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As a business, there are various ways you can develop your ability to remain competitive, and to use that competitiveness to defend and grow your market share. Even in local areas, this can make a difference, because after all, there are only ever a select number of clients and people you can serve, even if that number does grow from time to time.
A local construction company, for instance, may only serve a select area, and with thousands of other firms trying to gain a piece of the pie, we need to position ourselves in a manner that allows us to grow and become that first choice. This not only means ensuring that the value we provide is industry-leading for our area, but innovative, and with an eye to the future. That last point is quite important, because it’s also essential for firms to think about how their client longevity will encourage return business. This means, in effect, that we need to not only consider how to start the relationship, but how to solidify it with appropriate long-term planning. In this post, we’ll discuss three measures to help you with exactly that: Aftercare programs An aftercare program is an important measure to take, because it might be that work conducted needs extra maintenance ahead of time. Renovation and construction experts will often provide one or two follow up visits or a grace period for any maintenance to be resolved after the fact, even after payment has been received. Aftercare can help clients trust that you won’t leave them high and dry in the future - instead it will encourage them to value the relationship and use your services once more. Warranties It’s good to place warranties on your work if possible. This way, the aftercare program might last for longer if paid for, or perhaps a guaranteed lifespan of how long a client can use a given service or product when installed will help them choose you over another firm. This is why many firms opt to use better processes and products, like voidformer when installing foundations in order to remove the chance of ground shear, because it allows them to offer longer warranties and happier long-term residents. Clients notice when you’ve gone out of your way to perform an excellent, long-lasting job. Proprietary, essential services In some cases, services will align with certain companies in order to provide top of the line provisions that are less likely to be found elsewhere, perhaps for a discount. Perhaps you’re a contractor that installs excellent double glazing windows for a firm that has specific requirements for their carriers - but this is worth doing because of the reputation of such proprietary products. It might be that within your industry, you can offer a specific duty of care thanks to that. It can help differentiate you as a brand, and allow you to become the kind of service used by people looking for a particular and trusted outcome that works - not only relying on your reputation, but the storied understanding of a proven product. With this advice, we believe you’ll be able to provide your clients further longevity and value going forward.
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 Image credit: Tracy Le Blanc from Pexels Social media is a game of numbers. The more followers you have, the more visible your company will be. The more people talk about you, the more visibility you’ll get. The more views and likes you get on each post, the more people will want to follow you. All of these metrics make up your social media strategy and whether or not it’s working.
This blog post will go over everything you need to know about how to win at social media so that your business isn’t left in the dust. Decide on your objective Starting your own business is overwhelming. And the same can be said for social media. That’s why it helps to break it down into manageable chunks. Before you dive into creating a successful social media strategy, you first need to decide on your objective. What do you want your social media strategy to do for your business? Is it for customer acquisition? Or do you want it to drive brand awareness? Maybe you just want it to drive website traffic. Once you have decided on your objective, build a strategy around it. Create a successful social media strategy After you’ve decided on your objective, you can create a successful social media strategy. First and foremost, you need to determine which social media platforms your target audience is on. If it’s Facebook, contacting a Facebook Ads Agency will help you the most. Then, you need to decide how much time you want to be spending on each platform. If you’re spending too much time on one platform, it’ll be detrimental to your business. There are tons of different metrics that you’re going to want to be monitoring with each social media platform. Be where your audience Is One of the most important parts of any successful social media strategy is being where your customers are. If you’re not where your target audience is, you’re not going to make any real impact with your company. And it’s not just about finding the right social media platform but also the right type of content on these platforms. You need to create share-worthy content that people want to talk about, which drives brand awareness. Create