Author: Nibletz Staff

Most business owners would agree that becoming more productive is a top priority. That would help their companies to create higher profits and improve in many different areas. The issue is that people often get things wrong, and their workers never reach optimum efficiency. With that in mind, readers should use the concepts on this page to take their ventures to the next level. Implement these suggestions correctly, and your should notice a positive difference among your workforce. Of course, it all comes down to the inner workings of your business model. However, anyone who works from an office will benefit from this advice.

Provide the best tools for the job

All bosses should aim to provide their teams with the most advanced technology related to their roles. That is the only way to ensure you stay ahead of the game and beat the competition. New desktop computers might cost a lot of money, but they will help to speed your essential processes. Also, adding useful intranet search tools to your system in a wise move. That will enable employees to search shared documents from a single screen and source required information. With a bit of luck, you should notice working times begin to reduce as soon as you implement a tool of that nature.

Offer financial incentives

People are susceptible to certain psychological techniques more than others. However, dangling a carrot in front of their faces will always encourage them to work harder. For that reason, you might consider offering financial incentives to dedicated employees. Let the people in your office know you will select someone at the end of each month for a bonus. That should encourage them to work a little faster to impress. Alternatively, you could provide theme park tickets, bottles of wine, or whatever you like. Just make sure you always reward hard work.

Create a comfortable working environment

The environment in which you expect people to work could play a significant role in productivity levels. Employees will struggle to reach their potential if you can’t maintain a suitable temperature. Likewise, cheap furniture like desks and chairs could cause them to suffer back pain. Considering all that, you must discuss the matter with your team as soon as possible. Ask if there is anything you could do to make their jobs easier, and take their suggestions on board. Maybe adding a fun break room to your office would make sense? That would get people away from their desks, and it should make workers feel refreshed after lunch.

There are many other ways you can boost productivity and efficiency within your office. So, don’t make the mistake of stopping your research here. Search Google and see if you can find any more practical suggestions from other bloggers.

At the end of the day, you started a company to make as much money as possible. Allowing your employees to slack could mean you never achieve that goal. You don’t want to build a reputation as a slave driver, but giving them a nudge in the right direction won’t hurt.

In business, perception is everything. The right perception can help you win over a client even when you’re not offering the best deal. It can give you the chance to wow investors and get the money you need for a business expansion. It can help you sell a product that is inferior to the one that your competition is offering. Without the right perception, you’re not going to attract customers or clients to your business. You certainly won’t be making big profits. Here are some of the best ways to keep the perception of your company positive.

Your Employees

Don’t forget that your customers probably won’t be interacting with you that much. The biggest companies will have entire customer service teams to deal with interactions with consumers. Small businesses may still not allow customers to speak with the business owner. At that point, a large portion of the perception of your business is based on your employees. This is one of the reasons you should ensure that your business’s employees look professional. You should ensure that they are well dressed and properly groomed. Even the slightest thing such as an employee wearing an unpressed suit could have negative consequences for your company. You should also be aware that some people match certain appearances with negative stereotypes. For instance, there are still people who believe tattoos are a sign of someone who is dangerous or untrustworthy. For that reason, you may want to ensure any employee tattoos are covered with a plaster.

Little Things

As already mentioned, little things can have a negative or positive affect on the perception of your company. For instance, your business employees should have name tags that look professional. That way it allows customers to reference employees who have performed well. Or, to offer constructive criticism to your company where an employee has not offered the best service. It also allows customers to speak to employees using their name and this allows for a more friendly interaction. While this may seem like common sense, it’s amazing how many companies forget how this basic element of customer/employee interactions can improve their overall experience. Companies like Imagine Badges offers a wide range of labels for your employees to wear that are cost effective and professional. You may also want to consider designing business cards for your employees. Not only does it help them feel involved and part of the business, employees will be able to hand them out and offer their services when and if the situation arises.

Your Office

If you are looking to impress clients or attract investors you should think about your business premises. Ideally, you want your business premises to look both stylish and modern. If you think your office looks outdated, you might want to arrange for a complete renovation. Believe it or not, clients do make snap judgements when they arrive at a business location. If your business looks outdated they might assume your services are behind the times. Perception is also one of the reasons why if you are working from home you should still have an office for clients. This can be rented when it is needed so it does not need to be a full-time cost. But it presents a much more powerful image than an individual working from a home study.

The importance of perception in business should now be clear. With a positive perception of your company, there is no limit on what you could accomplish.

