Mohit Tater's Blog, page 680

Three Things to Consider When Starting Your Start Up

For many of us, owning our own business is the ultimate dream. We work hard for our achievements, and we want to feel that we’re reaping the full reward for the amount of time and effort that we invest.

Yet building your own business is no easy feat. It is not for the faint of heart, nor those who are averse to sinking blood, sweat, and tears into making their mark in the commercial sphere.

It takes a huge amount of organisation and commitment to get an endeavour off the ground, and there are numerous pieces that you must slot into place in order to achieve true professional success.

To get you off to the best start, here are three to consider when you’re starting your very own start up…

#1: Location

Once you have a strong business plan ready to put into place, you’ll need to begin by finding a suitable location. Finances will be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to making a decision, and it’s important not to overestimate the amount that’s available for you to spend. Although a central location with a good customer base will be desirable, staying within budget should be your number one priority in the early days.

If your search yields nothing to suit your needs, you may want to start off by trading online instead. This will give you the chance to build a customer base and bolster your spending power, before you look for a bricks and mortar establishment to trade from.

#2: Equipment

In order to run a fully functional business, you’ll need the right equipment to hand, so it’s important to sit down and make a list of the machinery and furnishings necessary for you to get started. There are numerous pieces that you’ll require, from the warehousing equipment available from companies like Tiger through to computers, industry specific kit, and even minor furnishings like bins. Shop around in order to secure the best prices possible, and be sure to prioritise in order to stay in budget whilst still building a viable business.

#3: Employees

Many would argue that the professionalism of those you employ can make or break a business, so it’s important to build a strong team to support you. Experience can prove invaluable for a start up, but not everyone on your payroll needs to be a wise sage. The more professional success a member of staff can boast, the higher the wages they’ll expect, so be prepared to take on some fresh blood too. Younger members of your team can often prove hardworking and innovative, and they will usually accept a lower wage in return for their services.

Get off on the right foot to build a start up that’s fully geared towards success.

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9 Crucial Productivity Lessons for Freelancers and Remote Workers

Freelancers, independent contractors, and other remote workers all have one big thing in common: they struggle to stay productive. Granted, every once in awhile you’ll run into a freelancer who seems like a productivity ninja, but for the most part, staying on-task is an ongoing challenge for people who work outside of a formal office environment. Whether you work from home, a coworking space, an executive suite, or a white sand beach in Thailand (Who isn’t jealous of those cool, hip digital nomads?), the struggle is always the same.

Nothing feels worse than reaching the end of a workday where it feels like all you did was organize browser tabs and refresh your email. We’ve all been there at least once, and everytime it happens we swear to ourselves that it will never happen again.

Well, here are some actionable, field-tested tips to make sure you never have to suffer that feeling again.

Adopt An Organizational Methodology And Follow It Religiously

If you aren’t already using a defined organizational system, then you’ll find that this single piece of advice will boost your productivity exponentially. Half the battle of staying busy is remembering project tasks, prioritizing them effectively, and knowing where to start when you sit down to do the work. And that’s exactly what an organizational methodology will do. Think of it as the foundation to your entire working life.

Getting Things Done (GTD), the Pomodoro Technique, and Zen to Done (ZTD) are all good starting points. Don’t stress if you can’t follow a given methodology to the letter, and don’t feel like you have to use one system only. For example, using the Pomodoro Technique in conjunction with GTD makes for a great combo. Plus, if you’re like most people, you’ll eventually morph your starting system into a unique personal solution.

Commit to a Single Productivity Software

Once you’ve zeroed in on an organizational methodology that works for you, start figuring out which productivity software fits it best. There is an enormous number of options here, so you might need to try a few before you find something that sticks. The most popular solutions right now include Asana, Trello, and Evernote, but you don’t need to limit yourself to those. Do some research and experiment to find out what works for you.

The most important thing is that you stick with your productivity software when you find one, or a combination, that works. The more practice you put in, the better you’ll get at using it. If you find yourself switching between softwares every month or so, you’ll be losing any benefit in efficiency to the learning curve of a new software.

