Cost control is extremely important for any business. But it’s especially important in a restaurant. Profit margins aren’t always astonishing, so keeping track of your costs is essential. If you’re starting up a restaurant, you have to take money-saving action as soon as possible. Check out these vital tips.

Choose your location wisely

A lot of restaurant owners fall at the first hurdle by picking an inopportune business location. You want to find somewhere busy, urban, and not too far away from competition. But that doesn’t mean you should pay extortionate fees to get the space. It also doesn’t mean you should just grab whatever is available.

Many have made the mistake of taking a retail space and converting it into a restaurant. This is an extremely expensive job. Put your focus on space that is ready for restaurant work! Don’t take this to mean that you should find an available restaurant that you have to do minimal work on. Be willing to buy such a space and make renovations that can save you money later.

Going green

Going green can save you lots of money in pretty much every industry you can name. The restaurant industry is no different. There are loads of things you can do that will help the environment and save you loads of money.

Using energy-efficient cooking technology is a good step, of course. Running the dishwasher only when it’s full – and with dishes that have been soaked first! – is also essential. Keeping an eye on the thermostat can help you save money on heating or air conditioning. (Plus, it will help you keep your customers comfortable!)

New supplies strategies

Getting supplies eats up a massive portion of your budget. You may not think there would be anything you can do about this, but there are plenty of changes you could make! A lot of business owners tend to buy from several vendors. This can cost more money than you actually need to be spending. See if you can consolidate your purchases to one or two vendors. If you streamline this process, you can save a lot of delivery costs.

The same thinking should go into the amount that you’re buying. Yes, you should be careful not to buy too many supplies, especially when it comes to food. This can result in things going to waste. But don’t assume that it’s smarter to buy in small portions from several vendors! Make sure you’re working with wholesale meat suppliers who can meet your demands.

Track your inventory

Employee theft in the restaurant industry is more common than you might think. That’s not exactly the happiest of facts, but it’s the truth. The reason it can happen is because so many restaurant owners don’t do inventory properly. So it can be very difficult to find out if food and drink is going missing!

Every year, dozens of physicians and specialists become dissatisfied with being one more part of the massive, corporate infrastructure of a hospital, and quit to start their own private clinic. While this can give you a closer and more rewarding relationship with your patients, keeping a private practice afloat certainly isn’t easy. Like running any business, you’re going to need to implement some highly effective marketing if you want your clinic to succeed. Here are a few simple tips for this.

Online Marketing

Yes, everyone needs to see a physician every now and then, and you’re going to have a pretty big demand for your services no matter where you set up your clinic. However, it’s nearly 2017 now, and any kind of business that doesn’t apply good online marketing practices will be doomed to fail. You’re going to need a professionally designed and maintained website, with a regularly updated blog so that you can keep in contact with the local community. A well-monitored social media presence is also essential for small medical practices.

Networking and Relationships with Other Professionals

Although some of them may be your competitors, keeping up a healthy relationship with other local doctors is essential for successfully marketing a new medical practice. When you have close professional relationships with other doctors in your area, you’ll ensure a healthy stream of referrals from them. Word-of-mouth and professional referrals are one of the most important components of marketing for medical professionals, especially when the market’s somewhat saturated in a particular area. There are many ways to network and build relationships when you’re running a private medical practice. Pitching medical columns to local newspapers and magazines can be pretty effective for getting your name heard by prospective patients. When it comes to reaching out to other doctors, think about joining a major medical organization, or participating in some kind of medical camp.

Patient Satisfaction

Because word of mouth referrals count for so much when you’re running a small clinic, patient satisfaction should be an important part of your marketing strategy. If your patients have an especially pleasant and helpful experience at your clinic, then they’re likely to send more patients to you. If they have a markedly bad experience, they’ll drive people away. It’s as simple as that. Make sure that your receptionists, nurses, physicians and anyone with a customer-facing role is provided with excellent customer service training, and that you’re keeping an eye on how these standards are being upheld in day-to-day practice. You should also make sure that your patient experience outside the clinic is up to scratch. These days, it’s pretty much the standard to have calls answered 24/7 for medical practices, as well as prompt responses through social media channels, and simple online systems for making, moving and canceling appointments. Customer satisfaction can pay off massively, so make it a big part of your overall marketing plan.

