How to Move from a Home Office to a Commercial Building

So, it’s come time to say goodbye to the home office. At least, it won’t be your central point of operations now because you’re moving up in the world! You’ve got yourself a commercial office space, likely because you need to scale up. But, any drastic move in business comes with its own risks. What are the road bumps that you would be better off avoiding?

Anticipate Those Overheads

One of the reasons that so many people start a business from home is because of the extremely low overheads involved in running the business. Now that you’re moving, you need to look over the finances of the business again.

Look beyond how you’re going to budget the initial move and any down payments or security funds. What are the costs you have to start considering? Don’t go into a new office without creating a financial plan for how you’ll handle the operating costs.

getting an office for your freelance business

Think About How You’ll Use that Space

A return on investment is what you’re looking to get from any property. In this case, the space has to allow for as much workplace productivity as possible. You and your team have to be able to do the work there that can make up for the costs and then some.

To that end, planning out your space can be one of the most effective steps.

• How do you lay out desks?

• Do you have zones appropriate for solo work and cooperation?

• What resources will the team share and where is the most convenient place in the office for them all?

• What décor can help motivate the team?

These are all questions you must consider.

Minimize Your Downtime

You’re going to need to plan some downtime while you move the setup from one business to the next. Planning for it is crucial, but so is making sure you minimize it as much as possible. Pair with commercial movers and find your furniture and tech suppliers well in advance. Make sure the dominoes are all ready to set up by moving day so that when it comes, everything moves as one. The sooner you get yourself set up, the sooner you’re back in business.

running a writing business

Know Your Responsibilities

Once you’re in an office, the responsibilities you deal with change somewhat. Most crucial is the health and safety of the work environment. But you might also be moving from remote freelancers working alongside you to more permanently situated employees, so know their rights and draft up a formal company policy to deal with them. You also have to consider employee morale and relationships from now on, forming a corporate culture that enhances their efforts.

Keep Everyone Updated

If your customers or clients don’t know how to reach you after you’ve moved, you obviously have a major problem. Publicly display the pertinent information on your website and social media. Go through your contacts list and update your most important clients.

There are others you need to inform when changing your business address, too. Don’t forget to keep it all above board by informing the postal service, the federal revenue service, and so on.

Some upheaval, some stress, and some unexpected costs should be anticipated. But so long as you avoid the major problems mentioned above, your move should get you into the next phase of business as quick as possible. Now, it’s about finding your next step upwards.

3 Things You Need To Do If You Want More Website Traffic

Seeing your shiny new business website for the first time, you might feel a significant burst of pride. This is your very own online space where you can show your customers exactly what you’re all about – after all, despite the rise of social media, websites are still the number one place customers visit when they want to find out more about a company. You may have got website developers in to do the work for you, or perhaps you’ve put the time into learning about website building and have produced the whole thing by yourself. Whichever it is, you now just need one thing – people to come and see it! One common mistake many business owners make is creating a stunning, functional website, and then simply expecting the online traffic to flow. The reality is, most people are not going to know whether your website was there from one day to the next. It might be a thing of beauty, but you still need to put in the ground work to persuade people to come and look at it. The website simply ‘existing’ regrettably won’t cut it. Ready to start bringing in the clients? Here are some of the top ways you can attract more traffic to your website.

how to get website traffic

Make Sure the Content is Relevant

You may think that it's vital your potential customer is exposed to as much information as possible regarding what you can offer them. But achieving this in an online format isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Websites with too much information on them not only look messy – they can also appear spam-like, and you will struggle to get them to work well with search engines. Undertake an online mba marketing  strategy so you know exactly what kind of content works in the digital age. Keeping things smart yet concise tends to be the general trick here.

Share Wisely

You may be anxious about putting your company website ‘out there,' but how else are people going to find it? Use your business’s social media accounts to link back to your website, and make sure it is fully optimized for mobile usage as well.

You may also want to look into linking your website on other online pages, in a process known as link-building. Or, you could attempt to do this organically, by directly interacting with influential marketers such as bloggers yourself. Occasionally, linking up with other local businesses can too pay off, but just be wary of getting too involved with any direct competition.

Optimize SEO

If you’ve been in business for a while, chances are you have a basic understanding of the ins and outs of SEO. But if these techniques are not yet getting you the results you want, it may be time to go rogue. Examples of advanced SEO techniques include using Adwords in your on-page copy and utilizing facilities such as Google Search Console (a tool that helps you identify discrepancies in your rankings). If you don’t feel confident engaging in more complicated SEO matters, or you simply don’t have the time, you could always consider outsourcing your SEO expert instead.

Software to Improve B2B Customer Relations

When talking about customers, most of the focus relies on the everyday consumer, without regard to how the B2B business world has changed over the years. For example, businesses today expect to be treated relatively similar to how companies treat the consumer. They want to be able to buy stock or materials from suppliers through an online portal. They expect to be able to see where their stock is and have shipping information. They want to be kept in the loop. With today’s technology, it is easy to provide this level of service to them, but you don’t want to make it easy to make just one sale. You want to create a long-lasting relationship with all the businesses you partner with.

To accomplish this level of partnership, you will want to start using these top five software programs in your business today:

Attracting Customers  

One of the first things you need to note when it comes to B2B operations is that businesses are very effective at sourcing out suppliers. In fact, it is estimated that almost 57% of businesses have already done their research long before they ever contact you, which means that you need to provide information to them readily without them requiring to make the first contact.

