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8 Essential Programs To Have When Starting A Business

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a Business|8 Essential Programs To Have When Starting A BusinessWhen starting a business, there are a few essential programs you will need in order to get off the ground.

Here Are 8 Of The Most Important Ones:

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system:

This is a software program that helps businesses manage their customer relationships. It can track customer contact information, sales and marketing activities, and support issues. Having a CRM system in place will help you keep track of your customers and their needs, so you can provide them with better service.

An Accounting Program:

This is a must-have for any business, large or small. An accounting program can help you track your income and expenses, create financial reports, and more. In addition, having an accounting program and a consultant to help you out, such as Excel Consultation, in place will help you stay organized and on top of your finances.

A Project Management Program:

This is a software program that helps businesses plan, track and manage projects. For example, if you have projects that need to be completed, a project management program can help you keep track of everything and get it done on time.

A Website builder:

In today’s day and age, nearly every business needs a website. A website builder is a program that allows you to create a professional-looking website without needing to know how to code. Having a website will allow you to reach more customers and promote your business online.


A Marketing Automation Tool:

This is a software program that helps businesses automate their marketing tasks. It can help you manage your email list, social media accounts, and more. Having a marketing automation tool in place will help you save time and energy on your marketing tasks.

A Graphic Design Program:

If you need to create any marketing materials or design your website, you will need a graphic design program. Some of the most popular options include Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

A Budget:

In order to track your spending and keep your business on track, you will need to create a budget. This document will outline your income and expenses so you can see where your money is going. Creating a budget is an essential part of running a successful business.

A Business Plan:

Last but not least, you will need a business plan. This is a document that outlines your business goals, strategies, and financial projections. Having a business plan in place will help you map out your path to success.

In Conclusion

If you are starting a business, these are some of the essential programs you will need in order to get started. By having these programs in place, you will be able to run your business more efficiently and effectively.

There are many other programs and tools you may need as you start and grow your business. But these eight are the essentials that every business should have in place from the beginning. Having these programs and tools in place will help you run your business more smoothly and effectively.

Preparing Your Store so You Attract Customers and Keep Them Coming Back for More

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Preparing Your Store so You Attract Customers and Keep Them Coming Back for MoreTake in every part of your business, from the dingy store counter to the floors that have clearly seen better days. If your first thought is about how your business needs a makeover, keep reading for tips on making your space seem fresher while following the ADA guide, and keep your customers coming back for more.

Lighten the Rooms Up

When you walk into a dark space, you feel that you have no options. Unfortunately, many people don’t like this and will leave a store that is too dark. This can be costly for your business, especially if repainting isn’t an option that will help. Fortunately, the easiest way to brighten up a room is to tackle the floors.

Often, hardwoods can become dirty easily but are still salvageable. They need a good cleaning and refinishing. If you have painted concrete, you can also give this an update. Your first option is to repaint it with a lighter color and keep it clean. Or, for a lower maintenance option, you can install linoleum or similar material over the concrete. Just remember to keep the floor in touch with your main theme.

Move the Counters

One of the biggest problems stores face is the layout. Sometimes things are arranged in a way that cuts off sightlines and makes walking around confusing. Plus, many stores place their displays too close to the walls, which cramps up their counter attendants. If these problems sound familiar, you should consider investing in smaller counters, such as the ones Hestra offers, that can be placed in the center of your shop. That lets customers easily walk around your counters.

Start this process by setting up folding tables where you want your counters to go. Then, think about where you will place all your items. You don’t want anything important to be stashed into an unfrequented corner. You also want to avoid allowing anything to block your customers’ line of sight. Lastly, ensure nothing offputting is located at the entrance to your store. Remedying these problems can freshen up your shop’s layout, making it more attractive to customers.

Get Some Coolers Up and Running

Call your local distributor and have some coolers brought in. Have plenty of space that offers cooled items, whether it is fresh produce or something else. Many people are thrilled to see local products, such as cheeses, to snack on after shopping. When you figure out what cool products you want to offer, make sure they have enough light.

