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As a creative, you may have spent your whole life dreaming of being able to do what you love for a living. Being able to ditch a mundane nine-to-five job, follow your ambition, and launch a creative business may feel like a dream come true. However, for many creatives, launching a business and starting their entrepreneurial journey can throw up a few surprises. One of the biggest realizations many creative entrepreneurs have is how much other work goes into running a business.
Trying to keep up with the day-to-day running of a business can consume almost all of your time. Spending your working days replying to emails, sending invoices, and chasing payments may not have been what you envisaged when you started your business, so finding yourself consumed by these mundane tasks can be frustrating. It is challenging to stay creative and keep your passion for your work alive when you seem bogged down by admin and day-to-day tasks. You may be wondering how to run a business and stay creative simultaneously. The tips below should provide you with handy hints to help keep your creativity flowing and ensure you do not get consumed by admin:
Never Multitask
Multitasking and entrepreneurship may sound like two words that go hand in hand, but in reality, you should avoid multitasking as much as possible. Attempting to juggle too many tasks can sap your creativity and leave your mind feeling scattered as you try to manage multiple things at once.
Instead of trying to multitask, it is helpful to focus your attention on one job at a time. Setting aside one hour a day to tackle admin jobs is an excellent way to ensure most of your time is spent on creative tasks. Trying to stick to the same time each day to reply to emails, chase invoices, etc., will enable you to stay on top of these less exciting tasks without impacting your creative time.
Streamline Your Organization
If you find you are spending a large portion of your time dealing with issues related to the set-up of your business, it is a good idea to try and get these resolved once and for all. If you are dealing with constant queries about payment issues, you can make life easier for yourself by sorting out your merchant enrollment api. When you are constantly dealing with issues that need fixing, it is usually a lot less stressful to set aside time to fix them properly than deal with them continually. Getting frustrating troubleshooting jobs out of the way will prevent these stressful issues from impacting your creativity.
Outsource Wherever Possible
Outsourcing aspects of your business is a helpful way to free up your time and focus on what you are good at. Having an accounting company to manage your books and chase invoices on your behalf can take a massive weight off your shoulders. Likewise, hiring a virtual assistant to take care of admin tasks will help you stay creative and minimize distractions.
How to Get the Courage to Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey Today
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The decision to become an entrepreneur is a big one. And it's not one that should be taken lightly. There are a lot of things to consider before taking the plunge—like whether you have what it takes to be your own boss, if you're truly passionate about your business idea, and if you're prepared to face the many challenges that come with being an entrepreneur.
For some people, the thought of entrepreneurship is so daunting that they never take the first step. If you're feeling stuck and paralyzed by fear, know that you're not alone. But here's the thing: you can't let fear hold you back from chasing your dreams. So how do you get the courage to start your entrepreneurial journey today? Here are four tips to help you get started.
Before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, it's important to do your research and make sure that it's the right decision for you. Ask yourself questions like: Do I have what it takes to be my own boss? Am I truly passionate about my business idea? What are the potential risks and rewards associated with starting my own business? Answering these questions honestly will help you determine if entrepreneurship is the right path for you.
One of the best ways to gain the courage to start your entrepreneurial journey is to find someone who has already walked the path before you. Ideally someone who can mentor and guide you through the process that has experience in the field. This person can provide invaluable advice, offer support when times get tough, and help keep you accountable to your goals. If you don't have a mentor yet, try reaching out to your network of family and friends or joining an entrepreneur group in your community.
In addition to finding a mentor, it's also important to build a supportive network of family and friends who will encourage and motivate you as you pursue your entrepreneurial dreams. This support system will cheer you on when things are going well and help pick you up when things get tough—because there will be times when things do get tough. It could be those you did your Yoga certification with or went to college with. So don't go at it alone—build a supportive network of people who will lift you up along the way.
If the thought of starting your own business from scratch seems overwhelming, start small by taking baby steps towards your goal. For example, if your goal is to eventually quit your day job and become a full-time entrepreneur, start by setting aside some time each week after work or on weekends to work on developing your business idea. Or if your goal is to launch an online store, start by creating a website or blog where you can sell products or services part-time. As you start making progress towards your goals, see how it feels—if it feels good, keep going! But if it starts to feel like too much, take a step back and reassess how much time and energy you want to devote to your business venture.
Technology has significantly evolved over the last few decades and has changed the way that people work and live, the way companies conduct business and the way that people shop. It is an indispensable part of life.
Technology plays a huge role in the way that businesses are run and how they operate. Without the latest technology, businesses are going to be stuck behind in the industry. One of the biggest mistakes that companies make is to remain comfortable with the technology they already have. While there are many benefits to that, there also comes a time when businesses need to take inventory and upgrade their technology.
