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

5 Things That You Need To Start A Business

October 18, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

How to do a Business Startup

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business? Starting a new business doesn’t have to be as difficult as it sounds, there are steps that you can take to make your dream come true. Of course, before you go about starting your business, there are some things that you’ll need to have first. Find out more about the five things that you need to start a business in this article.

Research

You can’t just jump into starting a business without doing any research to back up your plans. This is a very important part of the process so think about the different things that you’ll need to research. You’ll need to know more about the target customer base, the location that you are thinking of opening your first store and the various licenses and training that you’ll need to get started.

Time

If you want to start your own business, you’ll need to have enough time to do so. This means that you are willing to sacrifice some of the other things in your life such as your free time or your current job to spend time working on your business. This is a big commitment so make sure that you have the time that you need.

Money

Businesses need money and if you don’t have the right funding then you won’t be able to get it off the ground. Make sure that you get your hands on an online bank account to help you manage your finances and then talk to some investors. You might be able to try crowdfunding or asking an angel investor for some help to get your business started.

Patience

Unless you come up with a ground-breaking idea that is going to go viral in no time, you are going to need to have the patience to wait for your business to take off. You’ll need to put in the work and things won’t always go to plan and this is going to take a lot of patience. Make sure that you have thought this through carefully and that you won’t give up when it takes a little longer than you expected.

A Business Plan

The final thing that you are going to need if you are going to set up your own business is a business plan. This is an extensive document that will outline everything that you are going to do throughout your first year or two as a business owner. You’ll need to think about how you’ll spend the money and come up with projections on your profits. Don’t even think about starting your own business without spending some time on your business plan.

Final Verdict

Make sure that you are ready to start your own business by ensuring that you have everything that we have listed in this article. Once you do, you can get started on making some money and achieving what you want.

The Beginning Of A Beautiful (Working) Friendship: Managing Freelancers Appropriately

October 17, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Managing Freelancers

Freelancers can be a major coup for your business, or they can drain you of your resources and patience. For those going it alone, it’s the never-ending challenge of getting your name out there, acquiring contracts, and, of course, doing a good job. But from the perspective of someone running a business, freelancers are that limbo between a contractor and a full-time worker. You need them to get the job done, but at the same time, you have the freedom to let them go, and they have the freedom to leave you at any point, leaving you in the lurch. This is why effective management strategies will serve you well…

Gauging The Right Amount Of Communication

This all depends on if you’ve given them a detailed enough brief. Freelancers that work at home require enough information to complete the task to your standards, but they also need the space necessary to complete the task, without feeling that you are micromanaging them. This is why it’s best for you to work out a system that benefits you both. You need to be kept in the loop, but as long as you give enough information upfront, you can leave them to it. But you still need appropriate updates. In which case, virtual meetings could benefit you. This is an area that is constantly being fine-tuned, and you can download the Global AGM Trends Whitepaper here for the latest information with regards to how virtual and hybrid meetings are being conducted across the world. Remote working is something that a lot of businesses are utilizing, but not necessarily the right sort of communication to go with it. It’s important for you when working with freelancers to lay your cards upfront.

Nurturing The Relationship

If you put enough trust in a freelancer, and they don’t let you down, from there, you can begin to utilize their skills, not just for the task they are doing, but for additional ones in the future. Ultimately, freelancers have the option to walk away if they don’t like how you are doing things, but if they like how you conduct business, and you give them the support and freedom they like, this can be the beginning of a beautiful working friendship. This relationship, however, is dependent on your own managing of their abilities, but if your business needs them further down the line too. In which case, if you are looking for someone to higher intermittently, would it be better for you to take them on board full-time? On the other hand, working with freelancers on a long-term project, in many ways, requires trust. You can draft a freelance contract which is legally binding, but the real hallmark of managing freelancers properly is putting your trust in their ability to do the job.

The hiring process is vital when getting a freelancer on board because you can look at their previous work, and get a good idea of their reputation. But regardless of how much experience they have, if you’re not able to manage them adequately, it’s not going to be a fruitful working relationship.

How Easy Is it to Start a Home Business?

October 17, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Starting a Home Business

Do you often find yourself thinking about what it would be like to own and operate your own home business? Are you intrigued by the idea but fear is holding you back? Are you worried about how hard it might be to take the plunge and open your own home-based business?

While it’s perfectly normal and logical to question how successful a home business would be, what shouldn’t hold a person back is fear. Sometimes it’s a lack of information that is causing that fear, and by investigating what’s involved in starting your own home business you can in fact dispel a lot of that worry and hesitation. So, let’s take a closer look at how easy it is to start your own home-based business and the considerations you should be aware of.

Funding Is Always a Top Priority

Regardless of the business you want to open, the services or products you will offer, or the industry you will be part of, funding always needs to be a top priority. Most people don’t have a giant nest egg of cash just lying around waiting to be used, so what this means is that you need to think of ways to secure funding for your business. If you’re anxious to get moving on things right away, then searching online for urgent business loans from Lending Express can be a great option.

Through Lending Express, you are able to fill out an application online that then goes through an automated review process. The review is instant and is able to accurately cross-check all the information you have entered. Not only does this speed up the process, but it helps to eliminate errors since it is all automated. What this means is that you’ll get your answer rather quickly.

Make Sure You Understand Who Your Customer is and What They Want

Another important step in starting your own business is to figure out who your customer is and what they are looking for. Just because you think you have a great product or service, doesn’t mean everyone else will agree. The proper research needs to be done in which you narrow down who your targeted market is, who the competition is, what your customers will be looking for, and how you can be unique in the industry.

