Tuesday, March 28, 2017

3 Important Tips for Making your Small Business a Success



Nearly half of small businesses fail in their first 3 years of existence. Success is in no way guaranteed when you are starting a small business. Part of the reason for this high failure rate is that small businesses have limited resources to work with. Oftentimes the owner of the business is managing all aspects of the business – From managing accounts to getting effective marketing materials produced to running the day to day operations of the business. As you can imagine this can get really busy, really fast. If you are not careful you may end up burning yourself or, even worse, your business can fail. Here are 3 tips you can use to alleviate the burden to some extent and succeed as a small business owner.


Reliable internet


One thing that’s a sure way to guarantee success is ensuring that you have a reliable internet connection. With the internet from companies like PackNet you can manage and monitor your social media, keep customers updated on any immediate changes such as shop closures or later opening times etc. and offer customers a Wi-Fi connection when they come in to your premises, making sure that they stay longer. Reliable internet also means essential thing like being able to log into online banking, order new supplies and check our competitors is all at the touch of a button.

Online marketing


As a small business you probably don’t have a lot of cash to spare but an area which is definitely worth spending money on, or doing yourself if you have enough knowledge, is your online marketing. It’s the best way to reach new clients, promote a positive image of your business and engage customers in your product offering and services. If you’re on a tight budget, spending time developing your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Running online competitions and like and share posts really helps to boost your following and in turn boost your business.

Monday, March 6, 2017

3 Services Your Business Should Consider Outsourcing



Running a business can be as stressful and draining as it is rewarding. Quite often it can be easier and far more efficient to outsource particular roles and services to professionals outside the business. There is nothing wrong with getting a bit of outside help for certain tasks and outsourcing can help save you and your business a lot of time and stress.

If the manager is also the one answering phones and emptying the bins, it might be a good time to consider outsourcing. Here are three areas your business could potentially use some outside help in.


HR Consulting


Sourcing new competent employees that will suit your business can be a tough job, as can managing, planning and developing your current team. When you’re so focused on your day-to-day business, personnel management and hiring can take up a lot of time. HR consulting and management companies such as Chandler Macleod can help you source and manage quality employees so you can keep your business running efficiently, with a suitable team behind you every step of the way. Professional HR consultants can also screen and assess potential employees and advise on current employment laws.

IT Services


If you’re a small business, running and maintaining your own servers and keeping your data secure can be a big task. If you don’t have any in-house IT experts or trained staff and something goes wrong with your technical operations, you can quickly find yourself in a very tricky position. Remote IT services can help keep the tech side of things running smoothly and can assist in case something goes wrong (and as any business owner can attest, it will). There are countless opportunities when it comes to outsourcing IT services, from data security to cloud computing, so it’s a good idea to work out what IT services your business will need now and in the future.