If you are trying to impress someone, you need to look the part as your appearance says a lot about your business. Without saying a word, your potential clients and customers will use your appearance to judge you and your firm. The result is that you may lose sales and money just because you didn’t come across as you would like. The obvious remedy is to transform your appearance so that you always look professional and respectable. Here’s how to make it happen.

Buy New Clothes

Evolution beats revolution, but this case is different. It is time to throw away all of your old work clothes and start again. A set of new clothes adds freshness to your appearance that is lacking when you don’t wear the right gear. Plus, the clothes will get you into a routine that you should try and keep. They will gradually make you into the person that takes care of their looks. So, over time, you will automatically make the changes to your wardrobe that you need to make.

Look Good, Feel Good

Obviously, how you look plays a big part. But, how you act also plays a big part. You may have new clothes, but they won’t a difference if you don’t have a new attitude. It is all about confidence, so make sure you exude confidence. The key is your posture. A straight back and a set of strong shoulders are body language for ‘don’t mess with me!’ Your posture also dictates how you walk, which is another major part of confidence. Confident people don’t walk; they strut. Make sure you give off the impression even if inside you are a bag of nerves.

Accessorize

You can accessorize in a couple of different ways. Firstly, there are the personal accessories that make the businessman. A shiny, silver watch, for example, is an eye-catcher and instantly makes people think you are legitimate. The reasoning behind it is hard to pinpoint, but everyone judges people of their watch. Secondly, there are business accessories that look the part. The briefcase is the most obvious example, but there are more. Custom lanyards are another example as only people with clearance wear tailor made lanyard. Even though that isn’t true, exploit the method behind the madness.

Lead From The Front

People that look the part are leaders. They are the confident people that take risks and carry their team on their shoulders. And, you are one of these people. When you look like a leader, customers and clients will gravitate towards you. They see a person that can take the situation by the scruff of the neck and make things happen. Again, that doesn’t have to be the case, but it needs to look like the case. Perception is everything in the business world, and people that perceive you to be a leader will gladly do business.

The next time you look in the mirror, you should make sure you are looking back at a person that belongs to this industry.

It’s one thing coming up with a great idea for a startup business. But getting to know the marketing side of things is a whole other game. There is certainly a steep learning curve involved when it comes to promoting your company. Nonetheless, it’s something that all business owners need to spend a good deal of time on. After all, if you don’t draw people in, then you can’t expect the business to be a success. But maybe you’ve exhausted all of your options, and you’re wondering what else you can do. Luckily for you, there are plenty of marketing techniques which have been shown to improve sales. Here are some of the best ideas from the world of marketing which you might not have considered before.

Infographics

First of all: what are infographics? They are the representation of information in visual form. The reason that infographics work so well is that people take information on board more readily in visual form. For this reason, they are ideal for immediately grabbing someone’s attention. Another great benefit is that you get your message across much quicker and in a way which is more memorable. Pages and pages of blocked text are a bore for many people. Infographics offer an easy way to get an idea across – and the consumer is happy that you haven’t taken up much of their time!

Emotional Branding

Recently, marketers have been rushing to include this one in their schemes. Why? Because emotional branding is effective! Emotional branding can very often mean the difference between a marketing idea being a success or a failure. It works so well because, all too often, we are creatures of emotion! Anything which grabs our attention and pulls our heartstrings is sure to stick out and be memorable. If you want to draw people in, remember their human side.

Personalisation

Nobody likes to be treated like just another number! To treat people how they want to be treated, you need to be personable. Including personalisation in your marketing shows that your business has a heart. People tend to appreciate that. Most people will respond well if you talk to them with a genuine human interest. There are lots of ways to achieve this. First of all, it is imperative that you research your potential customers thoroughly. Knowing the customer is key! Then you can work towards including everything you know in your marketing. Consider personal emails or e-Christmas cards for business marketing. Those little things go a long way.

Urban Marketing

This one is hot off the press! Urban marketing is the latest big thing in the marketing world. If you are keen to get your startup business off to a flying start, then consider the power of the street. Street marketing comes in many forms, so you have a lot to choose from. For example, you could commission the painting of a mural in a popular public place. That would be a sure way to get some interest stirring! Or you could take a leaf out of Banksy’s book and use the surroundings to arrange an original work of art. Just make sure you have permission to do so! Whatever you decide upon, think outside the box, and your business is sure to thrive.

So you have started your business, and now you are gearing up for your first meeting. Whether you are going in to meet with a potential client, to kick off work on a project with your new team, or meeting with potential partners or backers, it can feel like a milestone occasion in the formation of your company, and you really want to make sure it goes well. If you have no background in business this may not just be the first important meeting for your start up, but may even be your own first experience of a business meeting.