content that drives awareness To create content that drives awareness and engagement, you need to ensure that your content resonates with your target audience. The best way to do this is by creating personas for your target audience. Once you have these personas created, you can then brainstorm ideas for content that these personas would actually want to engage with. And this doesn’t only apply to one type of content. You need to create a variety of content so that each piece compliments the other. Plan out your content calendar If you want to have a successful social media strategy, you need to have a content calendar in place. You need to know what type of content you’re going to be posting at what times and on which platforms. This ensures that you’re not just posting content willy-nilly and not over-posting. When creating your content calendar, you need to ensure that you’re not over-posting on any one platform. If you’re posting too often, your posts will not get the attention they deserve. Establish partnerships with Influencers For many businesses, social media is all about numbers. One way to make sure your numbers are as high as possible is to establish partnerships with influencers. If you can work with an influencer to create content that further promotes your brand, you’ll have a better chance of increasing your visibility. Just make sure that the content that you create with this influencer further promotes your brand. If it doesn’t, it won’t help your visibility at all. Don’t forget to measure everything One of the most essential parts of a successful social media strategy is keeping track of the metrics. You need to know how many likes, comments, shares, and views your content receives. You also need to know how many people click through to your website. And how many are engaging with your posts. You can then adjust your strategy if needed by keeping track of these metrics. By measuring everything, you’ll be able to make your social media strategy even more successful.  Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Small business owners have it tough, they don't just have to wear many hats, but they have to fight the biggest battle of all: the Battle Against Time, every single day. Productivity is one of those things that everybody has an opinion on, but as a small business owner, when there's so much to do and never enough time to do it in, what does it really take to ensure that you are doing everything properly?
Streamline your tasks The topic of streamlining can cover so many different areas. Streamlining can be technical, for example, a piece of software that can be designed by the Claris Filemaker Pro service to ensure that everything has a very solid process. On the other hand, streamlining can be down to the individual's perception of tasks. For example, learning how to do things in a certain order to make sure that they are optimising their time effectively. Whatever it takes, when you start to streamline your tasks, you've got to remember the end goal. Because while doing something in a different order may not necessarily make it easier, actively streamlining your tasks can be effective, just as long as you know the best approach for your needs and goals. Work smart, not hard This age-old adage is something we've all got to remember. You can do tasks in a logical order, but you don't have to. It's also important to look at the things where you are particularly weak and find ways to outsource them. A very good example is if you are a slow typer; instead of typing, you can invest in a dictation program that will help you to reel off emails and potentially quadruple your productivity. If you find yourself typing email after email, especially when it comes to firefighting complaining customers, this can make life a lot easier. It's also important to remember that when you are sending emails, roughly 80% will contain very similar information, so having a collection of templates will also help. Remove distractions Distractions are one of the biggest obstacles. Everybody has their own distractions, whether it's social media or just not being able to focus. There are plenty of ways to learn how to focus, but you've also got to look at the distractions that you just cannot remove from your life, for example, if you need to have your email on in case of someone messaging you. But this is where discipline can make a big difference. Complete the biggest challenges first If you cannot remove distractions effectively, you've got to get up before everybody else does! If you really want to grow your business and you’ve got a mountain of challenges ahead of you, you've got to complete the biggest ones first. This doesn't just give you a sense of achievement, but will also give you a better opportunity to work more effectively later on, and smaller tasks that require less energy can be done with ease. Being productive as a small business owner doesn't just involve finding the right tools and techniques, but also about winning the battle against ourselves!  Image credit: Rodolfo Quiros from Pexels Choosing the right insurance policy for your small business is very important. This is especially true if you are in an industry where accidents are prone to happen and you are likely to need coverage at some point.