When the right technology is upgraded and used in businesses, it can change the way you work and give you a competitive advantage. Technology will benefit your business in a multitude of ways, including driving forward your strategies, providing your team a better way to collaborate and communicate, keeping your business and information secure from cyber threats, creating a more efficient and productive environment, helping your employees work to the best of their ability, and save you time and money in the long run. There is no better time than now to be investing in technology to enhance and grow your business. Here are some top tips to help you get started.
Security is one of the most important things you should invest in as a business. As technology grows, so do the capabilities of those who carry out cyber attacks. This means it is vital that you continue to upgrade your security technology as time goes on. You should carry out regular risk assessments, and continue to learn about the current threats and available technology. This is essential for any business that holds sensitive information about its strategy, its customers, and its employees.
Hardware is what enables your employees to do their job. Whether you work in an office or a warehouse, the type of hardware and technology that you use will make all the difference. If you continue to use old and outdated equipment, your employees will grow frustrated and the standard of work will suffer. You should always ensure that your employees are equipped to do what you pay them to do, so you can create a positive and efficient workplace. For example, if you work in a gummy manufacturing warehouse, you may choose to upgrade your gummy machine so that you can reduce problems and increase your output.
Communication and collaboration technology in the workplace has evolved to better help employees in the workplace work more efficiently and to a higher standard. Communication and collaboration are key for any business that wants to grow, as they will streamline processes, create a good workflow and enable employees to work better. This technology can be anything from video calls, chat features, cloud technology, and much more.
Upgrading the technology in your business is vital if you want to grow. There are many options for technology upgrades in your business, so you must find where your business needs to improve and start there.
How To Delegate Effectively
Running a business isn't about how much you can do by yourself. Instead, it's about figuring out what you're good at and focusing on that while giving the tasks you don't like or aren't good at to people who can do them better than you. It can be difficult to delegate, but letting go of some parts of your work can help your business run more efficiently and help you make more sales and money. We recently found a virtual assistant agency to fits us perfectly and handles many of our delegation needs. Here are some steps to take when you want to start delegating.
To run a business well takes a lot of work, but you shouldn't give out too many tasks. If you feel like you have too much work to do, think about how your staff would feel if you kept giving them more tasks. If they have too much work, it won't be done well, it won't get done on time, or it might not get done at all.
Delegating is not the same as giving someone else everything you need to do in your business, leaving you with nothing to do. When you delegate, you should be smart and give other people the tasks you know they can do better than you. Giving away all your tasks won't solve the problem; it will just move it to someone else, and nothing will get done.
When you give important tasks to other people, it's important to pick the right people to help you. The person you choose to delegate something to must be right for the job. It would be best if they already knew how to do it, but if they don't, they must be willing to listen and learn from you. Try to use the skills and strengths of each team member so that jobs can be done more quickly and easily and there is less downtime in the business as a whole.
Providing your employees with the resources they need to execute their jobs goes beyond just a desk and a phone. This means providing them with everything they need to do their jobs effectively. It also includes ensuring sure everything you need is easily accessible and in good functioning order. No matter what it is they need, from teaching software for K-12 schools to heavy machinery and vehicles, if you want to delegate effectively, you need to provide the right equipment.
If you don’t do this, you can delegate the tasks, but they may not be done well. They may not even be done at all. You’ll need to work at putting the foundations in place before you can really make headway when it comes to delegating.
Technically, you could just give your team a list of tasks to do and be done with it, but if you want to get the most out of them, it's best to explain why you're asking them to do something. Be honest about the fact that your business is starting to grow and you have a number of other tasks to do, and tell them that you think they would enjoy the task, do it well, or do it better. Show them how this work will help them grow as people and how the new responsibilities you're giving them will help them, you, and the business as a whole. If they know all this, they will be much more willing to complete the task.
If you aren't clear and specific when you give someone a task, it will be much harder for them to do it the way you want and in the time frame you set. Give the person you're delegating to the clearest instructions you can, and if you can explain why the job needs to be done, that will help them see how it all fits into the bigger picture of running your business.
If you only give vague instructions, you shouldn't be surprised if the job isn't done the way you wanted it to be done or if your team member keeps coming to you with more questions that stop what you're doing and make the task take much longer than it should.
Leaving an employee to focus on the task at hand may be the quickest solution, but it could backfire in the long run, hurting both you and the employee. The process will go more easily if you check in with them periodically to see if they need anything or have any queries. Delegating is entrusting others with responsibility without hovering over their shoulders, but letting them know you’re there if they need you is a crucial component, especially when you first start doing it.
Making your business better is one of the key things that you need to be getting right when it comes to improving your success. There are so many ideas that play a role in helping to improve and enhance this process, and you need to focus on the best ways of being able to achieve this. Improving your company is something that plays a key part in helping build a memorable and successful brand.
It is important to come up with some of the best possible ideas that play a role in helping your company improve, and this means making the right decisions at the right times. You need to consider the best ways of being able to make your business better, and these are some of the best changes you can make that will help you to achieve this.
