 Image credit: Gerd Altmann from Pexels If you’re an introvert, you could be forgiven for thinking that the world of business is not for you, but if you’re ambitious and you want to a company for yourself, you should not let your introversion put you off.
Here, you will find a few things that can help you succeed in business even if you are an introvert: Choose your business wisely If you’re an introvert and you want to be successful in business, then it makes sense to choose your business wisely and ensure that it is introvert-friendly, For example, if you choose to set up a web design business, you could spend most of your time alone working on code or if you start a food contract company, you could spend a lot of time in a small team developing products for consumers, rather than attending lots of meetings or having to be out there on show all the time. Choose a business that meets your pace and you will be just fine. Embrace it It might seem like being an introvert is a downside in the world of business where networking and drawing attention are seen to be so important, but the fact is, introverts have their own skills and abilities that are just as valuable, For instance, introverts tend to be far more perspective to their environments, which means you may be more easily able to read the needs of your customers and improve your products and services to beat the competition. Network the way you want Networking is generally pretty important for successful business owners, so it may seem like a real sticking point for you as a potential business owner, but it really doesn’t have to be. You just need to find a way to network on your terms, which could include participating in message boards and online chats where you feel more comfortable. If you do attend physical meetups, just stay for a short while, meet the people you want to meet, and retreat to the solitude of your hotel room for a while before you’re ready to go again. Delegate The greatest thing about running a business in the 21st century is that it has never been easier to delegate tasks to the abundance of freelance workers at your fingertips. So, if there are things you absolutely don’t want to do, you can always delegate them to a competent third party who is maybe a bit more extroverted than you. Partner up Something else you may want to think about is going into partnership with someone who is an extrovert. That way, you get the best of both worlds and you can both play to your strengths while eliminating your weaknesses., This will need to be someone you trust and who has the same vision as you, but if you can find this person, it could be a good way to be successful in your business. Being an introvert is totally normal, so don’t let it hold you back from achieving your business dreams.
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 Image credit: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels The last year has been hard for a lot of people and a lot of businesses. Some businesses have closed some of been close to not being able to reopen and others have had to adapt very quickly to make sure they are able to trade throughout the lockdown period. As things start to ease and restrictions start to become less and fewer businesses are taking the opportunity to get back on track and continue to thrive going forward looking forward to a fantastic summer. There are a few different things businesses will need to be doing to make sure that they can continue to grow and keep their customers coming back as well as attracting new ones over the next couple of months.
Cleanliness Is Key One of the things that a lot of people will be concerned about is the cleanliness and safety of going back into the world and back of the shops and businesses. Showing your employees and your customers That you really care about their safety we’ll encourage them to come back time and time again. What of the things you can do is have a branded hand sanitiser station at the entrance of your shop or office so that when anyone comes into the premises they will now have readily available hand sanitiser as well as potentially a mask station where they can get a mask if they don’t have one and have their temperature checked to make sure that they and everyone else is as safe as can be. It will create a safe workspace in the post-pandemic era. It will also promote good hygiene levels throughout the business as a whole and having a branded hand sanitiser available is now the first point of safety for any business. Keep Creating Content Throughout lockdown, a lot of businesses have been trying to improve the digital content in lockdown. If they’ve not been able to trade, keeping active online has been one of the top priorities to make sure that people don’t forget about them. It has also given businesses time to improve the quality and type of content they are posting on their social channels and looking to help increase their following and engagement. Social media is important for any business and post-pandemic is just as important as it can help people decide whether or not they want to go to a particular restaurant or shop as they will look to see if these places are obeying the rules and looking after their customers. Use Influencers To Your Advantage Bloggers and influencers are a great way to get your message out to a wide audience and we have as well as getting a trusted and reliable voice to share their views and experiences they have with your business. Using them post-pandemic and while things easing is a great way to showcase the safety measures you’re putting in place to make shopping or working with you is safe and easy I will not put anyone at risk. If you aren’t sure where to start on work and bloggers or influences there are loads of agencies that have databases full of people who are great to work with.  Image credit: Hivan Arvizu from Unsplash Corporate events are a fantastic way for businesses to connect with customers and clients. They can range in size and scale, be formal and informal - making a nice change from your business’ day to day work.
But as corporate events can cost a lot of money, you need to make sure that the corporate events planned by you are effective and successful. Effective planning is a must to ensure the smooth running of your event, and if you want to know more about planning successful corporate events, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tips to help you make a success of your corporate events. Set clear aims and objectives Corporate events should have aims and objectives to help them deliver something for your business. From generating interest in a new product or service, to encouraging new business from clients, you should have a clear idea about what your event is setting out to achieve. Focusing on why you’re having an event and what you’d like the outcome to be will guide your planning to help you deliver the most appropriate type of event. Be meticulous with your planning Planning a corporate event is no easy task. Having detailed plans in place will help you to cover all the key elements such as your venue, catering, entertainment, etc. It can help to work backwards from the date of the event to ensure you have key dates in place to engage with suppliers and secure confirmations. Working from a checklist can be an effective way of planning your event, while corporate events planners can be very useful for arranging large-scale events. Think of new and exciting ideas How can you make your next corporate event different to the rest? If you want to make an impression on your guests and secure a positive outcome for your business, then thinking of new and exciting ideas can set you apart. There are all kinds of corporate events ideas you can use to connect with different types of audiences, helping to make a lasting impression. Use each event as an opportunity to try something different to stop your events becoming stale and uninspiring. Connect with your guests after the event Following up with guests after the event is important for your business. It can help drive sales and interest in your business, and keeps your business on their radar. Investing in branded merchandise for corporate events can make sure guests take something away with your name on, while follow-up communications to thank attendees for coming can add a more personal touch. Be ready with your email marketing strategy to follow up with attendees to help generate new leads even after the event has ended. Corporate events can give your business some great results, helping you connect with customers and clients in a way that’s not possible through other communications channels. The right planning can help you make a success of your next event, ready to help your business make a lasting impression.  Image credit: Content Pixie from Unsplash We all have days when things don't look like they're going to work. Days when the sky is falling, and the universe is punishing you.
