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5 Things You Need to Launch Your Own Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Launch your own business|5 Things You Need to Launch Your Own BusinessThe lure of being your own boss and the desire to escape the rat race is tempting an increasing number of budding entrepreneurs and savvy side hustlers to launch fully-fledged businesses. In fact, recent statistics show that 80 new businesses are launched every hour in the UK, which highlights just how many people are striking out on their own.

To increase your chances of success, however, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve done the prep work and collated the resources you need. With this in mind, take a look at these five things you need to launch your own business:

1. Market Knowledge

Having a great business idea is a good foundation for launching a new venture but other people need to think it’s a great idea too! Before you invest substantial time or money in your business, undertake extensive market research to ensure there will be sufficient demand for your products or services. The more in-depth market knowledge you have, the more effectively you’ll be able to compete with existing companies and acquire new customers or clients.

2. Workspace

Although the homeworking trend reached a peak recently, many people are now recognising the downsides that are associated with working from home on a full-time basis. If you want somewhere quiet and productive to work without your business taking over your home, try serviced offices and co-working spaces like sopershouse.co.uk. With access to a wide range of amenities and the opportunity to network with other professionals, choosing the right workspace can give any new business the strong foundations it needs.


3. A Vision

You might already have a clear idea of how your business will operate or what products and services you’ll offer, but it’s important to have a realistic vision of how your business will evolve too. To transition from a start-up to an SME, you’ll need to implement a successful growth plan, so don’t overlook the long-term prospects your business can offer. By creating a detailed business plan from the outset, you’ll have an overarching strategy to guide you as you develop your business and expand your operations.

4. Staff

Some entrepreneurs work alone when they’re first starting out but, as your business succeeds, you’ll soon need additional support. Hiring permanent staff can be a big commitment for a new company, so consider outsourcing what you can to reputable service providers. Similarly, you might want to use professional freelancers to access the expertise you need, before hiring your own full-time workforce.

5. Funding

A lack of funds can be disastrous for any company, so make sure you’ve got sufficient funds to launch and run your business for as long as possible. Whether you’re seeking investments, taking out a loan, or selling shares in your company, it’s vital to mitigate early cash flow problems with reliable funding.

Launching a New Business

Starting a company can be an exciting way to expand your skills and take control of your career but having access to the right resources and support will be critical to your success. By planning your venture carefully, however, you can identify exactly what you need to get your new business off to the best start.

3 Signs That You Need to Improve Your Site’s Copy

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Improve your site's copy|3 Signs That You Need to Improve Your Site’s CopySound web copy should be a priority for all businesses, but especially for those that rely heavily on website conversions for leads or sales. If you created the web copy yourself and you had no prior experience, then we’re almost 100% sure it’s deficient. And, even if you had the copy done by professionals, it may be outdated right now. Or it may not be as good as you think. Let’s take a look at a few signs that you need to improve your site’s copy.

You’re Getting High Bounce Rates

If you’re not checking analytics on your site, you need to start doing it right now or you’ll have no idea how your site is actually performing and when you need to make changes.

One of the metrics you’ll see in most analytics tools is the bounce rate. This is the percentage of people who leave your site immediately without checking other pages when they reach your website. A high bounce rate is not necessarily bad, however. A high bounce rate on a single-page informational website with thin content could show that a person found exactly what they needed.

But if you have a multi-page website and rely on your homepage to drive sales and you have an unusually high bounce rate, there’s a strong chance that your copy has something to do with it. Anything over 70% should be cause for concern here, so if this is where you are with your website, you may want to hire copywriting services.


People Keep Asking You the Same Things

If you constantly get asked the same questions when people call, then it’s a clear sign that your web copy is not detailed enough. The more information people can get upfront, the more likely they are to opt in. But, if the information is missing, you’ll get more friction and lose potential customers because of frustration. People shouldn’t be calling you for things like turnaround times, what you do, or your price range, so make sure that you have all of this laid out in your web copy.

You Have Low Conversion

If your conversions are disappointing and below average for your industry, then it may be time for you to hire a copywriter service. You’d be surprised at how a few changes to your copy could drive sales right up. A good website copywriter will be able to make adjustments and test them through A/B testing. You will then be able to see immediate improvements in conversions if this is done right.

