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Fun Ways to Market Your Brand

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Market your Brand|Fun Ways to Market Your BrandMarketing is one of the most crucial elements of growing any business, whether it’s established or brand new, big or small. Without effective marketing campaigns, all of your hard work goes to waste. You could spend years trying to get seen, struggling to make sales, and feeling frustrated. Many entrepreneurs even give up.

For bigger businesses or those with more money to spend, marketing is often one of the first jobs that they consider outsourcing to the experts. This is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment, and one that can grow your audience, build trust and drive sales enormously.

Unfortunately, however, for many newer or smaller businesses, this isn’t an option. They are forced to use their own skills and learn as much as they can, or to rely on the talent already in their company.

The good news is, with the tremendous growth of social media and internet usage, it’s easier than ever to market your brand. Digital marketing allows you to reach a far wider audience, find your people and build your brand, without spending vast amounts of money.

The better news is, it doesn’t have to be boring. Effective marketing isn’t all about writing content for your website or hitting those social media share buttons. There are some more creative and fun ways that you can boost your business. Here’s a look at some of the best.

Get Out into the Community

Most modern marketing methods, and certainly lower budget methods, focus on digital marketing and online campaigns. While these can be exceptionally useful, there is still value to marketing in the real world and getting off the computer. Some of the most fun marketing methods are actually out in your local community.

Work with Local Businesses

If your business sells to or works with the local community, working with other companies can be a great idea. Attend, or start, regional networking events, get to know other business owners and look for ways that you can collaborate. Even if it’s just supporting each other online, and meeting to share ideas, it could be useful.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Market your Brand|Fun Ways to Market Your BrandCommission a Mural

If you’d like to get more creative with your marketing, what about commissioning a mural? Find a talented local artist to paint your logo or an image that is personal to your business, on the side of your building.

Hit the Streets

Chalk drawings on the footpaths might not last very long, but they will certainly get noticed. Pick an area with passing footfall, or close to your premises, and draw quirky pictures or quotes on the sidewalk.

Flyers and Posters

Flyers and posters might seem old-fashioned, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t still be fruitful. Flyers and even business cards can work well, as they are something tangible that people can walk away with. They don’t need to make a brilliant first impression or communicate information quickly. The recipient can take them away to process later.

Sponsor Events

Sponsoring events and working with charities on their events and fundraisers is a brilliant way to both get your name out there and also to build a reputation as a caring brand.

Have Fun with Clothing

Clothing is made to be seen. It’s probably safe to say that unless you are a clothing brand, or have a trendy logo, people are unlikely to buy clothing with your name on. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t wear them, and so advertize your business, if you give them away for free. Have t-shirts printed and put socks in goodie bags at tradeshows and conferences. Click here to look at some cool options.

Think Outside the Box with Sponsorships

When you think about sponsoring someone, as a brand, you might think of well-known brands on the front of sports shirts or at stadiums. But, many groups, businesses, companies and community spaces are seeking sponsorship to help them to make money, especially in the current climate. Think of sponsorships that could benefit your business, even if they aren’t closely related to what you do, and reach out to local teams, charities, events and community spaces with a pitch.

Host a Contest

Social media dominates many of our lives. We’re continually checking feeds, updating photos and videos, and checking in with our favorite brands and celebrities. Chances are, your audience is online a lot, and they are looking for creative and fun ways to spend their time.

So, give them something to do, that also gets you extra shares and attention. Host a photo or video contest, asking your followers to share photos or videos around a theme or their favorite images of your products. Offer the winner a small freebie to increase entries, and don’t forget to engage.

Attend Trade Shows

Trade Shows are both a great way to increase your audience and sell yourself, and to meet other businesses and suppliers who could be useful to you. Be creative with your stall, advertising your best products or services, and using props and banners to grab attention. Give away cool goodies, such as those socks, or stationary, and wrap them in a tote bag for some easy advertising, and make sure you are ready to answer any questions that anyone might have for you.

