Michael Levitt's Blog, page 101

Over Three-Fourths of Americans Are Working to Improve Their Health During Covid-19

Photo by @lukechesser

It’s true that COVID-19 can infect anyone, but those with underlying health conditions are at a higher risk of experiencing severe symptoms. This pandemic has impacted the way many think about health, particularly in daily life.

Many of us are making health a priority, perhaps for the first time. To better understand how coronavirus has affected people’s decisions to boost their health, FitRated conducted a study of 1,000 participants to learn more.

This study found that an overwhelming 82% of people are making attempts to improve their own health. More than half claim this focus is due to increased downtime, while 39% admitted they liked saving money by not buying unhealthy items. On top of this, 34% told interviewers the coronavirus raised concerns about their own health and mortality, and another 34% simply wanted to be healthy in case they became sick with the virus.

The word health itself is rather broad. Over half of those interviewed wanted to improve their overall health, while 18% wanted to focus on mental health, and 15% on boosting their immune systems.

Nearly half of all those interviewed were focused on reducing or eliminating eating processed and fast foods, while 39% decided to reduce or quit drinking soda. The next popular method to increase health was to reduce or quit drinking alcohol, followed by reducing or eliminating smoking cigarettes.

Changing social habits is another aspect of living a healthy life. To reduce unhealthy social stress, 81% of individuals reduced or removed contact from toxic family and friends, 72% increased their sleep, and 63% began exercising in some form.

Overall, the pandemic has shifted the way we view health and has made us more aware of how important a healthy immune system and positive mental state can be.

A Good Development Strategy Is Key To Success

Photo by Benjamin Child on Unsplash

As we approach the end of the corona crisis and the return of organizations to full-time work, it is worthwhile and desirable for company management to establish a new strategy in everything related to performance. The past year has changed all the rules of the game. Many employees will continue to work from home, organizations will be able to hire new employees living outside the geographical area of the company offices, the whole issue of training, employee absorption, employee development and promotion, wages and benefits - and virtually any employee experience issue - will change beyond recognition in the coming year.

Accordingly, it is important to change and even redefine the performance management strategy, which includes the demands from employees for performance and goal achievement. Training employees and having them at the best in their game, it will be a very important strategy. For example, you may want to look at Kallibr. Kallibr is an industry leader and could potentially help your business. Before redefining the performance strategy, you should consider a few issues regarding the performance strategy:

1. How the organization intends to change performance expectations and how it intends to change performance metrics.

2. Have the business needs of the organization changed

3. Have the responsibilities in senior positions changed?

4. Are certain metrics now less relevant than they were before the crisis broke out and are certain metrics no longer under employee control.

5. Is it better now to put more emphasis on short-term performance goals and not currently make decisions about the long-term, until the business situation of the organization itself and its customers stabilizes.

6. How can an organization's performance management program be agile enough to navigate within the range of current disruptions as well as within the uncertainty that will arise in the future.

7. Do the managers in the organization check the relevance of the goals and the ability to achieve them and do they conduct a feedback conversation at least once a quarter with each of the team members.

8. Have the direct managers in the organization been trained to conduct frequent and personalized coaching conversations with each employee.

9. Have the managers in the organization been trained and do they know how to lead teams consisting of employees who continue to work from home, employees who work from home partially and employees who will return to work only in the office.

Bottom line, in order for employees to have a positive employee experience and in order for them to maintain a high level of connection to the organization, they need to have confidence in accepting their future in the company, in every possible aspect. To this end, it is important that they receive messages from their managers, as well as from human resource managers, that the organization is very interested in preserving them, developing them and promoting them. They want to know that their future in the company is guaranteed and that the company has a long-term plan that aims to enable them to achieve their personal growth goals.

Practical Ways to Have a More Sustainable Business

The photo was taken by jplenio from Pixabay

Global warming is something that is a large and complex issue, so as a small business owner, it can be easy to see how it might be something that only larger corporations need to deal with. However, the whole idea of global warming being something that can only be tackled by larger companies is some thinking that is definitely flawed. There are a number of issues surrounding global warming, and as a result, it is up to everyone, as individuals or businesses, to do what they can to be able to deal with any rising problems. Small actions may seem small and pointless, but when lots of small actions are taken, then it can make such a big difference. 