Look for an experienced copywriting agency that’s familiar with a wide range of industries, such as https://beesting-digital.com. The right content writing agency will be able to tell instantly where the issue might be and make corrections instantly with fresh SEO content writing.

Your site’s copy will have a direct influence on your sales and brand image, so do not neglect it. Review it as often as you can and consider hiring SEO copywriting services if you feel there’s something wrong with it.

How to Motivate Your Staff – Enjoy Improved Productivity and Efficiency

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Motivate your staff|How to Motivate Your Staff – Enjoy Improved Productivity and EfficiencyBusiness owners often make the assumption that by hiring qualified staff, making sure all departments have enough employees, and setting up systems that appear user-friendly enough that everything will go well. But here’s the thing, staff are people – not machines – which means variables such as workplace stress and pressure can negatively affect them. Business owners must recognise this to be the case and have a workable solution.

Here’s a look at how you can motivate your staff, help them to cope with the stress and pressure of the job, and in turn enjoy improved productivity and efficiency.

Enrol in Resilience Training for Business

The first tip is to get educated. Being an effective leader means you recognize when something is outside your realm of knowledge and that you seek out information to educate yourself. Training that teaches you how to be more resilient is an excellent choice for a company owner and upper management.

Look for training courses that address how to cope better with pressure and stress, which you can apply to your employees and teach them about. This can be done when you create the kind of work environment that is proactive, solution-based, and positive. That is the exact messaging that motivates employees in all the right ways. Learning how to be more resilient also means that you roll with the punches and you learn to thrive despite outside stressors.


Encourage Communication at All Levels

Another useful tip is to encourage and improve communication at all levels of the company. Staff needs to feel comfortable communicating with each other, their supervisors, and upper management. It shouldn’t be fear-based wherein employees would rather stay quiet than “get in trouble”.

Communication ensures that systems and processes run smoothly, everyone is on the same page, concerns and issues are shared promptly, and those good ideas get heard. Excellent communication helps to build a more inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels valued.

Employee Rewards Can Go a Long Way

In terms of motivating employees, offering rewards for a job well done can go a long way. This can be in the form of extra holiday time, bonuses, profit-sharing, paying for courses that better their qualifications, and even incentive programs.

Give Thought to the Physical Environment

You can take all the training courses and say all the right things to your employees but if you don’t also think about the physical work environment, then you won’t be successful in motivating staff. Staff want to work in an environment that allows them to do their job safely and comfortably, so ask yourself if this is being achieved in the current set-up?

Perhaps you need to invest in new equipment (office furniture, computers, printers, and so forth), maybe you need to create more space for employees, offer them a fully-stocked breakroom, and bring more natural light into the space.

It Won’t Take Long to See the Benefits

Once you embrace these tips and realise that motivating staff is to the benefit of all, it won’t be long before you start to see the positive results.

How to Ensure Your Business can Accommodate a Heavy Workload

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Heavy Workload|How to Ensure Your Business can Accommodate a Heavy WorkloadThere’s no doubt about it; running a business is hard work. And when your business starts to grow, that workload can quickly become overwhelming. If you’re not prepared for a heavy workload, your business could quickly start to suffer. This blog post will discuss some tips on how to ensure your business can accommodate a heavy workload and also provide some helpful advice on how to manage that extra workload and keep your business running smoothly!

1) Make sure you have the right team in place

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your business can accommodate a heavy workload is to make sure you have the right team in place. This means hiring employees who are capable of handling a lot of work and who are also reliable and trustworthy. It’s also important to delegate tasks and responsibilities so that no one person is overwhelmed with too much work.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to hiring, there are plenty of resources available online, like job boards and recruitment agencies. You can also ask other businesses in your industry for recommendations.

Recruitment agencies can be a great way to find top talent, but they can also be expensive. If you’re on a tight budget, there are still plenty of ways to find good employees. You can post ads on job boards or online classifieds websites, or you can even hold your own job fair.

2) Put systems and processes in place

Another essential step to take when preparing for a heavy workload is to put systems and processes in place. This will help to ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively, with minimal errors.

Some things you may want to consider are creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), setting up an employee onboarding process, and investing in project management software. Having these systems and processes in place will make it easier for your team to handle a higher volume of work without feeling overwhelmed.

SOPs are especially important if you have employees who are new to the business or who are working remotely. By having SOPs, you can be sure that everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what needs to be done.


