5 Ways Small Business Can Cut their Shipping Expenses

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | 5 Ways Small Business Can Cut their Shipping ExpensesShipping is a major expense for many small businesses. Yet, you can’t keep on expecting your customers to pay, and there’s a point when you’ll have to reduce costs in order to stay competitive. Thankfully, there are lots of things that you can do to keep these costs under control. Sometimes, all you have to do is make some minor adjustments, or look at ways that you can streamline your processes. Let’s take a look at a few ways small businesses can cut their shipping expenses.

Look at Shipping Insurance Software

One thing you should do is automate your shipments, insurance process, and tracking. Find a shipping insurance software company that offers third party insurance, and will allow you to save money in the process. Not only will you be able to find insurance for less, but you will also be able to get insurance on items that other carriers usually won’t offer. Find a tool that will allow you to manage all of your packages in one place, file claims, and get automated notifications about things like risk zones among other things.

Have Things Shipped through Your Shipping Account Number

A lot of businesses will have a tendency to have inventory shipped directly to them and get billed, but a better option would be to ask them to ship through your account number. Not only will it increase your volume, which translates to lower costs, but you also won’t have to deal with suppliers padding their shipping fees.

Use Your Carrier’s Packaging

Another thing you should do is use any packaging your carrier is providing instead of your own. If your packaging does not meet the size regulations of carriers like FedEx or UPS, you might have to deal with “dimensional fees”. Doing something as simple as putting small boxes in a FedEx envelope could save you tons of money.

Look at Regional Carriers

You should also consider working with regional carriers as well. Many of these carriers do as great of a job as national carriers like UPS but at a fraction of the cost. Some examples of great local companies include Lone Star in the state of Texas, Spee Dee in the Midwest, and OnTrac on the west coast.

Look for Association Discount

If you aren’t a member of a professional association in your industry, we suggest you start looking immediately. If you are already, then you should check to see if you can get a discount. You’d be surprised at how much you could end up saving. As a matter of fact, you could save up to 50% on shipping fees if you join the right organization. Not only will joining an association allow you to save on costs, but you’ll be able to get tons of visibility through directories and discounts on all sorts of things.

Conclusion

These are just some of the ways your business could make significant savings on shipping costs. This could have a big difference on your margins and allow you to offer better shipping terms to your clientele.

Ensure That You’re Covered Before Things Go Wrong

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We’re sure that you have heard of the phrase ‘expect the unexpected’, and that’s the kind of idea that we’re going for in this article. It’s important when you own a business that you ensure you are covered before things start going wrong so that if they do, you don’t have to panic. Obviously, it’s never good to see things go wrong for your company, but at least you’re in a position where you are covered and not left to hang out to dry. So, in this article, we’re going to give you some ideas on how you can ensure you’re covered. If you want to know more, keep reading down below.

IT Services

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | Ensure That You're Covered Before Things Go Wrong

The first thing that we are going to look at is IT services. Now, if you don’t currently have strong IT services for your business, this is something that you need to change fast. Unfortunately, even though tech has made the business world easier and more efficient in many ways, it is also one of the ways that people can get to your business. Hacking and cybercrime is a real problem, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that it can’t or won’t happen to you. Take the necessary precautions and keep yourself one step ahead by hiring experts to set up and monitor your systems. This way, you know that a professional has handled everything, and will be keeping an eye out for any kind of suspicious activity. This is the best thing you can do to keep your business safe in terms of the online world, so don’t forget to do it.

Insurance

Something else that’s going to be helpful to keep your business covered is having all the necessary insurance. If you go to a broker, they are going to be able to help you figure out what insurance your business needs, and which policies aren’t going to be relevant to you. This way, if something does happen to your business, such as a halt in operations due to the Coronavirus, which is a big issue right now, or if there are any problems with an employee, then you should be covered. Take precautions, and listen to the expert when they advise you about what policies you need, you never know when you’re going to need to be protected. It could be the case that you think you’ll never need the policy, but it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Have A Lawyer On Retainer

Finally, we highly recommend that you have a lawyer on retainer in case of any legal issues that you might get involved in. Like we mentioned above, some businesses have issues with employees, such as if they think they have been terminated unfairly and so on, which means you need legal advice. Having a lawyer on retainer means that you can get this advice quickly, without having to try and find a reputable law firm to take you on at the last minute.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see that you need to be covered before things go wrong to protect your business.

