In Person vs. Online Meeting: Is it really that Different?

April 20, 2016

Businesspeople Looking At Computer Screen
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article that examined why people always seem to have this misconception that online conference calls are inferior to meeting in person. To a certain extent this is true; however, there is also a certain level of falsehood there as well. Yes, one is a personal method of meeting a person and the other is more impersonal; however, one is more convenient and the other far more difficult to achieve. You can guess which one is which (hint: online conversations are easier), but at the end of the day you are till meeting them. You have to ask yourself whether, when it comes to business arrangements, meeting someone online or meeting them in person is just the same since the point is not to just be there but communicate an idea.

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Filed Under: Customers Tagged With: ,

Infographic: How to Become Your Own Boss through Franchise Ownership

April 20, 2016

Be your own boss
There is nothing more representative of “the American Dream” than owning your own business and becoming your own boss. As an entrepreneur, you have the ability to build your own prosperity and success from the ground up and create a better life for not only yourself and your family but also your employees and your community.

Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, entrepreneurship is an “easier said than done” concept. As many Americans launch their own businesses, they’re too often met with unexpected barriers to their success: too few funds, a disjointed marketing plan and even the burden of managing taxes and legal documents. As much as people want to become their own boss, starting up a new business is simply not easy. That’s where the franchise model comes in.

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Filed Under: Management Tagged With: ,

3 Primary Elements of a Successful Business

April 19, 2016

Business Success

It is now commonplace for people to turn to the world of business. Whether you want to further your career, or you just have a fantastic idea, it makes no difference. Getting into business is often the best way to make that dream come true. Starting up your own business has many ups and downs. In truth, it is not short of trials and tribulations – and it is wise to be prepared for those times from the outset. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s all bad news. On the whole, setting up a business is an exciting time for everyone involved. While there is lots to take on board, if you approach it in the right way, it will be a joy. If you are currently thinking of starting your own business, then you are probably keen to get as much advice as possible. This is a good sign, as it is those who do not seek advice who tend to fail. One of the main areas you should be concerned with is knowing where to put your time and energy. That is where we will be helping you out today.

If you are wondering what the most important elements are to the running of a business, then read on. Here are the main factors you need to get right to succeed.

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Filed Under: Management Tagged With:

How to Streamline Your Small Business in 4 Easy Steps

April 19, 2016

Streamline
Running a business, no matter what its size, can be full of difficulties and challenges. One of the main aspects which any business owner needs to come to terms with is time. How you spend your time is of paramount importance within the confines of your business. After all, if you waste time, you waste money – the old adage is true. However, if you go too far the other way, your business will likely suffer. The last thing you want is to do shoddy work because you are trying to rush the endgame. Treading the fine line between these two can be precarious. But there is good news: it is perfectly possible to achieve in today’s world. Not only that, it is fairly painless to implement. All that is required is a little imagination and some forethought. As long as you plan ahead, and take the following on board, all should be fine. So how do you go about streamlining your small business? Let’s take a look at some top tips for achieving just that.

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Filed Under: Management, Operations Tagged With: , ,

Why Website Loading Speed is Critical for Success in 2016

April 14, 2016

Speed
Since the latest updates to Google’s algorithm, page speed has been looked upon more favourably than ever. And, when you think about it, it really makes sense – the loading speed of a page can seriously enhance or damage the customer experience. Nobody likes to visit a site which takes forever to load, no matter which device they are using. Page speed doesn’t only affect your SEO, it can also cause you to lose traffic to your competitors as disgruntled users decide that they’re not going to wait any longer for the website to load so that they can do what they need to do. Can you really afford not to have a fast-loading site?

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Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: ,

6 Pro Tips to Abide by in Retail Merchandising

April 13, 2016

Merchandising
The goal of merchandising should be to attract the interest of customers. Its whole purpose is to make your store stand out and, honestly, look beautiful. It’s about creating a welcoming characterful environment. It’s gotta be somewhere that customers find appealing, and at the same time, they have to be able to find what they want.

Doing it right is tough indeed. So here are some pro tips that will get the products flying off the shelves.

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Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,

7 Golden Rules to Drive Your New Business to Success

April 12, 2016

Businessman celebrating with trophy in hand
All new businesses set out with one common goal: be successful. The way you define that word can vary from company to company, but hitting those targets is a must.

There is no one route to business success, but there are a number of practices that will stand you in great stead. Getting those fundamental features in place should be a priority at all times. Pay close attention to the following seven aspects, and your chances of reaching those goals will be greatly increased.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get started.

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Filed Under: Management Tagged With: ,

How Can Small Business Ship Products Internationally Efficiently

April 11, 2016

International Shipping
Most businesses, at some point, will be ready to expand and reach new markets. The advent of eCommerce and globalization has made it easier than ever to expand internationally and reach customers globally. With the expansion comes need to ship products to customers in multiple countries. As a small business owners you will need to worry about tax and custom implications when you start to ship products to other countries. Fortunately, there are tools and companies that specialize in this area and can help you alleviate the pain associated with international expansion. Here are the steps you need to look at before you jump in.

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Filed Under: Operations Tagged With: ,

5 Tips to Successfully Enter New Markets for Business Growth

April 10, 2016

Global Markets
All businesses are faced with the prospect of finding ways to enter new markets. Having conquered a local market, looking at extending a business’s reach is often the only room for growth. Yet, if a product or solution you provide in your local market is well accepted, there is no guarantee that other markets will warm to it so easily. It pays to research the market you are looking to enter and to be consumer-centric, but what does that really mean? Here are a few ideas to get you going.

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Filed Under: Management Tagged With: ,

10 Ways to Protect and Secure Important Business Data

April 7, 2016

Security
It’s one of those things that you may think won’t happen to you, but it could – almost overnight. If your business is feeling a bit barebones in terms of data security and protection, you need to act as soon as possible. Traditional storage solutions, like hard drives, are fine, but they’re prone to failure. They can be easily destroyed, or lost. In fact, every single week no less than 140,000 hard drives crash in the United States alone.

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Filed Under: Technology