There are many things to consider when deciding on the type of insurance policy that is right for your business. However, at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you have the correct coverage for any liabilities that you may acquire. Here is a closer look at what you need to consider when selecting small business insurance. The legalities Depending on where your business is located and the industry in which you find yourself, you may be required to have insurance. This is especially true if you are financing your business with loans from lenders. They will often want to see that you have some kind of liability insurance to protect your business and your assets. You may even need to show that you have liability coverage if you want to rent a commercial space. Your landlord may require that you have insurance and cover third-party lawsuits. Choose insurance wisely When selecting insurance you need to make sure that you understand your industry's risk. A construction worker needs to worry about the safety of the construction site and even the structure that they are building. You can select owner builder insurance for this. A restaurant owner on the other hand needs to worry about coverage in case somebody gets sick from eating their food and decides to sue them. The bottom line is that you need to evaluate the risk associated with the industry that you are in. This will help you choose the right type of liability insurance for your business. Understand your rates Insurance rates will vary based on your industry. Before you select insurance coverage you need to know how your industry will affect your rates. Other things that may affect the rate of coverage are the size of your business and the number of employees that you have. The years of experience you have in the business can also count towards how high or low your insurance rates are. The good news is that there are some things you can do to help reduce the rates that you pay. To reduce the cost of your insurance you can have firm security measures in place for your business. Ensure that your workers have a safe environment and install fire suppression systems on the premises. All of this will make your business look less risky to an insurance company and reduce your insurance rates. Get insured Getting the right insurance coverage for your business is never simple. However, there are some steps you can take to make sure that you understand the coverage that you need for your business. Take a close look at what you are likely to be liable for in your industry and then speak with your insurance provider about the coverage that you can get. Make sure that you make your business attractive to potential insurers by putting security and safety measures in place.  Image credit: Niklas9416 from Pixabay As a business owner, you’ll want to make sure your company is running as effectively as possible. That’s often more difficult than many non-business owners think. With the wealth of factors that need to be considered and various strategies you can use, it’s easy to see why it can feel overwhelming.
It doesn’t need to be as difficult as that, however. By outsourcing key areas, you can make things much simpler for you and your employees. It’s worth diving into what outsourcing is and how you can use outsourcing to streamline your business. Why Should A Business Outsource Tasks? Despite it being a common practice, many small business owners might wonder why they should outsource any duties. Not only will they see it as an added expense, but they’ll be forced to trust someone outside of the company to perform important duties. That can make it seem like a negative. Far from it. It can help you streamline your business more than you’d expect. It also offers a host of additional benefits, including:
7 Areas To Outsource To Streamline Your Business 1. IT Business IT support has been a popular area to outsource for quite some time, especially among small businesses. Establishing and managing an IT network, even a small-scale one, can be an expensive and complicated process. With how necessary it can be, however, it’s something you’ll need to take care of. By outsourcing, you can ensure that any issues - if they pop up - will be addressed quickly and effectively. It’ll also ensure your network is secure and efficient. 2. Sales Like IT, your company mightn’t have the budget to hire enough sales employees to establish a high-quality funnel that generates leads and converts them. When you’re starting a business, this process is essential to generating your initial revenue. Should you not have enough funds, it could seem as though you’re in a catch-22 situation. By outsourcing the initial stages of this, you can establish your sales funnel much faster and with a smaller investment. You can then use this revenue to streamline your business even further. 3. Marketing When you’re launching and growing your business, marketing is a necessity. Nobody will buy from your company if you don’t know it’s there. Advertising your company can be a complicated process and it could prove costly if you don’t know what you’re doing. By outsourcing to a marketing agency, you’ll have a much lower cost per lead, which increases your overall return on investment. Your overall marketing strategies should also be higher-quality, thanks to the agency’s expertise. It’ll also help you avoid notable marketing mistakes. 4. Accounting Accounting is one of the most common areas to outsource to help streamline your business. Many entrepreneurs, especially small business owners, aren’t financial experts, although running a company often needs this to ensure everything goes smoothly. Working with an accounting firm ensures you can do this. You can rest on their expertise to ensure that your finances are taken care of. At the same time, they can offer you advice to further improve and streamline your company. If leasing is something your business is involved in, managing the assets in your portfolio can become a fulltime job in itself. Emails, spreadsheets, and sticky notes can only take you so far. For an easier solution, try this lease accounting software to improve the management of cash flow through your business. Though a decent cost, you’ll save much more money by taking this approach. 