Hopefully the advice in this post has made your marketing feel a little less daunting. Cover these three elements, and you’ll get your clinic’s marketing off to a great start.

No matter what kind of business you are in charge of, you probably find that there are days when it all seems a bit much. This is as true for those with brand new startups as it is for those in charge of large corporations. All business owners would happily admit that running their business can sometimes take it out of them. But that doesn’t mean that it needs to be difficult in the long run. It is sensible to always be on the lookout for solutions with which to make running a business easier. In this article, we will look at some of those solutions and see how we can implement them in a modern business. Let’s take a look at how to make running a business considerably easier.

Data Mining

One of the most important acts in business is trying to determine what your customers really think about your company. This can be surprisingly difficult to discover. The trouble here is often that customers do not quite say the whole truth. Therefore, even if you ask them what they think of your business, you might not hear the truth. However, there are ways to discover what they really think, and knowing this can be surprisingly powerful if you want to get ahead. Data mining is one such method which you might want to make more of. Data mining is the process of asking for opinions anonymously, after a customer’s experience. This tends to be much more effective, and you can use the gathered information to improve your company.

Use The Latest Tech

Technology is always going to be a big part of any business. All businesses rely on the technology they use to a certain degree. This is only becoming truer by the day, so it is essential that your business is using the right technology from the start. Often, this means getting hold of the latest tech that you can find and employing it straight away. All kinds of businesses need to consider this in order to make the process of running a business easier. However, certain sectors are particularly prone to using technology in this way. The field of medicine is a particularly strong example. Medical businesses can benefit from using a modern telemedicine platform, as this will make things much easier.

Get Involved In Partnerships

Something that just about any small business can benefit from is partnerships. These are a great way of getting more resources into your business at an early stage. What’s more, it helps to keep the playing field in business more level. If your business is not yet in any partnerships, it might be a good idea to try and find some now. You might be surprised at what a hugely positive effective they can have on small businesses. The great thing is that they offer you the ability to be able to make use of the connections of larger companies, all without the usual cost. It is clear that the right partnerships can be one of the quickest ways to get a business up and running.

Managing cash flow is a challenge for all businesses.  It does not matter if you are an old-line industrial company or a tech startup, cash is king and you need to constantly manage your cash position to make sure you have enough money on hand to pay for operations.   If your cash outflows are more than your inflows, then trouble is soon to follow.  As such, here are some reasons why managing cash flow is important for your business.

Your Business Can’t Survive without Cash Inflows

Without cash inflows, your business will die.  I can’t state it any simpler than this. This is called negative cash flow and few companies have survived prolonged periods without money flowing in.

Cash inflow includes moneys from investments, interest income, sales, and loans.  Obviously, not all inflows are the same.  Cash inflows from investors or loans have strings attached must be repaid eventually.

Sales are the best form of cash inflows out there.  Think about it, your customers are giving you money and if your cash flows are properly structured then you will be able to hold on to some of that cash.  

However, there are times when sales are not enough.  Maybe you are growing too fast or your business is seasonal and there are times when sales drag to almost nothing.  Either way, you need to a plan to account for where your receivables are coming from.  This way you will know in advance when something is wrong or when you need to adjust further down the line.

You Should Watch Cash Outflows Like a Hawk

You guessed it, outflows cover the money you use to pay for raw materials, bills, loans, and even your investors.  If you want to achieve positive cash flow, then your outflows should be less than your inflows.  This is the best way to make sure you have enough cash on hand at all times.  

However, there are times when even positive cash flow is not enough.  Maybe there is an opportunity to gain more market share and you might need additional working capital.  At times like these, you might need to turn to investors or even a lender to get you the additional cash you need at the time.  

While the initial payment will represent a cash inflow, remember that you will have matching cash outflows to pay for that investment or loan.  As such, you want to make sure that your cash flow plan takes into the account of repaying any investors or loans.

