from one digital marketing strategy to the next smoothly and maintaining consistency at all times.

In fact, maintaining consistency is perhaps the greatest challenge in internet marketing. Not all businesses can remain consistent with their digital marketing campaigns. Do it right, however, and you will be able to enjoy a perpetual series of impacts that will catapult your brand and the products you offer to the top of the market and the audience’s mind.

A Guide to Store Layouts and How to Increase Sales

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If you have always dreamed of owning your own store, it is vital that nothing stands in the way of your success. You don’t want to put in all of that hard work, only to find that you are unable to keep your store up and running. Instead, you will need to do everything in your power to make a comfortable profit. This will ensure that you can always pay for your premises, staff, and stock. As a busy entrepreneur, follow these proven steps to optimize your store layout and increase sales.

Choose décor that reflects your brand

In order to create an attractive environment in your store, choose a design scheme that reflects your brand. A unified aesthetic will help you to stand out from your competitors. Hire an interior designer to help you with your color scheme, lighting, furnishing, and statement pieces. Alternatively, you could sign up for an interior design course and manage the project independently.

Create clear zones

When customers enter the store, they should know exactly where to go. You don’t want them to be overwhelmed by clutter and chaos. Take control of the situation by creating clear zones in your shop space. If you have a clothing store, you will need to have a dressing room, accompanied by an attractive seating area. You will also need to divide your styles into relevant sections such as: tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, and accessories. If you decide to have a sale, there should also be a designated space for all of your clearance items.

Display your stock with care

In order to boost your sales, you will need to have your featured merchandise on display. Make sure that you don’t just arbitrarily place your items around the store. Instead, you should think carefully about how you are positioning each item and how they will appear to your customers. If you are struggling for display space, why not invest in a slat board display system or custom POP displays? This is an easy way for you to reposition the contents of your store, depending on the stock you have on hand. As your business evolves, make sure that your display space is able to adapt.

Get creative with your window displays

If you are going to entice customers into your store, get creative with your window displays; you should also make sure to update them on a regular basis. This is a fantastic way for you to keep the public coming back for more. Why not find incredible window displays that inspire you? You may not have the budget of a larger store, but perhaps you have plenty of your own creative ideas. If you want to save money, you could always opt for a minimalist look. Or, if you are eager to invest in your windows, you could go all out and hire a professional window dresser who would design your window for the launch of every new collection.

How to Start a Successful Retail Business

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The retail industry is the practice of selling goods to the public for their direct use, not for resale. Many people dream of starting their own business in retail. Starting a successful retail business can be challenging, but like other challenges, it can also be very rewarding. There are several important steps to starting a successful retail business, and all are equally important.

What?

It is critical to know the type of retail business that you are starting. What will you be selling? Not only will this drastically affect your business plan, but it is also important to know as you are setting up the legal structure for your business. This can be expensive to change later, so be sure that you are ready from the beginning. It is also very important once you have decided what kind of retail business you will be running, to read up on any laws related to that business. This way, you will know about the different rules that must be followed and your business will be completely legal. It is also important to consider the internet. Will your business offer online shopping right away? This is another crucial detail to iron out because of the importance of having an online presence in today’s economy.

Where?

The location of your store is very important. It must be both within your budget and in a place that people see and can get to easily. The location can often mean the difference between success and failure since you want people to come to your store. Sometimes, the best location is too expensive, so have several options in mind in case one doesn’t work out. Not only do you need to know where your store will be located; it is also important to know where you will be buying your supplies from. By having the right supplies to make and prepare your products, or the right wholesale products, you will be more successful. It is critical to find a vendor that you can partner with, one who will work with you in the selling process while also helping with defective items. If these products are going to be shipped, you need to establish a time for that to occur.

Who?

Hiring the right people is very important to a successful retail business. Without good customer service and a range of useful and unique products, people are much less likely to shop at your store. Customer service is critical and keeps people coming back to your store because of the pleasant experience. Websites like jobapplicationcenter.com will be invaluable assets in helping your company find the help that it needs to be successful. Be aware that you will also need to apply for an Employer Identification Number from the Federal Government if you are planning to have any employees. It will also be important for you to figure out the target audience of your business. This will impact the way that you advertise since different approaches work for different audiences.

Operating a successful retail business takes a lot of work. However, if you take the time to organize the what, where, and who, the process can be much smoother.