Michael Levitt's Blog, page 58

Four Reasons Why Your Business Needs Freelancers

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Every business, especially small businesses, could benefit from hiring freelancers if you have a small or startup business where you sometimes have to wear many hats. 

From doing the accounting, owning the marketing, dealing with customer support issues, and even operating the phones when someone calls in sick, it can sometimes be quite a mess and very overwhelming.

Therefore, it's time for you to hire people who are good at specific skills so that your focus can stay on being great at your core competencies.

Hiring freelancers enables you to get more done in less time so that you don't feel overwhelmed by career responsibilities. Small businesses are not known for having endless resources of money to pay full-time employees. 

With freelance workers, even if their hourly rates are higher than what an in-house employee would make in the same position, you can still save more money because of the time it would take for you to train someone on your company's processes.

Here Are Four Benefits Of Hiring Freelancers

Save Time & Money

There is no need for training or supervision when you hire a freelancer -- they know what they're doing, which means that you don't have to put in as much time or effort into your business. 

You may be able to skip certain red tape tasks such as filing for permissions and waiting days for the government's approval if there is no permanent office space.

This saves you both the money and time so you can focus on other things such as developing new products/services,  your online reputation management, marketing, and growing your business.

Access to Specialized Knowledge/Skills

Freelancers typically have a high level of expertise in a particular area, allowing them to perform their tasks with greater efficiency than just an average person off the street might be able to accomplish. 

So, for example, if you need help with web design, you can hire a freelancer who specializes in this field rather than wasting time looking for someone who may or may not know what they are doing. 

You can also find freelancers experienced in writing, public relations, photography, social media marketing, as well as virtually any other job-related task that your company may require. This saves you money because there is no need to hire people without the necessary skills for the job. In addition, if one person quits, another highly qualified person is readily available to fill their position.

Greater Talent Pool

By hiring freelancers, you have access to a greater talent pool which can be helpful when your business grows, and you need more people to accomplish tasks. In addition, freelancers from around the world are able to bid for your project, allowing you to pick the best possible candidate for your needs.

With traditional employees, this isn't as easy -- should they quit or should you let them go? In addition, if a traditional employee lacks skills for a particular type of task, you would likely have difficulties finding other employees with those same skill sets. 

No Drama

It's also challenging to find employees who will work well together as a team because there is typically only one or two people from a given geographical location.

With freelancers, you don't have to worry about these problems because they're not committed to your company but rather provide their services on an as-needed basis, making the process easier for everyone involved.

Email Marketing: Do You Need It for Your Business?

Running a business is a tireless effort. In today’s market, investing in digital marketing is essential. If you’re curious about email marketing, you may be wondering, “Do you need it for your business?” Read on to learn if it’s the right avenue for you.

Are You Looking To Grow Brand Loyalty?

If you are looking to grow the loyalty that existing customers feel toward your brand, email marketing might be the right next step in your growth plan. Email marketing allows customers to regularly keep in contact with your brand.

By sending out regular emails, you can alert customers about new offerings, specials, sales, and company updates, leading to increased brand connection and loyalty with your existing customer base.

Do You Invest in Other Digital Marketing Types?

If you’re already investing in pay-per-click advertising on Google, search engine optimization, or another form of digital marketing, the natural next step is to get into email marketing.

If you are not investing in email marketing to create repeat traffic and create regular customers through connections, you are leaving opportunities on the table. Consider creating an effective campaign strategy for the best results.

Do You Want an Ad Format With High Conversion Rates?

High conversion rates are a goal for many businesses, but there is also a concern of growing too fast. If your business is not set up for sudden growth through increased conversions, email marketing might push your capacity availability. If you have the capacity to keep up with growth, it is a great option.

There are many factors to consider when making a decision about email marketing and deciding, “Do you need it for your business?” If your business is ready for a spike in conversions, it’s the right next step for you. Examine your current setup and customer base. The first step to starting an email marketing campaign is building a list of emails.

How To Make Your Coffee Shop Different From Competitors

It’s a new season, new day, new beginning, but the only thing that’s missing is customers. Where did they all go? To help you answer your question, we need to figure out why customers aren’t coming along. Whether it’s from the products or closing yourself off from the community, here’s a guide on how to make your coffee shop different from competitors.

Up the Quality of Products

No customer wants a stale muffin or donut, nor do they enjoy day-old coffee. Maybe there’s a new pastry your competition serves that’s better quality than yours. This happens, and there’s a way to help serve better quality products. When it comes to coffee, always go for the blends that are unknown or aren’t as popular but have unique flavors that can help curate new drink recipes.