Many small business owners can think that what they do on behalf of their business won't actually matter. However, they are things that actually do matter in a big way. Small changes can become big changes and they can have a great impact. It can help you to feel good knowing that you are taking steps to create change, but there can also be some amazing results that can come from having a more eco-friendly business. Making your business much greener is something that can impact your reputation as a business too. For people who are conscious of who they spend their money with, then it can help your bottom line if you are known for being a business who is sustainable and is taking steps to improve. The environmental aspect of business is something that is a big concern for a lot of people, so taking steps, even if they feel small, is a good place to be in. 

So with all of that in mind, here are some of the things that you can be doing as a small business owner, to help to make the business greener.

Conserve water

When you take steps to conserve water, then it can help you to save money, as well as help the environment. By fixing any leaky faucets you will be able to stop your business from wasting a lot of water, so it does make sense to check your workspace or office space that something like this isn’t happening. If you are not sure about how you can make changes in your business, especially relating to how you can conserve water, then it could be a good idea to speak to a plumber. They will know what to look out for and how to advise you on improving how much water you use and how you can reduce how much you use.

Use alternative energy sources of energy

Looking for some alternative sources of energy such as solar power or wind power, and even water power, can help to create power and energy in a way that is renewable and avoids other toxins in the air. These are books that not only help the environment but they can help to reduce the energy bill for your business too. So taking steps to improve things and finding more sustainable sources of energy can be such a good thing for the business in a number of ways.

Use more energy-efficient equipment

When you are looking to cut costs, and there are some growing concerns about the environment, then you need to look at the equipment that you have in the office. If you have older electronics or equipment, then they can have quite low energy ratings. Not only will this cost you more money as a business, but it is bad for the environment too. The thing to do to reduce this cost, is to look for more energy-efficient replacements that use low-energy. You can then have a positive impact on the environment.

Another aspect of this is looking to replace other things within the business that need to be more energy efficient. You could replace the light bulbs in the office space with a more energy efficient option, by getting in a commercial LED lighting electrician, for example. Of course there are some costs to replacing the lights upfront, but LED lights last for a long time and can really cost a lot less to run compared to other alternatives. Small things do make a big difference and help your business to reduce costs as well as carbon footprint.

Source from sustainable suppliers

Part of having a sustainable business is making sure that all aspects of your business are sustainable. This means that your business will be as sustainable as it can be, rather than just being ‘green’ in only some aspects of your business. That is why ‘green’ procurement is a really simple way to completely transform the carbon footprint of the business. You will be helping to foster good relationships with sustainable suppliers, as well as making the business much greener as a whole. When you source goods or services from companies that have the same kind of mindset and are doing their bit for the environment, then it does help the environment. 

To help to implement this, then you could think about making your own policy around green procurement that helps you to commit to the ideals that your company has. This could be around reducing the waste that your business has, as well as lowering your business’ emissions and impact on the environment. 

The photo was taken by Florian Pircher from Pixabay

Reduce, reuse, and recycle

If you want to do something simple that can make a difference for your business, then you should look to reduce the waste that comes from the business, as well as reuse materials, where possible. Recycling is also important, for the waste that you do create as a business, and for anything that cannot be reused. A simple thing that you can do is to get together some recycling bins for materials, to help to make your business greener. They could be for things like paper, plastic, and cardboard, which are all simple to recycle and set up collections or them. This will be similar to what a lot of people are already doing at home, so it will be something that they are used to. 

7 Lessons for Businesses during Tough Economic Times

The photo was taken by Miro Alt from Pixabay

While the government does its best to cushion the people during tough economic times, the effect is often detrimental. Businesses are among the worst hit during these tumultuous periods and, as such, demand the most support.

Although heavy, these moments come with a host of lessons that both small and large enterprises can use to restructure and grow. Take your business to the next level by incorporating these critical takeaways during tough times.

Customer Relationship Matters

When there's an economic downturn, most people bootstrap to survive. During this time, businesses often look to their most loyal customers for support to meet the basic demands of production and worker salary.

Without a solid consumer base, it is easy to lose market influence during tough times.

Keep your loyal customers happy and satisfied by making them feel appreciated, and they, in turn, feel inclined to refer you to other clients.

Maintain a robust online presence to boost your business market confidence as more people interact on different avenues.

