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Top Tips For Starting A Construction Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Top Tips For Starting A Construction BusinessStarting a construction company can be a smart move. There is always a need for skilled construction companies and it can be work that is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable, plus you will find that every project is different so it can be varied too. While there are many perks to starting a construction company, you will also find that it does pose a few challenges and it is quite different to starting a typical office-based business. With this in mind, read on for a few tips that will hopefully help you to hit the ground running and find success.

Secure Enough Funding

One of the biggest challenges for starting a construction company is securing enough funding. There are many startup and ongoing costs to cover, such as vehicles, equipment, staff, materials, marketing and insurance. You need to have a high-quality business plan in place, calculate your startup costs and then find ways to secure this funding. A few options for securing funding include:

  • Investors
  • Bank loans
  • Crowdfunding
  • Grants
  • Savings

Recruit The Right People

One of the biggest challenges when starting a construction company is recruiting the right people. Obviously, you want to find people that have the required skills and knowledge to take on different kinds of projects, but this is not the only consideration. You also need to make sure that you are recruiting people that will be a good fit, have a strong work ethic, good communication skills and the right personality for your business. Keep in mind that you can use training to bring people up to speed, so it is smart to focus on finding those that will be a good fit.

Rent Heavy-Duty Equipment

When you take on construction projects, you are likely to require heavy-duty equipment like cranes for lifting. You will find it best to rent this equipment from specialists, such as Birmingham crane hire companies that can provide you with industry-leading equipment for affordable prices. They will be able to make the best recommendations based on your needs and ensure that your projects go smoothly.

Create A Strong Online Presence

As with any industry, you need to have a strong presence online in order to win over potential clients and compete with other companies. You should invest in professional web design and digital marketing to create a strong presence for your brand and then use social media to promote your business, showcase your work and engage with potential customers. It is hard when getting started, but you need to build an online portfolio of your work that will help you to show your experience and what you are capable of.

Encourage Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing remains hugely important when it comes to construction, so you need to encourage this within your network in order to find new opportunities. You will also find it helpful to network at every opportunity to build brand awareness and to form important connections that could lead to more work down the line.

Hopefully, these tips will come in useful and help you to find early success with your construction business.

8 Best Degrees for Entrepreneurs – Launch Your Business the Right Way

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | 8 Best Degrees for Entrepreneurs - Launch Your Business the Right WayEntrepreneurship is one of the most rewarding paths to take in life, but it’s also a risky road fraught with dangers. If you’ve decided that entrepreneurship is right for you, then there are certain degrees that will give you a much better chance of success. The following qualifications will help provide the foundation you need when starting your own business:

1. Economics

If you’re going to start a business, then it’s important to know how businesses operate. A degree in economics will teach you about microeconomics and macroeconomics, which will give you a solid understanding of how companies work from top to bottom. You’ll learn about different types of markets so that, when creating your company, customers have plenty of options from which to choose. And if you plan on hiring employees, then an economics degree will teach you how to run a company so that it makes the most profit possible.

2. Mathematics

Whether studying pure mathematics or applied mathematics, this course of study will provide all sorts of knowledge that is essential for entrepreneurs. You’ll learn the fundamentals like writing equations and simplifying them before moving on to calculus and differential equations. If your business requires any sort of statistical analysis (which it probably does), then you should opt for a degree in statistics instead. Like with economics, studying math will give you a better understanding of how businesses operate and make decisions so that when it comes time to make yours, you’re prepared.

3. Engineering

An engineering degree is one way to avoid getting ripped off when looking for help with certain issues facing entrepreneurs such as patents. An engineer’s job isn’t just about creating solutions though: it’s also about identifying problems before they occur by making sure things are built properly from scratch. Studying this course of study will give you the technical know-how needed to be successful alongside the critical thinking skills needed to identify problems before they become too big to solve.

4. Sales and Marketing

Entrepreneurs are natural salespeople, but that doesn’t mean that you can just skip out on studying this course of study altogether! Whether you go for a degree in marketing or public relations, learning the ins and outs of salesmanship is essential for anyone looking to start their own company. This way, when creating your offer, there will be no doubt in the minds of potential customers about why they should buy from you.