5. Manufacturing If you make products, then you’ll need a manufacturing facility to make sure you can scale up your business. That’s an expensive proposition, especially for small businesses, and can be too large of a hurdle for many to overcome. You can avoid it completely by outsourcing your manufacturing. While this could mean paying a premium per product, it’ll be a more affordable cost as your company grows. Though you may want to invest in your own manufacturing facility in time, outsourcing initially is a recommended option. 6. Shipping & Logistics Speaking of manufacturing, the next step in the process is to ship your products, either to you or directly to your customer. That can be a time-intensive and costly process, especially if you’re trying to set up your own logistics network. Outsourcing this as much as possible will not only save you time and money, but it could ensure products are delivered much faster. It should also make sure they’re safer during the shipping process. If you run an eCommerce store, this is especially recommended. One of the main advantages of this is that you can have products manufactured and shipped without doing anything yourself. That could be enough to reduce your costs and ensure you don’t need to pay for warehousing. 7. Human Resources Quite a few entrepreneurs are surprised to hear they can outsource their human resources. It’s a distinct possibility, however, especially when it comes to hiring and onboarding employees. As these are often the most time-intensive and expensive parts of the process, outsourcing it saves you a lot of time and money. Recruitment firms also take care of writing and advertising your posts, alongside the interview process. Choosing this option means you’ll save a significant amount of time with the process. As you’ll be consulted throughout the process, you can also ensure you hire the right employees for your needs. You can lean on the agency’s expertise when you’re doing so to make sure you know how to evaluate potential employees. You’ll get a host of benefits without any of the risks. Areas To Outsource To Streamline Your Business: Wrapping Up You can outsource quite a few areas to streamline your business. With the various benefits that the practice offers, there are more than a few reasons to consider it. Focusing on a few key areas, such as those outlined above, outsourcing will have a much larger impact than you’d expect. There shouldn’t be anything stopping you from outsourcing and streamlining your business. 
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Did you know that personalising your marketing messages can increase your response rate by 50%? It's true! In this blog post, we will discuss the best ways to personalise your marketing messages to have maximum impact on your target audience.
Collect as much data as possible The first step in personalising your marketing messages is to collect as much data as possible about your target audience. This data can include information like demographics, interests, and purchase history. You can collect data by conducting surveys, doing market research, or using customer relationship management (CRM) software. Segment your audience The first step to personalising your marketing messages is to segment your audience. You can more easily identify their specific needs and desires by segmenting your target market. This will allow you to create targeted messages that are more likely to resonate with each customer. There are several different ways that you can segment your audience. Some standard methods include: -Demographic information such as age, gender, location, and income level -Psychographic information such as interests, lifestyle, and values -Behavioural information such as purchase history, web browsing behaviour, and email engagement Identify unique content for each persona Now that you have segmented your audience, it's time to identify unique content for each persona. This content should be relevant to their needs and interests. It should also be tailored to the different stages of the buyer's journey. For example, you might send a different message to someone just starting their research than you would to someone ready to make a purchase. Create customised messages With so much competition out there, it's more important than ever to make sure your marketing messages are personalised. Here are a few tips to get you started: - First, think about your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What do they care about? - Once you know who you're targeting, craft a message that speaks to their specific needs and interests. - Finally, don't be afraid to get creative! There are endless ways to personalise your marketing messages, so have fun with it and experiment until you find what works best for you and your business. Turn To The Professionals for Help When personalising your marketing messages, it's essential to seek professional help. A full service marketing agency can assist you in creating custom content that resonates with your target audience. They will also have the necessary tools and resources to properly track and measure the success of your personalised marketing campaign. Test, Test, Test The final step in personalising your marketing messages is to test, test, test. Send out different versions of your message to different audience segments and see which ones have the best response rate. Then, you can fine-tune your notifications until you find the perfect mix that will have maximum impact on your target audience. In conclusion, personalising your marketing messages is a great way to ensure that you reach your target audience in the most effective way possible. Seek out professional help, test different versions of your message, and fine-tune until you find the perfect mix. Doing so will help you achieve maximum impact with your marketing campaigns.  Image credit: Pixabay from Pexels Maintaining your business is essential for keeping it running smoothly and avoiding costly repairs or replacements. Unfortunately, many business owners don't realise the importance of routine maintenance until something goes wrong. By then, it's often too late. This blog post will discuss five dangerous maintenance checks that every business should perform regularly!
