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Managing a Dropshipping Business Requires a Few Tricks of Its Own

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Managing a Dropshipping Business Requires a Few Tricks of Its OwnMost people reading this probably has a decent idea regarding how profitable and hassle-free dropshipping can be as a business model, which is undeniably true. However, as it is with any type of business model, there are a few tricks to it that a shrewd businessperson needs to be well aware of if they hope to make it all work in perfect synchronization.

Evaluation of Supply/Manufacturing Partners

The whole idea of dropshipping being a profitable, hassle-free business model depends on the assurance that you have a reliable and diligent supply/manufacturing partner. Therefore, it is critical that you evaluate the companies properly, before partnering up with them. The following tips could help in getting it right.

  • Order product samples to first check the quality
  • Check their history with previous partners
  • Look closely at the company policies regarding shipping timelines and how strict they are with maintaining them
  • Go for a “loose” or trial contract for 3 – 6 months to know if they are indeed true professionals

Those that end up with long partnerships with the wrong supply partner are likely to lose business credibility, reputation, and money. Every time their supply partner makes a mistake or does not bother to conforming to the dropshipping business’s standards, it’s their brand in front of the customers that lose out in every department.

Understand that Your eCommerce Website is the Only Asset You Own and Act Accordingly

Your dropshipping site is the only business asset you own and need to manage. Due to the nature of the business model, a website is also pretty much all you should need to commence with a dropshipping business.

On the other hand, if you end up with an unreliable host or build your site on a poor eCommerce platform, the whole business will suffer. High downtime, unscalable and overly expensive plans, a lack of sufficient automation features, extra charges for even basic tools, hidden costs, insecure and buggy platform design, etc. can all add up to the failure of your dropshipping venture.

In short, pay special attention to the host, platform, and web design because they are essentially what represents the whole business. To ensure customer security and assurance, go through the PCI Compliance details here to make sure you are not unwittingly breaking any of the set standards.

Devise a Strict and Penalizing Contract

Some companies in the supply chain are pros who would not let their partners down because they know it’s bad for business in general. Not everyone is so professional and practical, unfortunately, so you will need to have a strict and penalizing contract so that there are repercussions if your business’s standards are broken by your supply partner. Consult with a business law firm to draw up the contract and if it is fair, as well as strict, chances are that your dropshipping business standards will be respected by your supply partner.

There are other measures that you can take to further boost your chances of success in the dropshipping segment, but these are by far the most important ones to take care of. So, pay attention to the basics first and the rest you will learn about in time.

Giving Back: Why So Many Entrepreneurs are Turning to Philanthropy

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Whether they are starting a company with a goal to donate a portion of their revenue each month or they are setting up a charitable fund once they are successful, more entrepreneurs are turning to philanthropy. Let’s take a look at why this trend is building.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Giving Back: Why So Many Entrepreneurs are Turning to Philanthropy

A Chance to Give Back

Many entrepreneurs like to give something back to the communities that raised them once they have reached a certain level of success. It is a sign of gratitude and could also be a platform to help others escape circumstances they may have faced in their younger years. It can also be born from a desire to see those they are passionate about flourish and do better.

For example, London entrepreneur Tej Kohli has chosen to give back to his native India by setting up a charity to help people with corneal blindness. Likewise, Bill Gates has his own charitable foundation. They have helped with many projects around the world, and have been able to give plenty back.

Reputation

It is good for a business’s reputation to be able to demonstrate they engage in philanthropy. There are so many good causes out there to support and associating the name of a company with the right project can be fantastic. While philanthropy should always be born from the desire to make the world a better place, it can also be used as a boost to a company’s image in the wider world.

Philanthropy can also be used to boost the reputation of the charity that they are working with. If a company is particularly well-known, be that in their local area or the wider industry, a charity’s association with them can bring attention from parties that they may not have attracted otherwise. For example, a company could choose to sponsor the local children’s football club, potentially netting them more sign-ups from parents who read about the sponsorship in the local newspaper. Even a small act of philanthropy can achieve waves.

Achievable on Every Level

Whether a business owner runs a small e-commerce start-up out of their garden shed or chairs a global corporate empire, they will be able to give something back. With so many causes out there, it is easy to find something that would appeal to the core values of a business, no matter what it might be.

