Mike McRitchie | Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writer | Telecom Marketing Content Writer

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Archives for May 2018

How To Make Your Small Home Business Look Like A Huge Corporation

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Home Office

Operating a business from home is a cost-effective and convenient way to run a company, however there’s still a stigma than home businesses aren’t as credible and successful as those that have offices and teams of staff. Fortunately, it’s possible to make people think that you’re a huge corporation with a few tricks. Here are just a few ways that you can hide the fact that you’re a home business and make people believe that you’re bigger than you are.

Don’t meet clients at your home

Arranging meetings with clients at your home is the number one giveaway that you’re a home business. Not only could inviting clients to your person address have security risks, it could also damage your professionality if you’re having to deal with family and household matters at the same time as talking to your client. Your best options when meeting clients is to go out for coffee somewhere and talk or use a video conferencing tool such as Skype. Just make sure when video conferencing that there are now giveaways in the background that you’re working from home.

Outsource your mailing address

If clients have to send you physical mail, a home address could give away that you’re not based in an office. Fortunately, there are sites like https://physicaladdress.com that allow you to have your mail sent to a virtual address where it is then redirected to your address or stored as a digital copy. These virtual addresses are often based in central city locations to make people believe that you’re based somewhere more professional.

Use a virtual phone answering service

You could also consider outsourcing a company to answer all incoming business calls for you. This company can filter out any sales calls and general inquiries and relay only the most important information to you. This has lots of advantages – you won’t have the constant interruption of phone calls allowing you to focus on core tasks, your phone will always get answered regardless of where you are and it will make your company more professional by making people believe that you have a secretary to answer the phone and that you’re not just a solo one-man-project (when in fact you may well be). You can find these services at sites like https://moneypenny.com.

Dominate the internet

By developing a large internet presence, you can also make people think that your business is bigger than it is. This is no easy task and may include hiring a digital marketing company. Certain ways that you can look big on the internet include building up a large social media following, collecting lots of reviews on lots of different review sites, getting your company features on other people’s blogs and designing a professional looking website. Get other company owners you know to help endorse you on the web by creating social media posts about your company or linking to you on their site – all this will help you to dominate the internet and look like a huge company.

Cream Of The Crop: Attracting And Retaining High Quality Employees

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One thing is certain, if you don’t have the highest quality of people working for you, your business won’t be the best it can. Of course, attracting and recruiting such high-quality employees can be challenging, but there are some tactics in particular that you can use to ensure you get the cream of the crop. Keep reading to find out what they are, and how to use them in your business.

Hiring Employees

Wages

It seems like a fundamental fact that better wages or salary will encourage a higher quality of worker. Unfortunately, that is something that many employers forget.

In fact, they can expect their employee to bend over backwards for them for very little money at all. This is truly an unreasonable and untenable way of doing things, because not only will it put the more experienced and better-qualified employees off working for you, it can create a lot of problems keeping anyone that is worth their salt as well.

With this in mind, salary packages should not be something in which savings are made. In fact, comparison of average salaries in your field and of your competitors is necessary to ensure that you are competitive enough to attract and retain the best people.

Physical environment

Another neglected tactic when it comes to attracting and retaining the best employees is to ensure that the physical environment you are providing for them to work in is as pleasant as possible. After all, we spend up to a third of our lives at work, and being stuck in a dark, dank, and dingy atmosphere is not fun.

Google have got the positive physical environment thing down.

With that in mind, it is always worth investing in things like an office repaint, covered walkways, and plenty of plants and greenery for your business’s site. Remember too that ergonomic furniture that reduces tiredness and strain on your employees is something that shows you are concerned with their health, as well as just your bottom line. Something that can make it a contributing factor in retaining and attracting the best employees possible.

Training and development

Next, to cream the top workers off of the employment pile, you need to be able to offer them more than just a fair wage and a decent work environment. In particular, offering them opportunities for training, and further development can be very effective.

Employee Training

The training may be on the job, but more desirable are certified courses that give those that pass additional formal qualifications to add to their resume. Of course, training your workers isn’t just good for them, but for your business too, because you can ensure that they are all educated to the highest specialist level in the work they are doing.

Also offering opportunities for career development such as promotions, or secondments can be a valuable tool in attracting and retaining the best employees in your field. The reason being that if they have a clear path of progression ahead on them in their current role the need to look elsewhere for a job is decreased. Something that can help you to hold onto employees that are the most valuable to your business’s success.

