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7 Ways To Save Money On Equipment For Your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | 7 Ways To Save Money On Equipment For Your Business | business equipment | entrepreneurshipLots of companies can end up overspending on equipment. Whether you’re buying office furniture or industrial machinery, here are seven tips to keep the costs down.

Shop second hand

Used equipment is always cheaper than brand new equipment. You do however need to be wary of the condition. Older equipment that has been well used may be more likely to break. For this reason, you should always inspect such equipment in person before buying.

If you’re buying used equipment online, make sure that a description of the condition and photos are provided. It could also be worth buying from a reputable seller – read reviews to see what other customers have to say.

When it comes to general equipment, it could be worth looking out for company closures in your area. Many companies will be selling equipment for cheap simply to get rid of it – some of it may be in very good condition.

Look out for sales and coupons

Dealers of both new and used commercial equipment may have sales throughout the year. A popular time to hold a sale is in January, whilst the Black Friday weekend is another popular sales period. Also look out for off season sales on seasonal equipment – commercial mowers may be cheaper to buy in winter when there’s less demand for gardening equipment. You can also check some great suggestions here for a professional mower.

You may also be able to grab discounts by using coupons. These can be found on coupon sites or by signing up to commercial equipment retailer mailing lists.

Avoid splurging on gimmicks

It’s important that any equipment you buy is appropriate for your needs. Try to avoid splashing out on equipment that’s more complex than necessary. If you’re only looking to do some basic printing, you don’t need a heavy-duty industrial printer capable of printing 60 sheets of paper per minute – a basic commercial printer will do the job and will save you money. Only high end niche businesses are likely to need the most complex equipment available – if you’re starting a printing company, a heavy duty printer might be more suitable.

Hire single use equipment

A popular mistake made by many companies is buying equipment that will only ever get used once or twice. By hiring this equipment, you could save a lot of money.

Hiring equipment can also be sensible if you don’t have the storage space for such as equipment. For instance, a construction company may hire a crane rather than buying one. This could save money having to create extra warehouse space.

By shopping around, you can find the best equipment hire prices. Make sure that the company has a good online reputation so that you know you’re hiring good quality equipment. A good company will keep all equipment well maintained – although you may still be liable for any damage you cause.

Consider energy efficiency

Energy-efficiency is an important factor to consider when it comes to buying machinery. A machine that consumes a lot of energy will cost you more in energy bills. Older equipment is likely to be less energy efficient than modern equipment, which is something to consider when buying used equipment. You may be able to find information on the energy efficiency online, as is the case with these energy efficient desktop computers.

Know when to repair, when to replace

You can also save costs by knowing when to repair and when to replace equipment.

Choosing to repair equipment could save you money in many instances. You can find all kinds of niche parts online from a wafer ring/frame to a new monitor screen – if you feel up to the challenge, you could do your own repairs. Alternatively, you could hire a repair technician to do repairs for you – this may still be cheaper than replacing with certain equipment.

You may want to consider replacing equipment if it is old or has broken numerous times in the past. It’s possible you may be able to sell old broken machinery for parts – this could help give you some money to put towards a replacement.

Warranties or contents insurance may be able to cover the cost of repairing or replacing machinery in some cases. This is worth looking into before you make any decisions.

Maintain your equipment

You may be able to stop equipment breaking in the first place by keeping it well maintained. Certain maintenance may be able to be carried out by your employees, whilst more complex equipment may need to regularly serviced by a professional technician (such as construction vehicles or medical machinery).

Cleaning is often one of the most important maintenance tasks – this is not just a matter of health and safety but also a way of keeping machinery working properly. Dust build-ups can affect many types of machinery and are a common cause of computers failing. If there’s a lot of dust in the air, you may be able to install an extractor fan or use an air purifier to keep it clean.

You should also be careful of environmental factors like cold and humidity. Certain machinery may break if it is stored somewhere that is too hot or too cold. Agricultural machinery for instance may need to be kept indoors when not in use and covered up to prevent damage from rust.

