Nibletz Staff - 5/87 - Serious Startups

Passion To Paycheck: Using Your Interests To Launch A Successful Startup

Have you ever thought about using your passions, interests and skills to launch your own business? You may be perfectly happy working for other people, but sometimes, it’s worth taking a risk. Being your own boss can present amazing opportunities, and it could give you more flexibility and enable you to increase your earnings at the same time as doing something you love. If you’re considering taking the plunge and setting up a startup, you’ve come to the right place.

Making a business plan

Even if you have incredible talents, amazing skills and years of experience, it’s not always easy to turn passions into a steady stream of paychecks. Before you invest time, money and effort, you need to make sure that you can create a viable business plan. How are you going to make money out of your interests and expertise? If you’re a doctor, a dentist or a physical therapist, you could set up your own clinic. If you’re a brilliant amateur chef, you could establish a catering business. If you’re a hairdresser, you could move from a salon and establish a mobile service. There are all kinds of jobs out there that offer options to go it alone, but you have to make sure that you understand how you’re going to use your skills to generate an income. If you want to set up a clinic, for example, how are you going to fund the venture, where are you going to buy or rent premises and how are you going to attract clients? You need to be able to answer all these questions before you get started.

Catering for your customers

As a business owner, it doesn’t matter what kinds of services or products you provide. You have to ensure that there is a market out there. Do your homework, find out what types of businesses are already operating within the marketplace and get to know the people you want to target. Which demographic are you aiming for? How do they shop or find out about local services? How much would they be willing to spend on the kinds of services or products you’re offering? What are your competitors currently offering and how successful are they? Obtain as much information as you can, and use it to tailor your business plan and come up with a model that has the best chance of success.

Laying the foundations

If you’re preparing to open a brand new medical practice, there’s a lot of work to do. If you’ve found the perfect premises, focus your attention on choosing services, stocking up on equipment like medical carts, beds and nursing supplies, and negotiating the best deals. If you buy in bulk and you use the same supplier time and time again, you should find that prices decrease. You’ll also need to think about your team. Start the recruitment process and look out for people who have the skills and experience, as well as those that fit with the ethos of the business. Decide upon a name and work on branding your new venture.

Marketing

Once you’ve got a brand and you know what you’re offering, turn your attention to marketing your company and getting customers through the door. If you don’t have marketing experts on your in-house team, this is an area you could consider outsourcing.

Do you have a passion you’re keen to use as a basis for a new business? Take these tips on board, and hopefully, you’ll be enjoying startup success in no time.

Business Lessons Learned From The Experts

One of the first things that anyone learns in business is that they need to create their own pathways to success. Still, modern entrepreneurs can gain huge amounts of inspiration from the companies that came before them. Frankly, that’s something that your new startup should be very eager to do.

Here are some of the most valuable lessons that have been taught by the experts and successful entrepreneurs before you. Use them to spearhead your progress for far greater results.

Online Success Is Vital

The world of business has undergone huge changes in recent times, and it’s largely thanks to the internet. Mark Zuckerberg, Pierre Omidyar, and Jeff Bezos are just three examples that show how the internet can accelerate a company’s progress. Meanwhile, there are various lesser-known success stories in virtually every field imaginable.

Even offline companies can benefit greatly from having a strong web presence. This is due to the way in which consumers interact with companies and complete their research. Nowadays, tapping into the mobile market is an equally crucial factor. Get this right, and the entire venture will be destined for a far brighter future.

You Don’t Have To Target Everyone

Most new business owners assume that marketing their products to everyone is the best way to create the biggest audience. However, these companies that master social media underline the fact that narrowing your search can be the best solution. Essentially, success with your niche audience is far better than alienating everyone due to a lack of direction.

Local and global populations continue to grow. As such, even the increased level of competition shouldn’t stand in your way of achieving those dreams. Knowing exactly who your products and services are for should provide direction in a whole host of areas. Frankly, that leads us nicely into the next lesson too.

Consistency Is Key

Running a modern business is far too much work for one person. Therefore, it’s inevitable that you will have a number of people working for the business. Letting them show a little initiative is crucial. Sadly, letting them run wild with their own methods could be very damaging to the creative processes and customer experience.

In fact, Jozef Opdeweegh has created an entire guide on creating a company culture. This helps provide guidance for your employees, ensuring that clients gain consistency at all times. From branding to post-sale customer care, this can be hugely beneficial.

Moving Forward Is Key

Many companies show us that innovation and evolution are crucial factors for sustained success. In truth, though, the need to avoid staying static is best illustrated by the failures. Look at Blockbuster and Kodak as the key examples. Accepting that client demands change is pivotal. On a similar note, continually striving for better is essential too.