Get a Plan

Managing cash flow does not happen by itself.  You need to have a plan to manage cash flow and that plan needs to include how you will balance cash inflows and outflows.  If the balance is correct, then you will achieve positive cash flow.

When making a plan, you need to start with your baseline. This is an old consultant’s trick.  It basically means looking at past performance to model where you are today and, importantly, where you are likely to go tomorrow.  From there you can identify which corrective actions will have the biggest impact on your cash flow.  

If you are just starting your business, then you won’t have much of a baseline to go off of, but don’t worry.  Having a cash flow plan in place from day one is important as it will help you highlight which steps you need to take to ensure you make the most of the cash you have on hand.  

Looking Ahead

Being a startup is not easy.  You have to simultaneously find customers and investors and there is never enough of both.  The constant struggle often means that business fundamentals get lost in the shuffle.  But having a plan and treating every dollar as a precious resource will serve you well.  So, get a plan and make it happen.

Managing cash flow is important.  You can be profitable, but if your cash flow is not right then you are bound to run into trouble.  Look at your cash inflows and your cash outflows and then come up with a plan.  If you are a startup, then don’t worry about past performance.  Begin with your projection and make corrections as you go.  The most important thing is that you are paying attention to your cash flow to make sure you don’t run out of cash.

Are you getting the most out of the opportunities Facebook can bring to your business? The social media platform is one of the biggest in the world, and there are getting on for 2 billion active users there. While you won’t appeal to every last user, there is still plenty of opportunities to use the platform to your advantage. In today’s guide, we’re going to explore a few ways you can make your business stand out on Facebook and give yourself a competitive edge. Let’s get started right away.

The importance of tone

First of all, it’s important to understand that your Facebook page represents your business. It is essential that your posts and updates always reflect your company culture and is consistent with your overall tone of voice. There is an element of informality on social media, of course, and it’s OK to be more casual than you might be in a letter. But, don’t forget that it is not an excuse for being unprofessional. Be interesting, humorous, inviting, and welcoming. But most of all, be honest, truthful, and professional.

The importance of image

It can be hard to appear like a leader in your field when you don’t have any followers. According to www.buycheapfollowersfast.com/facebook/, increasing your fan count can enhance your image. People will see that others are interacting with your brand and will be more likely to follow suit. So, your first step towards standing out is to be incredibly active in attracting new followers and give people a reason to Like your page and posts. Competitions, giveaways, and other special offers can be an enticing to consumers, so have a think and see what you can come up with.

The importance of interaction

Facebook is a social platform, which means you have to interact with others. The idea is to start conversations and promote engagement with your brand – but it works both ways. If people respond to your posts, reply to them – never leave their comments ignored.

The importance of images

Facebook is an increasingly visual medium. Posts with images tend to be more fruitful and popular than those without. According towww.socialmediaexaminer.com/visual-social-media-with-donna-moritz/, there are a few reasons why. First, people process image quicker than text. A good picture can also underline your message, and hammer home your points. So, ensure that you include images with all your posts. Not only do people interact more with posts that have images, but they are also more likely to share them.

The importance of value

Never use your Facebook page for the sole purpose of promoting your business. If you aren’t giving people value and sharing informative information, you will just turn people off. As a rule, a third of your posts should be promotional. The rest should be a healthy mix of helpful posts and sharing of other, curated content.

OK, so that’s all we have time for right now. With a little hard work and dedication, you can turn your Facebook page into a goldmine for sales and prospects. Let us know your thoughts on how to make your Facebook business pages stand out.

The minute you walk into a space, the office culture should be clear. How the materials, colors, and finishes work together create your brand image, which is why designing your office is so important. The goal is to curate a space that’s both comfortable for your employees and impressive to your visitors.

When people walk into your home, they have an idea of who you are. The same should be said for your business. How you utilize your space, whether it’s your personal workspace or an entire office, is very telling. Here are four simple steps to branding your office:

1. Choose colors that reflect the brand.

The right colors will really accentuate who you are as a company and bring out the energy you want to project. Certain colors evoke specific emotions. For example, blues symbolize trust and loyalty; yellow, orange, and red are associated with high energy; green is representative growth and freshness; white represents purity and cleanliness. However, too much of anything can have an adverse effect.

