Creating strategy-driven branding is a matter of creating marketing materials that are simple, easy to remember, and effective. Creating a great logo, however, is only just the beginning. You need to be strategic about where your branding is found, and think about how you can use your branding as more than just an image. You can create a movement surrounding your brand by making your company into something of a cult object. Not every business will be appropriate for such a move, but every business can benefit from using these steps to improve their branding and marketing efforts.
Create a Brand Identity
First things first, you need to either create or remake your brand identity. A brand identity is comprised of a few key components:
Logo
Your logo needs to be easy to recognize, simple, and it needs to have the ability to stand out. Consider some of the top brands today, and the logos that they use. Their logos are, in most cases, so recognizable that brands can use just the logo on their advertising.
Personality
The brand personality you use will be how you speak. How you sound in advertisements, social media, on calls, and on your on-site copy.
Design
Take your logo and your personality and choose design elements like symbols, colors, fonts, and more that will work as a way to reinforce your brand.
Packaging
Put the design onto packaging and make it beautiful. You can sell a lot off the shelves with beautiful packaging, and you might even be able to benefit from social media marketing if customers feel compelled to photograph your product and its box.
Store Design
If you run a physical store, then it’s time to work out how well it is designed. Start first with the layout. Ensure it is easy for multiple people to get through the layout, ensure it encourages as much organic browsing as possible, and then figure out what design elements you can add to really make your store pleasant to be in.
Work On Providing a Clear Workplace Culture
A clear workplace culture can help in many ways. It can help boost the workflow and efficiency of your business. It can also give your employees the groundwork on how to behave so that your customers can enjoy a familiar, professional experience every time they visit.
Ethos
Your company ethos is the goal you have for your workplace culture. It is the expectation that everyone needs to follow. It could be hard work and great laughs, for example, to promote a workplace culture that is productive and enjoyable to be in. By deciding on an ethos, everyone knows better what to expect and can work together to make your workplace culture goals into a reality.
Teamwork Building
You don’t want friends working together. You want a team working together. Investing in teamwork building will give everyone a basis on how to behave so that work can get done, ideas can be challenged, and collaboration can thrive without fights.
Team Unity
Team unity is fundamental when it comes to building up a strong and healthy working culture. There are so many ways you can do this as well. If your business deals with animals, for example, a kennel or a groomer, then you can treat all of your employees to an animal lover’s license plate frames. These custom license plate frames suit all types of professions and can give your employees a sense of community that is personalized to them.
Adapt and Tweak Your Brand
It’s okay if you don’t get your brand identity right off the bat. The goal is to create branding and then tweak it as you go. This way you can use what works and discards what fell flat, both for your customers and your employees. It’s how you will create a uniform, quality company that everyone will enjoy.
The Take Away
You want your customers to recognize your brand instantaneously and to feel like your company is familiar no matter who they interact with or which store they visit. It’s what makes fast food restaurants so successful, especially to those who are traveling. A guest to a food chain can expect the same quality of food and service as they would get anywhere. This is how you build brand loyalty and repeat business.
Accomplishing such a feat means using the right design, and instilling the right company culture so that all of your employees work well together and can provide your customers with the same professional experience.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/marketing-strategies-3105875_1280.jpg8531280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-08-05 16:00:172019-08-05 16:31:49How to Create Strategy-Driven Branding for Your Business
Does the idea of working from home appeal to you? Many companies today hire remote teams. Don’t think they have it all figured out.
There’s quite an effort and discipline required from both ends to make a successful collaboration at a distance.
If you want to get remote jobs in Dallas and be successful at it, you l need to prove you’re the person who can make telecommuting work.
There are certain skills that remote employees need that aren’t taught in school. They’re skills you learn through the rich experience of working for others.
Regardless of your experience, you should understand the downsides of remote work positions so you can be the best version of yourself, but also recognize what you need from your superiors to make this telecommuting job work.
Supervision Is Less Frequent
Some business owners frown at the thought of anyone working outside the office because they feel they are losing control over work production.
As an employee, it’s vital to show that you don’t need to be handheld. While you’re working remotely, you can’t knock on the boss’ door to ask questions. You can send an email looking for help with your tasks, but it might take days to get an answer.
The work must have a continuous flow.
You need to show problem-solving skills and be proactive. If your boss spends more time helping you with your tasks than doing their own, they might start looking for your replacement.
