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The Tools Every Small Business Should Have

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

As a small business looking to expand, it’s vital that you are as efficient and professional as possible. Thankfully, there are a lot of fantastic tools that can help you with this, and ensure that you have a competitive edge…

Slack

Slack is a great tool, which enables all of your team to communicate more efficiently. It will allow you all to share files, call each other, send messages, and it even lets you send ‘tacos’ as a reward to employees who’ve done well!

Microsoft Office 365

Although there are lots of free alternatives, you still really can’t beat this Microsoft office software for efficiency and professionalism. It will allow you to complete lots of tasks, including billing, generating presentations and chatting with your team very effectively.

GSuite

Google’s GSuite was built with the intention of offering a total range of business functionality. It enables you to buy a business domain, setup and manage a company email client, track visitors launch ad campaigns, track website analytics and much more besides, and all for just $50 annually!

EchoSign

As a small business, you probably don’t have a huge amount of money to spend on paper, ink, and printers, and thanks to EchoSign, you don’t need to because you can simply upload documents to their server, and have them sent to the other party, who can then sign them digitally. You’ll save a fortune.

Goodhire

Hiring staff can be a nightmare, especially when you’re a small business, and you perhaps don’t have experience of doing so. You have to advertise, conduct background checks, organize drug screenings, test the applicant’s skills and much more besides – it’s a lot, but Goodhire will do all of that and more for you, and they will do it in 24 hours or less!

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Upwork

Upwork is a great website, which is full of talented freelancers looking for work. As a small business, this is a boon for you because it gives you direct access to professional web designers, sales people and content writers for a fraction of the cost of hiring them full-time.

Intercom

Intercom is a business communication tool that lets you speak directly to your customers via live chat amongst other things. As you will know, being able to communicate effectively with customers is of the utmost importance if you want them to positively rate you and come back for more, so having a solution like this right at your fingertips is a real benefit.

SalesLoft

SalesLoft is a great way of boosting your sales and growing your customer base, especially in the early days. It comes with a host of features that help to make your sales department more effective such as sales specific email design and a built in sales dialer.

A Great Team

Your employees are the best tools you have. Sure, they might not fit inside your smartphone, but they will be the ones working by your side contacting customers, creating products and doing the small task that help to make a small business bigger. If you invest in nothing else on this list, at least make sure that you assemble a great team.

Why Your Business Should Become More Like Orwell’s Big Brother

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Monitoring your business, whether you’re a sole trader, entrepreneur or small business owner is essential. It’s often the difference between turning a profit and failing to break even.

But what does “monitoring your business” mean in practice?

In general, when gurus talk about monitoring, they’re referring to the ability of your firm to optimize its workload and achieve greater productivity simply by analyzing and refining its processes. It means going over your processes with a fine tooth comb and trying to find whether there is anything that you can improve using the data available to you. Here’s how to make your business more like Orwell’s Big Brother.

Analyze How You Spend Your Time

The biggest problem most businesses face isn’t their toxic workplace “culture” or their lack of skilled staff: it’s how they’re spending their time. Most managers just assume that their employees are working for the entire 7 – 9 hours they’re in the office every day. But when you actually look at how they are spending their time, you’re lucky if you even get 6 hours out of them.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

The reasons for this are twofold. The first is that employees spend a lot of time doing unproductive things in the office, like walking from their desks to the water dispenser or yawning during in meetings. Most of this can’t be helped, so it’s not an obvious target for monitoring.

The second reason is that employees are wasting a lot of time performing tasks that could be done more quickly and efficiently by either another team member, software or a different department. Sometimes, the issue is training – for instance, employees not knowing how to save time filling out cells on spreadsheets. These are the types of activities for which it is worth collecting data because it can result in a substantial uplift in productivity.

Monitor Your Accounts

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
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Getting paid is another major headache for businesses. Clients often pay late or not at all. Monitoring and managing accounts receivable, therefore, is essential. The problem for most small businesses, however, is that they are still relying on old-fashioned methods which make it difficult to keep track of clients. With monitoring, however, you’re immediately able to view client payment histories and get alerts if a customer is late with a payment. By monitoring your accounts, you’re able to identify patterns in high-risk customers and alter your premiums accordingly.

Monitor Staff Performance

With more and more work being completed online, it’s getting easier for companies to monitor staff performance. Monitoring workers is key to ensuring that you get maximum performance out of them every day, not just when they know you’re watching.