The day that feels like a fluke is the day that you have to stop, pause and re-evaluate the plan of attack. If the day didn't feel like a fluke, then you are in no position to make changes to improve your prospects. As a solo entrepreneur, the fluke will always be fluke. However, it is a sign that you are approaching a place where you can start tweaking and changing the way you do things. The one thing that you must be able to do is to look at your current plan and ask yourself, "is this still a viable plan?" If the answer is no, then re-consider your options. If you are alone, then you must make yourself a Board Room. For those of you who don't know what a Board Room is, they are an expert witness (kind of like an attorney, except they sit on the Jury). It is a small room with comfortable leather chairs, where you sit across from the expert witness and ask him/her questions. In essence, the Board Room allows you to get a third person, a neutral third party, to look at your case, objectively, as if you are sitting across from a judge. At the end of the Board Room presentation, you will have learned all you could from your presentation in an environment where you were able to ask intelligent follow-up questions. This may not be the answer you were looking for, but it is the answer you need to get you back on track. So, ask yourself: do I have a plan? If you don't, why not? If you do, is it viable? Can I afford to take the risk? And then, ask yourself: will this plan change if I have a Board Room?  Image credit: Mentatdgt from Pexels If you want to start a business, you’re going to need to find a way to get into that entrepreneurial mindset. Getting into the right mindset is key, whatever it is you want to do. Any great business owner will tell you the same thing. If you’re not sure that you’re in the right mindset yet, below you’ll find some pointers that will help you get into the entrepreneurial mindset in no time. Read on and see what you can do:
1. Find Mentors Find mentors who can inspire you. How do they act? How do they think? You may not be able to pick up on it all right away, but continuously trying to learn from them can help you to adjust your own actions and mindset. They can be people you know in real life who you admire, or people like Tony Robbins. You don’t need to spend a fortune to go to their seminars, unless you really want to. Reading up on their free material and watching their talks online can help you in a myriad of ways, and it won’t cost you anything. 2. Read Books The more books you can read on the subject, the better. Of course, some will resonate with you more than others. Try to read at least one book per month so that at the end of each year you have gotten through 12 books that have helped you to expand your mind. Books like Think and Grow Rich and Automic Habits are amazing places to start. 3. Get Clear on Who You Need To Be Your self image can have a lot to do with how easily you are able to get into ‘entrepreneurial mode’. You can do lots of reading and learning, but if you don’t change your self image, you’re unlikely to actually get to where you need to be. So, get clear on who you need to be to achieve your dreams. What do you need to believe? Who do you need to spend time with? How do you spend your days? Really immerse yourself in this new vision of yourself and then try to become that version of yourself each day. Soon, you won’t need to try and your goals will come to you far more effortlessly. 4. Set SMART Goals Setting vague goals rarely helps anybody. Setting SMART goals can help to give you goals that you can actually measure. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. This way, you know exactly what you must do, can see whether you’re getting to where you want to be, and have a deadline to keep you focused. 5. Work on Your Limiting Beliefs Limiting beliefs are often deeply ingrained in our subconscious, and play a huge part in how we act and what we believe we can achieve. In a way, it ties in with our own self image. Figure out what you believe deep down. You may consciously believe you can be a business owner, but what about subconsciously? If you don’t think you’re smart or cunning deep down, then you may not get to where you want to be. Get to know yourself inside out. 6. Figure Out Your Budget A budget will help you to see what you need to focus on when you get started. You’ll also be able to approach suppliers and start building relationships with them, which can further help you get into the right mindset. Whether you’re looking at a company to provide a carbon steel butt weld or a company to outsource your accounting to, make sure you consider this carefully. You will need to be frugal with your budget to begin with. 7. Stop Being Self Centred A good business owner in this day and age is always people-focused. This means remaining focused on both your customers and your team. It’s time to stop thinking about yourself and how you can benefit and instead think about how you can provide value to the people around you. This is what makes an effective business that can stand the test of time. 8. See Failure As A Step Towards Success Failure doesn’t need to be the boogeyman of business. It can teach you so much about what works and what doesn’t, and should be looked at as a valuable lesson. You aren't going to make it through life without making a few mistakes. Make sure you appreciate these mistakes and learn from them. Don’t dwell on them! 9. Always Keep Your ‘Why’ In Mind Entrepreneurs have a very clear idea of what their ‘why’ is and what they would like to achieve. If you forget your ‘why’ or your personal mission, you could easily fall out of your entrepreneurial mindset. Before making any decision, remind yourself of your why. Write it down so you can see it every day. Making sure you keep it in mind will inform you in many positive ways. 10. Stay Flexible Flexibility is key as an entrepreneur, too. You might be able to get into the right mindset fast, but that mindset might not benefit you forever. Things are changing, across all industries, and they are changing faster than ever. Make sure you’re always prepared to learn and do new things, whatever it takes to be successful. A flexible attitude and way of working is a must in 2021 and beyond, so don’t allow rigid thinking or an inflexible way of running your business. Getting into the entrepreneurial mindset fast might not seem possible to some, but with determination and SMART goals on your side, you should be able to do it in a week or less. This doesn’t mean you’ll never need to work on your mindset again, just that you’ll be in a much better place to start your business venture. It could even be worth changing your idea of what ‘entrepreneur’ means. It doesn’t have to mean a suit wearing, fast decision making, cut throat person who is cut off from their emotions. Anybody can start a business in this day and age!  Image credit: Copper and Wild from Unsplash I've been working with online entrepreneurs for well over a decade now and in that time (and especially during this time) I have learned many interesting lessons and tips of the trade. One of those lessons is the power of having a vision for your business growth and success.
Many of us would much rather "wait and see" what happens than take steps toward our dreams... especially when they're small (like building your own website) and grand (like taking your business from the comfort of home to millions of people looking at your site everyday). In this day and age where there is more information than ever before, you would think that we would rather listen to someone who can show us HOW to build our business and what tools and resources we need but the sad truth is that too many entrepreneurs listen to someone who has all the knowledge... and quit when they discover that they don't know how to do what they want. One other very important factor in getting your business started, is having a mentor. This is not just any old mentor though; in my experience you want someone who has done exactly what you want to do, and exactly how you want to do it... so they will be your sounding board as you learn the skills necessary to get your dream of building your business... going from a hobby into a profitable business. You want a mentor who knows exactly how your business should sound, and exactly how you can get to that point. You want a mentor who knows exactly which tools and resources will be the best for your business. You are going to spend many, many hours working with your mentor and we don't want to find out that the skills and techniques we invest in during our time with them is not what is needed... and you're going to be frustrated because you spent too much time with the wrong tool or technique. So make sure there is someone who lives your dream as much as you do and has gone beyond what you thought was possible! So many entrepreneurs waste their precious time in an effort to "perfect" their business instead of concentrating on creating a business that can flourish without them. And you don't need to spend a fortune to get yourself a great mentor... one of my all time fave's are Mike Friesen (author of "Rich Dad" series) and Jim Collins (author of Bestseller... "Lights Out") These guys are great teachers because they get you working in their business day in day out, not just a one time course where you leave feeling like you've got it all under control. 5. Your passion - what really drives you to become a successful entrepreneur. I want to tell you about a friend of mine who wanted to be an entrepreneur so bad that he would do anything to achieve that dream. And you know what, he's become one... as well as many other entrepreneurs we know. So his passion is real, it's not just something he creates to earn some extra cash. There should be something you absolutely love and then there should be something that drives you to become an entrepreneur. Like wanting to do something that is beneficial to everyone and something that gives you a rush just thinking about it, getting you excited and ready to take on the world. That way you'll get through the first 5 steps easily and then you'll be able to focus on achieving your dreams in the third step. Now get going and create your business today!  Image credit: Geralt from Pixabay Accepting risk is a part of being an effective entrepreneur, and it is one that is hard to square with the idea that business success is all about making the right decisions. Let’s acknowledge here and now that even beginning to run your own business is an endeavour that is wrapped up with risk. You are putting money on the line with no guarantee of success - because that can’t be guaranteed - and hoping that you won’t be one of the 60% of businesses that fail in their first three years.