Even something simple like improving the payment gateway or data protection can have a telling impact on the business. Likewise, finding ways to reduce the overheads so that the savings can be passed onto the client will put you in a far stronger position. Stand still in business, and the competition will leave you behind.

3 Obvious Health and Safety Issue Businesses Often Forget

You have finally started up your own business after months of planning, working hard and setting everything up. You are ready to conquer the market with brilliant customer service, a second-to-none product and a fantastic attitude… but you feel like you’ve forgotten something.

Health and safety is boring and, frankly, no-one ever wants to talk about it. However, it is incredibly important for every business to set out some clear guidelines for their staff to ensure that everyone is safe, healthy and happy in the workplace. You might be used to working as a lone entrepreneur, but now that you have a staff, you need to shift your focus and look after them too.

Purchasing the Right Equipment

Most aspects of health and safety won’t come with a financial implication but ensuring that your purchase the correct equipment for your staff to work safely is vital from the outset. You need to make sure that any risk is carefully managed and that you are within industry regulations for every piece of equipment.

The best equipment isn’t always the most expensive, though. You can – and should – still aim to get the best for your money. For example, if you run a business that includes welding as a service, you could look at sales from weldingoutfitter.com to get the best welding helmets for your workers.

Fire Safety Procedures

We tend not to think about fires since they are so rare, but fire safety is absolutely paramount in any setting. This means that you need to ensure that all your staff are made familiar with evacuation procedures and that fire doors are clear of any obstacles. It’s also a good idea to have a poster detailing the procedure in an obvious position in your office or on site to act as a reminder.

Office Rules and Regulations

As well as fire safety procedures, you should also have a more general code of conduct that every member of staff is aware of. Your code of conduct should contain guidance for all your staff on how to handle everything from bullying to ethical working. Think of it as a promise everyone makes when they join the company about how they agree to behave.

This is an overlooked area of health and safety because a lot of people assume that colleagues will behave properly without prompting. Unfortunately, the workplace is rife with potential issues from sexual harassment complaints to accusations of bullying. Having a document that outlines exactly what the rules are, how to go about raising an issue and how an issue will be handled should make dealing with any social problem much more clear-cut. If nothing else, your code of conduct will ensure consistency in how matters are handled.

The reality is that you probably won’t have to worry about health and safety until a problem comes up. But, when health and safety is taken seriously and measures are put into place, you and your staff can work much more happily together, knowing that there are rules and procedures for every eventuality.

Is Trading The Business For You?

Online trading is a form of business which is growing exponentially, and has been for the last 5 years. Many people all over the world are deciding to take their trading online and sell goods globally. It is a lucrative business and can hold unlimited potential with new clients.

But is online trading the right startup business for you? Today we are breaking down the advantages and disadvantages of trading online, and exploring whether or no it is the right business route for you.

Advantages

Save Money

Saving money is something which everyone wants to be able to do. It allows us to have an emergency fund for when things go wrong, allows us to go on holiday and even buy a house. One of the best ways you can save money online is by making use of the stock market and taking advantage of businesses which operate within it. If you invest a small amount of money into the stock market and gain a profit, you can either put that away or reinvest it for a higher return still. You could end up making a huge amount of money in a short space of time with the right planning.

Make Money

Making money online is simple. Try to find as many penny stocks as you can and invest in these. The advantage of penny stocks is that even if the value drops, it won’t drop to a ridiculous level meaning that you won’t have the risk of losing a huge chunk of money from it.

Earn Dividends

Online trading is a great way to invest money and manage your returns cleverly to earn more. Most stocks won’t earn rapid money, however they will accrue dividends steadily as you invest. This means that even if your stock value does not increase, your profit will slowly increase over time.

Low Cost

The beauty of trading in the stock market online is the ability to reduce your costs. The reason for this is that you will not need to pay a broker to do the work for you, as brokers can be very costly. Instead, you can use an online broker service which is much more affordable and will only charge you a flat rate.

Control

With the rise of the internet and the appearance of automated trading software, you will always be in full control of your stocks and investments. This is great because you are not simply leaving it in the hands of your broker, you can see everything which is going on and control it.

Disadvantages

No Broker Advice

Of course, when you choose to trade online rather than with a broker it means that you have no one to rely on. If anything does go wrong, it is your responsibility and your fault. You cannot ask for advice on things you don’t understand, which means you must make sure to do your research.

It’s Riskier

This is not to say that the markets held no risk before, however when trading online there is a higher element of risk than offline. The reason for this is that there are lower barriers for bidding, meaning that you need to make sure you are experienced enough to handle it before you dive in.

Jumping in Can Be Harmful

When you enter the online stock market you need to make sure not to simply jump at the first stock you see. Take your time and look around to assess which stock is the best one to invest in before you throw all of your money away. Bear in mind that many people dive in head first and end up losing out on profit because they didn’t pay attention to the trends.