For your food, the same process applies. Forget about muffins, donuts, and the favorite bagels for a moment; we need to focus more on what the trendy foods are at the moment. For the most part, it seems that vegan foods are what’s in right now, and creating your own recipes that competitors don’t offer can help improve the quality of your products.

Offer On-The-Go Goods

Many customers swing by to grab a quick bite and coffee rather than sit and work in silence. If your coffee shop doesn’t currently serve on-the-go pre-packaged foods, you might want to hop on that as well.

Many prefer drinking coffee at home or eat a bagel from your shop on the way to work. Selling pre-packaged food or even packaged blends of coffee can help immensely boost sales.

Give Back to the Community

We often overshadow our accomplishments without thinking about what we’ve done to give back to communities. To help fight this, consider starting a fundraiser for a cause. For example, create a coat drive to help the homeless stay warm this winter. No matter what you start, the community will continue to support you right back.

Renovate Your Space

Sometimes, you need to remodel your small coffee shop business, whether simple or significant renovations. If your competition has expanded their layout, take advantage of that and improve your shop’s look. It can be anything from adding new bar stools, painting a wall, or adding an outdoor patio area. Whatever your choice, it can help you stand out from the competition.

Hopefully, our guide on making your coffee shop different from competitors helps you realize what needs to change. To move forward with attracting customers, you need to improve your space, give back to the community, and make your products better than competitors. Improve your coffee shop brand by following our steps.

Building Your Business: Key Components

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It is important to remember that not all businesses are the same. What you need to succeed may be different from what someone else needs to succeed. You must find out what works best for your company and then work with it, rather than against it.

Adequate Funds

As an entrepreneur, it can be challenging to determine how much money you need for the business. You must have enough capital built into your company to not feel pressured to take on debt or sell equity to keep the business afloat.

A business cannot run without enough funds to cover operating expenses. The amount of money required varies depending on the size and scope of your company. Still, it is always essential to ensure sufficient capital reserves to maintain operations when times are tough or during emergencies. 

Work Insurance

This is a must for any business, no matter how big or small. You do not want to be at the mercy of one employee when covering their medical expenses if they should become ill while on duty. This is important because you should also consider your employees' families in this equation; having proper work insurance like American Income Life Insurance can provide great peace of mind knowing that their family will be well.

Besides, work insurance is vital to have, especially if you are in a hazardous line of work.

Proper Communication Techniques

Communication is key to any successful business, and a way leaders can support their teams. So, if you want your company to succeed, then critical team members must be able to communicate effectively. This means having a clear understanding of each person’s role as well as their strengths and weaknesses. With this knowledge in hand, everyone can work together towards achieving common goals, which will lead to success for all involved parties.

A Well-Equipped Team

A well-equipped team is essential to business success, providing various skill sets and often being the difference maker between profit or loss. Building this type of team requires putting yourself out there to get genuinely interested people in what you have to offer. 

This isn't something that's going to happen overnight but can certainly pay off down the road if given enough time. While some may argue otherwise, finding each member individually on social media sites like Twitter or LinkedIn allows for more targeted advertising when sharing information about job openings.

Great Public Relations 

This is the most crucial component of a successful business. Without it, all your other efforts are for naught. It's not about how much money you have or what equipment you have access to; if no one knows who you are, then there will be no customers coming through your doors.

Hire people with excellent public relations skills and give them clear direction on exactly where they need to get this information out into the world. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many components to a successful business. Proper communication, having the appropriate funds needed to work with clients, and keeping your team well-equipped are vital in running a good company. In addition, creating relationships with those around you can help make great connections and promote success within your company's mission statement.

3 Ways To Build Sales Skills in Your Team

The competition is fierce in the sales and business world as the economic dynamics shift. As consumer demands evolve, your sales team needs to be ready to pivot at any time to keep up. Many hall-of-fame coaches would say that you’re only as strong as your weakest player. Let’s dive into some ways to build sales skills in your team.

Practice With Roleplay

Building excellent service habits benefits both the consumer and your business. The act of practicing potentially escalated situations or objections enables your sales team to move with confidence. Consider roleplay practices across all levels of skill to allow team dynamics to flourish:

Management to sales support

Sales team among one another

Sales support to team leads

Review the Math

Your sales reps move your numbers. The position in which the consumer has direct contact with the business is where your focus should rest. Create a transparent environment that encourages honest conversations about the wins and losses for the day, week, and month.

Without a baseline, your sales team may not fully grasp how to leverage business demands. One of the best ways to build sales skills in your team is through meetings focused on reviewing numbers and performance. These could take place weekly or monthly, depending on your respective industry.