Will You Be Able to Put in the Time and Energy?

It’s vital that you also consider just how much time, energy, and stamina you have to put into the business. This business will be all on you, meaning its successes or failures will be your responsibility. Owning your own business requires knowledge and skills of course, but you also need to be willing to put in those long hours, seven days a week for many months, even years until the business really gets off the ground.

It May Not Be Easy, but it Can be Extremely Rewarding

When it comes down to it, starting your own home business carries with it risk and challenges, and while that means it may not be an easy road, it can prove to be a very rewarding path.

Love Travelling? These Careers Could Be Perfect For You

October 17, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Travel with your Career

I believe the secret to career happiness is choosing a job that you’re passionate about. The best way to do this is to think about what you love, and then pursue a career related to it. Today, I’m bringing you three career ideas that are perfect for travel enthusiasts. If you enjoy travelling, then these careers could be excellent for you:

Photography careers

Do you love taking photos? If so, then this presents a brilliant career opportunity for you. Imagine being able to travel the world taking pictures of different things? As a professional photographer, this dream becomes a reality. There are loads of different areas of photography you can specialise in to travel a lot. The two most obvious that spring to mind are sports photography and wildlife photography. As a sports photographer, you will go to different places taking photos during matches. One sport that’s really good for photography is tennis as you will literally be taken all over the globe. Wildlife photographers often go to some of the most amazing places on earth to capture animals in their natural habitats. If you’re interested in a photography career, then this article may help you https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/photographer/.

Various aviation careers

Careers in the aviation industry are very diverse. However, a lot of them focus on travelling the world and moving from place to place. As it shows here https://www.aircharter.co.uk/about-us/news-features/blog/top-10-aviation-courses, there is an abundance of courses that might be worth considering. Naturally, one that springs to mind is a course that helps you become a licensed pilot. This would be perfect as it means you literally get to spend your life flying to different countries. Even if you’re part of the onboard plane team, you still get to see different parts of the world and stay over there for a few days during each trip. Aviation careers aren’t for the fainthearted, but they’re ideal if you love travelling.

Become a travel blogger

Lastly, we have a very 21st Century career idea! Becoming a travel blogger is literally the perfect job for someone who enjoys travelling. It can be tough to get started as you need the money to travel, along with setting up your travel blog. Essentially, you will create a blog that focuses on travel and delivers different tips or tricks to other travelers. Or, you can post reviews of specific places, along with video logs of your trips. This type of blog is very popular, and you’ll earn money from adverts and plenty of brand deals. Don’t expect immediate success, but if you do things right and hit a niche, then you could have a brilliant career on your hands.

What I love about this list is that there are three completely different careers for you to consider. Each one allows you to travel a lot and enjoy new experiences from around the world, but the day-to-day activities are remarkably different. If you want a job that lets you see more of this planet and quench your thirst for travel, then these ideas could be ideal.

How to Use Pop-up Stands to Your Advantage

October 16, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Pop-up Stands for convention exhibitors

Do you frequently head out on the road to attend exhibitions and conferences to promote your business? If so, then you will definitely be in need of some great marketing materials that will help you to stand out from the crowd and draw people in. Pop-up stands are one of the easiest ways in which you can achieve this as they are both affordable and convenient. Here, we are taking you through some of our top tips for how you can use a display stand to your advantage at your next exhibition event.

Why Use Pop-up Stands?

One of the main reasons why pop-ups are so popular for businesses to use at exhibitions and conferences is because they will help you to create a presence. Space is often limited at these types of events and they are also extremely expensive! Purchasing shell space can cost you thousands of pounds and so you will want to make sure that when people are passing, they see your company in the very best light. This is where pop-up stands come in and can be used to your advantage.

How to Make the Most of Your Stands

The great thing about pop-up display stands is that they help to create a welcoming environment for visitors passing your stand. If you have ever been to one of these events, you will know that it can be quite intimidating to walk up to a stand, but you will make this easier for people with pop-up stands that create a welcoming environment. You should use your stand to your advantage as they are a great way to decorate your shell space and your sales team can stand nearby them so that they are on hand to answer any questions that people may have. We would recommend that you try to have all of the vital information that you want to get across clearly visible on the stand as this will allow people passing to get a good idea of what it is you offer and they are far more likely to have their attention grabbed and come over and learn more about your business. Finally, having these pop-up stands will make it a lot easier to introduce follow up questions and discussions.

Think About Design

When creating your pop-up stands, you will need to put a lot of effort into creating its design. It is important that you follow a few key points however. Always ensure that your brand’s key message is clear and can be seen from a distance. You will also want to use colour and graphics as this will help you draw more attention to your stand and generate more leads. You can view this guide to find out the different types and sizes of stand that are available.

Invest in Quality

When you are purchasing pop-up stands, you will want to ensure that you are investing in high-quality ones from companies such as Marler Haley as these will provide you with a long-term value for your investment. Constantly having to buy cheap pop-up banners will quickly add up and you will gain a lot more from investing in your brand by purchasing high-quality stands. High-quality stands are light weight and really do not have as big a price tag on them as you may once have thought.

Create a Professional Setting

When you use high-quality pop-up stands, you will be creating a professional look for your company and this will help you to set a good first impression. Pop-up stands that are a little more expensive will also be quick and easy to set up which is exactly what you want as you don’t want to waste your day trying to set up your stall.