Choosing the right color is more important than you think, and visitors aren’t the only people who will feel the brand based on your color choices. Consider the people who are in the office on a day-to-day basis. A University of Texas study found that color can have a direct impact on productivity. Beige, grey, and all-white offices have been linked to sadness and depression, particularly in women. Low wavelength colors like blue and green improve focus and efficiency. Psychologists often view yellow as optimism and is linked with innovation. A great color picking program and matching tool like Pantone will help you narrow in on the perfect color (the system has been used to choose famous colors like Tiffany blue and Minions yellow, and Target red).

2. Use proper signage.

When visiting an office space, one of the first things you see is the office signage — an introduction to the space. This isn’t something you should skimp out on. Signage should show the company name and/or logo. Thankfully, there are endless options for entryway office signage. A sleek stainless steel or frosted glass sign could evoke minimalism, while a large, colorful, raised letter sign could be bold and powerful. Be sure that your signage matches with the rest of the office and company branding.

3. Your furniture and fixings should match your brand.

Furniture is a great foundation for branding and is really the meat of your office. One of the first brand-based decisions you’ll make is between traditional and modern furniture. If you want to present your company as being forward-looking, innovative and fun, there are a plethora of you can choose from: minimalist glass tables, sleek mesh seats, breakout furniture. If your brand values a more traditional approach, opt for conventional furnishing, like wooden tables and leather chairs. Sleek, modern furniture would work great for a tech business or a business that requires high levels of collaboration.

If you have a distinct product or service, bring it to the forefront and highlight it. We recommend taking a look at office design blogs and using their images as inspiration. Pinterest is also a great platform to help narrow down your ideas — a simple search of “office design” will yield thousands of results. If you know the type of decor that you want, but can’t figure out how to bring to life, type in a search term like “sleek office design.” Working with a third party design company will also help bring more ideas to the table based on what you hope the office will evoke for your brand.

4. Think about creativity boosters.

Whether your business is a dental office or an advertising firm, it could benefit from some creativity. Creativity comes in all forms: an employee could come up with a new filing system for a dental office while another just created an award-winning ad campaign at an advertising firm. One way to inject creativity into the office is to have more open spaces — which is proven to increase collaboration and connection and help empower your team. Another idea is to to create a breakout space that allows your employees to take a break, come together, and socialize.

Bringing some nature into the office can also work wonders for your overall aesthetic. According to a study conducted by England’s University of Exeter, employees with a small plant on their desk were 47 percent more creative and 40 percent more productive.

As a business owner, you should always be looking for ways to expand your company. One of the key steps owners often take is to start selling and marketing on the international market. Rather than simply selling their product in the local region, they make the most of the global demand. But before you put your business on the world market, there are a few lessons that you need to learn.

Demand May Not Be There

You must keep your ego in check when you think about expanding your company. It would be foolish to believe that you already have a built-in market for your product overseas. You probably don’t and instead you’ll need to research whether there is a demand there. If there isn’t, you going to have a pour a lot of money into a marketing campaign.

Competition Is Fierce

Of course, you may need a strong marketing push anyway. You might not realize that when you enter the global market, you’re already facing heated competition. Indeed, there is probably already someone in the new region offering the same product as you or one that is quite similar. You will have to work hard to gain the upper hand.

You’ll Need To Evolve

Demand will differ depending on where you are selling to. For instance, in certain parts of the world, healthy food is more popular. That hasn’t stopped Mcdonald’s and other major brands thriving there, though. They just had to change how they marketed their products and even the type of products that they were offering consumers. You can see below in the infographic the way the international market can shape an already existing business model.

Infographic Produced By Pepperdine University

According to a survey done by the Australian Bureau of statistics (ABS), more than 6.6 million  Australians were born overseas. That means that almost half of all Australians were either born overseas or have a parent who was. We are a nation of migrants and that makes the companies operating here very flexible by being diverse in the workforce they hire. When you want to hire remote or overseas workers, you have to be ready to face the challenges that come with dealing with them.  

