Are you an expat who pays too much for telephone calls?

/0 Comments/in /by

Gatwick image

Communicating by taking emails an action further

There are many reasons that stop people from moving home. For now, lets concentrate on those people who do decide to leave their mother land behind or who jump from country to country to make brand new lives for themselves. Are you amongst those individuals whose home address appears to be forever changing?

Fortunately for expats, improvements in technology mean we don’t need to depend on traditional mail any longer as contact is literally, at your fingertips. Email & social media is now a favourite method of communication and makes staying in touch with family & friends cheap and easy from almost anywhere in the world. This method of communication has actually made the expat way of living a lot more feasible, convenient and practical. Friends & family, work colleagues & customers are simply an email or social media message away.

However, emails are no longer just enough though. Hearing a familiar voice far more reassuring and sometimes highly essential for sheer peace of mind. Likewise, it puts the problem of distance into perspective. Yes, we could be on the opposite sides of the world however, we are really only just an email or telephone call away. Ultimately there is nothing better than contacting loved ones with an unexpected call simply to say hello, or to involve them (virtually) in days of celebration. We need to have the ability in an emergency situation to just pick up the phone and make an important call without it costing us an extortionate amount of money.

So, picture having the ablity to call somebody anywhere in the world without having to worry about the cost of the call! Believe it or not, thanks to Skype, this is now possible. Perhaps some of you are already using Skype, or maybe you’re one of those that have been too cautious to try it. Perhaps you haven’t heard of these telephonic services that are readily available to us simply by using a computer, mobile (cell) or iPad etc. Well, it not only works, but it is cheap and has improved levels of communication between people worldwide. People & organisations are spending more than 2 billion minutes per day connecting with each other on Skype which is more than 33 million hours of people singing, laughing, joking & staying in touch*. So you can just imagine the sheer global reach by using Skype.
All that’s required is a computer or suitable device. You don’t even have to own your own individual computer as access to Skype can be made from any computer (or suitable device) once you have an account set up with them which only takes a short while to do. You can then just easily log onto your account to make your call. If you are using Skype via a computer we do recommend that you use a good quality headset.

If the individual you are calling also has a Skype account, neither of you will pay a penny for the call. However, if you are making a call to a normal landline or mobile (cell) phone number you are charged for the call, at an incredibly low and affordable rate.

If, improving the effectiveness of your chosen method of communication as an expat is important to you, why not give Skype a try? It may just be the solution you are looking for.

*Figures taken from the official Skype blog dated 04/03/2013

A day in the life of a Virtual Assistant

/0 Comments/in /by

When I made the decision to resign from my full time job in 2013, I never dreamed that I’d be sitting here on a lovely warm & sunny afternoon writing an article for my virtual assistant business blog.  I left behind the safety & security of a managerial post with a million dollar global corporation, earning a good salary, and with good all round benefits and perks.  Gone were the days of meetings for meetings sake, or when you had to sit up straight in your chair or wipe the crisp crumbs from off your desk when the General Manager or VP was due to do their rounds or senior management meetings were being held at HQ.

Being employed as a regular worker blinkered me somewhat to the numerous worldwide opportunities that lay ahead.  I went from having several senior levels above me to being my own boss, answerable only to myself!  By no means was it an easy transition, but I did my research & due diligence and educated myself on what I’d be up against in the self-employed virtual assistant arena.

Working as a Virtual Assistant and running my business from home has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I love my work as there is so much variety, no two days are ever the same, and I have finally found that much longed for ‘work – life balance’.  Gone are the 3 hour commutes up & down the motorway to and from my place of work, which considerably reduced my working day.  I have saved so much money on fuel costs and I don’t miss all those tiresome delays when sitting in traffic on the A23 or M23 Southbound.  So, without further ado here is a little insight into my day in “A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant”.

My alarm clock starts beeping at 06.30 as normal, which is then subsequently snoozed! (Well who doesn’t snooze?) For 5 minutes.  Once I’m finally up and remotely stirred into action, I make my way bleary eyed into the bathroom for a nice refreshing shower.  I’m a wife & busy mum of 3 rugrats (children) aged 17yrs to 22 months, hence the early start! Once the school run is out the way I’m back at my desk in my home office by 08.15 to make a start with, a very strong cappuccino in hand.

