Archive for December, 2010

New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses

December 22nd, 2010 webkriti


In any business, there are always a number of changes that can be made.  There are employees that don’t pull their weight, processes that need refining, overhead that can be cut, and so on.  With a small business, these little issues can quickly add up to big problems if you don’t correct them.  So when the holidays are over and it comes time to look at making a plan for the New Year, there are a few things you’ll want to consider changing to improve the quality of your service, solidify your brand image, cut back on wasteful spending, and increase profits.  If you’re seeking some resolutions that will help your small business to expand and prosper in the New Year, then you’ll want to read this list.

  1. Hire right.  Hiring the wrong employee can be a disaster for a small business.  You need someone who is not only personable and bright (to represent your brand in the best possible manner), but also has the ability to wear many hats.  Large corporations can afford redundancies, but when you’re running a small business, having employees that can multitask is absolutely essential.  So drop any dead weight this year and hire smart.  With the recession ongoing, you have a large pool of qualified individuals to choose from.
  2. Conserve.  You are likely engaged in a lot of wasteful spending (some that you may not even know about).  So do a comprehensive catalogue of expenses and cut back on any area that is unnecessary.  You can conserve energy by using natural light or installing compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in your office.  If your lease is taking a bite out of earnings, look for a smaller, less expensive space.  And keep good track of office supplies and equipment with regular inventories to deter sticky-fingered employees from absconding with company property.
  3. Expand your online presence.  If you’re not online yet, now is the time to build your website and take your business to the next level.  If you are online, create an on-site blog to draw visitors, post on forums and related websites, and consider hiring an SEO specialist to increase your web presence and help bring in targeted traffic.
  4. Write a procedures manual.  Rather than wasting a lot of time training new hires (and retraining those who can’t seem to get the process down), take a few days to pen a procedures manual.  This will not only allow you to solidify how you want things done; it will also create a handy reference for any employees that need extra help (as well as give new hires a starting point to learn the ins and outs of your company procedure).
  5. Analyze and correct.  The most important part of any change in routine is to ensure that it is working properly.  So once you’ve made your resolutions and gotten the ball rolling, check back frequently to measure changes and analyze results.  If something isn’t working, you needn’t waste time and money on it.  But if it works like a charm, you may want more of the same.  So tweak where needed and don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Sarah Danielson writes for Ask Deb, where you can find Macaroni Grill Coupons, Arby’s Coupons and tons of other great deals on your favorite eating and shopping establishments.

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Taking the complexity out of your CRM project

December 22nd, 2010 admin

CRM projects often fail because there is no clear goal for what exactly you want to achieve with CRM.

The challenge with most CRM projects is essential requirements needed to achieve your goal. A natural process for projects of this type is: (try to keep it as simple as possible)

1. The goals – Why do you need a CRM system – what do we wish to achieve and what are the success factors.

2. Who is this for and who should be involved – define the project group
a. Sponsor (budget owner)
b. Project Manager/champion
c. Stakeholders (sales/marketing personnel)

3. Research & requirements

4. Define the project
a. Build two lists “need to have “nice to have”
b. Remove feature requests that really aren’t necessary to achieve your goals – put these
on a “out of scope” list
c. Create a prioritized list and divide the project into phases if necessary

5. Find the right CRM system
a. Research and find 2-3 solutions (Preferably web-based CRM)
i. Find solutions that match your project requirements
ii. Use a list like this one to shortlist vendors
iii.Important when choosing CRM vendor
b. Ensure that they have the competence and resources to support you with your project
c. See if there is a blog or community where you have access to support documents and where you can communicate with pears alike
d.

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Affordable SEO Professionals And What To Consider

December 21st, 2010 admin

Many small businesspeople are initially a bit dismayed by the high prices that many SEO professionals can charge for their services. However, there are many affordable SEO resellers out there who can do a perfectly wonderful job at boosting your search engine rankings. That said, always do your research in advance to make sure that your affordable SEO professional of choice turns out to be a true bargain, rather than a disappointing rip off.

Once you decide on what exactly constitutes an affordable SEO budget for your business, start your quest for a reputable professional who can help you out for the price you can afford. Shop around online, and make sure that any affordable SEO professional you consider is not only impeccably ethical in their methodology, but also has a solid record of measurable results from their previous clients, as well. Once you have found an ethical and affordable SEO professional with a record of measurable results, make sure that their online record matches their marketing magic.

To verify the reliability or legitimacy of any affordable SEO professional you consider, a simple web search for the name of the individual or company in question should turn up at least a few previous client reviews, both good and bad.

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Three Powerful Tools To Ensure Good Cash Flow Into Your Business

December 20th, 2010 admin

Cash flow problems are often cited as the number one reason for business failure, and so ensuring that your businesses cash flow runs as smoothly as possible is key to running any business large or small. But what are the options for improving cash flow, and are there any tools that can be used to achieve good long term cash flow?