Show you’re able to work independently from your boss and coworkers. That’s what they need to see.
To be proactive and independent in your job, you also need to have clear instructions and procedures, which your employer should provide. You cannot become a self-reliant and productive employee if you didn’t receive a proper education.
Remote Workers Have to be Self-Motivated
Self-motivation is the key to working alone from home. It’s developed from the inside but also depends on the company you work for. No one wants to be a part of a poorly organized corporation that doesn’t provide onboarding, education, and work assessment.
Besides proper organization, employees are motivated by a company’s vision, great leadership and culture.
Motivation comes from within. If your own values match the company’s core values – you’ll be a great fit, and you’ll have that intrinsic drive.
When working remotely, there’s no manager to check up on your progress, give you a pat on the back or provide course correction. If you’re a procrastinator who doesn’t work unless nudged, remote work isn’t going to work well for you.
You’ll probably have a task list and a scheduled day, but you also have to create a routine that keeps you on and be disciplined about sticking to it.
It takes time to find what morning routine works best for you. If you want to be great at your job and climb up the corporate ladder, do whatever it takes to become awake, energized, and ready to crush it, whether it’s a routine or some focusing tools. The tools should work with you and improve your work habits.
As you’re building your discipline and work skills, make sure you’re becoming more adept at handling a busy schedule.
Know that more capable employees often receive extra work because they grow into someone dependable who can be trusted with an important task.
Clear Communication is the Most Needed Skill
Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean less communication and interactions. In fact, home-based workers often have to communicate more often with people, whether it’s customers, employers, or co-workers.
That communication includes voice as well as written correspondence.
When you’re exchanging emails or direct messages with others, your message has to be clear.
There can be huge misunderstandings when communicating through text. Being misunderstood or unclear can cause very serious problems and delays with projects.
To be considered for a remote position, be sure that you have strong writing skills. It takes practice to be understood through written communication. There’s no way to hear the tone through text.
Likewise, your superiors need to hone those same skills, but that’s out of your hands. What you can do is when interpreting instructions is to read them twice, with care.
Are you sure you understood what’s been asked from you?
Don’t be edgy and jump straight to completing the task, rather read it carefully and patiently, and ask for clarification if there’s something that you are not sure how to do.
Digital Tools are the Essence of Remote Work
Whether it’s conference calls or video conferencing, there’s a need for virtual connections. It’s very likely that you’ll be collaborating with others on projects. That collaboration requires you’re adept at handling technology.
There are software programs that manage all aspects of projects. Your employer needs to provide you with the necessary tools, but it’s your job to learn how to use them properly.
When working from home, you probably won’t have access to the company’s IT services. It’s on you to fix any computer problems that might occur. Along with fixing computer problems, you have to provide yourself with all the necessary equipment.
A working computer and a reliable internet are required. Be responsible for your computer to protect your work and the company’s data. Security concerns are something you’ll have to cover yourself.
You’re a Team Player without the Team
In the office, you can just walk over to a co-workers desk and ask them a question. You can easily show them a paper or ask them to clear up a problem.
Written communication takes more time, and a simple question that you would ask by the watercooler can take much more time when done via Skype chat, for example.
Also, you don’t know what the other person is doing at the moment and you don’t want to interrupt, so you send an email. There’s less casual banter happening with remote teams, especially when the team is dispersed across different timezones.
There are project management tools that make it easier to track progress and collaborate in real-time, so you feel like you are doing stuff together. Depending on the job, you will probably collaborate with other team members.
Even if you are too busy to get to know your colleagues on a personal level at work, you can leverage the software in your daily work life to catch up in your free time.
You’ll have to make an effort, but it’s certainly possible to feel like a part of a team. Group meetings can happen with the software you’ve learned to use daily, or you can connect with your work buddies on social media.
From a company’s side, teambuilding can be boosted by organizing meetups that gather everyone at the same place, from in-house personnel to those working remotely. That is a great way to get everybody on the same level and connect with people more deeply.
Is remote work right for you and your employer?
The companies having a remote workforce benefit in a number of ways. From lower overhead to happier employees and decreased operational costs, telecommuting can be enticing for employers.
Likewise, employees can save a lot on lengthy commutes and invest them in quality time, especially those living in big cities.
If your profession allows remote working, and you are considering applying to a remote job, try to strengthen your self-discipline and perfect your written communication before jumping aboard the telecommuting bandwagon.