I check my schedule for the day and prioritise current work projects.  I work for a variety of clients, some based here in the UK, one in France and also a couple of International clients.  As such, I also have 3 other associate assistants that I outsource work to from time to time when business dictates.

Today, I have a Skype call with an International Client at 09.00 UK time to discuss his social media engagement and the new business acquired via these channels, followed by organising his visits to the UK And adding his travel schedule to his calendar.  There are also a number of quotes and invoices to create and send to his customers which I will send throughout the course of the day. I also need to do some PA work for an NLP client of mine who is busy with one to one client sessions & running her certified NLP courses in 2 locations.  This entails a lot of organisation, diary management, client liaison and administration which, will is also due out today.

It is now midday and time for me to grab a healthy salad for lunch.  Unfortunately I don’t always eat as healthy as I should during the day but I try to make a conscious effort to do so at least 3-4 times a week.  Depending on how busy my day is I allow myself anything from 30 minutes to 2hrs for lunch, which is a huge benefit when working for myself.  After lunch I have some client social media management to take care of which I prefer to do in bulk for the week ahead, thus allowing me additional time to work on other things.

At approximately 13.20 I’m off again to do the school run which, is something I wasn’t in a position to do when I was `employed’ full time, the flexibility of my job is next to none!  Once back from school the kids are settled and its then back to the office for me as I need to update a client’s email marketing database & CRM, which will take a few hours to complete.  I am currently using Toggl time tracking software which helps me to keep abreast of all the hours worked for my clients.  It’s important to accurately measure & record time spent on tasks & projects in order to offer a fair and reliable service to each of my clients, who are invoiced on either a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.

My aim is to meet & exceed all of my client’s expectations by producing accurate work within an agreed timeline, and I feel privileged to be working with such a lovely mix of clients who choose to use my services.  My day can finish any time between 17.00 – 01.00 depending on whether a client requires an out of hours service which I can provide, subject to availability.  Or, if I am attending an evening networking event.

I am fortunate in that I have a supportive husband who manages the children and home when I am busy at work.  Even though it isn’t always easy to explain to the children or other family members that I am unavailable for social contact during this time – but this is another article in itself!

The world of Virtual Assistance is a wonderful one with no constraints placed on us by distance.  It also gives our Clients a much larger skill base to tap into which in turn, can only lead to providing a more efficient and effective service all round.

If you think you or anyone else you know could benefit from my virtual business support & administration services then do get in touch for an informal & consultative chat.

Are you spreading yourself too thin on social media

/0 Comments/in /by

Social media sites have grown enormously over the past few years, to the point where you really can’t expect your business to excel without utilising social media to its full potential. Despite this though, many business owners still wonder why their business is not getting the exposure they desire or that they are not performing at their best.  Sometimes, without much thought in investing their time and money on one of the greatest sources of traffic available in this day and age.

What are social media sites

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are used as a powerful & global communication tool for businesses & social correspondence.  This is a global reach that may never have occurred without these easy to use and accessible platforms.  The beauty of this communication channel means, that feedback, good or bad can be shared amongst thousands globally in a blink of an eye! For example, any individual who visits a restaurant or bar can instantly share their experience with friends, family or associates, and recommend that others visit the same establishment.  As well as positive reviews, it can also be used to inform others of negative feedback or poor customer service – making these very powerful tools indeed.

Why using social media is important

Utilising social media is crucial to the success of your website or business, as it has the potential to bring high volumes of traffic and potential buyers to your site to gain direct access to your products or services. Currently, it is estimated that over 1 billion people have created accounts on Facebook, which means that there is an astronomical amount of traffic that can be easily targeted just through one social media platform. There are also plenty of others such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Tumblr to name but a few.  With such high volumes of traffic, it is imperative that you maximise your opportunity to the fullest and have a presence on the majority, if not all social media platforms.

How to ensure you are not spreading yourself too thin

Considering that there are a variety of social media platforms to choose from, there is simply not enough hours in the day for you to efficiently utilise them all.  You may find yourself in a rut by spreading yourself too thinly and by doing so you may be hindering potential traffic & sales from available, multiple sources.