Loss is Real

One of the things that many people might struggle with is realizing the full implications of online trading. The money you put out there online is real money, and this means that you can lose it for real. It is not a virtual game which you can play with, it is your own cash.

It’s Complicated

Although many think that online trading is less complicated than real life, it is incredibly complex and can have many people losing out on money because they do not fully understand the processes involved and how to read the trends. It is crucial if you want to start trading online that you take that time to delve into the stock market world and learn the basics.

In the whole, online trading has many benefits and risks, just like any other type of trading. You need to decide whether or not you know enough about the stock market to take the risk. If you do play your cards right you could be on the brink of a successful business venture.

Startups Not On Social Media Are Making A Big Mistake: Here’s Why

There are numerous benefits to using social media for marketing. However, some firms seem to think that it is either too complicated to use successfully, or not relevant to their demographic. Neither of these assertions is true, however, so read on to find out how social media can help your startup succeed.

Connecting with customers

One of the biggest benefits of using social media for marketing is that it is a fabulous platform for connecting with your customers. In fact, it really breaks down the ‘them and us’ barrier that can build up in the consumer- customer relationship. After all, social media is a less formal platform that can allow you to put a relatable face on your marketing campaign.

You may do this by providing videos or photos that fit in with the image you are trying to create. You may even add posts in a more informal and humorous fashion to help your potential customer better to relate to your brand. Something that you can see a fantastic example of here.

Market research

Another major benefit of using social media for marketing and sales is that it provides you with an instant platform for market research. That means you can see the type of people that like your product and interact with your content.

You can even use tools such as surveys that many platforms allow you to create to get instant feedback on how people perceive certain products, content, or offers. Something that can then be used to feedback into your product and service development process and further improve things.

Feed your marketing and sales funnel

The thing that many startups forget is that social media doesn’t exist in a bubble. In fact, it is a wonderful way of feeding your marketing funnel that ends with sales and repeat customers. Luckily, using methods such as Facebook marketing, or Instagram marketing can be a very useful way of directing people through the preliminary stages before buying.

After all, it provides a platform for information gathering and engagement, as well, if it is done right, links to purchase products, and a way of contacting customers services. All of which are a part of the directional system that leads more customers to actually make a purchase in the end.

Good PR

Above anything else, the role of social media in ecommerce is one of promotion and public relations. It is a fabulous option for nurturing positive regard for the items or service you are trying to sell.

One way of doing this is to foster positive reviews. Something that social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn overtly build into their business profiles.

Also, linking with other brands and charities online can be a great way to boost the perception of your own company. Also, don’t forget that all the interactions that are public will count towards your demographics’ perceptions of your business. This means keeping them professional and helpful for the most part is a vital element of social media marketing success.

The Fatal Flaws Of DIY Marketing

A typical business owner tends to prioritise one issue over others, and that’s cost. Business owners are always looking for a way to reduce costs and make their model a little more financially friendly. By doing this, they can make sure that their business is competitive and that they don’t have to worry about another businesses being able to lower their prices, pushing them out of the market.

It’s for this reason that a number of business owners resort to DIY marketing. This can seem like it makes a lot of sense. Particularly, if you are a running a business solo without any extra employees. If you can avoid it, you probably don’t want to take on that extra paycheck because that’s going to weigh down on your business costs. But there are a few fatal flaws of a DIY marketing campaign that you must be aware of, so let’s get into it.

Google Penalties

The first issue you need to know about are Google Penalties. You might think that there’s no risk in completing your own marketing campaign, but you could not be more wrong. If you complete your own marketing, you may, accidentally, stumble onto blackhat SEO tactics including keyword stuffing. A lot of people think that a technique like a keyword stuffing is easy to avoid because it’s obvious what’s over the line, but that’s not true. A couple more keywords than you should have could be enough to push your business into dangerous territory, and you don’t want that. Keyword stuffing doesn’t necessarily mean that the content is unreadable. It just means that you’ve used a keyword enough times to get picked up by the Google Algorithm.

Wasted Opportunity

According to a top SEO agency, there are 40,000 searches on Google every minute. Let that statistic sink in for a moment because it’s important. Now, granted not all of these customers will be searching for your product but that still means you could earn potentially thousands of clicks a day if your website is high up enough on the SERPs.

The only way you’ll be able to do this is by using a professional service. You can try to get there without the help of an expert, but there’s a problem there that can’t be overlooked.

A Powerful Competition

You might decide to cut costs by avoiding paying for marketing but don’t think that your competition will follow suit. Big companies that are competing with you are more than happy to pay for extreme levels of marketing, adding fresh content to their site like clockwork and running this social media using professionals. Even individuals often have social media managers these days to make sure that each post has the greatest impact.