More and more companies are choosing to engage in some philanthropic work and it is bringing some serious positive changes in the world. Charities often provide voices and support to those who may not find it in other places. By funding their work, businesses are able to contribute to the betterment of humanity overall. This is a wonderful endeavour and it is to be commended. Take a look at some of the most well-known companies and brands and find out how they are giving something back. It can be surprising to find out just how many of them are supporting charities in some ways. Help can always be found where you least expect it.

5 Creative Marketing Ideas to use in 2020

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, 5 Creative Marketing Ideas to use in 2020

2020 is here, ready to change the world entirely. Many things this year have been transforming. The approaches that businesses are taking to sustain have also exclusively revolutionized. The silver lining comes from the fact that the room to be creative and explore has increased by a significant amount. You can give your consumers a real taste of augmented virtual reality and can shape the trends. The use of the latest technologies like artificial intelligence can be integrated into your marketing practices to bring out the abilities. From email personalization to e-commerce communication, you can smartly use various ideas to foster the marketing methods to new heights. That is going to both help and cultivate your business into what you want it to be.

The requisite of smart marketing tactics is the need of an hour. With that, the cat is out of the bag, and here are the five most creative marketing ideas you could use in 2020 to grow.

1. Innovative Chatbots

There is no fun in marketing if it is not as ingenious as it can be. Businesses that can provide a creative edge to any marketing idea will foster more clientele in every way. The era of websites has changed dramatically; consumers no longer want to search for what they want. With one click, they want the work made much more straightforward.

By introducing chatbots, you can achieve that within no time. These chats can direct the users to the exact page they are looking for, making your website seem efficient but very effective. There are no better marketing ideas than competence. That can help you gather insightful information about consumer trends and choices, crucial for making marketing strategies for your business in the future.

2. Create Crisp Content

Rich, well-structured content creates for decent user experience. Social media surely has the power to make or break your business. That is where the element of surprise comes into play. You can repurpose your content in the boosting way that cannot only increase traffic but also make people hooked. With options like Designrr, you can revamp your blogs, posts, podcasts, and anything that can elevate your marketing game to the next level in an inventive manner. It will grow your business is a much more significant manner and attract the right kind of people.

3. Tell Your Story

A great creative marketing idea that is directly off the charts is telling your story the people. That is not about composing fiction or false stories to attract customers; instead, it is about building a connection with them that is much more emotional. With storytelling, you can invoke sentiments in your consumers that they can associate with better. Right here is the most compelling form of communication. It can bring that element of stability in your brand and make it much more real and genuine for the people. If you can master the art of storytelling, your sales will surely skyrocket through the roof. That can give you a marketing edge on many other competitors and make you shine much brighter.

4. Use of Guerilla Marketing

It has to be one of the most creative yet underrated marketing ideas that have not been utilizing to their full potential. There is no secret that this is tricky, but once done effectively, it can change the marketing game for you overall. Once it catches people’s attention, this idea can spread like wildfire and do most of the work without any hassle. In 2020 where everything is so fast-paced, this is a great way. You could put something out there on social media, and through the two-step-flow process, it can utilize. That helps build opinion leaders and uses them with their authority over the clusters they associate themselves. Nothing can give your better coverage than this.

5. Engage Through Personalization

Anything that has a stamp of personalization over it can make it very far. Marketing experts all over the globe very much encourage this particular idea for any small or big business anywhere in the world. Dig sincere, my friends, and keep digging deep. Only adding the name of a customer might not do the trick. You must learn and analyze the trend and patterns that pike their interests. That can make them feel so much special than you could ever anticipate, and this can lead to developing a much deeper connection with your brand or services. It has to be one of the cleverest yet effectual ideas to be done. It helps understand behavioral segmentation better and can help implement more strategies in the long run.

Conclusion

Marketing ideas need to upgrade each time, like the phone software. You cannot expect one idea to work the same way longer periods. People crave excitement, and you must give it to them. That can make only widespread when you add creativity to every element of marketing. It builds anticipation, which makes people more enquiring.

Maximum Returns for Minimal Effort: 4 Great Time Management Tips

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals | Maximum Returns for Minimal Effort: 4 Great Time Management TipsWhether you work in an office building or from home, staying on task can be difficult. The distractions may vary – a barking dog versus a chatty coworker – but they’re still there.