Improve your business-customer relationship by:

Encouraging Collaboration

Hold workshops, training, meetings with your core customers to strengthen the level of engagement, understand their needs better, and build rapport.

Automate Functions

Make your consumers feel less burden by automating the order and delivery process of products and services. The easier it is to access your company services, the happier they'll be to order more.

Solve disputes amicably

Admit and own mistakes you make in service operations. If a product happens to be faulty or has an error, it is better to find common ground for replacement or refund when the mistake is on your end.

Marketing Never Ends

Although individual consumer spending radically reduces during tough times, you can supplement this shortage by improving marketing outreach.

You can effectively promote your products or services via:

Social media

Blogs

Paid Ads

Affiliate links

Video

Incorporating some of the new ideas will require restructuring your business plan template to accommodate the adjustments. Cost-effective marketing strategies include:

SEO Optimization

If you already have a website, optimizing key aspects such as the content will position your business better on the search engines, and as a result, there's more interaction. Optimize your social media pages as well for more targeted traffic.

Email Marketing

Build a list of email subscribers and use it to market your company. You must, however, avoid being too aggressive with your marketing efforts and instead focus on providing useful and reliable information about the products or services.

Leveraging Influencers

Find a suitable influencer in your niche and request them to get your products or services In front of their vast online followers. While you may have to negotiate a fee, it often guarantees faster results.

Protect the Cash flow

With tough times calling for better management of resources, you must protect the money flowing into the company. Cash flowing into the business helps in running daily operations, repaying debt, and remuneration of workers.

Successfully manage your cash flow by:

Frequent Monitoring

Through various accounting software online such as QuickBooks, you can keep track of your business's money flow remotely.

Cash in Assets

When in a financial crisis, you need every coin you can get, and as such, cashing in on obsolete assets makes sense and increases the cash coming into the business. Utilize property that you don't intend to sell by leasing them out for some duration.

Speed up Payments

Boost the speed of money flow by offering cashless payment options using mobile applications or related software. Motivate on the spot payments by including incentives in the overall purchase as well.

For example, you may give a 5% discount for goods bought at your store with cash at hand.

Schedule Invoices

Request payment for services offered or products delivered promptly to avoid any delays. Come up with invoice designs that are easy to read and interpret for faster transactions.

Automating is a Priority

To cut operations costs and still maintain quality services is a challenge businesses face. However, the introduction of technology has made it easier to offer quality without having to spend much.

By automating essential functions you:

Increase Productivity

Technological input reduces the time taken to complete tasks like manually delivering products. By automating services, workers are often left with little to do and have more time to focus on other important functions.

Streamline Communications

With modern equipment, the transition of information is faster and smoother. In fact, with a single press of a button, employees can receive specific instructions and details about a particular project.

Boost Customer Satisfaction

Through the help of technology, there is less room for error in the process of service delivery. Customers who order and receive their goods or services in time are often left satisfied and are likely to come back.

Keep an Eye for the Competition

While an economic downturn takes a lot of business down, it also presents other companies with opportunities to rise. Keep a close eye on your nearest rivals and track their progress.

Maintaining a clear view of your competitor helps to:

Choose the Appropriate Strategy

Getting inspiration and ideas from close competitors helps you develop counteractive measures by including some of their best in your strategy.

Respond Better to Changes

Once you have an idea of the competitor strategies like attracting new clients, better service delivery methods, or price changes, you can adjust and come up with a better counter-strategy.

Get a Marketing Advantage

After doing a complete competitor analysis, you derive valuable information about the kind of markets your competitor is targeting and the plan of execution. These details help you to take a step further and come up with better tactics.

Not to Shy Away from Diversification

While a business must always focus its core services, tough economic times may force a re-think. Relying on a sole stream for income can often prove detrimental during hard times.

Diversifying your revenue streams boost cash flow, promote wider audience reach, and guarantees you a safe landing when things get worse.

If, for example, you have a chicken selling business, consider selling eggs and or chicken manure as supplements.

Other benefits of diversification include:

Economic Buffer

A change in economic fortune always brings a shift in consumer preferences. Through diversifying, you can accommodate the changes in spending by offering other useful alternative products.

Prevents Shock

Your business may thrive until misfortune strikes. Stay on top of any situation by diversifying from one to several income streams.