About the Author
Joe Peters is a Baltimore-based freelance writer and an ultimate techie. When he is not working his magic as a marketing consultant, this incurable tech junkie devours the news on the latest gadgets and binge-watches his favorite TV shows. Follow him on @bmorepeters
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/apple-desk-imac-41227.jpg32654898StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-08-03 16:00:572021-12-21 15:18:33Nailing Your Job: 5 Reasons Remote Work Requires Discipline from Both Sides
Running a business from home can be incredibly beneficial for those that want to set up a business alongside other priorities such as children and family, or if they would like to start up a business with limited funding. To find out whether your home is appropriate to run your business from, this article will guide you as to what you need to do to make your home suitable for a business.
Create a Better Business Space
The first thing that you need to do to run a business from home is to turn your home into a better space for business. Although homes make better places for working than offices due to the limitation of distractions and noise levels, you should ensure that your home is suitable to run a business from. For instance, you need to create an office or workshop space in your home that is separate from the main body of your house to limit the disruption to both you and your family and give you space to work and store equipment. You should also ensure that there is sufficient space for a home office; a loft conversion could be a good idea. If this sounds like something you might consider, be sure to check out conversions with Visionary Lofts for the best ideas.
One of the ways that you can do this is to renovate an existing room, build an extension to your house, or look around for a bigger house that can match your needs. In order to make this financially viable, The Money Hub can help you to get the bad credit mortgage that you need through loans, whether you need to extend your mortgage for expansion or get a mortgage for a bigger house.
You should also make sure that your office is a welcoming and relaxing space. When renovating your home office, you should try to access as much natural light as possible to boost your mood, personalize the décor as much as possible to help you to stay engaged with your work and remain inspired, have enough storage to ensure that your workspace is not cluttered. You also need to make sure that you have an office chair and layout that can limit back pain and eye strain and allow you to keep working for longer periods without discomfort, Office Reality has a wide range you can choose from.
Invest in the Right Equipment
You also need to make sure that you equip your office with all the items that you need to succeed, such as the latest gadgets like laptops and printers that can help you to perform your work to the best of your ability. You should also invest in the software that you need. For instance, it is also important that you are able to establish reliable communication channels to allow your clients and any employees to contact you at all times. If you fail to get a secure WiFi connection or mobile signal, this can lead to your business losing trust with its customers. One of the best communication methods for small businesses at home includes Skype, which can allow you to video chat with contacts for business conferences and networking purposes, needing only an email address to do so.
Create a Timetable or Work Plan
It is difficult when running a business from home not to let your family and other commitments impact on your workload. Therefore, you should make sure that you are able to create a plan to help you to schedule your workday. Then you can prioritize your most important work and ensure that you are able to stay on track amid the chaos of a family home. There are many paper organizers, and even online software applications that you can download to keep you on track too.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/paige-cody-ITTqjS3UpoY-unsplash.jpg40166016StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-08-03 11:00:542020-10-01 12:52:41How To Run A Business From Home
Regardless of how hard you work or how good the service you provide might be, if your business doesn’t appeal to potential customers, you will find it increasingly difficult to garner customers. Boosting your company’s appeal should, then, be one of your top priorities.
To see how you can make your company far more appealing, to both your target audience and the passing one, make sure to read on.
Showcase your success without showing off
In order to appeal to potential customers in the future, you need to attempt to show them just how successful you’ve been in the past.
Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it may seem. There’s a fine line between showcasing your past successes and plain-old showing off. Doing the former will prove to potential customers that you’ve worked hard to get where you are today, which will in turn make them trust in your abilities going forward. Doing the latter will show you to be egotistical and self-indulged, and nobody likes doing business with people like that.
You want to showcase your successes without showing off about them. To do this, you should resolve to make subtle hints about your affluence without being too overt about it. An example of this would be refraining from investing in the flashiest sports car available, and instead buying something a lot less conspicuous — fear not because buying, say, a 4×4 wouldn’t necessarily have to mean that your next car choice need be a boring one. Thanks to E.C.D. Automotive Design, you can design your own unique custom Defender.
Improve your curb appeal
Even if your business operates solely via the web, it won’t hurt to improve your office’s curb ap-peal. Amongst a host of other benefits, taking this action will help you to stand out to the foot traffic that passes your workspace — you never know, once they get home, the people that saw your display might just jump online and research the services that you offer.
