business Archives - Page 12 of 36

Does Your Brand Get the Attention It Deserves?

October 7, 2016 by Thomas

What exactly are you doing on a regular basis to give your brand the attention it needs to thrive?

Unfortunately, some business owners are doing next to nothing, leaving their brands dangling in the wind. In doing so, they are missing out on golden opportunities to get their brands noticed, notice that can mean the difference between a good financial month and a mediocre one at best.

That said it is important that you review any and all promotions you are doing, see what is working and what is gaining little or zero traction.

At the end of the day, brand promotion is essential to a healthy business.

Use Myriad of Brand Promotions Regularly

When attempting to promote your brand, you should remember the following tips:

Targeted audience – Where exactly are you looking to have your brand heard? Depending on the size of your business, you may be limited in the scope of how much brand promoting you are able to do. If this describes your business, be sure to maximize your brand promotion efforts and dollars. This means doing the needed research to you see just exactly those making up your audience. Are they young or old? Do they have notable or modest incomes? Will they typically shop in-person or online? These are just some of the questions you should be able to answer (at least to some degree) about your customers. If you can’t, start taking time to delve into their interests, with surveys/online questionnaires etc. a good way to start;
Targeted marketing – Knowing the audience you have makes it easier to market, though you can still market outside your targeted audience, knowing that you may land some new customers along the way. As part of your marketing efforts, make sure you focus on items like your blog, social media, videos and podcasts etc. When using one and all of those items in promoting your brand, make sure you essentially put on a happy face. This means any and all imagery you use is positive, shying away from any negative vibes. Many consumers lead busy lives, some of which can be downright tiring and even negative. As a result, putting a positive spin on your brand gives you a better chance of making a sale when all is said and done;
Targeted social media – If you haven’t been taking advantage of social media up to now, why is that? Social networking can do wonders for your brand, all the while really costing you nothing other than time and effort. With that in mind, make a concentrated effort to use social media on a daily basis. Among the advantages of social media would be promoting your blog articles on a variety of social sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.), getting valuable consumer feedback when they turn to social networking to discuss any concerns etc. with products and/or services, and the opportunity to see what the competition is doing among other things;
Targeted growth – Finally, you need to determine how quickly or slowly you want your brand to grow. In some cases, you can indeed grow too quickly, putting you under the gun in terms of resources and finances. On the other hand, not recognizing the opportune time to grow your business can lead to setbacks too. With that being said, it is important that you recognize not only the trends going on in your particular industry, but also look to see what the competition is doing on a regular basis. This will allow you to have a better handle on when growth is necessary and when you need to apply the brakes to such ideas.

For your brand to succeed, you need myriad of things in play, so don’t turn a blind eye to all of them.

In today’s digital age, so much more of what one does to successfully run a business is determined by what they do online.

For better or worse, things are not going to change; in fact, the online demands are only likely to accelerate in the years to come.

That said will your brand get the attention it deserves?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

What Types of Resumes Catch Your Eyes?

October 5, 2016 by Thomas

Making sure you get the best talent to work at your business is not as easy as it may sound to some running companies.

For starters, you typically have to wade through a long pile of resumes, some of which should stand out more than others.

Part of the challenge in hiring the best and brightest for your company is that someone can have a stellar resume and yet have a mediocre personality and vice-versa. The key becomes, how do you know which individuals will bring talent and experience to your company, yet still fit in as a team player when all is said and done?

In order for you to land only the top candidates out there, take some time now to review your hiring procedures especially as this year is winding down. With the New Year not too far around the corner, what better time to review your hiring practices?

Know What You’re Looking for

So that you can improve the chances of landing the best employees the first time around, you have to know exactly what you are searching for in a staff member.

First, where do you rank the varying categories (experience, personality, drive etc.) in terms of importance?

Knowing exactly what you are looking for in a new employee is as crucial as anything else involved in the process.

Typically, resumes that get attention are those that:

Offer relevant experience to the job being advertised;
Are nicely organized and free of any grammatical errors;
Come with a cover letter that clearly expresses why the candidate believes they are the best person suited for the opening.

As you look through the winning resumes that come across your desk or that of your person in charge of HR, it is important to remember that the resume is just one (albeit an important one) piece of the puzzle.