It’s tempting to think that you won’t be one of those businesses, because you won’t make the mistakes they did. When you face a problem, or a fork in the road, you will simply apply intelligence and make the right decision. This is a comforting thought, and intelligence is certainly a vital part of doing business the right way, but is it foolproof? Let’s look at some home truths about business that tell us what we need to know about how - and even whether - you can think your way to business success. Intelligence isn’t just about what you know If business success was simply a matter of knowing things, then - naming no names here - some of the richest people in the world would never have passed the first hurdle. An important part of achieving business success is not assuming that the world will behave in the way you expect it to. We’ve just spent more than a year in a pandemic having a crash course in the concept of “unforeseen circumstances”, but some people don’t yet realise that not only does the world not act according to rules, it also doesn’t always react in the way you would expect. What you know is less important than how quickly you adjust to new realities. It’s not about what should work, it’s about what does work To make the analogy of business as sport, we can all think of teams or professionals who play the game in a beautiful way. Exciting to watch, constantly innovating, and usually losing in the long run to teams and players who are less beguiling to watch but more efficient. If your goal is business success, you will need to be more like the latter. This means that evaluating your strategy isn’t about reading and digesting the works of Sun Tzu (or even Vince Lombardi); it’s about knowing how to set OKRs and achieve those targets. If you’re producing a healthy balance sheet, by all means you can quote all the great philosophers you want to - but don’t assume that the latter will necessarily beget the former. You can never completely eliminate risk Some people hold the impression that business is a series of binary decisions, and if you just pick the right choice at each interval, you’ll eliminate the threat of things going wrong. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid risk in business by leaning away from it. Nor can you face it head-on and make it submit - you simply need to accept that it is there and work on ways to minimise it; repeat the things that are working until they stop working, and avoid the things that never worked to begin with. Perhaps most importantly, you should be looking to get far enough ahead of the curve that you can afford a few mistakes - because mistakes will happen, no matter how much planning you do. Success in business isn’t just about having the master strategy; a lot of it comes down to adaptability, humility and - in some cases - sheer good luck. It’s useful to know a lot, and to think a lot, but sometimes just recognising you can’t know everything is even more important.  Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Are you exploring new ways to grow your business and strengthen your brand? If so, then you should think about the best ways to use the power of your clients and customers. These are a few of the possibilities that we strongly recommend you consider. Use Their Opinions
First, you should think about whether you can use the opinions and thoughts of your customers. They might be able to explain to you the best ways to move forward with your business. Don’t forget, when you’re looking to improve your company it’s important to move in directions that your customers want to see. No one knows what directions these are more than your customers themselves. You might think that customers aren’t going, to be honest when you interact with them. While this might be the case, there are ways to skirt around this issue, such as by using Mystery Shopping experiences. Here customers get a product to review but don’t know what the brand is and deliver honest feedback. Use Their Content Next, you should think about whether you can use content from customers to your advantage. User-generated content can be helpful because it allows you to connect with that individual customer. It will also help you reach their followers. Don’t forget, that customers are far more likely to trust the word of other clients rather than your brand. User-generated content also makes your business seem more accessible and that’s always going to provide a tremendous benefit. Use Their Reviews Next, you should think about using reviews in your business. Do note that a mixture of positive and negative reviews is far better than zero reviews for your business online. That’s why you should make sure that you are encouraging customers to leave reviews. You should do this after the completion of a sale. Business owners often assume that it’s going to be difficult to get customers to leave reviews. However, this is not the case. The reality is that they will drop reviews if you ask the right way and provide some client aftercare instead of just abandoning them once a sale is complete. Use Their Reach Finally, you might also want to consider using their reach to gain more customers and clients for your business. One of the best ways to do this is through promotional merchandise. The right sponsored merch will be worn and used by your clients. This means that they can effortlessly spread the word about your business. You just need to spend a little time ensuring that the merch is attractive and stylish enough that clients want to use it. You might even want to consider using popular brand items to promote your company in this way such as Nike or Adidas sportswear. We hope this helps you understand some of the key ways that you can use your customers and clients to your advantage. By taking the right steps here, you’ll find that your customers can become your strongest asset and help you grow your business, even in a short period.  Image credit: Chris Montgomery from Unsplash Back in March 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of people around the world began commuting to their kitchen tables and makeshift home office nooks, few believed they'd still be there now, nearly a year later. And yet, here we are.
