Nibletz Staff - 4/87 - Serious Startups

Startup Ideas for Great Writers

If you love writing and you’re actually good at it, then it stands to reason that when you’re looking to start your own business, you should start with writing.

The great thing about writing is that it is such a sought-after and diverse skill that there are so many ways that you can turn your ability to arrange words in pleasing ways into a successful startup. I mean, just take a look at these very viable business ideas that have writing at their core:

eBook Entrepreneur

Now that the likes of Amazon have made it so very simple to publish one’s own books and sell them to a huge market, setting up your own book writing business could be pretty lucrative. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer fiction or nonfiction, you can write what you like, and there is likely to be a market for it. Skeptical, take a look at this old article at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jan/12/amanda-hocking-self-publishing about one woman who became a multi-millionaire by publishing self-penned fantasy fiction. Of course, that’s a feat that’s hard to repeat, but if you can crank out lots of books and price them keenly, you could have a thriving writing business in no time at all.

Freelance Writer

There are lots of different kinds of freelance writer. There are those who sell niche articles that they have pre-written at Constant Content, those who write unique essays at https://customwriting.com/ and those who work take any writing jobs they can find at freelancer.com or the likes. Many of them don’t make a whole lot of money, but lots of them do. The difference? Dedication, talent and actually treating their work as a business by creating a website, recruiting other freelancers, collecting testimonials, marketing their services and delivering on their promises – if you can do all that, you can make a serious business out of writing.

Copywriting

Copywriters are people who write professional copy on or offline for websites, magazines, catalogs and stuff like that. If you have a particular niche that you know a lot about, setting up your own copywriting business specializing in that niche, whether it be medical advice, pet care or dentistry, could prove to be extremely lucrative.

Social Media Management

Pretty much every business is on social media right now, and it can take up a lot of time posting content on there. So, why not make a living by starting up your own social media management agency? You’ll be tasked with writing interesting and engaging content for specific audiences, posting that content and interacting with followers – it could be a lot of fun, and as startups go, if you’re good at it, it could also be very lucrative. One for the social media lovers out there!

Proofreading

With all of the publications both on and offline that are created every day, there is huge scope for someone who is good with words to make a living by setting up their own proofreading company. The fun thing about this ideas is that you get to read lots of interesting things as you make your corrections, so if you love reading too, it’s ideal.

Do you own a writing-based startup? What do you do?

Get Your Office Like Google’s

If you haven’t heard about what Google’s offices are like, it is like the magical wonderland of the office world. It is kitted out with absolutely everything that you could wish for with an office. It is part of the reason why working for Google is such a sort after job, they just look after their employees in so many different ways. But can you get your office like the one at Google? Probably not. Their offices are huge, and they have thousands of staff all over the world, and they’re a billion dollar company. But you can take some of the principles and use them in your own office to make it so much more fun and relaxed. Here is how.

The Furniture

Google always has pretty alternative furniture. For one, it is always colourful and comfy, as is the whole room. If you want to get that Google vibe, you need to try and get the room as bright and as colorful as possible to begin with. Use a range of different colours like light blues, greens, and reds. It’ll help to perk the room up a bit rather than just staring at the same four white walls. You also need to try and create as much space as possible so you haven’t got that cramped feeling going on. You can also purchased used office furniture to help save a bit of money. If you’re buying furniture for a large office of people we know how expensive it is going to be. But just make sure it’s as comfy and quirky as possible. One of the main reasons why employees find it so hard to work is because they’re spending most of the day wriggling around trying to get comfy. Make sure they either have built in pillows, or you’re giving them pillows to sit on as well.

Mood Boards & Nap Pods

Mood boards is something a lot of companies should start using. Not only mood boards, but idea boards. It allows your employees to convey their thoughts and feelings about the day. This is something not a lot of companies actually do nowadays. It could open your eyes to things that might need changing about the company that you may not have thought about before. Plus, your employees thoughts and feelings should always be the most important thing on your mind. Nap pods are something Google do to try and keep their employees fresh. Many moons ago before you were a business owner, you know for a fact you would get to that part of the day where you could so easily drop off. Your eyes might have been closing and your head rolling out of your hands, quickly snapping you back into action until two minute later where it would happen again. Google have realised that during this time the amount of work done drops to almost nothing, so giving them a quick refresh allows them to come back into work ready to actually work. Whilst we know a lot of you will be against letting your employees nap, you could at least give them an area to chill out and relax to refresh their minds.