Here are some tips to make sure you look as professional as possible and get the results you are looking for:

Arrive On Time, And Fresh

Whether you are holding your meeting at your own premises, meeting a client at their own site or holding your meeting at a neutral location, you need to make sure you are on time and putting across the right professional look and feel. If you are traveling by car, plan your journey ahead so you will definitely be on time, and this includes where you are going to park – which can in itself cause big delays in some cities! Look at www.yourparkingspace.co.uk to find bookable places to park in different UK locations, including London. You may also want to consider hiring an executive car via http://www.ichauffeur.co.ukfor the day, or taking a cab rather than public transport to help you arrive comfortable and unflustered – as well as potentially impressing the people you are meeting with.

Brand Yourself

Naturally you want to look smart and professional at your first business meeting, but this is not one of those situations where your parents’ advice about job interviews is always correct. Depending on the type of business you run and the type of people you are meeting, turning up in a suit and tie may not fit, and could make you look like you are trying too hard or are not relaxed and confident. When it comes to planning what to wear, think of your branding. If you are a fashionable creative company, then you will want your look to reflect that. If you are something very professional and business-like, like an accountancy firm, that slick suit and tie look may still be the best choice. Consider the brand elements you are using to represent your company, and dress in a way that communicates this while also matching the level of ‘business attire’ you think the people you are meeting with will be wearing.

Have an Agenda

Meetings can easily go off track and end up running late with many of the points you planned to discuss not being covered or decided on. Whether you are chairing the meeting or not, being able to take control of the conversation and drive it toward goals is an important business skill. Have a proper agenda distributed to the people you are meeting with if you are the one hosting the meeting, and if not, have at least a mental list of topics you want to talk about and objectives for the session, and make sure these get included. Have a look at these 5 business meeting apps that will help with creating an agenda and then getting the most from the meeting.

A good first meeting can be extremely productive and can make you feel like your business is off to a great start, so prepare yourself well and head in there with confidence!

Whether your business is focussed on the digital arena or not, you’ll probably need an IT department. If your company is a start-up, then this can seem like a very daunting task. Although slightly complex, setting up a functional IT department isn’t impossible at all. Go about it the wrong way though, and you could end up harming your entire firm. Here are some valuable pointers for setting up your IT department.

Your first step should all be planning. This is true for almost anything in business. You have to take some time to decide what IT means for your specific company. At its most basic level, an IT department has to tend to all the hardware and software requirements at your company. You may not be aware, but IT support for businesses can extend far past that. A fully functioning IT department will be conducting research into new emerging technology. Using this information, they can then present certain professional suggestions to the upper echelons of your business. This will allow your firm to acquire technology strategically. In turn, that will make your employees more productive and in-step with the modern world. If this doesn’t give you an edge on your competitors, it will at least bring you in line with them!

Next up, you’ll need to find a good team to staff your IT department. Like a lot of departments, the most important decision here is hiring the manager. You’ll need to find an IT manager with a lot of experience, and who shares your vision for your business. When hiring a manager, you need to be wary of gaps in the CVs or resumes you receive. IT is a speciality which is evolving much faster than others. To make sure you hire an effective manager, the candidate has to have recent experience. Someone who’s working as an IT manager for a company larger than yours is ideal. If you can’t find this, then go for one with some professional experience, and has been in further education since then. If possible, sit in on the interview stage personally.

Finally, make sure you have all the correct tools for the job. This ties in closely with my point about how fast technology is changing. There are all kinds of tech solutions out there. Choosing the right one depending on your business can have a significant impact on your overall revenue. You need to make sure your IT department is doing frequent and thorough research into all the latest software you could benefit from. Do you need the latest version, or should you let your competitors test it? Which hardware and software will give you the best ROI? These are just two of the questions you need to ask with every new release.

Take these steps, and your firm will be much closer to having the professionally run IT department you need. Obviously the company’s yours, but trust the advice of your IT manager with any technological decisions. Their advice is often more useful than you first thought!

It might not seem like a huge priority to you, but health and safety are massively important to your business. You need to have procedures in place to protect the company and the staff as well. Now, you should have health and safety procedures, and make sure everyone is trained in them. And you should also hire health and safety experts too.

But, more than this, you need to make sure you have other specific procedures within the company. Now, it doesn’t matter if you’re running a store or an office, health and safety still plays a big role. Check out these procedures that your business needs to use to become safer.