The big question looming in many employees' and leaders' minds alike is, what does it all mean for the future of work? Some argue that the great work-from-home experiment of 2020 will lead to the end of offices forever. Others say the last year, in fact, proved we need offices for the collaboration, the creativity, and simply the excuse to get out of the house they provide. You can find the five top tips we learnt about remote working over at Inc...  Image credit: Fauxels from Pexels If you want to survive and help your business to grow, then you need to make sure that you have a steady stream of business clients. In the old days, this was a case of you simply sending out a flyer or even a postcard. You might have even been able to put your ad in a local paper, but right now, things work very differently. You have to make sure that you adapt to what is around you and you also need to make sure that you are willing to figure out the best way to really get your business on the map. If you don’t then you may find that you end up struggling to get noticed and this is the last thing that you need. Verify Google Business
If you are running a B2B business, then you have to make sure that you are as professional as the companies you are marketing to. Your Google Business Profile is what gives your business the opportunity to show up in search results. It also shows up when someone types in your company name on the internet. Google is getting better at catering to users all the time and this free listing should always be your top priority. Ideally, you would use your business profile to promote your company, not to mention that it also helps to verify legitimacy. You can do this through your very own Google My Business account. When you are able to verify ownership of your company, you can then optimise your listing. This will help you to show up much higher in the search results and it will give you access to much more advertising options. If you are able to show on Google Maps, then this will help you to really make the most out of your local SEO efforts. Print Leaflets and Flyers You may think that this is a very outdated way for you to do business, but this is not the case at all. In fact, printing leaflets and flyers is actually a fantastic way for you to make the most out of your marketing campaign, if you combine it with your other efforts. If you are going down the flyer route then you have to make sure that you incorporate your website and you also need to make sure that you add plenty of digital information. This could include your social media handle, for example. If you want to make the most out of your marketing, then it would be wise for you to use large format printing machines. Implement SEO It’s one thing for you to promote your company, but it is another for Google to promote your company. SEO will ultimately determine your ranking algorithm, so you have to make sure that you put in the work to boost your ranking. If you want to boost your SEO, then you need to add relevant keywords that are based on your location as well as your industry. You also need to make sure that you add them to specific places on your site too. At the end of the day, if you can produce high-quality content with tagged images then this will help you out in the long run and it will also help you to maintain a solid site that brings in business for years to come. 
Image credit: Steven Houston from Unsplash
We all want to work less and earn more, don’t we? It’s the dream, the final step towards that ever-elusive ‘work/life balance.’ And yet, until now, most of us have assumed that it’s a myth. After all, you get out what you put in – everyone knows that!
Unless maybe you don’t. According to recent reports, US workers who put in as many as 60 hours each week were less likely than their peers to have received a bonus in the last three years. Far from being an injustice, this is clear evidence that you don’t have to work yourself into the ground to get ahead. In fact, doing so could be hindering your earnings, and here’s why.
A focus on quantity not quality
When we push ourselves too far to be productive, we fall into a focus on quantity rather than quality. After all, a sixty-hour workweek might sound impressive, but there’s no way you can produce good work for that length of time. Rather, you’re liable to work like a sleep-deprived zombie trudging towards a deadline. And, your efforts will be as flat as your pulse! By comparison, employees who stick to the forty-hour standard may well come in and boss it on the quality front, meaning that their shorter timeframe is worth more than your long one. Which begs the question, why would you bother to work more in the first place? An inability to hand over responsibility If you’re too focused on being the hardest working, then you’re more likely to take everything on your shoulders. This may seem like a valiant effort, but martyrdom is never good. If you’re juggling product development on top of lead generation, you’re more liable to wear yourself down and drop both balls. By comparison, outsourcing allows you to hone your time, and clock off at a decent hour. All with the promise of better results. After all, outsourcing managed IT means that you can get cybersecurity right at last while turning to a lead generation company ensures that time you spend converting is time well spent. Far from a failure, accepting that you can’t do it all is fundamental to making the most possible money from your time.
Failure to see straight
It’s also worth noting that, the more you work, the less you can see simple solutions to challenges. And, when this happens, you spend more time developing less satisfactory responses. Switching your brain off sometimes is the ideal way to solve production dilemmas or close leads at last. Much like when we’re falling asleep, our brains often find answers to these things themselves when left to their devices. By comparison, hunching over a desk and considering things for too long will make it trickier for you to reach satisfactory conclusions, as well as taking ever more of that precious time. So, you see, it may sound impressive when you state you’ve worked a sixty-hour week, but is it really the right way to earn more? Probably not.  Image credit: Cleyder Duque on Pexels Any business that sells products has to engage with manufacturing. Whether that’s directly or indirectly. At the end of the day, manufacturing is essential when it comes to bringing your products to life and giving you something to sell. Think about it. Even if you have the best product concept in the world - the best product concept that anybody has ever come up with - it's pretty useless unless you can bring the product to life and offer it for sale on the market. Consumers want to receive something more than an idea for their money. However, manufacturing is a relatively complex process and you have a fair number of options at hand. Whether you offer food products, jewellery, bedding, candles, kitchen accessories, gadgets or anything else you can think of, it’s going to need to go through some sort of manufacturing process and there are countless ways to go about it. Here are a few options alongside a little more information to help you to make the best choices when it comes to your own business and its manufacturing process.
What Is Manufacturing? Let’s start out by settling on what exactly manufacturing is. Put simply, manufacturing is the process of taking raw materials and combining them or joining them together in a way that will create your final product. Anything that comes off the manufacturing production line should be ready to be packaged and sent directly to the customer. It’s your product in its final form. In-House Manufacturing vs. Outsourced Manufacturing The two most common ways of going about manufacturing a product are outsourcing or bringing manufacturing in-house. Now, most small businesses start out by outsourcing their manufacturing, while larger companies with established and in-demand goods tend to bring manufacturing in house. The right decision will fall down to your individual business’ circumstances and needs. But here are a few things to take into consideration to come the right conclusion for you. Cost Your manufacturing process needs to be cost effective. If you are a small business with small means of investing, manufacturing in house can be costly and risky. You may change your mind when it comes to what you’re selling and be lumbered with lots of costly and specific equipment you no longer need. Larger companies tend to have solid demand for their goods and will use equipment and machinery indefinitely, which makes in house manufacturing more sensical. If you know your products will sell, it’s fine to invest in niche manufacturing essentials like carbide tool industries products and conveyor belts. Time Outsourcing tends to save time. You send your requests out and the work will be completed. If you manufacture in house, you need to train staff up. Again, whether this is worth it or not will depend on your business’ circumstances. As you can see, the logical option for most small businesses is to outsource manufacturing. But as you grow and experience success, you may want to consider bringing things in house!  