4 Tips to Improve Your Business Performance

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business Performance|4 Tips to Improve Your Business PerformanceAll businesses should regularly monitor their performance and look for ways to increase efficiency, improve processes, and maximize revenues. Fortunately, some simple planning can quickly boost business performance and help you achieve your goals and objectives. Here are four tips to improve your business performance:

1. Evaluate your business performance

The first step is to evaluate your current business performance. This will give you an overview of your company and help you identify areas for improvement. You will also be able to gain a realistic idea of how close you are to achieving your intended business goals. You can use a variety of business metrics to help you assess your company’s performance. According to Chron, the following indicators can be used to evaluate business performance – key operations variables, market performance, customer returns, and product quality and returns. Monitoring your company’s performance against your business goals will help you achieve continued growth and remain competitive.

2. Focus on employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction levels will have a significant impact on your staff’s overall performance in the workplace. Happy employees will be far more motivated and eager to do a good job. Whereas unhappy employees are likely to lack enthusiasm and be less inclined to go the extra mile at work. With that in mind, finding ways to improve employee satisfaction can be a reliable way to boost a company’s overall performance. Luckily, there are several ways that employers can increase employee engagement and improve workplace morale. Here are a few ideas:

  • Give employees greater responsibility and autonomy when it comes to their work tasks.
  • Offer flexible work schedules to help staff maintain a healthy work-life balance.
  • Support your team but avoid micromanagement.
  • Reward your staff for hard work with incentives such as shopping vouchers, bonuses, and additional vacation days.
  • Hold regular performance meetings and be transparent with employees about their career progression.

3. Invest in marketing campaigns

Marketing campaigns are an essential way to build brand awareness, increase sales conversions, and boost earning potential. For that reason, all companies should focus on implementing strategies to improve their marketing performance. Ideally, businesses should experiment with a variety of marketing techniques to help them determine the most effective way to reach their audience and promote their brand. All marketing campaigns should be closely monitored to maximize results and ensure that advertising budgets are being well spent. Some of the highest performing marketing strategies to fuel business growth include social media marketing, SEO marketing, and email marketing. You can make your online marketing campaigns even more effective by gaining marketing data lists from specialist companies such as Lead Lists.

4. Outsource business tasks

Outsourcing specific business tasks can be an extremely effective way to boost business efficiency levels. You should keep in mind that trying to do everything yourself is likely to harm your business performance. Whereas outsourcing will ensure that specific tasks are being managed by experts, thus allowing you additional time to focus on improving other vital areas of your company. Some business tasks to consider outsourcing includes digital marketing, customer support, blogging, and cybersecurity.

4 Strategies to Scale Your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Scale your Business| 4 Strategies to Scale Your BusinessEvery business owner should look for opportunities to scale their company and increase profits. Fortunately, there are various ways to streamline business operations, boost productivity in the workplace, and increase sales and revenues. To help you achieve sustainable business growth, here are four strategies to scale your business:

1. Register with global selling platforms

One of the most effective ways to increase profits is by searching for new sales opportunities overseas. Expanding your business globally will allow you to access a far more diverse market and significantly increase your earning potential. This makes global expansion an extremely appealing business venture for many company owners. Despite this, you should be aware that businesses often face additional barriers when expanding overseas. This may include issues such as cultural differences and foreign regulations. Fortunately, these challenges can be overcome with market research and careful planning. Experts at businesstown.com provide the following advice for companies planning on expanding their business internationally – “learn the local language, research international business principles, and attend domestic trade shows to network and build connections.”