Be Controversial

Content marketing with a blog, either separately, or one your website, is a great way to gain traffic from search engines and reach a significant audience. But, it’s often the more controversial posts and opinions that get noticed. Obviously, this is a risk, and you may alienate some people, but your true fans are likely to share your ideas, and it will certainly get people talking about, and so googling your business.

Most businesses and entrepreneurs will need to experiment to find the marketing methods that work for them. Your audience might not respond to everything on this list, and some things will undoubtedly be more effective than others. Don’t be scared to try new things and remember to give campaigns and ideas a chance before giving up on them and moving on to the next.

Launching A Building Business This Year

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StrategyDriven Business Startup Article |building business|Launching A Building Business This YearIf you are handy with a trade or two and you are looking for a new career move this year, one thing you could consider is starting your own building business. When it comes to small businesses a building business can be a great choice because everyone in the world needs building services now and again. Today we are taking a look at some simple tips for launching a building business this year.

Word of mouth

When you are trying to build a local business rather than an online business there are different things to consider such as how you will build a reputation for yourself in the area. Whereas with an online business you will want to use social media and a website to spread the word, it is different for a local company. The best way to get through to people in your area is to post flyers through doors, speak to people in person and encourage customers to talk to their family and friends. Word of mouth is powerful and it can be exactly what you need this year.

Compile your customers

As you grow as a small business you will end up with a database of people who you work for and this can become difficult for you to manage after a while. The best thing you can do is get a roof estimating software where you’ll be able to keep a database of all of your customers as well as your materials and costs for each job. This can be a huge help and it will allow you to calculate labour costs and keep on top of your budgets.

Haggle

When you are working as a building firm you will need to buy your own supplies to bring to a job and use on the house. The cost of buying things such as bricks and tiles and cement can be heavy as this is why haggling can be super helpful for you. If you can learn to haggle for your supplies you will end up saving a lot of money and this will make things much easier for you when calculating your costs and your profit margins.

Take your time

It is important for the integrity of your job as well as your ability to gain more customers that you never rush a job. Just because it might feel easier to rush your job so that you can move onto the next one, it’s not worth it in the long run. Take your time and take pride in your work and in turn you will get better reviews, more customers and you will be able to charge more due to the quality of your work.

Be friendly

A friendly builder is one who will gain a good reputation! Make sure when you work on a house you talk to the owners and have a laugh. People like to work with people and the impression you give off can make all the difference to your success.

Operation Getting More Value In Business

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As a business, providing customers with value for money. However, you mustn’t forget to ensure that your spending generates the best results too. Making your capital work harder will lift a great weight from your shoulders while also enabling you to pass some of the savings onto your clients.

So, how exactly can you ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of your customers? Here’s all you need to know.

StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | Business Financies

Assemble The Strongest Possible Team

The majority of business matters will be handled by your employees. Therefore, getting the recruitment process under control should be the first item on your agenda. This should be followed by an ongoing investment into their development both individually and as a team. The best ways to achieve this are through training and team building exercises. When they work harder, you’ll get more value for money on a daily basis. There is no stronger foundation for success.

Keep Assets In Good Health

Taking care of your business assets will unlock greater performance levels and prolong the lifespans. Keeping business vehicles in good health with the right gas oil is a significant step in the right direction. Meanwhile, computer system updates should bring telling results too. Even though the daily maintenance can have a very significant impact, you must learn to spot signs of faults. The sooner you act, the sooner you’ll restore their health. This should save a lot of money in the long run.

Research Your Purchases

You already know that customers want to get the best value for money when buying products or services. You should take a similar approach before completing your transactions. Simple ideas like using price comparison sites can work wonders. Likewise, you’ll want to check that any company you plan to do with business can be trusted. Falling victim of fraudulent activity or inadequate supplies will harm the venture and could be very hard to recover from. It’s best to be safe rather than sorry.