Have a Plan for Success
Having a plan for success is one of the best things you can do when looking to improve this process. It is important to focus on some of the best ways of being able to achieve business success, and you need to think about how this can happen. Crafting a detailed business plan for the future is one of the best things you can do when it comes to making the most of this moving forward right now. You have to make sure you come up with some of the best ideas that will help you when it comes to making the key decisions as a business.
Hire the Right People
Making sure you hire the right people in your company is one of the key ways of being able to ensure you work toward greater success. It is important to think about what it takes to achieve this, and you need to think about what is involved in this. Choosing people who are experienced professionally, as well as having the right kind of personality to fit into the company is so important, and there is a lot that you can do to help improve this as much as possible. Coming up with ideas that will make your company better is important, and this is one of the key considerations to make here.
Understand How to Market Your Brand
You need to look at your marketing philosophy, as well as what you can do to improve this and promote the company in the most effective way possible. This is something that plays a massive role in this process, and you have to try to make sure you come up with some of the key ideas that will let you boost your marketing strategy. There are loads of amazing ideas you can use here, and a combination of online and offline marketing techniques can make all the difference to the way you are able to achieve this.
Protect Your Reputation
Protecting your company’s reputation is one of the best things you can do when it comes to making yourself more successful. There are plenty of excellent ideas that you can use that are going to help you make the most of this, and thinking about the right ways of improving reputation is essential. There are a lot of things that play a part in this, and looking at things like how to protect your privacy online, as well as who you hire and the stance you choose to take on societal issues can be great ways of protecting your reputation.
Be More Efficient
Efficiency is one of the core components of success in the world of business, and this is something that you need to try to make the most of when looking to improve your company. Try to make sure you come up with some of the best ways of being able to focus on this as much as possible. There are so many elements that you have to consider when it comes to boosting the efficiency of your company, and this is something that you need to make the most of as much as possible, and this is one of the best ways of making your company better.
When you are looking to find the best possible steps that will help your company thrive, it is important to assess what it takes to make your brand better. You have to excel and stand out as a business, and this is something you have to keep in mind as much as possible right now. It is vital to make sure you focus on some of the best ideas that will help make your company better.
Every manager or owner should look for the best ways to improve your business efficiency, but it should not finish within the office and with your customers. In addition, making your customers’ lives easier can significantly boost your company’s fortunes and help it increase its reputation within your industry. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to make life simpler for your customers, and here are the best approaches to consider.
Payments are perhaps the biggest aspect that businesses should improve when trying to make their customers’ lives simpler. Whether you need to organize a one-off payment for a purchaser or set up recurring payments for long-term clients, it must be safe, secure, and straightforward.
There are many ways you can ensure easy payments, including offering multiplier ways to pay such as debit, credit, points, or cryptocurrency. The more diverse and creative your payment approach, the more confident your customers will feel when they reach the checkout.
Customers interacting with your business is not all about browsing your website. Your business should also be easy to find online, both for desktop computers as well as mobiles and tablets, which help your customers reach your company wherever they are.
If you haven’t already done so, consider designing a mobile app, there are multiple ways to build an app to simplify their experience. You can also make your company easy to find on social media and search engines, including filling in all the information a customer would need, such as your address, opening hours, and contact details.
There are few things more frustrating than searching through a store - whether online or in person - and being unable to find what you need. Most customers would have a certain level of autonomy. They want to be able to find the products themselves, but this can be impossible if you fail to organize your store correctly.
A logical layout should feel natural. Stock related items beside each other to make your customers’ lives easier and empower them to get everything they need without spending all day in the store. They will have a positive experience and feel comfortable returning.
While many customers want to feel empowered to do everything themselves, some require assistance, which is why you must train your employees and give them all the knowledge they need to help.
Regular detailed training is ideal if you want to improve engagement and profitability within your business. The more your employees know (and don’t need clarification from you), the more confident they will be, which shines through when helping customers. It demonstrates competence, which makes your business seem more professional. In turn, this establishes your company as legitimate and improves the customer experience.
Every customer wants their buying experience to be as straightforward as possible. The more convoluted your approach, the quicker they will be put off your business and happily shop elsewhere. By providing a simple and high-quality service no matter where they are, you can boost your company’s profile and establish your enterprise as the go-to choice for your community.
Workplace diversity isn’t just about meeting a quota. Hiring employees from a range of different backgrounds can have many benefits for your company. Below are a few reasons why diversity matters within your workforce.
Diversity helps creativity to thrive
Diversity is great for encouraging different ideas. While a team of young, white, able-bodied men are still likely to have many different individual experiences, they are not going to have the same range of experiences as a mixed age, multiracial, mixed ability and mixed gender team. People with different backgrounds may be able to identify different problems and solutions. Your team members can also learn from each other as a result of this. When it comes to industries where creativity is important such as product design, marketing and research, it could be essential to hire a diverse team.
Diversity improves your customer reach
Diversity can help to build consumer trust. In fact, diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets. This is likely to be due to creativity and the ability to appeal to more audiences by identifying the problems of different demographics. If you want a diverse range of customers to relate to your product or service, a diverse team of employees can also help to make you more approachable. All in all, it’s good for your brand.