However, they can prove to be an incredible asset to your company’s expansion and rapid growth. Internet has made it quite easy for companies to hire remote or overseas workers. The easy flow of communication and commerce has made it easier, convenient and very cost effective. It has empowered companies to consider the benefits of hiring top talent from anywhere in the world without being restricted by geographic boundaries.

When you want to hire an overseas employee, here are five important things that you will need to consider and get done before you do so.

• Delegate Tasks Before Virtual Outsourcing

Before hiring a new overseas worker, think and evaluate if you really need one. You may find that your employees are overworked and overwhelmed with responsibilities, a dilemma that can easily be solved by the delegation of tasks to minimize management and supervision. In the end, you may find out that there was no need for relying on an overseas hire. A quick re-structuring can increase your operational efficiency and help you reduce redundancies without bringing an overseas worker on the team.

• Look Far and Wide When Looking for Experts in a Field

In the past, there were just a handful of companies and platforms that provided the opportunity for companies to hire overseas employees. However, that situation has completely changed. Now, you can cast your net really wide to find the best talent for a job. You can use online portals to review a candidate’s resume and application materials as well as their portfolios before making a decision.

• Think About More than Just Hourly Rates

Before you decide on your compensation package, you will need to evaluate each remote worker’s skill set and level of expertise. Think about it; you might be attracted to an international worker who is bidding to work at $5/hour. In comparison with an Australian who is charging you $40/hour, this may seem like an obvious choice. However, if English is not their first language, the task that could have taken an hour to complete may take five hours to do so. Check the candidate’s full employment package before you decide to hire them.

• Think About Communication Channels and Time

Overseas workers shouldn’t have an “Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind” place in your business. Avoid any internal and external miscommunications and ensure that all the team members are on the same page. This will help avoid any disruptions in your business and decrease employee satisfaction. Daily status updates, weekly standup meetings, internal chats and calls to facilitate conversations among team members and regular employee meet-ups can reinforce communication between regular and remote workers.

• Think about Legal and Tax Obligations Beforehand

This will depend on whether you use a third party or an independent contractor to hire your remote employee or whether you hire them directly. This will differ according to the terms you hired them under and you may have to deal with a number of tax and legal obligations accordingly. You might also want to consider sourcing skilled professionals from overseas, in this case, it is worth getting advice from a qualified migration agent to ensure all the legal elements.

Being in control of your finances and accounts is a critical part of being a business owner. However, so many new startups get things wrong. It might be that they make mistakes – and draw attention from the IRS. But it also might be because they are overcome with fear of doing something wrong, and don’t claim taxes back on the things they should. As you can see, there is a delicate balance to strike. But there are also a few guidelines that can help you run better books, and save you time and money at the same time. Let’s take a closer look.

Use an accountant

Want to know the biggest – and the best – secret of accurate, tax-efficient bookkeeping? Just hire an accountant. Many startups avoid doing so, just to save a little money. But hiring an accounting expert is not a cost – it’s an investment. The amount of money they will save you will far outweigh that which they charge. Get in touch with a nearby firm, and ask them if they have experience in your industry. Find the right company, and it will save you an awful lot of money. And, of course, the time it takes you away from your critical business activities.

Use software

If you don’t want to use an accountant, try some software. There are plenty of options out there, which will help you keep your books in perfect condition, and IRS investigation-proof. Bear in mind that it can take some time to learn how to use your preferred software, and you might still need a bookkeeper on board. However, with software, they should be able to complete their work faster, meaning a smaller monthly charge.

Open a business bank account

When you are a startup, setting up a business account is likely to be one of the last things on your mind. It’s far easier to use your personal account, after all. Or is it? Well, at first, it might do, but when it comes to doing your taxes, it can end up being a nightmare. It is essential, then, to separate your business and personal accounts. Your accountant or bookkeeper will love you, and so will the IRS should they ever come knocking.