To improve your curb appeal, you should:
Put some greenery out front
You need not go all out in this instance. A couple of hanging baskets or raised planters will do the trick — they will both inject life into your entrance and prove that your workspace is cared for.
Lay out a welcome mat
Laying down welcome mats is a simple, affordable, and effective change that will make customers feel welcome whenever they visit your site
Do a bit of redecorating
Has your paint peeled? Have our colours faded? If so, you could be doing serious damage to your brand. Refresh your signage, add a splash of paint, and bring your storefront back to life before passers by think your business is dead and buried.
Tend to your curb appeal regularly
You have to tend to your curb appeal regularly if you truly want to boost your business’s appeal in this sense. This means sweeping the sidewalk, watering your plants, and changing your window display every week or month.
Boosting your business’s appeal is one of the most important tasks you face as a company owner. Be sure, then, to put the above advice into practice, even if you have to make time to do so.
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Running a successful business from home and enjoying the freedom to be your own boss is a dream for many people. Setting up a business is a challenge that takes plenty of hard work, time, and dedication, but for many people, it’s worth it. With this in mind, here are some key tips on how to set up a successful business from home.
Create a detailed business plan
Before you start any home business venture, it is crucial that you create a comprehensive plan outlining your business goals, along with a timeframe from reaching each specific goal. Doing so will help you stay organized, motivated, and keep you on track to achieve your business goals. Obviously, you want to push yourself, but at the same time, it is important to be realistic and set achievable goals, especially when it comes to financial forecasts. Take a look online for a useful step-by-step guide on how to write an effective business plan.
Take advantage of technology
Modern technology and the internet have opened up increasing opportunities for small business owners and freelancers. All businesses can now advertise their products and services to a worldwide audience on major selling platforms like Amazon and eBay. Freelancers can also now find numerous job opportunities online. For instance, you can find everything from graphic design projects to film and TV jobs online by searching on popular freelance sites and job boards. All businesses should also take advantage of the power of social media and focus on this when devising their marketing strategies. Social media offers every businesses the opportunity to connect with their target audience on a daily basis, grow brand awareness, and increase sales and revenue. Better yet, many social media platforms allow you to set up an account and post for free!
Get dressed every day
When working from home, it can be tempting to lie around in your pajamas all day and never leave the comfort of your bed. However, many studies have found that this is a far less productive way of working. There is no need to dress up in fancy designer outfits when you’re working from home, but showering and getting dressed as part of your morning routine is the best way to get your brain into work mode and increase your productivity levels. What’s more, dressing in professional clothing during your working hours will also help keep your work and personal life separate and notify people that you are working.
Have a separate office space
Similar to the above, it is vital to have a dedicated office space that you can go to every day to complete your work tasks. Again, this will ensure that you get into work mode each morning and should also help you remain productive and motivated throughout the day. Try to make sure that your office space appears professional and remove any distractions like televisions or mobile phones. This will help you remain focused on your work tasks.
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How to Create Strategy-Driven Branding for Your Business
/in Marketing & Sales/by StrategyDrivenCreate a Brand Identity
First things first, you need to either create or remake your brand identity. A brand identity is comprised of a few key components:
Logo
Your logo needs to be easy to recognize, simple, and it needs to have the ability to stand out. Consider some of the top brands today, and the logos that they use. Their logos are, in most cases, so recognizable that brands can use just the logo on their advertising.
Personality
The brand personality you use will be how you speak. How you sound in advertisements, social media, on calls, and on your on-site copy.
Design
Take your logo and your personality and choose design elements like symbols, colors, fonts, and more that will work as a way to reinforce your brand.
Packaging
Put the design onto packaging and make it beautiful. You can sell a lot off the shelves with beautiful packaging, and you might even be able to benefit from social media marketing if customers feel compelled to photograph your product and its box.
Store Design
If you run a physical store, then it’s time to work out how well it is designed. Start first with the layout. Ensure it is easy for multiple people to get through the layout, ensure it encourages as much organic browsing as possible, and then figure out what design elements you can add to really make your store pleasant to be in.
Work On Providing a Clear Workplace Culture
A clear workplace culture can help in many ways. It can help boost the workflow and efficiency of your business. It can also give your employees the groundwork on how to behave so that your customers can enjoy a familiar, professional experience every time they visit.
Ethos
Your company ethos is the goal you have for your workplace culture. It is the expectation that everyone needs to follow. It could be hard work and great laughs, for example, to promote a workplace culture that is productive and enjoyable to be in. By deciding on an ethos, everyone knows better what to expect and can work together to make your workplace culture goals into a reality.