Invest in Your Team

The right team is crucial to your company’s overall success. Investing in your sales team sends the signal that you care about both their achievements and the businesses. If you feel your teams are ready to take on rapid growth and change, it could be time to consider a sales development team.

Starting and growing a business is no easy feat. In an already established business, the long-term benefits reside in the company’s ability to meet consumer demands through service. Equipping your sales team with the knowledge and power to succeed plays a critical role in your business’s performance.

Types of Common Issues That May Strike Your Business and Solutions

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The type of business you run may determine the kind of issues that may strike your business. Whether it is an e-commerce store, a restaurant, or a different type of company, many other things can go wrong at various points during the day. 

Employees May Strike

The first problem to consider is that of employees striking. Strikes are not always obvious; sometimes, they look like a group of workers who have stopped working together as part of an accepted process to make their voices heard. The aim might be the withdrawal of labour, or it could show dissatisfaction with specific policies within your business, or it may even be an attempt to force you into a position where employees can make unreasonable demands. 

It is essential to address the cause of the strike at an early stage to prevent it from escalating or becoming more serious later. The first step should be finding out what your employees want and understanding why they are unhappy with their working conditions. 

It may require you to speak with each employee who is involved in the strike. The next step may be to meet with their representatives if they have any and see what common ground you can find so that both sides are happy to reach a solution quickly.

Natural Calamity Disaster

Natural calamities are a significant concern for everyone. They can strike without any warning and create widespread destruction, loss of life and property, as well as a substantial disruption to the business. When natural calamities strike your region, they can quickly create multiple issues, which you'll need to handle promptly to keep things moving forward.

The first issue is the damage from the disaster itself. Water, fire, or wind damages are some of the most extensive damages. You need to contact a Commercial Water Damage Restoration, the fire department, or damage control to help you minimize and deal with the damages. If it is widespread enough, there might be no way for you or your employees to get into the office. You might even need to move your offices or work from a temporary location until it is safe for you all to return. 

You May Be Declared Bankrupt

If you fail to repay your debts, a creditor can apply for bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against you. It is usually a last-resort option for a creditor and is not the same as taking someone to court. However, bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings can be an expensive legal process, so make sure you fully understand what it means if your business is declared bankrupt before signing anything.

Bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings are not always final, so it's essential to seek professional advice before your business is declared bankrupt. In addition, it would help if you understood that bankruptcy does not protect you from all types of claims against the company, and the court may still order property for seizure by a creditor who has successfully taken legal action against you.

You May Lose All Your Customers

If you are not careful, your business may fail. It may be due to many reasons which can be different for each company. However, some of the most common issues are regarding marketing efforts and customer acquisition costs. You should do whatever it takes to keep customers happy with an excellent experience every time they visit or interact with your company in any way.

Conclusion

With this knowledge of the problems, how to handle them, and a few tips on what you can do to prevent these problems from happening, you can minimize their adverse effects as much as possible. There are many things a new company owner will have to deal with in their business. Don't let these issues stress you out too much, as they will come up from time to time for any business owner.

Tips on Running Your Health Care Business the Right Way

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Healthcare is a business that requires an expert touch. You are all aware of this industry's various controversies, but many people still need medical attention. Here are tips on running your health care business in a way that supports both you and your patients.

Find the Right Hospital Equipment

You can find a list of quality hospital equipment online. In addition, there are some trusted sources on the web to compare prices and rental rates from various suppliers. You should also check for reviews about these companies to know if they deliver good service or not.

Manage Your Waste Appropriately

One of the most important things you can do to run your business successfully is Managing Medical Waste  appropriately. Unfortunately, you can struggle with this if you don't have a clear understanding of your systems, or even worse, are not aware that you should be thinking about it at all. Learn what type of waste products you produce and how to manage them, so your business is as efficient as possible.

Advertise Your Business

There are many ways to advertise your health care business but you need to be innovative. Unfortunately, you may know what works best for your needs or how much it will cost you until you try several options, which can be difficult and costly. You must take the time to research all the tools available before choosing one, so you can determine if it's going to be a worthwhile investment or not.

If Possible, Offer Free Services to Seniors

Offering free services is a great way to show your commitment to seniors. If you are able, offer them transportation or home care for no cost at all. This will prove that you mean business with this demographic, and they can trust that even the little things in life are covered with you around.

