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Get Your Career Back on Track after a Serious Incident

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car-wreck-1618179_640For many workers all across the nation, their jobs are their lifelines.
Stop for a moment and think about where you would be if you were not working.
Among the factors to consider:

  • Money – How would you support yourself without a regular job? For most people, the answer is they would not be able to. Even if they are in a low paying job or jobs, that works keeps them off the streets.
  • Career – Any significant breaks in your working life can lead to more problems. Many employers will avoid individuals who have sizable gaps on their resumes. As a result, it can be hard to get back into the working field.
  • Trouble – Without a regular work routine, would you end up getting into trouble? For some folks, too much free time on their hands can be trouble.

For you to avoid your career get sidetracked, you need to see that your work life stays together.

That said a serious incident in your life can derail your career at the snap of a finger.

If that happens, will you be able to rebound?

What Kind of Events Can Derail You?

Among the types of serious incidents in life that can derail your work life:

  1. Accident

If you’re hurt rather seriously in an accident, the ripple effects can be tough to overcome.

You are trying to get your physical and mental health back, two tasks that can be difficult to achieve.

Making matters worse is when the accident wasn’t even your fault.

For instance, did the driver who injured you get away?

Unfortunately, hit-and-run accidents are all too common nationwide.

If there is no police report, you already are behind the eight ball. Were there any eyewitnesses or video evidence? Again, if you can’t find either, where do you turn for help?

If you were able to catch the vehicle plate of the hit-and-run driver, you at least have something to work with.

License plate searches following a vehicle accident can help you out. In finding the other driver, police can look for damage to their vehicle. They may have also sought medical attention right after the accident.

Even though it may seem at first like a long-shot, be sure you exhaust all your options.

Not only has someone hurt you and, they may have put your career on hold for a significant amount of time.

  1. Illness

A serious illness is another obstacle you might need to overcome to get back to work.

Examples of this can include treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

While many employers will work with employees, some may choose otherwise.

If you find yourself dealing with that latter, you may have to fight for your job through the legal system.

As if the physical suffering from cancer isn’t bad enough, now you’re dealing with the mental stress too.

The best thing you can do is focus on your health.

Yes, your ability to work is important, but how can you do a good job if your health is far from what it should be?

If you do get a serious cancer diagnosis, take time to sit down with your employer and discuss your options.

By being upfront, there’s a good chance you two can come to an understanding to benefit both parties.

  1. Death

Losing a loved one can be one of the hardest things many people deal with on a regular basis.

Not only is there the physical loss of having that person in your life, but also the emotional fallout.

Any point in the day can remind you of that person. When that occurs, the thoughts are happy ones. Even when they are, yet, it can give you a sense of grief and loss.

Although some people are able to immerse themselves in their jobs to dull the pain, many others can’t.

If you are having trouble focusing on or even going to work after the death of a loved one, don’t be afraid to seek help.

By getting things off your chest, you can bring some comfort to the situation.

Sure, you will likely never get over losing that individual.

That said you will be able to get back some semblance of normalcy in your life, including in the workplace.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

Is Your Small Business on Solid Financial Ground?

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dollar-1362243_640Does anything scare you when it comes to managing your small business?

If you are like many other small business owners, you know all too well how things can change in a heartbeat.

At one point and time, things are humming along. Take a look a couple of months down the road and you’re nearing or in the red.

So, how do you go about doing all you can to keep your small business on solid financial ground?

While there are many ways to approach this, some work better than others.

Are You on Top of Your Business Needs?

To do your best to keep your small business running along, file away these tips:

  1. Expenditures

One area of major importance is of course your office expenditures.

Are you spending too much money, money that can be saved with some ingenuity on your part?

Always look to see where you can cut costs without cutting performance.

Areas to scale back on include supplies, transportation, and how many hours the office is open.

With that last one, letting employees work from home one day a week can lessen your need to be open five days a week. How much could you save with an extra day a week having the office closed?

Also, go back and review what you spend for office supplies.

In many instances, you are not doing needed things like recycling or buying supplies in bulk.

And when it comes to transportation needs, think how you use any office vehicles.

For instance, if you have to make deliveries to and/or meet with customers, think about how you schedule them.

Try and get with several customers all in a period of time the same day, avoiding running in and out of the office.

