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How to Handle Your Business Marketing In-House
Countless marketing strategies have proven to work for companies worldwide. But if you’re like most business owners, you don’t have unlimited time or money to spend on building a juggernaut marketing department of new employees.
Fortunately, you don’t have to. As long as you and your team learn marketing basics, you can develop effective strategies that take your company to the next level. Defining your goals and target market, identifying what your customers want, and utilizing online marketing are just a few ways to set your team up to flourish. Below, we’ve outlined the fundamentals of any successful marketing strategy.
What Are Channels?
You will often see two terms related to marketing: “channels” and “messaging.” In the simplest terms, a marketing channel is a tactic or platform you use to communicate your marketing message to your target audience. It will help to understand that all successful marketing is built on the foundation of determining your audience’s needs and wants, identifying the appropriate channel for each target market, and effectively distributing your message.
What Are the Best Channels for Our Company?
There are many channels that you can use for your marketing message these days. While that is a good thing, it can also make it challenging to choose the proper channels. Among other factors, your marketing budget and your team’s abilities will influence which channels you utilize.
Choosing marketing channels comes down to frequency and reach. Frequency is how often your message is distributed, while reach is the potential size of your target audience. For a combination of channels to be effective, a channel must reach your target audience and you must broadcast your message frequently enough.
As discussed, there is no shortage of potential channels to consider. You will likely want to focus on digital solutions like:
● Social media marketing
● Internet marketing
● Copywriting
● Email marketing
● Graphic design
● Webinars
● Search engine optimization (SEO)
If you’re creating webinars, consider starting a YouTube channel to showcase them. Personalize your channel and videos by using a YouTube banner template to create a banner that incorporates your brand and logo.
Don’t count out the possibility of print marketing working in your company’s favor. Many companies still benefit from using traditional channels like billboards, telephone poles, and community bulletin boards.
What Is Messaging?
Now, to our second marketing term. Marketing messaging refers to how a company communicates its value to its customers. You will use messages to inspire feelings and emotions through words and phrases, which your target audience will ideally associate with the products or services you offer. The way you craft your brand messaging will influence the effectiveness of all your marketing channels and vice versa.
How Can We Craft the Right Messaging?
Your first consideration when developing messaging that will positively impact your company is your target market. Take time to research and identify your customers’ needs, and speak to those needs through your message. For example, many companies prioritize these qualities when crafting their messages:
● Comfort
● Usability
● Affordability and value
● Functionality and longevity
● Style
● Peace of mind
● Sustainability and ethics
The second consideration is the channels through which you will send your messages. You may need to tailor each message to the specific platform you are using according to the conventions of that platform and how customers engage on that platform.
Is Our Marketing Strategy Working?
Finally, it’s best practice to evaluate whether or not your marketing strategies are regularly working. There are a few practical ways to gauge the impact of your efforts:
● Using data and analytics tools.
● Sending online surveys to your target audience.
● Organizing focus groups.
● Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs).
If you have decided to become your own marketing department, learning the basics of marketing channels and messaging is essential. The information and advice above can get you off to a strong start. But keep researching to learn more tactics and platforms that can help you turn your small business into a marketing powerhouse!
Improve your social media strategies and get more customers by working with social media specialist Patrick Clarke!
5 Tips to Start and Run a Business in Your Apartment
Photo by Unsplash man in gray hoodie using laptop computer photo – Free Image on Unsplash
According to the SBA, up to 50 percent of small businesses are home-based. This means you can run a successful business from a small space in your apartment. It’s also a suitable option if you want to become your own boss. One of the concerns people have about running a business from home is the legal paperwork involved in getting things set up. There’s also the fear that they might be hit with a cease and desist letter from their landlord or the condo owner’s association. The key to running your business successfully in an apartment is first discussing the matter with your landlord.
Here are tips to help you start your business in your apartment.
Sort Out Legal Issues
While you can run some businesses from your apartment, there are zoning regulations that might slow your progress. It’s important to know if your local area has an ordinance that highlights home-based businesses. Zoning and ordinance regulations can vary widely, but most of them are designed to prevent people from running commercial enterprises that could harm the area. For example, a business that receives a lot of car and foot traffic will not be allowed in a condo that wasn’t designed for this type of activity. If you must meet your clients at your home, you can set up a space where you can host them.
