Successful Blog

Avoid Being Left Hanging By Your Clients

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Customer blue puzzle pieces assembledWhat makes your business tick?

For many business owners, it is making sure that they keep their company running on an efficient schedule. Remember, efficiency is key to keeping the customers coming through the front door etc.

That said it can be somewhat easy for business owners to get off track at times, especially if they are not putting technology to great use in running their businesses.

One way this becomes a problem is if clients are not showing up for scheduled appointments or are coming in late. When this happens, a day’s schedule can easily get out of kilter.

So, how are you going about making sure you do not get left hanging by your clients?

Let Technology Work for You

So that you are able to manage your working hours as efficiently as possible, remember these tips:

  1. Understanding your business needs – First and foremost, the type of business you run oftentimes dictates what your time management needs will be. As an example, if your run a salon and/or nail business, keep in mind that clients are regularly coming through your doors. As a result, it is important that you don’t have regular breaks in the action, breaks that can ultimately lead to your revenue stream being impacted in a negative manner. In order to lessen the chances of that happening, having a Salon appointment book is a great way to keep things flowing. For example, if you are open say from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., you expect to have clients coming in during those hours, save maybe except for a lunch or dinner break on your part. If some clients either wonder in a half hour late or miss their appointments altogether, it is real easy for the day to get messed up. What you end up having is an unorganized approach to doing business, one that can mean less money coming in and more customers going out;
  2. Reminding clients of their appointments with you – Just as you get quite busy at times, your clients can be equally as if not busier than you. As a result, sending them a “friendly” reminder about their appointment with you simply makes sense. You are not being a nag, simply reminding them that they committed to time with you on a certain day and time. The reminder can be sent as a simple email or text, leaving them no excuse to say they forgot about their time with you;
  3. Keeping yourself on track – With all you have to do in your personal life, running a business can easily overlap into the former. So that you do not have to worry about that happening, using an online appointment book just makes sense. Such a book makes it easy for you to schedule how many hours you plan to work each day, along with determining how many clients you can squeeze in on a regular basis. Lastly, you can keep track of any time off you plan on taking (a day off, vacation time etc.), allowing you to plan out your working appointments months ahead of time.

Being Your Own Boss

There are many advantages that come with running your own business.

One of the great things in doing this is being able to determine your own working schedule. In doing that, there is still a lot of responsibility that falls on your shoulders on a daily basis.

In the past, many small business owners would rely on a paper calendar or even notepads to record when their clients were scheduled to pay them a visit. Even though that worked for countless business owners (it still does for some), many running small businesses will tell you that they’d be lost without their online software to plan out their days.

If you are in need of better planning your work days, look at the different software programs out there on the market.

Inevitably, you will discover one that is best suited for your business needs, needs that require you to be on time.

As for being on time, the same holds true for your clients.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Does Your Business Need a Little More Room?

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Group Of Business People Having Board Meeting Around Glass TableHave you stopped recently and looked around your office space?

For those individuals running businesses, they might be a tad overwhelmed if they stop to see how quickly their offices can fill up.

From all the office equipment to the number of employees you have working for you; it does not take long for free space to become all but non-existent.

In the event that best describes your office, what options do you have in front of you?

While there are a few options you can consider, have you thought about simply turning to a storage facility, giving you as much room as you need for excess files, office supplies, office machinery and more?

If not, you may want to give that idea a try sooner rather than later.

Store More Stuff and Reduce the Frustration

While you could consider relocating to a bigger office space in the event your current one is proving too small, that may very well prove more expensive, especially in the short term.

If, however, renting space at a local storage facility sounds like a better choice, there are some factors not to overlook in choosing the best unit for your needs.

Among these:

  • What will be stored? – If you are mostly in need of space for filing cabinets and boxes of documents, that should prove rather easy to store in a facility. There are likely a number of self storage units in your community, some of which may be very close to your current office address. Check around through your business contacts, along with using the Internet to see what would best meet your requirements. Unless you need to store excess office machinery or office furniture, finding a storage unit simply for paperwork/filing cabinets won’t be all that difficult;
  • Where will it be located? – Where you store your excess business documents, supplies, along with whatever else may be necessary, means finding a storage unit close to the office. You don’t want to have to drive clear across town just to access a couple of boxes of documents etc. Unless there is an issue with neighborhood security and/or the storage facility itself, finding the one closest to your office would typically make the most sense. That said it doesn’t hurt to check out some other nearby ones so you have at least more than one choice to work with;
  • What does it offer? – This is one of the more important parts of the decision you will have to make. You definitely want a storage facility that offers climate controlled units, along with secure locks and video cameras. Security should always be a top priority, especially when storing company paperwork, some of which is likely to include customer information on it. Entrance to the facility should also be secure, meaning only customers are allowed into the storage center. This is best done by requiring either entry with a key or a password on a computer pad;
  • What are the costs? – Last but not least, about how much can you expect to pay for renting a storage unit on a monthly basis? For some business owners, the cost will override any other factors, so this can prove quite important when all is said and done. Yes, you may not like the idea of having a monthly storage unit bill, but if it means still saving money over renting a more expensive office space, isn’t it worth it? While a bigger office may be the answer at some point and time down the road, turning to a storage facility now could be your best bet. You don’t want employees coming into an office each and every day where they are literally tripping over one another because of space issues.

As your office space becomes scarcer, this is an issue that you will have to address sooner or later.

You could look at it from the point view of your company is hopefully growing if space is becoming restricted.

More paperwork, more employees etc. can be a sign that your business is growing, certainly something very few business owners would be disappointed in.

Finding the best way to accommodate that growth may mean turning to a storage facility to take care of your items at least for the time being or becoming a whiz at reorganizing your current office.

Either way, a growing business is always a good problem to have.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Make It Your Business to Defend You and Your Brand

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Personal BrandingIf you have worked many years to establish your brand, imagine how quickly all that work can go down the tube if you are alleged to have committed a sex crime. Think it can’t happen to you? If so, change that line of thinking now.

Whether true or not, many individuals (including those running businesses) get caught up in sex crime allegations at some point and time in their lives.

As a result of such allegations, their professional and personal images take a hit, a hit that some will find difficult to ever recover from.

If you are dealing with such allegations, make it your business to defend you and your brand.

Standing up for Your Reputation

The first thing you need to do if alleged to have committed a sex crime is making sure you have legal representation.

You may think that paying for a criminal defense attorney is out of the question, so you will end up representing yourself.

Stop for a moment and think about your legal experience. Safe to say, it is probably slim to none. As a result, you need to find an attorney who will fight tough cases.

Once you have that attorney in your corner, the next important detail is going to work on the prosecution’s case.

Even though you never want to verbally attack the alleged sex crime victim, you have every right (and need for that matter) to look for holes in their story.

The sex crime allegation against you could be any number of charges. Among some of them:

  • An employee at your business accuses you of inappropriate conduct towards them or another worker;
  • A customer to your business accuses you of inappropriate conduct towards them;
  • Someone outside of your business accuses you of inappropriate conduct towards them.

No matter who is coming forward with the allegations, you need an experience legal professional to nip these charges in the bud before they do both professional and personal damage to your image.

For those business owners thinking that such allegations will just go away, it is important to not get into that mindset.

Even if you are totally cleared of any sex crime allegations, the stigma of them can hover over your business for weeks, months, perhaps even years. This is all the more reason to deal with them immediately and thoroughly.

Don’t Lose Focus on Your Business

As you deal currently with a sex crime charge, make sure that your business does not suffer as a result.

If you are going to be tied up with your legal team and/or in court, it is important that your business still keeps up its day-to-day operations.

In the event you run the business by yourself, consider getting some temporary help in to hold down the fort. If you have employees under you, delegate some of your responsibilities to them. The key is making sure that your business is able to meet the needs of your customers whenever and wherever necessary.

Speaking of customers, do you go public with the allegations you are facing?

Many criminal defense attorneys will tell you to stay quiet on such allegations, fearing that you are just opening up a can of worms if you go public, especially on social media.

The decision ultimately has to be yours, though it certainly would behoove you to listen carefully to anything your attorney tells you.

On the one hand, talking about your case in public to customers, on social media sites etc. does of course open up the possibility of something you say being used against you if your case goes to trial.

On the other hand, you do want to get out in front of the matter and make sure your side of the story is heard.

Since there is a good chance some or many of your customers (current and potential) are likely to have heard of your sex crime allegations, use your best judgment as to what you should and should not say.

In the end, your brand could take quite a hit from such allegations.