Image credit: Anthony Shkraba from Pexels We spend the majority of your adult lives at work, so it’s vital your career inspires, motivates and rewards you. If you’re unhappy at work, these feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction will inevitably spill over into other areas of your life. By prioritising your professional happiness, you can ensure that your career is as meaningful and fulfilling as other elements of your life. We tend to start thinking about future careers at a relatively young age, whether we want to or not! Teenagers as young as 15 or 16 years old are asked to make major decisions about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. While some people may have a yearning ambition that will stay with them forever, most people don’t. Indeed, you might not even be aware of the range of career options out there when you’re still in your teens or early twenties, right? Fortunately, it is never too late to change your career and do something you truly love for a living. If you’re apprehensive about moving into a new industry or starting over in a new sector, just take a look at these reasons why it’s worth taking a risk: A Job You Love is Less Stressful Although some jobs are naturally more fast-paced than others, a career you don’t enjoy can easily become stressful and overwhelming. When you aren’t particularly motivated to enhance your industry, for example, you might find it difficult to stay on top of the latest developments or be at the forefront of new innovations. In contrast, when you’re doing a job you enjoy, you’re actively interested in how your sector is evolving. As a result, you see potential obstacles as challenges to be overcome, rather than as barriers to your success. This change in your mindset is one of the reasons why a job you enjoy is less stressful than one you don’t, and it’s well worth remembering when you’re weighing up the pros and cons of changing careers. Industries are Constantly Evolving Many people fear starting over in a new industry because they assume, they’ll have to start from the bottom and work their way up. While it is important to gain experience in your chosen sector, industries are constantly evolving, which means everyone is continually learning. The introduction of new technology can revolutionise a sector in an instant, so don’t assume that a lack of experience is going to hold you back.  Image credit: cottonbro from Pexels New Challenges Are Out There
Perhaps you’ve reached a point in your current career where there isn’t really anywhere to go or maybe you’re simply not interested in climbing to the very top of this particular corporate ladder? If so, you’ll be relieved to find that new challenges await you. Taking on a new role in a different industry can unleash the creativity and innovation you thought had fizzled out some time ago. When you’re inspired by your colleagues and peers, and genuinely interested in what you’re doing, it can have a big impact on your mental and emotional well-being. You Have Transferable Skills If you’re worried that the energy you’ve invested in your career thus far will be wasted, don’t be. Nothing can diminish what you’ve achieved in your career and switching to a different sector won’t detract from your success. In fact, your professional experience has equipped you with a whole range of transferable skills that will stand you in good stead, whatever you decide to do next. By choosing to do something you love, however, you can ensure that this hard-earned skills and talents are used to pursue your passion and achieve your lifelong goals. It’s Time for a Fresh Start When people feel apprehensive about changing careers, they often postpone their plans until the ‘right time’. In reality, it’s always the right time for a fresh start, so why wait to do something you love? As 2021 approaches, you can embrace the upcoming opportunities with a ‘new year new job’ mentality. Giving yourself the freedom to seek out new professional challenges will give you the impetus to make positive changes in your life and the drive to enhance your success. Plan Your New Career A career change can enable you to do something you love, but it’s always helpful to have a strategic plan in place. By building a network, gaining informal experience and honing your skills, for example, you can ensure you’re well-equipped to uncover new employment opportunities and secure the job of your dreams in 2021.  Image credit: tookapic on Pixabay Many people dream of starting their own business, they want to work for themselves, they have a great idea that they know people would use or want and they want to make loads of money for themselves without having to give it to someone else. If you’re one of these people who dream of starting your own business, then what is it that is stopping you?
The answer is nothing, and while you might be able to think up plenty of excuses to keep putting it off, in reality, the only thing that is stopping you from achieving your dream is you. If this year has taught us anything it is that life is short and you never know what is around the corner. Who could have predicted that 2020 would be spent mostly in lockdown, social distancing, unable to travel and in fear of a failing economy? It sounds like a disastrous time to start a business but in fact, this pandemic is not an excuse and is as good a time as any to start your business. You have the time One of the biggest reasons people give for not following their dreams or one of the things that people complain they never have enough of is time. But this pandemic has given us time. Whether you have been laid off, furloughed, working from home or carrying on your job as normal, it has still meant that there has been less to do and far more time spent in the house. While it looks like there is the hope of a vaccine now, it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over so if there are more lockdowns then perhaps it's time to use them wisely to work on your business. You have the resources The other thing available right now is a talent as well as other businesses who need work. For example, there are small business owners who could help you out, from electricians to logistics consultants, there are people ready and waiting to get their teeth stuck into something good and help you get your business off the ground. There are also so many talented people who have lost their jobs and are looking for work and could be an asset to your business. There is a demand While the world has changed significantly and some things are no longer as important as they once were, on the other hand, there are things such as face masks, PPE, virtual meetings and deliveries which have never been so popular. If your business can help to meet the demand that the pandemic has caused then it's the perfect time to start. You can adapt The great thing about starting your business now is that you can adapt to the new world straight away. You won’t need to make changes as you can have the restrictions and guidelines in place from the off. Your business can be something that doesn't just exist in a post-covid world but can thrive and help people adapt to a new way of living.  Image credit: Canva Studio Running a successful marketing campaign is defined by quite a few parameters. Length, breadth, growth, etc., which are all extremely variable. And in the modern day and age, it seems easier than ever to get a successful marketing campaign off the ground. After all, there’s a lot you can do with just an internet connection and a platform to make good use of!
So who knows when you’re going to hit success with your brand?! But even with your relative prowess in the digital world, is your marketing campaign running as smoothly as you want it to? And if it isn’t, even when you’ve tried to up the ante and your efforts, are you sure that your marketing campaign truly suits you? Let’s go through a few points below to double check. It Depends on What You’re Aiming For Of course, what you’re aiming for in your business is always going to be at the crux of how you run a marketing campaign. You need to know, ahead of time, what you want out of the period ahead, and what success is going to look like when it’s finished running. Will it mean plenty of inbound visitors? Will it mean ranking at the top of a search engine? Will it mean running a lengthy content campaign, to really build up a log of articles to ensure that SEO strategy really goes off? Simply put, to ensure your marketing campaign suits you, decide what you want before you put anything in place. It Depends on the Type of Business The type of business you’re running should always dictate how you set up your advertising efforts. For example, let’s say you’ve just started up a law practice of your own. How are you going to attract people to your business? Running ads on Facebook pages alone won’t score success here, unlike in an ecommerce business, so you’re going to need specialised services in the form of something like Elite Lawyer Management. Some business leaders just aren’t cut out for running communications as well, simply because they didn’t train this way, and that’s important to remember. At the same time, dipping in and out of various marketing efforts could be a waste of time and money, and in the early stages of establishing your business in the market, this could spell very bad news for you. It Depends Who You’re Trying to Reach Finally, you need to think about your audience as well. Who are you trying to reach? Where are they? What do they need from the market you’re within? All three of these questions need to determine how your marketing campaign is set up and run, to ensure it entirely suits you. When you can imagine your average customer, you’ll have something to design content around, and that’ll give you a real launch pad. A marketing campaign needs to be entirely your own; make sure you know what you’re doing, who you’re reaching, and who you are.  Image credit: Madison Inouye from Pexels In an age where we have unlimited access to pretty much everything you can imagine, it’s easy to become tempted to learn as much as possible.