Guard Your Calendar Ruthlessly

If your organizational methodology is the foundation of your professional life, then your calendar would be the cornerstone. If you don’t have control of your calendar, it won’t be long before you’re floundering around trying to make sense of what to do next.

Furthermore, you should never be too generous with your calendar. In fact, guarding time carefully is a crucial skill for remote workers.

Don’t let others write your schedule for you. When someone needs your time, try hard to fit them into your existing schedule and don’t give in to requests that inconvenience you unnecessarily. Use your discretion in determining urgency when someone demands a particular spot on your schedule, and stand strong if the matter at hand doesn’t merit a calendar-shifting crisis.

As an aside, it’s ideal to connect your productivity software directly to your calendar so you can get a big picture view of what should be happening and when. One simple way to do this is to use a single calendar like Google Calendar or iCal and then sync/merge it to any other calendar software you use. This allows for everything to show up in one place, even if it has to come from another calendar.

Kiss Multitasking Goodbye

Most people wear their multitasking habit like a badge of honor. They’ll even bring it up in job interviews, list it on resumes, and brag about how they’re always doing a dozen things at once.

Don’t be one of those people.

Multitasking might make you feel like you’re getting a lot done, but in reality it’s a huge productivity killer.

Here’s why. Every task requires a finite amount of time to complete, whether you try to accomplish another task at the same time or not. Likewise, each task requires a certain amount of orientation time when you sit down to complete it – time to remember where you left off, gather any necessary materials, and so on.

Multitasking results in small amounts of progress on lots of items, and it increases the number of times you have to touch the same item. The consequence is more time spent in preparation and orientation before actually working.

You can defeat the multitasking mindset by sticking with your organizational system and working on your highest priority items one at a time. Even if you have several things that need to get done at the same time, you’ll come out ahead by not multitasking.

Limit Instantaneous Communication to One Channel

The extreme connectedness of today’s world is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the ability to make instant contact with practically anybody in the world at any time of day is extremely empowering for business. In fact, many freelancers would probably be out of a job if it weren’t for their ability to connect and communicate instantaneously with clients around the world. However, the downside to all that connectedness is the unlimited potential for distraction.

It’s impossible to get anything done when you take 20 minutes of every hour to check email, respond to texts, and answer voice calls.

What’s the solution?

Restrict your instantaneous communication to one channel. That means if you typically respond instantly to phone calls, texts, or IMs, you should drop two of those channels and tell your clients and colleagues that they can only reach you instantly through one.

Once you do that, you can start scheduling time to check the rest of your incoming channels. For example, you can decide to respond to email once every three hours, instead of leaving it open and responding to messages as they come in. The same goes for social media and other platforms.

Build Routine Into Everything

If you spend any time looking into the productivity habits of people like Tim Ferriss, Elon Musk, or any of the other famous entrepreneurs of our age, you’ll quickly find that routine is the secret sauce that pushes their output into overdrive. The reason why is simple.

Routines serve as miniature anchors throughout your day, as well as in repeatable business processes, to help you maintain consistency and predictability in your work.

Thankfully, routine is a relatively easy habit to build, even if you’re starting from scratch.

The simplest place to start building routines is in your daily schedule. Chart out your morning first, then move hour-by-hour till you reach your normal stopping point. You’ll end up with something like this:

6:30am – 8:00am: Read, eat breakfast

8:00am – 12:00pm: Turn off distractions and work on top priorities from “in” folder

12:00pm – 12:30pm: Read and respond to email

12:30pm – 2:00pm: Research and write blog post

2:00pm – 4:00pm: Meetings and reports

4:00pm – 4:30pm: Read and respond to email

4:30 – 5:00pm: Evaluate progress and plan for tomorrow

Speed and efficiency aren’t the only benefits of routine. You’ll also experience less stress and a more accurate ability to forecast deliverability of future work.

Treat Client Admin Staff Like Royalty

The importance of being liked by receptionists, assistants, and other administrative employees working for your client (or full-time remote employer) cannot be overstated. These individuals are the gatekeepers to the rest of the organization, and they can do a lot to make things either very easy or very hard for you. Every interaction you have with them should be friendly and reasonable.

It’s easy to grow frustrated with someone when you don’t have to deal with them face-to-face, and you’re working with the distinct disadvantage of never being present in their office.

