Your Employees are Clients, Too: Why You Should Gift Them Accordingly

Do you remember the last time you received something special at the office? I’ll bet it made your day.

Sending gifts to clients around the holidays or to say “thank you” has become routine, yet we rarely consider doing the same for employees. And if you’re not including employees on your gift list, you’re missing out on an opportunity to add value to your business by encouraging and supporting your staff.

Thank you gift from Superman

Recognizing an employee’s efforts is a simple yet powerful way to boost performance. Employees who feel appreciated tend to work harder and remain loyal to their employers, and giving also works as an incentive for others who see that you appreciate and reward exceptional work.…

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How LinkedIn Can Expand Your Small Business’ Reach

Social media can help small businesses expand their reach exponentially, but it’s not intrinsically effective. To get the full benefit of social, you have to use it like a pro.

You probably set up a Facebook page within days of launching your business — maybe even beforehand to build hype. You might have a Twitter account for your company, but did you create a LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn

Many small businesses overlook LinkedIn when developing a social media presence, but it can be an effective tool that impacts every area of your business, from recruitment to sales.

What Makes LinkedIn Different?

Believe it or not, LinkedIn is the third most popular social network with 238 million active users.…

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Education For Small Business Owners – Finding The Right Course

You are well aware by now that running a successful business is not as simple as turning ideas to a reality. The market is tough. As the colossal coldness runs through your bowels, you want to do anything you can to take the leap.

Educational resources can help you evolve and grow – they range from taking expert-taught courses to completing a masters or other advanced degree. However, pursuing these courses via traditional structured education can often be impractical for small business owners. The good news? Growth of online education is changing all that.

Learning online

With the availability and flexibility of online programs, it’s a perk that small and midsize company CEOs may want to consider, for themselves and for key personnel, informs Richard Skolnik, State University of New York’s dean of the business school.…

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Use of Logos in your Delivery Business

Creating a business that predominantly sends products to the customer such as e-commerce is a growing field. Websites such as Ebay, Etsy and Folksy are all based on the idea that those who post items for sale must take responsibility for the packaging and delivery of the product in question. But with so many hundreds of packages and sales occurring every day, how do you get your delivery business to stand out? Here are some simple ideas that won’t cost the Earth that will help impress your customers and keep them loyal.

Mollydooker wines delivery packages

Branding the Package and the Presentation

Everyone loves getting a delivery, particularly one they’ve been expecting.…

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Four Ways of Taking The Loneliness Out of Working at Home

If you are a ‘mompreneur’, or entrepreneur mom, working from home is likely to be the best option for you. The allure and advantages of working remotely are evident: it provides all the flexibility you need, and also entails a huge saving of time and energy. Working from home means no more hours of commuting, and this is time that can be better spent with the kids.

Mompreneur

While this lifestyle sounds ideal, the other side of the coin is the lack of socialization, the overwhelming sense of solitude that anyone who works from home should be familiar with.

So how do you overcome the loneliness of being a mompreneur?…

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Is Your Yahoo Email Account Secure?

Yahoo recently disclosed it asked an undisclosed number of its email customers to reset their passwords. The company discovered hackers had obtained a number of Yahoo email login credentials from a third-party database and then used the credentials to access Yahoo email accounts.

Yahoo! mail mobile

Yahoo has a history of being targeted for email-related attacks. Last year, a number of European Yahoo users reported their devices had been compromised by malicious ads displayed on Yahoo’s websites. In 2012, the hacktivist group D33Ds Co. stole 400,000 Yahoo usernames and passwords and posted the information online. If you have a Yahoo email account, install the best antivirus software for email security, which can scan attachments and warn you when those attachments are malicious.…

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Leave A Lasting Impression After Speaking At Conferences

After pulling off a great conference, the impression should not end there, even after the Q&A session toward the end. The magic really happens when you engage each and every single person at the conference, I mean it will take up more of your time but it gives you the perfect opportunity to swoop in and pitch your business and brand! You have already managed to hopefully hook them whilst performing the presentation so why not take it that one step further? Not doing so simply means you are dropping the ball and missing out on great potential business.

Conference

Let’s go through some different ways to leave a real lasting impression with your audience!…

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Are You Still Accepting Online Card Payments?

PayPal has become a hugely popular method of accepting online payment for small to medium size merchants. It’s easy to see why – The setup requirements are minimal and PayPal’s history as an eBay partner means that it has a broad customer base. There are, however, sound reasons for either beginning or continuing to accept payment cards.

Using credit card payment for online purchases

Customer Choice

The more payment methods you support, the more chances there are that you will offer the customer’s preferred method. While PayPal has made its ease of use a major selling point, there are still compelling reasons for customers to prefer credit and debit cards.…

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So Where Will Pension Pots Go if Not Into Annuities?

Baker Tilly, a leading national provider of accounting and business services, explores options such as bricks and mortar for your pension pot after the Budget 2014 bombshell.

Now that the dust has begun to settle after George Osborne’s totally unexpected pension’s bombshell, people are beginning to take stock of the longer term ramifications. Not least amongst these is how the 420,000 Britons who usually buy some £14 billion worth of annuities every year are going to respond.

Old lady golfer

This is a vast amount of money and it is already quite clear that the annuity providers’ loss is going to be a major gain for certain other industries.…

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Five Trendsetting Retail Markets to Watch Out For

Emerging markets are difficult to contain, especially in a retail sphere where everyone is warmly welcomed. But, not all adventure-seekers are created equal. There are those that will stand out from the rest and will struggle before disappearing before the public’s eyes. And, it’s a bloodbath out there.

Zara

The retail industry has experienced tectonic shifts within the last 10 years. Those who survived paid a good price, but are now enjoying success after success. Leaders equipped and empowered their workforce with retail resources and trainings to keep up with the competition.

This year, retailers are looking at market trends that will predominantly dictate the pace of the game.…

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