Remember, even though sites like Tumblr may only have 110,000,000 unique monthly visitors in comparison to Facebook’s 800,000,000 that, is still 110,000,000 more people that you could be targeting and providing awareness of your products and services to.  Therefore, in order to maximise your business potential it is highly advantageous to have a presence on every social media platform.  It also makes good business sense to utilise the services of a Virtual Assistant to help you with your time consuming yet important tasks.

Are you serious about your success

Are you serious about taking your business to the next level, by utilising all of the available and often free social media platforms, to increase traffic & sales each month? If so, it may be worth considering outsourcing some, if not all of your social media management to enable you to focus on your business instead of in your business.  Freeing up valuable time that can be spent elsewhere allowing you additional time to grow and invest in your business.  With that in mind visit www.rjsmayneservices.co.uk today to discuss your requirements & let’s get started!

 

Should you still market locally – in a virtual world?

/0 Comments/in /by

The virtual world has brought huge potential for companies that previously may have only done business locally, but find themselves exposed to a wider market globally.  There is often discussion as to whether local markets should still be targeted in the same way.  Many people initially think that since the virtual world has brought people and businesses together, business owners should take advantage of what the virtual world offers by expanding their services or products to locations globally.  But then, they ultimately have to decide whether it continues to be beneficial marketing locally.

PEOPLE WANT LOCAL SERVICES

Despite the fact that the Internet has brought the tools needed to bring culture and people together that, previously would have never had the chance to connect, it is a fact that people still remain fairly comfortable only dealing with organisations that are based locally or within easy reach. There is a sense of trust that people have when they are dealing with businesses that are run in their local or neighbouring areas, rather than one that is operated in, say China for instance.  There is a sense of comfort when working with people who live similar lifestyles to their own and hence understand their needs as a consumer.  There is also a sense of security when doing business locally or nationally as businesses & individuals are free to run UK Company credit checks, thus determining a company’s credit status or credit worthiness prior to doing business with them.  Is there a straight forward & easy international equivalent to this? Maybe not!

LOCAL CUSTOMERS MAY BE EASIER TO CATER FOR

Something else that you need to consider when pondering over whether you should market solely to a local audience, is the fact that typically a local market is far easier to cater for than one that is overseas in a different location to your own. Aside from the shipping fees that are incurred when sending products overseas, if someone has an issue with your product or service, supplying them with relevant support is significantly less problematic, and the return postage/shipping costs are cheaper both ways.  Additionally you know that by supplying to a local market you’re doing business and dealing with people who are similar to yourself in some regard, thus making conversing much easier & straight forward.

SMALLER AUDIENCE = LESS COMPETITION

A notable point with regards to marketing to a local audience is that you are going to face far less competition than if you were to target a larger market.  By targeting international markets you are essentially also competing with all of the other companies who are offering similar services & products to yourself, which makes the process of getting traffic and potential customers that bit more challenging.  When targeting a smaller audience, you need to take into account that there may only be a limited amount of suppliers & providers thus improving your chances for business & sealing the deal.

GOING FOR BOTH

Given the benefits of concentrating your efforts locally, it is still worthwhile considering that there’s no reason why you can’t get the best of both worlds & target both local & international customers to invest in your services or products.  This will require a certain amount of invested effort on your part ie providing appropriate marketing strategies to suit specific markets and an increased amount of administration etc.   However, with this in mind utilising the services of a Virtual Assistant can help to alleviate the additional admin or processes required, so you can focus on other areas in expanding your business.  If you have plans to expand your business or need to outsource tasks which are time consuming but equally important, our Virtual Assistant  services are on hand as and when required.  We will

Top 10 Online Marketing Tools for your Business

/0 Comments/in /by

Not marketing your business will almost certainly doom it to failure. Here you can find ten ways you can advertise and grow your business on a budget.

Google Tools

We all use the internet pretty much every day of our lives or more specifically Google.  Google tools are really easy to use and some are very popular like Google docs, Google analytics, Google sheets…  But there are a few lesser known tools that could boost your productivity and help grow your business such as, Google Desktop & iGoogle.

Web site

A well designed website is easy to navigate and can be fully optimised. Your website often provides a first impression for your company therefore it is imperative that you make it a good one!  Unfortunately this is an area which lets a lot of businesses down if not done correctly.

Online advertising

A great way to direct more traffic to your website and increase revenue is by online paid advertising, but this can easily become expensive if you’re not careful.  Remember, it’s very important to set a budget, stick to it and ensure you use appropriate SEO keywords.