A Business Blog Should Be 20% Of Your Marketing Strategy

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | A Business Blog Should Be 20% Of Your Marketing Strategy | Business Blog

If you aren’t interesting as a business you’re not an entity that is going to hold the attention of the masses. They want businesses and business leaders that speak to them, share ideas they feel passionate about too and also, just be fun to be around and interact with. Businesses have got to stop being so rigid and focuses on their corporate images. But how do you do this day in and day out? What is the outlet which can give you this space? Your own business website of course. Your business blog is where your personality has to shine through. In the content you must be able to explain your ideas well but also use it as a platform to build links, create new followers and be able to spread your word around the search engines that people use. Just how big a proportion do blogs take up when it comes to marketing?

Make the news before the news

Social media is like a forest sometimes. It’s so full of content, videos, links and viral adverts that you can be intimidated. However, know that the media companies of the world are dying to hear about you. To become viral you don’t need their own platforms and say so. Your business can make the news before the news even knows. This is why business blogs are so powerful. You can release exclusive information on your blog and watch the media report on it in a heartbeat. But you give your customers and interested potential consumers vital information about an update, a patch, a new product a totally new and improved service etc. The blog is therefore used as a news website for customers to come visit and read what you have to say. It’s a phenomenal tool to communicate with the world in this way.

Almost a quarter

Perhaps the best reason for a business blog to exist is that it’s almost one quarter of the SEO world for businesses. Content and a blog for a business amounts to around 19% of the overall SEO duties and marketing strategy aspects. That is huge. It’s about 1/5 of your overall SEO management requirements. The other aspects are link building, Google plus, social media, on page and off page links, keywords, Google AdWords, YouTube etc. A blog is worth so much to a business because it’s the space where all other marketing aspects can exist together. You can add a YouTube video to your blog, create off page links whereby you use evidence by another media or well respect news company to back up your claims.

Active and fresh

A business that doesn’t publish blogs can seem kind of dormant. Unless someone is actually following your business on social media, they won’t be seeing you anywhere else other than the search engine results page. Your blog can appear in the search results with great SEO techniques employed so you cover that base as well.

Content isn’t just about getting material out there, it’s about sharing your personality as a business with the consumer. It’s also a great way to make news before the news reports on you.

Common Financial Problems Start-Ups Face And How to Solve Them

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | Entrepreneurship | Business Financial Problems | Common Financial Problems Start-Ups Face And How to Solve ThemAs an entrepreneur managing a start-up business, there are many common financial issues which businesses have to face. From start-up capital to a lack of investment, there are many potential aspects which can become mismanaged. However, although it may not be possible to avoid these issues, there are ways that you can solve them to maintain your financial security for the future and ensure that your business is least affected as possible.

1. Bad Credit Scores

One of the greatest stumbling blocks for entrepreneurs looking to start up a business is their credit score. A bad credit score can make it increasingly difficult to get loans to increase the funding for your business, among other important aspects. However, a bad credit score is not permanent, and there are procedures that you can follow to increase your credit score, such as bad credit loans. Taking out small personal installment loans for your personal finances and paying it back on time will mean you can increase your credit score and show potential investors that you can manage repayments on a routine basis. Therefore, when you look for funding your business using a loan, you will have an easier time to get one.

2. Lack of Funding

A lack of funding can also be a big hindrance to potential start-ups. Many entrepreneurs look to their own savings accounts to fund their businesses, and you can build up your funds in terms of this by saving a little every month and by choosing a savings account with a good interest rate. If this fails, you should consider getting a personal loan off a friend or family member, as this will be easier to repay and will not affect your credit score. However, if this is not possible, there are many schemes and funds which can help you to increase your fundings, such as government small business funding as well as grants and awards run by investors from large businesses.

3. Invoicing Issues

Another common problem for start-ups is the problem of invoicing. Writing and organizing invoices can become a large issue if your clients are not paying on time or if you have not organized your invoices efficiently to ensure that you know when you are being paid. To solve this problem, you should agree with your clients when you will be paid and create a clause on your invoice, which states this. Not only this, but you should not be afraid to contact your clients via email to follow up on these payments and ensure that you are paid by the expected time.