Wet Floor Signs

If you have cleaners in the business, you’ll be getting surfaces cleaned. And this will include making sure the floor gets mopped on a regular basis. The problem is that wet floors can be a big hazard and can result in accidents and injuries. But you can’t exactly leave the floors uncleaned. So, what you need to do instead is to make sure you alert people to the fact that the floors are wet. And this means you need to use wet floors sings. All businesses should have wet floor signs. And if yours doesn’t then it’s now time to visit http://www.safetysign.com and invest in them. They are important for safety and ensuring accidents can be avoided as much as possible.

Safety Tape

If you have a warehouse as part of your business, this can be a dangerous place. And that’s why it’s important to have some organisation in there. You need to have designated homes for places to ensure that you keep the warehouse free of chaos. Use special tools and pieces of equipment to help you achieve this. For instance, a visit to www.Safetytac.com will provide you with options for floor safety tape. This is going to be instrumental in helping you keep the warehouse safer and more organised. Safety tape should be a must-have item for any business that owns a warehouse full of stock.

Turn Off Machinery

All businesses will have some form of machinery or equipment that needs to be used. This equipment is very important to the running of the business, but can also pose big safety risks. You need to make sure that anyone using the machinery has been well trained and has all the right gear. You also need to make sure that the machines are turned off when they aren’t being used. This is the best way to avoid accidents or injuries from occurring and the business facing a lawsuit. Be careful and sensible and make sure you understand how crucial the machinery is within the business.

You need to have health and safety procedures in the business to protect yourself and your staff. This will help to make your staff more productive and boost the company’s growth. The company is going to be at risk from legal issues, and you have to protect it as much as you can. And the best way to do this is to try to make sure the working environment is as safe as it can possibly be. Use the ideas on this list to make the business a safer and more secure place.

Anyone looking to make some extra cash but not yet ready to take a head-on dive into the world of becoming a full-time entrepreneur can still have a go at making a bit of extra money. In fact, many of these businesses will run almost effortlessly in the background whilst you are at work and before long, who knows? You could be transitioning to full time at your online business and kissing your boss goodbye. Here is just a sampling of the many things you can do online to make that much needed extra cash.

1. Blogging / Content Writer

Every website you land on probably has a paid blogger or copywriter doing the content you see on that site. Few website owners have the ability or willingness to sit there writing their own content and so they hire professional writers proficient in SEO to write for them. Pay is usually on a per word basis and if images or graphics need to be added there is typically an extra charge for that.

2. Virtual Digital Assistant

So many professionals have too little time to do all the tasks that are required of them daily. A virtual digital assistant is basically someone who reads emails for their clients and then responds accordingly or forwards on the ones that are more personal in nature or when a clear-cut answer isn’t available.

3. Web Host Reseller

No longer is it necessary to have huge amounts of equipment to sell web hosting services because you can be a web hosting reseller. This is an amazing opportunity for a start-up in the UK because companies like www.bestwebhosting.co.uk sell services at low prices and you have the opportunity to buy hosting at what amounts to wholesale cost. Then, when reselling you make a small profit off each sale and residual earnings as your customers continue to use the web hosting provider.  You can mesh this with point four if this is an area you are interested in.

4. Website Development

If you have ever played around with WordPress, Joomla or Drupal, you might have found that you actually can build a website with little or no effort. In fact, the more Content Management Systems you are acquainted with, the easier it will be for you find a job building websites for others. Most commercial sites require a web development company with all the bells and whistles but small companies and individuals are happy to pay those familiar with website development to help them choose a theme, customise elements within the theme and then upload content to have it go live.

5. Affiliate Marketer

Have you ever checked into the world of affiliate marketing? This is a sort of MLM that is totally legal and quite easy to do online. Simply register with a company or another affiliate marketer, place ads, products or links on your site and before you know it you will be bringing in a residual income.

6. Editing and Proofreading

Are you proficient in the English language? If so, editing and proofreading for others may be a great way to make some extra money. Some businesses are extremely savvy when it comes to selling products and services but lack the skills to properly write the content for their site. As well, there are a number of copywriting companies out there that need the services of an editor or proof-reader before submitting content to their clients. This isn’t a start-up where you’ll get rich quickly but as you build up clientele you can amass a certain amount of cash you wouldn’t have otherwise had.

7. Social Media Pro

Then there are those companies and business professionals who simply don’t have the time to sit and Tweet all hours of the day. As a social media pro you can tweet and post on Facebook to your heart’s delight for your clients and actually make money doing it!