Affiliate programs

Online affiliate programs are one of the easiest, quickest and most popular ways to earn income online.  The best way to determine which affiliate program(s) is right for you is to look closely at the benefits of joining.  One can benefit from a commission based system (free to join) but without any of the hassles of managing inventory, distribution and actual employees.  Commission can be earned 24hrs a day, 7 days a week without even providing a service.

Social media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube provide a cost effective way for your business to connect with potential customers and keep them updated on new changes & events.  Certain sites such as Facebook & LinkedIn also let you purchase marketing campaigns targeted at specific groups of social media users.

Blogging

A blog can provide a very useful platform for your business to exhibit knowledge about a certain topic area or promote related products, services or tips.  Blogs can also give your company important exposure & a place to post advertising that links to the company website thus another potential sales generator.

 Search engine positioning

SEO (Search engine optimisation) is very important to any business needing new customers. Today, just having a top notch website doesn’t mean success. Good search engine optimisation can result in significantly increased overall targeted visitors and, is a result of an effective search engine strategy.

Cloud computing

There are many benefits to using Cloud Computing such as, increased collaboration between employees & contractors.  Freedom to work from anywhere once you have internet access & automatic software updates to name but a few.  Cloud computing can provide file storage solutions, computer backups, office applications and much much more. Moving to the Cloud seems like the right choice in this day & age. As with any other business expense, thorough research should be done to consider the benefits and drawbacks for your specific business needs & requirements.

Networking

Social networking is important for numerous reasons and it can help you to build and develop those relationships that are important to the success of your business. You may establish relationships with potential customers, as well as with organisations that you may be a prospective client of.  Social networking allows you to reach out to potential customers without spending exorbitant amounts of money on advertising whilst, allowing you to say in touch with existing customers.

Email marketing and newsletters

This is very cost effective and can provide a very high ROI by increasing your sales conversion by allowing you to up-sell & cross-sell products & services. The key is to send valuable, targeted and `human’ emails to your customers or audience.  It aslo provides you with an opportunity to gain valuable feedback from your visitors.  Customer feedback is an invaluable tool for any business as this allows you to determine

  • What products and services to provide
  • Who to target
  • What the market is willing to pay

Well there you have it! There are our Top 10 must have Online Marketing Tools for your business and, have been proven capable of giving your company a competitive advantage – super easy and super-efficient.

6 Steps to writing a small business blog

/2 Comments/in /by

In an age where many small businesses are operating online, it is important to make sure that yours will stand out from the crowd. One of the ways to reach consumers is blogging. Though blogging can be an extremely successful way to reach out, it is also one of the most common and most difficult. Here are six tips that will help you get on your way to writing an appealing blog for your small business!

1. Content: There are two important things to remember when writing the content for your blog. First, you must always keep in mind that you are writing for the customer.  Knowing your audience is essential when selecting the type of promotion you wish to run.  Second, realize the customer only has so much time to read so their attention span in general, may be short. When writing content write about the questions that the customers would want to know or be interested in, not just about how great your product or service is.  Remember, you are writing a blog to keep them interested and engaged not to push a product or service in their face.

2. Connection: As stated above, you are writing this blog for the customer. In many cases making a connection with the customer and letting them in on your life can be a big step in developing a long term relationship that will lead to consistent sales and recommendations. Every now and then write about what is going on in your life. Make it relevant to your industry, do not write about your gran having gall stones or your son eating glue. Instead, write about an event that has happened to you recently that is pertinent to your audience and their interests.

3. Credibility: Do not write a blog post on something that you have heard or think is correct. Unless your business is celebrity gossip you do not want to become the next “Tabloid”. Make sure you check your facts and once you are sure everything is accurate check them again! Nothing looks worse on a seller than writing something that is completely untrue. How can any buyer trust your product or service if they can’t even trust you?

4. Headlines: Anyone who has ever written a successful blog or been a part of a newspaper knows that headlines are extremely important. Headlines will be the first thing readers look at on your page and based on their interests they will either continue to read your blog or move on to another. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have creative, well placed headlines.