Always go out of your way to treat administrative staff with kindness and sincerity, and they’ll most likely return the favor when it counts.

Don’t Save the Button-Down for Meetings Only

When you work remotely and aren’t forced into professional meetings every day, it’s easy to fall into a slump with your personal care. Freelancers joke about sitting in bed all day eating Cheetos, but doing that everyday can be just as mentally unhealthy as living out your life on the cube farm.

Get into the habit of dressing professionally every day, even if you don’t have any client meetings or other professional engagements.

Your emotions and appearance are very closely tied, and simply feeling fresh and looking professional gives a healthy boost in self-esteem, which ultimately leads to better mood and more productivity.

Recap Daily and Evaluate Weekly

You could become obsessed with productivity, but you’ll never achieve your full potential if you don’t document your progress and evaluate it regularly. In a traditional role, your boss or superior would probably do this, and as much as you may have disliked it, it’s still an important practice.

Take time at the end of every day to write down what you did, what problems you encountered, and how you can improve in the future. Putting these thoughts down on paper does a couple important things. First, it lets you reflect on your successes and boosts your confidence. Second, it helps you plan the following day so you know exactly where to start tomorrow morning.

Use your daily recaps at the end of the week to evaluate your progress and make a roadmap for the next week. In the same way the daily recaps help you plan for the next day, your weekly evaluations will maximize your time use for the following week.

What Do You Do?

Do you have any especially helpful techniques for staying productive as a remote worker? Why don’t you give us a shout on Facebook or Twitter and tell us what they are? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments as well!

Tom McClintock, who works with The Office Club, is a long-time entrepreneur with expertise in business growth and online marketing. He co-hosts The Marketing GPS Challenge Hour and has been featured in various publications including The New Small. Outside of work Tom volunteers his time for at-risk children, having served in a number of organizations in DC, NYC and Colorado Springs, where he currently resides with his wife, Kim, and son, Thomas.

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Seven Best Books for Guaranteed Business Success

If you’ve been stuck in a professional rut, or just want to learn how you can become your best self, a book will always have an answer for you. With so many titles out there, it can become worrisome as to what you should be reading. If you’re looking for some tips and tricks of the trade, or just a simple new method to improve your work habits, promote women’s careers can become your one stop shop for all your business advice. We’ve rounded up some of the best business books to help you in your professional career.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Did you know March is Women’s History Month? This makes it the perfect time to read Lean In. If you want to be part of the conversation and promote women’s careers and successes, Sandberg offers advice on how women can be satisfied with their careers.

Give and Take by Adam Grant

In order to get ahead of our professional career, we’re often told that we’ll make some enemies along the way. Why though, do we need to sabotage another person’s success  in order to achieve our own? Grant explains why that view is completely false and explains why those who share their success are the ones who come out on top of their business field.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

“Almost any behavior can be transformed if the cue and reward stay the same.” If you’re looking for self-improvement, Duhigg offers powerful advice about your everyday routines. Every habit you can want to change can be tweaked daily to improve your overall self.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

If a book has continued to stay relevant after almost 80 years of its initial publishing, you know that it will have advice worth reading. With exclusive tips from pioneer  industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, Hill has simplified Carnegie’s experiences into simple practices that anyone can follow for guaranteed success.

#GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal, shares her personal story of success of how she fought her way to the top of the fashion retail industry. Her story is not pretty, describing how she would collect fashionable pieces by dumpster diving and even stealing. Her message, however, is clear: it’s not easy getting to the top, but it will be worth it once you’re there.

Zero to One by Peter Thiel

This is the generation of entrepreneurs. Young business people continue to create businesses that will become overnight successes. Thiel explains how businesses are built and managed to become game changers and generate billions in revenue.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport

Some will argue that they need to get to their dream job in order to be satisfied with it. Newport argues that new passions could be discovered at your current workplace by mastering other skills you may have. By mastering said skill, new opportunities will allow you to move forward in your career and lead you to a passion you may have never known about before.

Do you have any books that have helped you with your professional career?

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Are You Missing Out on a Job Because of Social Media?

