Recent Articles
3 Ways To Make Your Small Business Look More Professional
Growth is critical for the survival of any business. However, not every small business has the resource to grow and compete with the big boys. In reality, your business doesn’t actually have to grow in size; it just needs to appear bigger. You will be surprised to find out how many “big” businesses are a lot smaller than they appear. However, their larger-than-life appearance helps them become a force to reckon with. The key to making your small business look big is to appear more professional. If your business can put up a professional front, clients and customers are more likely to take it seriously. Here are simple ways to make your business more professional.
Build an impressive website
Every business, no matter how big or small, has an online presence. For most small businesses, this means getting a website designed for cheap and putting it online so that people are aware of the existence of the business. For a more professional look, you will need a much better website. A website is like a calling card; people get to know everything they need to know about a business from its website. Your business cannot hope to give off a professional appearance, if the website looks like it was built by an amateur in his or her spare time (which it probably was). Put up a professional website, with an appropriate domain name, and make sure it is updated regularly.
Offer multiple contact options that work
If you ever need to contact a small business, what usually happens is one of these two things. First, you manage to get hold of a contact number which is usually impossible to memorize. When you do call the number, chances are you are going to get someone’s mobile phone and they might be too busy to talk. The second thing you can do is to send an email to the email-id you found on their website; you know the ones you never ever get a reply back from. None of these options say “professional” in any way whatsoever. Get a toll-free number that redirects to a phone that will always get answered and is solely there for business purposes. Offer an email-id, or even better a contact form, and make sure that people are sent replies as quickly as possible.
Invest in work uniforms
Based upon the nature of your small business, getting work uniforms might be a prudent investment. If the UPS guy came around your house in causal clothing instead of his UPS uniform, you wouldn’t think of UPS as a very professional organization, would you? For small businesses, like florists, cafes, and salons, having employees in work uniforms lends a certain sense of professionalism. Research has shown that small businesses that adopted work uniforms had employees who are a lot more motivated than their casual clothing counterparts.
The 3 tips mentioned here are not only effective, but also highly practical and easy on the pocket if you do your research right.
Attached Images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
When not obsessing over gadgets, Chase Brandon likes to keep up with the latest happenings in the world of business management. He works at Blue Heeler Trading, a company that provides a variety of promotional products. In his free time, he likes to blog about business.
The Carefully Crafted QR Code Behave As An Effective Marketing Tool For Your Business
Every business model is unique. They are not different in their operations and business processes alone, but also in their identities and how they are represented amidst their stakeholders and other interested parties. This identifies a fact which is captured by the customers of a company and goes a great way in building brand awareness and brand loyalty. The QR codes play an important role here and are used in combination with advertisements to form an effective marketing tool.
A QR code is a 2-dimensional squared image and consists of black and white dots on a white base. QR codes behave as an identity of a business and help the customers track down basic information about target companies through these codes. They can also be used to sign up with a company and receive its newsletters and promotional offers, to enhance brand recognition and further enhance traffic to the websites etc.
Steps in creating a secure QR code:
1. Find the code generator:
There are numerous code generators available out there; users can take help from any one of them or choose to design their own logo which would be unique to their brand. But care needs to be exerted to ascertain that they are compatible with common QR code readers. There are many software options for those wanting to design their own QR codes.
Kaywa: This software enables users to design their logo for free and helps them track performances as the code can be linked to a web page, phone number or even short messages.
Microsoft tag: The specialty with this code generator is that it is able to generate color codes compared with traditional black and white QR. The version is free for all users.
2. Create the design and link it up with the brands
The integral part of a QR code is to link them with the brands after customizing their designs. No matter what the logo is made of, colored schemes, reflecting the website design etc., it is vital that it caters to the end goal. That is, it has to depict the brand and communicate it to the end customers. The QR code should be linked to the landing page on the website for visitors to look and download the beautiful animations and presentations found there.
3. Testing the code
The integral part of creating the code is to check if the code reads correctly. The process has to be checked with more than one reader, and the best place to accomplish this is the QR code reader, which automatically diverts the reader to the code landing page.
4. Keep in track of the code’s performance
It is important to keep a record of the volume of audience each specific QR code yields. It gives an idea of how effective the code is among its target audience; further, it helps in troubleshooting as well as in boosting the performance of poor coders.
These codes are easy to create and are quite helpful in propagating the business to great heights while yielding excellent profits. They also serve as an effective marking medium when it comes to staying in touch with customers.
This guest post is authored by Mathew Ronalds, a marketing guru. He is also a tech expert who understands the importance of using technology to promote one’s business. He tells people to use custom qr code as they are very useful.