Teamwork Building
You don’t want friends working together. You want a team working together. Investing in teamwork building will give everyone a basis on how to behave so that work can get done, ideas can be challenged, and collaboration can thrive without fights.
Team Unity
Team unity is fundamental when it comes to building up a strong and healthy working culture. There are so many ways you can do this as well. If your business deals with animals, for example, a kennel or a groomer, then you can treat all of your employees to an animal lover’s license plate frames. These custom license plate frames suit all types of professions and can give your employees a sense of community that is personalized to them.
Adapt and Tweak Your Brand
It’s okay if you don’t get your brand identity right off the bat. The goal is to create branding and then tweak it as you go. This way you can use what works and discards what fell flat, both for your customers and your employees. It’s how you will create a uniform, quality company that everyone will enjoy.
The Take Away
You want your customers to recognize your brand instantaneously and to feel like your company is familiar no matter who they interact with or which store they visit. It’s what makes fast food restaurants so successful, especially to those who are traveling. A guest to a food chain can expect the same quality of food and service as they would get anywhere. This is how you build brand loyalty and repeat business.
Accomplishing such a feat means using the right design, and instilling the right company culture so that all of your employees work well together and can provide your customers with the same professional experience.
Nailing Your Job: 5 Reasons Remote Work Requires Discipline from Both Sides
/in Professional Development/by Joe PetersDoes the idea of working from home appeal to you? Many companies today hire remote teams. Don’t think they have it all figured out.
There’s quite an effort and discipline required from both ends to make a successful collaboration at a distance.
If you want to get remote jobs in Dallas and be successful at it, you l need to prove you’re the person who can make telecommuting work.
There are certain skills that remote employees need that aren’t taught in school. They’re skills you learn through the rich experience of working for others.
Regardless of your experience, you should understand the downsides of remote work positions so you can be the best version of yourself, but also recognize what you need from your superiors to make this telecommuting job work.
Supervision Is Less Frequent
Some business owners frown at the thought of anyone working outside the office because they feel they are losing control over work production.
As an employee, it’s vital to show that you don’t need to be handheld. While you’re working remotely, you can’t knock on the boss’ door to ask questions. You can send an email looking for help with your tasks, but it might take days to get an answer.
The work must have a continuous flow.
You need to show problem-solving skills and be proactive. If your boss spends more time helping you with your tasks than doing their own, they might start looking for your replacement.
Show you’re able to work independently from your boss and coworkers. That’s what they need to see.
To be proactive and independent in your job, you also need to have clear instructions and procedures, which your employer should provide. You cannot become a self-reliant and productive employee if you didn’t receive a proper education.
Remote Workers Have to be Self-Motivated
Self-motivation is the key to working alone from home. It’s developed from the inside but also depends on the company you work for. No one wants to be a part of a poorly organized corporation that doesn’t provide onboarding, education, and work assessment.
Besides proper organization, employees are motivated by a company’s vision, great leadership and culture.
Motivation comes from within. If your own values match the company’s core values – you’ll be a great fit, and you’ll have that intrinsic drive.
When working remotely, there’s no manager to check up on your progress, give you a pat on the back or provide course correction. If you’re a procrastinator who doesn’t work unless nudged, remote work isn’t going to work well for you.
You’ll probably have a task list and a scheduled day, but you also have to create a routine that keeps you on and be disciplined about sticking to it.
It takes time to find what morning routine works best for you. If you want to be great at your job and climb up the corporate ladder, do whatever it takes to become awake, energized, and ready to crush it, whether it’s a routine or some focusing tools. The tools should work with you and improve your work habits.
As you’re building your discipline and work skills, make sure you’re becoming more adept at handling a busy schedule.
Know that more capable employees often receive extra work because they grow into someone dependable who can be trusted with an important task.
Clear Communication is the Most Needed Skill
Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean less communication and interactions. In fact, home-based workers often have to communicate more often with people, whether it’s customers, employers, or co-workers.
That communication includes voice as well as written correspondence.
When you’re exchanging emails or direct messages with others, your message has to be clear.
There can be huge misunderstandings when communicating through text. Being misunderstood or unclear can cause very serious problems and delays with projects.
To be considered for a remote position, be sure that you have strong writing skills. It takes practice to be understood through written communication. There’s no way to hear the tone through text.