Don’t be afraid to paint your coolers, so they match your shop’s theme. Then, keep them out in the open, but don’t block your customers’ lines of sight. Also, get rid of any unnecessary racks for merchandise. At first, this may sound like a bad idea. However, having too many racks can make them get dusty and leave your inventory spread out, which can make your store appear old. Instead of relying strictly on racks, try fun ideas, like hanging merchandise on the walls. You can also try built-in options which may make your space seem more homely.

Give the Space a Makeover

Aside from these, figure out ways to make your space cosmetically appealing. The easiest things to do include figuring out ways to let more natural light in and painting the walls. Also, during your makeover, clean every surface thoroughly. Finally, if you’re changing the layout, think about how you want people to walk through your stores and place your displays accordingly. At the end of the day, make sure you highlight all of your products and that they are well lighted. By the way, lose the spinning racks because they will date your store.

Get Rid of Some Merchandise

If you want to bring in the new, get rid of the old. Even if you love something, don’t keep it in your store if it doesn’t sell. Instead, mark it down and don’t restock those items. They are simply a waste of space on your shelves.

Sometimes, it takes work to get your shop set up properly. However, taking the time to freshen up your space will help you attract new customers and keep them coming back to visit. So get started on your store’s makeover today.

What Makes Customers Walk Away in Frustration

Frustration is a feeling we can all relate to. It’s a sense of anger that feels hopeless because you can’t solve the issue. We’ve all been stuck in a traffic queue, nervously looking at the time while knowing that there is no other way to escape the traffic jam.

Frustration makes us feel powerless. There is nothing we can do but wait until the problem has resolved itself. Yet when a customer feels frustrated, it’s a strong indication that there’s room for improvement within your organization. A frustrated customer experiences a mixture of anger and hopelessness. They are in a heightened emotional state, which makes it tricky to win them over. You are more likely to lose customers who walk away in frustration. Here are 4 avoidable situations that could lead to negative emotions.

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | What Makes Customers Walk Away in Frustration

No transparent communication

Transparency is a business buzzword when it comes to communication. But what does it mean? Business experts recommend thinking of transparency in relation to what your customers want to hear. Ideally, your customers want to know what to expect. They do not want nasty surprises, such as a vague pricing system or inaccurate promises. Maintaining a transport approach to your communication will significantly boost your brand reputation. In an open and honest communication, customers are more likely to forgive unavoidable errors and mishaps.

They bounce off the site

Your customers live in the 21st century. They are experienced users of digital technologies. Therefore, they expect your website to meet their expectations. An old-fashion design could slow down the experience and distract from the messaging. Additionally, unresponsive web design that isn’t mobile-friendly can affect navigation. It can be a good idea to reach out to a professional website design company to consider improving your online presence. The company can help identify some of the core issues, such as lack of accessibility or excessive popups and distractions on the page. Ultimately, your customers are digitally savvy. So they are not wasting time on websites that don’t deliver the performance they need.

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | What Makes Customers Walk Away in Frustration

They don’t find your added value

Your added value is the differentiation your business delivers to customers. Buyers are willing to pay more if they feel the added value is worth the expense. For instance, Apple users argue that devices are expensive, but they are high-end designs that establish a sense of community within the audience group. What do you give to your customers that is unique to your brand, and more importantly, how can you make it more desirable? Failure to understand your audience group can backfire dramatically, as customers feel cheated by services or items whose price seems unjustifiable.

They find the VIP treatment unfair

What is your policy toward VIPs? Traditional organizations tend to be selective about their VIP customers, while others will treat every customer with the same respect and attention. Moving forward, the traditional model is less effective, especially in an environment where any user can damage a brand online. It can be helpful to transform your customer relationship strategy accordingly.

Are customers left frustrated by their interactions with your company? Whether they feel your communication lacks transparency or your website isn’t user-friendly, annoyed customers are quick to switch brands for a competitor. Therefore, every business needs to put their customers’ happiness first!

Learn The Secrets To Impress Customers From Day One

Are you interested in gaining more customers for your business? If so, then you need to work to ensure that you do impress them from the first day they find your company. This is always going to lead to higher conversions. Here are some of the boxes that you need to tick to get this right.