Networking is a Skill

Accessing help, advice, or key industry information requires a web of connections in business. With the right networks, your business can thrive in any economic meltdown.

Use these tips to establish the right support systems during tough times.

Find Suitable Venues

Choose events with groups of people with whom you have vested interest. Work your way through this group and connect with high-value clients and investors as well.

Search for Common Ground

While networking, focus on forming bonds and relationships that last a lifetime. Look for interesting topics that the target person may be interested to hear and use this as a base to establish a conversation.

Dress Neatly

No one will want to network with someone who looks rugged and shaggy. Instead, dress decently and avoid having too much extra's on.

Conclusion

While economic turmoil is bound to happen every so often, businesses can use the experience as lessons for better future decisions that help thrive during challenging times.

Incorporate key lessons like customer relationships, marketing, automating, diversifying, networking, and protecting your cash flow for a smoother transition.

 

What to do When You Grow Bored of Your Business

The photo was taken by Tumisu from Pixabay

When you first launched your business, you were probably full of enthusiasm about making your vision of owning a company a reality. Running a business is so much more than a full-time job; it is a vocation that you live and breathe. Being a business owner requires you to nurture your company and build from nothing, often without anything more than a little faith that it will grow bigger and stronger over time. Running a successful business requires so much of your life to be dedicated to your company. You may need to work long days and sacrifice your private life; which makes it hard to take a step back and see how much you have achieved. 

Achieving success as a small business owner is no easy feat. Managing a thriving business requires you to work long hours and allows few opportunities for breaks. Working at a high level of intensity may seem manageable when you start your business. The buzz of the adrenaline will help you to keep going. However, nobody can sustain this level of working so intensely forever. If you push yourself too far and work long hours for an extended period, you could find your physical and mental health are affected. Unfortunately, burnout is a common issue suffered by many business owners and other professionals nowadays. The impact of working long hours while under intense pressure is often the cause of this modern-day issue.

Issues such as burn out, and not having a work-life balance can lead to business owners becoming tired of their companies. If this sounds familiar to you, there are several ways to handle the situation. Read on to discover some of the things that you can do when you grow bored of your business:

Review

When you feel fed up with working, the most crucial starting point is identifying why you feel this way. Once you know why you have grown bored with your business, it will be far more straightforward for you to find a way to resolve the situation. 

After putting so much of your time and energy into building your business from the ground up, it is essential that you don’t throw that effort away. Instead, find a way to think through your feelings logically, and this should help you decide on the best course of action.

Understanding why you are bored with your business may take a little while to decipher, especially if you feel stressed out lately. Perhaps, you are sick of missing out on being at home with your family. Maybe you think that you have taken the business as far as you can, and don’t see how you can take it any further forward, or, perhaps, you have achieved everything you wanted with the company, and would like a change of scenery. Whatever the reason for feeling this way, you can use these to determine your next course of action.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Diversify

Diversification may be a buzz word, but nevertheless, it is something that many businesses have needed to embrace over the past year. If you feel tired of your business because it does not seem to be as in demand as it once was, then diversification could be an excellent decision. Diversifying can also be a useful way to refresh your business and to feel passionate about it once again. If you love a challenge, then diversification could help you to feel invigorated and excited about your company once again. However, diversifying into new markets can be a risky decision. This is especially true if it is not a logical next progression in your business’ growth. 

If you are happy to take a measured risk, then you may find that researching a new area to diversify into and planning the strategy, will help you to fall back in love with being a business owner once again. Some business owners love the adrenaline and the excitement of the early stages of launching a business. If this sounds like you, then expanding into new areas under the same brand name could be an exciting prospect. Diversification could help to renew your interest in your business.

Take a Step Back

After putting so much of yourself into launching your business and establishing it, falling out of love with it can be difficult, and you may feel a little lost while you weigh up your options and consider what you should do. One of the best things to do in this situation is to take a step back for a little while. Making a hasty decision now is something that you could regret in the future, so it is worth allowing yourself the time that you need to make a decision that sits comfortably with you. 

Having some time away from your business could give you the breathing space that you need to make the right decision for you. You may decide that you need time off and to take some time out for yourself. In this case, you may choose to enjoy an extended break and appoint one of your team to run the business in your absence. This time away could be especially beneficial if you have been feeling run down and burnt out recently. 

