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It’s A Dog-Eat-Dog World Out There, But Only If You Allow It

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Business is often described as a dog eat dog world. But things only usually get that bad if you let them. Here is some advice from entrepreneurs who learned serious lessons through their own experience on how to avoid getting screwed over by their business partners, and the people that they work with.

Always Avoid Emotionality

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article

It’s great that passion motivates the positive aspects of your business and drives you forward to new heights. But passion in business can get you into trouble, especially when emotions turn negative. Things will go wrong in business. People will try to take advantage of you, colleagues will lie, and business partners will let you down. The key to running a successful business is to always remain cool and calculating in these situations. Losing your head can lead you to make damaging decisions that could ultimately be harmful to your business in the long run.

Meditate

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article
Photo courtesy of Max Pixel

Meditation and entrepreneurs don’t seem like great bedfellows. After all, entrepreneurs are all about living life at 100 MPH, and people who meditate, usually Buddhist monks, are interested in the precise opposite. But when it comes to entrepreneurship, meditation is actually of critical importance. The reason is that our brains tend to make new connections and come up with original ideas when our minds are clear from other worries. Many entrepreneurs like to meditate in the shower and are sometimes referred to as “urban shower monks.” Being able to get away from the mayhem often allows you to think about how you’ll deal with a difficult situation better at work.

Set Clear Parameters With Your Stakeholders

One of the biggest problems companies face is defining relationships between their partners, vendors, stakeholders and colleagues. Often these agreements can get out of hand, and you can find yourself losing out. This is why so many companies now use contract management software to stay on top of all their relationships with their customers. It allows them to make sure that all of their contracts are in the best interest of the company and easy to find. It also helps organizations that need to scale rapidly manage their risks in real time.

Be Strategic

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Command and control entrepreneurs don’t usually do all that well. They think that people are working for them because they really want to and they believe in the company, but most of the time it’s just so that they can put food on the table at night. Some business leaders think that all they have to do is tell their employees what to do by force of will and they will obey. But this isn’t how people work. Instead, interacting with people is more like a game of chess. It’s strategic, and often people will do and say things that lead to their strategic advantage. For years Donald Trump ingratiated himself with the highest echelons of society. Now he’s bringing them to their knees. It’s all about long-term planning and cunning. Think carefully about what is actually motivating the people who work for you and with you.

Top 4 Things to Keep in Mind When Developing a New Business Website

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, Top 4 Things to Keep in Mind When Developing a New Business Website

No matter what your business is about, your target audience is online. People are constantly browsing the search engines and social media to find exciting brands and local businesses.

In fact, according to last year’s Local Consumer Review Survey by BrightLocal, 92% of consumers look at businesses’ websites when deciding on a business. So, the short answer to whether you need to invest in a business website is a resounding yes.

A business website will help you stay competitive, establish credibility, and take your marketing to the next level. But as you go about developing your new business website, there are some things you must ensure on your website, the four most important ones being:

Usability

First off, think of your website user’s perspective and answer these questions:

  1. Does it load fast enough?
  2. Do you find it intuitive to navigate?
  3. Do you like the look-and-feel of the site?
  4. Is the copy engaging enough?
  5. Does it look trustworthy?
  6. Is it mobile-friendly?

You must focus on creating a website that allows you to say “yes!” to all the questions above. That is, your website shouldn’t take more than three-to-five seconds to load.

Make sure your site’s design is easy to navigate and responsive (adapts automatically to the screen size on which it is loaded) while being aesthetically appealing. Also, ensure the content on your website is engaging and exciting.

NathanIves.com Digital Products Platform Online Training Program

All these factors make up the web core vitals that Google will be analyzing on your site for its much-anticipated update in 2021. Cobiro shares that sites that do not meet the requirements the search engine powerhouse are looking for will fare badly in the SERPs once this update is rolled out. So getting ahead of the curve and taking action is the best way to get your site in line with Google’s priorities and help you to ride out the changes without your traffic being affected adversely.

What’s more, your website should also be accessible. Simply put, an accessible website is one that accommodates all visitors on all devices irrespective of the physical or mental ability of the visitor.

As website accessibility is mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), failing to make your website accessible makes your business vulnerable to costly lawsuits by advocacy groups. Indeed, discussions about website accessibility have increased and 2018 saw a 181% rise in Federal ADA lawsuits over 2017.

So, test your website with web accessibility evaluation tools and consider using a web accessibility software so that everyone has a great user experience on your website. You can also hire agencies like Web Integrations that build websites that are compliant with accessibility.

