Successful Blog

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.

 

 

Providing Your Employees with a Safer Workplace

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interior-design-828545_640 (1)When you rely on others to help make your business a success, going out of your way for them certainly makes sense.

That said you can only do so much in and out of the office for your employees, especially when some of them might not be heeding your warnings.

Whether you try and care for them in the office with an extra amount of attention towards safety, matching that with an equal effort of care and compassion outside the workplace, always remember that you can only do so much.

With that in mind, what are you doing these days to provide your employees with a safer workplace?

Drill Home the Importance of Safety

So that you can hopefully strike a note with your employees when it comes to the importance of safety in and out of the office, remember these tips:

  1. Workplace environment

First and foremost, you have the most interaction with your employees obviously when they are in your presence. That said do your best to promote a safe workplace environment, one where workers know that you take their safety more seriously than anyone else.

Among the ways to do this:

  • Having monthly safety meetings for your staff, especially if you are in an industry (construction etc.) where workers do put themselves at risk on a regular basis.
  • Having protocol in place in the event an employee is injured. Make sure they know what to do in terms of seeking treatment, along with reporting the injuries, and of course making sure all paperwork is handled properly.
  • Having a system in place where employees can report unsafe work conditions, something many may be afraid to do if their name will be provided. Have an “anonymous box” or some other method in (or out of the office) where workers can report safety concerns without fear of reprisals, including possibly losing their jobs.
  1. Out on the road

When your employees go out on the road during part of their work responsibilities, do you do your best to ensure their safety?

Among the ways to do this:

  • Having safe company vehicles for your employees, vehicles that you have the utmost faith in. As an example, if you have workers who go out using company cars and/or trucks to meet with clients, make deliveries, assess projects out in the field etc. are they as safe as possible? By being properly maintained, offering backup camera systems, even lane-changing warning systems, your employees stand a better chance of staying alive.
  • Having a system in place where employees can check in with the home office regularly. For instance, there have unfortunately been incidents (especially in recent years) of workers being injured or even killed on the job in the real estate industry. If you work in this industry (or any business for that matter), be sure when employees go out to meet a client, they’ve alerted a co-worker as to where they are.
  • Having a solid set of rules in place regarding employee conduct behind the wheel. Although most employees never cross the line when it comes to operating company vehicles, some in fact do. As a result, they can put themselves, others on the road, even their employees in harm’s way. Make it clear whenever hiring someone that they are expected to operate company vehicles (or their own if they use them for work-related matters) with the utmost respect. This also means avoiding speeding and other reckless driving habits, along with not drinking and driving on the job.

As important as making a dollar is as a business owner, make sure you never take your eyes off the importance of workplace safety, notably that of your employees.

By focusing and refocusing on safety in and out of the workplace, you and your team will be the better for it.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

 

 

 

Let Guest Posting Market Your Brand

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blogging-1168076_640Are you at a loss for words as to why your brand is struggling these days?

If so, the answer might be right in front of you.

For many business owners, their brands have trouble getting traction as a result of inefficient and/or ineffective marketing.

As a result, there is missed sales revenue, revenue that could very well be the difference between a solid month of sales and a lackadaisical one at best.

With that in mind, what should be you doing to give your brand a boost?

While there are a myriad of options available to you, some typically prove to be more successful than others.

One such option is guest posting.

Between guest posting on other blogs and allowing relevant and authoritative authors to provide your site with guest posts, you can oftentimes increase your site’s traffic before long.

Although there are several reasons you will likely see a spike in your website traffic, one is that your site could very well improve its search engine rankings, most notably with Google.

So, has the time come to let guest posting for your brand be the possible boost it has been missing up to this point and time?

Knowing Where to Start

In order to understand why guest posting matters to your brand, start by looking at some of your competitors and their websites.

Are they running guest posts on a regular basis and/or guest posting on other sites? If they are, what are some of the topics they are routinely covering? While there are a myriad of things to discuss, search for posts that will be most useful to your regular audience.

As an example, if you work in the real estate business, consumers would tend to want to know the following:

  • Current trends – What is happening in the market as of now for both buyers and sellers?
  • Future forecast – What are experts saying about the market’s pluses or minuses over the next six months to a year?
  • Home repairs – For someone looking to sell, how much time and money should they invest in repairs? Oftentimes, repairs done prior to listing the home can increase the value of the residence.

As you prepare to do guest posts, the above-mentioned topics are just a few of the many things you can discuss on other real estate and financial blogs. Likewise, encourage those looking to post on your site to hit some of those areas and more.

Lastly, no matter what industry you are in, guest blogging won’t be all that successful for you if you don’t engage your readers.

Although some comments may slip through the cracks on occasion, do your best to read all of the remarks you get from readers. If you feel there is the need for a response and/or to continue the discussion, by all means do.

Promoting Your Guest Posts

Finally, turning to social media to promote your blog posts is imperative, especially if you are new to the guest posting scene.

For the best results possible, use a variety of social networking sites, with Facebook and Twitter the top two. You can also opt for Instagram and Pinterest, though both of those platforms tend to be more focused on imagery.

Going back to Facebook and Twitter for a moment, be sure to do some cross-promoting, allowing both you and others in your industry (except for direct competitors in most cases) to benefit from helping one another out.

As with your guest posts, be sure to engage those on social media taking the time to comment about your efforts.

If you’ve been lackadaisical about using guest posting in the past to market your brand, start changing that mindset today.

As a business owner, how are you using guest posting to bring more awareness around to your brand?

