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How To Choose A Niche For Your Writing Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | How To Choose A Niche For Your Writing BusinessIf you run a writing business of any kind or are thinking of starting one, then one of the main things you’re going to need to have in place before you even go any further is to pick your niche.

Many writers struggle with the process of choosing a niche because they think it’s going to be overwhelming and will also limit them in terms of work, but this couldn’t be further from the truth, and in fact, having a niche to fall back in is only going to bring you more opportunities with better clients, so in this post we’re going to share with you just how to choose a niche for your writing business.

Look at your passions and interests:

If you run a business, then of course you’re doing it because you want to make a difference, but you’re also doing it because you want to work on something every day that you’re truly passionate about, and so this should be the very first step when it comes to picking your niche. For example, are you a passionate traveler and love to share your experiences or just write about travel in general? Then you could start a travel writing business, a blog or just aim to work with clients within the travel industry.

Look at your experience:

Although having passion for what you do is great, it’s often not going to be enough in and of itself, so having a look back over your experience is also a good place to start looking. For example, do you have a background the in the building or construction industry where you could write about things like Telehandlers? You may think this isn’t valuable, but this is the beauty of having a niche – as it gives you the edge over the competition.

Look at your skills and talents:

Even if you don’t have a lot of hands-on experience in a specific industry, you may be especially skilled or talented in a certain area, so instead of going for something industry specific when choosing your niche, you could choose a certain type of writing, such as marketing copy, websites, or even ebooks to niche yourself that way.

Look at what’s profitable:

If you’re running a business – no matter what industry it’s in, you need to be making money in it, otherwise it’s not even a business, so this should be a priority when it comes to choosing your niche. As much as having passion, skills, and experience is a great thing, you also need to be realistic and look for the places in the market where good money can be made, so when picking your niche, you should really be considering all of these things to make sure you can tick at least something off in each area and be able to identify a niche that works overall.

We hope you found this post helpful and that now it won’t feel so crazy overwhelming to go and pick a niche for yourself to run your business with. Picking a niche doesn’t mean you’re going to be stuck with it forever, but it’s something you should definitely identify to start with.

3 Things That Will Make Your Offices Way More Comfortable

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Office environment|3 Things That Will Make Your Offices Way More ComfortableWorking in an uncomfortable environment can be tedious and unenjoyable. If you are too hot, you can become lethargic and tired. If, on the other hand, you are too cold, then it can be incredibly challenging to focus on the task at hand. Moreover, if you aren’t comfortable in your offices, then it is very likely that your employees aren’t either meaning that productivity across the board isn’t what it should be.

Do yourself and your workers a favor by taking measures to improve the environment of your offices. Here are three ways to help you do just that so that everyone will be able to work comfortably.

1. Good Ventilation

No one likes to work in an enclosed space that becomes stuffy and stagnant. If you don’t have high-quality fans and ventilation throughout your offices, then the air is very likely to feel stale and uncomfortable. This doesn’t just apply to the hotter months of the year, either. When the heating is running in your offices during the colder months, then it is just as likely to feel stuffy inside if you aren’t taking the proper measures to circulate the air.

Look for the best heat recovery ventilation system that you can find to help keep the climate of your office comfortable and circulated. Such systems can also help save on energy costs in some scenarios as they can help the air in your offices reach the desired temperature more efficiently.

2. Window Coverings

It is always nice when an office space has plenty of windows that let in natural light. Windows can also make a space feel larger and less cramped. That being said, lots of windows make it difficult to control the climate in an office as they allow the heat from the sun to stream in during the warmer months of the year. The glass of windows can also allow cold to enter during the winter months.

Window coverings can help provide the extra insulation that you need in your offices. This can keep out the extreme temperatures outside so that you and your workers can have more control over the internal temperatures of your workspace.

3. Quality Office Chairs

A day at the office can be made increasingly more uncomfortable without the right chair. In fact, a poorly designed or worn-out office chair can lead to unbearable back and neck pain when sat in for too long. Sitting in the incorrect type of chair all day can also lead to poor circulation throughout your body, among other health risks. The chronic, nagging pain and discomfort from the wrong chair can make it difficult to focus as well.

While good quality office chairs are an investment, they are one that is definitely worth it in the end. By ensuring that you and your employees are sitting comfortably throughout the day, you can help ward off the chronic pain that generally accompanies jobs that see people sitting at desks all day and contribute to an overall more comfortable working environment.