The mistake that people make is thinking that jobs like social media management are so easy and quick that they can be completed without assistance. However, tweeting in your spare time will never be the same as tweeting to build up leads and make an impression on the market.

We hope you see now why it is indeed in your best interest to invest in pro help when marketing your business.

Worker Worries: The Concerns Affecting Employee Performance

There isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t worry about something, although some might worry more than others. If you run a business, you might not hear much about the things that worry your employees, but you can guarantee that they are there. While you might encourage keeping personal and work lives separate, people’s personal problems can unfortunately affect their performance at work. If you want to be a compassionate employer, while also making sure your employees do their best work, you should be aware of what these problems might be and how you can help with them.

Illness

Being ill or sustaining an injury is something everyone has to deal with sometimes. While a broken leg or a cold might not impact your business hugely, more long-term issues can. And it’s not just your employees’ own health that could affect them at work, but the health of their friends and family too. To help tackle this issue, you need to consider how you can accommodate people dealing with chronic illnesses or a family member who is ill. One thing that can help is to allow flexible working schedules and even remote working, which makes it easier to handle doctor’s appointments and the like. Adequate medical coverage is also important.

Money Worries

Money is one of the top things that people worry about. It keeps people awake at night and can always be in the back of their mind. If an employee is worrying about money, they could be stressed and distracted while at work. Assistance with managing finances is one of the employee financial perks you could offer, which can help employees deal with their money worries. Better financial education and access to support when they need it can give your staff members what they need to be more confident managing their money.

Relationships

Personal relationships can also have a huge impact on how people are at work. Whether it’s a relationship with a spouse, a child or a friend, when people are struggling with personal relationships, it can affect them greatly. Often, someone might need to talk or feel that they have the support they need. Some businesses have HR departments that might be equipped to provide assistance with personal problems such as these. Others might use employee assistance programs, which are designed to provide counseling and support to people who might need it.

Job Security

The issue of job security is a concern for many people, and it concerns into money worries too. Some people might be worried if they’re unsure of the future of the company or their position in the company. You can try to be transparent with your employees about what’s happening with your business, but it’s also important not to be too open. There’s no need to mention people losing their jobs unless you have good reason too. When people do leave the company, it’s wise to meet with the remaining employees to provide reassurance.

Personal concerns can affect your employees at work, which has a knock-on effect on your business. If you want them to be happy and work hard, you should take care of them.

Turning Travel Into A Startup? Here’s How It’s Done

The travel sector offers some of the most profitable business ideas. Since the 1930s, travel has been perceived as an increasingly popular hobby. But it’s the Millennials who have given it back its golden glory. Indeed, young adults have a great interest in investing in experiences instead of materialistic belongings. As a result, the appeal of the travel industry is slowly switching from low-cost beach holidays to out of the ordinary trips. But there is more to the experience of travel than just the discovery of a new culture or location. Sometimes, you can transform the trip into an explorative adventure too. And here is how you can turn travel into a profitable startup idea.

On the entrepreneur road

It’s easy to imagine the visa and packed luggage when you’re thinking of a travel journey. But you can keep the concept of a journey from A to Z and apply it to a new environment. For instance, the Tennessee Startup Bus doesn’t take you on holiday. Instead it brings entrepreneurs together to help them to brainstorm ideas freely and effectively. Through the journey on the bus, pitching teams exchange opinions and reconquered lost hope until they can meet with a mentor and discuss the logistics of their new ideas. It’s the road to entrepreneurship, and it’s probably the best way to maximize your business strategy.

Sleeping on water

If you’ve been looking for a great hotel idea, you need to try the Hotel CPH in Copenhagen. The converted freight boat offers no less than 12 stylish rooms to its guests, with a beautiful view of the city and a quiet and peaceful night on the water. It’s not a cruising boat, so you can be sure that your hotel stays in the harbor all night long. But it’s an exciting way of spending a night. Admittedly, if you’re considering opening a boat hotel chain, you might need to invest in fleet management software options to keep up with the necessary maintenance work and move the boat when necessary to another spot in the harbor. But ultimately, you need to manage your reception hours accordingly, as it’s tricky for a boat to stay open 24/7!

Respond to the solo travel trend

More and more travelers are happy to explore the world on their own. However, this doesn’t mean that they don’t need the same comfort and care than families or couples! The rise of solo travelers coincides with new offerings. Safety is a major concern, and consequently, if you want to attract this audience, you need to provide safe formulas with guided groups or specific hotels that are friendly to single women, for example. Additionally, there is a need to develop discounts for solo holidaymakers too.