Once it is determined that you want to have a candidate in for an interview (or perhaps over the phone), that is when he or she needs to set themselves apart from the competition.

Among the areas to look for:

Someone bringing drive to the interview. Their resumes may be a little short here and there when it comes to relevant experience, but their passion for the job can make up for that shortage;
Someone dressing the part. While a candidate doesn’t necessarily need a three-piece suit or a designer dress, he or she does need to present themselves accordingly. Look for those individuals that seem to put some time and effort into their appearance;
Someone that has a winning personality. This can be the most difficult trait to identify, especially when you only have them in for a short interview or a couple of interviews. Personalities are crucial to having a strong workplace, one where everyone is willing to be a team player and pitch in as needed. Even though it can be difficult to single out these candidates during interviews, you should grade their personalities just as importantly as you would experience and talent.

So, does it sound like hiring the right person for the right job is more difficult than it truly should be?

When all is said and done, keep in mind that having to retrain folks for the right jobs ultimately ends up costing your business time and money.

Although it may seem time-consuming and even a little frustrating at times to hire the right people for the right positions, taking that needed time is worth it.

In the end, you generally will get someone that is going to not only do a good job, but won’t up and move on at the first opportunity presented them.

As you review resume after resume, remember to find those resumes that not only stand out for one good reason or another, but also those individuals you seemingly couldn’t go wrong with.

Hiring the right people is not an exact science for sure, but it is something that demands your time and attention, especially if you are on a tight budget and can’t afford to be wasting money retraining individuals.

So, what types of resumes catch your eyes?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

Have You Truly Secured Your Business?

September 30, 2016 by Thomas

Whether you run a business out of an office space that you rent or own or direct your business from home, you know (at least you should) how important security is.

While cyber-attacks have gotten many of the headlines in recent years, physical break-ins are still as prevalent as ever. If this happens to you, it could turn your business upside down, leaving you in quite a precarious position moving forward.

With that being the case, what are you doing to make sure your business is as physically secure as possible?

From having it properly alarmed to making sure employees (and you for that matter) don’t leave an open invitation for criminals to break-in, you do have a lot of the say in whether or not you become a crime victim.

So, when you take time at the end of the day to think about it, have you truly secured your business?

Stay a Step Ahead of Criminals

In order to best protect your business (in an office or from home), remember these pointers:

Security packages – Perhaps your best line of defense is looking into protection security packages. With such packages protecting a home office or a building where you work out of, you have a much lesser chance of being broken into. Before buying such a package, be sure to do some searching online, along with asking others you know as to which company they put their trust in. One of the first things you want to know about a security company is how long they’ve been in business. A company with a track record of securing both home and business sites is one that should certainly get your attention. Also look into their customer service dealings, making sure they have the best interests of their customers in mind at all times. Finally, while nothing is essentially free in this day and age (other than advice), be sure that you understand all the costs, avoiding any hidden fees etc.
Not asking for trouble – Criminals have minds all their own, some better than others that is. In protecting your business, don’t leave the door open (literally) for them to come in and steal from you. For instance, if you have an office place in a building or even at home for that matter, you may have customers come to visit to purchase products or services, meet with you for appointments, pay you money for work you did for them etc. As a result, make sure you (or a secretary or other employee) doesn’t let people in to wander around until you get to them. It just takes a minute’s time for someone to steal property (including money) from you and your business;
Don’t announce you’re out of town – Another gaffe that business owners need to avoid is announcing to the world that they are out of town for a period of time. This is especially a problem in today’s world given the millions and millions of people using social media. For instance, if you are operating a company out of your home, one where you would typically have a fair amount of money sitting around for when clients come-and-go to do business with you, don’t then go on social media and tell the world that you are closed and out of town for a week’s vacation. If you work out of an office building and close down for a week or so, be sure all is secure before the lights are turned off and the doors locked until you return for business. Lastly, since there is the possibility you will have a cleaning person and/or crews coming in on occasion to clean your office, make sure their credentials are thoroughly reviewed before hiring them.

No matter what part of the country you are in, your business can prove quite vulnerable, be it in an office building or running it from your home.

Do your best to truly secure your business, keeping criminals on the outside looking in at all times.

In return, you will feel more secure at the end of each and every work day.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

Do You Have the Executive Knowledge for a New Employer?