Know Your Demographic

Marketing is an area where only the best will do. Efficient marketing should be built around targeting a key audience. It’s impossible to impress everyone, but smarter research and insights will allow you to focus on the people that are likely to purchase. SEO, PPC, trade show stools, printed materials, and social media marketing can all be used to great effect. Remember to analyse the success of every campaign and make the necessary adjustments for ongoing success.

Avoid Bad Debts

While you obviously want to get as many sales as possible, you must not force thing when dealing with repayment plans. Good sales figures count for nothing if the money never arrives. Understanding bad debts and how to avoid falling victim to them is vital. While some people will default on payments, but you don’t want to let this become a major problem. Protect yourself in this manner, and your hopes of maintaining a positive cash flow will be greatly increased.

When the financial elements are under control, you can focus on actively driving the venture in the right direction.

A 3 Step Plan To Deal With Your Weaknesses As A Business Owner

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | A 3 Step Plan To Deal With Your Weaknesses As A Business Owner

You won’t like to hear this, but you’re not perfect. Nobody is, and nobody ever will be. Some people seem like they’re perfect, but they have weaknesses just like anybody else. As a business owner, you can’t afford to let your weaknesses get in the way of your success. You have to understand how to deal with things that hold you back.

As it happens, this is a lot easier than it seems. Dealing with your weaknesses can be boiled down into a straightforward three-step plan – which can actually only last two steps, but you’ll learn about that later. How do you do it? Well, read on to find out…

Step 1: Identify your weaknesses

It begins by recognizing where your weaknesses lie. Many of you probably haven’t thought about your strengths and weaknesses before. More specifically, you only think about your strengths! Assess your life and consider what you’re good and bad at. Is marketing your weakness? Do you struggle with productivity and time management? Are you really bad at organizing your admin tasks?

Look at your daily workload and think about what comes easy to you and what is more of a struggle. If possible, ask someone close to you if they can think of your weaknesses. Often, you need someone else to point something out before you realize it yourself!

Step 2: Learn from the experts

Once you know your weaknesses, you can start improving them. The easiest approach is to learn from the experts in your weaker fields. Let’s say that leadership is a particular weakness of yours. You’ve acknowledged this, and now you can attend online business classes focused on leadership. Here, you’ll be taught key points and skills from someone who is a strong leader and knows what it takes to become one.

The same goes for any other weakness you have; get help from people who deem your weakness as their strength! Business classes aren’t the only way to do this, you can also read books, listen to podcasts, etc.

Step 3: Hire people who know best

After the second step, you may be in a position where you’re more confident and have conquered your weakness. In which case, you can carry on with running your business. However, what if you still struggle and can’t wrap your head around a certain topic? In this instance, move onto the third step where you hire people who know best.

If you’re really bad at something and it’s taking too long to master it, get someone else to do it for you. Hire an admin assistant to organize your day if you still struggle to handle all the admin tasks. Outsource a marketing agency to draw up your marketing strategy if you can’t get to grips with it. Source help from experts to cover your weaknesses and ensure your business has no cracks!

After following these steps, you will be in a position where your weaknesses are no longer a problem. Either you have mastered them, or someone else is taking care of them. Either way, your business is in a much better position.

What Is POS Software and Why Is It Important?

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | What Is POS Software and Why Is It Important?The global POS software market was $12.23 billion in 2018. The market is expected to grow by a CAGR of 15.1% within the next seven years.

A point-of-sale system can transform your business by providing a comprehensive solution to everyday issues. If you’ve been dealing with human errors, unrecorded sales, and faulty inventories, POS software can help.

So, what is POS software, and why do you need it in your business? Here’s is our detailed guide on the point of sale software (POS) and its importance.

What Is POS Software?

Point-of-Sale software is the system eCommerce and brick-and-mortar stores use to execute sales. To understand POS better, you can consider it as an advanced cash register that gets combined with a computer. It allows cashiers to input customer orders and tally the involved costs, even before consummating the final financial transaction.