Besides arranging a space in your home for the business, also think about forming an LLC. An LLC ensures limited liability, you have less paperwork to deal with, and you also enjoy tax advantages. If you want to avoid lawyer fees, use a formation service, but check the regulations in your state before you get started.
Build a Clean Working Space
If your space is cluttered, it will lead to a cluttered mind. Having too many things in your office will distract you from work and can make it difficult to relax. To be effective and productive, create a space that’s ready for work. You don’t need a lot to set up your office. A separate room or a corner in your apartment is ideal.
Set Up Your Website
Having a website is crucial for businesses in this day and age. As important is the site’s functionality, ease of navigation, and professional appearance. You can hire someone to build the website in-house, or you can outsource it to a freelancer.
In addition to outsourcing such talent, YouTeam suggests hiring overseas freelancers to handle other aspects of running your business, such as a virtual assistant. Overseas freelancers like those in Nepal are a great way to acquire talent at an affordable price. Nepal is an Asian-Pacific country, and that region is known for being especially low cost. You can pay them in minutes using a money transfer service.
Find Productive Hours
While working from home, you might need to adjust your working hours, as you will not be working on the 8-to-5 schedule. Determine when you’re the most productive and structure your workday around that time. Create a new schedule that suits your business, and remember your schedule for the best results.
Make Time for Networking
Running your business from a small space in your home does not mean you should lock yourself in every day. It’s important to find time for networking, which can boost your business and keep your social skills sharp. Through networking, you can connect with like-minded people who can offer a fresh perspective or new ideas.
Use these tips to start and run a successful business from your apartment or any small space in your home. Create a space that can help you be productive. Also, draft a schedule that will help you work at your most active hours. You’ll be on your way in no time!
How to Start Eliminating Construction Waste Today
While new construction projects, whether they be residential or commercial, offer many benefits to society, the waste created by these construction projects can cause serious damage. No matter the size of the project, the sheer amount of waste created by construction projects makes it hard to dispose of properly.
To put the scale of the problem into perspective, the Environmental Protection Agency found that total waste from construction-related projects was double that of municipal waste from households and businesses in 2018.
To help you better understand the issue of construction waste, here are a few more statistics from the EPA:
The U.S. generated over 600 million tons of construction-related waste in 2018.
Construction and demolition waste generation in the U.S. increased by 342% from 1990 to 2018.
Between 2005 and 2018, construction and demolition waste levels grew more than 10x faster than from 1990 to 2005.
While the construction waste statistics look grim, there are steps that can be taken to reduce construction waste in the planning stages. To help highlight the ways in which construction projects can lower their environmental impact, Big Rentz shares a few to eliminate construction waste, understand the construction waste stream and building materials that actually help reduce waste to pave the way for a greener future.
Successful Strategies for Engaging Money Conversations in the Workplace
Money conversations can be uncomfortable in any setting, but the workplace introduces added challenges that make them trickier than ever. Whether discussing financial matters with colleagues or managers, it can be hard to know which talking points go “too far” and which are appropriate.
Why have money conversations at work?
You can probably think of several reasons why conversations about money are important and even natural in a business setting. From the formality of asking a manager for a raise or promotion to the informality of “water cooler talk” about salaries and benefits with co-workers, money finds its way into countless areas of work life.
While it’s important to respect company culture as well as your colleagues’ boundaries, these conversations can be critical for self-advocacy and career development. If you covered a work expense with your own money, you deserve a reimbursement. If you’ve been working with the same company for years and have proven yourself, you may want to ask for a promotion. Thereare several reasons to have money conversations, so it’s important to prepare yourself for when they come up.
How to approach money talk
Every conversation is different, and each may require you to consider different factors.
● Salary with co-workers. When discussing your salary with co-workers, remember to take into consideration what the other person may be earning. A quick Google search forthe salary of a certain role in your geographical area may help you decide whether comparing salaries could be beneficial or create some resentment. That said, comparingyourself to others can become a bad habit in the workplace. Be sure to engage these conversations wisely and only when you’re sure they’ll be productive and fruitful.
