Successful Blog

Are You Insured to be a Successful Entrepreneur?

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Disaster RecoveryIn business, contracts hold a lot of weight.

A contract is a legally binding agreement that states that you, as the business owner, will fulfill certain obligations to the client. But what if a contract is not enough on its own?

This is where surety bonds come in.

A surety bond is an agreement that goes a step beyond a simple contract in that it utilizes a third party that vouches for, and becomes obligated to, the service provider being able to get the job done.

Essentially, a surety bond is a guaranteed agreement between your company, the client, and the bond provider.

The bond provider is telling the client that if your company is unable to complete the agreed upon work, someone will be brought in to finish the job. The client can be “sure” of that

Do You Need a Surety Bond?

Think of a surety bond as insurance.

In traditional business insurance scenarios, the insurance provider will cover costs in the case of damage or injuries. Surety bonds work in the same manner such that, if your company is unable to complete the agreed upon work, the client will be financially rewarded and protected.

Many types of businesses can benefit from surety bonds, including those that work on long-term creative projects.

The truth is that, in such circumstance, a clear resolution is not always available when a conflict arises. When hitting such a crossroads, surety bonds can make a big difference in satisfying the client and avoiding a lengthy and costly lawsuit.

How Do You Obtain a Surety Bond?

In the article, “Step-by-Step Guide to Obtaining Surety Bond Insurance,” the author discusses a number of steps that need to be taken prior to obtaining surety bond insurance.

The first step is to ensure that your personal or business credit is at a high enough level to receive a security bond.

You should also have all business information, including financials and safety records, available to present to a potential insurance provider.

From there, you will also need to determine whether paying your premium upfront is the best option or whether making monthly payments works best.

In the end, you may benefit more from speaking with a surety bond expert who can examine your individual needs and make recommendations.

Just as no two businesses are the same, no two surety bond options are the same.

By consulting with an expert, you may be able to save yourself and your company time, money, and headaches in the future.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Andrew Rusnak is an author who writes on topics that include business development and insurance.

Give Your Mobile Subscribers What They Desire

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Internet Of ThingsMuch of what consumers do electronically these days is done on their mobile devices.

People have grown accustomed to the ease and convenience of communicating and getting information without having to sit in front of a computer. Mobile devices are easy, convenient, efficient, and well, mobile.

As a business owner, it’s up to you to deliver great mobile marketing to keep your customers happy and engaged, while reaching out to new ones at the same time.

If nothing else spurs you on to develop great mobile marketing, these two facts from Forbes should:

  • Ninety-one percent of adults keep their smartphones within arm’s reach. (Source: Morgan Stanley).
  • Even more important to entrepreneurs: nine out of 10 mobile searches lead to action. More than half lead to sales. (Source: SearchEngineLand).

Yeah – mobile marketing is pretty important.

As the article, “Do You Know What Your Mobile Subscribers Want from Your Business?” looks at, it’s important to know what your subscribers want.

You don’t want to send them the wrong information, or content with no personal value, that’s a waste of everyone’s time.

Know Your Audience

One of the biggest keys to mobile marketing is to know your audience.

Lots of data is compiled to find target audiences, whether through surveys or digital or print campaigns, now use that information to create a target base.

Keep in mind:

Shareable, valuable content

Once you have your target audience, deliver what they want. The more valuable the content you give them is the better chance your audience will act upon it. And that isn’t just purchasing a good or service; it’s also sharing the information to extend your customer base. One of the marvels of mobile marketing is that it’s so easy to share content, for your customers to reach out and share your great business.

Good mobility

Another thing you can do is work the mobility factor. A great website that works well on a mobile device is vital. Even if you have a stunning, easy to navigate, informative website from a desktop, if it isn’t mobile friendly, you’re hurting yourself. Think about how many times you’ve looked up something on your mobile device that doesn’t read well – you usually find something else. Don’t’ let that happen to your business.

Besides your website, make sure you have the right social media and it’s easy to follow.

You also want it easy for your customers to subscribe to any SMS or email services you offer.

These are great ways to engage customers and keep them abreast of anything new going on with you.

You can also send out deals and promotions to your subscribers. If they receive it on a mobile device, they are much more prone to act on it.

Trust that the time and effort you put into your mobile campaigns will pay off.

Just like social media, it may take some extra time, but through the marketing pay out, you’ll be glad you did.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Heather Legg is an independent writer who covers topics related small business, social media, and working from home.

Know the Merits of Guest Posting

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Brand Branding Marketing Product Copyright ConceptWhat takes up the majority of your time running a business?