Being away from your business will allow you the opportunity to consider whether you want to continue running your company or whether it is time for you to think about alternative options. Having the time and space to make your decision will make all the difference to your thinking process. Being free to consider your options will help you to make your decision so much more easily.

Move On

If you have weighted up your options carefully and taken some time to think about the right decision for you, you may be at a point where you feel that you would like to move on from your business. You may decide that the life of an entrepreneur is not for you, after all. For some people, the stress and amount of time you need to commit to running a business are too much to handle. You may be longing for job security, and a guaranteed regular income with annual leave for taking holidays. Alternatively, you may decide that you have taken your business as far as you can possibly take it, and have run out of fresh ideas. In this situation, you may choose to leave behind your existing business, and instead, start a new venture.

The decision to walk away from your business is a significant choice to make, especially if you have been running it for a long time. However, if you are at a point where you think that moving on is the best choice for you to make, then it is vital to manage the process carefully.

There are a few different options open to you when you decide to move on from your company. Firstly, you may choose to close the business down and walk away. However, this can have lots of implications. You will need to consider issues such as your employees losing their jobs, unfulfilled contracts with your clients, plus rental agreements for business equipment and buildings etc.

While closing your business is possible, you may choose an alternative option, and decide to Sell your business. Selling your company is an excellent way to keep your team in their jobs. If you sell-up, you forego many of the complications that come from closing a business down completely. When you sell your business, all of the hard work and effort you have put in over the years remains, and your company lives on, just without you in charge of it. Letting someone else buy your company has the significant benefit of enabling you to get paid. You will then have money to invest elsewhere or to fund your new venture. This makes putting your business up for sale an attractive option to consider when you are ready to walk away.

Final Thoughts

Falling out of love with your business and growing bored of it can leave you feeling a whole range of emotions. You may be feeling frustrated, tired, and ready for a change. With all these emotions floating around, you may find it hard to decide on your best course of action. While there may be many different reasons that you have grown tired with your business, it is always essential to take some time to think about what you would like to do next and to make an informed decision. Having a clear direction and plan will make it much easier for you to move forward, whatever you decide to do.

Maybe you will end up taking some time out and returning to your company with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Or, decide it is time for you to move on from your business, and to begin a new chapter in your life. Whatever your decision may be, the crucial factor is that you make the best decision for yourself and for the right reasons. 

5 Services That Will Help You As You Look To Build An Amazing Website

Photo by Fabian Irsara on Unsplash

Whether you’re looking to build an amazing business, start a side-hustle online, or show yourself off with an online portfolio, you’re going to need a strong website and online presence to go with it. In this day and age, the majority of things we do are online, so we need to make sure that we have everything handled in a digital sense. People are expecting things to be available in a matter of moments, so you need to make sure you’re satisfying potential customers and visitors immediately. We’re in an age where even young children are learned in terms of digital devices, so all businesses and ambitious individuals need to be on the ball. 

It’s very easy to create a website that sucks. If you do a few fundamental things wrong, then it can affect everything else. It’s also very easy to create a site that mimics every other. The idea should be to create something that is simple to navigate through while having an air of originality. You’re your own person, so the originality shouldn’t be too hard to come back as you have your own likes, dislikes, and opinions. 

All throughout your journey of creating a website, you’re going to want to make sure that you have help along the way. No big company or successful individual got there by doing absolutely EVERYTHING on their own. The term self-made only goes so far – one person needs lots of help, of course! There are plenty of services that you can solicit help from along the way that will help you out an awful lot and make your site a lot more respectable. Here are five examples for you right now: 

Cybersecurity 

Your website will likely come under some sort of fire if it takes off and gains popularity. For some reason, criminals will always want to act like leeches and suck the life out of your work. It’s wise to get in touch with cybersecurity firms and let them watch over your systems while you work. Doing this earlier on will be wise, too, as they’ll be able to help you with a few things as you build up your site from scratch. If you feel as though you might need managed IT services, then there are many IT companies around that can deal with just that. As time moves on, we’re seeing more and more skilled hackers emerge, so we need to make sure that we have everything we need to avoid the malware and ransomware that they might look to covertly install. 