2. Relocate to a new office location

Relocating to a new office location can help you scale your business in several ways. Firstly, a more prestigious location may boost your credibility and help you secure new business. A new office premises may also offer additional space and facilities that will enable you to expand your services and grow your company. If you are planning on relocate your business, then be sure to do your research and choose a commercial property that will meet your business needs. Discuss your moving plans with your employees and maintain communication to avoid unnecessary periods of downtime. You should also consider hiring professional office movers to make your relocation as stress-free as possible and minimize any disruption to your business.

3. Automate business operations

Automating business operations and processes is another simple way to increase productivity and revenue within your company. Many different business tasks can now be automated using technology. This includes employee payroll, marketing campaigns, social media posts, and customer service support. Automating these tasks will provide you with valuable time to focus on developing vital areas of your company. All business owners should take advantage of automation software that can be implemented to streamline company operations and support business growth.

4. Hire sales experts

You must focus on increasing sales if you want to successfully scale your business and boost revenue. If you don’t have the funding to hire a team of salespeople, then you should consider hiring commission-based sales reps to help you expand your business and achieve your sales targets. The main benefit of hiring commission-based salespeople is that they have an incentive to work productively and maximize sales. Make sure you take the time to provide your sales team with quality training and support them until they get accustomed to your business and systems. Keep in mind that investing in your sales team will help you achieve far better results in the long run.

Use the above strategies to help you scale your business and increase profits today!

3 Ways to Improve Your Medical Office Management and Workflow

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |medical office management |3 Ways to Improve Your Medical Office Management and WorkflowThe sounds of phones ringing and multiple lights blinking to alert the front desk staff of calls on hold. Stacks of paper, and sticky notes littering desks, visible to patients. A stressed-out staff isn’t delivering the best service that they can. They can be overwhelmed with putting out fires constantly.

Would you come back to a medical office like that?

Earning a patient’s trust for medical care starts with the first experience with you. If a patient knows they have access to a medical care provider that values them, they are more likely to return.

A proper workflow and clear medical office management strategy can improve everyone’s experience.

Integrate Answering Services

One of the first things that medical office management can do is help with the incoming calls. Patients are still trained to call the office. They schedule appointments, inquire about prescriptions, and ask follow up questions to nurses and doctors.

If they can’t get through to speak with someone, patients can’t experience what you have to offer. Integrating a third-party app or website to help assist with calls during busy hours of the day can leave a burden on the staff.
When reception gets overwhelmed with incoming calls, an integrated answering service can help. Finding medical answering services that work for you can manage the influx of calls during busy hours.

An answering service lets patients know that their call is valuable. Medical office management will be able to communicate with patients better. Making sure that every call is answered, and messages relayed, helps everyone.

Scheduling Option Availability

Give patients a 24-hour, 7-day a week option. Allowing patients to schedule, cancel, and move their appointments is a way to ease the onslaught of calls to a front desk.

A scheduling app or website empowers patients. It gives them the peace of mind to have some control over their appointments.

A scheduling program can also record patient behavior and show a pattern behavior. Chronic canceling, last-minute reschedules that result in gaps–are missed opportunities to create income. Knowing which appointments to watch can help to get last-minute gaps filled faster.

Track And Observe Behavior, Hold Meetings

Create accountability in the staff’s practices and behaviors. This will help to streamline the processes of the office. Finding hiccups in the process, or where things start to back up, can help open ways to better work through an issue.

Holding both individual and staff meetings can address widespread and personal practices. This will help everyone assess what is working and what is creating more stress.

Get input from staff to find out what can be tweaked to get patient and staff concerns ironed out. This can help the medical office management address issues head-on.

Regular meetings can help get everyone on the same page, quickly.

Ready To Improve Your Medical Office Management?

Improving medical office management helps improve patients’ experiences in your office as well.
Have you implemented an answering service? What has worked for you in your office?