Category: business coach

How To Build A Strong Business Reputation

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In business, reputation means everything. It’s the output you gain from your company’s hard work. It’s the perception your clients have about your business, and it’s what shall determine whether your establishment shall sink or swim. And so focusing on reputation to a degree is essential. Although we can’t instantly change others’ opinions of our business, we can manage expectations, feedback, and strive to consistently improve in the common areas that denote whether your business is deemed reliable and professional.

Brand Consistency

One of the things that creates a shaky ground for a business to rest upon is a brand without consistency. If your business’s missions and values aren’t threaded throughout your company’s imagery, content, premises, website, social media pages, and so forth, it tears away any prospect of your clients having familiarity and confidence in your business. As with most successful companies, you can identify them from a commonly chosen song, or slogan or picture of their logo without their name being mentioned. This is because their marketing teams have ensured that their brand is consistent and recognizable anywhere by everyone. Part of building a good reputation is creating a brand that people can link to your products and services with ease.

Customer Service

The critical link connecting your customers to your services or products is your customer service team. And so the connection needs to be a pleasant one for the customer in all scenarios. Whether they have a list of questions about a product, or they want to return faulty goods, your customer service team shall make the difference between persuading an upset customer to remain loyal to your brand or putting them off trusting your company altogether. The latter has dire circumstances on your reputation. So with each customer query, your staff should be equipped to handle whatever is thrown their way. This is mostly down to the training and time you spend on creating and taking care of your team. 

Manage Reviews 

Reviews for many customers spell the difference between the likelihood of them buying something or shopping elsewhere. So you must manage both good and bad reviews to your advantage and take any feedback on board. If you or your team members have the time, allocate a slot to read through and reply to reviews. Whether appreciating good reviews, looking at how to remove fake Google reviews or apologizing to customers for any fair, bad reviews. This shall show other customers reading through the reviews that your company takes an active interest in what your customers think. Plus it inspires confidence in uncertain clients to buy from you knowing that your business is accessible to speak to and accepts accountability for reasonable issues that arise with your products/services.

Above is a non-exhaustive insight on how to create a strong business reputation amongst existing and potential customers. Your company’s reputation is a combination of multiple elements all working holistically to create a picture to your audience. It’s up to you to orchestrate these elements to ensure they work to your company’s advantage.

Building Your Home-Based Business From Scratch

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Building a home-based business takes a lot of time and effort. You might have the passion and professionalism necessary to create your own business, but it takes more than that to achieve success. You need a strong business plan, above all else. Remember, you’re not just an employee anymore – you’re the employer, too. As a freelancer, you have to be able to run your own business, so this is much more than a career. So, let’s talk about what it takes to start building your home-based business from scratch. The following points should help you out.

Find your avenue.

First of all, you have to figure out how you’re going to make money. You might have many skills, but you have to decide which skill you’re going to turn into a profitable business idea. Most importantly, you have to decide which skill you’re going to turn into an exciting business idea. So, your goal is to find your avenue. Perhaps you could sell your old belongings, or perhaps you could write marketing articles for online clients. Some people even use freelancing sites such as Fiverr to sell bizarre services; there are freelancers who sing birthday messages in silly voices and so on. You could also become a blogger to make money from adverts and sponsored deals.

You should make a list of possible business ideas to help you find the right fit. You might want to use skills that you’ve developed in the working world, or you might want to focus on personal skills that you think could be turned into viable business services. Maybe you’re a creative person who could become a freelance photographer, for example. Finding the right avenue is about finding your strengths. Just remember that it should be enjoyable. You’ll struggle to build a successful company if you don’t enjoy what you do. As your business’ sole employee (for the meantime), you’re responsible for its success.

Start shaping your office.

You might have a great business plan and a laptop, so nothing’s stopping you from getting started. However, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a good home office. Your environment has a big effect on the way you think and feel. If you want to build your home-based business from scratch, then you should also start shaping your office from scratch. You might already have a room with a desk that you’ve set aside for your company and its activities, but you need to make it feel professional. It should feel separate to the rest of your house; there needs to be a division between home and work. You might even want to get a skip bin if you’re going to have to declutter the room or even your entire house to make the place look good. Clearing out your old possessions to create a new design for your home-based office could help to freshen up the place.

Research the market.

If you want your home-based business to be successful, then you need to research the market. Your company is entering a competitive landscape, so you need to find your place. That’s why entrepreneurs always talk about gaps in the market. If you can find problems that your competitors haven’t solved, then you’ll have found opportunities to differentiate yourself from other businesses in your industry. Make sure you keep doing your research. Keep talking to existing and potential customers to figure out what they want from companies such as yours.

