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Tag: business growth

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A Roadmap to Business Transformation

business_transformation

Developing a roadmap for business transformation requires careful planning and consideration of the unique needs of a business. Staying aware of the business conditions and necessities is of high importance to develop a successful roadmap for transformational change. Here are some key steps to follow:

Define the vision and goals

Start by identifying the long-term vision and strategic objectives for the business. What are the core values of the business, and how can technology support them? Define the goals for business transformation in terms of specifics and measurable outcomes. Located the areas that require reshaping to prepare for the future and equip the business with the right tools to implement transformational change.

Assess your current state

Conduct an inclusive assessment of the current operations, processes, and technology infrastructure. Identify gaps and inefficiencies that need to be addressed to achieve the business vision. At one point there may be a need for assistance especially when it comes to areas that require some expertise. Do not hesitate to seek professional help when needed in order to achieve the goals for business transformation.

Prioritize areas for improvement

Based on the final assessment, prioritize the areas that have the greatest impact on achieving the business goals. Identify the specific initiatives that need to be taken to address these prioritized areas. And acquire the tools that are essential to make transformational change happen.

Develop a technology strategy

Define a technology strategy that aligns with the business vision and goals. To do that, we need to identify the technologies that will achieve organizational objectives and develop a plan for implementing them in a structured and timely manner.

Create a change management plan

A successful business transformation requires change management that includes communication, training, and engagement. Develop a plan that outlines how the organization will communicate the changes to its employees and stakeholders, and provide training and support to help them adapt.

Establish governance and metrics

Establish structures and standards to monitor progress and ensure accountability. In addition, define metrics that will measure the status and success of the transformational change. And finally, establish processes for monitoring and reporting on its development.

Implement and iterate

Implement the roadmap in a phased approach, starting with the highest-priority initiatives. Continuously monitor and adjust the plan based on learnings and the acquiring of new insights. It is recommended that the monitoring process happens regularly, so ensure it’s incorporated into the implementation plan.

In summary, developing a roadmap for business transformation is a complex process. It requires careful planning, collaboration, and execution. By following the above-listed steps, one can develop a roadmap that outlines a clear path to a futuristic business transformation that is aligned with organizational vision and goals.

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The worst nightmare for the business owner

business_nightmare

As business owners, we set goals and strive to achieve them on a daily basis. Yet, as we go about doing our work, we realize that some tasks may fail and other tasks may succeed. And even though we are conscious of the undetermined results, we stay focused on the ultimate business objectives to guide us toward success. Overcoming obstacles is a characteristic that every business owner should master. Nevertheless, some obstacles, if not carefully dealt with, may turn into nightmares.

Let’s look at some of the potential worst nightmares for a business owner:

Financial complications

One of the worst nightmares for a business owner is experiencing risky financial problems. And I am talking about financial difficulties that may threaten the survival of a business. These troubles may be a sudden deflation of revenue or going bankrupt. It may also be facing substantial debt or having to lay off employees. Facing situations that require radical decisions that will determine the existence of the business can be a nightmare if not planned for. A part of business planning is incorporating a proactive plan that will assist business owners as they make decisions during these emergency situations.

Losing a major customer

Another nightmare is failing to retain a major customer. And if that was a long-term or high-value customer, it will make the situation an even more devastating blow; as it could potentially lead to significant financial losses. Identifying major customers, and building a retention strategy, will secure long-term relationships and maintain the sustainability of the business.

Legal issues

A small business may be subject to facing a wide range of legal issues, such as lawsuits, regulatory investigations, or maybe some intellectual property disputes. That can be a nightmare for small businesses as court issues are usually time-consuming. These legal issues are also expensive and potentially damaging to the reputation and credibility of any business.

Reputational damage

A small business’ reputation is a valuable asset, and any damage in the standing of a business will affect its credibility and trustworthiness. Once the reputation is harmed, it gives way for the negative press to fuss, customer complaints will skyrocket, and social media will backlash. And that can have serious consequences on the survival of a small business.