3 Reasons Digital Marketing Is Your Best Friend

There is much to think about in the early days of any business. But one of the most vital factors is how you are actually going to market your business. This is something which you need to consider regardless of what else you are hoping to achieve in your business. If you are not paying attention to the marketing, you are not likely to get where you want to go, and one area of marketing in particular which you can’t overlook is the digital aspects of it. As it happens, digital marketing is really your best friend in business – and here’s why.

It’s Easy

Before we even get into discussing why digital marketing might be so useful, it is worth considering just how easy it is. The truth is that anyone with any kind of level of knowledge can easily make plenty of their digital marketing, and often without actually having to do much on their end themselves. In most cases, the willing entrepreneur can use a digital marketing agency to do most of the hard work for them, and that alone makes it incredibly easy. But even if the work is done in-house, it is usually hardly impossible to form a passable digital marketing campaign. For this reason alone, no business should go without some kind of digital marketing campaign for too long – and ideally not at all.

It’s Powerful

A business which uses digital marketing is definitely more likely to get ahead than one which does not. This is obvious enough, and yet a lot of people fail to truly appreciate it. If you want your business to be able to succeed in exactly the way you want, it is necessary to use digital marketing to do so. The power of this particular form of marketing is that it has an enormously wide and far reach, especially compared to many other, more traditional forms of marketing – and that it tends to have a permanence in the minds of those who witness it as well. The statistics show that it is generally incredibly powerful, and that is enough reason for any business to make proper use of it.

It’s Diverse

There are a huge many ways to approach your digital marketing, and that can mean that you can reach more people and have much more impact than with other kinds of marketing. Thanks to the likes of social media and so on, you can now more easily than ever approach your marketing in increasingly diverse ways, and this has many benefits within it as well. Its diversity speaks to its power, and also to the ability it has to do many things at once for your business. You should absolutely make sure not to overlook this essential aspect of marketing in your early days – or at all.

As long as you use digital marketing, your business will be in a much better position on the whole – and this will mean that you succeed better in the future as well.

Building A Retail Business From The Ground Up (Literally)

You often hear the expression of building a business from the ground up. Usually, this refers to when you start with nothing and create a business idea that blossoms into a successful company. But, when it comes to starting a retail business, it may actually benefit you too – literally – build your business from the ground up.

What on earth does this mean? Essentially, I’m talking about actually physically building your retail business. Instead of renting or buying retail space, why don’t you purchase some land, and construct your business right there? Of course, there are many things to consider, and plenty of pros and cons.

Top Things To Consider

If you’re going ahead with this idea, then you need to know some of the key things to think about.

Firstly; finding the land itself. Now, this can be easy or difficult, depending on where you look. There are loads of places with empty land just sitting there waiting to be snapped up. The key is finding land in sought after locations that make a good site for a business.

Next; construction. When you buy the land, you have to think about the whole construction process. You’ll need to find many suppliers and contractors to help you out, from crane manufacturers to electricians – you’ll be on the phone to everyone. Think about how much it costs to construct your new retail store, and how long it will take.

Finally; marketing. While all the construction is going on, you need to work overtime to market and promote your business. The last thing you want is your shop to open, with absolutely nobody keen to enter. While your contractors work on the construction, you work on the marketing.

Pros & Cons Of This Idea

Naturally, there are plenty of positive and negative points to think about here.

Pros:

No rent, meaning fewer monthly overheads
No limit on how big your store can be
Bigger store means more products, which potentially means more sales before re-stocking
Gives your business a huge reputation boost as you look like an industry giant
If the business goes bust, you can always rent out the store to another company and still make money

Cons:

Very expensive to build a store from scratch
Very time consuming as well, which means you could potentially miss out on months of business during the construction
Might not find land in a good enough location

Is this a good idea for everyone? No, clearly not! But, it feels as though money is the main obstacle to get around. If you have the money to invest in some land and build a business on it, then why not? There are pros, and the fact you own the building and the land means you have a contingency plan in place if your business sucks. Now, you don’t have to completely start a business from scratch like this either. You can grow a small business in the conventional sense, then expand it by doing this and building a new store yourself. This is a smart idea as you can keep the old store open during construction, meaning you don’t miss out on business!

At the end of the day, it’s just an idea. If you feel like doing things differently, and taking full control of your retail business, then give it a thought.