Hop in for Hogwarts

Finally, many travelers just want to enjoy a magical experience. That’s why many choose luxury trains to live the Orient-Express dream. You can travel from London to Venice or from Moscow to Vladivostok to discover a world of railway extravaganza. If you don’t have enough time for the 2-week trip through Russia, try the Jacobite line across Scotland, which is the train used in the Harry Potter’s films.

The travel industry offers many advantages. From planning luxury rail journeys to transforming a bus tour into a brainstorming session, there’s a lot that you can do with the right business mind.

Making The Right Decision Between Contractors and Employees For Your Business

It is predicted that in the US, in two years time, the number of businesses employing contractors and freelancers will rise to 40%. And it is easy to see why; there are many benefits to hiring contractors and freelancers. But if a company only hires one or the other (contractors or full-time employees), then are they missing out on anything? If you’re starting out in business then this is a really valid question to think about. In order to understand which will benefit your business more, then you need to understand how both of them work and the pros and cons of each of them individually. So here is some more background information about them both, to help you make a more informed decision for your business.

Legal Framework

Understanding the legal framework behind both types of working will help you to make a decision, for sure. If you need someone all of the time, then you could end up paying less in hourly wage, but not in other benefits that are accountable to you as an employee. A full-time employee doesn’t typically set their work hours. You would tell them when to work and there isn’t too much flexibility around it. A contractor would set the times that they are able to work, and that is that really.

As an employer of full-time employees, you are also responsible for things like training your team to be able to do the work that you want them to do. But if you hire contractors and freelance, then you don’t need to train them to do the job. If you needed a web designer, then you’d assign a contractor to do it in the way that you want and that is that. So it can be quicker if you don’t have employees that know how to do it. The same goes for things like construction. If you click here, for example, you may be able to see that you can hire construction workers to get something specific done and then that is all. Hiring a team full-time to do the same job would mean paying them even when they’re done and are waiting for the next work assignment.

As an employer, you would decide the workday for your team of employees and set what needs to be done and when. But with contractors and freelancers, they will work with the tie that they have and organize their own work day. As long as deadlines are set, then they can do whatever hours to get it done for that time. So for freelancers and contractors, that does offer greater flexibility. As an employer, you will also be responsible for the wellbeing of your team and providing somewhere safe for them to be. Contractors and freelancers will often be responsible for their own workplace or office, unless they come on to your premises.

Deciding which type of employer you will be can be key to your business success. You don’t want to hire a full-time assistant if you’re not yet at the point of needing one all day every day. So it may change as your business progresses. But getting it right can save you time and money.

Starting Up Your Startup Office

Before most people launch their new startup, they like to get all settled into their new office. Finding the perfect office space is extremely important to most entrepreneurs as it will be their second home and the main hub of their new business. Getting it just right and settling in can really help get their startup company off to a very good start.

All ready to get your office up and running? Here are the steps you will need to take.

Get A Good Broadband Deal

You probably won’t be able to start operating your startup without any internet in your office. So, in order to get online, you will need to start looking for a good broadband deal. When you are looking for a company to set up your broadband with, don’t just go with the first one you come to. It’s a much better idea to shop around for a bit to ensure that you get the best value for your money. After all, not every broadband deal is created equally, and some might not be saving you quite as much cash as you at first think!

Check All Utility Systems

If you are moving into a brand new office space, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to the electricity, heating, and air con systems in your office. However, if you are taking over from another company then it’s worth getting them all checked out to make sure that they are up to scratch. You can check out the services of an electrical firm to see what kind of work they will carry out if your system needs upgrading. Make sure you get contractors to check your systems out a couple of weeks before you launch, just in case they need extra time to carry out major work.

Install Security Systems

In order to ensure your office is safe from any security threats, there are a few different security systems you should install. Firstly, make sure you have a burglar alarm in place. It’s also a good idea to invest in a CCTV camera system around the whole property. Don’t forget to consider your cybersecurity as well as there is a huge threat from hackers and viruses these days. At the very minimum, you should download some antivirus software onto all f your computers on your network and make sure that each machine has an equipped firewall.

Work On Local SEO

In the runup to your business launch, you should work on your website’s local SEO. These days lots of people find new business and companies through Google, especially Google maps. You need to add your business address on Maps so that it will pop up whenever people are searching the surrounding area. You should also add your contact details so that new customers can easily get in touch.

Once you have carried out all the above steps, you will be ready to get settled in and focus on your new startup business!

Serving Up A Storm In The Contract Catering Game

There’s never been a better time to get into the contract catering game. It’s burst to life like never before. What has been a sector dominated by restaurant-goers and food-lovers that want to indulge in nutritious, delicious and – let’s be honest – experimental foods, has suddenly seen a real shift into some massive and foreign areas.