September 28, 2016 by Thomas

In a world where jobs can be hard to find at times (especially on the executive level), it is important for candidates to put their best foot forward when going on interviews.

That said getting to those interviews in the first place can oftentimes prove to be the biggest challenge of them all.

If you are not feeling 100 percent confident in penning your own resume, turning to an executive resume writing service can make all the difference in the world.

For starters, such a service is geared towards helping those executives who are considering a new job (be they presently employed or out of work), though may be struggling somewhat to write a winning resume, one which will get them in the door for an interview.

In the event you feel it is time for such a writing service to come to your rescue, do you know where to begin your search?

Use the Internet to Get Started

While word-of-mouth is still a good way to go about finding the products and services you need in today’s digital age, the Internet itself proves a fantastic resource.

By doing a Google search of executive resume writing services, you will have a number of them with which to choose from, setting you off in the direction of what you need.

Once you have that service selected, it then comes down to connecting one-on-one with a professional resume writer.

So that you are able to put your best foot forward when it comes to being considered a strong candidate for an executive position, remember these tips as you and your writer put your career highlights in writing:

Resume – First and foremost, what will your resume say about you? It is important that you have a resume that catches eyes, not electronic trash cans. To do the former, work with an executive resume writing service, knowing that these professionals can make your resume stand out for all the right reasons. As an example, your experience as an executive is your best attribute, but you don’t want to go on and on about that experience. A professional resume writer can help you get to the meat of the matter, all the while avoiding a lot of leftovers. Also make sure your resume is directed towards your target audience. Once again, an executive resume writer will want to sit down with you and discuss the type or types of jobs you are going after. Always make sure you provide as much direct information as possible, making it easier for a professional writer to come up with a winning resume, not one that will get tossed in a heap with many other unattractive ones;
Attitude – Nothing screams more that you are not the right person for the job than going into an interview with a negative attitude. Do your best to come across as a go-getter, not someone just looking to collect a paycheck. As an executive, you would be expected to be one of the leaders of a company, so leadership means going out there and accomplishing things. If you have led on a number of pertinent projects over the years, discuss them with the writer preparing your resume. He or she can highlight one (perhaps a couple) that will jump out when an employer or HR recruiter goes over your resume;
Drive – Finally, your executive resume writer can do a fantastic job on your resume, but it is up to you to then sell it, along with selling yourself when an interview or interviews present themselves. Be sure to show that you have the drive necessary to not only handle the prospective position, but exceed at it. While experience and education are certainly key ingredients to getting a new job, your drive can never be taken for granted. For many employers, they want to see someone walk through their door that is passionate about the job they are interviewing for, not someone who just appears lukewarm to it.

Finding the best executive resume writing service for your needs does take some time and effort, so give it your best shot.

Once you find that service, it is up to you and your professional writer to combine on the resume that will turn heads for all the right reasons.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

Putting the Internet to Work for You

September 21, 2016 by Thomas

In today’s Internet-driven world, it should not come as a major surprise that both businesses and consumers rely on it far more than most people might come to expect.

For instance, businesses use the worldwide web to promote their products and services on a daily basis. While companies still use what might be regarded as “old-fashioned” methods of brand promotions (newspapers, radio and TV ads, business cards etc.), the Internet has become the go-to source for countless businesses.

Flip that over and look at how consumers are using the Internet.

Millions of them turn to the web when they want to do some browsing and shopping, not to mention oftentimes ultimately buying goods and services online.

In the event you need the Internet as a business owner or as a consumer, turn it on and let it go to work for you today.

Consumers Plugged in to Internet

For countless consumers, it is nothing short of a no-brainier that they use the worldwide web to research myriad of items.

Whether that inquiry involves looking for real estate, a new vehicle, a license plate search, healthcare options, home improvements, the list is literally endless.

In doing a search, consumers want to be able to come to company websites that are full of information and low on fluff. Consumers also want websites that are easy to maneuver around, not filled with broken links, pages that load slowly and/or crash regularly, and provide contact information or a FAQ section that is easy to find and understand.

With that information in mind, how can your business best display its website offerings, increasing the odds that consumers will find your brand’s site to be one they trust and come back to time and time again?

Investing in Your Brand

For starters, review your website on a regular basis? Why is that?

First you want to make sure you have all the necessary information required to put your brand in the best possible spot available.