Treat Your Staff With Respect

It's essential to treat your staff with respect because you never know when you need a reference letter. Getting positive references will be very difficult if you feel wrong about their experience working for you. This could also impact the quality of care that your patients receive. If employees are not happy and don't agree with your policies, they may not put forth as much effort on the job, increasing mistakes.

Invest in the Requisite Hospital Equipment

Investing in the technologies that lower costs is not only crucial for your company but also your patients. You need to provide quality services and products that they deserve, which means you should invest in top-of-the-line hospital supplies such as medical beds, CT machines, X-ray machines.

Hire High Qualified Staff

Find the best employees that will help you reasonably run your healthcare organization. The staffing patterns for your organization should have the experience and skills to deliver good results for you. Do not think about an employee's age or ethnicity because these things do not make any difference in running a business properly. All of them are important, but what is more important is their ability to work for your business.

Conclusion

Running a health care business can be challenging, and it's essential to keep up with all the latest information. But having gone through the tips above, you should be good to go. Next, try implementing every step to propel your organization.

Tips for Bringing up Your Business in Conversation

Networking is essential for growing a business. Whether a formal event or waiting in line at the grocery store, networking can happen anywhere with a little conversation. We’ve got some tips for bringing up your business in conversation to help you comfortably network everywhere you go.

Let Others Talk About Themselves

A great way to start a conversation about work is to ask someone else what they do. We all love an opportunity to market ourselves. In turn, after explaining what they do, there’s a good chance that person will turn the tables and ask about your job. Now, you have an opening to market yourself.

Hand Out Business Cards

Handing someone your business card is a quick and easy advertisement of your services. If you’re new to the business world and don’t yet have a good business card, it’s essential to get the perfect business card made. Without saying much, you can politely say, “Here’s my card. Give me a call so we can talk some more.” Your business card is what a potential client or customer reaches for the next time they are interested in what you have to offer.

Try an Ice breaker

Starting a conversation is harder than keeping a conversation going. Here are a few ideas for ice breakers when you’re at a restaurant, bar, or any networking event:

Pay a compliment: Tell someone you like their outfit or couldn’t help but notice they did a great job speaking at an event you’re attending—anything to allow them to say “thanks” and begin a conversation.

Discuss the venue you’re at: Is it unique? Maybe an old building? Start by asking if they’ve been there before, then point out something you like about it.

Introduction: Walk up to someone you don’t know and introduce yourself. Tell them they look familiar or if you’re at a networking event, simply say, “Hey, we haven’t met.”

The point of any ice breaker is to get a conversation started. When all goes well, the conversation kicks into gear. Occasionally, it may not work, and that’s OK. Just try again with someone else.

Common Problems

If you know someone enough to understand the common issues within their business or life, it’s a great chance to tell them how your business can help. Get the conversation going by asking how they handle that situation. Use it as a reason to talk. Then, let them know what you specialize in and how it helps others in similar situations.

After practicing the art of business conversation with several people, it becomes natural. Before you know it, you’ll easily use our tips for bringing up your business in conversation as if it’s second nature. The goal is to get talking. The rest will flow naturally.

How Successful Leaders Support Their Team

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It's not difficult to see that behind every successful company is a fantastic leader. Unfortunately, almost sixty percent of all companies lack good leaders. Of course, a lack of skill in this area can have a detrimental ripple effect across an organization. Studies have shown that thirty-seven percent of employees have quit their jobs owing to bad leadership.

 

Being great at anything doesn't happen overnight. You don't just wake up one day and become a world-renowned pianist or painter or writer or sports player. The same is true for being a great leader. Being a great leader is more of an art than a science, and anybody can become a better, more effective, and more successful leader with time, effort, and persistence. You can begin helping your team by supporting them in the right way. Read on to find out more. 

Look At The Big Picture 

Busy leaders are often pressed for time. You're in charge of meetings, issue resolution, and moving work through the pipeline. However, as a leader, you must also take a step back from the day-to-day to concentrate on the horizon; new possibilities and innovations that will help your business achieve and surpass its objectives. They will also allow you to support your employees more since you'll be growing the business and giving them the equipment and tools they need to do more and be better, whether that's cleanroom consulting, ergonomic chairs, or more freedom to make their own decisions. 

 

Be Decisive 

When the moment comes to make a choice, do so decisively. Great leaders are self-assured and confident, and they do not back down once they commit to a course of action – unless, of course, they need to for the benefit of their business. You'll discover that your workers are instinctively attracted to someone who exudes self-assurance, especially during difficult circumstances. They will trust you, and you will have a good team behind you. 

 Prioritize The Important Things 

Make a list of your main priorities and keep it visible. Say no to distractions and extra work, and yes to everything that helps you cross off your priorities. Sure, you can keep track of apparently little things at the same time, as long as they don't get in the way of your real goals.