4 Creative Ways to Find a New Job

Preparing a good portfolio that reflects your achievements and strengths is just the first step to finding a new job. The job market has thousands of professionals with similar credentials as you. Some have more experience than you do. Hence, you need to get creative to get a new job fast after graduation or losing your previous job. Here are some creative ways that will help you get a job faster.

1. Focus on Potential Employers and not Job Openings

Most job seekers look for adverts for job opportunities and then send their applications. Be smart and use a different strategy. Identify companies that you would want to work with and then find a way of getting any job in those companies. Establish relationships with people who are already working where you want to work. Such people can notify you whenever a new job opens up. Do not shy away from taking a lower position from a good employer. Most companies provide their contacts on their websites. You can use a service like theemailfinder.co to verify contact emails and then send an application.

2. Go Offline

The current craze is to do everything on the internet. If you have been sending online applications with no success, try something different. Go back to the old methods of getting a job like browsing yellow pages. Some family-owned companies still use the old methods to find new employees. The job you are looking for could be in your neighborhood. Walk into the organisations that you admire and ask for a job. Even if they are not hiring at that time, they will remember your portfolio when they need a new employee.

3. Attend Networking Events

When job seekers hear of networking, they immediately think of their former classmates or their social groups. You need to grow your network beyond your peers. Do not wait until you are employed to attend high-end events. Register for conferences in your field while you are still looking for a job. Such events are great opportunities to interact with potential employers. Approach the speakers after their talks and express your interest to work with them, even as an intern. Your priority should be on getting an entry point to your dream organisation.

4. Try to Bypass the Human Resource Manager

If you go the conventional way of looking for a job, your application will always end up on the HR’s desk. Chances are that all the applications you been sending are lying on a desk waiting for the HR to make a decision. Human resources managers receive tons of applications for different positions. It may take a while before he or she can decide to grant you a job. If you know a relative, friend, or any connection in the organization, ask the best person to contact for a job. You could talk to the supervisor or a higher-ranking manager directly about your application.

Conclusion

Getting a new job in a crowded professional is a daunting task, especially if you have limited experience. You must use a different approach from your peers to get ahead. Be consistent with your strategies until an opportunity opens up for you.

Note Taking Isn’t Dead

Regardless of the technology available, many people still prefer to take notes during meetings. Why? Because we’re taught from a young age that taking notes, physically writing them down, aids in retention. Not to mention the fact that few people can remember all of the details from a short meeting, much less a longer one. This is where new technology comes in. With the advent of the S Pen and note taking apps, the need for a notebook and pencil is long gone.

Samsung Galaxy Note8

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 is one piece of technology that is perfect for taking notes. With its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor, it should have no problem running the note taking apps or supporting the S Pen. With this phone you can take notes on the screen without ever unlocking the phone, which is great for jotting down things to remember while on your way to a meeting. You can also create GIFs and edit photos. Another feature of this phone is its ability to multi-task. With 6 GB of RAM combined with the processor, lags are no longer a concern.

S Pen

The S Pen comes with the Note8 and is accessible with the push of a button. The small tip size

creates a more ‘pen and paper’ feel and allows for more detailed work when drawing. With Air Command, the options for using the pen are right on the screen and make it easier to use the pen’s features, whether it’s taking notes on the screen, making a GIF or simply doodling.

Note Taking Apps

Most smartphones have a built-in note taking app that allows users to take notes, color images and save text notes. If that application isn’t enough, there are several other apps available as well.

One of these apps is Evernote. This app also syncs to a computer, so any notes taken during a meeting or on a conference call can be accessed and worked with across devices. There is also a widget that can be used with an S Pen, so handwriting is possible.

HandWrite Pro Note and Draw is another useful app that has photo manipulation features as well as note taking features. It, too, is S Pen friendly. Squid looks more like notebook paper, which many do, but this one also has the ability to mark up and export PDFs and project from the app like a whiteboard.

Scribble Racer is perfect for decompressing after a rough meeting. Designed for use with the S Pen, it is an obstacle game with several difficulty levels along a course.

Technology is Resurrecting Note Taking

Even though technology has progressed to the point where pen and paper are obsolete, the need for taking notes is still as strong as ever. We’re taught from a young age to do it, and few of us dispense with the habit as adults. For businesses, the need for notes is just as prevalent, and being able to translate those notes into usable documents is a necessity.