3) Ensure you have the right equipment and resources

Another key element of being able to accommodate a heavy workload is having the right equipment and resources. This includes things like office furniture, computers, and software. If you don’t have enough of these things, it can quickly lead to employees feeling overwhelmed and stressed.

Make sure you have enough desks, chairs, and computer monitors for everyone on your team. And if you’re going to be working with large files or data sets, you may need to invest in some additional storage space or upgrade your server. For example, if you’re running an industrial plant, you’ll need to make sure you have the right power piping to accommodate the increased workload.

4) Manage your time wisely

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your business can accommodate a heavy workload is to manage your time wisely. This means setting priorities and deadlines and then sticking to them. It’s also important to delegate tasks so that no one person is overwhelmed with too much work.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to managing your time, there are plenty of resources available online, like productivity blogs and articles. You can also find helpful tips in books or magazines.

There are a number of different ways to manage your time, but it’s important to find a system that works for you and your team. If you don’t have a lot of experience with time management, it may be helpful to hire a consultant or coach to help you get started.

5) Automation is your friend

One of the best ways to prepare for a heavy workload is to automate as much of your business as possible. This includes things like invoicing, scheduling, and email marketing. By automating these tasks, you can free up time for other important priorities.

There are a number of different software programs that can help you with automation. For example, if you’re looking to automate your invoicing, you can use a program like FreshBooks or QuickBooks. If you’re looking to automate your email marketing, you can use a program like MailChimp or Constant Contact.
In conclusion, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure your business can accommodate a heavy workload. By taking the time to prepare, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed when the work starts to pile up.

Build a Strong Workplace Culture With These Quick Tips

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StrategyDriven Corporate Cultures Article | Build a Strong Workplace Culture With These Quick TipsBusiness owners know that satisfied employees lead to a more profitable company. Creating a cohesive company culture takes a well-developed plan, organization, and teamwork. When you define your corporate philosophy, you give your teammates specific goals and expectations. Your employees feel appreciated, and they strive to meet goals. Valued employees are more productive and stay longer. There are many ways to build a corporate identity. Here are some ways to make a positive impact.

Know Everyone’s Job

Many employees feel frustrated and believe that management creates procedures in a vacuum. Do not implement new policies without feedback from the teammates performing those tasks. As CEO and Executive Chairman of DaVita Kent Thiry established “Reality 101.” This program required all new executives receive the same training as frontline teammates. Knowing the daily challenges helped management understand how to implement procedural or policy changes.

Define Values

Creating a mission statement is an important step in defining your company culture. Mission statements communicate your purpose to employees, management, and customers. Common values in mission statements include:

  • Improve the environment
  • Respect diversity
  • Create a workplace of trust
  • Encourage creativity
  • Expect excellence

Examine Expectations

Define your overall corporate goals. Review each position in your organization and determine how each teammate can help achieve your objective. As with any planning strategy, make sure your goals are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. Recognize your teammates’ accomplishments and challenges. Manageable goals are key to success.


Redefine Hiring Procedures

Traditional hiring techniques rarely identify the ideal applicant for your company culture. Build interviewing teams from all levels of your teammates. Have prospective colleagues ask questions to help understand the candidate’s personality and motivation. After interviewing, have candid conversations with everyone to make the best hiring decision. Some questions in a cultural interview are:

  • Tell me about your ideal day at work.
  • What qualities do you think are important for this position?
  • How do you handle work-related stress?
  • Describe your ideal work-life balance.
  • What do you think will be the biggest challenge in this position?

Review Benefits

Reexamine your company benefits package. Make sure that employees’ needs are met effectively and efficiently. Create surveys to ask employees what benefits they enjoy most or would like added to the package. Consider low-cost benefits, such as flex time.

Change It Up

Review your mission statement and cultural identity when you experience new challenges or exponential growth. While it may seem counterintuitive to change what has been successful, your business goals have probably changed, and how you achieve them will also. Use your SWOT analysis to evaluate external opportunities and threats and guide your company into the future. Changing your culture is not something to be taken lightly, nor should it be done quickly or frequently.

A thorough understanding of the impact you want your company to have on your employees and the environment is important to building a strong company culture. Once you define goals, you can implement the steps needed to strengthen your company from the inside out.