Along with your personal freedom, your other big focus should be on keeping your brand alive and healthy.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Don’t Drop the Ball with On-Time Customer Payments

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Paying The BillAs you step back for a minute to analyze how your business is doing, take a look at your financial well-being.

For most business owners, their survival revolves around being financially solvent. Seems like an easy concept, but you might be surprised how many individuals running companies struggle with staying out of the red.

That being the case, are you doing everything within your power to make sure your customers make timely payments?

If you are dragging your feet here, you could end up getting behind on payments, leaving you in a precarious position.

So, are you prepared not to drop the ball with on-time customer payments?

Keeping the Money Flowing in

So that you can make sure (as best as possible) that you do not fall behind on customer payments, remember these important tidbits:

  • Invoicing – First and foremost, make sure you are sending out necessary invoices on time each month. While some of your customers will pay in-person (especially if you own a physical storefront), others will need to be billed for the purchasing of products and services. For that latter group, you can’t do the invoicing whenever you get around to it. For one, it throws the customer off (especially repeat ones) when they are expecting an invoice around the same time each month. Secondly, it can create a backlog in the invoicing process, again leading to problems. Lastly, you won’t get paid in a timely manner, oftentimes the biggest of all the concerns. If you are having issues with invoices, it could be something as simple as making them up in the first place. In the event that is an issue, look to work with a vendor so you can create a free invoice. Putting an invoice together should take little time and effort, so don’t make it out to be a big project;
  • Deadlines – If some customers are not paying you in a timely manner, you are often left with few avenues to turn to. The one that many business owners dread, heading on over to a collection agency. No, it isn’t something you’d prefer to do, but you also want to make sure you get your money before too long. In looking at the collection agency option, use it as a last resort. It may simply be that a friendly reminder or two nudges some customers into paying you when all is said and done. Remember, the customer has already purchased products and/or services from you, so they owe you money if they have not already paid up. Do not feel bad about having to go after them for the money that is due you;
  • Assistance – Lastly, it may simply be a case that you need to hire a financial assistant to make sure you get your funds when you should. If you’re a small business owner, the idea of hiring someone may make you hesitate at first, but you also want to make sure all your business needs are being met. Bringing on someone with an accounting background (even in a PT role) is perfectly fine. Doing so removes one more responsibility from your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on other important facets of your business. Just make sure that whomever you decide to bring on has a good financial background, plus is orderly and works well without lots of supervision.

If you drop the ball when it comes to your customer payments, your business can suffer sooner rather than later.

While some aspects of your business can take a backseat at times, invoicing and customer payments have to be priorities.

Sit down and review how well (or not so well) you are doing when it comes to customer payments.

You might be surprised to see that you are not doing as well as you should be.

When that happens, putting your finger on the problem and ultimately fixing it, that is your best road to travel.

If you have customers struggling to meet their bills, you can work with them (to a degree), that is without letting them take advantage of you when all is said and done.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Show Customers How Secure Doing Business with You Truly is

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Stress free zone totally relaxed without any work pressure succeIf you had to worry about one thing driving some of your customers away, what would it be?

In some instances, things are pretty much out of your full control.

When the economy is struggling, consumers tend to pull back on buying items, sticking to mainly those things they truly need. As a result, business owners can see their financial revenue streams start to dry up to a degree.

There are a number of ways that your business can be prepared for such issues, though there are certainly not guarantees that they will always work.

So, will you be ready the next time things appear to be heading south?

Keep Customer Satisfaction at High Levels

First and foremost, you need to make sure that customer satisfaction levels never dip dramatically.

One danger to steer clear of as a business owner is being complacent.

Yes, you may have great products and/or services, not to mention a great rapport between your employees (including you) and your customers.

That said don’t take those customers (current and potential ones) for granted. If you do that, you open the door to possible heartbreak.

So, what are some levels of customer satisfaction that should always remain high?

One of the most important is making sure customers feel secure doing business with you.

In a day and age where identity theft is a constant fear, many customers worry about how much time and money you invest into keeping their data and any transactions they make with you fully secure.

When it comes to secure credit card processing, it is important that customers feel safe and sound doing business with you.

Each and every credit card transaction with your business needs to be one where no glitches (notably identity theft) can rear their ugly heads.

If you’ve been having some doubts about your payment processing provider up to this point, look around to see if there are better options out there for you. Remember, keeping your customers happy and secure should always be a top priority.