Use These 7 Tips to Write the Perfect Company Description

Most businesses fail or close during their first decade. The 10-year business failure rate probably isn’t as high as 96%, as some claim, but it’s not trivial either.

When the odds are stacked against you, you need to do everything possible to re-weight them in your favor — including seemingly trivial things, like crafting a winning company description. Here’s how to make yours shine.

1. Weave in Your Mission Statement

Does your company have a mission statement — a single-sentence articulation of its purpose and values?

If not, draw one up today. If so, make it the first sentence of your business description. This guide to writing a mission statement has more detail than you need.

2. Lead With Notables

The third section of Betterworks’ Wikipedia page lists several of the human resources management startup’s top backers and advisors. The list features some Silicon Valley heavy hitters — people about which the casual reader who knows little about BetterWorks’ solutions may well be familiar. There’s no better way to bolster your firm’s credibility right out of the gate, especially if you’re not particularly well-known outside a tight circle of customers and industry insiders.

3. Include a Catchphrase or Motto

If you take one thing away from The North Face’s Facebook page, it’s the outdoor apparel maker’s memorable motto: “Never Stop Exploring.” Take a page from Patagonia’s playbook here and include your own catchphrase in your company description, ideally close to the top or in a field separate from the main body. And if you don’t yet have a snappy motto that encapsulates your company’s value proposition, now’s the time to make one.

4. List As Many Products or Solutions As You Can

The North Face’s Facebook page does this pretty well too. If you didn’t already know the company made “Men’s, Women’s, and Youth Jackets, Vests, Outerwear, Snowsports Gear, Pants, Tents, Sleeping Bags, Packs, and Footwear,” well, a five-second stop at its company page will set you straight.

5. Include Geographical References

You don’t have to list your corporate address where it doesn’t make sense to do so, but your company description should definitely allude to your geographical service area. If you’re focusing exclusively on certain markets, you need to make that clear.

6. List Key Customers

These organizations and individuals bolster your company’s credibility. With them in your corner, you’re much likelier to attract investors’ attention. If you play in the B2B space, prominent execs, advisors and board members are essential for customer attraction and retention too.

7. Keep It Brief (But Not Too Brief)

Don’t drone on. The ideal company description has no “correct” length and doesn’t require a hard stop at any point, but you should definitely be wary of wearing out your welcome. Though there’s some disagreement about the precise length of the typical website visitor’s attention span, it’s a mistake to assume you have all day to make your point.

In Your Own Words

You don’t have to be an award-winning wordsmith to put together a great company description. You just have to allow your passion and expertise to shine through. Prospective customers and future employees can spot winners from a mile away.

Have You Built A Strong Brand?

Building a brand is one of the first things you will have done when setting up your company. But a brand is so much more than just a logo, or just a business name. It is who you are as a person and the values you believe your business should have. Building a strong brand right from the beginning is something people don’t tend to do. So we’re here to help you decide whether you’ve built a strong brand, and perhaps what you could do to make some improvements. Read on to find out more.

The Storytelling Technique

This is one of the most commonly used techniques to help build a strong brand and push for growth. To help you understand quickly what it is, here are the basics. Think of how many businesses you know of, think of how much information they fill you with about products etc. Now think of how much you actually know about the company, who they are, and their brand. Exactly. Companies are so focused with the money side of things that they forget to tell people their story. Storytelling 101 is a great article that explains how it works, why it works, and why you should use it. Having that better connection with your customers, and giving them a better understanding of your company is what will put you a cut above the others. So if you’re going to build a strong brand, right from the very beginning you need to have a story to tell. Don’t just focus on the basics, focus on the picture as a whole.

The Basics

So whilst it is important to focus on the bigger picture, the basics are also so important. This is where the help of a professional might be useful. There are experts out there who are on call to help you understand what a solid brand is. With your input, they can help you build a brand that is so much stronger than all of your competitors. One of the main basics of building a brand is making sure you’re unique. You’ve got to bring something to the table that potential customers haven’t seen before. It could be a catchy name that stands out from everyone else, it could be the way that you’re marketing yourself from the very beginning, or it could just be a new way to entice your customers in. Don’t follow the norm, think outside the box and you’ll always be successful in building a strong brand.

Your Values

Your company has to stand for something, sort of like with the storytelling situation, you need to have values that you’re able to share, both with your customers and your employees. For example, you could stand for fair trade if you’re trading abroad, you could have the value of thinking green and protecting the environment, or you could have the value of putting the customer first everytime. Whatever it is, make sure your company stands for something and you’ll always have a solid brand behind you.