Loss of key personnel

Another major nightmare for a business is the sudden loss of a key staff member. Whether it be an important executive, a top salesperson, or a highly skilled worker; that can cause a major setback for a business. These unexpected crucial vacancies can impact the business’s ability to operate effectively and achieve its targets.

Natural disasters or other emergencies

When operating a business, it is crucial to allocate an emergency fund, and ensure that proper insurance is in place to cover natural disasters and other emergencies. Unpredicted crises such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, or power outages can disrupt a business’s operations and turn them into a nightmare. These disastrous conditions can cause significant damage to the facilities, equipment, and inventory. And in some cases, it can even result in human loss.

Cyber-attacks or data breaches

A significant nightmare for a business may be caused by a violation of cyber security. Cyber-attacks and data breaches are alarming as they result in the theft or loss of sensitive data. We have all heard of shocking stories of how customer information or proprietary information has gone missing in reputable banks or businesses. Such horrifying experiences can have serious consequences on the credibility or reliability of the business.

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Google Search Tricks You Never Thought Exist

Search_image

How often do you use Google search?

Google’s plan for its search feature seems to be geared to continuously increase the number of searches even without any submission by the user. We are at a point now where we ask Google for everything! Want to know the weather? Ask Google. Want to get the location of a business? Ask Google. What to know where a restaurant is? Ask Google.

Google seems to appreciate that people are using their search feature and they are definitely investing in it. Now we can perform searches that are based on keywords and get our results without even having to submit the search. Let’s test that:

Go to Google and type the following search keyword: Weather

Calculations_Search

Isn’t it helpful to save time and get the result instantly without even submitting the search? Wait, there’s more! Google search has extended its feature ability to do simple calculations.

Let’s try another function. This time let’s try the calculation:  567*44=

calculator_google_search

Google now instantly gives us the answer, without even submitting the inquiry for any calculation! That means that now Google search can replace our calculator for simple calculations. In fact, now Google has its own calculator under the search term: Calculator Google.

travel_comparison_search

To take that further, Google search now does complex calculations, graph functions, and it solves geometry problems. It converts Fahrenheit to Celsius, currency and weight comparisons, and a lot more.

Google search even compares travel information including price comparison!

travel_comparison

Future Features

More Google searches are coming up every year. And there will be new features with artificial intelligence in years to come including a 360-degree shopping experience that is still being worked on.

If you are a fan of Google products like I am, keep looking out for new search features regularly. Google’s latest technology will definitely continue to contribute efficiency to our daily work routine.

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Hackers are Real: Are you Cybersecurity Ready?

cyberattacks-cybercriminals

By Michael Castro 

As businesses grow more complex and interconnected, they need a robust cybersecurity posture. This is especially true in the fast-paced, digital world. A secure business can respond quickly to changes and protect its data from unauthorized access. Michael Castro, founder of Canadian-based cybersecurity firm, RiskAware, has led cyber security teams at some of Canada’s largest companies and currently provides Board of Director Security Consulting and virtual CISO services to a variety of organizations. 

Here are Michael’s top five tips for business owners and executives to increase their cybersecurity benefits: 

Protect Your Business Reputation

Your business has a reputation to protect. You need to make sure that your business is not the target of cybercriminals. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for ways to steal sensitive information and target your company. To protect your business, you need to create a solid cybersecurity plan and implement it. Cybersecurity for business executives should have the ability to determine what their business needs to protect and implement a plan.

Better Website Security

A secure business website does not have a weak link in its cybersecurity chain. You need to make sure that your web server is protected and secure, and you must have an active firewall. A good firewall can protect against hackers, viruses, spyware, and other malicious attacks. A robust cybersecurity plan also needs to include a secure website.

Assists in Remote Working

Cybersecurity can be a challenge for businesses located out of the country. Many companies are based in foreign countries and rely on an international workforce. To maintain a secure working environment, you must have a robust cybersecurity plan in place. Your goal should include remote working policies and procedures. A safe business should also have a policy on how employees will be trained and vetted for access to sensitive information. The cybersecurity business importance, for business executives, is to ensure that their data is secure.