● Salary with employer. If you feel you deserve a raise, your boss or supervisor might be able to help. Before walking into this conversation, be sure to prepare your talking points ahead of time. Have concrete, quantifiable examples of your accomplishments ready to back up your argument.
● Reimbursements. It can feel vulnerable asking for money we’re owed from our workplaces. Remind yourself that reimbursements are a regular part of any company’s day-to-day operations, and work up the courage to ask in a friendly or casual way. “By the way, I was wondering…” is a great way to introduce the topic without sounding pushy.
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The Best Green Business Ideas (You Can Start Right Now)
It’s officially the second month into the New Year. And, you may have set aside a goal to start a new business or explore your hidden side hustle talents. Yet you may have also set a goal for yourself to work towards sustainability. Instead of throwing everything in the trash, you could compost some items and recycle others — seems to be the best for saving the earth. And, it makes you feel that much better when you’re helping the world one recycling bin at a time.
When it comes to starting that new business idea or side hustle, how will these efforts correspond with sustainability? Would you rather use electronics in the office vs paper? Would you ensure that all employers would recycle and compost as much as they can? And the products you produce; will they be environmentally friendly?
It’s common to think about these things in the beginning stages. And, it also comes as no surprise that many employees nowadays value companies that have good sustainability practices. For instance, CSR (corporate social responsibility), is a scale that many employees will seek out before applying for a job or signing over their offer letter.
To ensure your business practices align with your own beliefs and values, not to mention those of your employees, you may be brainstorming eco-friendly business ideas now. To help you and your entrepreneurial soul, we brainstormed a few business and side hustle ideas below. Once you choose an idea, be sure to cover all your bases (legally) to ensure you and your business idea are on the track to success.
Tower Cranes: How They Work and Why You Should Care
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/silhouette-buildings-sunset-5236702/
From manufacturing to shipbuilding to towering city skylines, just about every sector of the construction industry would be nothing without the contributions of crane technology. The simple lever-and-pulley robotics of a tower crane serves as a practical way of assembling massive structures and lifting upwards of 40,000 pounds of material at once.
But have you ever driven by a bustling construction site and wondered how cranes work? The vast abilities of tower cranes often go overlooked by those not working in construction, but it’s important to understand the functions and self-sufficient nature of these powerful machines.
Structure of a Tower Crane
Though their technology may be conceptually simple, tower cranes have a complex makeup of moving parts that allow for maximum performance when lifting heavy loads. The crane’s tower, which extends upward from the base, remains stable due to a solid concrete foundation at the base. On the upper end sits a rotating device known as a turntable, which allows for a 360-degree view from the operator’s cab at the crane’s apex.
The parts of the crane that do the actual lifting are a trolley and hook block, which span a long, arm-like jib that extends from the top of the crane. This mechanism allows the crane to vertically lift and lower loads of materials. The trolley and hook block harness movement from the crane’s main winch, which is a motorized component that sits behind the operator’s cab. To balance the mass amounts of weights a tower crane handles, counterweights hang from a counterjib that stretches behind the operator cab.
How Are Tower Cranes Built?
There is only one piece of machinery that could properly assemble something as unique as a crane: itself!
Builders start by using mobile cranes meant for smaller-scale structures (shorter buildings, machinery, etc.) to lay the concrete foundation and assemble several of the tower crane’s parts, such as the jib, operator’s crane, and counterjib. Then, the mobile crane begins lifting sections of the tower into place. Once the tower reaches a sufficient length, builders use a hydraulic jack and what already exists of the tower crane to assemble the rest of its own tower.
This unique construction process is why those in the construction industry consider tower cranes to be such self-sustaining and powerful tools. Several of the most famous buildings in the urban world, including such giants as the One World Trade Center in New York City, would not have been possible without this technological innovation. Standing among some of the world’s most impressive cranes, they will remain crucial tools in urban development.