Blogging Software

Blogging is a great way to show your expertise to potential business customers. It is considered one of the most powerful methods you can use to acquire new B2B customers again and again.

Digital Communication

You want your business to be available for a phone call or email at any time of the day, but that isn’t the only way you can improve customer relations and get that next client on board. A great method today is to use website chat boxes. Much like social media chat boxes, these are located on your website and allow businesses to ask questions in a low-key way.

For existing customers, however, you will want to add a more human touch. Invest in a quality conference camera and conference software so that you can host meetings in your boardroom to clients anywhere in the world. Seeing someone and hearing them in a face-to-face capacity is a great way to improve B2B customer relations.

Improving Customer Relations

For larger businesses who work with suppliers and businesses alike, it is recommended that you investigate the Omnia product suite for SAP running organisations. This can be customized to your needs, but one platform you absolutely should have is:

Omnia B2B Ecommerce

To provide an easy way to purchase online from your range of products you will want to use an Omnia B2B eCommerce platform, which can provide a custom experience depending on the type of business you are working with. Use Omnia to safeguard your SAP investment and provide greater service to your B2B customers. With the product suite offered by weaveability.com, Omnia can easily be implemented within your existing SAP ERP environment and put to work with ease.

Improvements You Should Make to Your Freelance Writing Career

freelance writing

Becoming a successful freelance writer isn't easy. A lot of people hope they can make a career out of doing it on a full-time basis, but a lot of people end up going back to the daily grind after a few months. This doesn’t have to happen to you. Here are some improvements you should make for your freelance writing career to get it off to a great start.

Work at Making Your Proposal Perfect

Proposals are just part of the biz, so you need to learn how to make glittering beacons that potential clients will respond to. A good proposal explains exactly what you can offer a client and details the experience you have, usually in the form of an email. It can be difficult to make yours stand out from the crowd when the client will be getting proposals from tons of people, though.

Here are some tips:

• Make sure your email subject line is on point. Make it something eye catching without being too mysterious.

• Double and triple-check the spelling and grammar in your proposal. Clients don't want writers that can't even send them an error-free email.

• Talk about the experience you have which relates to the job at hand. Leave out any unnecessary tidbits about your life.

• Link to at least three previous freelance jobs you have completed. That way, they get a good look at what you have done before.

• If you can, break up information with bullet points.

• Keep it short. Three short paragraphs is plenty.

Improve Your Writing Skills

If you are struggling to gain freelancing writing jobs, you need to take a good look at your writing. After all, if it’s not up to a high standard, you are going to struggle to win jobs and you might not get repeat work if you are doing a poor job. Here are a few ways to get up to snuff:

• Keep a current copy of AP Style near your computer and check it when you have a question.

• Blog, blog, blog. Writing your own blog gives you the practice you need to hone your writing skills.

how to become a freelance writer

Work on Your Timekeeping Skills

When you're freelance writing, you'll often have deadlines. You need to ensure you stick to these deadlines or your career as a writer won't go far. After all, being reliable can help you win over clients to gain some more freelancing work. Here are some tips for getting your work delivered on time, every time:

1. Set up a Google Calendar (which is free!) or keep a desk calendar specifically for scheduling client work.

2. Cut big projects into smaller parts and spread it through your time allotted.

3. Time yourself when doing projects so you know exactly how much time to block out in your schedule for each client and each task.

4. Give yourself an extra day. Always plan to finish a project a day early. If something comes up, you always have that extra day of cushion.

For step-by-step instructions on how to go from a newbie to a successful freelance writer, check out my book:

The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.

Simplifying Your Startup: Three Tasks To Outsource (That You Probably Hadn't Considered!)

Want your business to be more efficient? Why not consider outsourcing some of your tasks to virtual staff? Not only does it mean that you don’t have to manage a hundred and one jobs in-house, but it also ensures each area is up to date on the law and being performed to the highest standard. Chances are, you’ve already considered outsourcing jobs such as payroll, HR and fulfillment to make things easier for yourself, but there are quite a few other tasks to you could have taken care of that you might not have thought of.

Here are just a few of them!

Three Tasks To Outsource

Credit

Mail

As a business, you of course receive a lot of mail. Instead of hiring another receptionist to trawl through it all each day, why not outsource it and sign up to an internet mailing service?

They help you to create a ‘paperless office’ and can make things quicker and more convenient for you too. They scan and upload your documents, so you have access to them any time, ad they can also deposit checks and pay bills. These companies are very secure, so you have peace of mind that everything is being handled safely and efficiently.

If you’re currently working from home, a mailing address gives you a physical office address too- better than a PO box as it looks more professional.

Blog Writing

Blogging is a fantastic way to promote your business, gain a loyal following and improve your website’s ranking in Google search. The higher the page rank, the more organic traffic you’re likely to get. It’s the perfect way to show potential customers that you’re a professional business who knows their stuff- basically there are plenty of great reasons why you should be getting on board.

You could outsource the work to a company, or sign up to a freelancing site as a customer and hire freelance writers- there are always hundreds online at any time who are ready to go.

State what you want the post to be about and if there are any points you’d like them to include and within a day or two you have fantastic, unique and interesting content ready to be published on your blog.