Enhanced Data Management

When you have a strong cybersecurity plan in place, you can ensure that your data is protected. You can also save your business information by implementing an excellent cybersecurity policy. Your business should also have a data handling policy and procedures. These policies will help to improve the organization’s ability to protect its sensitive information from hackers and unauthorized access.

Cybersecurity is a need for business executives who want to protect their company’s data and information. Cybersecurity is an essential aspect of your business, and you need to make sure that it is appropriately managed. To ensure that your cybersecurity plan is effective, you need to ensure that your information is protected from hackers and cybercriminals.

Ensure CEOs/owners understand the risks within their organization

The board of directors has a primary role in developing an organization’s risk management program and must be familiar with its operation and evolution. Risk management is identifying, quantifying, and controlling risks in a project or the entire organization. Projects that do not incorporate risk management are often at a higher risk of unsuccessful.

The Board ensures full awareness and comprehensive understanding of the risks within their organization. The necessary measures – such as policies, procedures, processes, and control mechanisms to address these risks – are in place. This is a crucial responsibility of the Board, and it is an area where many boards fall.

Submitted By:

Michael Castro, founder of Canadian-based cybersecurity firm, RiskAware | info@riskaware.io

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What I Wish I Knew When I Started This Journey

business-networking

Have you just started your entrepreneurial journey? Let me share with you some lessons learned.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was attending my first networking event as a new entrepreneur, and on the drive there, I almost talked myself out of going.

Public speaking wasn’t new to me. Before starting my business, I had built an award-winning 15-year career in public relations and corporate communications. I advised, wrote for, and trained managers, senior executives, and politicians on communication.

But this was different. This was me talking about me. I had no idea how challenging that was going to be.

When my turn came to introduce myself and my business, I stumbled through my intro. I felt wholly inadequate as I compared myself to other entrepreneurs in the room. I admired those who appeared confident, clear, and who knew exactly how they served. I wanted to be like them.

That day served as a touchstone moment for me. It showed me how much I needed to learn to believe in myself and I didn’t yet know-how. It provided me with the opportunity to see that entrepreneurship was a journey of becoming – a journey that’s not talked about enough, and one which new entrepreneurs would benefit from learning more about.

You don’t know what you don’t know, right? Here are three lessons that flowed out of that day that I wish all new entrepreneurs knew:

  1. No matter how awesome you were in your 9-5, entrepreneurship is a different beast. I don’t mean to scare you. The reality is in your 9-5 you had a specialized role. In your business especially at the beginning, you’ll wear many hats. Some you’ll master. Others you’ll need help with. You’ll learn. You’ll fail. You’ll get back up and adjust.

  2. You’ll come face-to-face with feelings of inadequacy. “Not enough” and “not worthy” will show up a lot. Avoid believing these stories. A large part of the entrepreneurial journey is learning to let go of self-limiting thoughts and beliefs, and continuously moving forward with purpose.

  3. You’re not alone. I developed relationships with entrepreneurs who were present at my first networking event. We talked about our challenges with growing confidence and learning what it meant to be an entrepreneur. We found comfort knowing we weren’t alone. There are many entrepreneur communities. Find yours and lean into them.

May these lessons serve you as they served me in the brave and fulfilling journey of entrepreneurship.

Submitted By:

Fazeena Haniff | CEO & Leadership Communication Coach | The Conscious Communicator hello@theconsciouscommunicator.ca  | www.theconsciouscommunicator.ca

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The Most Powerful Marketing Tool You’ll Ever Need!

marketing-tools-image-from-pexels

Adriene Mishler is the producer and host of Yoga with Adriene. She dominates the online yoga space with over 8.53 million YouTube subscribers.

She is called the ‘People’s Yogi’.

But,

It wasn’t always like this.

Back in 2012 when Adriene got introduced to the online space and started uploading weekly yoga video content to her YouTube channel, little did she know that by 2020 she would have built a very successful business and an online global community of over 8 million people.

What was her secret?

The MOST powerful tool you can have in your marketing toolbox.

Consistency.

By sharing free high-quality yoga content on her channel every single week for over eight years she eventually became the online Go-To yoga instructor she is today.

Adriene is quick to point out that she was NOT an instant sensation.