Some business owners will point out the task of keeping customers happy. Others will note overseeing employees takes up a fair amount of their work week. Meantime, some will state that marketing and advertising their brand constitutes countless hours weekly.

One of those aspects of marketing is content marketing. More specifically; having an authoritative and popular blog on your website grows by the importance each day.

So, what happens when you don’t have the time and/or resources to field a noteworthy blog? What happens when you’d like to contribute to other relevant blogs, yet time and resources are again issues?

Is it too late to change course or can you make your blog worthwhile, along with contributing to others in order to drive more business and revenue your way?

Your Content is Critical

With 2016 knocking on the door, it is more important than ever that you don’t lose focus on the importance of content marketing for your brand, material that oftentimes will be displayed on your website.

Among the ways to make your content marketing stand out:

  • Hiring the right talent to write copy – If you find that you’re too busy yourself (and also your staff) to do the content marketing writing, look to guest posting services. By using such a service, you eliminate the need for you and/or your staff to research and write the copy. As long as you hire a service provider that knows their stuff, has a feel for your industry and can provide that necessary voice (see more below), and promotes your brand in a variety of ways, you can stand out in the content marketing arena, By doing so, you increase the odds of landing more business;
  • Talk to your audience – All too often, companies will try and tell the consumer what the business owner wants them to hear, something that is not necessarily always what the consumer in turns wants to hear. When using a guest posting service, make sure they properly represent your brand, something which will receive a better response from many consumers. The copy should be informative, yet not too heavy on the sales side. If the voice is one of simply a salesperson, you may very well push the consumer/s in the direction of your competitors. Talking to your audience also means being a social butterfly (see more below), so don’t be shy about talking-up your brand;
  • Socializing is where it is at – Finally, properly using social media to promote your content marketing initiatives is very important. You can have the best content/writers in the world, but what if no one or few people are reading it? Use various social media vehicles (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.) to promote your brand. Yes, YouTube has become more and more popular with companies looking to market their products and services. Having a small amount of worthwhile content with the video/slides etc. you want to show can go a long way in converting a potential client into a delivered client.

If you’re finding that you don’t have the time and/or expertise for properly doing content marketing now and down the road, a guest posting service could be just the right call.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

Educate Yourself on Importance of eLearning for Business

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Businessman Gear SuccessIt’s time to educate yourself on the importance of e-learning for business.

Both employers and employees can benefit from taking online courses. The choice of courses is almost limitless.

Whether you are seeking to obtain a certification, a degree, or simply to increase your knowledge in a particular area, e-learning offers a way to achieve those ambitions.

Convenience of eLearning

E-learning offers flexibility for students.

Enrolled students can log on to their classroom dashboard from any place with an Internet connection.

So when a business owner has an employee in the field who they want to enroll in an e-learning course, that employee doesn’t need to come in from the field in order to sit in a classroom and learn.

Timing is also a huge benefit to e-learning courses.

Most often, there is no time limit for how long a student can take to finish any one course, or to get their final certification. In cases where there is a time limit, it’s usually quite liberal.

After all, e-learning courses are specifically designed to meet the needs of students who have other major demands on their time, such as raising a family or working a full-time job.

Location is another valuable benefit for most e-learning students.

Armed with a laptop and a set of ear buds or headphones, students can engage with their course work outside in a park, in the employee break lounge, on public transit, or anywhere else they find themselves with extra time to spare.

How eLearning Benefits Employers

Even if employers don’t enroll in e-learning courses themselves, their businesses will benefit when employees are motivated enough to take e-learning courses.

Employers can greatly enhance their talent resources when they encourage and reward employees for taking e-learning courses.

As the following article looks at, there are 3 basic needs for inspiring motivation in eLearning.

The first one is accessibility. Having the courses be accessible to the employees is a key part of making sure everyone is treated fairly in regards to the opportunity.

One great way to ensure this is to post news about the e-learning opportunities in employee newsletters, in company emails and on office bulletin boards. This is also a terrific way for employers to protect themselves against the possibility of discrimination suits.

A second way to motivate employees to take up e-learning is to make it relatable to their job success. It is in this way that employers can really benefit from helping all their employees to do better in their job performance.

Any industry can benefit from employees who are more educated in terms of dealing with the issues that come up in their job.

For example, a factory worker would benefit from courses that teach about automation. A salesperson would benefit from courses about purchasing behavior. A retail clerk would benefit from courses regarding preventing shoplifting.

Finally, employers can motivate employees to enroll in e-learning by offering rewards based on measurable goals.