Video Editing

Creating your own video content makes your company look professional, and can help to grab potential customers attention. Perhaps you want a welcome video on the main page of your website, or want to create a ‘how to use’ guide for your products or services? Perhaps you want to create a Youtube channel and publish videos that can be integrated into your blog content. Either way, you need the help of a skilled video editor. Rather than hiring additional people on your team, it’s much easier to outsource the work instead.

While outsourcing tasks does come at a cost, it can actually work out cheaper in the long run. You don't have to employ as many workers, and it also ensures everything is done to the highest standard without you having to oversee each job.

Infographic: Social Media Post Idea Templates

How to write a good social media post.

At a loss for social media post ideas? Well, this infographic has you covered. All you need to do is fill in the blank with information that will make the post pertinent to your industry. Absolutely fool proof! Feel free to share this post. Embedding code is below.

Use this code to embed this infographic on your site: <iframe width="891" height="2683" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="overflow-y:hidden;" src="http://www.easel.ly/index/embedFrame/easel/2225792"></iframe>

How to Automate Your Social Media Accounts for Free

social media accounts

Keeping up with various social media accounts can be a pain when you have a business to run. If you're like me, you have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram account. You know you are supposed to post regularly to get the most benefit from each site, but who has the time, am I right?

Well, the best way to solve your problem is to automate your social media accounts. It's easy to spend big bucks on social media automation, but I've tried and rounded up the best free options for you.

Klout

• Cost: Free

• Works with: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogger, Google+ and LinkedIn

I have to say, out of all the free automation tools for social media that I've tried, Klout is one of my favorites.

I remember when Klout first hit the scene. Everyone I knew was saying things like, "How does Klout decide on your Klout score? It's just an arbitrary number used to lure you into paying them!"

Since then, Klout has revealed how they come up with their Klout score. It basically rates how well you use your social media accounts. Really, the score was only helpful if you were trying to prove to a potential employer or client that you're good at using social media. (My Klout score is 60, which puts me in the top 10% of social media users, by the way. Not an easy task!)

Sharing content using Klout is easy.

Time went on and now Klout offers users a very useful way to automate their social media accounts with fresh, interesting content. To access it, download the Klout app on your phone or log into the site and click on "create" option on the left side of the screen. By adding keywords that target your follower's interests, Klout will find interesting articles that you can share, complete with photos and links. You can schedule posts to go out whenever you like.

[bctt tweet="Forget when social media experts tell you to post. Here's a customized approach. "]

automating social media with klout

My favorite part is that Klout will analyze your social media accounts and tell you when is the best time to share your posts to reach the largest number of people. Forget when social media experts tell you to post.  Now you have individualized times that fit your audience right there, plotted out for you.

Klout will also measure the amount of engagement your posts get and will suggest people that you should follow based on your interests.

The only drawback to Klout is that the apps a little glitchy. The benefits are well worth the glitchiness, though.

Crowdfire review

Crowdfire

• Cost: Free

• Works with: Twitter and Instagram

Crowdfire is my second favorite app for organizing my social media feeds. You can only use it with Twitter and Instagram, though.

It's key feature is that it sends automated welcome messages to your new followers. This allows you to send out a CTA (call to action) so new followers can visit your website or follow you on other social media.

Crowdfire also helps you find new people to follow and tracks your new followers and unfollowers. Don't like to follow people that aren't following you back? It generates a list of non-followers so that you can go through and clean house.

Buffer

Cost: Free

Works with: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+

Buffer is a lot like Klout because you can use it to schedule social media posts in advance.

Buffer's best feature is its Power Scheduler. This feature allows you to schedule a post to repost in a few hours, days or months on multiple accounts.

buffer review

Another great feature is that by adding Buffer to your browser, you can craft posts from any account while you're using it. A Buffer button is added to the post screen. After you press it, you can add a post to your schedule or add multiple posts, so there's no need to log onto your Buffer account in another tab.

buffer tools

Also like Klout, Buffer analyzes your posts to tell you which ones got engagement and which ones totally bombed.

a tweet's engagment

So, there you go. All the automation and analysis that you could want for your social media accounts, free! Do you have any social media tools that you love that I didn't list?

Want to join me on Twitter? I'm @alinabradford.

Follow Baiting: The Great Lie of Twitter

Twitter tips

Can we chat? I want to talk about something that I have been seeing a lot on Twitter: Follow Baiting. (Yes, I coined that term and yes, you can use it.)

It's when:

1. You follow someone

2. Wait until they follow you

3. Then unfollow that person

What is the purpose of this? When nice people see that someone is following, they usually follow back. There are people out there that have learned how to exploit nice people. These people believe that if your following number is much lower than your follower number you look like an expert with, well, a following. These people will do anything to make their follower numbers inflate, from buying followers to follow baiting.

There are several reasons why you shouldn't follow bait. First, it's kinda mean taking advantage of people's niceness to make yourself look better. Second, who's to say you aren't follow baiting someone who is just going to unfollow you right back when you unfollow?

I've been tracking follow baiting for the past few weeks. Here's the pattern I've observed:

1. One guy follows someone

2. Waits for the follow

3. Then unfollows

4. The other guy unfollows the first guy because they got unfollowed

5. A few days later, the first guy refollows the second guy

6. The process restarts all over again

It's a big old fat waste of time for everyone involved. People today use sites like Just Unfollow to track who's following them and who isn't. If you follow bait, you aren't fooling anyone. Get your followers with legit tactics, like tweeting things that people want to read and share, or hire someone to do it for you, like me.