  1. Growth

Understanding when to grow your small business is important.

While you might be timid, know that increasing your company’s capacity can be what the doctor ordered.

In doing this, you might need some fast cash for your small business.

If you do need some cash infusion, be sure to research the options available to you.

Knowing where that money will be coming from, what to expect in return etc. are both quite important.

Take the time to think about any growth plans.

The worst thing you could do is rush into an expansion. This would be one in which you were not prepared on many fronts.

  1. Security

Even if wanting to grow moving forward, don’t fall asleep on your company’s security.

As an example, has your company ever faced a security breach? If not, consider yourself lucky.

Too many companies over the last decade have in fact suffered security breaches. They can be even more impactful when it is the small business owner taking the hit.

To keep on solid financial ground, be sure to invest in whatever security needs are necessary.

From your online efforts to what you do as a small business owner offline, never think it can’t happen to you.

So, as you move forward this year, do you consider your small business to be on solid financial ground?

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

4 Tips for Better Brand Marketing

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google-76517_640Are you more than a tad concerned about where your brand marketing efforts are headed (or not headed for that matter)?

In the event the answer is yes, what do you plan on doing?

For many business owners, it isn’t necessarily an issue of not attempting the right brand marketing initiatives, but more of a matter of being reluctant to do them in the first place.

That being the case, step back for a few minutes and look at how you’ve approached brand marketing up to this point. Are you simply not connecting with your target market, a market that undoubtedly is your key to making more revenue?

If you’ve been reluctant to move full-steam ahead, is that because of a lack of money, thinking that possibly brand marketing isn’t your strongest forte, or maybe even just not finding the right people to do the job?

It All Begins with SEO Plan

Before you can even begin to mount numerous effective brand marketing initiatives, you must make sure you have the right people in place to launch them.

With that being said, stop and look to see if the time has indeed come to reach out for assistance.

If so, that assistance might very well start and end by working with a San Diego SEO agency or one closer to home.

Keep in mind that search engine optimization (SEO) can do so many positive things for your business, things that you likely have been missing out on up to this point. In the event you do reach out to an SEO agency for help, how do you know which one is best suited to your needs?

Before just working with anyone, be sure you look for these qualities in an SEO partner:

  • Years of experience
  • Proven record of results
  • Open lines of communication
  • Pricing that is fair for the work in return
  • Honesty about how SEO really works

Once you’ve decided on an SEO partner, the next step is of course to improve your brand marketing initiatives.

Content is a Great Starting Point

So that your business can nail a number of key areas in the SEO brand marketing process, focus on these four for starters:

  1. Blog content

When was the last time you assessed your website’s blog? If it was recently, were you happy with what you came across?

For many business owners, their blogs unfortunately rank at or near the bottom of importance on their list of things to do. As a result, they miss out on a number of opportunities to connect with consumers.

In working on your blog, not only write content that is authoritative and informative, but that also connects with consumers. By doing so, the doors to increased revenue opportunities are certainly opened up.

  1. Drive off with better keywords

As part of that winning blog content strategy, it is imperative that you select winning keywords for your blogging content efforts.

One example would be for those in the auto selling business, specifically offering used cars for sale.

Sure, many used car dealers rely on TV commercials, newspaper ads; even word-of-mouth etc. in order to bring in business, but their websites shouldn’t be taken for granted.

With that in mind, your focus when writing content for this industry should include long-tail keywords, keywords that emphasize the auto industry and selling used vehicles.

Lastly, make sure you avoid any keyword stuffing, something that can send your Google search engine rankings into reverse sooner rather than later.

  1. Social media outreach

Just as lackluster efforts towards blog content can hurt your brand, the same holds true with mediocre social media outreach.

Given the fact millions of consumers are on various social networking sites at any point and time of the day, shouldn’t your brand be there too?

With the answer being of course so, make sure you are active on a number of social media sites, but with that activity, also be sure to make your time there count.

Along with posting links to your blog content and other relevant industry content (whatever line of business you are in), also take the time to engage consumers. Remember, the more engagement possible the better.

  1. Review your website regularly

Finally, do you take the time on a regular basis to review your website? If not, you could be hurting your brand more than you’ll ever know.

In reviewing your website; look for any and all glitches that could be hampering your efforts to make better inroads with consumers.