Diversity leads to greater employee retention
Many employees are also likely to feel prouder working for an employer that champions diversity. A new diversity and inclusion study found that 81% of respondents would consider leaving their job due to a lack of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. While it is true that some employees may be less welcoming to certain minority groups or demographics, most people are fairly open-minded when it comes to who they work with - as long as they’re friendly and competent at their job. Worrying that certain employees may not fit in with the ‘company culture’ may in fact be a form of discrimination on your part. Consider the fact that adding more diversity may be good for your team morale and could lead to a reduced turnover.
Diversity allows you to access a greater talent pool
Being open to hiring employees of different ages, ethnic groups, genders, orientations and abilities could also expose you to a greater range of talent. Some employers are quick to dismiss an employee for being too old or for having a disability without really looking into the skills and experience of that employee. By skimming over certain employees, you could be missing out on talent that could be valuable to your business. This is why you should always approach the hiring process without any personal bias. Focus on what really matters when hiring someone - their knowledge and their passion for the job.
There are many aspects to running a business. From operations to marketing (and everything in between), it’s not always easy. Business owners must be able to adapt to new challenges and ways of doing things including ways to make the company more efficient.
Most entrepreneurs know that you'll have your fair share of struggles at some point or another. The key is figuring out how to streamline your workflows, so the business runs as smoothly as possible. This doesn’t mean your business has to struggle forever; there are plenty of ways to make your business more efficient to save time and money in the long run. Here are some tips on how you can improve efficiency in your company and thereby increase profits in the long run:
As a business owner, you come across situations where you may have to change how you do things. For example, if you’re creating content for your website, you might have to change your strategy if you notice a drop in traffic. You might be creating content that’s not relevant to your target audience. Or, you might not be using the right keywords. At this point, you have two options: You can either keep trying to make the content work or make a change. What kind of change? You could change either the content you create or the workflow around how you create it. For example, you can try creating visual content, such as videos or images, instead of written content. Visual content tends to be more engaging to audiences, making it more likely that they share it. Or, you could look at HOW you're creating that written content and change how that's getting done. I hired a copywriter to help me outline most of the content for Season 6 of the Creative Freedom Show, and it saved me countless hours of trying to rack my brain for topic ideas. That change in the workflow helped me see how to not only create better content, but do it faster by hiring out part of the process. In season 7, I continued to outline the episodes before I scripted them. Even without hiring the copywriter, that change in the workflow still saved me a ton of time.
Businesses can become more efficient by automating everyday tasks through software. For example, you can use a CRM or email service provider to organize leads and automate sales activities. Or you can use accounting software to create reports, create invoices, and track expenses. Automating everyday tasks can help you save time and money in the long run because it frees employees to focus on more critical tasks. It also gives your company an edge over the competition since other businesses might not be efficient.
One way to make your business more efficient is to outsource specific tasks. For example, you can outsource your customer service to a third-party company if you have an in-house call center. This allows your employees to focus on more important activities related to your business. It also saves you time and money since outsourcing is less costly than hiring your own employees. Similarly, you can do this for shipping. UPS international shipping for small to mid-sized businesses is an example of a service you can use to ship your product across the globe, and you can outsource work such as the packaging and delivery of the product to other people. At the same time, you can focus on other essential elements of your business. There are many ways to outsource tasks, such as hiring virtual assistants to do administrative work, using freelance designers for your website design, or having content writers create blog posts. Investing in outsourcing can help boost your business and make it more efficient.
Efficiencies come in all shapes and sizes. One last thing you can do is just delete stuff. Stop doing things. Take them out of the company or off your plate completely. Don't let ANYONE in the organization do them. Your "Stop doing" list is just as important as you "to do" list. Once you've eliminated what you can, try one of these three approaches to streamline your business even further.
Need support? The Creative Freedom Incubator has limited openings this fall. Join us and get the help you need to make faster progress in your growing business.
How many touches does it take for your audience to convert?
According to some research, it takes on average 8 touchpoints from the initial interest to the full commitment to purchasing. Some research suggests it's as many as 22 "touches"! In other words, most leads will need to interact with your company's marketing content at least 8 times before they are ready to buy.
There are several steps in the sales process:
A sales team will typically prepare interactions to help keep leads in the loop and move them from one stage to another. If your business doesn't have sales professionals, your marketing activities will need to guide your online and offline visitors through the buying process so they don't get stuck in a particular stage.
But how can your business figure out the right activities to increase conversion rates?
Figure out your best-converting activities
How you attribute conversions and track leads can make a huge difference to your strategy. Research tools such as WhatConverts do the hard work for you, not only naming and identifying unique leads but also identifying where they came from.