Follow me on Twitter: @alinabradford

Be the Expert! Hold a Seminar for Your Business

business help

Pixabay

Positioning yourself as an expert and finding new clients are two things that are very important in the world of freelancing and small business. In fact, they are two things that feed on each other. The more expert you seem, the more clients you get, and the more clients you get, the more expert you seem! But is there a way you can kill two birds with one stone, here?

Well, there are several ways of bringing attention to yourself in a way that shows your expertise. Blogs are one of the most popular and effective ways of doing so. But if you want to take things a step further, then you should consider holding a seminar or a similar type of talk.

Whether you’re hosting or speaking at the event for customers or for clients, this idea can really take your business and your reputation to new heights. This is a quick guide to getting started with this endeavor!

seminar for businesses

Wikimedia

Choosing Your Topic

So what exactly should you be talking about or instructing on? You should, of course, ensure that it has something to do with your expertise and specific business field. If you have a particular success story, then this always makes for a good jumping off point when it comes brainstorming topics.

Let’s assume you’re a freelance writer. You have loads of topics you could discuss. How to create eye-opening content, how to get more clients, how to keep sane as a home-based writer… there’s a bunch of things you could talk about in this profession that will interest others!

The Venue

How does one pick a venue? Don’t make the mistake of booking one and then trying to fill it up; you should start with a rough estimate of how many people are interested in attending (and can actually attend - someone who lives in another country who displays interest probably won’t turn up!)

Creating event pages on Facebook or running polls on Twitter can be a great way of gauging serious interest. If you can find a venue in a central area that’s fairly low-cost, then this is a pretty good bet. Public places like churches and schools often have areas you can rent with relative ease. If you want something more high-class, then hotel conference rooms and restaurants may be good bets!

ted talk

Wikimedia

Getting the Word Out

That interest gauging and rough estimate of possible attendees isn’t all you should do. Once the venue is selected and you’ve got times locked down, you should make sure that word about the event is spread out as far as possible.

Free publicity can be found by taking to social media and confirming the event as booked; this can generate more interest than the initial interest gauging posts.

You can also look into paid advertisements, which will help you get the word out even further. Be sure that such marketing is targeted, however. You don’t want to spend a load of money on a vague digital marketing campaign that spreads the word out just about anywhere. If you run a freelance writing business, for example, you should be running ads in business- and writing-oriented journals and websites.

seminar for your business

Pixabay

Sharing

So what happens when all is said and done? Well, if you want to record the event, then this could give you even more opportunity for exposure and positioning yourself as an expert. Recording the event as a video is the best way to go about it.

You can upload the video onto the Internet for viewing and sharing; you can also look into getting assistance from print businesses such as Clone Media if you want to get it printed as a DVD that can be given away.

You can also take the audio from the video file and upload it as a podcast or a standard .mp3 on your website. Basically, you can turn your seminar or talk into web content, increasing the chances that people will become interested in you and your business! Just look at the success of TED’s online content if you’re skeptical!

The Follow-Up

Once the event is done, ensure that you know as much as possible about its impact. If you get registration data from employees in the form of email addresses, then you can keep in touch with them in the form of newsletters. If they want to send you feedback or engage in further discussion about the topic, then encourage them to do so. If you share the content online, then make sure you pay attention to the feedback you’re getting there. This can help you sharpen your focus if you feel like ever doing it again!

Putting The "Free" In "Freelancing"

freelance life

Although it’s indicative of an easy life for a lot of people, the freelancer lifestyle is not always what it seems. Now, being a freelancer is, for all intents and purposes, running a one-person business. You should treat yourself as a commodity. This is how you'll make progress, but we’ve all hit those snags where we're on the brink of giving up and getting a “proper” job. This is why you should never do that…

The Freedom...

It's not just the waking up whenever you want, there's a greater sense of control over your life. This is why so many people are turning towards freelancing. It’s not just Millennials  leaning towards self-employment as a means of earning their crust. The appeal has spread to all walks of life, from those that are looking for a new way to earn money, to those that have been so dissatisfied with their 30-year career that they’re looking for something that they actually care about. The freedom that comes with running your own life is very liberating and is probably the most enticing thing about this line of work.

And besides, if you look at the standard term of “permanent employment,” the average amount of time is now between six months to a year; is this “permanent?” It doesn’t sound like it to me. It’s much better working in a position with a lot more emotional freedom rather than somewhere where you have to potentially clock in and out, and you may be out the door in six months anyway!

The Control...

When the stock market crashed in 2008, many people were so desperately unemployed, that they took to getting a business loan and started running their own small businesses. It turned out to be the best decision they ever made. It’s almost as if they woke up finally, and they kissed goodbye to their old lives.

Being plunged into that situation made them adopt a sink or swim mentality, and for a freelancer, this is what gives you the edge over many others. It’s a great quality. It keeps you on your toes and makes you realize what you're all about.

The Hard Times...

We’ve all been there, when we’re feeling overwhelmed and wonder why we’re even trying to make a living going from paycheck to paycheck (or invoice to invoice). But everyone has had their huge struggles, from Steve Jobs to Hillary Clinton, and every great mind you can think of. Look at this site of leadership quotes if you're ever lacking in inspiration, and realize that you're not alone. And although everyone might be pushing at you to join the rat race again, do you really want to hand over that sense of control to someone else? I didn't think so.