For three solid years, she consistently uploaded weekly yoga videos – that’s 156 videos- with no love in return.

What she got instead were crickets.

Silence.

No subscribers.

Zero engagement.

When she eventually reached 100 subscribers, it was a moment of great jubilation.

Undaunted, Adriene stayed committed and consistently upload high-quality yoga videos every single week without missing a beat until she got to the tipping point, three years later.

That’s well over 600 videos in eight (8) years. Impressive!

Seth Godin Too

This level of discipline and consistency also reminds me of my personal marketing hero – Seth Godin, one of the world’s leading marketers, and Mr. Purple Cow himself.

If you subscribe to Seth’s newsletter, you’ll get an email EVERY SINGLE DAY, bar none. I mean 365 days of the year.

I guess that’s why he is worth millions.

So, it bears repeating.

CONSISTENCY is the MOST powerful marketing tool you’ll ever possess.

And, it’s FREE.

By harnessing the power of consistency, you outcompete, outsmart and outsell your competitors even if they are more talented and have more resources.

Consistency doesn’t mean you are always winning; what it means is that you are always taking action and moving one step closer to your goals.

Here is the flip side, inconsistency makes you stale, out of touch, and out of mind.

Just imagine if Adriene had thrown up her hands in despair during those three barren years when nothing seemed to have been happening.

What if she got frustrated and exited YouTube altogether? She would have missed the huge wins she now enjoys.

How about Joe Girard?

Considered a marketing genius and title holder of the World’s Greatest Salesman (conferred by the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records), Joe Girard sold a whopping 13,001 vehicles over the span of 15 years,

Joe was a car salesman at a Chevrolet dealership in the United States between 1963 and 1978.

In 1973 alone he sold 1,425 vehicles; an average of 127 per month or 32 per week.

In his best month, he sold 174 vehicles, and on his best day 18.

Let those numbers sink in for a bit.

Did Joe sell to the rich and famous?

Nope.

Did he sell wholesale or in bulk?

Nope.

He sold the old-fashioned way. One vehicle at a time.

Amazing! Right?

Are you wondering how could ordinary Joe accomplish such an extraordinary feat?

The secret to his mega-success?

Maybe he had a large team.

Maybe he had a HUGE network.

Maybe he wooed prospects with expensive gifts.

None of that was true.

For sure, he worked hard and was likable – so were his peers.

But what did he do that was so superior that propelled him to a league of his own?  

He harnessed his marketing superpower. The power of consistency.

For 10 years, month after month.

Year after year.

Joe stayed top of mind without missing a beat.

Joe’s extraordinary system

Here is what Joe did extraordinarily well:  

  1. Every month he would send a personalized greeting card to his entire customer list
  2. At the beginning of the new year (in January) he would send a card saying: “I like you”
  3. Every February for Valentine’s Day he would send a card saying: “I like you.

Just imagine the time and labour it took to send out 13,000 cards to his customers each month.

Eventually, Joe had to hire an assistant.

Every card was handwritten, addressed, and sent through the postal system.

Joe was so successful that eventually, customers had to book an appointment in advance to see him.

His sales pipeline overflowed while other sales associates paced back and forth, praying and hoping for foot traffic.

What if:

Adriene had given up in frustration after three barren years when nothing was happening?

What if she had exited YouTube altogether?

She would have missed the huge wins she now experiences.

Would Seth have become a multi-millionaire and be recognized as one of the world’s top marketing influencers?

Would Joe have been awarded the prestigious title of World’s Greatest Salesman if they decided to throw in the towel when the going got rough and tough?

What if this group of standouts got up one day and ‘didn’t’ feel like it’ or got so ‘busy’ they slacked off or caved to someone who ticked them off?

You see, this is what truly separates the mediocre from the extraordinary.

Staying focused and remaining consistent with your marketing.

How about you? Share your thoughts.