For small businesses and marketers trying to build value-generating campaigns, it is a fantastic way of:
Test and experiment with trackable campaigns
Some activities, such as marketing campaigns using Google Analytics and Google Adwords tracking methods, provide greater insight into your audience's mindset and preferences. Therefore, Google provides marketers with unique experimenting options, allowing you to optimize your marketing content through testing:
The more you test, the more data you can receive to improve your marketing touchpoints, even recognizing which type of campaign is needed for different stages. Even small tests can give you meaningful results. Don't be afraid to try!
Ask your customers
Sometimes, the fastest way to know what people think is to ask them. While data can show interaction and engagement with your marketing activities, it will not answer the most important question: why something works.
As a small business, you can gain valuable insights by inviting a few selected customers to a question panel, where you can interview them. To make it easier for them to say yes to your invitation, consider offering them something in exchange for their time (a PR opportunity, discounts on future products, or even free access to your new offer as a Beta-user or founding member). Here are some questions suitable for customer interviews:
The interview process may be unpleasant if customers are willing to be fully honest. However, it is an opportunity to improve your marketing activities in the future.
Potential customers usually need to interact with your brand several times before they decide to purchase. Understanding which activities and content deliver the best results can make your marketing much easier in the future.
Your support team is a key ingredient in a growing business. Without them, little to nothing would get done. That's why creating a safe and positive work environment for your team is so important - whether they are employees, contractors, or volunteers in your organization. This will not only make them more productive, but it will also make them happier and more likely to stick around, sing your praises, and tell the world about your company. Here are some ways to create a safe and positive work environment for your team members.
Via Pexels
Creating a vision for your company means nothing if your team isn't on board. If you're unsure where to start, ask your key team members. They are the ones who spend the most time in the workplace, so they will have a good idea of what needs to be changed to align with your vision. Then, sit down with your entire team (or the department heads if you have a large organization) and have an open discussion about what would make the workplace safer and more positive. You may be surprised at some of the suggestions they come up with.
Health and safety should always be a priority in the workplace. Not just physical health, but mental health, too. If your employees don't feel safe, they will not be productive. Worse, if they start to resent working there - or are only there "for the paycheck", you may run into other issues. This goes beyond OSHA -required things like first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, and safety signage. You should also have a plan for dealing with accidents and emergencies, as well as time off procedures to give your team a much needed and well-deserved break from the ins and outs of daily work. Whether your contractors are taking designated vacation time or your executive assistant needs a mental health day, having plans and procedures in place to make sure works is covered while giving your team the time off that they need makes a big difference.
This also includes YOU, by the way. Your health and safety are just as important as any other member of the team. Make sure you're creating an environment of empowerment for yourself as well as others.
Provide a sense of financial security for your team (and yourself!). If employees feel their job is secure, they're more likely to stick around and be a positive contribution to the team. When it makes sense, use performance contracts rather than just hiring on a short-term basis. Offer competitive salaries and benefits.
As your company and assets grow, it may also make sense to hire an investment advisor. Look for one who is in compliance with Global Investment Performance Standards, where applicable. Those financial advisors are regulated through a gips consulting service, helping to ensure that you get sound, qualified advice.
Flexible working arrangements are becoming more and more popular. And it's not hard to see why. They offer several benefits for everyone. First, employees get a better work/life balance. This can lead to increased productivity and happiness. For employers, it often leads to reduced absenteeism and increased retention rates. After the pandemic that shall not be named, more employers are offering flexible working arrangements as a hiring incentive.
We've all heard the horror stories about Amazon employees being timed to the second so that they have to run across a warehouse or can't take a bathroom break. Don't be that guy. If your employees are constantly working long hours, they will burn out quickly. This is not good for them or your business. Instead, encourage your employees to take breaks and to have a healthy work-life balance. This means they should not be working all hours of the day and night. They should also be taking time off when they need it.
While you can't legally offer training to your contact workers, investing in your employees is a great way to create a more positive and helpful work environment. Training and development opportunities help your employees progress in their careers. This will not only make them more productive, but it will also make them feel valued. And you can always let your contractors know about training that could help them be more beneficial to your company. It's up to them, however, if they take it.
Creating a safe and positive work environment is essential for any business. It will make your employees more productive and more likely to stick around. You can create a safe and positive work environment in several ways. These include having open discussions with your team, prioritizing health and safety, creating job security, and offering training and development opportunities.
Every manager should look for solutions to improve their leadership skills to help push their team to new heights. However, not even the finest manager in the world will achieve their goals if they do not know how to cultivate a teamwork culture in their business. With so many contrasting personalities and skills, this can be tricky, but it is not impossible as long as you know the best strategies to implement a culture of teamwork.
Respect is the foundation of successful teamwork. Without it, you will find one person taking the lead and drowning out other voices, even if those other voices have better ideas. It is important to ask for opinions often, whether you are planning a new office location using a maps API distance matrix or considering the next step in your marketing campaign.
By asking for opinions, you can gain a better perspective that would open your eyes to new approaches and ideas. Even if you don’t always follow this advice, you still have a reliable log of unique experiences to draw from in the future.