4. Disorganized Accounting

Many businesses also suffer from disorganized accounting systems, which make it difficult to budget and file your tax return efficiently. To ensure that your accounting is succinct, clear, and updated, you should employ a professional accountant who can help you to clear your accounts and prepare for the end of the tax year. In these cases, you should also consider downloading a business finance app which can help you to track your expenditure, keep copies of receipts and help you to forecast your cash flow and budget in the future.

4 Ways to Make Your SME More Professional

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Professional Appearance | 4 Ways to Make Your SME More ProfessionalWhether you have a full-sized office and plethora of staff, or you’re still working from your bedroom and nothing more than a laptop, you want your business to look and feel as big as possible. Even if your social media marketing team is your tech-savvy niece and your warehouse manager is your spouse boxing up a product, there are still ways that you can make your business look and feel bigger than it is. If you’re looking to exude a more professional business persona, then here are some of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of adding that much-needed touch of professionalism to your SME.

Focus on the Digital

If you’re working from a small room, then your digital presence is going to be where you need to make the best first impression. Website design can get very complicated very quickly, so if you lack the skills, then it’s imperative that you source them. Whether that’s through friends or a professional will depend on your budget, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that a free template from WordPress of Wix is going to be enough.

While you may get a slick looking theme, you’ll be lumbered with a web address that ends with wordpress.com or wix.com.

This is not a professional look. It’s also increasingly vital that you have a presence on social media, but don’t panic about registering with them all. Stick to the two that are most relevant for your brand and sector. Make sure that you know how to conduct yourself professionally online, and remember that your digital marketing will be reliant on your ability to create engaging content.

Payments and Paperwork

Efficiency is the key to appearing to be larger and more professional. No matter how small your business might be, make sure that you use free online estimate templates when potential customers need a pricing quote and use similarly themed invoice templates as well. Not only does this make you look more professional, but it also makes it much easier to keep your paperwork in order, and that can help to increase productivity and reduce workflow interruptions.

You should also make it a priority to ensure that all quotes and invoices are sent promptly and that your bills are paid quickly as well.

Word of mouth can damage a business of any size, and a poor history of not paying your suppliers on time will only hinder your ability to perform. Use software to manage your accounts more easily, and make sure that you have a constantly updated calendar to ensure that you know when bills are expected so that you’re not hit by the unexpected.

Improve your Address

If you’re using a home office, then you need to make sure that your business is not negatively affected. Residential business addresses might not be the deciding factor that makes or breaks your venture, but it can have an impact. Ideally, you want a more established address, and there are a variety of options available.

The rise of the managed office space has been very positive for SMEs, and even if you only use the space on occasion, many now allow you to use their premises as your business address.

This is not only better for you in terms of first impressions; it also means that you will have somewhere professional to meet with prospective customers or suppliers. The majority of managed offices are based in cities, meaning that you also get the benefit of a city center address without the expense of your own dedicated office rental.

Dress the Part

It’s not just about wearing a suit and tie (not every SME is going to need that), it’s about presenting your brand to the outside world so that you make the best first impression. While this is vital for your website, it also extends to peripheral elements as well. If you pull up to meet with a prospective client in a suit and tie but in a car that spills rubbish onto the road when you open the door, then you have forever lost the chance to make a good first impression.

Make sure that you focus on the details. Phone calls need to be answered politely and professionally, and you might even consider hiring a remote, virtual receptionist to make your business seem even larger.

The key to appearing more professional is to know what customers are looking for from you. However, get the basics right in terms of first impressions, and you will instantly seem a more dynamic and professional business.

Running an SME can be fraught with challenges and stress, but the people that your business interacts with should never feel that you are struggling. It’s all about having the foundations in place. Get your professionalism looking bigger, brighter, and more on brand than your competitors, and you stand a much better chance of attracting the profits that you need to thrive.