So, you see, there are ways to start up an online business with little to no capital outlay. You can take it as far as you want to go with extra effort, but if it’s just a bit of extra cash you need, this is the fastest way to do it.

Every website needs lots of traffic if it is going to survive and thrive in the long-term. So, if you are lacking the levels of traffic you want, here are some ways to change that.

Find New Partners

There are lots of great opportunities for small businesses to partner up and take advantage of each other’s audience. When two businesses work together, they are able to both become stronger. You could find new partners who are similar to yours but are not direct rivals. This will allow your business to appeal directly to their audience. And they will be able to sell their product your existing audience. It makes sense for both businesses, so nobody loses out if it’s done correctly.

Host a Webinar

If there is a particular sector of your industry that you consider yourself an expert on, you should take advantage of that expertise. It means there will be lots of people who are willing to listen to you in the hope of learning something that might be useful to them or their business. So, why not consider hosting a webinar? People will be flocking to your website to listen to you. It’s a great way of driving traffic in the short-term. And, in the long-term, it will help to boost the reputation of you and your business.

Keep Blogging

Many people say it, and that’s because it’s true. Blogging really does drive traffic to your website. It’s a fact that some people take for granted. But you shouldn’t because it can be a really useful tool. If you don’t have a blog on your website, this is one of the major changes that could increase traffic to your website by 100% or more. The change in traffic you will see can be huge, so make sure you give it a try if you haven’t already. It also gives you the chance to forge new links with potential customers.

Use Traffic Authority

Traffic authority is a new type of online networking opportunity that can help you to drive traffic to your website. This isn’t just any old type of traffic though. The whole idea of the endeavour is that it helps to drive relevant, high-quality and targeted traffic to your website. And, as I’m sure you know, this is the very best type of traffic for a business. So, have a read of this Traffic Authority review if you want to learn all about it. It might be the best way forward for your business.

Build an Email List

Emails are great for reaching out to people who have used your website in the past. So, you should make sure that you get the email address of everyone who buys from your website. You should also prompt people to enter their email address to subscribe to your newsletter even when they are just visiting. Over time, this will allow you to build up a large database of email addresses that can be very useful. You can send out emails to everyone letting them know about what’s going on at your website.

Most startup businesses will set up a website showcasing their products and services. Quite a few will also invest in PPC marketing for their site. Doing so means they can drive targeted traffic to their site from search engines like Google.

We all know the benefits of PPC marketing. For one, it’s cheaper than advertising in a newspaper or magazine. And, two, people are more likely to look at digital ads than paper-based ones! If done right, PPC marketing can pay dividends.

The trouble is; some startups don’t’ have a clue about effective PPC marketing. As a result, they end up spending money on campaigns that seldom deliver results. Here is where some of those startups are going wrong:

Poor data analysis

The thing about PPC marketing is that you have to try various ad combinations at first. You can then determine which ones offer the highest success rates.

One area where startups go wrong in their campaigns is by not doing enough data analysis. To put it another way, they aren’t checking which ad groups perfect the best. Nor are they researching why they are performing so well.

Poor ad copy

When you set up a new PPC ad, you will usually have to come up with some relevant copy. Part of your “bid” gets determined on how relevant your copy is to your landing page.

For example, let’s say you write an ad talking about giraffes when you sell lawn mowers. The relevancy score will be a big fat zero for obvious reasons. But, if you talk about a product or service related to lawn mowers, you’ll have a good score.

The text content you write for your PPC ads has a big effect on your campaign’s success. If you’re not good at formulating ad copy, talk to Opus Media. They can help put your PPC ad campaigns back on track.

Not using the right advertising mediums

These days services like Google AdWords let you choose from a raft of mediums. No, I’m not talking about psychic people. What I am talking about is where your ads get displayed. Naturally you can select ads to show up in search engine results pages.

But, you can also select other options too, such as:

• Mobile SERPS;
• Ad display networks on third-party sites;
• Mobile app ads.

If you aren’t using the right advertising mediums, your success will get limited.

Bidding on the wrong keywords

Here’s the major mistake that many startups mistake! Keyword research is as crucial to PPC campaigns as oxygen is to life on Earth. If you don’t bid on the right keywords, you may as well just throw money out your window.

There are a plethora of keyword research tools that you can use online. Google AdWords, for example, has one built into its interface.

You obviously want to target a specific demographic with your ads. But, your mission is to find the keywords and phrases they use to search for things that you sell.