5. Consistency: In addition to the previous four steps, it is absolutely necessary to be consistent in this industry. If you are not writing a new blog post every day or every other day, potential clients & consumers will be going elsewhere for content and you may lose them forever. By simply putting up a blog post a day that follows the previous four steps, you will have an engaged and interested audience that will keep coming back which will undoubtedly lead to more customers and sales down the road.

6. Encourage Interaction: A good way to encourage customer interaction is to run regular competitions & provide “Give Aways” ie free services, guides, eBooks etc  This is a good way to engage clients and consumers online, establish trust, credibility and build on your relationship without being “cheesy”  Utilize all channels available to you, be that social media, or paid media

Following these 6 steps provides you with a good idea of some of the “Do’s & Don’ts” when it comes to blogging for business, so just be careful & avoid falling into the common pitfalls that could have a negative impact on your business instead of the other way round!.

 

Online Marketing Tips

/0 Comments/in /by

The internet is a powerful tool with limitless opportunities. You can use the World Wide Web to globalize your business as opposed to olden times when you would be trapped within the boundaries of your Country or where your business originated. Creating a strong (and noticed) online presence has now become very simple and this has been proven to boost businesses as well as broaden clientele. It is up to you, however, to optimize this tool and make it work for you.

Much like pushing your business on the ground, you will also need to market your business on the Web, probably even more so. In online marketing you have to understand that there is far more competition on the internet, many more people from around the world doing exactly what you are trying to do, therefore, you have to stand out from the crowd! Most marketing ventures are trial and error but I am going to provide a few tips that should help you minimise the “error phase”.

Know Your Target Audience

If you “market” your business without a clearly defined target audience, you will be marketing aimlessly and will never get serious attention from potential clients. It is much easier to build a marketing strategy if you know exactly who your target market is. Who will your product or service interest? What age group? Their gender? Create a customer profile and know your customer.

Why? Put it this way, when you are calling a company for information and you don’t know exactly who to ask for, its highly likely that you’ll keep getting transferred from department to department and end up frustrated and giving up. You are then left angry and possibly with more questions than answers. On the contrary, if you know exactly who you should be talking to, you can call the company and ask for that person, get your answers and avoid being transferred aimlessly – Simple! If you know who to talk to, then you can determine a way to make contact with the correct person or department.

Make Your Presence Known

Having a website is one of the key factors in online marketing. It is how your customers connect with you, how you keep them updated on your products & services, how you can attract potential new business and how you can acquire feedback from existing customers.  It is, on many occasions, their first impression of you and as they say “first impressions count”.

Your website should look professional and you should spend as much time as possible building this platform and be consistent with the content you post. If you are going to post blogs, then do so religiously, always be on time so your potential clients will see something new on a weekly or more frequent basis when they visit your site.  This will ultimately translate into how serious you are about what you are doing and the business you are running.

While blogging, be sure to use bullet points, pictures, different font styles and highlights. All these little tricks have been proven to keep the reader’s attention longer, and enough time for them to get through your blog.

Keep your website content current and this may assist in generating additional traffic to your site. Make sure your site is structured well and user friendly so that visitors to your site can manoeuvre freely.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

When someone searches something even remotely similar to your business you want to be in the first set of results displayed when they hit “search” right? Of course you do! You do this by using keywords; spend time researching keywords that are commonly searched so you can include these in anything you post on your site or blog.

If you are blogging, you may have the option to use tags for each post. Tags are keywords for your blog post. For example, if you post about small businesses, one keyword might be “business” and if someone searches “business” then it is more likely that a link to you blog post will pop up, which will generate traffic to your site.

SEO can be a tedious process but it needs to be done, use terms that you know your target audience will be searching for. The more active your website, the higher you will appear on the search result pages.

Social Media

Almost everybody in the entire world uses social media. Most people use it to interact with friends or keep up with celebrities but what many do not know is the power that social media can bring to your business. Use social media sites to promote your blog posts and communicate with customers and clients.

When you create a company page on Facebook, it gives you the option to create an advertisement. It asks how many people you would like to reach out to and their age groups, you pay a small fee and they post your ad directly to potential customers’ home pages.

It is now up to you to keep that Facebook page active and current so that when people visit your page, they remain interested and want to keep following what you are posting and ultimately click that “like” button.