So if you ever think about throwing in the towel, I've got one question to ask: Even though you' could be struggling for money  and you’ve got to take on more work than you're capable of, are you happier now than you ever have been?

9 Awesome Tips To Improve Social Marketing

Guest post

Social media marketing is really effective if used the right way. Considering the number of people getting information online, it is easier for you to reach out to them by using social media.

It is important to note that not everyone can be reached online. There are those who are willing to read your ads while others would simply ignore you. You should find a way to listen to them and gradually engage with them.

Make them feel like you are interested in addressing their needs. Respond to their questions. Leave comments when they say something good about your business. Share their responses or retweet them. This will definitely make them more connected to you.

Social media marketing takes time to take off. You reach a lot of people in one post, but not all of them would respond to you. Take time listening to them and find a way to improve your company based on their suggestions.

As long as they feel like you really care about them and not just in improving your sales, they will be more supportive of you. If possible, hire someone to be your IT guy. You want someone to manage your account so that you can easily respond to all inquiries or suggestions.

The infographic below shows some of the most effective tips to increase your social media presence and be appreciated by a lot of people. Hopefully, this turns into something great for your business. If social media is used wisely, it can go a long way.

Leap Of Faith: From Freelancer To Managing Director

Business tips for freelance writers

Becoming an independent freelancer can be a pretty bold step to take, but transitioning from freelancer to business owner is a much bigger one. It creates a shift in your responsibilities, your needs and how you operate. The challenges change and become bigger, but they are so worth taking on because a being a freelance copywriter compared to being the managing director of an agency has huge rewards.

The most complex part of the process is knowing how. That is why I have come up with a list of steps you can proactively take to make the shift from self-employed freelancer to a business owner, AKA the boss.

Stop Marketing Yourself

If you want prospective clients and customers to think they are dealing with a legitimate and thriving business, then you need to market yourself as exactly that. Stop using the word ‘I’ and start using the word ‘We’.

Don’t stop there either.

• Establish the core value of your company

• Sell your business on your website

• Have a company email address

• Change your email signature to MD

• Tweak your invoices so the numbering starts at 1100 and not 1.

Little things make a big impact.

Get Your Money Right

If you want to take your career to the next level then you are going to need to have the cash to do that. It is always worth luring in the bigger fish first, but at some point, you will need to consider small business loans to grow to where you want to be. When you’re freelance, you can weather dry months. When you have overheads, like salaries, you need to have a cash flow that will sustain this. In order to make money, you have to spend money; it is the golden rule of business.

Up The Advertising Ante

Thomas Jefferson said it best, "The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time." To grow a business, you have got to invest in advertising and keep the pressure on. Don’t just think it is enough to do a radio advert or stick to Facebook; success and growth come from the best cohesive strategies. Diversify your ad strategy. 

Refine What You Do

It is imperative for you to have a quality assurance strategy in place if you are to be a successful agency. Quality assurances means your customers and clients are getting a consistently good product.

It is also the best way to build a brand. Think about McDonald’s. You know what you are getting from a Big Mac no matter what branch you go to. That is consistency synonymous with their brand. It will take some time to get the processes perfect, but keep working on them until they are finely tuned and everything replicates time after time. This includes training new staff, coming up with fresh content, engaging with clients, briefing employees, dealing with issues, editing scripting problems, beta testing... everything and anything you can think of.

Popular Benefits Of Social Media Marketing

social media

With the huge increase of users on social media, there is no surprise that so many more business and online ventures are turning to this as a form of marketing. As a freelance writer, it’s important that you build a successful online presence through some of the major players on social media, to help build your success. 

You Get Better Coverage on

Search Engine Results

Social media plays a huge part in your SEO when it comes to your website and online presence. Search engine optimization is the best way to ensure that you have visibility in what can be a hugely saturated market online. Regular and engaging content can help build your coverage on search engines. Digital marketing agencies can really help improve your ranking using social media. 

More Business Opportunities

Social media is a great way to interact with existing customers, but this can also open you up to potential new clients. Someone who likes, shares or retweets your content can open up the opportunity for it to be seen by someone new to your business. This, of course, can then develop into website clicks, conversations and even new business.

Engaging with outsourced marketing experts can help you to expand your current marketing efforts. Choosing a video production team that can showcase what you have to offer and elevate your current marketing efforts will be a great support to your business, changing the way you do things for good. Social media is growing with the help of video - being a part of that is a must!

More of a Customer Understanding

Social media enables you to give your business a voice. Which means that those potential customers and clients are able to gain a greater understanding of your business from what you post. Maintain the same tone in all of your text and try to share photos that have  colors and content that echo your freelance business' brand.

Creates Brand Awareness

and Authenticity

Interaction with your audience, regularly and professionally, just secures the belief of brand authenticity from your business. It improves faith, and it even can boost your credibility. People like to feel like they are dealing with real people, which is why so many more bigger corporations are taking advantage of responding to customers instantaneously through their social media pages and feeds.

When someone messages on one of your pages, respond as quickly as possible and always respond to comments to make your customers feel that you are an authentic person.