An IT Consultant 

There will be people out there who have experience in many different areas of IT. They will also know about productively using IT skills and websites in terms of turning them into businesses. Dealing with consultants may seem pointless to many people, but those little nuggets of information might just help you out and save you. You can find them online or via a recommendation, but they also like to promote their mentoring and help on social media, so keep your eyes peeled for someone that might just change your thinking – and your life. 

A Web Designer

This goes without saying if you’re not the most skilled when it comes to designing a website. A web designer will be able to do all of the hard work for you and keep everything in good condition. Their sole purpose is to ensure that you get the best possible website, so you know that they’ll do what they can to provide. You’ll talk with them about the kinds of things you’d like to include and the overall look of things. They’ll rely on your testimony in order to make more money and get more work, so they’ll be more than hard-working and reliable. 

Digital Marketing Firms Or Individuals 

Marketing will always be one of the biggest keys to success. In this day and age, digital marketing is now a lot more important. So many different people around the world are glued to a screen, so you need to make sure you’re making an appearance before their very eyes. You can get help from all kinds of firms that deal with digital marketing. You may want help with social media or you may solicit a seo reseller to help out with website traffic! Don’t discount this thought because it can add thousands of impressions and boost popularity pretty quickly. 

A Graphic Designer

Very much like a web designer, a graphic designer will be able to give you professional-looking images and logos with ease. Their experience will show as they provide you with expertly designed pictures for a price. While you might think you’re okay with artistic stuff, you probably won’t have what it takes to match some who have been doing this kind of thing for years and years!

What Does Onboarding Customers Look Like In This Age Of Lockdown?

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

This past year has been tough for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Even big brands are among the 340 U.S. companies that filed for bankruptcy in 2020, with sectors such as hospitality and travel and leisure especially struggling to come out unscathed.

With these very real rumbles in the ecosystem, it’s no surprise that those of us at the helm of more modest enterprises are quaking. Luckily, if you’ve managed to stay afloat until now, you’re through the worst. But, with lockdowns and tight movement restrictions remaining in place for indeterminate periods, there’s still a long way to go, and the business battle is all uphill.

Most pressingly, companies need to focus on the customer onboarding that has largely fallen overboard this past year. Sadly, even pre-pandemic, onboarding customers cost companies around five times more. That’s a significant hit at a time when company funds are already flatlining. But, failing to take this step will ultimately cost you more. So, what exactly does onboarding look like in an age where you’re unable to go out there and meet with new prospects? 

Scale up your social media

Social media has been a lot more prevalent for business processes this past year, and onboarding is no different. After all, building a sound social media presence is akin to getting a shop front looking pretty these days. Get this right, and you’ll be able to find and convert customers that bit easier. 

Namely, businesses who really spread their social media wings open themselves up to the largest possible new customer bases. As such, setting up shop on Instagram alone isn’t enough. You also need to think about Facebook, Twitter, and, increasingly, TikTok. 

How you can onboard through these platforms is ten-fold, meaning that success here really could be your onboarding oyster. Notably, hashtags, page giveaways, and targeted ads could all help you to reach those new clients who would never stand a chance at hearing about you otherwise. 

Do note, though, that the vast majority of social media platforms operate using algorithms. These determine whether both your audience and potential new followers see your posts. Sadly, the algorithm is pretty hard to pin down, with Instagram accounts, especially, falling foul to unexpected engagement drops of late. But, while we can’t always tell what the algorithm likes, we do know what it doesn’t like, including - 

Patchy posting

Repeating the same hashtags

Spamming

And more

By avoiding these and providing quality content on a regular timetable, you should at least be able to please the powers-that-be enough to get your name noticed on the front page. 

Find advertising opportunities where you can

In some ways social media has been a business non-negotiable for a while, so the above is nothing new. What has changed more this past year is how many outlets of advertising we have available to us. After all, the ability to advertise through physical posters, billboards, and shopfronts is null and void right now. And, that’s a gap that even your social presence may struggle to fill. Yet, the further you cast your marketing net, the more chance you have of bagging those new customers!

This is why now is also the time to think about the scope of advertising opportunities that you do have, even offline. Something simple like wearing a branded hoodie to the shop or even leaving branded custom car fresheners in your windscreen when you head out could make ripples. Equally, sending merch like tote bags and branded pens with each sale you complete could see your brand getting itself out there in the world, even with the world at a seeming standstill.