When you’re doing your research on a company and checking out their social media sites, don’t forget that it works both ways. Just as you can gain an insight into the company, companies can gain insights into your personality and work ethic from your social media sites.

Don’t let all the time spent perfecting your CV, pinpointing the right tone of voice and crafting an engaging cover letter all go to waste because your social media site lets you down. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re showing yourself in the best light on social media.

Perfect your profile picture

The most import point of all, your profile picture is your first impression on social media so it’s vital you get this right. It takes just seven seconds for someone to form an opinion of you, so first impressions really do count.

Show your personality in your profile picture but make it your professional personality. Rather than showing the nights out, the drinking and the countless selfies, show off your hobbies instead and the sort of activities you’d talk about within an interview.

Give your handle a makeover

Just as you may have had to change your email address to a more professional name, your Twitter handle needs a professional make over too. You may not pay your Twitter handle any attention any more, but your interviewer will. Along with your profile picture, your Twitter handle provides a potential employer with a lasting first impression of you, so make it a good one and keep it appropriate.

Master tone of voice

Tone of voice can completely alter how you’re presenting yourself. You may be putting out great content that’s interesting and relevant, but without the correct tone you could be completely putting off your potential employer as well as your audience. Be interesting and friendly, show that you’ll fit in within the current team and not rub anyone up the wrong way. Try not to rant over social media or act in a childish manner.

Present yourself

It’s become common knowledge that employers may be put off hiring you based on your less than professional on social media. In particular, photos of drunken nights out, being hungover, or any animosity about a current or past employer could put you in a bad light. This doesn’t mean you can’t be yourself on social media, just be careful and keep anything that could be considered a turn off to a private profile.

Don’t brag

Bragging or lying about your skills is a big no. Your Twitter and LinkedIn pages have become an extension of your CV in this digital age, so just as lying on your CV can get you into trouble further down the line, your social media pages can do just as much damage. Remember that everything you’ve made public on the internet will be scrutinised by a potential new employer, so make sure you get the job based on your actual skills, not those you’ve exaggerated, this will only be embarrassing in the future.

If you’ve been having difficulty finding a job, perhaps you need to take a look at your social media platforms and spruce them up a bit. Find more advice on everything from your CV to your interview outfit on Nationwide’s careers site. Plus if you get your social media sites looking good, apply for a job in one of the top 100 companies to work for. Find your career here.

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Startup Marketplace in 2016: Finding New Areas in the Market

Getting tired of your current job? Do you find that there’s just too much competition in your current industry? Are you looking to expand your skill set or simply try out new things? Want to make some extra income on the side?  Along with people’s growing desire for more things and the rising middle-class in developing countries, a lot of different business opportunities are becoming available and you only need to expend some effort and willpower to tap into the potential of these things. Here are some new areas of the market that have the potential to be lucrative opportunities.

Teaching English Online

If you’re fairly confident about speaking to strangers, and have a bit of passion for teaching, this might be an interesting side-job for you if not a full-time opportunity. Eager students from other countries look for native English speakers to practice their English on and have conversations with. There are usually ads for this on websites like Craigslist depending on where you live, other than that, some research may be necessary. There are already some online companies who capitalize on this but if you’d like to do some freelancing of your own the most basic things you’ll need are a personal computer, a good internet connection, a headset, Skype, and a PayPal account and you’re good to go.

Freelance Writing

We live in a very interconnected age where information flows freely through the internet. It’s also because there’s so much information out there that companies and individuals really struggle to stand out among so many others. The demand for quality content writing has been rising in recent years especially with the popularity of online blogs, review websites, and social media.

Buying and Selling Gold

While investing in gold is by no means a new opportunity, it continues to be a lucrative one. The value of gold may have taken a dip in the past few months but if you have some scrap gold, like old jewelry, bits and pieces of broken jewelry, or old gold coins, you can still make money from it by selling to reputable gold buying websites. Or you could also explore the “gold buy and sell” market if you have the capital and expertise to run a similar concept.

Leasing Real Estate Properties

If you have some properties near colleges and universities, you can have them leased to college students looking for off-campus housing. The internet has revolutionized the real estate industry and with websites like Done Dorming, it makes it very simple for both lessors and lessees to advertise and find property rentals. Not only do they provide a platform for potential tenants to find the most suitable property for their needs and budget but they also help landlords get to know their tenants better, making the whole leasing business much easier on both parties.