Why You Should Prioritize Online Marketing

Online marketing is a huge part of business these days, and if your company’s marketing strategies are not up to scratch, you could fall behind your competitors and potentially lose out on lots of sales. Any and all businesses have something to do with online marketing from small local companies posting about their products on Facebook to large corporations brainstorming their next online campaign. Whatever type of business you own you are bound to have some online presence. Granted, some small companies might not need to use online marketing strategies if they deal with customers face to face and are recommended by word of mouth. However, any company can up sales, production and get their brand out there by formulating a marketing strategy. Considering the power on online marketing can do so much for your company and in today’s world, not having an online presence that is successful could potentially damage your business. Read on for some online marketing ideas to get you started.

Get People Reviewing

Reviews can make a huge difference to people investing in your services and buying your products. As few as two negative reviews can deter customers from buying from you, which shows how important reviewing is to your business. This direct customer feedback shows a dialogue with your audience and shows that your business affects people’s lives in a positive way. Replying and talking to customers that may have had negative experiences can also be a good way to deal with negative feedback. Engaging with the customer about their experience, offering them solutions, their money back or advice on their dilemma can make you and your business look really good. If you are replying to customers and helping them with their problems, you look like a caring company that will help customers out with any concerns they have. Reviews are a great way to use customer written content to promote your business, and negative feedback can be used to shed the best light on you.

Update Your Website

Your website is the front of your shop, and having one that is ineffective or looks bad can deter people from using it. Coding and designing websites is an art, and so this is something that you need to hire someone to do. Making the design simple, sleek and easy to navigate is something every business should aim for. It can be useful to keep in mind the customer’s perspective and what they want from the site. If you want help with your website consider Praxent, a web app development company. Using conversational English that is free from jargon is the best way to inform customers and relate to them. You might have to use some specialized language depending on the product, but make it clear and simple. No one wants to read over-complicated language when looking at your website.

Good Quality Content

If you are new to online marketing, it is tempting to buy adds on various websites and assume customers will automatically come to your site and buy your product. This is not all it is cracked up to be though and is often expensive and not that beneficial for many businesses. Creating good quality online content is, however, a great way to get traffic to your site and people engaging with your business. A great way to do this is creating a blog on your website if you don’t have one. A blog is a way to get traffic to your site and a way you can subtlety promote your products and services. Writing useful content that is genuinely informative can be an amazing way to inform customers and highlight what you can offer them. This is not a sales pitch though! Write something customers want to read, and make the subject of the article insightful information that only you can offer as an expert in your field. Getting content out there and linking it back to your site is a great online marketing strategy to get customers to your site.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started with online marketing. Following some of these ideas could give your business the boost that it needs. Having an online marketing strategy is the best way to get your business ahead of competitors and get you noticed. Creating good quality content through a blog, using social media and making sure your website up to scratch is the best way to improve your business. Make sure you prioritize your online marketing and try some of these ideas out today.

Is Your Business Dead? Not Yet

If you have been struggling to reach profitability or your business hasn’t been gaining that much interest from customers, you might be beginning to think about giving up. Perhaps there is limited traffic to your website, and your business brand doesn’t seem to be growing as you had hoped it would. It’s also possible that a competitor is syphoning away the customers that you had. If you are in this situation, and you’re thinking about giving up remember, your business isn’t dead yet. There are steps you can take to rebuild your company and regain your strength as an organisation. Let’s look at some of the possibilities.

Get A Cash Injection

Yes, you can think about going for a cash injection into your business model. To do this, you will need to consider taking out a business loan. With a business loan, you can tailor the exact money you need to help push your business into the spotlight. How you spend the money you borrow is entirely up to you. You could pour it into advertising, or you might want to think about using it to put a new product or service on the market. Either of these possibilities could provide the boost that your business desperately needs.

If you are thinking about taking out a loan, you should look at a site like LoanBuilder.com. Here you’ll be able to build up your own individual loan package that’s perfectly tailored to match the requirements of your company. You can also make sure that the interest rates are more than manageable.

Partner Up

You can think about partnering with another company on the market if you are not seeing success by yourself. There are lots of businesses that could help your company succeed. For instance, if you are running a mechanics company, you might partner up with a tires supplier. The benefit of this, of course, is that you will be able to share costs. As well as that, you can build off one another’s customer base without direct competition getting in the way. It’s a great option if the costs of your company are dragging you down and you are struggling to gain interest from fresh users.