Submitted By:

AKB-small-business-marketing


Dorothy Vernon-Brown helps business owners and entrepreneurs grab attention, convert leads faster and scale more quickly by using a proven end-to-end digital automation solution. She is the owner of AKB² Small Business Marketing

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PERCEPTION: MAKE IT OR BREAK IT!

perception

Do start-ups, or maybe entrepreneurs in general, focus on their business, or do they get easily overwhelmed and distracted by competition? Is competition always a threat or can it be an extension to business objectives at times? Whether we make it or break it in this competitive world will depend on the perception that guides our business journey

Businesses have always struggled with the idea of being close to completion and in many cases, they have fiercely tried to find ways to fight competitors. Like any other business concept, things do fall back on how a business owner perceives competition.

Here are 3 ways to perceive competition in hope that readers will opt for the realistic choice:

An Enemy

Continue with the attitudes of the past and stay distant from competitors. If approached, reject and sadistically object their presence and continue to viciously bad mouth and fight them.

A Stranger

Embrace the passive approach. Take the attitude of “I recognize your presence, but stay away”.  As long the competitor does not interfere with my business I am safe and I can make gains.

A Lead

Reach out to competitors and meet them face to face. Ease down the perception that you may be a threat to them.  Share some best practices of the industry and exchange information that may benefit both parties.  Approach competitors with an open mind, be willing to give first so you may build trust. Work on establishing a relationship that will ease down existing boundaries and reshape them into boundaries that are built on respect and that will create a win-win situation for both businesses.

Yes, competitors can be leads and may be very good leads at times.  Strategize as you build relationships and stay focused on the objectives that you have set for your business.

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4 BUSINESS TIPS TO START OFF 2019

new year

The start of every year may be a proper time to work on setting new business goals and resolutions; after all, it’s the start of a new beginning that has major significance to the whole world.  Here are 4 business tips that will help you start off 2019.

  1. Review your vision for the business:  Starting off the year with eagerness and drive for the vision will help kick off the business year and set it in the right direction.  Evaluate where the business is at and set new milestones for 2019
  2. Categorize your mailing list:
    • Segment your audience and know who your clients are.  Stay in touch with them and seek their opinion and feedback.
    • Know how many leads were acquired during the previous year and make plans to increase this number by setting goals.
    • Pin point acquaintances and ensure to stay in touch with them during the course of the year.
  3. Review the products and/or services list, evaluate the performance of each item and based on that “keep, “discard” or “introduce NEW”.
  4.  Establish a realistic marketing strategy that is based on achieving goals and reaching milestones for the year.
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PRIORITIZING INCREASES EFFICIENCY

prioritizing tasks

Every day brings with it new tasks, situations, and a to-do list that may get overwhelming. Thinking of the day ahead and the things that need to get done can be stressful and frustration may take over. One proven solution to stay in control is to apply prioritizing techniques.

Prioritizing what must get done in a day is a skill that anyone can acquire with a little bit of organization and discipline. However, learning to stay focused and focused on goals requires determination and persistence.

Each day, one gets to do planned activities and unplanned activities.  It is easy to prioritize planned activities. Applying a few prioritizing techniques will increase efficiency on a normal day.  As for the unplanned activities that unexpectedly come up, the best way to handle them is by making decisions that are focused on business goals.

Techniques that may help in the prioritizing process:

  1. Create a To-Do list the night before. Just work on a list without even thinking of what should get done first or last.
  2. First thing in the morning, get the To-Do list and read it carefully. Based on business goals for the day take out the tasks that may not seem important for that day.
  3. Number the remaining items on the To-Do list based on importance to the set goals for the day.
  4. Deal with unplanned activities that may unexpectedly arise, by making decisions that are based on daily goals.

During the prioritizing process, learning to say “No” may seem a difficult practice at first. However, it is a practice that needs to get done in order to stay focused on the prime tasks assigned for each day.

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TARGET MARKET VS TARGET AUDIENCE

target market

Entrepreneurs and small business owners may have the brightest business idea, but if they fail to identify their target market and their target audience they have set up their business venture for disaster.  A distinct target market is the number one element of a successful marketing strategy.

WHAT IS TARGET MARKET?

It is analyzing a business sales market with the ability to identify who will be most interested in the product and/or service it is offering… and why?  It is a segmented market whose interests are focused on the product and/or service a business is selling.