11 Experts That Can Help Your Startup Soar

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Successful Business|11 Experts That Can Help Your Startup SoarSo you’ve had an idea for a long time and you’ve finally decided to give it a real go. You’ve spent long enough thinking ‘what if’ and grinding away at a job you hate or those textbooks you’ve exhausted, and you’re ready to turn into a tangible project.

Starting up a business, whilst a freeing and exciting process, is a feeling of being dropped into the deep end. You may have learned a lot about it in your school days, but once you’re out there trying to make something out of nothing, it’s like starting all over again – you can learn all the theory in the world, but when it comes to actually putting it into practice, the real world can throw up some surprises.

In life you’re not going to know everything, you’re going to be limited in some aspects and you’re going to need some assistance. The same applies to when you’re attempting to start and maintain a successful business. In order to find even a bit of success, you’re going to need a bunch of facets to be operating smoothly, and a way to solidify that is to get the appropriate help that can get you off the ground or over the line. Let’s have a little chat about the different types of help you can solicit and how it can benefit you as you look to make real strides in the world of business.

An Accountant

When you’re up and running, you’re obviously going to be bringing in quite a bit of money. Handling the money side of things can be a little tricky – even if you’re quite competent already. Hiring an accountant would be beneficial to you as you can let them deal with the nitty-gritty bits that may be concerning you whilst you get on with the work you know how to do. They won’t just help you in terms of doing their initial job, you can also pick up pieces of information and wisdom off of them for future reference.

An Assistant

If you’re in need of an extra body to lighten the load, you can absolutely bring someone in to work with you. There are many people out there trained in admin; they can handle the basic, tedious and necessary formalities that you need to get out of the way. Nowadays, you can look online and find a virtual assistant to help you – even from the other side of the world.

A Copywriter

If you need someone to write content for your website or anything like that, then you could get in touch with a copywriter. They place your content on your page so that you can get on with everything else. They also do blog posts with appropriate links that can boost search engine optimization. The content on emails is another way in which they provide service.

A Graphic Designer

If you’re not too versed in creating logos, heading and other fancy design on different pieces of software, then you can always find an artistic graphic design whiz. The stuff they can conjure up these days is magical and if you need someone to make a near perfect and stunning design for you, then you can get one of these guys/gals.

A Marketer

There are people out there who live and breathe marketing. They know all there is to know about promoting products and services. They also know how best to build relationships with customers so that the brand stays in their minds. If you work with someone like this, they will create a strategy for you and execute it all.

A Social Media Expert

Social media is a huge part of life now – for better or for worse. You can take a product or service and get its name out there relatively simply thanks to some of the platforms. There are people out there that specialize in the way social media operates and the way in which people behave. It’s quite as hard-hitting or as broad as getting in someone whose expertise spans throughout the entire marketing and digital marketing spectrum, but this specialist could help you score big points in terms of exposure.

An SEO Specialist

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s basically a way of making sure your website is soon on search engines like Google. It’s done by a bunch of ways, including inputting relevant and quality content and link building. If you want your brand to be seen more and more, then hiring local SEO experts could put you on the right path.

A Consultant

You’ve probably thought about every little nook and cranny that goes into your start-up. But like we’ve said before, you won’t perfect it, and there’s always something that can be added to it or something that can be improved upon. That’s where a business consultant can come in. Even if a certain aspect isn’t exactly wrong or failing, they can approach it from another angle and provide a little more insight for you.

A Lawyer

There will be a lot of legal stuff that you need to sort out when you run a business. The law can be a confusing and messy world at times, so getting in touch with a corporate lawyer wouldn’t be a stupid thing to do. They can help you set up the business without any legal issues, and they can also help you sort out things like contracts.

A Sales Specialist

If you’re not exactly the best salesman/saleswoman in the world, then there’s always someone out there who with a smooth and charming demeanour ready to help close out deals. Someone who has worked in sales for years will know everything there is to know about getting a deal or a sale over the line.

A Customer Service Firm

Finally, you can outsource this aspect of the job to a firm that’s dedicated to it entirely. You’ll want your customers to be taken care of when they have problems or when they need to inquire about something. Certain firms deal with stuff like emails and chatbots.