5 Major Concerns of Small Businesses as They Grow

All businesses begin small. And it is these small businesses that are incubators for innovation in any economy. They foster new ideas and generate employment opportunities.

Coffee shop owner

While a business owner might control many things in his business, the larger aspects that drive or doom businesses are beyond an owner’s control. These factors include natural disasters, economy shift, change in government regulations and tax policies, healthcare policies, etc.

Here we will discuss some of the major concerns that torment small business owners in 2015.

Economic and Regulatory Changes

Market conditions and changing economy steer the companies from running into losses to progressive heights.…

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Grow Your Business in Ways your Customers Will Appreciate

In today’s competitive global business environment, pleasing customers is no longer just about providing quality products and services. Winning customers’ loyalty requires you to engage them and stand out from the sea of other businesses. This is the key to success, and it’s no secret – Nine out of ten American CEOs say they are are building stronger client engagement programs, according to PWC.

Hot dog truck and the happy customer

As you grow your business, it’s critical that you do so in a direction that your customers will appreciate. Here is a look at some of the ways you can expand your business and please your customers at the same time:

Humanize Your Brand

Branding is more than logos and flashy commercials — it’s a way of communicating your values and identity in a memorable way.…

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What Do You Really Need to Think About When Setting Up a ‘Work From Home’ Business?

There are lots of options these days if you want to make use of your skills and work for yourself. Thanks to the internet, there are plenty of people out there hiring people with good skills in all kinds of sectors to work for them from home on a freelance basis. Whether you are a writer, a marketing expert, a designer, a programmer or an accountant, with the right approach you can make a living working as a self employed freelancer.

Work from home business

Setting up this kind of business is actually fairly simple, and requires very little capital. Here, we take a look at what the bare minimum things you will need to start your own freelancing small business are:

Technical Set Up

To be able to work online from home you do, at the very least, need a reliable internet connection, a computer that can do all of the things you need it to do consistently for the kind of jobs you want (a writer can, for example, work on a basic PC, but someone doing coding, data analysis or design may need a higher end computer), and a comfortable home office.…

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Working from Home during Temporary Renovations at the Office

One of the best aspects of running a small business is when it begins to grow beyond your current capacity. It is at times like this that you see your bottom line rising but there just doesn’t seem to be a way to handle the extra work without making a few improvements to your physical location. If you find the need to move premises or undertake a business renovation, you may find the need to relocate office operations to your home. Here are some tips that might make the process easier whilst those renovations are underway.

Temporary office location

Planning Is a Priority

Planning is going to be your number one priority.…

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Tips to Ensure you are Getting the Most Out of your Employees

Most successful companies recognize two basic facts. Firstly, employees are the company’s most valuable resource, and secondly, for the company to be efficient, it needs to get the most out of all its employees. By and large, even the most successful companies struggle with achieving a balance. Lean one way and you have high turnover; lean the other way and you start down the road to inefficiency. The highly successful companies, though, have taken this balance to a whole new level by focusing on employee wellbeing.

Employee wellness

Case studies done on highly successful companies such as Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Google point to certain similarities.…

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The Many Benefits of Mobile Trading Platforms

For most forex traders, investing is something of a sideline. Many have existing businesses to deliver an income, and a multitude of commitments aside from those connected to their trades.

Mobile trading platforms

As a result, the advent of mobile trading – easy, straightforward, and perfect for investing on the go – has proved something of a revelation. It has opened the markets up to a whole new breed of investors, from entrepreneurs to housewives to overworked CEOs.

If you’re considering entering the world of forex yourself, here are three reasons why a mobile trading platform might prove the perfect choice for you.…

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Buying Options: Try Before You Buy

Running a small business involves more than just selling products or services at a profit – effective investment in new equipment can make a significant difference to your monthly bottom line. With that in mind, it’s usually a great idea to consider various options before you buy to make sure you’re getting the best possible value, and that the equipment you’re considering is right for you.

Leased laptop for work

So here’s a guide to the options for testing and purchasing new equipment in order to see if it’s right for your business.

Try Before You Buy

When considering investing in any new equipment for your business, it’s a great idea to first see if the equipment you’re looking into is available for either hire or hire purchase.…

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5 Benefits of Cloud-Based VoIP (Infographic)

Although many companies have already begun to use the cloud for their everyday business needs, this tool’s capabilities expand far beyond the day-to-day operational processes. By integrating cloud-based VoIP into your firm, IT professionals can spend more time tending to core business technologies instead of having to troubleshoot and maintain phone systems.

Businessman using cloud-based VoIP

Additionally, VoIP phone systems update themselves without hassle, and therefore do not require the attention of on-site employees. This also translates into an integrated emergency plan that companies do not need to worry about.

In addition to easing employees’ workloads in the office, cloud-based systems can break through geographical boundaries by allowing your company’s workforce to access important information wherever they are.…

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Choosing a Marketing Plan That’s Right for Your Business

Marketing is the life blood of any company. Without it, you won’t bring in any new customers, and your business will struggle to grow. This is why it is so essential that you choose a marketing plan that is right for your company. And before you can implement this plan, you need to create the one that actually works.

Marketing plan

It is important to properly plan out your marketing strategy, maybe by even following a strategic planning template, to ensure that you implement not only the correct strategy, but you do it in the right way. If you are not sure how to pick the best marketing plan, or how to implement it, below are some things that you should think about while doing your research and planning.…

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5 Reasons Why Pop-up Shops May Be The Future of Retail

Pop up shops stormed on to our high streets a few years ago. What some people thought would be a flash in the pan, a temporary answer to the temporary glitch in the economy, have stayed. Even as the economy looks to improve, the pop up shops has not quite seen its day just yet.

Pop-up shop

And no surprise when you consider the top 5 reasons why brands – established and start-ups – gain when they create a pop up shop experience for their customers. With branding and marketing material available at competitive prices from printers such as Colour Graphics, any sized business can successful revitalise sales and garner interest in their products with a pop up store.…

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