Receipt solutions

Receipts can be the bane of every business. You buy something with company cash, and when tax filing day comes around, you can’t find it anywhere. So, instead of using the traditional method of filing your receipts, why not take pictures of them? You can use apps like Evernote to take photos, and file away, safely, on the cloud. It’s simple, easy, and you should never have a problem tracking your receipts.

Track your mileage automatically

Finally, how much time do you waste tracking your business mileage? And why are you still entering details into your accounts when you can use a tracking app to do it for you? There are plenty of applications out there, so take a look at what you can find and get started as soon as possible. It should save you a significant amount of time.

Hope this has helped – feel free to leave some of your suggestions in the comments!

Expressing your gratitude at the end of a successful sale to your customers for their trust is an ethical business practice. However, you can add to the significance of a simple ‘thanks’ and make it even more special through small incentives and giveaways that would make a cherry on top and add to your overall service value and customer experience.

Customers love to be surprised, and there’s no better way than your branded merchandize to satiate their craving for surprise and keep them happy, loyal, and bound to your brand.

Here are some interesting gift ideas that do not go too heavy on your business budget and surprise your customers in a happy and pleasant way. Read on.

1.Customized Notepad Fridge Magnets

Fridge magnets are a thing of the past. Miniature, magnetic notepads are the new fad.  They look cool, trendy and make a smart gift option for your customer to stick on their refrigerators and jot down the mini minor bits they need to remember every day. These customized and branded notepad fridge magnets would make a good brand reminder, every now and then, whenever your customers cast a look on that, thus increasing your brand recall.

2.Inflatable Pool Toys

The squishy, mushy inflatable pool toys, whether it is a swimming tube or duck-shaped floats would instantly cheer up your customers and their kids. Not only they are pocket friendly and cute, they would also make a subtle reminder for your brand and increase your brand recall when your customers are away on their holidays on a beach or having some splashy fun time swimming in a pool.

3.Australian Soccer Ball

Your soccer-fan customers would love to have it as an added bonus with their purchase. A hand sewn soccer ball, tailored to perfection and an emblem of the craftsman’s finesse, printed all over in the glorious Australian flag would make an ideal gift option during those thrilling Australian Soccer League seasons or on the occasion of the National Day. It would also create a strong association with your brand in the minds of the customer.  

4.Notebook Drink Bottles and Protein Shakers

Customized mugs and glasses do make a good gift choice but not as good as these notebook drink bottles and customized protein shakers. They are trendy, unique and would sure catch the attention and interest of your customers. Not only that, they would also make a good promotional tool, speaking about your brand wherever your customers take them, through the brand name and logo printed on them.

5.Branded and Customized Glow Sticks

Glow sticks are an uber cool option for business giveaways. Used in a variety of ways, they are an instant tool to light up your special occasions, be it a birthday, a rock concert, a raving adventure or as an essential survival tool for your hiking and trekking trips. You can get these glow sticks printed and customized with your brand name and logo and your customer would sure want to drop in again to get more of these as a bonus on each purchase.

You know you want to start a business of some kind. Well, what if your startup is centered on a blog? Whether the blog is the business or an accompaniment to it, this right here is some essential advice.

Identify the tone of voice and style

Is your blog going to be funny? Are you going to write relatively short posts that can be read in a minute or so? Will you write longer ones that could take about seven or perhaps longer? Will you incorporate current events into your writing? (Answer: Yes, you probably should.) If you’re going to have several writers, will you all adopt a similar tone of voice? Consistency here will help foster loyalty among readers.

Read as many blogs as you can

No, not so you can copy their ideas. It’s so that you can learn from the people who are writing successful blogs. More important than the “big” blogs, however, are other blogs that are in your niche. All of this will help with topic ideas, strategies, and identifying what works for readers.

Look into guest blogging

If you love to write, then it follows that you’ll want people to read your writing. If you’re starting a blog, then this is a pretty easy conclusion to come to! But you shouldn’t only be willing to write for your own blog. In fact, with the right help, you could create content for other blogs. This will help you and your blog gain recognition. Guest blogging is perhaps more popular than you think. All the biggest blogs, including Lifehacker and The Huffington Post, host guest blogs. Check out this influencer marketing guide for more details.