Every team should have defined duties and responsibilities. This ensures everyone is held accountable for their specific task and it will help to generate a chain of success. If one person drops the ball, they know that the rest of the team will need to pick it up, which is the last thing they should want.
Assigning specific roles to everyone means no one is left to do all of the work. From this, you get a team that is still happy to work together without feeling they are being taken advantage of, minimizing conflicts and promoting gratitude.
Teaching your teams effective ways to build trust will make it easier for them to get to know one another and realize how they can support one another during the workday and beyond.
It can be challenging for professionals to trust others to carry out complicated tasks until they prove themselves, but this will not happen if they don’t trust them, creating a loop without any end. Trust-building exercises, emphasis on communication, and consistent respect all contribute to better trust between employees.
No employee should consider themselves a finished article. The most successful businesses are full of individuals and teams who have continued to learn and broaden their skillset. This professional development can benefit your business just as much as it can benefit them, so offer development opportunities.
Some may not be thrilled by this, but they will appreciate it when it increases their chances of promotion or moving on to bigger roles outside the company. Furthermore, teams that work together outside of the office on such programs learn a new appreciation for one another that will directly improve your team chemistry.
Working together will always get you further than working alone. If you want to take your business to new heights, whether this includes growth or establishing yourself in your industry, consider how these strategies can boost your teamwork culture and bring strong and positive results for your business.
Nervous about your next online meeting? You're not alone. Video conferences and online coaching sessions can be nerve-wracking, but they do not have to be as bad as many people say they are.
Because more and more jobs and teams are done remotely, video conference calls are an important way to do business and keep everyone in the loop. We use virtual team meetings to keep our entire remote team up to speed. It's the only way we could do this in a cost-effective way. If you usually find virtual meetings to be slow, boring, and not very productive, you can do a few things to make the next one worth going to.
Send an email to everyone a long time before the meeting so they can prepare. Tell them why you are calling and what they need to read, research, and make. If everyone has done their work, the meeting will go much better. So, you will not waste time telling people things they already know, and you will not make someone feel bad for not knowing what is going on.
If the technology is not set up right, virtual meetings can be slow or get off track. In every meeting, someone's microphone stops working, their image freezes, or their camera goes black. Everyone stands around awkwardly while they wait to see if the problem can be solved quickly or if they need more advanced solutions. In either case, having to deal with technical issues interrupts the meeting and wastes time.
Even though there are a lot of options, like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Slack, there are other platforms with more features and services. Use a platform with better video and sound for your next video conference. You might also want to look into an online whiteboard with an API to get people to talk more.
Plan an agenda with details like possible discussion topics, how people will share information, goals, and more. Before the meeting, make sure everyone knows what will be talked about. It does not hurt to go over it again at the beginning of the call.
You can go back to the agenda if the conversation ends before you finish what you want to say. It also makes sure that people stay on the right path. If people start going off on too many tangents or talking about things that have nothing to do with the purpose of the call, you can refer back to the agenda.
When people do not know who else is on the call, conference calls can be awkward. Most video conferences have a list of who is there, but audio-only conferences don't. Still, the list could grow, and no one has time to look at it all before the meeting. Take a minute to do a roll call and introduce clients and freelancers that the rest of the group might not know. You do not want anyone to say something that could hurt their reputation.
Where will you be coming from to get to the meeting? Make sure the room is well-lit and free of clutter and other things that might draw people's attention away from you. This will make people focus on you instead of what is behind you (or on your face). Find a quiet place where you can talk easily when it is your turn.
Conference calls do not have to be terrible; they can be a good way for businesses to talk to each other. How do you try to make your online meetings good?
According to a 2017 report from the Society for Human Resource Management, most companies need an average of 30 days to find the right fit when hiring for a role. Slow to hire and quick to fire has been a mantra inside corporate America for decades now, but taking too long to hire new staff can cost you more money in addition to possibly losing out on top potential candidates. Here are four effective ways to reduce your hiring time to find the right talent and improve your game.
How long does it take to typically fill a position in your company? What are the industry standards? How much time does it take to move candidates through every stage? What is the ratio of good and poor applications you usually receive? Knowing these answers can help you figure out what strategies you need to consider to screen prospective candidates and schedule interviews. You may even be able to automate some of it to save you more time.
Even micro businesses can benefit from a structured hiring process. Otherwise you have to start from zero every time you need to fill a new position. Document your hiring process and practices. Interviews, onboarding, all of it! That can help also improving your hiring time.
It doesn't have to be complicated, just consistent. That way you, as the founder/owner, don't have to always be the one doing all the interviews and hiring work. Free yourself up from that job so that you can continue to focus on your zone of genius.
As interviews drag on and good prospects are scooped up by the competition, poorly managed recruitment increases time-to-hire. This can result in wasted time and money. Fortunately, outsourcing your hiring can be an effective way to mitigate these delays to secure the best candidates in the shortest time possible. For instance, if you're looking to develop an app or customize your wordpress installation, a software development outsourcing company can help you quickly access and find the right person for your team.