Making Sales on the Go

Speaking of that happiness, more and more consumers are looking to make purchases when on the go. As a result, having ability to make mobile sales is also an important feature your business should certainly consider offering if not already.

For example, when is the last time you flew on an airliner?

If it was in recent times (even the last few years); you will notice that airlines no longer accept cash for alcoholic drinks or when purchasing snacks at 30,000 feet etc. It is easier for the airlines to conduct all their sales through credit cards, meaning flight attendants do not have to carry change on them when serving customers. A simple swipe of a credit card through a mobile app reader and the sale is complete.

For your business, make sure you can and do accept credit cards anywhere at any time, with an emphasis again on secure and safe transactions.

Finally, always be quick to respond to customers in the event their personal financial information is in fact compromised.

Yes, you may lose some customers over this for the long haul, but many others are more apt to stay with you if they see you have taken a pro-active and swift response to the problem.

This means identifying the problem as quickly as possible, finding a solution so that customers do not feel a major financial impact, and working to make sure (as best you can) that it does not happen again.

When working with a credit card provider, be sure to discuss with them the importance of coming up with safe and expedient purchases for customers.

Today’s world is predicated on the ability of businesses to serve their customers in a fast, courteous, and safe manner. When one or more of those traits are missing, the customer might ultimately be the one who ends up missing down the road.

Don’t be that business owner who doesn’t understand how important those three characteristics of a successful business truly are.

Be the business owner who is secure enough in what he or she is doing.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Establishing Your Blog as a Leader

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Computer ViewThere are many ways for your business to stand out from all the rest.

That being the case, what have you been doing to take your brand to the next level? Specifically, how is your blog entering into this conversation?

While some businesses drop the ball when it comes to their blogs, many others take the ball and run with it.

For your brand to be exposed in front of as many eyes as possible, your blog needs to be a top priority in your daily initiatives.

So, are you ready to establish your blog as a leader? If so, how will you go about that process?

Outside Help Can Make the Difference

In order for your business blog to really gain traction on the Internet, you need to remember these tips:

  • Authority – Put the onus on establishing authority when it comes to your blog. In doing so, you lend more credibility to your site, not to mention your brand as a whole. That authority can be improved dramatically when you have an outside guest posting service helping you with not only writing your blog content, but also marketing it. When you turn to those with the experience in guest posting, you take the pressure off you and/or your staff to come up with killer content day after day. That guest service can also handle the marketing and social media needs your blog so dutifully requires, again, removing a burden from your shoulders;
  • Resonate – Today’s consumers have myriad of online sites they can turn to for information, so why should they visit your site? Give them a reason, in fact; give them multiple reasons to pay attention to your site, notably your blog. Your goal should be to serve as the go-to site when consumers need information and/or are considering shopping. For example, if you run a home improvement business, your blog should be chock-full of details regarding the latest trends in home renovations, what the typical costs are for the common home improvement projects, what time of the year might be best to do them (especially when it comes to outside projects), and how to go about hiring the best help if you are unable to do the project on your own. When that kind of information resonates with consumers, you are likely going to be the beneficiary, landing more business as a result;
  • SEO – You can’t get too far these days as a business owner without knowing something about search engine optimization. With SEO in your corner, you can better your chances of improving your search engine rankings, notably on Google. Just as with the writing of your blog, you may be a little green when it comes to knowing all the intricacies of how best to use SEO. If so, that is where a consultant can provide much needed assistance. He or she can help guide you in improving your current search engine ranking. Remember, while you’re not likely to go out of business with a low search engine ranking, the higher it is, the more eyes will find your business when searching for your respective products and/or services. In hiring the right SEO mind, look for not only someone with a mound of experience, but also someone willing to put you first. If they’re just using you to cash your checks, move on. The right SEO consultant will not only be beneficial to your blog, but he or she can assist you with your social media needs and so much more.

Sure, your sales and advertising/marketing initiatives typically get top billing, so your blog may be a bridesmaid so to speak.

What you want to do if you haven’t already, turn that bridesmaid into a bride.

Give your blog the love and care it needs in order for it to reward you.

Those rewards will typically come in the form of more website traffic, oftentimes translated into more revenue when all is said and done.

If you have not established your blog as a leader up to this point, change course and do that sooner rather than later.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business topics on the web.