Maybe you feel as though becoming an expert in many fields will benefit your career or business prospects? And in some ways, you’re not wrong to think that- having knowledge in several areas will set you aside from the crowd as well as giving you the personal gratification of learning something new. However, there are several reasons why it’s often good, and not self-limiting to become a hyper specialist. Here are some of them.. You get to become an expert in your field One of the best reasons to focus on one or two areas of expertise is that the more you invest in your knowledge the better. Imagine if an athlete decided that they wanted to spread themselves across more areas of the athletics industry. They decided they want to train, coach, advertise sporting events, and run the ticket desk, too. While all of these things are jobs that are related to the athletics field, the more this athlete does that will take them away from their training and participation in events, the less time and energy they have to focus on the things that set them apart from the others. It’s the same if you’re in marketing. You decide you also want to try your hand at the web design, content writing, accounts, and sales as well. You’ll be spreading yourself too thinly and potentially missing out on some key aspects of the ever-evolving world of marketing. Staying focused on this one area will mean you get to invest all of your energy in becoming the best. You can offer something unique Imagine you’re at a restaurant and the server gives you a 10 page menu to choose your meal from. Not only are you more likely to end up plagued by indecision, but the choice you make may not result in the best quality meal for your time and money. It’s the same in business. If you offer too much, you’re not going to offer the best quality out there. However, if you head to the sandwich bar three doors down the road who offer one meat, one vegetarian, and one fish option with only three kinds of bread, you know that you’re going to get something a bit more special. This expert specialism is what keeps people coming back. Sure, not everybody wants a sandwich all the time, but when they do, they’ll know exactly where to go. It can get even more specific than that, even. Medifit Design and Construct are a great example of a business that takes something that people look for (design agency) with a specialism (for healthcare practices). People looking for those particular services may be able to find a company that will do a good job designing their medical practice, but perhaps none as good as one that will be able to deliver the same attention to detail as a specialist company. This is why becoming hyper specialist isn’t limiting.  Image credit: Burst on Pexels Starting your new business is a journey that will take you through many ups and downs. That said, it is exciting and one which is extremely rewarding. Plus, many people say working for themselves is the best thing they have ever done. When starting your business, there are many things to consider: branding, finances to websites, and funding. Below is an overview of a few things you should consider when starting your own business.
Creating your website Will you be making your website yourself or hire a professional to make one for you? Depending on your requirements, a website will help bring in new customers to your business and allow you to appeal to them in a different way. Before starting your website, make sure you put a plan together of what you will need on it and the type of website it will be, whether eCommerce, or a brochure-like site. Accounts package When running your business, it is important to stay on top of your finances. Using an account package, you will be able to track how you are doing instantly through a click of a button. Not only that, but you will also be able to send invoices and keep an eye on your expenses. By using digital accounting, you can easily allow your accountant access to your books without having to visit them in person. This will enable them to log in and see how you are performing without leaving their office to meet you; it can all be done over a phone call. How will you brand yourself? Logos, brand colors, and marketing materials should all be thought about before launching your company. Your logo is important, as everyone will see first and give them the first impression of your business. Done cheaply, it can be detrimental to your brand. Brand colors can portray a lot about you; if you are a luxury brand, you may want more gold’s and silvers used instead of bright funky colors. By hiring a graphic designer, they can help you with all of this. Testing your idea in the real world If your idea is completely new, how do you know it will work? Before investing heavily in your idea, it’s worth creating some prototypes and seeing how people respond to it. This is a great way to get actual feedback and to get other people’s opinions. Take note of what people are saying is you can use this to develop your idea and make it even better. Will you need investment? Will your business plan require you to need significant investment, or can you gradually grow your business? If you need investment, have you considered how you are going to raise funds? Make sure you do your research and put together a solid business plan to explain each step of your journey and how the money will be spent. Angel investors, bank loans, competitions, friends, and family, there are many ways for you to pitch and bring in some funding for your idea.  Image credit: Gerd Altmann on Pixabay All business owners want to score more clients, but the route to achieving that goal isn’t always clear. Sometimes you need to think outside of the box if you want to succeed, but usually, you just need to follow a set of straightforward ideas.
With that in mind, there are some tips and tricks below that should assist you in identifying, contacting, and winning those new clients. Regardless of your business's nature and what you do to turn a profit, the same rules should apply. Just tailor this guidance for your industry, and you should have no issues. Research new marketplaces So, you sell products or services to customers and clients in a few specific industries. Now is the time to look at those products or services and work out whether there are other marketplaces for them. Perhaps you sell products in a certain market that could also be useful for companies in the automotive industry or something similar? You might have to redesign your packaging for companies in that marketplace, but it’s worth the cost if you open your business up to thousands of new potential clients. All companies have to expand and grow if they want to succeed in the thriving business world, and research is the key to effective expansion. So, get started as soon as possible! Give free gifts to potential clients When you identify a list of potential clients who should be interested in your products or services, it's vital you work hard to get their attention. While you can cold call or send letters or emails, sometimes it’s better to try something different. Sending free samples or gifts to your potential clients should help to create the best first impression. You could also offer to turn up at their business premises and demonstrate how your products or services could save their firm time and money. Everyone loves getting something for free, and potential clients who receive gifts are far more likely to listen to your pitch. Food for thought? Know your stuff! The most important thing you need to consider when looking for new clients is your ability to answer questions with the best possible answers. Clients will always want to discuss your products or services, and you need to know your stuff! It's all well and good to identify a list of potential clients and send gifts, and you might have a great business, but if you can't explain the virtues of giving you money, it's probably not going to happen. You need an effective sales pitch, and you need to practice it a LOT. There are lots of articles online that will help you to write a decent sales pitch, and you can always practice it with members of your team before heading out and pitching to clients. Now you have a better idea about the things you need to do to score more clients for your business this winter, it’s time to set the wheels in motion. Develop your strategy, conduct your research, and make the investment of time and money. If you pay attention to the tips from this post, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll avoid any mishaps. Good luck!  Image credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons People who hate their jobs tend to move on and look for something else. Some even change their careers when they’re feeling unfulfilled by work.