Such glitches can include:

  • Long downloading times
  • Pages that are broken
  • Hard to locate contact information
  • If you have an online store, difficulty for consumers in completing sales

Those are but some of the SEO website issues that could easily be curtailing you from better brand marketing, not to mention making more sales.

When it comes to better brand marketing, has the time come for you to invest some more time and energy in what you do?

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for Organic Media Group on SEO and marketing topics.

Don’t Let a Workplace Injury Derail Your Future

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accident-1238329_640Whether you have been in the workforce for many years or a short time, you know how important a good job is in today’s world.

Now, what happens when you’ve suffered a serious workplace injury, one that can very derail your future?

For too many workers, that scenario is all too familiar. When it happens to them, their worlds can turn upside down.

If you’ve suffered a serious injury while on the job, where will you turn for help?

Yes, your medical well-being is of course of the utmost importance, but your financial health can’t be overlooked either.

With your future up in the air, getting the legal help you need is a must.

Whether in need of Idaho workers comp or help in another state, don’t wait a day to make that call.

Give Your Legal Counsel All the Facts

Once you’re injured on the job, you have two choices in front of you.

One, you can deal with the medical costs and injury/injuries on your own, hoping things work out for the best.

Two, you can reach out to a workers comp lawyer, someone who will stand by your side and fight with you.

In working with a legal pro, make sure he or she has all the facts as you know them on how you were injured.

Among the areas of focus:

  • Accident – Of utmost importance, how were you injured? If the injury in your mind is the fault of your employer, can you prove so? It would be worthwhile to have evidence in the form of an eyewitness and/or video evidence to show you were not to blame.
  • Safety – What safety protocols did your employer have in place? In the event you’re injured in a construction accident, did your employer have the necessary safety procedures in place? If not, were you still told to go about the work anyway?
  • History – Does your employer have a history of non-fatal and/or fatal injuries on the job? If so, has this problem been discussed and/or acted upon? An unsafe work environment is a breeding ground for health issues, workers’ safety.

Financial Fallout
As bad as the physical pain can be from a serious workplace injury, the financial fallout can be as troublesome if not worse.

Even if you have medical coverage, the bills can mount quickly, especially if you will need long-term rehab.

In the event this will lead to you not being able to work, how will you pay your everyday bills?

When your finances are in doubt, this is yet another reason to seek a workers’ comp attorney, someone who will go to work for you.

If there is a pattern of workplace injuries with your employer, see if other current or former employees will speak out on the issue.

Also be sure to hold any other negligent parties besides your employer accountable for your injuries.

This can include product manufacturers etc.

When injured on the job, time is of the essence.

Fight back so your future is not left in doubt.

Given how serious workplace injuries can be, it is imperative that you don’t let someone’s negligence derail your future.

With that being the case, are you prepared to stand up and fight today?

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

Avoid Letting Your Business Go Down the Drain

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dollar-941246_640 (1)Do you ever stop as a business owner and look to see where your company might have some leaks taking place?

No, not the kinds of leaks that typically goes on in Washington, D.C. and other political settings.

The leaks here are those where money is being lost, specifically your money.

With that in mind, what steps can you take in order to keep your business from ultimately going down the drain?

Check to See Why You’re Losing Money

In the event your small business is leaking money more times than not, will you not only recognize where the problems are, but also do something about them?

With the answers hopefully being yes, here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

  1. Customer payment issues

One of the most well-known (yet devastating) problems is when customers ultimately decide not to pay for the goods and/or services they purchase from you. For those not aware, these are called chargebacks.

While a number of chargebacks occur when a customer has changed his or her mind in terms of actually wanting what they initially purchased, others revolve around fraud.

Yes, some customers will buy something and charge it to their credit card, only to then decide they don’t want to pay for it. In the end, you the business owner are left with the payment issue square in your lap.

So that you can do a better job of fighting chargebacks and recovering profits, work with a company that will assist you in the fight.

For instance a company that offers a chargeback recovery revenue service can get you the assistance your business needs, thereby preventing you from losing countless dollars over and over again.

Best of all, using such a service will help you when it comes to better identifying issues to begin with, permitting you to have more sound chargeback prevention measures in place.

Lastly, be sure you make it as easy as possible for customers to pay in the first place.