A POS system can incorporate other systems or software like the eCommerce platforms and accounting apps to expand the capability and flexibility of a business. As such, the POS software definition revolves around its primary purpose, which is processing sales.

POS software does more than sales processing. Here are some of the roles played by the POS system software:

  • Customer data management
  • Analytics
  • Inventory tracking
  • Sales monitoring and reporting
  • Employee management
  • Robust integrations
  • Mobile connectivity

On top of different roles, there are different types of POS software, too. Read more on that below.

Types of POS Software

POS software is in two types: cloud-based and on-premise. For the on-premise POS system, you need to be within the location if you want to use it. Terminals are the leading on-premise POS.

With cloud-based POS, you’re assured of flexibility as it allows you to use any compatible and connected devices for easy access to the dashboard. This system is preferable as it will enable you to execute sales and check your business even when you are miles away.

Some other types of POS system software that fall within the category include:

Mobile POS

A mobile POS can be used in-store or outside a shop. It manages and processes payments besides having other functions that include inventory tracking. The mobile POS is ideal for small businesses or sole entrepreneurs due to its affordability, ease of operation, and setup.

Desktop

A POS system running on a desktop is an on-premise solution, often in a checkout station. If you go for the best hardware version, the desktop POS will prove reliable and robust. However, it’s quite bulky, and you can’t move around with it.

Open Source POS

Open-source software allows businesses to create custom solutions using their source code. Business owners can create the open-source POS system with external contributors, or internally. This type of POS system software is ideal for companies that have a variety of technical resources.

POS Apps

POS Apps can work with any compatible devices or hardware for easy access to data and management of business operations. POS apps are best for a business that want customizability and flexibility.

Multichannel POS

A multichannel POS integrates with several commerce channels, which is one of its most sought-after capabilities. The channels are usually the third-party online marketplace, your website, pop-up shops, stores, wholesale, event sale, and many other channels. This POS is best for eCommerce merchants selling in-person or the multichannel online brands.

Why Is POS Software Important?

If you’ve been asking ‘what is POS system,’ there you have it. So, why is POS software essential for business owners? Here are some of the benefits you stand to enjoy if you have the best POS software:

Time-Saving

Your POS system keeps track of the movement of goods within and outside the store. The system will keep you updated on your stock. It further submits relevant orders to suppliers when you’re almost running out of inventory.

POS software also makes it easier to retrieve information about a particular product. You’ll reduce the waiting time, which is a plus in customer service.

Employee Management

On average, the cost of losing a worker to turnover is about 33 percent of an employee’s compensation. It is crucial to embrace tools that improve how you relate to your team. POS software is a managerial tool that can help in establishing the right reward criteria.

Consequently, your workers will be more enthusiastic and effective. Customer service will improve, and the sales will rise. If you’re looking for a tool that will be a resource in your employee management, consider the point-of-sale software.

Avert Mistakes

The entire system will be automatically updated if you make price changes. You don’t have to worry about inconsistencies as everything will be the same across the platform. With POS, it will be hard to contest with customers over inaccurate pricing.

Sales Report

POS software gives you an overview of your business processes as it keeps a cashflow record. If you need data on any product, you’ll find it effortlessly. The POS system saves crucial information about your company’s financial status, sales, and inventory.

With such data, it easy to have a realistic short-term budget. You can also make several predictions based on the reports.

Reduced Thefts

Theft from either customers or employees is one of the main concerns of retail stores. The POS system gives you control of your products. Strong tracking of items hinders common theft.

Invest in POS Software and Watch Your Business Thrive

Improving the sales process is a dream for many business owners. Despite embracing several tools to increase efficiency, many people are not familiar with POS. So, what is POS software in a nutshell?

POS software is a central component for businesses. The benefits of POS software are irresistible. From increasing the efficiency of processes to improving customer service, you need to get the best POS software for your company.

Our blog is all about businesses. Keep exploring for a range of articles on marketing, strategy, management, and execution, among other business-related topics.