Social media is a such an easy platform to be part of, whether through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, to name a few. It provides consumers with instant access to you and your business. A chance to message and be responded to quickly, rather than waiting days. The internet based business is far more fast paced, and social media only speeds things up. I hope this has inspired you to make more of your digital presence.

Taking Yourself Seriously As a One-Person Business

running a small business

Something that freelance writers and other similar professionals know is that they need to think of themselves as a fully-fledged business in order to succeed. If you are a freelance writer, and you have not yet got to the point of thinking of yourself in this way, you might want to ask yourself what it is that’s stopping you.

No matter what, you need to ensure that you are doing everything you can to take yourself seriously. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make sure that that is the case. Let’s have a look at how you can take yourself seriously as a one-person business.

Register

First of all, let’s take a look at the actual process of legally becoming a business. No matter where in the world you are located, you can guarantee that your local government body will want to know that you are a trading business.

As such, you need to ensure that you officially register yourself, otherwise you might find yourself in a whole heap of trouble further down the line. Registering these days can normally be done online, and is relatively straightforward, but be aware that you do need to have a business name. This can just be your name, or if you prefer you can choose something else, so long as it has not already been chosen.

This first step is vital, and will also go a long way towards helping you take yourself more seriously, so be sure to do it.

Stock Up On Supplies

It is often surprising to newcomers just how many supplies you actually need to be a freelance writer one-person business. Even if most of what you do is online, you will find that you need a lot of standard office supplies as well.

When it comes time to set yourself up as a business, make sure you go out of your way to get all the supplies you need - and be sure to buy in wholesale to save money. Places like the Postal Tube Shop are a good place to start, but you should also be sure to shop around. Buy in bulk so that you save as much money as possible, and gradually you will fill up your office with everything that you need. 

Some things to start with are:

• File folders

• Notebooks

• Pens

• Pencils

• Printer paper

• Tape

• Staples and a stapler

Set Aside Some Space

Most likely, you will be working from home - a situation which has many pros and cons. Most people find that they quite enjoy working from home, but you should prepare yourself, as it can also be a little lonely at times.

In order to take yourself as seriously as possible, ensure that you set aside a decent space in which to carry out your work. This will really make a huge difference when it comes to doing your work, as you will feel much more like an official business. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top, just a corner of a room will do - as long as you have your specific writing space in which to carry out your work.

The Outsourcing Solution For Startups

freelance life balance

There is going to be a point during your startup career when you are going to have to look to other options. This may be to save money, to save time or to save on resources and staffing - all of which come at an extra cost which is hard to cover. When you are first starting out, expenses need to be reigned in in order to hold in reserve for when times get bad (don’t worry; almost everybody has this blip). The solution to this? Outsourcing.

Do You Need to Outsource?

You don’t actually have to outsource in some cases. You can get the job done a lot more quickly (and for free) within your own office. Buying software that automates processes can help. On the other hand, if you just simply don't have time to add another thing to your list, like installing and automating software, outsource. 

What Can I Outsource?

When it comes to outsourcing, you can get just about any job done by pretty much anyone, at any time. The quickest thing to do is hire an online service or virtual assistant. 

You may find that it’s easier to get something done overnight, in which case outsourcing to a professional in another country who is operating hours ahead or behind may be the best option. It’s certainly the most profitable option.

The things which are most commonly outsourced are:

• Accounting work

• Admin work (you can get personal assistants who are remotely located but can still do your office work for you - great for if you are a hot-desking style company)

• Printing - https://www.xerox.com have made their millions from being a recommended outsourced printing company

• Graphic design work

Why Should I Outsource?

There are many reasons as to why. The main reason is the cost; it is a lot cheaper to outsource for particular jobs with companies who are constantly lowering their prices in a battle to win your business. Another is the functionality of it; you will never be able to get every single job done by yourself. As the leader of the startup, you have better things to focus on and invest your time in. Leave the other jobs to the professionals.

How to Keep Small Business Employees Happy

Small businesses are becoming more and more popular due to how easy it is to set one up. All you really need is an address, a website, some employees and an idea. Though the idea part can be tricky, the other parts are relatively simple. But, this article will focus on employees. More specifically, we’ll be talking about how you can hire and keep employees, even though you’re just a small at-home business.So whether you’re a blog owner, designer or just a small-time business owner, here are a couple of ways to keep your employees happy.

small business

Advertise as part-time

If you’re a small business, then you probably don’t have the funds to pay for several employees or even full-time ones. When you advertise a job opening, it’s important that you don’t overestimate what you can offer them. Make sure you tell the truth and tell them it’s a part-time opening, or that you’re only interested in hiring freelancers. This way, you’ll be truthful to your staff and they’ll understand what they’re getting themselves into before they apply to work for you.

Don’t hire too many people

If you’re short on cash or you’re a growing business, then it’ll be hard to predict how many people you can actually hire for your workforce to remain strong yet affordable. As mentioned in this article at https://www.eremedia.com, over hiring can destroy your business if you don’t manage it properly. If you find that you’ve hired too many people, then make sure you’re firm with them and let them go as soon as possible so you don’t waste more money.

Make sure you pay them on time

There's’ nothing worse than a disgruntled employee that isn’t getting paid on time. By using a service like https://www.thepaystubs.com you can ensure that your employees are being paid on time with a paystub generator that works and is hassle free.