 

When you can prioritize more, you'll find that more gets done, and the smaller things that aren't quite so important and are distracting can be done when you're feeling good about completing bigger tasks. When your team sees you being so productive, they will want to do the same. 

 

Build On Your Strengths 

You are aware of your own strengths. Make the most of them by taking on initiatives and activities that allow you to show off your real abilities. Your key talents will set you apart from the crowd, enabling you to develop your own distinct brand.

 

You can also allow – and help – your team to build on their strengths. Give them advice, praise, send them on training days to enhance their skills, and ensure they are doing jobs that play to what they do best. 

A Beginner's Guide to Understanding Van Insurance

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When it comes to insuring a van, many of the same questions will be asked as with car insurance, but with a few extra questions about what your van will be used for. There may also be more drivers that you want to add to the policy than with car insurance. There is an easy way to do this, which we will explain later.

In terms of finding a provider for your van insurance, a good place to start is to look at the website for one sure insurance. This is informative and will allow you to look towards obtaining a free quotation. Finding affordable insurance is about comparing prices to see how competitive one provider is compared to another. If you have just received your renewal notice and there has been a notable increase, then it would be wise to shop around. Online is a great place to do this to obtain direct comparisons quickly and easily.

The Questions You Will Be Asked

The questions that you will need to answer to obtain a van insurance quotation will initially, as with all insurance quotations that are going to be meaningful, relate to personal details such as name, age, occupation, address in full, details of previous claims, or convictions, and if there are any medical conditions an insurer should know about that might have an impact on risk.

Details about a van’s use will be an important insurance question asked and one that should be thought about carefully. Just because you own a van, it does not necessarily mean that it is for business use, despite how likely it might seem. As with an estate car, a van is useful for having plenty of storage capacity behind the driver for transporting goods that may be for personal use. Where it becomes business use is if your activity is related to a business service provided rather than helping a friend out with perhaps a DIY job, where no payment is involved. Whereas, using the van for transporting equipment or goods between work depots or delivering to customers is very definitely defined as business use. The insurer will then be interested in what your business is involved with and the types of goods you are likely to be carrying.

The vehicle details that you will need to provide will include the make, model, age, registration, and whether there have been any modifications. Avoid buying vans where there have been any alterations to the body or engine because invariably it will narrow down your chance of obtaining a competitive quotation, given the number of insurance companies that will question just how the van has been modified.

Providing your estimated annual mileage to your insurer may help you if your mileage is low. Perhaps where a van does not carry out that many deliveries. This is because low mileage discounts can be applied to lower premiums. However, with business use, this is less likely, but not to be ruled out if the van does not form a major part of your business activities.

Knowing where a company van is kept overnight will provide the insurance company with clues as to its theft risk and may also affect how much premium a company pays.

No claims bonus will be something else that keeps your premium down. It is worth protecting this so that one claim does not see it wiped out and premiums dramatically rising the next year.

Then, something that you will want to consider with van insurance is whether you need to be naming all the drivers, because there might end up being a lot of them. It might be more cost-effective and convenient to opt for “any driver”. This will mean that you do not have to specify every employee that drives the van. You will still, of course, need to mention anything about your drivers that makes them more of an insurance risk, though, as in previous motoring convictions. You would be wise to avoid employing these kinds of drivers to keep your insurance costs down.

Occupations

Individual occupations will affect insurance premiums, so certain types of businesses will also be affected by this when it comes to paying higher insurance premiums. Occupations that will increase insurance premiums include builder’s labourer and construction worker, so this will make a difference to premiums whether the van is used within that type of business or not. Just commuting to and from work will result in more premium solely on the job of the insured driver.

Van Courier Insurance can be purchased so that valuable goods that are being transported will be covered. It is a type of commercial van insurance that is often referred to in a policy as “carriage of goods for hire or reward”. It will cover a van where multiple deliveries are being made within a local area, relating to parcels or foodstuffs. It is important to have this kind of cover when this is your business.

Limits for Van Insurance

Generally, for your vehicle to be classed as a van by insurers, it should not weigh more than 3,500 tonnes. This is an expectation of insurers. So, you need to check before buying your vehicle on this and that insurers will consider your vehicle in the van category when they insure it. Otherwise, as a more heavy-duty vehicle, it will cost much more to insure.

In conclusion, to understand van insurance is to prepare for the fact that its use will be all-important in terms of the type of van insurance that you will need. Also, there are limits on which vehicles can be classed as vans.