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4 areas of your business that you can improve

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As an entrepreneur, you should always be on the lookout for new ways to push yourself. This is the only way that you, and your business, will be able to thrive in a competitive market. You need to make sure that you are constantly evaluating your options and evolving your entrepreneurial model. If you are searching for inspiration, use this guide as inspiration. Below are four areas of your business that you can improve.

Your online profile

In this digital age, it is vital that you invest heavily in your online profile. Your company should have its own social media sites, with professional profiles. It should also have an extremely attractive and user-friendly website. However, it is not enough to simply create an online profile. You also need to take a proactive approach to getting people to engage with your business. That is why you should turn to Fusion SEO. Their services will help you to draw in a wider audience and to secure more sales. They will also provide you with the tools that you need in order to stand out from your competitors.

Your customer feedback

In the world of business, there is always more that you could be doing in order to improve your levels of customer service. This is especially true when it comes to customer feedback. Understanding the customer experience is the only way that you are going to establish an impressive reputation and secure repeat sales. That is why you need to think carefully about how you are engaging with your customers and responding to their opinions. You could set up anonymous surveys, a comment section on your website, and an online help desk. You could also pose as a customer and put your employees to the test.

Your employee experience

If you are going to run a successful business, you will need to get your employees onside. Ideally, your team should be filled to the brim with loyal, hard-working, and ambitious individuals. This will be much easier to achieve if you are able to offer your staff a pleasant working environment. You also need to think carefully about your pay packages, the extra perks that you can offer, and the opportunities for advancement that are available at your company.

Your reputation

If you are determined to achieve success, you will need to work hard to improve the reputation of your business. You can do this by helping out in your local community, donating to good causes, and setting up a successful internship programme. You could also enter your company into plenty of competitions and do everything in your power to secure a prize. This will help you to stand out from your industry peers when you are appealing to your target audience. It will also help you to create an ambitious working environment, where all of your employees are encouraged to reach their full potential. Ultimately, you want to create a business that you can truly be proud of.

Strategies for Recruiting the Talent You Need When Starting a Business

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You know going in that starting a business is no easy feat. Unfortunately, unless you’ve ever started a business from the ground up, there will be a number of things you simply aren’t prepared for. Finding the right talent to work with you is something you probably hadn’t considered. If that is the case, you may not even know exactly what you need in terms of staffing various departments. Here are some strategies you can use when looking for the top talent you need to launch your startup.

Define Steps to the Endgame

Obviously, the endgame is running a successful business. However, what will it take to do that? Are you going to be manufacturing products for sale, offering services or selling products made elsewhere? Perhaps you’ll be starting a distributorship or a restaurant or even a car dealership. Before you can run a successful business, you need to look at how many departments you will need to efficiently organize and operate a company.

Define Job Classifications

Now that you’ve outlined the various departments you need to staff, what are the job classifications within each department? For example, in accounting do you need an accountant or are there other professionals who could balance your books? Perhaps a bookkeeper or office manager could do the routine day to day tasks, necessitating an accountant to periodically go over your books quarterly and, of course, at tax time.

If you are totally unfamiliar with the workings of a department and you aren’t sure what kind of talent to employ, check out sites like jobdescriptionswiki.com. There you will find job descriptions, what it is they do, what they expect to be paid, and the education or experience necessary for the job.

Network at Trade Shows

If you know the positions that need filling but you are reluctant to simply put an ad online or in the classifieds, why not network at trade shows. They don’t even need to be local trade shows because recruits are often aware of the fact that they may need to relocate to get that once-in-a-lifetime job with a startup that has major growth potential.

Whether you pull the top talent from another business or find recruits looking for placement, if you know what you are looking for, trade shows offer one of the best ways of grabbing great talent easily under one roof.

In the End, It Is All About Knowing What You Need

The key to recruiting the talent you need when starting a business is to first define how your company will run and what departments you will need to set up. After that, it’s a matter of looking at the types of staff you will need in each department and then you can begin to look at what each job classification entails.

Strategies are dependent on understanding what you hope to accomplish and why it’s so important to have a good working knowledge of each position to be filled. Get this done right and you will be off to a good start. Remember, you can’t do it alone so choose the team you can work with and the rough going at the beginning just got that much smoother.

Tips For Running A Smoother Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
Trying to manage a business without a strategy is an approach that simply doesn’t work. You have to have people, processes and plans in place that show exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. It’s not a good idea to go into building a company blindly with hopes for what may happen.

If you’re struggling to keep your business afloat, for whatever reason, don’t give up before trying a few different solutions that may help you get back on track. The great news about having a rocky company is that there are opportunity and the ability to fix it. See tips for running a smoother business.

Have A Business Plan in Place

Sit down with your business partners and come up with a detailed business plan for your company. Look at immediate growth and where you see yourselves years down the road. Consider the various departments and what resources you’re going to need for each of the different areas. Be specific and work out the kinks on the spot, so they don’t emerge at a later date when you’re least expecting it.

Find A Reliable IT Solution

IT is super important when it comes to managing and running a business smoothly. Technology is the backbone of all you do, and you need it to work properly at all times. Choose a company based on their talent and track record, like Custard Technical Services, so that you’re confident they’ll deliver on their promise. Pick a partner who will help you become more dynamic, productive, secure and future-proof, through innovative IT solutions for your business problems.