Ranking on the first page of Google is crucial to bringing in more business and achieving a better ROI for your website.

Search Engine Friendliness

As such, usability and search engine friendliness go hand-in-hand. Search engines like Google are quite smart. If your site delivers a great user experience, then it is already well on its way to becoming a high-ranking website.

For example, site speed, which is essential for usability, is officially a ranking factor for both mobile and desktop searches. Likewise, a poor site structure will hamper your site’s indexability by Google crawlers.

While SEO is a vast topic that needs special attention, ensure that your website is in line with these basic best practices:

  • Content, page titles, meta descriptions, and URLs should be keyword-optimized.
  • All external links must be pointing to high-quality websites, internal linking must be done properly, and there are no broken links.
  • All images should be compressed and have appropriate alt text.

In fact, search engine friendliness is also influenced by your website’s security…

Security

Needless to say, your website’s security is critical for both your business and your website visitors. A secure website serves as a safe environment for potential clients which in turn, helps boost sales.

So, don’t wait for cyberpunks to remind you of the significance of having a secure website. Make sure to have the following in mind when developing your new website:

  • Strong login credentials for better immunity against brute force attacks.
  • Up-to-date content management system (CMS) and plugins.
  • Frequent site backups, malware scans, and vulnerability tests.

Also, get an SSL certificate to secure the connection between your hosting server and your visitor’s web browser. Once an SSL certificate is in place, browsers will show a padlock sign next to your website address which indicates that all the information exchanged by the visitor on your site is safe.

In other words, an SSL certificate guards your customer’s sensitive data and is considered so important that Google uses it as a ranking factor.

So many small businesses, including SaaS startups, agency websites, blogs, and eCommerce stores fall prey to hackers every day. The last thing you want is to lose your business to a hacker, or worse, compromise your customers’ data due to a cybersecurity lapse on your part. So, prioritize security when developing a new business website.

Grammar

Yes, you read that right. If you wish to create a website that people would find credible, you can’t afford to have grammatical inaccuracies plaguing your website copy.

Sure, as a business owner, grammar may seem like a trifling matter. But make no mistake, something as simple as a spelling mistake has a big influence on your business’s credibility.

Poor grammar and frequent typos can become a major distraction for visitors, making it impossible for them to focus on the meat of the matter. It indicates a lack of professionalism and sloppiness in business practices, which would be off-putting for your site visitors and potential clients.

Therefore, see to it that every piece of content and copy on your website is grammatically flawless.

Over to You

Right off the bat, paying heed to just these four aspects of your website will most certainly result in quicker, more sustainable, and scalable business growth. And so, make sure to get them right.

About The Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Pratik DholakiyaPratik Dholakiya is the founder of Growfusely, a content marketing agency specializing in content and data-driven SEO. He regularly speaks at various conferences about SEO, Content Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. As a passionate SEO and content marketer, he shares his thoughts and knowledge in publications like Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, The Next Web, YourStory, and Inc42, to name a few. He can be reached at Twitter @DholakiyaPratik

 

Operation Getting More Value In Business

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As a business, providing customers with value for money. However, you mustn’t forget to ensure that your spending generates the best results too. Making your capital work harder will lift a great weight from your shoulders while also enabling you to pass some of the savings onto your clients.

So, how exactly can you ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of your customers? Here’s all you need to know.

StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | Business Financies

Assemble The Strongest Possible Team

The majority of business matters will be handled by your employees. Therefore, getting the recruitment process under control should be the first item on your agenda. This should be followed by an ongoing investment into their development both individually and as a team. The best ways to achieve this are through training and team building exercises. When they work harder, you’ll get more value for money on a daily basis. There is no stronger foundation for success.

Keep Assets In Good Health

Taking care of your business assets will unlock greater performance levels and prolong the lifespans. Keeping business vehicles in good health with the right gas oil is a significant step in the right direction. Meanwhile, computer system updates should bring telling results too. Even though the daily maintenance can have a very significant impact, you must learn to spot signs of faults. The sooner you act, the sooner you’ll restore their health. This should save a lot of money in the long run.

Research Your Purchases

You already know that customers want to get the best value for money when buying products or services. You should take a similar approach before completing your transactions. Simple ideas like using price comparison sites can work wonders. Likewise, you’ll want to check that any company you plan to do with business can be trusted. Falling victim of fraudulent activity or inadequate supplies will harm the venture and could be very hard to recover from. It’s best to be safe rather than sorry.