So next time you find yourself in the city and pass by a massive tower crane, always remember what a fascinating piece of equipment is staring right back at you. Knowing how they function, as well as their practical applications to building and machinery, will be essential for anyone entering the field of construction or robotics. For a more visual demonstration of how tower cranes work, be sure to check out the following helpful animated crane graphic from the BigRentz team!
How to Save Time with Automation – Meet Processica Apps
The most valuable resource a person has is time, so spending it performing boring actions is a real crime. Therefore, if the opportunity arises to automate your routine tasks, grab it with both hands. What’s your problem area – communication processes? Take a look at Processica Apps – a micro-automation suite designed specifically for automating communication-based workflows.
This solution requires no coding skills: thanks to its design-first approach, almost anyone can automate business processes of varying complexity. Another great advantage of the Processica suite is that it’s natively integrated with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.
Processica Apps recently announced the launch of its Early Access Program featuring 3 great time-saving applications: Newsletter Distribution, SMS Blast, and Smart Notification. If you have a minute to spare, it’s well worth checking out!
Creative Virtual Networking Tips
In any normal circumstance, networking is hard. Speaking self-praises, asking for favors, or simply having a conversation with a senior member of your company can be a challenge. Now, taking into account that all of our communication is remote, the feat of networking seems monstrous. What if your Wi-Fi is slow? What if your audio doesn’t work? What if your video quality is blurry? What if one of these embarrassing Zoom bloopers happens to you mid-meeting?!
Don’t worry, networking doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it’s essential for your career development and improves your chances of finding a job if you’re on the hunt for one. So, put to rest all of those nagging what-ifs, and read through these tips and tricks for acing your next virtual meeting. And if you don’t have your next virtual networking meeting lined up just yet, the guide will show you how to have a calendar full of networking events to advance your career!
18 Passive Income Ideas for 2020: Which Is Right for You?
There are many different routes you could take toward financial independence. Whether that be juggling multiple jobs at once, being blessed with successful investments, or starting a few side projects that came to fruition. Whether you’ve reached your financial goals, or you’re actively looking for new ways to grow your wealth, there can be a few tips to the trade.
For instance, you may be thinking you would like to invest in resourceful stocks to grow exponential earnings over time, or even invest in a business. But if you don’t have the required deposit to put down, you may be deterred from your initial idea. If you only have a few pennies to your name, or a comfortable bank account, the majority of us are able to create passive income projects.
Whether you’re wanting more money to invest in a larger rent budget, or to travel the world, passive income can help you do just that (and without having to put in that much work). If you’re looking to boost your financial portfolio and establish an action plan to grow your bank account, check out our hot tips below.
How to Support Small Businesses in the Pandemic Economy
Although most small businesses have already felt the most intense negative effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, chances are that they’re still recovering on many levels. Small businesses in every community are still fully financially recovering and can use your continued support. Want to be a long-term partner in the success of the entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses in your area? We put together some actions you can take:
1) Participate in Crowd-Funding
Crowdfunding is defined as the act of funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people. In terms of helping small businesses, this can be an extremely viable way to lend a helping hand. Why not assist with building the long-term financial foundations of your favorite small businesses in your community?
2) Buy Essentials Locally
Rest assured that your hard-earned cash is better off in the hands of local entrepreneurs than corporate giants. Keep in mind that family-owned businesses can get hit hard with the cost of rent. Even if they seem to be doing well, you never know the bills they’re struggling with on a daily basis.
3) Support Via Social Media
Buy locally and also, but also to post about it on your social accounts and spread the word. Word of mouth recommendations can go a long way, too. Have a friend looking to purchase a gift? Recommend a local gift shop. Most small businesses have online shops, so geography doesn’t matter.
Unfortunately, many small businesses are feeling the continued impact of decreased revenue due to COVID-19. Since new entrepreneurial ventures don’t always have the strongest emergency fund or access to governmental resources yet, they rely on community support.
It’s time to step up to the plate if you haven’t already. It’s a win-win situation because supporting family-owned businesses help boost the overall economy. Encourage your family and friends to do the same and buy local. Every referral counts!
Take a look at the graphic below from The Zebra to learn more examples of how to support small businesses during the pandemic.