1) Electrical system The first dangerous maintenance check is on your business's electrical system. If you don't regularly inspect and maintain your electrical system, severe problems like fires or power outages can lead. These can not only be costly to repair, but they can also put your employees and customers at risk. So make sure to have a qualified electrician inspect your system every year and make any necessary repairs or upgrades. This includes electrical rewiring, upgrading to a higher voltage, or simply replacing old or damaged wiring. 2) Plumbing Another dangerous maintenance check is on your business's plumbing. If you have leaks or other problems with your plumbing, it can cause extensive damage to your property. If the water is contaminated, it can also create health hazards for your employees and customers. Be sure to have a professional plumber inspect your system regularly and make any necessary repairs. This may include fixing leaks, repairing or replacing pipes, or adding new fixtures. 3) HVAC The last dangerous maintenance check is on your business's HVAC system. If you don't properly maintain your HVAC system, it can lead to several problems, including poor air quality, excessive dust and pollen, and even mould growth. These can all be costly to fix and can also pose a serious health risk to your employees and customers. Be sure to have a qualified HVAC technician inspect your system regularly and make any necessary repairs or upgrades. This may include cleaning the ductwork, replacing filters, or servicing the unit itself. 4) Safety As a business owner, it's your responsibility to ensure that your workplace is safe for your employees. This includes performing routine safety checks and making any necessary repairs or upgrades. Some things you should check for include trip hazards, loose handrails, and damaged flooring. You should also make sure that all of your fire extinguishers are up to date and in working order. 5) Roof: The final maintenance check on our list is your business's roof. If you don't regularly inspect and maintain your roof, it can lead to serious problems like leaks or collapse. These can be very costly to repair, so catching any potential problems early is essential. Be sure to have a professional roofer inspect your roof at least once a year and make any necessary repairs. This may include patching holes, replacing damaged shingles, or adding new flashing around chimneys or vents. By performing these dangerous maintenance checks on a regular basis, you can avoid costly repairs or even disasters. So don't wait until something goes wrong - start maintaining your business today.  Image credit: Unknown A landing page is a critical part of any website. It is often referred to as a destination page or a lead capture page. No matter what you call it, there is no denying that it is one of the most important parts of your online presence when it comes to generating leads and driving sales. However, to achieve these goals, your landing page needs to be expertly constructed, and there are a number of different elements it needs to consist of. These are as follows…
Simple design - There is only one place to begin, and this is with the actual design of the landing page. If you stay abreast of industry trends or you even look at the different types of websites that are popular at the moment, you will have noticed that minimalistic web design has certainly taken over. This simple style of web design is effective because it packs a powerful punch and ensures that your brand image does not get confused. This is a necessity! Trust signals - Not only does your website need to have a simple design, but it also needs to contain different trust signals. What is a trust signal? This could be anything from customer reviews to security badges. It is anything that indicates to potential customers that your website and consequently your business is one to be trusted. Quick page load speed - Aside from the two elements that have been mentioned above, your website also needs to be quick to load. If your landing page is slow, you can be certain that potential customers will simply hit the back button and look elsewhere. There are so many studies that have shown that bounce rates increase dramatically with every second longer a website takes to load. A strong Call to Action - A strong CTA is another necessity for any type of landing page. Working with the best SEO company you can develop compelling content like this. Your CTA must be evident from the moment someone lands on the landing page. This must be the first thing that their eyes divert to. Colour is a powerful tool in this regard. For example, you can use the colour red to create a sense of urgency and to encourage people to take action. However, you also need to be careful and make sure the colours you choose fits in with your brand image. As you can see, there are a number of important ingredients that your landing page needs to have. If you make sure your landing page consists of all of the elements that have been mentioned above, you can go a very long way to ensuring that it not only looks good but that it operates well too and achieves the leads and conversions you are looking to achieve.  Image credit: Start Up Stock Photos When you’re starting a business, you’ll have numerous things to juggle. Between registering your company, hiring employees, managing vendors, and marketing your business, you’ll have a lot to handle. That could lead to you overlooking a few things, many of which could be essential.