There are many more opportunities that are sure to come this year. Never turn your head away from problems because that’s where business opportunities come from. If you can help people solve an issue for them, they’ll probably be willing to pay you for it. Always stay positive and keep your eyes open.

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How Installment Loans Help Your Business

It doesn’t take an accounting expert to figure out that a business cannot operate without money. From operational costs to investments and expansions, a company must have the necessary cash flow to take them from point A to point B. If you find that you’re low on cash, looking to other alternatives to increase cash flow for your business is ideal. One of the most common methods used by business owners to raise funds to grow their company is taking out a loan.

Before Taking Out a Loan

Making the decision to take out a loan of any type is an important one. Though there are many benefits to obtaining a loan for your business, in order to reap these benefits you must be a responsible borrower. Obtaining a loan and repaying it on time is the only way this will benefit your company in the long run.

You must also work exclusively with a reputable lending provider. For instance, if you’re interested in a short-term loan for a quick cash deposit, you might look up MaxLend information to see if this is a fit for you. You can review their terms and rates, as well as get generalized information on the company. Checking social media accounts is a good research strategy as well. In this case, the Max Lend Loans Twitter page will give you some insight on their credibility within the lending industry and put you in touch with consumers who may have benefited from the service in the past.

Benefits of Taking Out a Loan

Now let’s take a look at some of the ways a loan can help benefit your company as you grow:

Covers Routine Operational Costs. In order to take a company to the next level, you must be able to afford operational costs. This includes anything from your lease payments to your office equipment and employee salaries. If you’re not able to handle these costs, sustaining a valuable business will be tough. If cash flow is low, obtaining a loan would allow you to fund the above described areas of your business.
Grow Your Business and Increase Profit Margins. As a business owner looking to grow the business, you’ll need the capital to do so. Whether it’s reaching a wider target audience, developing a new product or service, or even investing in marketing, you’ll need cash flow available. A small business loan can easily be utilized to help fund your expansion ideas without touching the day-to-day cash needed for continued operations.
Improves Your Credit. This will greatly depend on your ability to repay the loan in a timely fashion. However, taking out a business loan can help to improve the credit of the company. When you first secure a loan, lenders look at your personal credit history to determine eligibility. However, once you’re able to repay the loan in a timely fashion, they will also look at your business’s credit. Repaying timely will open the doors for future lending opportunities with fewer hassles.
Great for Investing. In order to grow your business you need to be able to invest in it. Whether it’s a new office, more staff, a marketing team, or a new phone system, taking out a loan will help you afford necessities.

Growing your business requires a lot of capital that many small business owners don’t have readily available. For times when you’re in a jam or you simply don’t have the funds you need to take it to the next level, obtaining a loan can prove critical. Remember, before applying for a loan, be sure to do your research and ensure that you’re only working with a reputable service provider. Also, practice responsible borrowing so that you can improve your business credit and apply for more lending opportunities in the future if necessary.

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How to Keep Your Costs Low When Running a Home Business

Running a home business can be an exciting and a profitable way for you to follow your dreams. But in order to be successful, you need to lower your costs, just as you would in any other work environment.

How can you go about cutting your costs and keeping them low when running your home business? Continue reading for a few valuable tips.

Shop for Supplies Online, and Purchase Them in Bulk

Local retailers may sometimes have great deals and sales on the supplies that you need to keep your business running, but do your research into online stores as well, as they often have even deeper discounts that can help you cut your costs.

For example, check out www.priorydirect.co.uk for all of your shipping needs. There, you can purchase a variety of packaging materials that will ensure that everything you ship will arrive intact.

Beyond that, though, you can also purchase office supplies online, and you can purchase things like paper and printer ink in bulk to save money in the long run. Just remember that bulk prices do not always work in your favour, so be careful by doing your research and comparing prices.

Use Less Paper

Speaking of office supplies, you can cut back on the amount of money that you spend on supplies by drastically cutting back on the amount of paper that you use. Maintain digital files and backups instead so that you do not have to print out every important document or email that comes your way. You will be doing something great for Mother Nature, and you will be saving money not only on paper, but also on ink.