But what do you do if you love your career, but need a new challenge? The good news is that there are a lot of ways you can turn things around and inject some excitement into your job. Here is some useful advice for taking on a new challenge, without changing your career. Move to a new location f you’re starting to outgrow your current workplace, moving to a new location could help keep things fresh for you. A change in location not only helps you realise new career opportunities but opportunities for your personal life too. Perhaps you want to move closer to home to be with family, or even move to an exciting new city or country? Wherever you decide to relocate, you’re going to need to get on the job hunt. Check out cmr.com.au for some exciting opportunities that could invigorate your career. A change of scenery brings all kinds of changes, and could be just what you need to shake things up. Start chasing that promotion Perhaps a part of your frustration comes from outgrowing your role? When your job starts becoming routine and easy, it could be a sign that you’re ready for more. Start preparing for a promotion so that you’re ready to go for it when the opportunities come your way. Volunteer your time and skills to help others If you’ve always felt like you could do more with your skills and expertise, why not use what you have to do some good for others? If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, tit’s that community values are more important than ever. There are several ways you can use your skills to help others, including mentoring, pro bono work and volunteering to help charities and good causes. This can bring a lot of fulfilment to your role, and could even help you discover new opportunities that could help you choose a different path for your career. Take on a side hustle Side hustles are a great way to develop other interests that you have, without sacrificing your career. There are inspiring stories of people who’ve embarked on incredible new ventures, from starting fitness businesses to their own pizza brand! It’s possible to be passionate about more than one thing at a time, so why not give it a try so that you can get more out of your career. If you’re dissatisfied with your current situation, then it’s time to make a change. Even if you love your career, it doesn’t mean you have to stay exactly where you are - there are ways you can develop and grow tbring exciting change to both your career and your life outside work. There are all kinds of challenges out there waiting for you, so which one will you take on first?  Image credit: Victoria Heath on Unsplash Financial uncertainty has prompted many to start thinking about a Plan B to help supplement their existing income, while others have spent lockdown pondering whether the career they thought they wanted is right for their long-term future. Entrepreneur Europe caught up with one CEO to find out how she runs her business in 3 hours at night!
 Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels If you have a small business, making sure you can sell your product is key if you’re going to continue growing your business and trying to get a piece of the market share. Below, you’ll find some pointers that can help your business to start selling more - and fast.
1. Become More Active On Social Media Start by getting more active on social media if you don’t currently have a social media plan. Choose a platform where you’ll find your target audience and work on building a page. This page should have your information, the same branding as your site, and be updated regularly. Remember, it’s not just about selling here, it’s about being social! Get involved in discussions, provide advice, and try to give value to people. It may take time to get some followers, but you can also pay for ads to see if you can build a following faster that way. Depending on your audience, this can be a lucrative and mostly free way to market your business. 2. Know Exactly Who You’re Targeting You can't really focus on getting more sales if you don’t know who you’re trying to sell to. You can’t just hope that anybody interested in your product will buy it. You should have an idea of the age of your audience, as well as their hobbies, family status, job, income, and other relevant things. Make sure you sit down and come up with some consumer profiles so you know who you’re talking to and get an idea of what they will respond to. 3. Use SoftwareThere are various pieces of software that could help you to sell more. Salesforce is a helpful piece of kit, but many business owners get put off, as they don’t want to take their foot off the pedal and focus on something else when they want to grow their business. This is why teams like Magicforce exist. They can help you to implement this software so you can make more sales without taking your focus away from what you’re good at. 4. Try A Rebrand Perhaps your brand isn't really working for you in the way it should be. If you didn’t consider your audience beforehand, then it could be that you haven’t branded your business in quite the right way. A rebrand can be time consuming and expensive, so you should make sure this is definitely the right decision before going ahead. It’s not something you should take lightly, but if it’s the right decision, it can make a huge difference. 5. Write Better Copy Is your copy working as hard for you as it should be? Descriptive, enticing copy is a must if you’re going to sell products. If you can’t write it, find somebody who can. 6. Take Better Pictures Your pictures need to be accurate but high quality and show your product in the best possible light. Again, you may need to find someone for this. 7. Set A Solid, Realistic Sales Goal If you don’t have a solid, realistic sales goal, then what are you even aiming for? Come up with one that motivates you!  Image credit: Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels If you’re a business owner organising an office relocation, you’ll more than likely want a smooth-running experience without any difficulties. Whether this means downsizing or upsizing your office, it’s vital to prepare and communicate with others to avoid any unwanted stress and disruption to the process. It may initially seem like a challenging task, but by taking proactive steps, you’ll be able to have a successful office move all while saving money. Here are six money-saving tips that every business owner should consider when moving offices.
Plan Ahead of Time Planning an office move shouldn’t be a last minute decision. To make sure you’re getting the best deal, you should ideally plan your move six months ahead of time. This will also give you time to set a realistic budget and to outline out all of the necessary expenses involved with the move. Find a Reliable Moving Company Once you’ve planned out all the logistics, it’s time to find a reliable moving company who can make your office relocation happen, such as with Two Men And A Truck. To get the best value for money, make sure to research what each company can offer in terms of your needs, always stay within your set budget, and don’t be afraid to negotiate pricing with service providers. Avoid Moving in Summer Most companies tend to relocate offices in the spring and summer. However, demand increases during these seasons, meaning prices for moving services will also rise. Likewise, real estate also begins to rise in price during the warmer months. To save on costs, consider relocating your office during autumn, winter, or early spring. Communicate To prevent any fees and confusion with others, ensure to review your commercial property lease. Leaving early could cost you your deposit, and you could be liable for any damage to the property if it were to occur during your move. Once you have a confirmed moving date, you’ll need to give official notice to any internal and external parties about your upcoming office move, and create a list of people that you will need to send your new office address to, such as banks, insurance companies, and your internet service provider. Organise Furniture/Equipment Start decluttering items that your office doesn't use as soon as possible. You can do this by making an inventory list to determine what you need and what can be disposed of or donated to a registered charity - you may even be eligible to get a tax-write off. Think old phones, printers, office supplies, or even office furniture that’s in need of a new home. Making this checklist and disposing of unwanted items in the property can also help you to avoid any fines. If you’re concerned about your valuable assets, you may want to consider insuring these items to financially protect yourself from any unforeseen accidents during the big move. Reduce Packaging Costs To save on your packaging costs, get the whole team to chip in with DIY packaging or consider purchasing used packing supplies and boxes. While this can be perceived as a team-building exercise, it’s only fair to reward your employees for their efforts afterwards!  Image credit: Burst on Pexels Right now, increasing numbers of people are deciding to set up their own small businesses. This is understandable. The coronavirus pandemic has seen hundreds of thousands lose their day to day jobs and the job market isn’t exactly bustling with new options for us to apply to. Many of us are looking for ways to make money in order to pay our bills and keep our lives on track. Nowadays, setting up a small business is easier than ever. All you have to have is something to sell and a website to sell it from. So, people are getting innovative. From selling face masks, hand sanitiser and other products that are in high demand right now to make some money until things get back to normal, to starting a small business with intentions for things to be longer term, setting up a company of your own could be the best thing you can do right now. Of course, if you’re going to set up a company, you’re going to have to really focus on security now. People are more desperate than ever, or simply recognise that new companies are cropping up and they’re more vulnerable, and this has led to an increase in crime, theft and more recently. So, here are a few ways to protect your new startup!