All Your Success Depends On This
…
Success is really only about one thing….
Clarity.
The most successful businesses have the most clarity on what they do. And the most successful entrepreneurs have the most clarity on what they want.
Let me tell you why…
Most entrepreneurs never give a second thought to questions like “what they want out of their business.”
Can you see the disadvantage they’re at?
If you don’t know what you want, how can you ever know when you’ve got it? If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you ever know when you’ve arrived?
I know it sounds ridiculous, but I see it all the time. Even among more experienced entrepreneurs who have achieved some level of success.
For them, their lack of clarity usually shows up as a complaint.
They’re working too hard for the money they’re earning. Either that or they’ve hit “the wall.”
They’ve gotten to a point where there are no more hours in a day. They’re no longer making progress. Both of these symptoms are the result of not knowing your exact business goals.
Having clarity helps you automatically eliminate unnecessary tasks from your plate. The more clarity you have about what you need to do, the more clarity you’ll have on what you need to do to get it done.
In other words, you waste less time doing unnecessary things. You will avoid distraction, the temptations for which (often well meaning) will be numerous.
This is so critical in your business and in your life. Otherwise you end up wasting precious time doing what you THINK is important, and you never reach the success you want.
Big business tip: Review your goals often.
To higher profits and beyond, tell us your views in the Comments box.
6 Simple Tips For Making Any Business Card Standout
When someone gives you their business card they do it with a sense of pride. You can see that it means a lot to them. It makes them feel important. There’s even people walking around handing out cards that have no reason to. It just goes to show how much respect people have for a simple bit of paper with a few details on it. Even though people are really attached to them they end up getting it all wrong. Business cards are great for networking and drumming up some business, but the cards have to look great.
Some people don’t get this and their cards end up looking shocking. If they gave one to you it would probably go straight in the trash. Luckily it’s not hard to get them right if you remember some simple steps. Once you get your cards right then you can quite rightly feel proud when you hand them out, but not before. Let’s take a look at some of those steps in more detail before you print your next card.
Keep it simple
When someone puts out their hand and takes your business card they want it to be simple. When they need to contact you they want to know how. When they want to be reminded what your business is your card should tell them. If you have any other information it should be obvious. The aim of the game isn’t to make it hard for someone. Nobody wants to waste time on your business card. Keep it simple and you’ll do good.
Include important info
Don’t forget to add important information that should be there. There’s no point having hundreds of cards printed if they don’t serve a purpose. If your customers are going to be online you want to give them your email address and URL. They won’t want your phone number. If you want someone to join your Facebook group you should have it on there instead of them trying to find you. Make sure every important piece of information is there.
Choose paper wisely
You can obviously have your card printed on different types of paper. The more expensive paper is obviously much nicer. If you’re a professional you should be choosing the nicer stuff. Only choose the basic paper if you don’t plan on making a good impression. Sometimes you won’t need to make a good impression, so don’t worry. As long as people have your contact details that might be all they need.
Use an image
They do say a picture paints a thousand words. This could be the case for your business card. If you’re a painter then having a picture of a paintbrush will leave no confusion. They won’t have to look through all their cards because the one with the big paintbrush will stick out. Sometimes an image doesn’t convey professionalism, so be careful. I guess it just depends what your job is.
Steal ideas
You should go around and collect some cards from your competitors. This will allow you to see what they are doing to get customers. You can then take their great ideas and change the bad ones. It also lets you know what the general industry standard is, because you don’t want your card to be completely different to every other one in your industry. This might work out, but more often than not you’ll be left looking like a fool.
Use your logo
People want their logo to be recognized. It’s why most companies print it on everything and happily pay for the pleasure to do so. When someone has your card and it doesn’t have a logo they won’t have any way of remembering you. You’ll just be that card lying in the drawer that is just words. They think they might know you, but they can’t be sure. Just stick your logo on it.
Attached Images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
The writer of this article is Jacob Shelby.
6 Wall Street Secrets For Excelling At Job Interviews
The whole point of a job interview is to allow candidates to put their best foot forward and impress the suits on the other side of the desk. The company wants to make sure they aren’t taking any chances when hiring you. Similarly, you shouldn’t be taking any chances when appearing for an interview. Wall Street is pretty much the toughest place to land an interview. With very little separating candidates on merit, it is often the face-to-face interaction that helps a job seeker make their mark. Here are 6 ways to excel at a job interview, as shared by the hiring executives at various Wall Street firms.