To do this, the best way is to reach out directly to a company and see if they are intrigued by the possibility. Pitch a plan that will be mutually beneficial, and in no time at all, you could gain access to a brand new customer base.

Go, Guerilla

Finally, you might be thinking about upgrading your marketing to draw attention and gain interest from customers. If that’s the case, then you should think about opting for guerilla marketing. Guerilla marketing is where your customers and your audience become part of the promotion. Online, this could be through user-generated content. Do look out for content from your followers through social media that could boost your business brand. You can learn how to encourage user content on SocialMediaToday.com. As well as free marketing, it helps create a solid relationship with a key member of your target audience.

Green Mistakes Eco-Friendly Startups Continue To Make

Helping the environment has been on the agenda for the majority of businesses for the last decade. Customers have and still are worried about the planet and their shopping preferences reflect that fact. It’s not beneath them to opt for a rival that makes them feel as if they are saving the environment and providing a quality product at the same time. Companies have had to react and they are doing so en mass now that the “fad” doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast.

Evolving to meet customer demands is a priority, but it isn’t one-hundred percent foolproof. Forgive the pun, yet startups make green errors on a daily basis and it impacts the firm. Business owners want to avoid this at all costs, which isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Here, then, are the mistakes and the solutions that should help you appease the planet and your customer base.

Conversion Costs

The initial transition period can be expensive even if the methods save the company money in the long-term. Take solar panels as a prime example. Installation costs alone are in the thousands of dollars and aren’t set to decrease anytime soon. Sadly, SMBs tend not to have a couple of thousand bucks lying around the office. And, it isn’t only the big projects because the smaller ones rack up the expenses too. Energy-saving light bulbs may last longer yet they aren’t as affordable as less efficient models. Businesses have to think about the future to stomach the costs in the first place. But, to lower them in the short-term, wait until the time is right. Experts predict local authorities will start providing grants for renewable energy, for instance. If you can hang around, there is no reason to spend money the startup doesn’t have.

Price Hike

Due to investments, prices may have to increase to cover the firm’s losses. It doesn’t matter how well you explain the necessity; the customers won’t accept the logic. Instead, they will think about how it impacts their bottom line. Usually, the situation ends up with consumers leaving their loyalty at the door as they look for a cheaper alternative. Once the business commits, it can’t back out or else it faces a PR backlash. Savvy bosses scour the market for budget yet quality materials which they know will keep prices low. Asia is a modern eBay of sorts as overheads are lower than in the West. Do be careful of shipping costs as they can be extortionate anywhere in the world. To buy in bulk is a smart way to cut the price by a significant amount as long as the materials don’t go to waste.

Customer Complaints

Consumers aren’t stupid and they will work out when a company is being disingenuous. Not to say that you are lying, but plenty of startups like to play the percentages. For instance, SMBs will gladly promote their efforts to help save the planet but will leave out the fine details. As soon as a customer sees something they class as a contradiction, they will jump on it and spread the word. And, word of mouth advertising can be destructive. There are two accessible and affordable solutions to this problem. The first is to go into partnership with an eco-conscious business. An organization such as GreenRush Packaging has services that are 100% green along the supply chain. Plus, some are a novelty and add will grab the attention of the customers. The second fix is to speak to a law expert. Because it’s a consultation, the fees shouldn’t be as exorbitant as usual.

Certificate Conundrum

One way to combat bad press is to get accredited by local and national authorities. That way, everything you publish will have a qualified source to back up the company’s claims. More and more, small businesses are finding these certificates harder to obtain, and the reasons are political. Departments with authority to grant SMBs a pass are full of people who have friends in ‘high’ places. Should one of them ask for a favor, then there’s a chance the application may get rejected. Anyone who doesn’t believe this happens should think about market share and protecting interests. When the company does attempt to apply, record everything and ask for documentation. Not to be a snitch, but filing a complaint may be the only option to what Andrew Georgiadis calls “entrenched bias.”