Make Your Customer Service Stand Out

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Ask any consumer, and they’ll tell you great customer service is hard to find. Research conducted by Accenture in 2016 revealed that 83 percent of American consumers prefer dealing with people over digital channels to resolve customer service issues — and a whopping 52 percent of them switched providers that year because of poor service. For many people, the quality of customer service is just as important as price and quality when making a buying decision, if not more important. Organizations that excel in customer service are more likely to earn new customers, earn new business from existing customers, retain customers, command better prices, and generate more and better referrals.

The accompanying infographic, 10 Essential Customer Service Tips, is a useful, visual reference for customer service teams doing a great job, a not-so-great job and everything in between. You’ll see a few suggestions most people know (even if they don’t always execute them), along with ideas that even talented, well-trained teams may not have considered.

The infographic is not meant to replace in-depth customer service training, but it is a powerful supplement, one that is concise enough to be reviewed once a day or once a week. The goal is to give customer service providers that extra edge — and turn proven customer service techniques into deeply ingrained habits that ensure every customer gets top treatment day in and day out. 

10 Essential Customer Service Tips from Service Skills

Author Bio: David Friedman is Managing Director of ServiceSkills.com and Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, proven training brands that improve the way your staff communicates with customers and co-workers. He has 35 years of experience producing and marketing in the corporate learning and development spaces.

Branding For Beginners

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When it comes to owning a business, and ensuring that enough people know about your Business, plus its service and products, then you will need to think about Branding. Not necessarily the logo, which is required, of course. Branding has many aspects to it that you may not even think about. But also how your Business looks to people from the outside. First impressions count.

What is Branding

What is Branding? Basically, it’s what your Business is known for, the recognizable features and themes surrounding the Business showing the quality. You can simply hugely improve your Branding by making sure your Business is delivering its promises. Making sure that your customers are happy with the service is the best thing you can do for your brand. If you’re not able to keep up with demand, then it’s best to gather a support network of people and outsource some services such as vinylcuttingmachineguide best vinyl cutting machine

Social Media 

Social media can play a big part in your branding efforts, the attitude and friendliness that you want to portray are easy to do with some short messages and stories. All you need to do is be authentic, stick to your plan, and make sure everybody is close to the Business by sharing so much, they will feel right at home when they walk in. You can also use social media to create some noise surrounding the Business, by way of sharing events, and creating competitions.

Graphic design

This may be something that you would want to outsource, especially if you don’t have any experience of designing previously. But after all it is incredibly essential so worth mentioning, you need to think about your color palette, what you’re trying to portray, how you want to go about that and then action it ready for potential clients. Find all the inspiration you can for this one, set the mood board, get magazines and cut out pictures because once you’ve changed the script, it’s not entirely easy to set it back

Survey

Check with friends and family, and even possibly a control group of people, to find out if your new graphic design is working. Print a couple of sample leaflets and send them around to you about this and also just go over and above with the recycling and growing new plants. 

Personal

If your Business is based around you or something that you do personally, then ensuring that the Business you’re running shows precisely what the Business is all about is an important task! Creating a personal brand can be as straightforward or as difficult as you make it, you can just allow your own personality shine by setting up some small videos on Facebook, maybe even launching Facebook live Videos and Instagram stories. This is one of the best ways to build your Branding because people always trust a person above a faceless business.

So, in a nutshell, Branding is just the first look of your Business, it’s the thing that will help people settle on whether to become customers of yours or not, and it is compelling so expect to spend time on this aspect of your new Business.

Brand Building Process Tips

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You want your brand to be recognized globally. Or maybe just in the local area. That doesn’t happen by accident (unless you are fortunate), it happens with hard work, dedication, and knowledge. As a small business, you are competing against more prominent companies, local and global, plus freelancers. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be seen. It just means you have to do more with less. And that is no bad thing. Learning how to turn a shoestring budget into a well-branded company is going to pay off when you do have big money later on.

Let’s talk about the basics:

What is a brand?

A brand is everything that people will use to identify you and your business. It will be everything from your logo, and your website to your stationery and your content. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, says, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” 

It is your reputation, and what that looks like on paper. 

Building Brands

This is the bit where you begin to generate press and recognition. Awareness about you and your brand will drive sales. Sales mean profit. All of your marketing campaigns should have goals attached to them, and there should be no money spent where it won’t give you a decent ROI. Ideally, you are looking for the following activities in your building model:

  • Social media marketing
  • Email marketing
  • PPC
  • SEO & Content generation and marketing
  • UX – on your website or apps

The combination of these is a potent way to see your channels gaining both brand awareness and growth. 