Dress for success
The first thing that an interviewer sees when you walk into the room is your attire. If anything about your dress sense or grooming screams shabby, you have probably failed the interview even before you take a seat. Dressing smartly does not mean wearing an Armani suit to the interview; if you could afford one, why would you need a job interview? It is the effort you put into looking and dressing smart that counts.
Do your research
Do your research about the company before going for the interview. Interlace facts you have learnt about the company with the answers that you give. It helps the interviewer recognize that you have an active interest the company and have put in the effort to learn about it.
Clean up your online life
The internet is a cruel mistress. One second it is helping you connect with friends, the net it is costing you a job. You’d have to be pretty naïve to think that employers won’t be Googling you before sitting you down for an interview. Clean up your online presence by untagging yourself from unsavoury pictures and deleting all those tweets in which you have dropped f-bombs.
Indulge in some role-play
No, not role-playing with the interviewer. That sort of thing is frowned upon. Rather, role-play an interview process with a friend or family member acting as the interviewer. A few practice runs help calm your nerves and prepares you for when you actually have to meet an interviewer face-to-face.
Don’t be a tool. Show your personality
The biggest mistake people make at interviews is to appear stone-faced. They believe they are behaving in a professional manner by appearing cold. However, it has quite the opposite effect. Companies like to hire employees with personalities, not tools. Just act natural and let your personality show. Tone it down if you think it would be appropriate, but a complete lack of personality is like shooting yourself in the foot.
Put a positive spin on your accomplishments
At some point in the interview process, the talk will inevitably lead to any accomplishments you have listed on your CV. Do not downplay your achievements. Give a positive spin and take full credit for them. Failing to put a positive spin on your accomplishments will strike interviewers as lack of confidence on your own belief.
Follow these 6 simple, yet highly effective, tips and you will find yourself waltzing towards the desk at your new job.
Attached Images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
Brad Cooper is the owner of in-fusion.com.au, a well known recruitment agency in Melbourne. He believes that succeeding in a job interview depends on many factors and has listed some of them for our readers in today’s post.
Nail Your Next Conference Call
Conference calls are an increasingly necessity when it comes to modern day business dealings. The first time you join a conference call will seem like a daunting task, you may be speaking to people in 3 different continents! You usually have an agenda and hopefully you will be able to get your point across easily enough. But when it comes to actually hosting a conference call, you need to be really switched on. Sometimes they can go a bit wrong, but it is your baby and you should ensure that things run smoothly. Here we dispense a few tips that will help you nail that call!
Plenty Of Details
A conference call is usually one of two types:
- Emergency conference call – These are unscheduled and usually are very high priority affairs. They involve finding a workaround solution for an unexpected issue.
- Pre-planned conference call – These are usually part of a project’s activities and are intended to bring the team up to date. They are also important and require a lot of planning.
Your Conference Call
In this article we deal with the pre-planned variety of conference call, and you will be the instigator. You should draw up a list before making any further plans, something like this:
- Participants – Who are required to be in on the call? Detail their names and their responsibilities. Also where they will be calling from, any time differences and such.
- Agenda – Why is this call being made? If you have a list of actions, relate these to the relevant call team members.
- Minutes – Who will be responsible for taking down the details?
Invites!
Once you have collated the relevant information, you need to send out emails with an invite option attached. Also include any extra information you may require the participants to gather before the actual call.
Plan B
Every now and then, conference calls can go awry, this is usually because somebody forgot to join the call. To avoid this scenario, take alternative contact numbers for everybody. And send out reminders a day before the actual call, if you can’t get a reply from an individual, speak to his superior for an update.
Time For The Call!
As the call host, you will be the first to dial into the designated conference line, as each person joins, ask them to introduce themselves. Ensure that everybody has a laptop and that they are connected to the same network. This is especially vital if you are sharing diagrams and charts as part of the call.
Use Your Authority
If one of your callers is causing a lot of background noise, advise them to hang up and call back from a quieter location. If two participants disagree with a point, try to pour oil on troubled waters as quickly as possible. Remember that you are the one who is in charge of the call, no matter how senior another member may be.
After The Call
When the call ends, you should thank everybody for joining and ask if there is any other business. Send out an email with the minutes of the call attached and set a rough date for you follow up meeting.
James Hall, the author of this post, works at Esstech Voice and Data Services Pty Ltd, a company that provides telecommunication services. Besides claiming to be a massive technology fan, he also has a passion for writing guest posts.
Smart Ways To Help Your Business Bloom
If you are fortunate enough to be in charge of your own business, large or small, then you are probably aware of the importance of promoting what it is that you do. In this day and age there are many ways in which you can inform people who may not know about your products or services. Some are expensive and others are actually free, but which ones are the best for you? Here we take a look at some of the ways people are using various methods to promote their companies, please read on and see if any of them are of interest to you.