5. Economics/Mathematics

Pairing two degrees is always an excellent choice, since you’ll learn twice as much for half the price. Studying both economics and mathematics will give you a strong foundation for starting your own company. You’ll understand both the practical and theoretical sides of the business, giving you a better chance to succeed than those with one or the other.

6. Business Administration

Studying this course of study will give you all the skills needed to manage a business properly. You’ll learn how to create budgets and forecasts as well as how to make plans for future growth and profitability. Since every entrepreneur needs at least some knowledge of these topics, it’s advisable that anyone looking to start their own company go for a degree in business administration if possible.

7. Entrepreneurship

A degree in entrepreneurship is one of the few ways you can study something that doesn’t exist anywhere except in your mind. You’ll learn all about how to start and market your business while also gaining some insight on what might go wrong before it does. If you want to be truly successful when launching your company, then this course of study will give you everything you need to know.

8. Law

With lots of accredited online law schools to make your learning easier, a law degree will open doors for you throughout the business world. You’ll learn how to draft contracts and create protection for your company while also learning how to resolve disputes and litigate in case any roadblocks come your way. If you plan on joining an existing company instead of creating one from scratch, then earning a degree in this field is virtually essential.

Studying any of these things will provide you with all the knowledge you need to start or run a company. Whether it’s a degree in entrepreneurship, economics/mathematics, sales and marketing, engineering, law, or business administration, this is one of the best ways to make sure your company thrives from the very beginning.

Reducing Your Small Business Costs in 3 Steps

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | Reducing Your Small Business Costs in 3 Steps | Reduce Costs | Entrepreneurship | Managing Your BusinessTo take your small business to the lofty heights of being a market leader in the foreseeable future, you’re going to have to start turning over a major profit sooner rather than later. To do this, you have to treat solidifying the money that you do make just as seriously as actually making it. It’s quite simple – if you continue to waste your profit, you won’t be able to invest it into further growth going forward.

One way you can solidify the revenue that you earn is to cut down on your overall expenditure. To find out how you can reduce your small business costs in only three steps, be sure to read on.

Rent equipment for short-term projects… don’t buy it

If you have a short-term project on the horizon, don’t squander the potential profit that you stand to make from it by buying tools specifically for it. It may be tempting to invest in a shiny piece of brand new equipment, but buying something that you aren’t realistically going to use going forward isn’t good business practice whatsoever – it’ll just be a waste of money. Instead, what you should do is rent the equipment that is essential to your work for the duration of the project only. Doing so will see you spend far less in the long run without having to sacrifice the tools that you need to do a good job.

There are plenty of ways for you to rent the equipment that you need to optimize your next project, not just complete it. If you’re in need of I.T. tools, for instance, you could turn to Smart. As stated at Smart.uk.com, this leasing company can offer your business everything, from short-term laptop rental to website hosting to a complete I.T. infrastructure that can be loaned for 12 months plus. Whatever tech you need to complete your next job, this rental service will be able to provide you with it.

Ditch your traditional landline

The days of the landline being the be-all-and-end-all of business communication are well and truly over. Today, using this kind of communicative tool will do nothing but see you pay out unnecessarily expensive annual costs. If you do anything to cut your business expenses, then, let it be to ditch your office’s traditional landline.

There are plenty of alternative ways to keep communication alive within your business, some of which include:

Switching to the VoIP phone service is a wise move. Its functionality will help you to reduce the phone bills and to improve your interaction with customers. You just need to find your VoIP provider match in terms of a plan and options and Nextiva reviews will be helpful in while making your choice.

Go paperless

The amount of money that you spend on paper, ink, toner, and all of your other printer accessories may seem minimal at the time, but it will soon add up. Before you know it, you’re spending way more than you should be spending on printing… and way more than you need to be spending, as well. There is something that you can do to cut this kind of cost right down, and that is to go paperless. Whether you decide to get rid of your printer completely, or whether you resolve to only print when necessary, transitioning to, say, a digital invoice service will no doubt see you save a lot of money going forward.