For example, if you offer an online store, make sure the process is simple all the way through, a process that goes from a customer starting to place an order, and running all the way through checkout.

         2. Missed marketing opportunities

Another gaping financial hole can likely be closed when you spend the right amount of time and effort with marketing and social media initiatives.

For your marketing efforts, you should be marketing each and every time you get the chance.

For too many small business owners, they go light on the marketing efforts, figuring such activities will cost them too much money. If you’re one of these people, fall back on the old adage of having to spend money to make money.

Not only should you be marketing offline (newspaper ads, some television and/or radio, networking conferences, and community events), but also online. Those online efforts should include email marketing, mobile marketing etc.

When it comes to social media, this is about as free a marketing opportunity as you can get.

Use social media to push your blog content, engage with consumers, see what the competition is up to and much more.

While some small business owners might claim that they can’t see much return on investment (ROI) when it comes to social media, don’t believe them.

Make sure you do your own social media outreach, seeing if it truly can prove effective for your bran

          3. What you pay for office supplies

Last but not least, are you overpaying for office supplies?

Sure, you might think that an extra roll of copy paper or a few more ink cartridges for the printer do not add up over time, but the reality is that they do.

You will be best-served when you shop around for the best vendor deals out there, saving money whenever and wherever you can. By doing so, this will be one less area that you have to plug in terms of potentially losing money.

If money for office supplies is rather tight, you might even think about some trading options, options where you get a discount on some supplies in return for promoting the vendor or vendors supplying you.

Although you hopefully never get to the point where you have to close your small business due to financial issues, knowing where and when the leaks may come is something you want to be aware of.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business Owners and Consumers Using Internet and Word-of-Mouth

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storage-warehouse-1553550_640No matter what industry your business falls under, you likely know all too well how important both the Internet and word-of-mouth are to your company’s ability to succeed.

When it comes to self-storage, the U.S. is a global leader with a higher number of storage units compared to all other countries put together.

Of course, Americans are renowned for their hoarding culture meaning everything that finds its way home becomes part of the family. Most storage units in and around Tampa (and other parts of the nation) are leased by household owners, a clear indication of the high demand.

For business owners, there is more need for storage space because rentals and leases can be very expensive and self-storage becomes a more affordable alternative.

The number of self-storage industry according to Statistic Brain stands at more than 50,000 and herein is a big challenge.

Consumers Need to Research Before They Rent

The industry is now worth more than $30 billion, making it a moneymaker.

With all that money being made, consumers want to make sure they are getting their own money’s worth when renting a self-storage unit.

For consumers in Tampa, they can easily do some online (and in-person) homework to find the best storage rental for their needs.

Among the storage unit factors consumers need to look at:

  1. Is it Well Kept?

As a rule-of-thumb, always make a point of visiting a storage facility before renting it. You will get more information about your storage than all the virtual tours can provide. Check whether the facility is clean and well-maintained.

  1. Protecting Your Items

If you have already rented from a storage facility business in the city, make sure you regularly visit your new (or in some cases old) unit regularly and inspect the condition of your items. It is advisable to have personal and/or business insurance cover your items in the event of a rare break-in or a serious weather event that hits.

  1. Over-the-phone Quote

Whether you are moving to Tampa for personal and/or business reasons or seeking storage for your inventory in the city, make sure the self-storage company carries out a free, on-site and no-obligation estimate. The price you get (see more below) on the phone could be better than what you might receive in-person, and you are guaranteed that there is available space.

  1. Extra Charges

Like anything you rent or buy (vehicles, appliances etc.), make sure there are no hidden costs. Given the majority of self-storage facility owners are honest, hard-working people, they know how important your money is to you. As such, they are more than likely going to point out all the costs involved for a monthly rental etc.

  1. Customer Feedback

Finally, don’t hesitate to look for customer feedback (online, word-of-mouth etc.), making your decision easier. When a sizable number of current and former customers rave about a facility, chances are they are not blowing smoke. The same holds true if they are saying the opposite. With a few clicks on the Internet, you should be able to get some good feedback on the facility you are considering going with. Even with that information, however, you’re always best-served checking facilities out for yourself.

Whether for personal and/or business needs, remember that storage facilities and countless other markets oftentimes rely on the Internet and word-of-mouth to store up more and more customers.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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