Small Branding Issues That Make a Big Impact

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Small Business Branding Issues

Your branding is where people first begin to form an opinion of who you are, what you stand for and what your business is. Good branding might not happen overnight; it might be a progressional thing, But, when you have finally nailed it. It is time to invest in a few small items that will leave your clients and potential clients impressed.

1) Get an email signature built. If you happen to great at design and a bit of coding, this shouldn’t be a problem for you to do by yourself. You can play around with the layout until you get something that you think aligns itself with you and the message you are trying to get across. If you can’t build it yourself, you can use a free options WiseStamp or hire freelancers perhaps.

Things to include are:

  • Name
  • Job Title
  • Company Name
  • Address (if in office space, think about whether a home address should be on there)
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Website
  • Include your professional social media links.
  • Branded colors
  • Logo
  • Photograph of you

2) It is all too easy to let your single logo image be used on all of your social media platforms. However, each display picture and cover photo require different sizes. It looks much cleaner and professional to have each social media platform set up with the right sized images. Twitter has a theme colour option, so make use of this and make the page the same color as your primary color in the branding.

3) Now you have taken care of some of the online stuff; it’s time to move to offline. Take a look at the space you work it, does any of it represent your brand? If you had clients, would they be able to see a logo or branded colors anywhere? If not, then it’s time to consider your office aesthetic. Pick up some simple things like a branded mouse mat, brand color pen pots, custom labels, personalized pens. It doesn’t have to be expensive it just has to reflect you and your brand.

4) Once you have branded your surrounding, it is time to brand yourself. Although it has been more accepted in ‘creative’ office environments to wear a t-shirt and jeans, and while that is very comfortable, it isn’t always giving off the impression you might like. If you are a freelancer or in the middle of a start-up, what you wear and how you wear it can tell your potential clients a lot about you. Invest in a few staple pieces. Check out Pinterest for working wardrobe ideas. (men here and women here)

5)  Remember invoices, envelopes, letterheads, and most online project management software has the ability to have a logo added – and some have space for a tagline too. Make the most of it and make some time to ensure you have your logo and brand colors everywhere possible.

Those are a few small things that you should look to implement as soon as you can.

4 Business Lessons From Iconic Leaders

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Looking at a titan of industry and seeing parallels is difficult. Nothing is easier than reading Steve Jobs’ resume and labeling him as a genius. He is on a different planet than everyone else and there are zero lessons you can learn from his success. In fact, you may think this about every iconic leader from Gandhi to Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill.

They changed the world; you’ve set up a business.

The thing is that these people are shining beacons for success. By following their leadership lessons, anyone from a conglomerate CEO to an SME owner can benefit. To prove it, below are four teachings from the greats that apply to running a business.

Oprah in 2014

Oprah Winfrey – “Surround yourself with people who will elevate you higher.”

It’s important to see Oprah for what she is, and what she isn’t is a chat show host. Yes, she had a popular program but is also a powerful, wealthy, iconic woman in a male-dominated industry. How did she get there? Well, judging by the quote above she understood her flaws and employed people who could give her a boost. Businesses, especially startups, should do this as soon as possible. Using www.spectrumwise.com to take care of IT services is a no-brainer, as is outsourcing in general. If you lack skill and knowledge, hire someone who does to fill in the gaps.

Nelson Mandela – “I’ve learned that courage wasn’t the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”

Mandela’s rise to power has been well documented. What is striking about him was his ability to tackle challenges head-on. Whether it was jail on Robben Island – www.latimes.com has more insight – or uniting a country, he never shirked a challenge. However, that doesn’t mean he was fearless. Bosses have to be willing to make mistakes and learn from them to succeed. And, they have to feel the fear of failure looming in the background as it provides perspective. Never be ashamed to say you’re scared, but don’t back away either.

Nelson Mandela

Abe Lincoln – “Bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”

Ending slavery seems like an easy decision in 2018. Back in 19th century America, this wasn’t the case. Abe had to fight for other peoples’ right, and he received huge criticism along the way. But, the most important thing was that he knew he was right. Nothing is certain in business because no one can predict the future, but a person’s gut is intuitive. So are the facts and figures that are available today. If there is a pattern pointing in a certain direction, you should hold steady and play the long game.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt – “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

To put a spin on this quote, you have to believe in their dreams, too. People who aren’t in power need a platform, and, as the boss, you have the biggest one in the company. Never be afraid of workers who are willing to take risks and understand the bigger picture. In fact, try and enable them wherever possible and cultivate their creativity. Mavericks are gambles, yet they also pay-off big.