3 REQUIREMENTS FOR DEFINING YOUR TARGET MARKET

Research

Look at the demographics and geographic positioning of the market you are selling to.  Explore their social status:  their age, family size, education level, jobs they are holding, what area they live in, can they afford your product or services?

Segment Your Market

Based on your research divide your market and filter your data based on market interest and income status.  You may find that a segment of your target market can afford to buy your offerings at full price; while you may also find another segment of your market that is interested in your offerings but can only afford to buy them at a discounted price.

Know Your Customer Base

Connect with your customers regularly and occasionally survey their needs for what you are selling.  As your business grows, your client needs and social status may change.  Build a system that will keep your client base information up-to-date.  Your current clients already have an interest in your product/service and after all word of mouth will help you acquire new clients or even potential clients that are interested to follow your business.

WHAT IS TARGET AUDIENCE?

Based on its target market a business can then identify the group of people that may be interested to get their promotions and advertising material, or they may even be at the ready stage to buy a product!  That group of people can vary in terms of age, occupation, geographic location, family status, or income, but the only factor that makes that group the target audience is that they are identified as having developed an interest in your product/service.

3 REQUIREMENTS FOR DEFINING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Knowledge of target market

The more you know about your target market the easier it is to identify your target audience.  If, for example, your target market is Women in high positions in the workplace; then in order to identify the audience it will help to know their management ranking.  Are they part of Senior management or are they in Junior management?  Are they involved in a decision-making process or do they just transfer recommendations through the company hierarchy, etc…

Surroundings matter

When the target market gets outlined it is also important to consider its surroundings.  If women in high positions, that make decisions in the workplace, are the target market, then the target audience will be these women along with anyone in their social and professional circles:  their subordinates, coworkers, direct reports, husband, partners, kids, and family members, fitness club friends, etc….

Purpose is Key

Define the purpose for providing your business offerings.  Is the purpose behind your product/service to enhance beauty? Or is it to facilitate logistics? Is it to develop your customer team? Or is it a food item that your clients or family members may be interested in?

Knowing the target market and knowing the purpose behind providing that specific product and/or service will definitely help the business define its target audience and stay focused on the needs to whom they are selling.  A distinct target audience is definitely the number one element of a successful sales strategy.

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PROMOTIONAL SOLUTIONS TO GROW A BUSINESS

news magazines

Most small businesses create their marketing strategies without considering the many online marketing tools available for them to use as they promote and create visibility for their business.  Here are three promotional tools that will help grow a small business.

Speaking at events

Becoming a speaker at events may require some effort to attend the different events that take place in a business area.  Joining business networking groups and becoming active members there may open up opportunities for increased visibility for a small business. In some groups, speaking at events may be offered as a benefit to members only.

Podcasting

Position your business as a leader in its business industry, and create podcasts that educate, inform or maybe create awareness about a product or service. Podcasting is a growing trend that will increase visibility for your business, and they make good content to post and circulate on social media platforms.

Advertise in a community newspaper

Community magazines are usually widely distributed and read by the public.  Find the community magazine that is most viewed by your business target audience and run an ad there for a few months in a row.  Ads are most effective when seen by the viewer repetitively.

Some beneficial promotional resources that are worth exploring are:

  • Bizbites (bizbites.ca) – a pool for business podcasts
  • Canadian SME – the #1 small business magazine in Canada.

More tools are available out there, explore opportunities and search for what works best to position your business as a leader in its own industry.

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Business Community: What are the Benefits?

business networking

Build a network of connections

Small businesses cannot survive on their own. In every business, most sales are done through word of mouth or referrals from people who have established trust in the business or the owner of the business. Building a network of connections results in getting leads that may turn into customers or that may send customers to a business. Being a part of a business community will help expand the reach and, with that, increase leads.

Learn Best Practices

Business community websites are filled with information that can be of importance to small businesses. Starting from how to start a business to the latest business trends, business communities are a great resource to gain knowledge about how to’s and where to’s for growing a business. Whether it be through forums, group discussions, or just postings on a profile timeline, there is always something to learn and gain knowledge from.