If you have to delay their wages, then make sure you give them ample notice by speaking with your accountant or finance manager. This way, your employees can prepare for a smaller or no paycheck for some time. It’s best not to make a habit of late payments, though.

Allow them to grow

Giving your employees the freedom to grow and express themselves is incredibly important. As a small business, there’s a very small chance that you’ll actually grow your business to a point that advances their careers.

In fact, most of your employees are probably going to leave for greener pastures because it’s incredibly difficult to inspire loyalty when you’re just a small-time business owner. Make use of their talents, allow them to stretch their intellectual muscles, and don’t be sad to see them go.

Build a company culture

If you’ve ever worked in a shoddy office, then you’ll know how difficult it is to get along with colleagues and your boss. By establishing a positive office culture, you and your staff will always be on the same wavelength and you’ll be able to work more efficiently, deal with conflict faster, and grow together as a team.

Suggested reading: The Ultimate Guide to Airbnb for Business Travelers guide explains how choosing Airbnb for professional travel stays can cultivate a strong company culture through activities such as collaborating in common areas and booking team outings through Airbnb Experiences. We also provide information on how Airbnb can drastically reduce travel expenses for business owners, and how to easily manage employee travel through Airbnb’s corporate dashboard.

After you read the book, you may also want to look into an Airbnb cleaning service.

5 Essential Steps To Move Your Ecommerce Enterprise Onto The High Street

Want to boost your sales, drive traffic to your site and engage in a more meaningful way with your customers? The answer is no longer confined to the web. The smart companies are spreading their wings and heading back down to earth. Market leaders in retail such as Amazon, Warby Parker and Bonobos are investing in bricks and mortar and reaping the benefits. There is no reason why service industries, such as my own beloved freelance writing sector, could not follow suit by introducing some physical products into the mix.

ecommerce tips

Image

The online virtual high street is crowded and hugely competitive, it is dominated by huge brands and it is so hard for newbies to get a foothold. Why not try to attract some local, loyal clients by opening up a brick-and-mortar business to support your online presence? Now all you have to do is buy or leases a premises. Here are some top tips for doing just that.

1. Choose the right type of property for you

Obviously this will depend on the type of business that you are in. Entrepreneurial schemes come in all shapes and have a lot of pitfalls to overcome. If you need to display and sell stock you will need to be realistic about how much storage you need. If you plan on knocking down a few walls you need to make sure that this is structurally possible.

2. Be clear about your budget

Time for a hefty dose of realism here! You will need to shelves so that you can display your wares, accept credit card payments and attract customers into the shop in the first place. Even if you are leasing or renting the shop, it is likely that you will have to pay for decoration and external signage. Make sure these are factored into your budget.

3. Secure the finance

In the absence of a very healthy savings account, you will need to secure a loan to get this scheme off the ground. To get a loan you will need a clear business plan so do your homework. Show the lender that you know what you are talking about and have the ability to turn this into a success. No-one wants to back a loser!

4. Location is what matters most

You know that you need to target your demographic with online marketing, right? Well, selling on the high street is no different. Draw up a profile of your ideal customer and then identify where they hang out. Do they favour a shopping mall, arcades or quirky streets? You need to be where they are loitering! Also think about deliveries, parking and noise and, of course, the competition!

5. Timing can make or break the deal

This is where you may need to be patient. Property markets fluctuate from season to season and from year to year. Buy at the wrong time and you could end up paying far more than you need to. Ideally, you should buy when demand is low and availability is high. That way you can secure a killer deal.

How to Get Your Business Shipshape Again

business help

From time to time your business may not be as shipshape as you want and need it to be. But just because it isn’t in the condition you want it to be in right now, it doesn’t mean it can’t be in that desired condition in the future.

There are a number of ways to get your business in shipshape condition — one way is to ask for help.

Accountant

The first person you should ask to help you is an accountant. You could bring in an in-house accountant that will help you not only in the present but also continually in the future. Or you could use the services of a professional accountants company in order to steady your ship in the present.

Whatever direction is is that you take, you should task the accountant you bring in with making sure your finances are shipshape straight away. Your business’s finances truly are its backbone. If it can’t pay its necessary outgoings, such as its bills and its payroll, it will collapse.

The accountant you bring in should put their training and qualifications to the test right off the bat by first ensuring all of your outgoings are going out as and when they should. And they should then turn their attentions to making sure your other financial matters are as shipshape as possible. They should deal with your VAT. They should focus on the successful continuation of your PAYE procedures. And they should ensure all is as it should be regarding your tax. A business can only be in a shipshape condition if all of its financial matters are in order, which is why asking for help from an accountant in regards to them is pivotal.

Employees

Once everything is as it should be in the office with your finances, you should turn your attention to the customer facing areas of your business. Specifically, your employees. They are the foot soldiers. They are the men and woman ‘on the ground’ that are selling your business and its products for you.

Because of this, you should ensure that all your employees are as shipshape as possible and promote your business in the right ways. Pivotally, they should be well versed in the art of deal sealing. Your employees should also know how to sell. Negotiating should come as second nature to them. And they should know the importance of presentation. To ensure they know what they're doing, you will need to invest in your staff and provide them with training, either internally or externally.

Your employees are generally the point of contact for a customer. And if a customer thinks your business is shipshape, due to the fact that your employees seemingly are, then that’s half the battle won.