These could be as vital to your company as everything else; you’ll need to get them done and sorted at some point. As a result, you could end up needing to do more than you’d thought at the last minute, causing a lot of stress. You’ll want to avoid that, making it worth getting each of the below done as early as possible a recommended path when you’re starting a business. 3 things you might overlook when starting a Business 1. Office essentials When many entrepreneurs start a business, they focus on the big things, like equipment, employees, and business registration. They can overlook their office essentials. There are more of these than you could be aware of, including:
While you’ll need to pay a decent upfront cost for your office essentials, they’ll let you run your business smoothly. 2. Support system When you’re starting a business, it’s easy to overlook how stressful it is and how much of an impact it can have on you. It’ll be more than you’d think. You’ll need to have a support system in place to help you with this. Nobody launches a successful business by themselves; they’ll have a team of people behind them, whether they admit it or not. That can range from friends and family to a high-quality executive team that implements your vision. Be sure to have this as early as possible; it’s also worth having them in place before you properly start and grow your company. 3. Mentorship If you’re a first-time entrepreneur, then the process can seem overwhelmingly complicated. Getting help with it doesn’t have to mean hiring a legal professional or an employee. You can also get a mentor; someone that’s been through the process before. When you’re looking for one, look for a successful entrepreneur that’s been through a similar path to the one you’re embarking on. They should’ve come from a similar background and achieved success; that way, they can give you more personalized advice you can follow. While it can take time to find a mentor, it’s more than worth the effort. Things you might overlook when starting a Business: Wrapping up There are a considerable few things you could overlook when starting a business, many of which can be vital to the process. As such, you could find yourself rushing around trying to get them sorted at the last minute. It’s worth getting them done as early as you can. With how commonly overlooked they are, however, missing them can be easy. Focusing on the above should help avoid that.  Image credit: Lukas from Pexels When was the last time you gave your brand the once over and decided that it was working for you? A brand is a concept that you come up with when you first start out in business, but it doesn't mean that you are stuck with that brand forever. You need to remember that as an iconic brand, you want to stand out and engage with your customers in the right way. Refreshing it is the smartest thing that you can do if you are looking for a way to reemerge into the sector.
The problem is that most business leaders are unsure when the best time to rebrand really is. When do you take a step back and decide that the time for change is now? There are things that you have to consider, from trying to plan this rebrand yourself to using a company like TRAFFICON to help you out. The more you know about branding, the better, so here are some questions that you should be asking yourself before you go for it.
 Image credit: Unknown It's no secret that businesses need to take precautions when it comes to transporting hazardous materials. These substances can be dangerous to people and the environment, but they can also be costly to clean up if there is an accident. For this reason, businesses need to have a plan in place for the safe transport of hazardous goods.
What are Hazardous Goods, and why are they essential to transport safely Hazardous goods are materials that can pose a danger to people, property or the environment if not handled correctly. These items can include anything from flammable liquids to corrosive chemicals. Therefore, businesses must take measures to transport these materials safely and securely. There are several reasons why hazardous goods transport is so important:
If there is an accident involving hazardous materials, your business could be held responsible and be required to pay for clean-up costs. Some common examples of Hazardous Products that Businesses need to be aware of include: • Flammable liquids: These can easily ignite and cause a fire. • Corrosive chemicals: These can damage skin and other materials. • Toxic substances: These can be harmful if ingested or inhaled. • Radioactive materials: These can be dangerous if not handled correctly. How can Businesses ensure the safe transport of Hazardous Goods There are several steps that businesses can take to ensure the safe transport of hazardous goods.
What are the consequences of not transporting Hazardous Goods safely? There are a number of consequences that businesses can face if they do not transport hazardous goods safely.
In conclusion Hazardous goods transport is an essential part of any business. By taking the necessary precautions, companies can ensure the safety of their employees, customers and the environment. Failure to do so could result in severe consequences, including liability for accidents, damage to property and an increase in insurance premiums. Therefore, businesses must take the time to plan for the safe transport of these materials. |
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