Stay Motivated

Being a part of a network will definitely help motivate a business owner. Entrepreneurs tend to lack motivation at times as they are responsible for all business tasks. At times they get overwhelmed with tasks and lose motivation, and at other times they may feel they have run out of ideas and lose motivation to continue. A good way to stay motivated is to find a professional business community and stay active there. Stay connected with business owners on the network, attend community networking events, stay visible by placing ads or taking up speaking engagements during events, and always offer to help. That will not only keep a business owner motivated, but it will also increase business visibility within the community.

Generate Leads

Business leads come from knowing people. Meeting people requires a community. Loos for business communities that have a virtual platform and that also run events. That way, one will get to meet people and then stay connected over the internet to send leads and referrals. One thing business owners have to remember, in a community, one has to give in order to take. Give leads, and others will send you leads. Give referrals to other business members, and others will send you referrals.

Enjoy Benefits

Business community websites usually offer benefits to their members. Benefits may vary from free services to discounts and offers to access to business resources and more. Make use of these benefits! Many businesses register at business community websites and forget about their accounts. It’s good to visit business community websites often to explore new benefits added to members.

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BEST FIT SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

social media

An Analysis of 3 Major Social Media Platforms 

There are different factors that determine which social media platform should be used for a business. However, depending on the business type and the target audience one may come up with a good social media marketing strategy. This strategy may incorporate a presence on all social media platforms. However, the focus will be on where your audience is.  A business may get thousands of likes on Facebook but may fail to develop engagement. This is an indicator that it is not the right platform to invest time in. However, it does not imply taking Facebook out of the equation. A business still needs to create visibility for its brand, but it will be a better investment to spend time on a platform that allows an active forum with its audience.

Twitter is an amazing tool for branding a business. However, with specific types of businesses, it may not create engagement.  It may create a lot of discussions about pop culture and breaking news, but for a business that sells products and/or services, it mostly helps in highlighting the brand.

As a business owner that caters to small businesses, I found that spending time on Instagram is worthwhile.  It is easy to interact and build hype for my business at the same time. Adding hashtags to posts on Instagram actually brings in an interested audience.

Experiment and test different methods like this to find out what works best for your business in order to build a strong Social Media marketing strategy.

[1]http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/

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Is Your Business Equipped For Growth?

innovative business

In business life, the inception of a new idea can potentially turn into a vision.  However, a vision does not bring growth to a business except if the business owner gets busy equipping their business for growth. A vision may direct a business, lead the path, and be the foundation for objectives and goals, but it will require some equipping along the way to bring growth. Here are a few steps that will equip a small business for growth:

  • Register a business to give it an identity and status
  • Organize the business idea by writing a business plan.  Even if it was a short 2 pages plan, the purpose is to help detail the idea, eliminate chaos that may result in delays, and bring it into existence.
  • Write the vision and mission statements to define a purpose for the business.
  • Detail the product/service. Give it a name, a price, and a description.
  • Package products/services to facilitate the sales process and provide a value-added bundle for the client.
  • Prepare a presentation highlighting your products and services to display when meeting with clients.
  • Prioritize marketing the business and treat it as an integral part of the budget. One of the main purposes of marketing is to increase your brand’s visibility and cause people to talk about it.
  • Marketing attracts leads and fans to your brand (and/or product/service), and these leads will spread the word about your business.
  • Stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
  • Make an effort to stay abreast of technology.
  • Be ready to answer questions about your business.
  • Meet with clients in a professional environment.  Find an office rental provider that will equip the business for growth by providing quality services and benefits.

Concepts that contribute to business growth

  1. Give first, and that will open doors for others to give back.  Do not be afraid to provide free services. Identify a service that may turn into a hit and offer it for free at the start.  Take Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as examples; the platforms have been offered free since their inception, and once they became popular, the owners started finding ways to monetize them.
  2. A business does not grow without an investment.  Whether it be a time investment or a money investment, it has to be substantial.  A business grows gradually, but the time will come when a business has to run from a physical space that will allow it to grow.  Looking for an office to rent becomes a must, and by weighing the pros and cons, the small business owner gets to choose the office solution that works best for their business.  Beware, as the benefits that come with an office will definitely determine how much the business gets equipped for growth.
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