The right word choice is vital. It’s one of the best skills you can perfect for work-at-home opportunities.
Likewise, your superiors need to hone those same skills, but that’s out of your hands. What you can do is when interpreting instructions is to read them twice, with care.
Are you sure you understood what’s been asked from you?
Don’t be edgy and jump straight to completing the task, rather read it carefully and patiently, and ask for clarification if there’s something that you are not sure how to do.
Digital Tools are the Essence of Remote Work
Whether it’s conference calls or video conferencing, there’s a need for virtual connections. It’s very likely that you’ll be collaborating with others on projects. That collaboration requires you’re adept at handling technology.
There are software programs that manage all aspects of projects. Your employer needs to provide you with the necessary tools, but it’s your job to learn how to use them properly.
When working from home, you probably won’t have access to the company’s IT services. It’s on you to fix any computer problems that might occur. Along with fixing computer problems, you have to provide yourself with all the necessary equipment.
A working computer and a reliable internet are required. Be responsible for your computer to protect your work and the company’s data. Security concerns are something you’ll have to cover yourself.
You’re a Team Player without the Team
In the office, you can just walk over to a co-workers desk and ask them a question. You can easily show them a paper or ask them to clear up a problem.
Written communication takes more time, and a simple question that you would ask by the watercooler can take much more time when done via Skype chat, for example.
Also, you don’t know what the other person is doing at the moment and you don’t want to interrupt, so you send an email. There’s less casual banter happening with remote teams, especially when the team is dispersed across different timezones.
There are project management tools that make it easier to track progress and collaborate in real-time, so you feel like you are doing stuff together. Depending on the job, you will probably collaborate with other team members.
Even if you are too busy to get to know your colleagues on a personal level at work, you can leverage the software in your daily work life to catch up in your free time.
You’ll have to make an effort, but it’s certainly possible to feel like a part of a team. Group meetings can happen with the software you’ve learned to use daily, or you can connect with your work buddies on social media.
From a company’s side, teambuilding can be boosted by organizing meetups that gather everyone at the same place, from in-house personnel to those working remotely. That is a great way to get everybody on the same level and connect with people more deeply.
Is remote work right for you and your employer?
The companies having a remote workforce benefit in a number of ways. From lower overhead to happier employees and decreased operational costs, telecommuting can be enticing for employers.
Likewise, employees can save a lot on lengthy commutes and invest them in quality time, especially those living in big cities.
If your profession allows remote working, and you are considering applying to a remote job, try to strengthen your self-discipline and perfect your written communication before jumping aboard the telecommuting bandwagon.
About the Author
How To Run A Business From Home
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenCreate a Better Business Space
The first thing that you need to do to run a business from home is to turn your home into a better space for business. Although homes make better places for working than offices due to the limitation of distractions and noise levels, you should ensure that your home is suitable to run a business from. For instance, you need to create an office or workshop space in your home that is separate from the main body of your house to limit the disruption to both you and your family and give you space to work and store equipment. You should also ensure that there is sufficient space for a home office; a loft conversion could be a good idea. If this sounds like something you might consider, be sure to check out conversions with Visionary Lofts for the best ideas.
One of the ways that you can do this is to renovate an existing room, build an extension to your house, or look around for a bigger house that can match your needs. In order to make this financially viable, The Money Hub can help you to get the bad credit mortgage that you need through loans, whether you need to extend your mortgage for expansion or get a mortgage for a bigger house.
You should also make sure that your office is a welcoming and relaxing space. When renovating your home office, you should try to access as much natural light as possible to boost your mood, personalize the décor as much as possible to help you to stay engaged with your work and remain inspired, have enough storage to ensure that your workspace is not cluttered. You also need to make sure that you have an office chair and layout that can limit back pain and eye strain and allow you to keep working for longer periods without discomfort, Office Reality has a wide range you can choose from.
Invest in the Right Equipment
You also need to make sure that you equip your office with all the items that you need to succeed, such as the latest gadgets like laptops and printers that can help you to perform your work to the best of your ability. You should also invest in the software that you need. For instance, it is also important that you are able to establish reliable communication channels to allow your clients and any employees to contact you at all times. If you fail to get a secure WiFi connection or mobile signal, this can lead to your business losing trust with its customers. One of the best communication methods for small businesses at home includes Skype, which can allow you to video chat with contacts for business conferences and networking purposes, needing only an email address to do so.