Venues now want amazing in stadium foods to complement their spaces and help make the experiences offered that much more memorable. Businesses have jumped on the Google bandwagon, understanding just how important freshly prepared and yummy food is in keeping employees happy and top talent knocking at the door. Assisted living hospices have upped their interest too, which is because food is at the heart of every community. And even schools across every age group have focused on making their meals healthier and more educational. Basically, food has taken over the world in a whole new way.

So, like we said, if you have had one eye on this area of industry, then now’s not the time to hesitate because the stars have well and truly aligned.

Location Will Always Be A Priority

If you are hoping to start small and grow, then you are looking at a long road that starts with your cooking from a small office or maybe even your home. However, if you are looking at the bigger picture and hoping to take this realm by storm with the capabilities that will attract events, stadiums, schools, businesses and assisted living companies, then you need to an industrial kitchen space. It’s as simple as that. You need somewhere that will let you prepare, cook and store foods on a large scale. If you’re leasing a space, then always ask if you can make it more specialist by adding things like insulated roof panels, industrial fridges and large ovens. You may even find it easier to start off by subletting a space from an already existing business. Of course, if you have the financial backing and a plan for taking a large slice of the market, then making a custom-made space could be the best option. Essentially, the aim of the game is to have somewhere that allows growth but doesn’t stretch you too thin financially.

Always Know What You Are

How you go about placing yourself in this market depends on what you want to be and where you want to begin. For example, if you want to focus on contract catering, then you may find that your startup size and status isn’t the hindrance you thought it might be. So long as you can guarantee consistent quality at the right price, you may find a lot of clients prefer the individuality you offer over the bigger catering companies out there. If, however, you want to focus on the events side of the business, then you need to make sure you position yourself at the pitch in a smarter way because most organizers are not willing to take a chance and ant people with proven track records. Always know what you want, what your unique selling point is and how you will deliver a fantastic solution; that’s the key ingredient when looking for success.

All Dreams Require Financing

It doesn’t matter what niche you are entering or what pie you want a slice of, a business plan is absolutely always, totally essential. It isn’t just about giving yourself a roadmap that you can follow on your journey to the big leagues, it is about proving to investors that you are serious and that you’ve seriously thought about the future – where the market is ready for the taking, where the main pitfalls lie, where the big contracts lie and how much it will take to make your dreams become a reality. To do that successfully, you need to know why half of all applications get turned down. Now, we know the whole drawing up a business plan thing is terrifyingly daunting, but there are plenty of free resources out there that can help you get underway, so don’t let ignorance become a factor that encourages failure.

You’ve Gotta Go Get ‘Em

Traditionally, the food industry has been one where people come to you. Pubs, restaurants, hotels and even popup places all heavily rely on their target audience coming to them. You, however, as a contract caterer, need to adopt a more food truck approach and work out how you are going to get in front of your target audience. You need to work hard to get yourself into the marketplace. How do you do this? Well, a big part of it is marketing yourself. That’s how relationships first start. It is also about networking. After all, you may be doing a small canape party for your friend and the next thing be getting a call to do a wedding and then find yourself in the waiting room of a school canteen with a pitching board. Of course, with this comes certain details, such as legal requirements and financial needs. As such, always read the small print of any contract you are set to read and always have a legal professional oversee it before that squiggle of yours goes down on paper.

Get In Front Of The Right People

Cold calling venues, approaching local schools and care homes, and getting meetings in the books with businesses is the aim of the game here. But it is never as easy you hope it would be. That is why you need to think long and hard about how you are going to approach your potential customers. Now, you may be thinking, “I’ll invite everyone I can to an open day where they can come see and taste the kind of foods we’ll produce,” and that’s a great idea. But you also need to be a little more proactive than this. You need to speak to venue managers and try and get on their supplier list, you need to try and find people on the procurement panel of different places and get in the door that way and you need to be the first to react to new businesses opening up. All it takes is one client to get the ball rolling, so long as you know how to use that one client to market yourself.

Spreading With Purpose To Punch Above Your Weight

Starting a business, you always tend to think big and quite frankly you should. Without a vision where you want to be in 5 or maybe ten years, you lack the wind in your sails to push you forward with purpose. At the same time, there is a large amount of imagination injected into the image of what you eventually want to be. Competing with the big boys in your industry, being a leading figure in the economy of the country you set up in, and generally being a big player around the globe. However, many entrepreneurs and small business owners do get a sense that they are swimming against the tide. This is both a good thing and disheartening because it’s true. Because of your size, you will be better placed and possess the ability to react to market shifts quicker than your larger competition. Yet, you don’t have the resources to compete on a massive scale thus limiting your capabilities. Every small business owner makes a cheeky grin at the thought of a large corporation executive sweating because they now have to compete with a small business because they have a better product or service that he or she does. It’s very possible indeed to start punching above your weight.