Engage your candidates throughout the hiring process, beginning with the application. Most people looking for work are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want a place where they feel like they're making a difference, where they fit in, and where they can feel good about the work they're doing. Make sure your hiring process is a clear reflection of what it's like to actually go to work for your company.
Start with these suggestions as you're considering your next hire. Look for places in your hiring process that need improvement and take it one step at a time. Yours may not be a big organization, but every hire matters - even those contractors. Make sure there's a good fit, give them an enjoyable experience, and you'll be hiring quality talent for your team at a much faster pace.
Every successful business needs a driven leader that’s going to direct their team to greatness. But without the skills to do so, you’re going to have a very hard time. While some people are born with the skills to lead, there are a lot of things that you can learn to become a better leader - both in your work and your life. Leading yourself, your family, and your community are just as important (if not more so) as leading at work.
No matter what you're up to, there’s always room to better yourself. Being open to learning is an essential skill that everyone should have.
I'm not talking "high vibes only" (ick!). Instead, I'm asking you to be aware of workplace morale - whether you're a team of one or a team of many. An environment of empowerment necessary if you’re going to keep people motivated to get their work done efficiently. If everyone’s spirits are low while they work, the job is much more difficult and miserable. Being able to live and work in a space where it's easier to keep your own spirits high will have an effect on the rest of your team.
There are going to be times when it’s hard to keep your cool, but as the leader, you have the responsibility to maintain the morale.
Sometimes you have to take a page out of another person’s book, and that means accepting that you’re not perfect in your role. Whether you're learning from guys like Charles Zsebik on Medium, or reading the classics on leadership, a good leader knows learning is a lifelong activity in the pursuit of excellence.
As mentioned before, being in the role of the leader, there are going to be times when things get tough. Deadlines failed ventures, all of these things are stressful - not many people would blame you for having a negative attitude. However, you need to be able to maintain your demeanor if you want to keep people working to their best standards.
The more you know about your team, the better you can use them to their best abilities. In a diverse work group it pays to know the strengths and challenges of your team. Finding the right role fit for each person matters. Tools like the Creative Freedom Entrepreneur Type Assessment can help you learn more about how your folks are best wired to work. Then, you can set them on tasks that are a better fit for their unique strengths and challenges. And if you have a situation where you've got a square peg in a round hole, just realize it will be more draining for them to do that work. Be sure to bake in some extra time for recovery after difficult or demanding assignments.
These may seem like obvious ideas, but they are all too often overlooked - especially in smaller organizations. Create an environment of empowerment for yourself, be a role model to your team, and make it easier on yourself and them by finding the right people for the right roles. That can go a long way toward making your life easier as a leader AND being seen in a better light by the members of your organization.
There are a lot of things that go into being a successful entrepreneur. Time management. Organizational skills. Being able to make confident decisions under pressure. Your self-improvement work never really ends. Someone once said that entrepreneurship is one of the toughest personal development programs in the world, and I don't think they were wrong.
While it seems a little obvious to work on your so-called "weaknesses", most of the time it's actually better to stay in your zone of excellence and continue to refine your life and work there. But sometimes, when we get stuck, we need to look at those challenge areas in order to break through an old pattern or habit and continue to progress. Here are a few places to look:
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Making a plan and setting aside consistent time to work on improving yourself both mentally and physically is a simple place to start. It can be anything from reading self-help books or blogs, working out, meditating, or attending workshops and seminars. What helps you grow as a person will likely also help you grow as an entrepreneur. Remember: when you're a solopreneur, problems in your business often create problems in your life and vice versa. When you are consistently working on becoming a better version of yourself, it will show in your life and work.
If you want to focus on personal growth, there are a few key areas you should concentrate on. When I work with my clients to help them build annual plans, we talk about fitness in terms of what's in the container (that is, your body) and what's being contained within that container (your energy, spirit, etc.). Things like this:
– Mental Health: Make sure to take care of your mental health! Entrepreneurship can be a very stressful journey, so it is essential to find ways to relax and de-stress. What does your mind need to feel nourished, fulfilled, and challenged appropriately?
– Physical Health: Just as important as mental health is physical health! When you are physically healthy and have lots of energy, it will show in your work. What are you doing to help keep your container healthy and well so it can hold all your awesomeness for years to come?
– Emotional Intelligence: One of the most essential skills for entrepreneurs is emotional intelligence. This means being able to understand and navigate your emotions, as well as those of others. This may look like planning time away, deepening your connections with others, or letting go of some relationships in order to set, and honor your boundaries.
Another great way to better yourself as an entrepreneur is to focus on education. This doesn’t necessarily mean going back to school, although that is an option. There are plenty of other ways to continue learning and growing as a business person. You can read blogs and books on entrepreneurship, attend seminars workshops for business owners. You can do courses specifically to hone your craft, get a specialty certification (AtHomePrep is one example) or to improve your business skills. You can even turn your car into a mobile classroom by listening to business podcasts. The important thing is that you are regularly learning new things and growing your knowledge base. In business, if you're not learning, you're falling behind.