Paperless Dilemma

A simple way to go green is to stop using dead trees in the office. Although businesses are reliant on paper, there are plenty of alternatives. Nowadays, every employee has a smartphone with instant messaging apps and an email account. Rather than write it down on a piece of paper, colleagues can message back and forth to save the planet. In the beginning, the conversations can get lost in translation and work may suffer as a result. Bosses, though, can provide training for WhatsApp and Hangouts to prevent future complications. By far the biggest issue is the one regarding security. Should a server get hacked, there is no paper chase to act a physical factory reset. Therefore, startups must backup data onto a USB stick and store it outside of the office. Do this every three to six months and it should limit a hacker’s potential threat.

Unfair Competition

At the moment, green startups find that they are a disadvantage to traditional businesses. Why? It’s because the competition can set looser standards according to Sapling. In the future, legislation may dictate that every company has to start on the same level. However, until that point, regular firms can “do their bit” without taking on any of the same responsibilities. Sure, eco-friendly businesses will benefit down the line, but they have to survive that long and that isn’t guaranteed. Usually, green startups that succeed either give themselves breathing space to bend the rules or find a niche. The latter is a quality option as the firm should have a small monopoly.

Are you an environmentally-conscious SMB? Do you make any of the errors above?

Should Your Business Accept Bitcoin as Payment?

Cryptocurrencies are receiving a lot of attention at the moment, as many people are exploring investment options due to the success that Bitcoin has had so far. Bitcoin is the most popular and first every cryptocurrency. As a business owner, you may have been debating whether you should accept Bitcoin as payment for some time now. Before you make your decision, you need to be aware of the pros and cons of going down this route. So, let’s take a look…

PROS OF ACCEPTING BITCOIN AS A PAYMENT METHOD

There are a number of benefits associated with accepting Bitcoin. This includes the following:

You are giving your consumers what they want – A lot of customers want to use Bitcoin as a payment method. Not only are you providing them with another method of payment, but also you are giving them the option to pay anonymously – this is something Bitcoin provides. Therefore, they get an extra layer of protection in the process too.

Increased sales – You can expand and open your doors to global buyers due to the decentralized nature of Bitcoin.

Merchant protection – Another benefit that stems from the decentralized setup of Bitcoin is that merchants are protected from fraudulent chargebacks. Third parties cannot reverse charges, meaning the transaction is final – just like cash.

Lower transaction fees – Transaction fees are dramatically lowered due to the lack of a central intermediary. You are probably already aware of how costly credit card transaction fees can be, and these quickly add up.

CONS OF ACCEPTING BITCOIN AS A PAYMENT METHOD

Although the word ‘con’ has been used, perhaps ‘risk’ would be a more appropriate choice. If you do decide to accept Bitcoin as a payment method, you do need to be aware of the risks that are in place in terms of market volatility. This means that the value of Bitcoin can be very unpredictable. Because of this, you need to regularly and quickly have some form of translating your cryptocurrency back to your currency of record. This also highlights why you need to do as much research online beforehand – you can find guides on BitcoinIRA reviews, Bitcoin historical price data, and much more. Take the time to read up on as much information about Bitcoin as possible so that you are prepared if you do decide to accept it as a payment method.

Hopefully, you are now aware of the pros and cons that are associated with accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment at your business. It is important to consider these factors carefully before you decide whether Bitcoin is a viable payment method for your company or not. Do your research and make sure you are prepared before you dive in.

Getting Started with YouTube for Business: What You Need to Know

You’ve heard the buzz. You’ve read the statistics. You know what you have to do. Video is the marketing tool of the future.

Even now, video is highly effective as a marketing tool for brand and legitimacy building: A recent survey of marketers found over half of respondents said video has a higher ROI than all other types of online advertising.

If your social media plan has up to now consisted only of Facebook and Twitter, it’s time to add YouTube to your strategy. Follow these tips to familiarize yourself with the way YouTube works and learn what it can for your small business.

Getting to Know YouTube

You’ve probably watched countless hours of YouTube videos yourself. Unlike other social media platforms, anyone can view videos on YouTube whether they have their own account or not. But to upload your own videos, you have to have a YouTube account. Google owns YouTube so to access YouTube you have to have a Google account. If you don’t have a Google account, sign up for one.

But, wait! What if you already have a personal YouTube account? Can you use it for business as well? It’s not a good idea. In fact, it’s not a good idea whether you’re talking about Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platform. Create a separate account, such as this channel set up for Talus Payments, that’s strictly for business.

You Have Google, What’s Next?

Sign into your Google account and go to the YouTube homepage. Familiarize yourself with the layout. Click on the left side navigation and look at the options. Click on the upper right avatar and look at the customization and account options. Click the My Channels option from the dropdown. The form asks for your first and last name, but notice the “Use a business or other name” option near the end of the form text. Click the link and complete the form. Now your business has a YouTube business channel.