Promote Your Business Using Every Opportunity
At the very least, you should already be using business cards for your business promotion, but what about the other possibilities? You need to start treating every piece of paper and every outgoing electronic document as a way to promote your company. Order some letter headed paper and pens and pencils for this purpose. Add some headers to your company emails and remind staff to install these on all of their email correspondence. As a simple checklist you should aim to have the following information on every item of physical and computerized stationary:
- Company Logo
- Contact information – Physical address and phone number
- Website address and email address
- Slogan if applicable
Use Articles To Promote Your Business
You can write these yourself or ask a member of staff who is good with words to do it on your behalf. They can be sent into magazines that deal in your services and products. Alternatively you can send the articles into a blogger that provides links to your website. You could also try and target some appropriate e-zines that would be more than happy to host your newsletter or article. By doing this you will be reaching out to thousands of potential customers who otherwise may not realize that your company even exists.
Press Releases
Using a similar tactic to articles, press releases are a way of telling potential and existing customers that you have something new on offer. You can tell them about the way in which your business has expanded or perhaps you are sponsoring a charity event. Have a look for websites that offer free hosting for likeminded individuals and businessmen.
Use The Internet For Business As Well As Pleasure
If you tend to spend a lot of your free time on the internet, why not capitalize on this habit and start to promote your company? Start to post information about your business on your social networking sites. Do not try for a hard sell but offer free information and don’t forget to add a small but visible link to your main website. If you play any online games, you can use the forum or chat room to remind people about your line of business. Don’t be shy as you may be surprised how many possible leads you are ignoring by being humble and discrete!
Dennis Atkinson is the owner of inspired-designandprint.com.au. His firm specializes in preparing Flyers and have the some the biggest names in the industry as their clients. Apart from his daily schedule, the entrepreneur also shares his thoughts on various business issues on his blog.
Throw The Office Party They Won’t Forget!
Everybody loves a good party and when you combine this with a work event, well, it is time to let your hair down big time! You have to remember not to tell the boss what you really think of him or her, but you can relax and perhaps chase after that office ‘hottie’ you always talk about. Imagine if the next office party was your chance to show them what a cool cat you really are, they’re actually asking you to organize the whole shebang! Don’t panic and have a read of this article, it may give you enough tips to pull off a memorable works night out!
Get The All Clear!
Before you start to make any concrete plans, you should check that the head honcho is cool with your idea. Even if they are not invited, it is polite to make them aware in advance. Usually, the boss can party just as hard as any of the youngsters!
Get Some Ideas
No matter how cool you think that your ideas are, try and get some brainstorming going on in the office. You may be surprised to hear some really interesting and amusing ideas. If you involve everybody from the outset, they will feel part of the event and will make it a special night.
Plan In Advance
Don’t decide on a date within the next week or two as your colleagues are busy people and will need a little more notice than that. This is especially true when you consider single parents who need to book a babysitter. It may be impossible to get everyone’s go ahead but at least you can give them a chance.
Food Issues
The food is a big deal at any office party and you will want to ensure that everyone is catered for. In this multicultural and health conscious world we live in, many people will have some dietary specific requirements. Send out a blanket email and take note of the replies that you receive.
Helpers
No matter how efficient you may be, it is wise to enlist some useful helpers for this party. Ask for volunteers and assign them tasks that suit their strengths. Asking the CEO to collect coats at the door may seem amusing but it may end up in disaster!
Gifts
If the party is in honor of a colleague and a gift is involved, ensure that everyone has some input regarding the choice. This way, you can all take the credit for a brilliant choice, or share the blame for a poor one!
Be Realistic
No matter how much hard work and preparation you are willing to throw into this event, there are always things that may not go to plan. Just remember to enjoy the night and try and ignore any negative comments. There are some people who cannot help but stick their oar in. If you follow these tips and enjoy yourself, others are bound to feel the same way as you!
Andrew Birt is a web designer. His firm promotes free culture and they often throw a party at the end of a major project. Being a team leader he is at the forefront when it comes to organizing a party and relies on www.ehosp.com.au as they provide the best hospitality supplies in Melbourne.
Independent Bookstores Continue To Fall By The Wayside As The Public Embraces Digital
Barely a day seems to go by without a major high street name being flagged as the latest victim of the recession. But while major brands continue to fold, little is said of the independent stores which have fought for so long against these high street goliaths. It is inevitable that some businesses would fare better than others depending on their specific sector, with independent bookstores in particular struggling to compete with both the credit crunch and the ever-increasing online market.