Keep it Up

Once your business is shipshape (have I said that word enough? lol), it’s imperative that you don’t allow it to de-shipshape itself again anytime soon.You must stay on track with the progress that you have made. Don't get lax! If you don’t, well you’ll have to go through the struggle of making your business right all over again.

The Ins & Outs Of Launching A Virtual Content Creation Service

20 years ago, around the time I started my freelance writing business, virtual businesses didn’t exist. Today they make up one of the fastest growing industries in the world. For freelancers, bloggers and entrepreneurs, virtual businesses make starting out easier and more affordable. They can also offer a stepping stone to launching a prosperous and profitable business. That being said, while some people only use virtual businesses as a stepping stone to launch their brick-and-mortar entrepreneurial careers, others are happy to keep their business virtual for the foreseeable future. Virtual businesses are much cheaper to run as there are few overhead costs, they are often easier to keep organized, there’s no commuting, and then there’s the flexibility of it, of course. 

For these reasons and many others, a lot of freelancers opt to launch their own virtual content creation services. Now, while virtual businesses are easier to run, that doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed to be successful, which is why if you are going to launch a virtual business, you need to know what it takes to make a success of it. 

how to start a virtual business

Photo from Pexels

Invest in Your Website

If you are going to run a virtual business, then one of the most important features will be your website. When you have no actual business building, your website becomes even more important, because it’s the main hub of your venture. That’s why investing in your website is so vital.

When it comes to the design of your website, it’s important to use a skilled and experienced web designer, so that you can ensure that your site looks professional and runs properly.

Sure, you could create your website yourself, but if you want your site to look and feel professional, using an expert is recommended. The most important thing is to make sure that your site is responsive and is easy to use and navigate on desktops, tablets and phones. If your website isn’t easy for visitors to use, they won’t return.

Realize the Importance of Branding

When it comes to the success of your business, branding is crucial. They key to making your business seem more professional and more established within the industry is to utilize cohesive branding.

The right branding will improve brand awareness which will help to boost your customer base and will give your success a boost. From creative logos to unique business cards, make sure your logo, font and color usage is the same on all your marketing. Also, before you design any of those marketing products, be sure that they convey the feeling you are trying to invoke in a customer. For example, hard lines and dark colors may be great for a company aimed at an older, more serious crowd, while it may not work so well if you are targeting fun-loving millennials. 

A lot of businesses struggle to get their branding right, but if you take the time to research what good branding is made up of, then you will find utilizing it much easier to do.

Utilize Social Media

You may have the most amazing business that provides services that everyone wants, but if your marketing isn’t effective, then your chances of success are low. If no one knows about your business, you can't expect it to be successful, can you? That’s why it’s crucial to utilize social media to ensure that as many people as possible know about your freelance business and what you offer.

When it comes to launching, it’s important to know what the crucial parts of an online campaign are. If you're not sure about what these crucial parts are, it's probably best to outsource the task to a specialist.

Be Clear About the Services You Provide

As a business, a lot of freelancers make the mistake of not being clear about the services they want to provide or the rates that they wish to charge for them. However, coming up with a clear plan is important before you start taking clients.  

Don't know how to come up with rates? I cover that topic and a lot more in my book The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course. These tips work no matter if you are a writer, designer or other type of virtual content creation business.

4 Retail Business App Ideas to Help Your Business Grow

There is no denying that owners of retail businesses are often trying to find innovative new ways of enticing customers to their stores. They might come up with some quirky promotions, for example. Or they might hold competitions for people to win a valuable prize if they do something like take a selfie with a particular product.While many of those ideas work to some degree, business leaders are still thinking of better ways to draw more folks into their stores and to ultimately spend money with them.

Given that many of us own a smartphone of some description, it makes sense to use them to your advantage. But, can you really get people into your retail establishment by communicating with customers via their mobile devices? In short, the answer is yes! If you’re not convinced, here’s a few ideas for mobile apps that you can develop for your business.

app ideas for your business

1. Personal Shopper App

If you run a retail business that caters to the premium end of your market, you might be wondering how you can better serve your existing customers and entice new ones to your store.

One ingenious way of drawing people to your store with mobile app technology is with a personal shopper app. You can designate members of your team to be a customer’s dedicated personal shopper, helping them to select the right products for their needs. In short, you can offer your patrons a real 21st-century concierge service.

2. In-Store Product Finder App

We all know how easy it is to go to an online store and search for what we need. But, the same cannot be said about physically finding something in a retail establishment. You have to go to the trouble of finding a member of staff for a start. Plus, you have to pray they know what you’re talking about when you ask them for help!

Imagine how you could make life easier for your customers if you offered an in-store product finder app! Using iBeacon indoor navigation technology, for example, your app can visually guide customers to the aisles and shelves where they can find your products.

Mobile Point of Sale app

Another brilliant use of mobile app technology is to provide your customers with a way to buy goods in-store using nothing more than their smartphones. One well-known example of this is Apple store's POS app.

In a nutshell, you can use your iPhone to pay for items that you want from their stores without needing to carry around any debit or credit cards or cash. Such an innovation will save your store customers a lot of time and offer them extra security when they buy goods.

Store Loyalty app

Last, but not least, a simple way to draw in more people to your retail establishment is by offering your customers the opportunity to download your store loyalty app. It can incorporate bar code technology, allowing people to scan an item at the checkout for rewards.