But it’s not all about Orwellian monitoring of their daily activities: it’s also about finding strategies to boost their productivity and waiting to see whether they have any effect in the real world. Something as simple as having a policy of saying “please” and “thank you” to workers could have a measurable effect. Find ways to keep your team feeling valued and help new recruits slot into the organization. Track the effects of guidance and training and find out whether it has any positive effect on your bottom line.

8 Things Freelancers Need To Think About Before Something Critical Happens

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Being a freelancer has some incredible perks, but it can also be tough at times. You don’t always know if you’re going to get paid, and what exactly are you supposed to do if you fall ill and can’t work? Here are 8 things freelancers need to think about before something critical happens!

Getting Insurance

Getting insurance is possibly one of the smartest things that a freelancer can do. Insurance can help to cover you when you’re ill, even in the hospital, and you won’t be left in the lurch so badly if you can’t work. It’s a small expense to pay each month for long-term peace of mind!

Knowing Your Worth

Knowing your worth is crucial as a freelancer. Have you ever considered that you could be undervaluing yourself? Many freelancers make the mistake of offering really cheap rates to get clients, but this could be a huge mistakes. Your clients will want quality, rather than to save money. They want to make sure they get the most out of their money, so rather than trying to do the cheapest price, figure out your worth and make sure they get the best value for money. If they give you $3000 to design their new business website, make sure you design the best business website for that price imaginable.

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Finding Somewhere Suitable To Work

Finding somewhere suitable to work is imperative as a freelancer. Working from home is relatively cheap, but it can come with many issues. You can experience interruptions, find distractions, and find it difficult to separate work and home life. It could be better to lease an office – there are sites out there that make leasing offices easy for you. You need to consider what’s more important; getting things done in a healthy environment, or working in your pyjamas?

Keeping Accurate Records

Keeping accurate records is something every freelancer must do to avoid getting into trouble with the government. You must make sure you accurately record what you earn, what your business expenses are, and every other relevant piece of information that impacts your business. When it comes to filing your tax returns, you’ll need this information, and you’ll wish you had it if you ever get audited!

Building A Wonderful Reputation

You get a wonderful reputation by consistently producing quality work, pure and simple. You must do your best for your clients again and again, and this will help you in terms of recommendations and things like that. If you cut corners, chances are, your reputation will be mediocre at best.

Developing A ‘Paid Up Front’ Policy

A paid up front policy can be a little scary to reel out, but it makes sense when you have unpaid invoices to worry about. You should ask for a deposit at least from new clients or those who haven’t been to you in a while. This not only ensures you get your money, it shows you that a client is serious about the work.

Turning Clients Down

Turning clients down is sometimes something you have to do if you’re going to be true to yourself. You must be honest about limitations if a client asks you to do something you’re not comfortable or confident with. Clients are not as scary as they seem, and will respect you for being honest. You could even offer to refer them to somebody else who can do the thing you can’t. Who knows, the client might hire you anyway!

Knowing When To Take A Break

It’s too easy to exhaust yourself mentally and physically when you’re a freelancer. You must set boundaries for yourself and only break them in exceptional cases if you’re going to produce the best work and have a great work/life balance. You should take at least one day off and do not work on that day. Everybody needs some down time and a day off! During your work days, make sure you get up from the computer, stretch, meditate, go for a walk, or do something else to give you a break from the screen. It can be tempting to sit there and plug away to get things done as quickly as possible, but sitting in front of a screen for 10 hours without even having eaten lunch isn’t healthy at all. Never feel bad for taking a break!

If you’re a freelancer, make sure you make a note of these things today. The sooner you take them on board and implement them, the more your quality of life should improve and the safer your business will be!

Ask Yourself These Questions Before Starting a Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
Photo courtesy of Steve Wilson via flickr

There are few things more thrilling or satisfying than developing a good idea. Buoyed with a sense of self-pride and elation, it can be easy to become swept away in dreams and possibilities. The reality, however, is that it takes more than a good idea to turn a profit. Here are the five questions that you should ask yourself before you take the plunge.

Is there demand?

The difference between a good idea and a phenomenally fantastic idea is whether or not it results in the provision of services or products that are in high demand. It is the difference between struggling along and making it big. Take the time to really research your market and decide what level of demand there is. This doesn’t have to involve weeks of investigatory work; you may find that finding an area with high demand for a product doesn’t take all that long at all.

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Are you passionate?