Double efforts with your existing customers

Customer retention is and always will be easier than onboarding. As well as being substantially cheaper, this saves you from having to sell yourself as such. Rather onboarding is all about newsletters and loyalty offerings that remind customers why they already love you. 

As mentioned, customer loyalty does have a limited print run in terms of value right now, but that’s not to say you can cast this priority aside. Where onboarding is concerned, especially, word of mouth accounts for around 13% of sales. In other words, buttering up the customers you do have could be the best way to find new ones without leaving the house. 

So, you definitely shouldn’t forget to offer discounts, free gifts, and all those other things that make your customers love you so much. Pair this with the above point, and you could even see existing customers singing your praises, and inadvertently advertising your brand with that new tote bag!

Repower your coverage with SEO

SEO has been falling slightly out of business favor in recent years, but lockdowns have seen it back with a bang as online searches become the fruit of any business exchange. In fact, 63% of marketers predict that SEO is about to become more important. Companies who land in Google’s top five are especially liable to attract the new customers that they’re missing right now. After all, there were around 3.5 billion Google searches last year. What else have we got to do with our time?!

With this in mind, SEO focuses that can drive traffic such as quality web content, blogs, and keywords should all feature in your website design. Specifically, think about what customers are liable to search right now, and consider how you can make yourself relevant to that cause. Unsurprisingly Coronavirus was last year’s top search and continues to trend, so how can you turn this towards your services? Be sure, too, to update/upload online daily to keep yourself fresh and ready for all those new faces. 

Conclusion

No one said that onboarding during a pandemic would be easy. In fact, this is about the hardest marketing challenge that companies have faced since the war. But, rest easy that if you can come through this, you can come through anything. And, trust us, you can do just that with these pointers to hand.

Tips For Opening A Restaurant

Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash

If you’re a keen cook, it’s a common dream to open a restaurant. Possible the ultimate example of turning a hobby into a business, opening a restaurant can be both very rewarding and very challenging. Here are some of the best tips to help you get started and open a restaurant that is set up to succeed.

Consider Used Restaurant Equipment

If you’re opening a new restaurant, then don’t overlook used restaurant equipment. You can find lots of hardly used pieces of restaurant equipment for very low prices. New is nice, but not always necessary. 

Decide If A POS System Is Better Than A Cash Register

It’s a good idea to invest in a POS system. Unlike a traditional cash register, which only tracks sales, a POS (point os sale) system can track sales, menu items, act as a time clock for your staff, and take reservations. A POS system will cost more than a cash register, but if you use it to its full advantage, it will pay for itself in the long run. 

Hire The Right Bar Staff

If your restaurant has a bar area, be selective about who you hire to staff it. A good bartender should know how to pour drinks and excel in customer service. A good bartender learns to read customers so they know who wants to chat and who wants to be left alone. They should make every patron feel welcome and comfortable. 

Understand The Importance Of Commercial Restaurant Equipment And Supplies

When you stock a new restaurant, it’s important to buy equipment and dishes designed for commercial use. If you buy dishes designed for domestic use, after a few rounds through the dishwasher, every one will be chipped or cracked. Commercial dishes and equipment are more expensive than domestic ones, but for a good reason. They are made to stand up to the heavy use they’ll get in a restaurant. 

Your food supplies need to be quality too, from somewhere like Superior Farms.

Apply For A Liquor License Early

If you’re planning to open a restaurant that serves wine, beer, or spirits, make sure you apply for a liquor license as soon as possible. It can take a few weeks for a license to be approved, depending on where your restaurant is. Don’t find yourself having to delay opening because you’re still waiting for your liquor license. 

Avoid Lining Prices Up On A Menu

When you’re designing your menus, don’t align the prices of your food up on the menu. This makes the customer compare prices and choose the less expensive items. When the prices aren’t in a line, customers are more likely to choose what they like, not what they perceive as the best value. 

Choose An Original Restaurant Name

If your last name is McDonald, don’t use that in your restaurant name. This is just asking for trouble. It might seem harmless enough to name your restaurant something similar to a chain that is already established, but you could get into real legal trouble. Avoid any issues by choosing a unique name.

Five Technologies That Can Help Your Business Grow

The photo was taken by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay

Businesses and companies run very differently today, than they did a decade or so ago. This is primarily because of the use of advanced technology and of course, the Internet, both of which have not only automated and streamlined so many aspects of a business, but also made things simpler and much quicker. 