Your priority should be ‘informing’

Okay, so if you’re running a comedy blog, then your main purpose should probably be to entertain! But with most other types of blog, what people really want is to be informed. Don’t take too long getting to the point. Don’t confuse the issue. Don’t flood the article with words that sound impressive just for the sake of it. Articles that are informative will always capture hearts and minds more than more sensational or lazy articles.

Optimize for mobile

You may think that a blog is simple enough for reading on a mobile phone. But you’d be surprised. If you haven’t optimized your website for mobile phones, your blog could be in trouble. Don’t assume that your website will be user-friendly and easy to read on mobile. Get it optimized so your blog is responsive to all types of screen sizes. So many people read blogs on mobile devices these days. You don’t want to lose out on that potential audience.

Keep an eye on design

Design is an extremely important factor when it comes to successful websites. Don’t think you’re exempt from having to keep an eye on design just because you’re dealing in the written word! Sure, a lot of people will appreciate simplicity. But a lot of those standard website templates you can get for blogs these days aren’t too impressive. Plus, everyone’s already seen these templates a million times before. See if you can get some unique design for your blog.

Planning for an exhibition requires knowledge of what to do beforehand, during the exhibition and what you should do afterwards. It is not enough in today’s competitive markets to have a simple exhibition, expecting people to flock to your exhibition space just because you are there.

Knowing how to have a successful exhibition includes having the proper tools and materials to draw people to your stand. Your responsibility is to bring in visitors and prospects and make them want to hear what you have to say, or to learn more about your products or services.

Here is some advice on how you should plan and prepare for your next exhibition, and why just turning up is not enough to guarantee a success and return on your investment.

The importance of proper planning and preparation beforehand

It is important to understand that proper planning and preparation are crucial aspects of any exhibition. Even more important, perhaps, is understanding that there is a difference between planning and preparing. The preparation stage requires that you determine key issues of your intended audience and how well you successfully predict their response or behaviours while at your stand.

Planning requires that you understand your objectives, who your targets are and your intended outcome.

But, feeling confident that you worked out all the details of preparation and planning is not enough to ensure a successful exhibition. You cannot sell, negotiate, build relationships or successfully communicate your ideas or proposals to an exhibition audience if no one is there to see you.

You must maximise your presence at every exhibition event. One sure way of doing that is to have an exhibition stand that sets you apart from your competitors, brings your message to life and attracts everyone’s attention.

What to do during an exhibition

To put it simply, it’s essential that you have an effective exhibition stand if you want to draw people into your space. Maximise your exhibition presence with a custom built exhibition stand that draws visitors over to your business, makes people interested in hearing what you have to say, and fundamentally makes them interested in hearing more about your products or services.

When you invest in a custom-built exhibition stand, with help from an agency with experience and expertise, you set yourself apart from competitors, tell visitors who you are and what you have to offer them. Customised exhibition stands help convey your message and quickly turn the attention of visitors to your stand.

While having a custom-built exhibition stand is an outstanding component of bringing in traffic during each exhibition, that on its own is not enough. Consider showing a short video or having an interactive activity inside your exhibition stand, or perhaps have other visual hooks. Be prepared to confidently answer questions while making personal appearances in your exhibition space.

What to do after an exhibition

Some exhibition participants dread the end of an exhibition because of having to tear down their exhibition space. However, when you invest in a custom built exhibition stand, clever innovation allows for easy setup, takedown and transport.

After the exhibition is finished, it is time to get to work following up on all your leads and prospects that visited your exhibition. Close deals and make sales by getting in touch with people while your exhibition is still fresh in their mind. If you wait to follow up until two months later, they may have lost interest and forgotten who you are, meaning you potentially risk losing the return on investment that you envisioned.

Remember to follow up with personalised messages and calls to everyone that visited your exhibition stand. The personal touch potentially goes a long way towards gaining and retaining new customers or clients for your business.