Create a twitter account, YouTube, Pinterest, Myspace and Instagram account, the list goes on; each of these websites also gives you the option to create Ads. Yes, Ads cost money, but it is a small price to pay for your success in the long run. Make your presence known. If you must, hire a Virtual Assistant to keep those pages up to date, this will, in many cases, be the avenue customers will take to contact you.

Analyze Often

Once you have created an online marketing strategy you are comfortable with, develop some positive habits. Read daily, there are always new ways to better yourself and improve your business. There are also new ideas you can incorporate on your website that will increase viewership. Look for areas of improvement and look for trends. Keep checking, monitoring and analysing your site and social media pages.

If you see that something is not going to plan, ask for expert help.  And, most of all, be patient; empires were not built in a day.

The importance of providing excellent customer service

/0 Comments/in /by

For your business to survive you will need to ensure all your customers are receiving excellent Customer Service.  It is paramount that your customers are happy with the service that you have provided “The customer is always right” is a famous business slogan.  The underlying truth behind this statement is recognising that customers are the back bone for any business.

Understanding the importance of good customer service is essential for a healthy business, in creating new customers, keeping existing customers and acquiring further business by word of mouth and, by having a good reputation.  So, “Are you providing an excellent service to your customers?”

Excellent Customer Service will result in:-

  • Increased Sales
  • Survival Against Competitors
  • Satisfied Customers
  • Job Satisfaction For Staff Members
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Improved Public Image & Reputation

Make sure your clients &/or customers first impressions of your business are positive.  Extensive staff training should teach and encourage your staff to provide an excellent service and, how to handle any minor complaints professionally.

Overall, make your customers feel welcome and don’t forget to – SMILE.  Fantastic customer service can also be provided over the phone in the same way.  Smiling whilst you talk will have a positive effect on your tone of voice.  Sound engaged, positive and show willingness.

Building a relationship is the key, build trust with your customers and this will encourage repeat business.  Maintain a good relationship and honesty also often goes a long way.  Whilst first Impressions count for a lot in the business world to ensure future business you need to provide a high standard of customer service at all times so, consistency is key.

Ask your customers for feedback on how you are you doing and ensure you listen to the feedback received.  It is important that you listen to any negative feedback as, this will provide you with the opportunity to fix what has not worked so well, to prevent a repeat of the problem, ensuring your customers remain happy with the service or product(s) you provide.  Listening shows your clients &/or customers that you care and are willing to resolve any issues that arise no matter what.

Think about how you’ve been treated whenever you have been the customer.  If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a company, you know that it’s not easy to forget the encounter, so in these situations keep calm and listen to the client and hopefully he or she will remember the positive points of how the complaint was handled and resolved and not focus on any negative aspects.

One way to show your customers that you appreciate their business, and a good way to generate more sales, is to set up a variety of competitions on your Social Network Pages.  This can in turn encourage positive interaction with customers, old and new plus, add a `fun’ and rewarding element.

Good customer service leads to many benefits.  Not only will you gain trust with your customer base, but, they in turn will also become a fantastic referral system as they spread the word about your business to other potential clients.  In the long run, treating people fairly and with respect will bring business to your company today, and in the future.

Starting up a new business – A few simple Do’s and Don’ts

/1 Comment/in /by

We all know that starting up a small business can prove difficult, but I have written a few tips that will hopefully assist you along the way.  By following these points your business has as good a chance as any of being successful.

It’s overly important to do a Business Plan.  Jot down all your ideas on paper – Product, target market, opportunities & threats (including competition), budget, business model and overheads etc.   This will help to establish exactly what your business will be, who will be the main audience your product will reach out to and also how much cash you will be investing into your business or alternatively how much cash you require to get the business off the ground.

Do it with passion and not solely with the purpose of how much money you’ll make – even though profit is, also an important aspect for your business. If you are passionate about the product you are selling or service you will be providing then you are most likely to succeed in the business world.

Research the market.  Is the product(s) you are selling or the service you are offering in demand?  If yes, then this is a huge plus point and bonus for any business so timing is also crucial.  However, if there’s a lack of demand for your offering then continue with the research until you find a niche.

Don’t rush things.  Starting up your own business will be time consuming and never ending at times, so be prepared to put in a great deal of effort.  You may or may not see the levels of growth you initially anticipated – but DON’T give up.  ROI can take well over 1-1 ½yrs to transpire! So, “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

Have a structured & managed budget and try not to overspend unnecessarily.  Have a contingency plan for those unexpected costs and remember to allocate a decent amount for advertising.  Minimise unnecessary overheads as best you can.