Physical Security First things first, let’s focus on physical security. Chances are you’re operating your business from home right now. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re completely free from risk of theft or attack. If you have stock in your home, you’re going to have to protect it. There are a couple of ways you can protect yourself from theft of stock. First, you may want to invest in security solutions from Securafit. There are multiple options you might want to consider. First, you should consider having some sort of CCTV system installed. Not only will this deter criminals from attempting to steal any of your stock with the threat of evidence of what they’re doing, but it will capture evidence of any crime that anyone does attempt to commit. Nowadays, you can get high quality systems at a really reasonable price. It’s definitely more than worth the investment. Plus, it protects your home from other domestic issues, such as burglary too! Next, you mighty want to invest in intruder alarms. This way, if someone does enter your property, an alarm will be triggered, alerting you to the issue and encouraging criminals to scarper before they’re caught. Digital Security Digital security is at the forefront of most business’ minds right now. Cyber criminals are aware that more and more businesses are operating from home and that new start ups are emerging on a remote basis. They are also aware that this means many businesses are vulnerable, as people are often working on insecure networks and may be prone to falling for phishing and other scams. Make sure to work with a competent IT solutions team to keep all of your data, documents and files secure! Keeping your remote business secure really is important, whether you’re planning on operating for the short term or the long term. Hopefully, some of this information will help you to achieve this and protect your profits!  Image credit: Fauxels on Pexels Good, or mediocre or great, all of these terms can be so hard to quantify when it comes to measuring a business’ success. Of course, we may consider that a business making wild profits to be great, but what if those profits come at the behest of an unhappy and unmotivated workforce? The video game industry is a good example to use here, as the largest entertainment industry in the world, vastly bigger than Hollywood itself. Video game companies known for huge, acclaimed video games, such as Rockstar and their Red Dead Redemption western series, make upwards of billions of dollars from monetizing their games and drawing large crowds again and again.
However - they are also met with continual complaints about working conditions and crunch culture. Their reputation is regularly damaged by testers going public about the difficulties they endured and the lack of respect they were given. This isn’t just a set of allegations against one company, but much of the industry. Is it right to grade these hugely profitable businesses ‘great’ if this is the cost? It’s worth thinking about. With our following metrics, we believe even a small business can become ‘great’. Here’s what that might look like: Excellent Branding Excellent branding is a worthwhile use of your time. It helps you stand out among your competition, presents your business clearly and effectively to members of your audience, and also helps you celebrate your presence. Video production services are becoming more and more popular when it comes to great branding, as being able to promote your products using excellent short films or instruct your consumers through the same measure can be a phenomenal tool. Not a bad place to start, we’d say: Workplace Satisfaction Workplace satisfaction means something. It’s not something you curate for an award. It’s not something you develop to hire more desirable staff (although this can be a natural consequence). Instead, workplace satisfaction is a tool you can use to more easily celebrate your culture, enhance productivity, enjoy running your firm, and live through the ethical guidelines you promote. It’s really not hard to see how following this kind of approach will help you become more and more interesting to conscious consumers, as well as helping your workplace culture thrive. Golden Customer Support Customer support is more than simply something you have to ensure in order to make your customer engagement relatively simple and smooth. It can help you learn more about your clients, their needs, and also will help you generate goodwill. If you find it important enough to care for your clients in the best manner, word will spread. You can win awards for your excellent treatment. And, moreover, customers will be more interested in coming back and interfacing with your systems. That in itself is an extra utility you can use to benefit your brand, and you’ll achieve this by being helpful. Not a bad improvement to make, we’d say. With this advice, we hope you can more easily understand that which makes a good business great.  Image credit: Fauxels on Pexels One of the exciting aspects of running a business in this day and age is that the sky’s the limit. If you’re motivated enough, then there’s no limit to the amount of success that you can achieve. After all, the climate is right. It’s a global economy, and that means that you can expand your business into new territories, both in your country and in others. Expanding overseas is, of course, more difficult than expanding domestically. Many large companies have failed when they’ve tried! There are things you can to improve your chances of success. We take a look at a few essential tips below. Time It Right
Timing is everything in business. Doing something too early or too late can lead to failure. So what constitutes picking the ‘right time’? It’s about looking at the global economy and looking at your own company. If things are economically fragile, then it’s best to wait; you should, after all, aim to reduce the level of risk that you’re taking. For your own business? That, you’ll need to decide. If you’re working well, have healthy cash-flow, and just feel like it’s the right time to step up, then it probably is. Market Research You will have done extensive market research when you were first getting your business underway. This was the research that told you how to market your products or services, how much they should cost, where you fit into the broader market, and so on. When you’re expanding overseas, you’ll have to carry out the same intensity of research. It’s dangerous to assume that you know any answers to the important questions just because you have experience domestically. Foreign countries will operate on a different wavelength. Try to understand as much as you can about the country you’re expanding into before launching. Hiring Local Talent While you’ll want to have an all-important hand in the development of your overseas branch, it’s vital that you’re working with talent local to the area. This will help on multiple levels, including building a connection with customers in the area you’re expanding into. Of course, it can be challenging to employ people overseas, but there are things you can do to push things in the right direction. The first is to work with a local recruitment agency; they’ll help you to find the best staff. You’ll also need to look at your payroll. You can get Cloudpay's payroll software in the EU, which will make paying your overseas employees all the more straightforward. Also, don’t be a hands-off boss -- your new employees will appreciate feeling part of a bigger team. Review and Adapt It’ll take some time to figure out how you’re going to operate overseas, and you won’t get everything right straightaway. The key thing is to stay open and flexible. After some time, you might find that one way of doing things isn’t bringing the types of results that you’d expect. If you’re flexible, then you’ll be able to switch to a different approach relatively easily. |
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