So much so that now so many people are even running their own ‘online businesses’, where their entire business is on the world wine web and can be accessed by anyone from anywhere in the world. There is no physical ‘office’ or ‘shop’ - everything is managed via the Internet through technology. 

This article looks at five different kinds of technologies that can help various kinds of businesses grow.

Server Virtualization

There are plenty of advantages of server virtualization, so incorporating it into your business model will only benefit your business’s growth. For the uninitiated, server virtualization means having a single server that acts independently and runs different programs and operating systems. Businesses save money and time when using a virtualized server as well as have better security. 

Virus Protection Software/ Cyber Security

This is a biggie and a must for all businesses that use the Internet (and who doesn’t, these days?). Hackers are on top of their game and despite being alert and careful, company profiles and servers have been hacked into (yes, even some of the biggest names with hi-tech cyber security). So make sure you invest in top class virus protection software and cyber security systems as it will prevent your company’s hard work from going down the drain.

Use Of Mobile Technology

The use of mobile technology helps in time management and increases efficiency and employee satisfaction and thus leads to overall business growth. The implementation of various mobile technologies has changed the concept of the traditional office environment, allowing employees to work from home (or even another part of the world) without any hassle or disruption to their productivity. The concept of working virtually has gained even more importance since the Covid19 pandemic and resultant global lockdowns. 

Storage On The Cloud

The ‘cloud’ has revolutionized the aspect of data and material storage for so many businesses. Gone are the days of having to store physical copies or large computer files that took up so much space on the system and slowed everything down. 

Now, unlimited amounts of date can be easily stored (and accessed) on an online cloud storage account and can be shared with and accessed by anyone in the world easily. 

Automate And Schedule

Social media is now an essential (and major) part of every business, more so online businesses, especially if one is in the creative field. But successfully managing multiple social media accounts and being socially active and present 24/7 is extremely time-consuming. One option is to outsource your business’s social media presence to a social media management company; but if you prefer to do things yourself make sure you use automation and scheduling apps such as Hootsuite and Tailwind that help you plan and schedule your posts. 

How You Should Handle A Road Accident

Photo source: Pexels

The biggest fear when driving is ending up in an accident, and it’s not something that’s always avoidable. You can do your best to avoid collisions at all times, but it’s still in the hands of other drivers as well, so you need to be extra cautious when possible! While you might not be able to prevent all accidents from happening, there’s still a lot you can be doing to prepare for an accident, and also deal with the aftermath of one. You need to know how to handle it so that you may be compensated in the event that someone else has caused it - otherwise you’ll find yourself out of pocket!

Dashcam

While they’re expensive, dash cams can be a lifesaver if you’re having trouble proving that an accident wasn’t your fault, so they’re a great investment! It’s also not always easy to recall the events of an accident after they’ve happened, as everything happens too fast for you to take note of - so a dashcam might be your only chance at knowing the truth! The last thing you want is for someone else to be the cause of an accident that you’re involved in, and then you have to take the blame for it. Not only will there be no justice, but your insurance costs will rise.

Stop your car

It should be obvious that stopping your car is the first thing you should do if there’s been a collision and turning off the engine. Even if you’re not badly injured or there are not extreme amounts of damage - you need to stop your car and turn off the engine. You may need to exchange information with the other driver, and leaving will count as a hit and run!

Insurance information

If possible trying to exchange information with the other person involved in the accident so that you can get everything sorted through insurance is the best way to handle it, but that’s not always an option! Sometimes people will either flee from the scene or won’t stop at all - another reason to have a dashcam!

Lawyer up

In the case of you wanting to press charges, or the other driver wanting to press charges, you should always look to the help of a lawyer to help win your case. Whether it’s a car accident, truck accident, bike accident, it’s always best to not represent yourself in court; and you’re going to want someone who knows a lot about traffic and road laws!

Hospital 

While the details of the crash are important, what’s more important is your safety, so you should make sure that injuries don’t go unchecked! Not all injuries are obvious straight away, you might feel the symptoms of a concussion after the accident happens; and if you do, you should be taking yourself to a doctor or the hospital to make sure everything is okay!

Car accidents are horrible for everyone involved, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know how to deal with them in the best way possible. You can make the most out of that situation, even if you’ll still be at a loss!