It is crucial and highly recommended to engage in Social Media for your business.  Set up business accounts with the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube etc. as these are excellent forms of free advertising and can be easily managed.  Offer incentives and competitions if you can.  This can increase traffic to your pages and website.

Don’t always try to do everything by yourself.  Hire remote staff or a Virtual Assistant at a reasonable & competitive rate to help with your Office Admin, Marketing, and Social Media Management to name but a few.  This will free up your time, enable you to use your creativity and allow you to focus on generating more sales.

Have a user friendly website setup for your business.  Again, you can hire a remote professional to set this up for you if you don’t have the expertise or skills to do so.  Most businesses and consumers use the internet as their main tool when searching for products, services and other businesses.  Utilise this to your advantage and reach out to millions through the worldwide web.

Ensure you do extensive research on suppliers for your business, cost should not override quality as, this can prove more costly in the end.  Negotiation is key, after all if you don’t ask you won’t get – there is no harm in asking for discounts on purchases or supplies, especially if done in bulk.

Make your dreams a reality and start your own business. Don’t live with regret and the “What if’s” Consider, include and Implement all the above tips within your business forecast plan, and you will have a good chance to succeed.  Show passion in your product / service and with the right dedication and business strategy you’re sure to get your business off to a flying start.

How to Reduce Business Expenses for Small Businesses

/0 Comments/in /by

As a small business owner, you are always looking at ways to bring in more business and increase profits.  Business expenses are sadly unavoidable and can be extremely high, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case and something that can be reduced substantially.  So, let’s have a look at what you can do to cut down and reduce how much you’re really spending.
 
Firstly, evaluate your staffing costs.  Are you spending a fortune to keep staff on your payroll even though you may not need the resource at all times?  You can hire professional remote staff on a contract basis, cutting your staffing costs considerably.  These professionals will cost a fraction of what you may be paying now and can work on an ad hoc basis for actual hours worked.  Some of the best professionals are out there willing to work for a reduced fee.  You will find a large amount of remote workers from all walks of life providing the skills your business needs.  Another option is to contact local colleges and employ an apprentice who will work and learn from your skills and experience whilst also studying.  This will give you the chance to mold the apprentice into hopefully a perfect member of staff as he/she develops, learning directly from you.
 
Analyse your business purchasing.  Negotiate with current suppliers and compare the market as you may well find cheaper options.  Always ask suppliers for discounts, after all you really have nothing to lose and the worse they can say is “No”.  Most suppliers will provide some form of discount so as to ensure future business.
 
Compare the cost of business insurances you may have, as staying with the same provider may not always guarantee you lower premiums, as you may well find that these continue to rise year after year – so shop around for the best deals.
 
Have a look at energy saving.  Invest in energy saving lighting and appliances, turn off heating and lights when not needed.  Energy is costly, reduce it as much as possible and your business profits will grow. Go green and reduce how much paper your business is using.  Within 24 hours of printing on paper in an office, nearly half will be discarded.  Try using the free business tools online e.g Google Docs, Microsoft Office Live Workspace, Amazon Cloud Drive, and Dropbox.  Emails are quicker and more effective than traditional post.  Most of all emails are FREE.
 
Your marketing strategy / plan need not be as expensive as previous years and really doesn’t need to break the bank.  Set up Social Media accounts for your business and this will be a very cost effective way to generate new business whilst keeping in touch with existing customers, if done properly.  The internet is a wonderful invention and your posts on these websites can reach out to millions. These accounts are easily managed and a fantastic way of expanding your business.  Reward existing and loyal customers as word of mouth is another very powerful tool by way of advertising.
 
Evaluate how much you are spending on rent.  Does your business need to be located right in the middle of the city centre? If your answer is no, then moving the business further afield could save you hundreds of pounds per month.  Alternatively, if your business is predominantly online then consider running the business from home and reduce unnecessary overheads providing you with the opportunity of channelling  finances elsewhere.
 
By addressing the above points, your business expenses can be significantly reduced allowing you vital time to focus your efforts and extra finance on growing your business and increasing profits.