5 Tools to Manage Your Small Business More Effectively

Running a business, however small, is no walk in the park. With little or no staff, you would have to take care of the many challenges inherent in business management, which can include financing, marketing, managing deliverables and growing the business, among other things.

business apps

Like a plumber and his tools, it is imperative that you are equipped with spot-on business applications to grow your business, as allowing yourself to settle for software systems that get in the way of effective communication, data accuracy and reliability, client relationships and employee engagement are detrimental to success.

If you’re in the market for tools to help you manage your business more effectively, here are five you might want to take a look at:

Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a free social intranet framework for small businesses comprised of a maximum of 12 team members.…

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DIY: How to Start Your Home Business

At some point in your life, you might think, “I could do this, and I could do it better.” Many business models spring from ideas like that, and many of those businesses have gone on to become very successful.

In recent years more and more people have decided to go into business for themselves, and many of them do it from their own homes. It can be a scary thought to invest so much time, money and passion into an idea, but the rewards can far outweigh those risks.

Running a home-based business

Whether you’ve decided that working in the corporate sector is not for you, or you’d like to spend more time at home with your family, or you have an entrepreneurial spirit, taking those first challenging steps toward your home business can seem huge.…

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Improving Efficiency At The Workplace: Why It’s Important and How To Do It

As a small business owner you probably find yourself juggling multiple projects and small tasks at the same time and end up the day feeling frustrated because you seem not to be moving forward with your to-do list. Things can be a little bit more difficult if you are an inventor and you need to find free time off from your full time job to devote yourself to your creations. Everything seems to distract you and you don’t feel efficient at all.

Struggling in time management

Efficiency at the workplace is of utmost importance. It is the key to achieve goals and results and it is the best way to get our projects and tasks done.…

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Attracting the Perfect Client with a Healthy, Happy Office

Have you ever seen a workplace drenched in filth? It’s no pretty sight. Just picture this – you’re a high-flying business professional travelling to a new office to meet a client.

Having left your mansion, jumped into your private jet and made your way to the office, you arrive at a rundown junk heap of a place. It’s filled with all the hallmarks of poor hygiene – tatty walls, cracked paint, limp desks and limper employees.

Filthy office

What’s the first thing you do at a sight like that? You hop back onto your private jet and head home. That business won’t be seeing a playboy billionaire like you anytime soon.…

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A Reluctantly Offered Guide to the Latest English Business Jargon

Do you feel empowered to move the needle by leveraging your company’s core competency? Does your business make hay for its shareholders? If English isn’t your first language, then many of these expressions might be confusing. After all, if your company manufactures medical devices, why would someone ask whether you’re “making hay?”

Business jargon confuses staffs

Jargon is the enemy of good writing and good communication. As an English teacher, you may wish that it would disappear. Unfortunately, until business jargon is abolished forever, non-native English speakers who work for global companies have no choice but to learn it. If you want to get certified to teach English overseas, there’s a good chance that you’ll take a job teaching Business English.…

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5 Strategies for Growing Your Insurance Agency

Owning and operating your own business is challenging, and running an insurance agency is no exception. Whatever type of insurance your agency specializes in, it is important to work to continuously grow your client base and profits. To stay competitive in the insurance world, businesses must find ways to outshine the competition and to provide one of a kind service. Here are five tips for growing your insurance agency into a successful and reputable business.

Growing your insurance agency

Get More Education

While becoming an insurance agent generally requires a minimum of a high school diploma and an insurance license, those who have the most success in the field pursue higher education.…

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How to Interpret MBA Salary Data

It should come as no surprise to anyone that earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree opens the door to a new realm of opportunities. A 2010 study in the Journal of Education for Business found that the MBA graduates saw a 41 percent increase in their overall pay in the first year after graduation and an additional 56 percent increase within five years. Looking at those numbers, it’s easy for one to expect that putting in the time and effort to get an advanced business degree is the first step on the path to a six-figure salary.

MBA Salary Guide

In fact, it’s the promise of greater earning power that compels many prospective students to take the plunge and enroll in an MBA program.…

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Small Business. Big Passion.

As a small business, you can have many benefits. You just need to realize and take advantage of some of them. Passion is one of the most important qualities you attempt to seek in every single one of your employees. Especially in a small business, passion is what takes your business to the next level. With passion comes an array of positive effects. You are more motivated, more supportive, and more engaged.

Passionate staffs

One typical route to take is changing the workspace as we’ve seen in many start-ups nowadays. This is a great feature, but most small businesses frankly don’t have the opportunity and capital to construct the next Google workspace.…

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Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Business Plan

For years you’ve toyed with the idea of starting your own business. You’ve fancied yourself as an entrepreneur and you’re ready to make the move from a corporate pencil pusher to a business owner. You’re excited to get started and have found the inspiration needed to begin the process of transitioning out of the daily grind and into the excitement of small business ownership. The only problem, you don’t know where to start!

Business planning

Any small business owner will tell you that the first step to business ownership is writing a business plan. A clear and persuasive business plan provides you with a blueprint that will guide you in building a successful business.…

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Becoming a Financial Daredevil – Three Top Tips to Save Your Business Cash

Daredevils are terrifying, aren’t they?

Here’s the most recent example – this February, a group of French tightrope walkers made their way from one hot air balloon to another, suspended several thousand feet in the air. Although they were hooked up with parachutes should they fall, the risk inherent in being that high is enough to give you palpitations just thinking about it.

And yet, in the world of business, these same daredevils would probably suffer a panic attack looking at the financial risks that some SMEs take. Indeed, finances are a tightrope that even the most adept stunt-person would struggle to maintain their balance on.…

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