If your site looks like a junkyard, full of broken links and pages that simply have no rhyme or reason to them can you really expect consumers to want to visit them time and time again?

Secondly, what does your brand say about you as a business owner if your website is not up to par with your competition?

For one, it makes many consumers think that you have not invested a lot of time or money for that matter into it. Now, what if they get the same perception (rightly or wrongly) about how you would go about investing time in them too?

Remember that mention a moment ago about making it easy for consumers to contact you?

That should always be a top priority of putting together a first-rate website for your brand.

One of the areas where this can become a major stumbling block is if you also have an online store up and running.

Let’s say a customer is in the process of ordering something, and then the site crashes or freezes at that point. In many cases, customers will not give you a third or fourth try in an attempt to complete a sale. If it doesn’t work the first, perhaps the second time around, most will move on and find the product or service they need through one of your competitors. Now, imagine if you would have just sunk a little more time and effort into your website?

Lastly, do your best to promote your website as often as possible.

One of the ways to go about this is via social media, something far too many businesses simply do not take advantage of.

Be active on a variety of sites, notably those such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, even posting some videos to YouTube.

When all is said and done, your social media activities can go a long way in swaying consumers one way or the other to consider doing business with you now and down the road.

Even though the Internet is not for everyone, it should definitely be a prime focus of your business, something that will ultimately translate into dollar signs.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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

Market a Brand Consumers Will Come Home to

September 14, 2016 by Thomas

In today’s world of B2C marketing, it is imperative that businesses do their utmost to get their brands properly marketed.

That said some companies are literally dropping the ball when it comes to telling consumers why the brands they have offer the public are light years better than the competition.

So, what are you doing to go out of your way to market your brand properly?

Whether it is more along the lines of traditional marketing methods, perhaps leaning more for mobile and social media marketing, there are myriad of ways to get your brand heard and recognized.

At the end of the day, the goal should always be to market a brand consumers will come home to.

Get Your Message Out There

In order to have your brand stand out from the competition, make sure you are doing the following:

Properly planning – Your first and foremost objective is to make sure you are properly planning any and all marketing initiatives. For example, if your company’s main offerings are home renovations and other home improvements, be sure your marketing efforts are geared towards the right demographics. While some senior citizens later in years do in fact make notable renovations and/or additions to their homes, many of them are content with what they have at home or are renting properties (senior center apartments or condos etc.). As a result, they’re not going to be your primary source of business. On the flip side, people who are either moving into an older home that needs work or consumers looking to upgrade the homes they have had for a number of years now, these would be some of the individuals/couples you want to target. Having done your research will help you in more effectively targeting the right audience;
Imagery is key – Even though information etc. is certainly important in the area of home renovations and additions, the impact quality imagery has can’t be overlooked. Whether you are Utah web developers or another such brand, showing consumers images that can’t be beat will help you in landing more business. This is where both your website and a quality social media presence are so important. Be sure your website is chock-full of imagery, imagery that shows how quickly a residence can go from looking rather ordinary to looking quite extra-ordinary. That imagery should also be shared on social media sites, especially ones like Instagram and Facebook, both of which are great for telling a story through pictures;
Providing unparalleled customer service – Where are you when it comes to providing customer service? This is one of the critical elements of being a successful brand, so don’t take it lightly. For example, consumers may come to you in-person or via the web to ask questions about home improvements. Don’t use the opportunity to try and push a sale down their throats, but instead use it to not only educate them on the best ways to go about home improvements/renovations/additions etc. but also to show that their interests are your interests too. By being there to answer their questions and give them the information they were hopefully looking for, you potentially gain their trust. Once that is gained, the door can quickly swing open to be a potential business-customer relationship for many years to come.

While sound marketing is not rocket science, it does take some effort and ingenuity, both of which should always be two staples of your business approach.

In the event your brand marketing techniques have been coming up a little short as of late, there is still plenty of time to change course, giving you the opportunity to make headway with consumers.

Some brands naturally sell themselves; others need a little extra push.

If your brand is one of those that needs a little extra kick in the pants to secure more business, don’t be afraid to step outside the box with your marketing initiatives.

Whatever you can do to secure more business, make sure you are doing it.

When consumers know your brand is the one that offers them the most, they are certainly more apt to come home to you.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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