Create a Timetable or Work Plan
It is difficult when running a business from home not to let your family and other commitments impact on your workload. Therefore, you should make sure that you are able to create a plan to help you to schedule your workday. Then you can prioritize your most important work and ensure that you are able to stay on track amid the chaos of a family home. There are many paper organizers, and even online software applications that you can download to keep you on track too.
How to Boost Your Business’ Appeal
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenTo see how you can make your company far more appealing, to both your target audience and the passing one, make sure to read on.
Showcase your success without showing off
In order to appeal to potential customers in the future, you need to attempt to show them just how successful you’ve been in the past.
Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it may seem. There’s a fine line between showcasing your past successes and plain-old showing off. Doing the former will prove to potential customers that you’ve worked hard to get where you are today, which will in turn make them trust in your abilities going forward. Doing the latter will show you to be egotistical and self-indulged, and nobody likes doing business with people like that.
You want to showcase your successes without showing off about them. To do this, you should resolve to make subtle hints about your affluence without being too overt about it. An example of this would be refraining from investing in the flashiest sports car available, and instead buying something a lot less conspicuous — fear not because buying, say, a 4×4 wouldn’t necessarily have to mean that your next car choice need be a boring one. Thanks to E.C.D. Automotive Design, you can design your own unique custom Defender.
Improve your curb appeal
Even if your business operates solely via the web, it won’t hurt to improve your office’s curb ap-peal. Amongst a host of other benefits, taking this action will help you to stand out to the foot traffic that passes your workspace — you never know, once they get home, the people that saw your display might just jump online and research the services that you offer.
To improve your curb appeal, you should:
Put some greenery out front
You need not go all out in this instance. A couple of hanging baskets or raised planters will do the trick — they will both inject life into your entrance and prove that your workspace is cared for.
Lay out a welcome mat
Laying down welcome mats is a simple, affordable, and effective change that will make customers feel welcome whenever they visit your site
Do a bit of redecorating
Has your paint peeled? Have our colours faded? If so, you could be doing serious damage to your brand. Refresh your signage, add a splash of paint, and bring your storefront back to life before passers by think your business is dead and buried.
Tend to your curb appeal regularly
You have to tend to your curb appeal regularly if you truly want to boost your business’s appeal in this sense. This means sweeping the sidewalk, watering your plants, and changing your window display every week or month.
Boosting your business’s appeal is one of the most important tasks you face as a company owner. Be sure, then, to put the above advice into practice, even if you have to make time to do so.
How To Set Up A Successful Business From Home
/in Starting Your Business/by StrategyDrivenCreate a detailed business plan
Before you start any home business venture, it is crucial that you create a comprehensive plan outlining your business goals, along with a timeframe from reaching each specific goal. Doing so will help you stay organized, motivated, and keep you on track to achieve your business goals. Obviously, you want to push yourself, but at the same time, it is important to be realistic and set achievable goals, especially when it comes to financial forecasts. Take a look online for a useful step-by-step guide on how to write an effective business plan.
Take advantage of technology
Modern technology and the internet have opened up increasing opportunities for small business owners and freelancers. All businesses can now advertise their products and services to a worldwide audience on major selling platforms like Amazon and eBay. Freelancers can also now find numerous job opportunities online. For instance, you can find everything from graphic design projects to film and TV jobs online by searching on popular freelance sites and job boards. All businesses should also take advantage of the power of social media and focus on this when devising their marketing strategies. Social media offers every businesses the opportunity to connect with their target audience on a daily basis, grow brand awareness, and increase sales and revenue. Better yet, many social media platforms allow you to set up an account and post for free!
Get dressed every day
When working from home, it can be tempting to lie around in your pajamas all day and never leave the comfort of your bed. However, many studies have found that this is a far less productive way of working. There is no need to dress up in fancy designer outfits when you’re working from home, but showering and getting dressed as part of your morning routine is the best way to get your brain into work mode and increase your productivity levels. What’s more, dressing in professional clothing during your working hours will also help keep your work and personal life separate and notify people that you are working.
Have a separate office space
Similar to the above, it is vital to have a dedicated office space that you can go to every day to complete your work tasks. Again, this will ensure that you get into work mode each morning and should also help you remain productive and motivated throughout the day. Try to make sure that your office space appears professional and remove any distractions like televisions or mobile phones. This will help you remain focused on your work tasks.