Just 1,028 independently owned bookshops remain open in the United Kingdom, with 73 permanently closing their doors in the last year. It should be noted, however, that 39 new stores opened in 2012, as new business owners attempted to buck the trend through their own endeavors.
The harsh reality is that only the public can assist with keeping independent stores such as these in business, but that level of responsibility can be seen as slightly unfair when the customers themselves are facing exactly the same financial difficulties. In such a tough economic climate, it is only natural to search out the best possible price for every purchase, which has led many to choose online shopping over buying in-store in an effort to compare prices and locate the cheapest deal. While independent stores have to cover overheads such as location costs and staff wages, online retailers such as Amazon have been able to provide the same goods for much lower prices by operating on such a large scale and by infamously utilising tax loopholes. The battle for independent stores to succeed in the long-term has never been further stacked against the smaller players, as the ease of access the internet has provided to instant purchases, often at lower costs, means that in-store browsing is quickly becoming a thing of the past for many. It is not only the overheads and dwindling sales which have affected the book market, however.
One obstacle that has only really arisen in the past few years has been the emergence of eBooks as a mainstream entertainment medium. The popularity of tablets and smartphones has created an entirely new problem for the independent bookstore which only deals in physical copies, as more and more people have strayed from the physical to the digital domain. Some people have completely embraced the digital revolution and the prominence of eBooks, while some prefer to still own a physical copy to keep on their bookshelf and hold while reading. The choice has presented a problem for those who only deal in tangible goods, meaning that stores such as second-hand bookshops have an entirely new market to contend with, which is taking potential customers away. As more people begin to sway towards digital purchases, the future of print looks bleak, although there will long remain those who stand steadfast in their physical preference.
Attached Images:
License: Creative Commons image source
Thanks to James from Ideal Corporate Solutions for this post.
5 Techniques That Will Improve Your Organizational Skills Like Never Before
When was the last time you can honestly say you had two seconds to breathe? We live in a world of constant frenzy and everyone is always running around until their heart is beating at a thousand miles per hour. We’ve lost all sense of what we should be doing at any one moment in time. One of the big reasons we end up making mistakes and having setbacks is because we have forgotten how to be organized. If everyone was completely organized they would be fine.
Even if you were rushed off your feet you would still know what had to be done and when. The only way you can change your life is by starting to get it in order with some very simple techniques. If you carry these techniques out every day something magical will happen because the chaos you call your world will start to slowly get better. Drill these into your head and start practicing them daily if you want to see great results.
Know what you want to do
As soon as you wake up in the morning you don’t have time to think. You want to relax then you want to start work. Spending most of your morning thinking about what you should do will really waste a lot of time. Don’t you think it would be much better if you decided what you were going to do at night before you went to sleep? You could write down a to-do-list and work your way through that straight away saving a good deal of time in the process.
Use an app
![[24/365 | 24.01.365] There's an App for that!](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/5385759365_b9dd639e4a.jpg)
There is a difference between an app and your brain. Even though your brain is much more powerful it’s always the little app that never fails you remind you of something. There are dozens of amazing reminder apps you can use for almost any Smartphone and you should take a look at them and choose the right one for you. Use it for everything, even the smallest thing you don’t want to forget and you will realize its power within a very short frame of time.
Develop a habit
If you want to do something on a regular basis then it’s a good idea to make it a habit. The reason for this is because it makes your life a lot easier. You don’t need to remember something because it’s so deeply rooted in your life it’s just normal for you to do it. An example of this could be shredding your mail as soon as you’ve dealt with it. After a few weeks you won’t need to spend an hour going through everything because it will all be taken care of.
Throw things away
It’s hard to be organized when you have so much things lying around. You should try getting rid of some of it and you will notice the difference straight away. Start with the stuff you definitely won’t use again because you shouldn’t keep that lying around anyway. After that you can start slowly getting rid of other non-essential things until you have so little stuff you will never be able to lose anything again.
Have a power hour
If you don’t have time to relax at night you are doing yourself no favors. How can you expect to be organized if your brain is always running at a thousand miles per hour? From now on you should block off time each night to chill out if you don’t already do it at the moment. Instead of watching TV or sitting on the laptop you can read a book. It’s even better if you just sit and listen to soothing music.
Attached Images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
We must thank Daniel Action for writing this post as it is evident from the lives we live that there is utmost need of improving our organizational skills. He is an investment banker and his work involves lot of stressful meetings and making sound monetary decisions and he keeps himself up for the task by organizing his work schedule. So, click here to learn more about smart investments and other monetary factors.