How Transparency Can Benefit Your Organization

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StrategyDriven Business Communications Article | How Transparency Can Benefit Your OrganizationTransparency in communication has become more common in all sorts of enterprises. In the nonprofit and responsible profit sector, candor and authenticity are considered high value. Customer loyalty tends to increase when there’s an emphasis on transparency. Leveraging the power of a good story, transparency is a positive alternative to a competitive, secretive attitude; it’s a more compassionate way to function. For stakeholders, trust is a major issue; transparency helps facilitate it. Consider several ways that transparency can benefit your organization.

Relationships With Investors

If you’re building a relationship with a possible investor, increasing the trust level can be facilitated with the wise use of transparency. There’s a good bit of competition for funding, and investors want to recoup their money as soon as possible. It may be daunting to decide how you want to present your brand story; the assistance of professionals such as PR firms in Portland Oregon can get you started in the right direction. Judicious transparency indicates that you’ll be honest and thorough with your business plan and consistently keep investors in the loop.

Community Trust

In this case, your “community” is everyone you come into contact with — it’s not only a geographical designation. Transparency is all about awareness of the social norms of your customers and stakeholders while having sincere communication content and style. While it’s important to have a reputation for honesty and integrity as sort of a baseline, portraying an image of absolute perfection is unsustainable, unrealistic, and may backfire. Keep it real by being straightforward about the bumps along the way, and describing how you’re overcoming them.

Employee Morale

As you build your organization, transparency with employees is a valuable investment, especially in the early stages. Higher productivity, more confidence and creativity, and less turnover are associated with greater transparency. You’ll also build your word-of-mouth reputation in the professional community.

Customer Relations

Customer confidence starts from a foundation of trust, and transparency helps build it — particularly if you’re a human service provider. Firms like a healthcare PR company Portland can help you craft your message so it resonates with customers. Your organization gains credibility if customers see moments of vulnerability within a framework of integrity and commitment.

Depending on your type of organization, there are many ways to be transparent and professional. Take a look at similar businesses and see how they’re effectively weaving transparency into their stories, and mine your own experiences to craft a compelling message.

Recession Survival Tips: How Your Business Can Come Out Stronger

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |recession survival|Recession Survival Tips: How Your Business Can Come Out StrongerDid you know that almost 18 million people were unemployed in the USA in June 2020? The ongoing fight against the Coronavirus has led to unpreceded financial losses and a bleak outlook for the future.

If you are a business owner you are no doubt interested in recession survival. What can you do to ensure that your business stays afloat?

Take a few minutes to read our in-depth article to find out what you can do.

Reduce Your Outgoings

When a recession hits, it affects everyone. This means that you can use this as a bargaining tool with creditors.

First, you should call your landlord and negotiate rent terms. If you have been on the premises for some time and have built up a good relationship with the owner, you will have a strong bargaining position.

Landlords will always want to retain good tenants rather than search for new occupants that may or may not be as reliable as you.
This is the first step in your recession survival strategy. If you want to know why a strategy is so important you can learn more from this page.

Collect Owed Money Quickly

Recessions tend to become gradually worse as more and more businesses are affected. This means that you should try to collect any debts as quickly as possible before debtors are unable to repay.

You can offer incentives such as a small discount for fast payment. However, ensure that any larger incentives are not offered to every customer.

Why? Because of your next goal.

Retain Existing Customers

Simply put, retaining customers is easier and cheaper than finding new ones. In fact, customer loyalty can make the difference between survival and sinking during a recession.

If you offer low prices, communicate regularly with existing customers. Emphasize the need for the cost-effective pricing you offer during a recession.

If you do not offer the cheapest prices on the market, emphasize the quality of the product you offer and the need to invest in quality during hard times.

Listen to your customers and offer them the best incentives you can. Do your best to meet their exceptional needs during an exceptional time.

Layoffs: Do it Quickly and Kindly

Laying off employees, especially long-serving employees, is never easy. However, when possible, try to do it early in the recession and while showing compassion and preserving dignity.

Early layoffs that are well planned will reassure the remaining staff that their place is valued and assured. This will prevent unnecessary anxiety and possible staff leaving of their own accord.

Recession Survival and Other Necessary Skills in 2020

Not even world leaders saw the COVID-19 crisis coming. And no one could have predicted the full economic tidal wave that came with it.
However, this does not mean that your business is doomed in the coming recession. By applying these recession survival tips, you can ensure that your business stays afloat and even registers growth.