Doing things differently is not easy but vital to success nonetheless. What new habit can you learn to improve as a leader?

Automated Emails You Should Be Sending Today

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Automated Emails You Should Send

Day in and day out, marketers have a lot of things they need to accomplish to have a productive day. Some of these are repetitive but nonetheless essential to the overall workflow. With email marketing automation software available in the market, it’s now more efficient to send our campaigns when needed.

In fact, having a marketing automation software in your company proves to be beneficial for everyone. Not only can the company minimize on costs, it can also help the employees become more creative and efficient in executing tasks.

With email marketing automation software at hand, it can help you understand the available data to make your campaigns ultra-targeted to the correct list of customers.

Once there’s an understanding of your current list of customers, it’s time to plot out the automated emails you should be sending to keep them in the loop. Check out this list of automated emails that can help you generate leads and boost revenue.

  1. Welcome Email

Welcome Email Example

After signing up in your site, sending a welcome email is a great way to make your customer feel that they are part of a community. It’s an opportunity to showcase what’s in store for them – exclusive content, special promos, updates on the latest happening and much more! Check out the templates available from your email marketing automation software so you know the options you have at your disposal.

  1. First Timers

Sending an email to first timers can be a great way to convert them to purchase. An email for first timers can include special promo codes or offers that’s only valid for them. Not only does this make them feel special but also creates an opportunity for you to convert them to buy.

  1. Re-engagement

Reengagement Email Example

After some time, customers may be inactive due to a number of reasons. Sending an email to re-engage with them – through an offer or news on the latest products among others – can be a great way to spark interest in them to check out your business once again.

  1. Lead Nurturing

Lead Nurturing Example

Some prospects take their time before deciding to purchase. Maximize your email marketing automation software by sending out an email to nudge your contacts closer to a purchase. You can offer more information to them through infographs, a free eBook or a video so they could further appreciate what your business has to offer.

  1. Event Announcement or Updates

It’s also good to keep your contacts in the loop. Update them whenever you have an event that’s open to the public. From here, you get to have a chance to connect to them on a personal level. You can draw insight, comments, feedback and a better understanding of you can improve your products or services.

  1. Upsell

Upsell Example

Keeping in touch with your customers is a great way to take care of them. Sometimes, you can even use this connection to upsell. You can offer a pair of products for a more affordable price or share a content and mention that this is best paired with one of your services. There a multitude of ways you can upsell. If it doesn’t go your way, at least you got the message across and may trigger a repeat purchase instead.

  1. Transactional

A good number of things can be done online nowadays. To keep track of purchases, customers appreciate it if they have a record they could go back to – like an official receipt or contact details they can ask help from. Sending them a transactional email is a good way to keep your customers informed about their purchase. You can even squeeze in a “recommended” section to pique their interest and hopefully spark another purchase.

  1. Abandoned Cart

Sometimes, customers suddenly abandon their cart. To push for a sale, you can send an email asking if they want to continue their purchase or browse for other options. Either way, this is an important email to send out as it can trigger engagement or purchase that’s both good for your business.

  1. Feedback/Comment

Asking for feedback is a great to improve your services. And good service can lead to more satisfied customers! From time to time, try sending out an email to solicit for feedback or ask for customer’s experiences so you can have an overview of what’s working and what needs improvement. You’d be surprised to how many people are sometimes willing to answer and provide insight!

  1. Thank You

Thank You Email Example

Who doesn’t want a little appreciation from time to time? Send those thank yous out to your customers for completing a purchase, answering a survey or filling out a form. Whatever action they took, a simple thank you can go a long way! Study your email marketing automation software to know how to send one Thank You email today.

Wrap Up

As you’ve seen, there’s so many automated emails you can send out today to generate leads and boost revenue. That’s why it’s important to automate your tasks, like sending out email campaigns. Check the market out to know which email marketing automation software suits your budget and needs. Read reviews to know if it fits your brand personality and has a wide array of templates you can choose from. When implemented appropriately, these emails can surely help you meet your objectives in no time!

 

Author Bio: Kimberly Maceda is a Content Writer for ActiveTrail. She writes for some top online marketing sites and blogging advice on email marketing and marketing automation. Activetrail is a leading provider of professional-grade email marketing and automation software for growing businesses.

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