Process:

Audience

Before you start building, you need to know who or what you are building for. You can’t sell to everyone, or at least not in the early stages. You need to get in depth over who you are talking to and trying to attract. And be specific too:

  • Talking to young women who want to work in the tech space
  • Working with family men who want to side hustle
  • Selling to executives who have a lot of disposable income and none/one child

Who is it, and what do they want from you? 

Mission

What is it that you brand whats to accomplish? Again go into detail about your brand mission. “My company is designed to bridge the gap in childcare for families where both parents work,” or “My company will provide the freshest salads delivered to the office.” It defines your purpose. 

Research

Start looking at what brands like your brand do. Who are they targeting, what are their most famous ad campaigns, what kind of content do they produce? Don’t copy them, but find a way to replicate their success in your own way. 

Logo & Tagline

Visuals matter. After all, you want to be recognizable and distinguishable. The logo will appear on everything that you produce and should be something that over time, people see and know it’s you. Think of the icon sports brands – simple but effective. You might want to hire in help from a designer and a sign company to get this done to the highest standard. 

Voice

This is how you communicate with customers and potential customers. It should be in keeping with the persona that your company has and hold tight to the mission too. Authenticity will win people over faster than being a fake. 

Stay True

The logos and brands that you know best are the ones that stick fast to their mission, they always think about the future of the business and how they can make what they do work for more people. Always be your brand’s most prominent advocate too. 

Building a brand is a process that deserves the time and effort to get it right. Once you do, you will feel confident as you go forward and will see the rewards too.

Tips To Improve The Cybersecurity Of Your Business

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As a business owner, you’ll know that the security of your data is paramount. Data breaches can be inconvenient, costly and risky to say the least. As the cybercriminal moves with the technological times; so should you! With this in mind, let’s consider some essential tips to up your protection game. 

Multi-factor authentication 

Gone are the days when a strong password was enough! If you want to improve your security, it’s a good idea to go for multiple layers of authentication. A strong password is the first step. The next is authentication via a code; this code can be sent to the users iPhone for example. Some businesses go for a third method of authentication as well as these two steps. The third method is generally more advanced, for example, fingerprints or voice recognition. Security is especially important when employees are accessing your network on the go and from multiple devices. It’s also a good idea to use mobile device management so that you can monitor the devices which access your network.

Cloud-computing 

IT solutions like cloud-computing arrive with plenty of benefits, one of which is improved security. Cloud-computing systems use robust security regulations and have inbuilt antivirus software. These systems are encrypted to protect your data continually. It’s also simple to remotely wipe a device if it’s lost or stolen. With cloud computing, it’s easy to access your network anywhere and any time. Such features will increase the productivity of your business. You’ll also save money on IT equipment due to the use of remote servers. Cloud-computing can improve your communication as you can integrate your voice calling, messaging and email all on one platform. When you take steps to improve your productivity, you’ll have more time to spend on top priority tasks. 

Update your software

Software updates seem to pop up constantly, so some find them a bit of a bother. The fact is, it’s essential to install every update that comes up. Running software on older versions only makes you more vulnerable to security threats. Don’t be tempted to ignore software updates even if you’re really busy. It’s well worth the time it takes to update rather than risking a breach or a virus. Strong anti virus software should help you to decrease these kinds of risks. 

Train your staff

Your staff are the hub of your operation, so it’s vital that they are adequately trained on security. Ensure that they understand all the ins and outs of your security policies to minimize mistakes. You could also invest in a cybersecurity training course if you wish to help your staff further. Straightforward advice about not writing down or sharing passwords can go a long way. Password management tools can also come in handy to keep everything safe and sound.

Security breaches can put your company at risk and waste your time. It’s best to sit down and create a well designed policy and action plan to protect yourself. With a little research you’ll find the solutions which best suit your company and your current needs.

4 Tips For Startup Businesses

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When you are setting up your own business, you are firing on all cylinders, probably getting very little sleep and have ideas coming out of your ears. There is so much that you know that you need to get done, from funding to premises to business plans. It is a frantic and busy time, a time you are never likely to forget. When it’s all in place and your business has finally launched, it can be difficult to know which areas are best to concentrate on next. Which is where we come in as today we share with you 4 tips for startup businesses.

Look after your team

Your business will rely on your team, so you need to prioritize looking after them.

To help your team to grow and enjoy working with you, they will need clear initial training and ongoing coaching and support. It should be open and friendly and any feedback should be constructive. This should enable everyone to feel confident and comfortable in the role that you are asking them to fulfill. 