For any business providing products or services to other businesses on credit e.g. not cash sales, factoring can be a powerful tool for improving cash flow.??Through the factoring of its sales ledger a business is in essence selling its invoices to a third party, the factor. In return for which the factor will make available a pre agreed percentage of the total value of the invoice, before it is due for payment by the customer, with the balance to follow once the customer has paid in full.

A factor will usually handle day to day maintenance of the business’ sales ledger, in effect providing an outsourced sales ledger administrative function. Factoring is akin to a floating overdraft the limit of which is based on the amount of business a business is doing, in addition to outsourced sales ledger processing.??The percentage of each invoice to be advanced varies on the factor, the business in question and the agreement they have, but will usually be up to 85% of the value of the invoice.

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Too Much Overhead: A Common Small Business Blunder

December 20th, 2010 webkriti


Those of you who endeavor to start a small business will likely face a number of financial difficulties at the outset, from securing loans to get you off the ground to enticing investors to help keep your operation up and running until it sees a profit.  You may underestimate your expenses and overestimate your profits (in other words, you’re likely to suffer from faulty forecasting).  And of course, there will be unexpected costs that pop up here and there to throw a wrench in the works.  But one area that is 100% within your control is your overhead.  And yet, this is an area where many novice small-business owners have issues.  However, if you understand what constitutes overhead, how to control it, and where to make cuts, you’re going to find yourself in a lot less trouble if your ship doesn’t come sailing in as soon as you predict.

The term “overhead” can be used to cover several areas of expense when it comes to small business operations.  It may include the costs associated with running a brick and mortar operation (such as a lease, staff, supplies, equipment, and so on) as well as production expenses (like renovations, insurance, and utilities).  It could also include outside vendor services such as armored cars or other deliveries.  Or if you run an online store, it might pertain to the cost of maintaining a domain and website (along with related costs for web services to run an online store, host a blog, or engage an SEO specialist).  In short, it is comprised of the everyday expenses required to run your business that are more or less known at the outset.

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How to Market Your Day Care Business

December 19th, 2010 admin

The day care business is one of the toughest ones to find a solid marketing plan, simply because it is usually a referral based business.  Still, it is possible to market your day care business effectively if you know how to do it.  Here are several marketing ideas for day care businesses that will help you build your clientele:

Word of Mouth -  Many people assume that word of mouth is not a marketing plan, and for most that is true.  If you know how to install the right procedures, however, word of mouth can be your biggest marketing plan.  When it comes to a day care business, people talking about you in a positive light is the number one way to build business.  No parent likes to put their child in a day care where they know nobody, so having a referral is huge.  As such, you should market that very advantage.

The best way to do this is to build incentives.  Let each and every parent know that if they bring in a referral, they will get a reward.  Sometimes that might be a discount on their rate, and sometimes it might be a prize.  Whatever works the best for your business.  The best thing is a cash reward that can be either applied to their bill, or taken as cash.  This is a huge incentive for your current customers to tout you to their friends.

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The Importance of the Cloud in Modern Society

December 19th, 2010 webkriti

Whether talking about blogs or social media, there is no shortage of mentioning the Cloud and all the elements which go into it. There is however a valid point being made about the use of confusing jargon surrounding the issue. In order to sound smart and up to date about the technology which has been created, everyone is trying to use the latest buzzwords without a single mention as to what the buzzwords can possible mean. It creates an environment in which less people are willing to read blogs by those which make them feel as if they are unintelligent.

The cloud is one of the technologies which have been created lately which is revolutionizing the way people use computers and store information. It is important to make sure that those using it can be more productive and accomplish tasks which used to be either impossible or would take so long to accomplish no one had the time to go through the process of completing them. As a blogger or creator of a social media site (or both) it is your responsibility to help in the education of the masses through a few well-placed informative pieces here and there.

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More Opportunities for Business Startups

December 16th, 2010 webkriti

It seems that everywhere you look, there is a small business getting started. What began as slight desperation for many who were out of work has turned into a full blown professional career. Small jobs which allowed someone to start earning money very quickly after getting started have become somewhat of a staple in the American landscape. Those who want to make their own start find this to be welcome news. What is more, with these opportunities you will not even have to make an investment into seemingly necessary business equipment like a business POS system.

Here are a few examples of things some entrepreneurs are doing professionally these days:

-          Craft Producer – Many people enjoy shopping at the different artist’s markets. These include art crafts of all kinds including actual artwork. Many also include crafts like chairs, housewares and other items which can be utilized every day. Those who have a hobby can very easily start selling their goods at these markets without even a need to get a business license.

-          Community Farmer – With all of the focus in the culinary world going to locally grown produce and livestock, it is no surprise many have decided to go the route of growing their own produce to sell. Farmer’s markets are springing up all the time.