If you’re your own boss, it can be even more difficult to manage your time because no one is there to keep you in check. What can you do to get your work done in a timely manner, so you’re not working 24 hours a day?

Online business blogs, such as bullpreneur, provide resources for new and veteran business owners alike.

Wasting Time is Wasting Money

If you’re the owner of a company with employees, their wasted time is your wasted money. Not only is the work not getting done, you’re paying them for their time regardless.

If, on the other hand, you’re the be-all of a company, you’re cheating yourself. If you’re not working, you’re not making valuable connections, keeping up on your industry, or bringing in money.

With the ease of social media at your fingertips, it can be difficult not to fall into an internet rabbit hole instead of working. What can you do to get your employees – and yourself – to stay focused during work hours?

4 Ways to Manage Your Time Better

The internet isn’t the only time suck. Watercooler chats, personal phone calls, television… The list is endless. If you don’t find a way to break the habit, your work to-do list will also be endless.

Here are 4 great time management tips to follow:

1. Eliminate your distractions. No cellphones in the work area is the first step to removing distractions. Of course, that’s not so easy if you’re the boss and disregard your own rule. Making your workspace clutter-free and electronic-free can boost your productivity.

2. Plan out your workday. If you start your workday without some semblance of a plan, you’ll end up wasting time figuring out what to do. Before you leave for the day, make a list of things that need to be done the next day. It will cut back on the time you spend trying to get started each day.

3. Complete the most pressing projects first. That list you wrote at the end of the day will also come in handy when it’s time to figure out what to do first. Focusing on one task at a time helps prevent you from getting overwhelmed. There’s also a sense of satisfaction in crossing an item off the list once it’s completed.

4. Track your productivity. If you or your employees need more strict guidance, a time tracking tool installed on the work devices can help accountability. Of course, there are tons of time management apps, making it difficult to sort out the best. Forbes lists eight of the most helpful time tracking apps.

Taking Frequent Breaks Can Increase Productivity

It may seem counterproductive to take breaks to get your work done. But taking a short break can help you mentally recharge and sharpen your focus once you return to your tasks.

A Flexible Approach: Adaptable Working Hours are the Key to Employee Retention

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article | A Flexible Approach: Adaptable Working Hours are the Key to Employee RetentionIt wasn’t too long ago that the 9-to-5 was the schedule that everyone adhered to just to bring home the bacon. But recently, studies have shown that this leads to a lot of burnout, as well as reduced employee retention.

More and more employers are looking to the flexible hours schedule in order to keep their employees happy. So how exactly does this work?

Flexibility Versus Fast-Paced Work Environments

More employees are looking for a work-life balance that also takes care of their mental health. The fast-paced work environment used to be the popular one, the work itself giving people a purpose to go into the office every day.

But that has changed; people aren’t seeing the benefit of working for money if they don’t have the time to enjoy it as well. The ability to work remotely has also made the flexible work environment a possibility, as people can log-in whenever they’re needed to get work done, meaning that they can schedule their other activities throughout the day while still meeting deadlines.

If you’d like to learn a little more about how easy it is to transition into a flexible work space, check out Businesstrex.

Benefits of Flexibility

Sick of having to rehire employees over and over again for the same position? Spending money on all that training tends to get quite expensive. Instead of constantly filling in the gap, you can retain employees at much higher rates by creating flexible schedules.

Employees will be much happier in the long run knowing that they have some power in the flow of their workday. And happy employees means that they’re less likely to look for work somewhere else.

Studies have also proven that when given the power over their schedules, employees are likely to be more productive in a single workday than working a 9-to-5.

Making the Transition

Many employers believe that they need a major overhaul of their structures in order to make the flexible workday a possibility, but it’s a lot easier than they think. They won’t have to buy as much furnishings for their offices, nor will they have to buy new computers, have operating systems installed, and security technology installed on every one. Flexibility allows for the employees to use their own computers, just as long as the proper security measures are also installed on these PCs.

No need to install huge servers either; the cloud is making it easy for everyone in the company to have access to the same information without having to pay for extra tech support to ensure that the servers are running smoothly.

More and more companies are already making this change anyway, so it would be beneficial to stay with the current trends than to get left behind in the dust.

Test the waters first by having a flexibility week in the workplace and see how it goes. Allow your employees to come into the office when it’s best for them, or let them work remotely from home. You may be surprised by the results you get from allowing your employees to work at their own pace.