When employees see that they can be promoted or earn more money by taking e-learning courses, everyone benefits.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes about best business practices.

Put Some Bounce Into Your SMS Marketing Plans

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Smart Home Device - Office ControlYour club or other form of entertainment establishment is alive with nightlife.

Excitement and energy pulse through the space and the air is fused with electricity. You want your marketing efforts to exude the same vibe.

Have you thought about bumping up your SMS marketing?

Text message marketing is one of the smartest marketing techniques right now.

You can reach large numbers of people who will follow through on a call to action. Most people have access to text messaging and check their texts throughout the day.

With smart messaging, this can be low cost, high reward form of marketing. Your club will be even more vibrant and exciting.

As the article “6 creative ways to advertise your club’s SMS marketing program” looks at, here are some things to remember:

  • Motivate people to sign up with incentives – Include a free drink or discounted cover charge when they sign up for text alerts. Think about this for getting current customers to sign up immediately, as in when they are in your club – post the number to join in your club and offer a free drink with sign up.
  • Make it urgent – With a quick turn-around time, people are more likely to take you up on your offers. For instance, when you say you get free entrance to the club with SMS sign up, make sure you include an expiration date and make it quick, like one week.
  • Let your subscribers know of special events – They can be the first to know about events like ladies’ nights or special DJ’s. It’s a great way to form those connections with your customers; they’ll love the feeling of getting insider’s tips!
  • Post your SMS offers on your social media – The people coming to your club are probably pretty into social media, so get this out there. Those that subscribe to your Instagram and other social media will get reminders to sign up for SMS. You can also send texts now and then with social media participation reminders. These work hand in hand.

Easy She Goes with SMS Marketing

The great thing about SMS marketing is how easy it is.

Because you are limited in your text characters, you don’t have to worry about creating long winded content. Short and sweet is the way to go, with a clear call to action, a reward and an expiration date.

Be sure to text consistently, but no more than a couple of times a week. You don’t want to annoy your customers, but you want to keep their attention. Vary your incentives and be creative.

You’ll see more and more subscribers and more and more revenue coming in!

Good luck and please share anything fun and creative you’ve done with SMS marketing for your club.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Heather Legg is an independent writer who covers topics related to social media, SMS marketing strategies, and small business.

Take Your Company’s Data Integration to New Levels

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Businessman using his tablet computerNow that you’ve got your company off and running and your business intelligence all locked up with data integration, it’s time to take it to new levels.

Data integration is the latest way for businesses in all industries to meet the constantly evolving demands of their clients and customers.

It’s also a proven way for businesses to streamline all their department efforts, including HR, marketing and sales.

Take Human Resources to the Next Level

Human resources professionals are always looking for new and better ways to attain and retain quality employees. The task hasn’t always been easy.

In the past, HR professionals had to perform their personnel hunt on the sly, plucking top employees from their current jobs, wooing them over secret lunches and convincing them to jump ship. The entire affair was cumbersome and fraught with frustration and disappointment.

Half the time, after that entire struggle, the caught employee turned out to be not as expected, and ended up jumping ship – again.

With data integration, HR professionals can cease opportunities to finely tune their search for high potential job candidates, to a point where they are nearly certain they are chasing the right rabbit.

Once on board, data integration systems give HR professionals a bird’s eye view of employee’s performance and where there is room for improvement.

Take Marketing to the Next Level

As the following article looks at, your marketing department may be the area where you will see the most benefit from unlocking knowledge and enhancing collaboration with data integration.

With the correct data integration system in place, your marketing team can project trends, target leads and customize marketing strategies in record time.

Using data integration systems, marketing managers can swiftly react to changing patterns and interests in your target demographics.

It’s like being able to read a customer’s mind, and then changing what you say seconds before you say it.

Take Sales to the Next Level

With a data integration system at your sales team’s disposal, they will be able to act on information that is input into the system.

They will be able to collaborate with other team members, whether they are across the room or around the globe.

Sales efforts no longer have to be put on hold because one or more members of your sales team are out of pocket. Shared data is data that can be acted on instantly.

Those who are able to utilize the data and move ahead with projects will be able to update the project status, sign their digital name to the work, and move on to next steps.

The lead, or target customer, will then move automatically and organically to the next stage in the buying decision, ready for the next sales member to take the lead.

Streamlining your business with data integration is the next big thing that technology has brought to the hands of business owners.

Take advantage of this latest wave and find out how data integration can change the way you do business.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kate Supino writes about business and marketing practices.