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An introduction to CRM

December 14th, 2010 admin

CRM stands for customer relationship management. It is a holistic way of looking at customers and is enabled by specific CRM software, which allows data, gathered in different parts of the organisation to be linked up and viewed as a whole. CRM software started to become available during the late 1990s and CRM projects are commonly driven by the marketing department, working closely with IT for implementation and maintenance.

A CRM system allows an organisation to track all customer activity starting from the initial sales process. Sales and Marketing departments are able to track new leads, identify and target dormant customers and use data mining to segment customers for targeted marketing programs and campaigns. A CRM solution additionally enables all marketing activities to be linked to a customer record, providing full insight into a person’s history and actions. Businesses are able to see how often and in which ways they are targeting customers, as well as being able to accurately measure campaign success and which campaigns and methods generate the most leads.

Leads can be assigned to the relevant sales rep for follow up, and further, the progress of the lead can be tracked. Follow up calls and reminders can then be scheduled, helping to provide the tools to enable the timely follow up of leads.

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How to Increase Brand Recognition for a Small Business

December 14th, 2010 webkriti


What do companies like Coca Cola, Sony, Chanel, McDonald’s, and Apple all have in common?  Each one has immense global brand recognition.  You could travel the world and find people in almost any country who could tell you not only what these companies produce, but also give you a list of their favorite products.  Of course, not every small business will attain that level of success in the global market, but any business, regardless of size, can work to increase their brand recognition, and it’s not just about TV ads.  With the rapid growth of the internet, a whole new world of possibilities has opened up for people who are savvy enough to spot it.  Even if you’re on a tight budget when it comes to advertising and expansion, you can find a solution to fit any budget.  Here are just a few avenues to explore when it comes to branding and getting your name out there.

  1. Website.  If you’ve got a brick and mortar location but have yet to stake out a space on the web, now is the time to make your presence known.  Your website is an extension of your business and in this day and age, even a small-town small business has the potential to meet a national (and even international) market by getting online.  This is your first step in taking your brand to the next level, so you need to do it right.  But that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot; simply create a website that is in keeping with the sensibilities of your business.  Make it professional and easy to navigate and customers will appreciate the effort.
  2. Forums and blogs.  Forums are a great way to connect with colleagues who may be able to offer you helpful advice and opportunities to network (which could bring in business and increase your brand recognition).  And posting comments or guest writing for related blogs (with a link back to your site) will increase your visibility.  You could also opt to affiliate with a blog (or several) by selling your wares on their sites, although you will have to give the site a percentage of any sales that they send your way.
  3. Social networking.  You really can’t get by these days without a Facebook page and a Twitter account.  It seems like everyone is now connected to a mobile device 24/7, so if you want to compete, you’re going to have to get on board with social networking.  It’s a great way to reach your followers instantaneously with information on new products or services as well as any special deals.
  4. SEO.  It’s not the miracle that many people imagine, but with hard work and perseverance you can use it to increase traffic, secure better placement on search engines, and ultimately, spread your influence (and your name) on the web.
  5. Trade shows.  Networking is the name of the game when it comes to trade shows, so make sure you show up to your trade show booths with a stack of business cards.  It may seem pretty old-school to run around shaking hands, but there is still no substitute for physical interaction (being able to look someone in the eye and so on).  You can also attend seminars, panels, and workshops to learn about industry trends, technological advances, and how to go about increasing your brand recognition.

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Innovative Solutions For Assembly Line Packaging Warehouses

December 13th, 2010 admin

There are several types of packaging machinery that ultimately maximizes performance for greater efficiency and productivity in the plant. To acquire innovative packaging solutions, manufactures have the choice of packaging machinery that includes technical capabilities, labor requirements, worker safety, maintainability, and serviceability. Among them they also have the option to choose a reliable and adaptive machine(s) that are reasonable capital cost, able to fit in the designated area, and provide for flexible use.

When looking at machines that are more intuitive, companies should consider the energy consumed as well as the overall quality, any specific qualifications that are needed, and the throughput factor. In addition, the efficiency, productivity and ergonomics of the system are equally important. Companies should keep in mind additional add-ons and costs to the machine if they might consider these options at a later date.

With many systems on the market, there are packaging machines available in the general types. The most innovative you ask? Refer to the grand list in alphabetic order below:<

  • Feeding Machines
  • Filling Machines
  • Capping Machines
  • Cartoning machines
  • Cleaning Machines
  • Converting Machines
  • Conveying Machines
  • Labeling Machines
  • Palletizing Machines
  • Sealing Machines
  • Vacuum Packaging Machines
  • Wrapping Machines

With such great amount of innovative solutions to help companies manufacturing needs, it’s important to keep in mind the primary goal(s) the company wishes to obtain with a packaging system.

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