Know Your Demographic

Marketing is an area where only the best will do. Efficient marketing should be built around targeting a key audience. It’s impossible to impress everyone, but smarter research and insights will allow you to focus on the people that are likely to purchase. SEO, PPC, trade show stools, printed materials, and social media marketing can all be used to great effect. Remember to analyse the success of every campaign and make the necessary adjustments for ongoing success.

Avoid Bad Debts

While you obviously want to get as many sales as possible, you must not force thing when dealing with repayment plans. Good sales figures count for nothing if the money never arrives. Understanding bad debts and how to avoid falling victim to them is vital. While some people will default on payments, but you don’t want to let this become a major problem. Protect yourself in this manner, and your hopes of maintaining a positive cash flow will be greatly increased.

When the financial elements are under control, you can focus on actively driving the venture in the right direction.

A 3 Step Plan To Deal With Your Weaknesses As A Business Owner

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | A 3 Step Plan To Deal With Your Weaknesses As A Business Owner

You won’t like to hear this, but you’re not perfect. Nobody is, and nobody ever will be. Some people seem like they’re perfect, but they have weaknesses just like anybody else. As a business owner, you can’t afford to let your weaknesses get in the way of your success. You have to understand how to deal with things that hold you back.

As it happens, this is a lot easier than it seems. Dealing with your weaknesses can be boiled down into a straightforward three-step plan – which can actually only last two steps, but you’ll learn about that later. How do you do it? Well, read on to find out…

Step 1: Identify your weaknesses

It begins by recognizing where your weaknesses lie. Many of you probably haven’t thought about your strengths and weaknesses before. More specifically, you only think about your strengths! Assess your life and consider what you’re good and bad at. Is marketing your weakness? Do you struggle with productivity and time management? Are you really bad at organizing your admin tasks?

Look at your daily workload and think about what comes easy to you and what is more of a struggle. If possible, ask someone close to you if they can think of your weaknesses. Often, you need someone else to point something out before you realize it yourself!

Step 2: Learn from the experts

Once you know your weaknesses, you can start improving them. The easiest approach is to learn from the experts in your weaker fields. Let’s say that leadership is a particular weakness of yours. You’ve acknowledged this, and now you can attend online business classes focused on leadership. Here, you’ll be taught key points and skills from someone who is a strong leader and knows what it takes to become one.

The same goes for any other weakness you have; get help from people who deem your weakness as their strength! Business classes aren’t the only way to do this, you can also read books, listen to podcasts, etc.

Step 3: Hire people who know best

After the second step, you may be in a position where you’re more confident and have conquered your weakness. In which case, you can carry on with running your business. However, what if you still struggle and can’t wrap your head around a certain topic? In this instance, move onto the third step where you hire people who know best.

If you’re really bad at something and it’s taking too long to master it, get someone else to do it for you. Hire an admin assistant to organize your day if you still struggle to handle all the admin tasks. Outsource a marketing agency to draw up your marketing strategy if you can’t get to grips with it. Source help from experts to cover your weaknesses and ensure your business has no cracks!

After following these steps, you will be in a position where your weaknesses are no longer a problem. Either you have mastered them, or someone else is taking care of them. Either way, your business is in a much better position.

Tips to Reduce Insurance Costs for Your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | Healthcare | InsuranceAs a business owner, you know that it’s important to protect the business that you have put so much into by having appropriate insurance coverage. However, even though you might appreciate the importance of having various types of insurance to protect your business, you might still be burdened by just how much it costs. Controlling insurance costs is possible in some ways, though, including by following these tips.

Choose the Right Insurance Company

One of the biggest things that will impact the insurance rates at your place of business is the insurance company that you choose. Taking your time to shop around and choose an insurance company that offers the right coverage but that also has affordable rates is very important, so if you haven’t done that lately, you might want to explore different options like Captive Insurance to see if there is a better insurance company out there.

Focus on Health and Wellness

If the health insurance rates that your company is paying are way too high, consider focusing on implementing a health and wellness program for your employees. This can help your employees live healthier and happier lives and may impact insurance costs for your business at the same time.

Focus on Protecting Your Property

You may be counting on your insurance company to protect your building, vehicles and other company property. It’s definitely good to have insurance coverage to protect these things, but taking steps to protect your own property as well can help with preventing theft or other problems and reducing insurance rates. For example, installing GPS systems in company vehicles and installing a security and surveillance system in your commercial building can both help.

Insurance rates can be a big burden for many companies. Don’t get rid of or reduce your insurance coverage because of these costs, though. Instead, look for ways that you can reduce your rates. You can start by trying the tips above, and your insurance agent might even have suggestions that can help, too.