Hire Smart

Your people are what’s going to make or break you in the long run. Avoid hiring quickly to fill voids. Take your time and do it right the first time, which will save you more money over time. Put a human resources department in place who’s going to help you succeed and fill the open roles appropriately. You need competent employees who work hard and know what questions to ask. Hiring the right people will make your life easier, the business run smoother and clients more satisfied.

Focus on Customer Relationships

You need to have a customer relationship management solution in place, so no one’s getting left behind or forgotten about. Have processes in place that new hires can follow and quickly understand how you work with clients and what the sales and onboarding process looks like. Clients should be your number one focus, and your business will have no choice but to run smoother and with fewer problems. You have to make it a part of the culture, so that no matter who’s interacting with the customer, they know what to do and say to help.

Conclusion

Your business won’t function properly on its own. You have to be willing to put in the hard work it takes to make it better. It’s all about processes, systems and implementing solutions. These are tips for running a smoother business.

How to Select the Right Office Space

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | How to Select the Right Office Space

The office you choose can determine the success of your business. It is important to find a space that provides the right balance of affordability, credibility, space and facilities. To avoid making a big mistake, find out how to select the right office space for your company.

The Right City

Do you want to compete with your industry rivals? It might be a smart move to find an office space in a flourishing city. For example, a London or New York office space could set you apart from your competitors located in unknown cities or towns, as it will prove you are a force to be reckoned with in business. Picking the right city is just as essential as choosing the right office since it can help boost your business. San Francisco’s CRE market is an excellent example of a diverse area that has a lot to offer. And when looking for an office in this city, you can take some pressure off of your shoulders because you will surely find your dreamed one.

A Safe Neighborhood

Not only must you choose the best city to compete in your industry, but you must also select a safe neighborhood. For instance, if you run a technology company, you will undoubtedly store expensive gadgets and devices onsite, which you will want to protect. A safe neighborhood will not only protect your office equipment, but it will also ensure the health and safety of your employees so that they can travel safely to and from work each day. You must, therefore, discover a safe neighborhood, as well as one that has a professional ambiance like London. Turn to The Workplace Company for help moving your tech company to London.

Transport Links

Transport links are another factor that should influence your decision, as you will need to ensure you can provide an easy commute for your employees. For example, is there a subway or train station nearby? Could employees commute to the office by bus or car? Identify the different routes for different employees and visitors to ensure your workplace is accessible.

Local Amenities

Employees will want to stretch their legs and grab something to eat on their lunch, and you may also want to take clients for a coffee, drinks or a meal to discuss business. That’s why it’s important to make sure there are local amenities close by, so you and your staff are not stuck inside the office, which could impact employee morale.

Building Maintenance

Are you leasing a space inside a serviced office? You will want to ensure the building is well-maintained. Unsightly exterior or peeling wallpaper in the reception area will not impress your clients or visitors, which could create a wrong first impression of your company. Ask current tenants about the building maintenance services and security before you sign on the dotted line.

Room for Growth

Every business owner will want their company to grow from strength to strength, which is why it is important to plan for growth when selecting an office space. For example, if you currently have 20 members of staff onboard, you might want to invest in an office space that accommodates 50+ people, so there is room for growth; otherwise, you might be forced to move offices once again in a year or two.
Do you have any top tips for choosing an office space? Feel free to post a comment below.

How to win contracts as a start up

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Can you really compete?

The ‘solution’, is in the question, what will win the contract? Considering many new startups set up in business because they believe they have a new, better and more innovative solution – it really is the driving force behind the growth of new start ups.

If you are a new or very small business you have a lot of strengths, which larger players do not have. Often a new business is set up around the development of an innovative product or service, which isn’t currently offered in the marketplace, therefore giving you one USP right from the start.

Turnover does matter, but how much should you worry?

If you have a turnover of £100k and are trying to win a £500k contract, it can and does happen, but often the winning bidder really has to consider their strengths and weaknesses and what is required to win and get over the financial turnover minimum requirements, for example.

An opportunity such as this can make or break a business and if the business fails, then the contract is not being delivered. Therefore, we are to risk and how it can impact the chances of win rates/ winning contracts.

In some situations, and, if your brand ‘feels’ larger, your business stability, size, financials may not be assessed. This is often the case if a small or medium enterprise (SME) is buying the product or service, even if substantial sums are involved. These are often a good route to try and win new business or to grow a new business.

But with an innovative product or solution you can still sell it into large corporations and the public sector. Sometimes this is due to product and the lack of risk involved in the purchase. E.g. a consultancy service.

The expertise will be assessed which is more important than financial stability, for example, of an individual. There may also be significant risk due to a larger organisation buying from a new business or smaller business but another reason for a purchase despite this risk is due to lack of competition or simply the values involved not requiring finances to be assessed.

Innovation and price are imperative

The first piece of software which Thornton & Lowe developed, which was largely for my own in-house staff to use, we thought it was worthwhile putting a little marketing focus behind it. Our first formal sale of the product was to Scottish Southern Electric (SSE PLC), a large corporate organisation.

The product was without references, without many users other than my staff but due to the solution being aligned to their requirements, the price point in the market and I believe we put more time and effort into creating a compelling bid, I was able to start off selling the software with a very large and recognisable client.

There will always will be many ways to grow a new start business, which all need to be weighed up in terms of profit, sustainable growth, deliverability, competition and importantly the client’s requirements.

These can be tried and tested but if there is a good product there will always be a way of selling it even into the most formal of procurement requirements such as those associated with construction tenders.