Make It Look Great

What you have now is the basic account page every business gets when it first signs on. But like Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, you can add details and art to match your brand.

The channel description is easily overlooked, but don’t underestimate its importance. Briefly explain what the business does and connect your other social media platforms to provide a cohesive online brand. Add, but don’t stuff, the description with relevant keywords and phrases when you describe your business. Add links to your website and a contact email address. You have space for five links and a customizable description for each. Use them.

You’ll require two images to customize your business channel. The first is the channel icon. The icon is the small image on the upper right of the page. The recommended icon image dimensions are 800 x 800 pixels. The icon will display at 98 x 98, but the larger size ensures a crisp image when reduced.

The channel banner is typically where a logo, business name and a small amount of text, such as a motto, appears across the top. The banner graphic should be 2560 x 1440 pixels. Keep in mind, however, that the safe viewing area for both web and mobile screens is 1546 x 423 pixels. Make sure vital information appears within the safe-viewing range of the banner graphic. Several free and low-cost online tools such as Canva, Stencil and DesignBold offer templates and high-resolution graphics you can use to create an effective banner.

When your graphics are ready, use YouTube’s upload option to add your new graphics to the page.

Socially Active

The goal when using YouTube for business is the same as it is for Facebook and Twitter: communication with customers, prospects, colleagues and complementary businesses. It’s about building a community and sharing information.

Even if you don’t plan to upload videos often, you can still actively participate and grow your YouTube community. Find channels of leaders in your industry, experts and influencers. Follow them, “like” relevant posts and share meaningful content on your page. Use the “Add” section of your profile to easily share liked videos. Share content within the confines of your business and avoid divisive or non-related topics. Check that the shared content setting is public so anyone who stops by your page can see the video. Comment on videos you share and respond to comments users leave. Again, engagement is the key to community building.

If creating your own videos seems a little frightening, don’t worry. YouTube offers free help tools and tutorials to get you started. The future is video marketing. Don’t let your business fall behind.

The 5 Big Steps to Take to Open Your First Restaurant

Every budding restaurateur must be filled with passion, excitement, and determination if they want to make it in such a competitive industry. Of course, anything worth having is worth working hard for, so you can guarantee all the blood, sweat and tears will be worth it once your customers start walking through your doors. To make the process run a little smoother, learn about the five big steps to take to open your first restaurant.

1. Pick the Right Restaurant Concept

Before you do anything, you will need to identify the type of restaurant you want to open to the public. For example, you can choose to launch a fine dining restaurant or a casual eatery. You will also need to select a cuisine to serve to your customers, such as French, Italian, American, Vietnamese, or Indian. The location and brand name must also be a factor when choosing a restaurant concept, as this will determine your image to potential customers and critics. Try to find a restaurant location that provides plenty of foot traffic with adequate parking nearby.

2. Write a Business Plan

Once you understand the type of restaurant you want to create, you should then write a business plan for your new restaurant. If you don’t have a business plan, no bank or private investor will be willing to finance your concept. Once you have created your business plan and have the financing in place, you should apply for licenses and permits, such as liquor licenses and sign permits.

3. Source the Finest Suppliers

Once you have secured financing and have your permits in place, your next step must be to source an excellent supplier. The quality of your food will determine your customers’ enjoyment and satisfaction, so you should aim to work with the best suppliers possible to ensure you never disappoint your patrons. For example, if you are looking for high-quality fresh or packaged meat for your restaurant, you should look no further than Smithfield Foods.

4. Design the Restaurant

It’s important to find the right balance between seating capacity and aesthetics when designing your restaurant. Functionality should be at the forefront of every design decision you make, which will allow both customers and employees to move throughout the restaurant with ease. Also, remember to choose the right color scheme to create a comfortable, stylish, and welcoming environment for your customers, which should also complement your branding.

5. Hire the Best Employees

The staff you choose can make or break the success of your restaurant – so pick your team wisely. You will want to hire a chef you can happily work alongside day after day and can effectively run a service. Preferably, pick a talented chef with extensive experience within the industry, as they can help you to choose the right kitchen equipment and can plan the perfect menu for your customers. It is also important to hire hard-working, dedicated, and friendly waiting staff, bartenders, and managers, as they will shape the customer experience.