Your team needs to feel invested in your business in order to give the best of themselves. To engender this, involve them in all aspects of your business and communicate with them regularly. Hold team meetings to share updates and encourage ideas from everyone. Book in one to ones with each member of your team to allow them time to talk through their work, their progress and any potential issues. Offer your support to help them to achieve goals or address any shortfalls in their performance. 

Most importantly, ensure that they feel appreciated and important to you. Get to know them, look out for opportunities to praise and thank them and reward appropriately when you see a job well done or want to celebrate your successes. 

Keep up with technology developments

It is worth always looking out for software, technology and packages that can make your business run more smoothly, such as investor crm software. These products will ensure that you can deliver a greater level of service to your customers, and usually with less effort on your part. They are specifically designed for a certain job, one that might currently be taking up the time of several members of staff as they use many different systems. Take the time to look around for products that can take some of the work out of your processes for you. 

If this is not your area of expertise, it will always be someone’s, so delegate the task to a team member or stay in touch with others in your industry to keep abreast of any developments. 

Develop your own marketing strategy

Marketing is key for every business, no matter your niche. What can vary widely here is the amount of time and money you choose to invest in it. 

You might choose to invest a lot of your own time here, rather than heavily invest financially, and there are plenty of ways to do this. Many businesses are able to build strong followings and customer sales through effectively utilizing social media, free to use in most cases. Others have strong email marketing campaigns or content marketing strategies. In these cases there is a significant time commitment required, but very little monetary outlay, so you will need to weigh up whether this works well for your business, or whether outsourcing to specialists will make more sense on balance.

Build strong relationships with your customers

Your initial customers are likely to be precious to you and rightly so, you will want to look after them and build strong relationships with them.

Anyone that experiences your business could potentially be talking about your business the next day with a friend, so these early interactions are absolutely key in developing your reputation. Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool, and these days that extends to people talking about your business online too. A great rating on trusted review websites can really boost your business, as can people talking positively about you on social media. 

Take the time to ensure that those initial customers receive the very best from you, encouraging them to return to you as repeat customers and share their experiences with others. Ask for their opinions on what you have delivered to them and make it clear to them how much their feedback is valued. Use any feedback to improve your service and shape your business going forwards and thank them for helping you in this way.

Legal Steps that will Help you to Start your Own Business

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As each year goes by, more and more budding entrepreneurs start to turn their vision into a fully-fledged business. This is great, but if you don’t have a roadmap to guide you to success then you won’t get very far.

Company Name

Before you start printing out your business cards or even pick a domain name, you need to try and make sure that the name you want isn’t taken. You probably don’t need an attorney to help you with this because most of the time you can do an online search to find any other businesses that are registered with the same name as yours. If you want to take your search to that next level, you can easily do a trademark search as this will tell you if your name is taken or not in any country.

Incorporate your Business

Forming an LLC or even a corporation is an essential stage if you want to protect your personal assets. This includes your personal property or even your child’s college fund.  An LLC is ideal for any business who wants some degree of legal protection, without all of the formalities. An S corporation is ideal for any business that qualifies, and a Corporation is ideal for those who want to go corporate or even for those who are requiring funding.

Employee Laws

You have a legal obligation as an employer to make sure that your employees are safe and treat them with respect. If you want to make the most out of your operation, then it helps to spend time with a professional as they will help you to understand the obligations that you face, and they can also help you with your state payroll too. They can also help you with self-employment taxes, discrimination laws, unemployment insurance, compensation and even your wage per hour requirements. If you want to protect yourself even more, then look into a trade association. There are plenty of cannabis trade associations out there if you work in this industry.

Permits

Depending on the nature of your business, you may be required to have one or more permits from the state. You might even have to get a federal level too. Licenses might include a sales permit, health license or even a professional license. You have to make sure that the one you have is suited to your requirements and you also have to make sure that they are in date too, if yours does happen to have an expiry.

Trademark

You are not required by law to register a trademark, but if you do then this gives you an additional level of protection. You’ve probably spent hours of your time brainstorming for the perfect name and you may have even put some effort into your logo too so it’s a good idea for you to make sure that nobody else can use it. If you want some additional help with getting your name protected, then there are plenty of legal professionals out there who can help.