Turn That Frown Upside Down: Top Tips For Happier Employees

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Employees Article | Turn That Frown Upside Down: Top Tips For Happier Employees

While there are many different ways you can set out to future-proof your business, maintaining employee satisfaction is one of them. This is because employees serve as the ‘face’ of your company, interacting with your clients day in, day out. This means that they are responsible for how others perceive your brand. Furthemore, studies suggest that when we are happier – we are often more productive. This means that by focusing on employee wellbeing, you can also improve your workplace efficiency – which is another step towards success.

That being said, employee satisfaction can be difficult to monitor from an employer’s perspective. This is because while employees may voice their dissatisfaction with their peers – they are likely to do so directly to their boss through fear of being reprimanded. However, this does not mean that their happiness should not be a priority – especially if you are relying on them to help kickstart your entrepreneurial ambitions.

With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to guarantee employee happiness in the workplace.

  • Delegate work fairly. One of the biggest complaints that many employees have within the workplace is being overworked and under-compensated. As a result, you should strive to ensure that the amount of work they are tasked with each week is fair and reasonable. You can do this by making the most of the services available to you and your company that can take some of the responsibility off your shoulders. For example, if your company does a lot of deliveries – looking into additional trucking services means that your drivers only have to make one stop instead of 5-6, lightening their workload significantly.
  • Put together a workplace wellbeing program. There are many different reasons why your employees may be unhappy at work – some of which even relate to their personal lives. This is due to the fact that it is sometimes impossible to stop your mood from impacting your work. However, you can combat these issues by placing a real emphasis on wellbeing in the workplace. For example, you could offer support to your staff by providing them with free access to therapy or counselling services. Alternatively, you can promote good workplace wellbeing by encouraging them to reach out for support as and when they need it – whether they want to reduce their hours or take time off.
  • Be responsive to complaints. If you want to create a better workplace for your employees, you need to figure out what you are doing wrong in the first place. The easiest way to do this is to ask. However, as mentioned previously, they might feel reluctant to speak up directly to you. Thankfully, there are various ways in which you can combat this. For example, you could set up an anonymous feedback submission box. Alternatively, you could ask them to elect a member of staff to take on their complaints and discuss them with you privately and anonymously. However, while taking these steps show your employees that you truly care about them – listening is not enough. You then need to make actionable change that shows you have taken on their feedback,

How Outsourced Accounting Can Help your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | How Outsourced Accounting Can Help your BusinessWhen you are looking to grow a business of any kind, having good accounting practices in place is very important. Having good accounting records can help your business make better financial decisions and can help improve the credibility of your organization. As your business grows, your accounting needs will grow as well. For many businesses, taking advantage of local CPA & accounting services can be a great option. These services, such as Gelinas & Pratte CPA Tax And Quickbook Accounting, can offer a variety of benefits to any organization.

Support with All Accounting Functions

One of the benefits of hiring an outsourced service for accounting is that you can receive support with all the accounting functions and responsibilities. Anyone that is running a business will need to be able to provide financial reports, bank statements, and tax returns. The accounting service can help you with the preparation of all of these reports. This will ensure you remain in compliance with any reporting obligations while also having a good sense of your company’s financial performance.

Receive Professional Advice

While you must have your books and financial records in order, another advantage of hiring an outsourced accounting firm is that you can receive professional advice. An accounting firm has likely provided services to many clients in different industries. They can offer you a variety of tips and insights that can help you run your business. They can also offer support for how to prepare for taxes to reduce your obligations in the future.

Focus on Other Areas of your Business

The accounting and finance part of a business is very important, but it is not the only one. Today, business owners will have many areas of the business to manage on any given day. When you outsource this function, it will be one less task that you need to worry about. This can help you free up time and personnel to focus on other areas of the company and operations. Further, as you will not need to hire any staff to help with accounting, the use of an outside service can help you reduce your total operating costs as well.

Any business owner today would benefit by outsourcing their accounting needs to a professional service. Several benefits, in particular, could benefit a business when they choose to outsource their accounting support.