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

 

 

 

Don’t Slack on Those You Hire

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handshake-1513228_640In order to give your small business the best chance to succeed, much of course depends on those you hire.

That said are you doing the best job possible when it comes to hiring talent?

In some instances, you’re going to miss on a few choices. If you can hire 90 percent or better successfully, you can oftentimes survive those cases where you made the wrong choice.

So, what goes into hiring the best possible talent out there for your small business?

While research on your part is certainly key, a little bit of luck certainly doesn’t hurt too.

From this day forward, will you do everything possible in hiring the right people time and time again?

Put Time and Effort into Your Review Process

When the time comes again for you to hire the right employees, keep in mind the following pointers:

  1. Experience

What employer would tell you that experience isn’t all that important? If you said very true, you’d be correct.

That said a person’s job experience up to this point can mean a myriad of things.

Were they in a position of management? Were they responsible for making key decisions for the employer or employers they worked for up to this point? Were they tasked with overseeing large sums of money? Lastly, were they someone who managed to climb the corporate ladder wherever they were at?

As you look at any candidate’s experience level, dig down deep to see just how thick it truly is.

  1. Research

Assuming you take your time to properly screen each and every prospective employee, that research should include a number of factors.

Along with standard items like education, job experience etc. you really need to be socially active in the process.

Yes, what a potential employee does on social networking sites is having more of an impact today with employers than even just a few years ago. While you should not automatically discount a qualified individual because of political posts etc. that you disagree with, look for the obvious.

If someone exhibits signs of racism, bigotry, questionable acts like inappropriate pictures or videos, yes, those are red flags you should not overlook.

  1. Education

Although some employers will tell you job experience is the overriding factor when it comes to hiring individuals, others certainly do not discount the importance of a quality education.

As you look at hiring educated talent for your small business, be sure you don’t neglect the value of those educations.

For instance, if you are hiring someone to work with your company in the criminal justice system, that education is as important as anything else you will review.

Hopefully, each prospective employee has used what they learned through schooling to put themselves and their experiences in the right position, the position of contributing to your business needs.

Lastly, as crucial as that education is, street smarts are imperative too.

That is especially true if you plan to offer someone a job in a field where snap decisions in law enforcement and related positions of higher responsibility are oftentimes required.

Personalities Can’t Ever Be Overlooked

  1. Personalities

Even as important as experience, education, and social media etiquette are, don’t ever discount the value of each and every personality you come across.

While someone can have fantastic experience and an education that is second-to-none, you want personalities that will mesh with your current team of employees.

That said be sure to keep the current makeup of your office in mind whenever you interview a prospective employee.

Ask yourself if this potential team member would in fact work well with the present team you employ. Could you see any personality clashes, perhaps people with personalities that are too strong or even too weak?

Finally, look to hire those individuals who exhibit a desire to go that extra mile for you and your employees.

In many instances, employees will have to do more than they’re originally hired for. The last thing you want is someone who complains about that.

Remember, when the team effort is in place, it is hard for a company to lose.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

 

 

Your Content Can Mean All the Difference

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content-is-king-1132261_640When was the last time you stopped and truly looked at the content on your company’s website?

Whether you do it frequently or infrequently, you at least need to be doing it. Preferably, you are checking it rather frequently. By doing so, you will hopefully see how good content is leading more customers your way.

For many companies, their websites are essentially their online calling cards. As such, it is important that they make sure their sites are chock-full of worthwhile information for consumers.

Much of that information starts and ends with their company blogs.

If you find yourself falling short when it comes to guest posting for your brand, there are means with which you can change that.

So, are you ready to see how content can mean all the difference in the world in driving more traffic your way?

Don’t Neglect Your Blog

Given blogs can’t write themselves, it is important that you are feeding your blog a regular dose of authoritative and relevant content.

In some cases, you will reach out to guest bloggers, asking them to author a piece for your blog.

While it is certainly encouraged that you offer such opportunities, be sure that you are getting quality content in return for the chance to promote others.

If someone doesn’t take the time to see who your audience is, what kind of message you are trying to send out etc. the blog posting can be a waste of your time and their time. Worst of all, your audience may begin to slowly tune you and your brand out.

Lastly, make sure you discuss with your guest bloggers the opportunity to do the same on their sites.

Getting your brand’s name out in front of others is a great way to drum up business.

Simply ask the publisher if you can include a relevant link in the copy or bio (preferably the former) in any piece you or someone from your company writes. This then opens the door for you and the other business owner to cross-promote each other’s sites. When that happens, it is typically a win-win situation for all involved.

Socializing Your Content is Critical

If you’re not a big believer in social media promotions, that quite frankly needs to change immediately.

For starters, social media is a medium that continues to be untapped by so many brands.

Whether it is the result of not enough time or effort, feeling like it is going to cost too much to partake in, or the wrong belief that social networking really brings no return on investment (ROI), too many businesses miss out on forming social connections. As a result, they are very likely passing up potential revenue opportunities.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a social media addict, but you should invest some time and energy into it.

Once you have a blog post (your site) or guest blog post (on another’s site) live, be sure to promote it socially. By doing so, you get each and every post in front of countless eyes.

Also, be sure to engage with any and all consumers who reach out to you on your social channels with worthwhile questions and/or comments.

Nothing will send consumers scurrying faster than if they feel ignored by those they are trying to talk to.

Given strong content can make all the difference in the world for your brand’s long-term health, start giving it more attention today.

By doing so, you can see those revenue numbers increase, something that can mean all the difference in the world.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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