Innovation begins with toe dipping

The thing about large companies is, they lack finesse in how they interact with the market. With the advent of social media, businesses around the world are being scrutinized by the average joe for lack of consumer insight or desires in their products and services. Another downfall of being a colossal business is that you can grow a tendency to keep your head in the sand and just power through with whatever it is you want to do. This may be partly to beat a competitor, or it might be the simple but deadly case of willfully locking yourself inside an echo chamber. However as a small business, you don’t have this problem to worry about.

Cast your net of outreach far and wide. Use whatever methods you can possible to collect and collate as much information about consumer needs and wants in your particular field. It bodes well if you already have a product or service that you have released. Using this as a basis, you can then dip your toes into the feedback you’re getting to shape what you offer. Your research and development department or team should be heavily involved in discussing the feedback you have collected. Therefore you can see what is and isn’t possible with the latest practices, technology and engineering standards. Striking off what can’t be done will leave you with your best options and thus leave you with the decision to move forward and innovate in a specific direction.

Importing and basing

The world has morphed into a large gaggle of competing economies. What were once countries mired in poverty and ailing economies are rapidly becoming modernized. Emerging economies like Brazil and India are just one of the examples. For a competitive economy, importing is just as important as exporting. Small businesses are no longer plagued by the image of small and ineffective. In fact quite the opposite, any business can now be taken seriously at the ports and docks. Just as the large companies do, you too should take advantage of importing what you need to build your business further. It’s sometimes the better option than buying domestically as your money might go a lot further when buying from lesser nations.

What can put people off this route are the huge logistical challenges that present themselves with regards to transporting and storing. Businesses that specialize in handling these difficulties, like Freo Group, for example, are the friend of small business. Use the quote function and see what kind of price range you’re in for the type of haulage you need. This business also provides material handling services that adhere to approved procedures. If you’re dealing with anything sensitive such as chemicals and or composites that are potentially dangerous, this service is a great way to handle them ethically. With the coordination of the warehouse in which your imported items are stored, your business can form a relationship of trust and reliability in service and accessibility.

Beat them to the punch

In the world of business and trade, there are certain unwritten rules and cultural aspects that will be new to a small business owner. No matter how far technology has come with regards to social media and online conferencing, meeting face to face is a matter of trust and respect. Getting on a plane and hopping overseas to access and really breakthrough into a new consumer well should be taken seriously. Meeting and connecting with other small businesses in your industry and forging contracts with these businesses is vital to accelerated growth. Trading with other businesses overseas via a direct route is a substantial ingredient to the prosperity of your business. You surely have plans to become a giant one day, and so does another business on the other side of the earth. Therefore, helping each other succeed and tapping into multiple economies not only provides you with more trade but soft power expansion. You could become a recognized name before a large company multinational has that honor if you play your cards right.

Wanting the power and influence of large multinational corporations is normal when starting up your own business. You must balance these wishes with wanting to grow with the need to compete. Growth will automatically happen to a business that prides itself on punching above its own weight. This means you must turn your envy into a lust to blow the competition away. Creating ties with businesses overseas can be done online but much better when deals are done face to face. Innovation is the fuel that powers the most modern and dominant economies in the world. No more so is this possible when you’re small and adaptable. So listen to your customers and implement their wishes to overtake large lumbering companies that find it difficult to adapt. Importing is a very real dream, and with certain businesses that can offer you their services in this area, you should be taking full advantage of cheaper products from abroad.

Unexpected Ways You Can Get Ahead of The Competition in Business

To do well in business, you can’t just be focused on what you’re doing. You need to have your eye on the competition too- in a world saturated with businesses you’re always going to be competing for customers. If you want to truly be successful, you need to give people a reason to shop with you rather than hopping on over to a similar store or business. That way you will be turning a healthy profit while holding your share of the market and making money while giving people what they want. But these methods aren’t always obvious, and some of these things might not seem linked to your competition at all. We all know that being different, having a good unique selling point and keeping an eye on your competitors products and prices are all good ways to go about this. However, there are some others too- give them a try and you might well find that it helps you get ahead. Here are some ideas

Improve Your Office

When you’re thinking about getting ahead of your competition, chances are your first thought doesn’t go to your office. But actually, it’s a great place to start. Providing your workers with a pleasant space can help them to be more productive. More work done (and more efficiently) can mean turning more of a profit and generally boosting your business. It can also make you look more professional to clients and customers, and creating a good impression could well lead to more sales. Light, neutral walls, good quality furniture and equipment, professional signage and lovely green plants will all make for a pleasing office space that most people will enjoy. A well-designed office simply shouldn’t be an afterthought, and if you’re looking to get ahead of your competitors then it’s well worth looking into.