Operate in an Eco-Friendly Manner

To lower the costs of running your office, you can set your thermostat a degree or two higher or lower, depending upon the season, in order to save money on your heating and cooling bills.

On top of that, you can also become a more eco-friendly home business by using LED light bulbs that save even more energy than fluorescent bulbs.

Purchasing Energy Star appliances and equipment, turning off the lights when you leave the office, and turning off all of your equipment when you are done using it are also ways that you can cut back on your utility costs while doing something great for the environment.

Get Rid of Your Landline

If you have a mobile phone that you use for business purposes, there really is no point in having to pay a monthly fee for an additional landline, unless you need to have a fax machine in your home office. Cutting out the landline and using your mobile phone exclusively will help you save money and you can invest those savings into other areas of your business to help it grow.

With the above tips in mind, you can cut back on the costs of operating your home business. By doing so, you will be able to increase your profit margins and enjoy a higher return on your hard work.

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Traits of a Good Leader – Mentoring On and Off the Job

The true sign of a good leader is in how he or she is able to mentor others, bringing them along on the ride to success. A good leader is a mentor, both on as well as off the job because employees don’t stop living when they clock out and what they do off the clock oftentimes impacts what they do on the job. Sometimes there are employees who are valued members of your staff that are beset by problems not of their own making but have a direct impact on the job they do at work. To be a good leader necessitates being a mentor as well as a boss. Traits of a mentor include:

Being Aware of Everything Going on in the Organization

You will often hear a boss saying “What’s going on here? How did this happen?” That is not the sign of a good leader because a strong leader is one who is aware of literally everything that is going on around them. A good leader will often see a problem before it becomes a major issue and can take steps to mitigate any damages that would have resulted if the situation was not dealt with immediately.

Being Empathetic to the Needs of Staff

Sometimes a staff member seems to be, for lack of a better word, vacant. It’s like his or her mind is somewhere else. Instead of assuming that an employee doesn’t want to be on the job or is dissatisfied in some way, talk to him/her. Perhaps there is a problem with a family member that is taking their focus off the job? This is actually something that happens time and again when a loved one has been injured or even killed, and is a time when sincere empathy is called for in a leader. Your concern can help on a number of levels.

It could be that you could recommend high power attorneys such as the Law Offices of Marc S. Albert in Long Island, NY for example to help them get just compensation for injuries sustained in an accident that wasn’t their fault. There is nothing that will bring a loved one back if the accident resulted in a fatality, but to show your concern (empathy) is sometimes just enough to keep them going day after day. Someone cares.

Promoting Confidence in Self and Others

Other times, employees just seem to lack the self-confidence they need to do their job up to the standards you know they are capable of. If you exude confidence in your abilities then that confidence can and will be contagious. Offer compliments whenever possible and rather than always calling them out on errors. Try a statement such as “That’s a good effort but perhaps you might like to try ‘this’ next time.” This is a positive reinforcement that doesn’t make the person lacking in confidence even more despondent. A mentor knows how to draw the greatness out of others by instilling self-confidence in them and this is a very important trait to have.

The traits of a good leader always make it necessary to be a mentor. Never be a “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of boss because that won’t get you anywhere. Lead by example and teach others how to be self-confident as well. Be empathetic towards their concerns and you will have the most powerful team working with you (not for you!) that you can

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How to Upgrade Your Marketing Tools Now

Are you finding that your marketing campaigns are not attracting the size of audience that you anticipated? Marketing your business in 2016 requires you to be on top of your game. Don’t stay in the past with outdated software, sluggish broadband services and traditional word of mouth techniques. Follow these four essential tasks to ensure that your business is not only up to date, but as enticing and on point as it can be:

Update your Businesse System and Software

Are you using the latest Operating System (OS) for your Windows (V10), Apple (OSX) or Android (6.0 Marshmallow) device? If not, an outdated OS can seriously slow your workflow and database accessibility through slow responsive rates. Additionally downloading or installing new software on an old OS system can freeze your computer as it may be unable to cope with larger file sizes or new types of documents. Bearing this in mind, frequently updating your business software including document services (Office 365) and video conferencing services (Skype), can allow you to access the latest available tools such as new fonts, apps and service integration.