If you are interested in learning more about business and lifestyle developments, then we are here to help. We gather the latest information and bring it to you via our feed. Take a look today!

How to Lower Your Small Business’s Operating Costs

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Operating costs |How to Lower Your Small Business's Operating CostsIt can be difficult yet rewarding to keep a small business up and running. There’s a lot of work that goes into keeping things out of the red.

Whether you’re looking to reopening or just need to cut down your current operating costs, there’s much a small business owner can do. Keeping your operating costs down is the number one thing any business can do to help ensure they can stay in the green and continue to grow.

Would you love to spend less? Read on and we’ll walk you through a few key suggestions on how to cut costs and run smoother as an operation.

Embrace New Technologies

Are you still running archaic old systems and doing everything by hand? Isn’t it time to take a few steps forward and be part of the modern age?

There so many different software programs out there that can help to streamline your business operations. What area of your business operation is slowing you down? There is more than likely a program or online system out there that can help you out.

Accounting, website hosting, marketing, payroll, on and on. If you have a problem, there’s probably a technical solution that you can embrace. From the TurboTax to the free paystub generator, someone out there has created a solution for you.

Why embrace tech? Because tech creates efficiency. A computer can do something at triple the speed we can and often at a higher rate of accuracy. If you can reduce the need for direct labor, you’ll cut back on the time needed for various tasks.

You’ll also be able to eliminate some needed manpower and that can decrease the amount of money you’re putting into wages as well. Tech might even be able to improve the way you approach certain processes in your business, cutting out unneeded steps and providing cheaper alternatives.

Consider Outsourcing

It can cost a lot to keep employees on your payroll the whole year-round. On top of wages, you’ve got health insurance and various budgets to worry about. It might be enough to sink your whole budget outright.

It doesn’t have to be, however. If there are certain departments that you don’t really need to have year-round, you could always outsource them. Many companies do this for a variety of departments: tax accounting, human relations, or even customer service.

Instead of hiring someone full-time, outsourcing allows you to pay for these services only when you need them. That can greatly help to lower your overall cost and to raise the efficiency of each dollar that you spend.

Advertising and marketing is another area that you could benefit from outsourcing. For many business owners, running an entire marketing department isn’t worth the investment that it provides. It can be a real headache.

However, outsourcing your marketing and advertising needs to another company can help get the results you want at a fraction of the cost. This can really pay off as time goes by.

Look for Better Rates

Have you been working with the same shipping company for years? Maybe you’re not doing the work at finding a business partner who will really provide you with the kinds of prices you need to stay profitable.

One way to cut operating costs is to take a serious look at your vendors list. Where are you spending the most money, and might it be possible to get the same product or service from another entity for cheaper?

Even if you’re considering leaving, the current vendors you work with might consider negotiating down in order to ensure you’ll stick around as a client of theirs. If you compare prices from different vendors, you might be able to pit them against one another and get them to bring the price down.

Getting new quotes if it’s been a while since you’ve done this kind of research can ensure you’re getting the price you really deserve.

Create a Green Workspace

Did you know that creating a green workspace can do more than helping out the planet? It can also provide a positive impact on your bottom line.

It’s true! One of the benefits of many green practices is that they are more energy-efficient. Energy efficiency as it relates to your budget means cheaper bills.

Switch out all the light bulbs in your office for green-friendly fluorescent lighting and you’ll be surprised at how much you save on a yearly basis. Improving your heating and cooling systems cans also help to shave dollars off.

If you can cut your office’s reliance on disposal products you’ll also be able to save money there. Recycling and reusing products lessen the need to buy more. Encouraging multi-use water bottles, mugs, plates, and so forth will help Earth and help your wallet.

Swapping back to a normal coffee pot as opposed to those single-use coffee cups can provide big savings as well. A normal tin of coffee can produce hundreds of cups of coffee as opposed to the very few that a pack of cups will create for the same price.

It may be difficult to get your team to adjust to these kinds of changes right away. With a little work, however, you can create great change and cut some of your costs.

Learning to Lower Your Operating Costs

It can be hard to run a small business, especially in the current climate. However, embracing some of the above tips and tricks can help you to lower your current operating costs.

If you can successfully keep these costs down, you’ll be well on your way to a brighter tomorrow. Need more financial advice for the office? Keep scrolling our blog for more.