Follow your heart; do something you are really passionate about. This may sound like trite or wishy-washy advice because you’ve heard it so many times before, but the fact is that you’re more likely to succeed if you’re passionate about what you’re doing. When we enjoy doing something and really believe in an idea, it naturally becomes easier to dedicate the required time and effort. This is crucial when the times are tough and reaching a profit is years away; it simply has to be about more than just the money.

Can you deal with the possibility of failure?

Being an entrepreneur means being a gambler; there is no way around this. There are certainly ways of mitigating risk, like working with business insurance providers such as Kingsbridge, but this won’t negate all risk. It’s why only certain individuals take the leap of faith required for funding, building and maintaining a business. With so much at stake, are you comfortable with taking a risk? Does the idea of failure scare or challenge you?

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Can you stand out?

Competition is a real threat for all potential businesses. Even if your business idea is unique, chances are that after some time, new competitors will copy your business model and enter the fold. So how will you set your business apart? What defining features will make it memorable and distinct? There are a lot of businesses out there who may not make the most unique products in their field, but their way of producing their products (perhaps a greener approach to production) and marketing themselves makes them stand out among similar brands.

Do you have the skills?

Self-belief is one of the most powerful assets you can have, transforming doubts and obstacles in to opportunities for self-improvement and personal growth. Before you start a business, you have to identify any fears or misgivings and eliminate them. Trust that you have the skillset that will allow your business to flourish and survive. Confidence attracts others and breeds credibility.

How did you go? Are you still feeling positive about starting your own business? What other vital questions do you think should be asked?

Ways to Improve Your Website’s Navigation

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article
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There’s no point taking the time to create a website for your business if you don’t also take the time to ensure that the site is easy for your visitors to find their way around.

Good web design answers the important questions about your business and what it’s about, and that means that your website’s navigation needs to be spot on if you’re going to convince visitors to become customers. Unfortunately, so many businesses, of all shapes and sizes, get it wrong.

Here are some simple things you can do to improve the navigation of your website and make it a whole lot easier for visitors to access the information they require, make purchases, and get in touch:

Plan, Plan, Plan

Before you even think about working on your company website, sit down and plan its content and navigation. Create a flowchart that shows the direction you want visitors to take through your website and the main areas that you’d like to draw their attention to. Pay particular attention to your website’s main navigation and the categories you want to include.

Check Out the Competition

It makes sense to see what the competition is doing if you want to get your website’s navigation right. Make a list of the 20 biggest competitors you have and make a point of going through their website like a customer. This should give you some valuable insights into good and bad navigation, which h you can then use to make your website one of the best in your niche.

Pare it Down

Ideally, if you want to make your website as simple and informative as possible, paring down the number of navigation options on offer is a good idea. The fewer options there are, the less cluttered the site will feel and the easier it will be for visitors to find exactly what they want.

Keep it Clean

Keeping your website as free of animations, auto playing videos, and sizeable images will ensure that your website loads more quickly. It will also keep distractions to a minimum so that the focus of your customers is on your content, products and services. There is nothing worse than a slow loading website to make things difficult and send potential customers away, so avoid temptation and leave those unnecessary elements out.

Make it Static

Your website’s navigation menu should stay in the same place from page to page. It shouldn’t be at the top of the homepage and the side on the about me section.

Text-Based Links

You might think that image-based links look more interesting, but they’re also more difficult for some users to find, and they don’t work as well when it comes to search engine optimization and boosting your website’s position on Google.

Use Basic Language

A lot of companies are tempted to use flowery technical language because they think it makes them look more professional, and this might well be the case, but it also makes it more confusing for their users. So, at least when it comes to menu headings and page titles keep things short and simple.

Be Very Specific

Instead of making your navigation labels general, like saying ‘services’ make them more specific like ‘divorce’ and ‘criminal law’ This will ensure your visitors find exactly what they want quickly and give you another handy SEO boost.

Avoid Drop Down Menus

If you really want to include drop down menus on your website, go ahead and do so, but be aware that a lot of users find them annoying because they can start to move around, and thus cause people to click the wrong link, and get in the way. They’re also a lot more difficult for the likes of Google to crawl, which means your website might not be as easy to find in the first place.

Include a Search Box

Including a search box right at the top of your website is a great way to help your visitors out. If despite your best efforts, they still find your website tougher to navigate than they would like, they can simply type that they’re looking for into the box and a list of options will appear.

Excellent website navigation, which enables visitors to move through your website quickly and without issue is a proven way of increasing conversion rate and boosting your website’s performance. It is vital that you take the above steps, and any others that you can think of to ensure that this is a reality for your website.

Good Luck!