Utilise Video Conferencing Services

In order to effortlessly communicate with clients or even remote working staff, video conferencing services enable you to communicate and market your services with ease. Video marketing services in 2016 enable app links and software integration, such as the use of Microsoft Office 365 or the Adobe suite.  This allows you to communicate and share meeting material through real time communication, wherever the location.

Use a VOIP Phone System

Utilising a VOIP system with a trusted provider, such as Gradwell Communications, allows you to manage your business communications professionally, without the need for a secretary. VOIP can even be connected to your video conferencing system, such as with Skype, where outside participants can phone in and join your video conference to contribute.

Run a Social Media Management Tool

Content curation through a service such as BuzzSumo, allows you to spread your message accurately and simultaneously across more than one social media system, through a simplified management portal, or webpage.

These four marketing tasks can aid you in modernising your business, attracting an increased audience, spreading the word about your business and allow quick and reliable communication with staff and clients. In 2016, ensure that you encompass video conferencing, social media management and up to date business practices, to grow and expand your business.

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Enjoying the Private Jet Lifestyle

For the aspiring gentleman, access to a private jet is the dream. We all know from social media, as well as news and entertainment outlets, that it’s an enormously privileged lifestyle to travel on demand to this extent. It takes years of luck, family inheritance, or back-breaking work to be able to afford all the perks of the high life and own a private jet. Fortunately, access to the Private Jet lifestyle is a slightly easier process with VistaJet.

One of the biggest celebrities around, and definitely one of the best men on Instagram in 2015, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a man who has worked hard and is now reaping the rewards. Sharing a photo last year in front of his own private jet, he commented, “Wheels up – New York bound. […] From starting with $7 bucks to building a global enterprise… happy to share my philosophies and lessons learned.” Johnson’s original $7 was, over a matter of years, carefully built up and wisely invested over the course of his wrestling and acting careers to get him where he is today.

When you want to make every penny of your own $7 count, you look for the very best. Trusted by heads of state, entrepreneurs, corporations and individuals to get to the right place at the right time, VistaJet are really making waves in Global business travel. By June last year, VistaJet offered flights to 1300 airports all over the world, staying true to their word of “connecting clients to every corner of the world.” With a grand total of 50 aircrafts, they own the largest private Bombardier fleet in the world, and their business model is said to be simple yet effective: ensure all aircraft are available to all customers, at a fixed rate.

What VistaJet offer is essentially a subscription service for travel – not unlike a season ticket for the rail network. They offer two ways to fly: program or on demand. The original service, Program, is designed for frequent flyers who will get the most out of it. VistaJet enable Program clients all the convenience of having their own private jet on standby with a changing fleet of staff, so they can jet off with as little as 24 hours’ notice. Because Program clients use the service so often, it works out as affordably as private jets can, with a fixed price, paying per hour of travel, with no hidden fees. The on demand service comes with fewer benefits, for the more occasional traveller looking to book on an ad-hoc basis.

As one would expect from elite private transport, there are some more unusual perks: everything is insured by VistaJet, so there’s no travel insurance fees to pay, and there is the option for a US visa waiver. Under this rule, VistaJet customers of some nationalities are eligible to enter the US for business or pleasure for up to 90 days, waiving the notoriously strict visa rules the US border patrol normally enforce. There are other perks to the private jet lifestyle, too.

It’s quite something to combine aeroplane food with delicacy, but that’s exactly what Vistajet have gone and done. In a recent blog post, they outlined their dedication to ensuring customers eat well in the new year, referencing their new snacking menu. Locally-sourced olives, Propercorn, and gluten-free biscuits are now on offer to waist-watching clients, along with Pukka brand tea. Nina Flohr, Vistajet Creative Director, has a vision to provide a home away from home for clients, with luxury pyjamas and the Body Deli brand skincare amenities making these homes very, very nice indeed.

There’s a wealth of features still to be discussed, but when you consider that Vistajet clients pay by the hour for a flight – and for one short haul flight, it’s an expensive hour – they aim to make it worth every penny.

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