Sell Worldwide

Going global and selling worldwide allows you to enter foreign markets, and generally allows your products and services to be available to as many places across the globe as possible. This allows you to make more sales and reach a wider audience. However it can be tricky, and some elements can be a logistical nightmare. First of all, you will also need to expand your production services to be able to cope with a global demand, as your company will need to be ready to tackle the extra workload involved? You will more than likely need more employees, managers, staff in general. Not to mention extra departments in your company. You will need to secure reliable supply lines, and look into things like shipping containers as a way to transport your items in bulk. However once you’ve worked out the kinks and things are running smoothly, it’s a chance to be turning a much bigger profit and kicking your competitors to the kerb.

Gain Good Reviews

If a customer is undecided between two businesses, checking out both of their reviews is an easy way for them to make their mind up. If you have lots of glowing reviews over a good time frame, this can really help to build up confidence in the customer’s mind and sway them into shopping with you instead of your competitor. Unfortunately you can’t give incentives for positive reviews, however what you can do is simply ask people. While some people will leave a review off their own back many won’t, but just asking them nicely can be enough for them to do so. If you have a facebook business page there’s a section you can add to allow customer reviews. Otherwise, third party review sites such as Reevoo and Trustpilot are very well trusted. Make sure you’re providing excellent service every time, as well as responding to any queries or complaints. Complaints can be frustrating, however they give you an insights as to where things are going wrong and can allow you to improve. Make the necessary adjustments so that you’re not failing customers in the same way again.

Improve Your Online Presence

The big companies on the world have got on board with what apps can do for their business long ago. However lots of smaller and mid sized businesses are still living in the stone age in this respect. And it makes no sense, we all know how we’re glued to our smartphones, and now research has even shown that more sales are made on phones and tablets than on laptops and computers. This just shows how things have moved on in the modern world, and as a company owner, is this something you think you can afford to overlook? Since many of your competitors won’t have a business app right now, use this as a way to get ahead of them. They will catch on to this later on, but for now it gives you time to build your customer base and generally get ahead. Have your website redesigned if it needs it too. This will be the first thing many customers see of your business and so it needs to make a good impression. And if they’re clicking around through similar stores, it makes sense that they’re likely to eventually settle on one that looks aesthetically pleasing. It might not be the number one thing the decision is based on, but it certainly helps to sway things in your favor. If your site looks amateur it could well put customers off, as they may assume the rest of your business is just as unprofessional. You then lose a customer to one of your competitors. The way you present yourself online is crucial so be sure that this is something you’re getting right.

These are just a few of the more unexpected ways you can boost your chances of customers choosing you over your competitors, and getting ahead in general. Focus on doing great business yourself, but keep a watchful eye over your shoulder to make sure your competitors aren’t doing things better and taking customers, or even doing something that renders your own company obsolete.

Taking Your Brand to a Global Level

While the world itself may not be getting any smaller, it often feels as though it is. As business owners, the leaps and bounds that technology have made in making the world our oyster are astounding. Now, we can easily reach people who live hundreds of thousands of miles away from us: customers, contacts, and partners alike. So, it’s not all too surprising that many of us are starting to consider taking our own brands to a global level. The trouble is knowing where to start! But not to worry. Here are a couple of small steps that you can take to take your brand beyond your own borders.

International Shipping

If you take a look at up and coming businesses, you may begin to notice a certain odd trend among them: they don’t offer international shipping. This is absolutely bizarre. However, when you search for a reason behind this, things tend to boil down to the fact that many new business owners simply think that shipping overseas is too much hassle. They think that there are all sorts of protocols and time-consuming aspects involved in the process. But they couldn’t be more wrong! After all, shipping overseas is really just as simple for the person posting the goods as sending items to any other location. Whether you are sending just one item through a courier or sending huge loads and large quantities of items on a convair 580, the time and effort involved in getting the items from A to B doesn’t fall into your lap. So, convenience is by no means a reason to avoid shipping overseas. Especially not when there are so many benefits that come hand in hand with reaching out to an international market! Think about it: the further your brand reaches out, the more customers it will draw in. This is especially poignant considering that we live in the internet age and chances are that people are sharing images of your stock all over the world. You can maximize your profits by making sure that what’s being shared is available to as many people as possible through international shipping options. This also doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to front the cost. Many buyers will happily cover the exact shipping costs in return for an item that they truly want. You never know where your largest consumer base could be and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same country that your business is based in. So, expand and embrace overseas interest!

Networking

Once you’ve worked out how you’re going to get your goods overseas, it’s time to start networking. One-off sales may be all well and good, but to make serious money, you could do with finding someone to stock your wares overseas in tangible stores where customers can see the items for themselves. This is easier than ever. While you could still make long-haul business trips, most networking can be done via email, video chat, and phone calls.

These are just two ways to take your brand overseas, but they are good starting blocks to take off from!