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | Learn The Secrets To Impress Customers From Day One

A Killer Website

First, you need to think about your website. For most customers and clients, this is always going to be the first impression that they get of your business. You need to pay attention to load times. If it takes anywhere more than three seconds for a page on your site to load, then you’re going to have problems with your bounce rate. You need to think about the design too. It’s absolutely vital that your site stands out from all the other possibilities in the SERPs. A custom website programming solution is often the best way to ensure that’s the case.

A Fast Call Back

These days, customers don’t want to be waiting long for an answer they need. They want to get results immediately and this does tie back to ensuring that your website loads rapidly. If a customer makes an enquiry, you need to make sure that you are in a position to respond within at least 24 hours. If it’s anything more than this then you can bet that a customer will have turned their attention to the competition and potentially found the solution they were searching for before you could even pick up the phone.

Honesty And Transparency

Next, you need to make sure that you are both honest and transparent with customers. They value this more than most other things. They want to know that they can trust the company that they are buying from and this should always start with the quote that you offer for a product or service. The quoted price should be exactly what the customer is going to pay when the service is delivered. If you can’t quote a price, then you need to be honest about this as well. Don’t end up in a situation where they can catch you out further down the line.

Rave Reviews

Finally, you do need to think about reviews. The latest reports suggest that more than 80% of customers and clients will check reviews online before they even consider committing to a purchase. So, if there’s an issue with your reviews then you could lose a lot of buyers. This is often a matter of knowing how to approach reviews. For instance, you should respond to them publicly as this will send a positive message to any potential customers. You also need to watch out for bad reviews on social media that might be spreading like wildfire.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you do need to explore to get things right here and guarantee that your customers don’t leave you for a competitor. Impress them from day one and they’ll always come back for more.

Business Owners: Are You Guilty Of Negligence?…

If you’ve recently started a business, I’m sure you’re quickly discovering just how much goes into making it a success. Your big idea is just the start of it. From there, you need to think about your HR, marketing, IT infrastructure and a whole host of other factors. With so much going on, it’s essential to make sure you don’t neglect anything important. Here are some things that you simply can’t afford to neglect…

Office Data Backup

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Business Owners: Are You Guilty Of Negligence?...
Photo courtesy of Torkild Retvedt via flickr

Office data backup is something that you’ll hopefully never have to use, but you’ll be glad you have it if and when the need arises. Backing up your office data is a great insurance policy against the unexpected. Files can be wiped from your servers, sabotaged by a disgruntled employee, or some kind of freak disaster could damage the servers beyond repair. By regularly backing up all your company’s important data, you’ll be able to get the company up and running again soon afterwards. Despite the massive importance of backing up, a lot of small businesses manage to overlook it completely. If you haven’t already, take a look at your options and set up a dependable system for backing up your files.

The Employee Handbook

Neglecting this part of your business is usually a side-effect of rapid growth. In the early days of your business, when there’s only you and a few employees, any kind of solid HR policies aren’t really that necessary. However, when your business starts to grow and develop as an organization, you’ll need to take on a lot more staff. This means you’re going to need some solid rules in place. A good employee handbook will introduce new recruits to the company’s core values, mission and culture, will tell them what’s expected of them, but most importantly, it will tell them what’s permissible and what’s not. By taking the time to draft an employee handbook, you’ll protect yourself from all kinds of costly litigation and disputes. Whether you do it all on your own steam or reach out to an employment law firm like Ellis Whittam, an employee handbook is an absolute must. Just a few printed words can make all the difference to your company’s future!

A Good CRM

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Business Owners: Are You Guilty Of Negligence?...

CRMs, short for customer relationship management platforms, are great tools for managing your company’s interactions with both current and prospective customers. With one of these in place, your company will enjoy better workflow, will be able to automate various tasks, increase the number of sales leads you’re getting and generally increase productivity. Although these auxiliary programs were once considered a luxury, an increasing number of firms are using them, and they’re quickly becoming something of an essential resource for any modern business. Despite what you may have been led to believe, CRMs aren’t exclusive to big businesses anymore, and the packages on the market are getting more and more cost-effective all the time.

As you move forward with your business, make sure you’re not neglecting any of these and holding your firm back from what it can achieve!