 

The Tech Stairway To Success

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Building success is the ultimate purchase of every single company. Success means growth, in size, in numbers, and reputation. However, what success is made of is a different kettle of fish. What does a business need to achieve its goal? There is no simple answer. At the core of it, a company needs great assets that can support its growth. Your assets are the foundation upon which you can build your success. People, of course, play a significant role in your strategy. Your capital investment is detrimental to enabling high-return campaigns. But nothing is as vital as your technology. Technology in the 21st century business environment is the quickest path to growth and success. Here’s why it matters:

Your business plan should focus on tech

First and foremost, it is impossible nowadays to imagine a company that doesn’t maximize its tech tools and solutions. What this means at a company level is that you can’t leave IT and cyber tech management as an afterthought. It is the responsibility of leaders and directors to put technology back into the driving seat of the company – you can find dedicated executive leadership training for CISOs to help you understand how to build your strategy around cyber growth. Indeed, innovative processes and market alignment require strategic tech integration. In an era where technology has become the only answer to the increased need for environmentally-friendly, safe, and cost-saving approaches, you have to let it drive your business forward. 

Your tech presence affects your brand image

Your business choices define your brand. In the eye of the audience, your technology decisions affect your branding identity. Indeed, your customers are savvy. They compare their favorite brands and the way they interact with each of them. It’s fair to say that a brand that lacks tech support fails not only to reflect your identity but also to meet the market demand. 

It’s your best protection against online threats

Small businesses are a cyber criminal’s favorite target. Indeed, while large companies are more likely to have sturdy safety protocols in place, SMEs, on the other hand, are more vulnerable. In 2018, 67% of SMEs in the UK and the US fell victim of a cyberattack. In most cases, data breach incidents were the result of negligence. For businesses, it makes no doubt that cybercrimes can have a devastating impact on day-to-day processes, such as wasting time, money, and losing your credibility as an expert. Investing in dedicated tech strategies that can shield your company is a priority. 

Your customers expect better tech services

Customers are naturally lazy. They want to sort out their issues as smoothly and efficiently as possible. And frictionless customer service implies excellent tech solutions. Indeed, face-to-face videos such as a video voicemail can not only enhance communication but also boost your customer relationship. Indeed, your customers want better, quicker, and more personal interactions with their favorite brands. Putting technology at the center of your communications allows you to meet the expectations of a new generation of tech-savvy customers. 

Technology is not the purpose of growth, but it is its means. Indeed, at an age where the market is buzzing with smart tech hubs and cyber activities, companies have to engage strategically with the innovative tools and solutions around them. Your use of technology can make or break your business.

 

Cobots: Meet Your New Work Colleague

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Have you heard about cobots? If you haven’t, get ready to hear a lot more about them in the near future, because cobots are likely to be something many of us are going to have to get accustomed to. Cobot stands for ‘collaborative robot’, and they’re set to revolutionize the workplace. 

We all know that robots have been doing much of the work once done by human hands, for some time now. But the next wave of the robotic takeover is upon us. So, if you’re wondering if your new work colleague may be a cobot, read on. 

Are cobots a new idea?

It’s no secret that robots have been used in assembly plants to do repetitive jobs for decades. However, the problem with robots is that they are not suitable to do tasks that change from one moment to the next, or that require a light touch.

Cobots are not a new idea. They have been around for over 20 years, mainly doing tasks related in the car industry. The problem so far has been that technology has only allowed them to do basic tasks such as heavy lifting. But that is now changing. 

Why are we hearing about them now?

A range of advances has allowed the concept of cobots to become more than glorified manual laborers. For a start, advances in AI have meant that robots can now learn from their human counterparts. Additionally, advances in robotics have enabled robots to handle more fragile materials.

One major step forward has been the development of new sensors. There was never going to be much collaboration while humans needed to be protected from robots, but now that robots are more ‘aware’ of their surroundings, they can work more safely around people.

Will cobots take jobs from humans?

This is a bit of a tricky question to answer, because taking jobs from people is not the idea behind the development of cobots. The keyword here is ‘collaborative’, which suggests that the point is that they enhance what people are already doing. However, there are some instances where they might end up replacing human workers.

For example, with advances in pressure points and sensors, cobots could learn how to do dangerous tasks. Once they have understood how to do a job safely, the question would be why have a human do that job? Having a cobot do it would surely be the right thing to do.

What will the future bring?

Experts think that it will all come down to trust, which pretty much boils down to how safe the software is. And in many ways, that will always be the problem. Is software 100% safe? Just think how often your computer operating system needs to be updated and you will have the answer to that.

As the Internet of Things grows, so does the risk of hacking. So, even if the software used in cobots is 100% safe at any given moment, there’s no guarantee it will continue to be so. Until the software can be relied on, any changes in the way robots interact with people will be relatively minor.

Summary

To summarize, the development of cobots will certainly bring many new challenges to the work environment. However, it is safe to say that if you go to work tomorrow and find you have a cobot as a new work colleague, you won’t have to start worrying about looking for a new job.