This isn't just an invitation to read or take classes. Education comes in a variety of ways:
These are just a few ways you can better yourself as an entrepreneur. If you want to be successful in business, it is essential to focus on personal growth, education, and expanding your horizons through connecting with others. Need some support? Depending on where you're at in business, the Creative Freedom Incubator or my Star Power program may be exactly what you're looking for. Both are open for enrollment and have limited capacity. You can also dip your toe into an upcoming workshop to learn more!
As a small business owner, it’s important to make sure you are always in good standing. This can be difficult to do sometimes, especially if you are just starting out. However, there are some things you can do to help ensure your business stays in good standing.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
One way to stay in good standing is to make sure that all of your paperwork is up to date. This includes things like your business license and permits. If you are not sure if something is up to date, it is always better to check with your local authorities and keep accurate and up-to-date financial records.
This means tracking all income and expenses, as well as maintaining accurate bank statements.
Another way is to keep up with your taxes. This means filing your tax returns on time and paying any taxes that you owe. If you're having trouble with your taxes, it is a good idea to talk to a tax professional.
Financial stability is key to ensuring the long-term success of any business, so it is important to stay on top of your finances from the very beginning.
Another way to help your small business stay in good standing is to develop strong relationships with your vendors and suppliers. Building a rapport with the people you do business with can go a long way towards ensuring that they continue to work with you on favorable terms. It is also important to be prompt with payments or you can use a collection agency for small business and make sure to communicate clearly about any changes or delays in order to maintain a good relationship.
It is definitely helpful to have a solid business plan in place. This document can serve as a roadmap for your business, outlining your goals and objectives and detailing how you intend to achieve them. Having a clear plan of action can help keep you focused and on track and can also be useful for convincing potential investors or lenders to support your business.
You should also try to keep your customers happy. This means providing good customer service and keeping your prices fair. If you're having trouble with unhappy customers, it's a good idea to talk to them and see what you can do to improve the situation.
You should always be on the lookout for new business opportunities. This can help you expand your business and bring in new revenue. If you're unsure where to look for new business opportunities, it's a good idea to talk to other small business owners or attend networking events.
Finally, always be prepared for the worst. Have a plan in place in case something goes wrong. This includes having insurance and backup plans. By being prepared, you can help ensure your small business stays in good standing no matter what.
Your target audience and your existing customers are the people that you should be thinking about the most, always. They are the ones who are going to keep your business going, and they are the ones that you need to be focusing on as much as you can. This isn’t to say that other demographics aren’t important because of course they are, but there is something special about these two particular groups of people. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you can do to keep the attention of your target audience and existing customers. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
Email Marketing
First, you might want to consider email marketing. At times, people are going to push your business to the back of their minds when they no longer think that they need you. The problem with this is that at the back of their minds is not where you want to be, so you have to remind them that you are right here, waiting to give them what they need. Email marketing is a fantastic way to do this, as long as it doesn’t look spammy. As long as you are not sending them a million emails in a week, and your emails aren’t full of spam, then this can be a helpful tactic.
Too many companies make the mistake of sending out emails that contain no useful information in them, and nothing that is going to grab attention. This is where you’re going to lose people, so you’ve got to make sure that any email you send out is relevant.
Create A Community
Another thing that you are going to need to put your focus on is creating a community within your existing customers. You want to make it something that potential customers want to be a part of, and existing customers love being a part of. Once you have established a community online, you can start to look into things like how to create an app for your online community so that they have a special place they can all go to find information on your business. It might not seem like something that is worth your time to do, but let us ask you how many big companies that you know of that don’t have apps? None.
Post On Social Media
Social media is an important part of any business now that we are living in the age of technology. Pretty much everyone is on social media now, and those that don't, know people that are so they get the latest through them anyway. As such, you should ensure that your business has pages on all of the main platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn at the very least. You might even want to include things like TikTok to give your posts some variety.
All of these pages need to be active with posts being made frequently, and engagement from your business with your customers. You want to make them feel as though they are special to the company. This is a big task to do though, so we do recommend that you hire someone to manage all social media as their main task.
New Marketing Campaigns
The final thing that we want to address is that you should be launching new marketing campaigns, but don’t go over the top with it. Of course, people like to see new things from your business, but if you have only recently launched a campaign and then you are trying to throw another one at people, it’s going to get confusing.
Also, before you launch ANYTHING, you need to make sure that it has been run through a focus group. They are there to ensure that you don’t put out anything that won’t land well, or anything that might offend anyone, so they are essential to the process. Too many businesses seem to think that they don’t need them, and that’s a mistake they will pay the price for.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you are going to need to do if you want to keep the attention of your target audience and your existing customers. It’s important that you take the time to plan ahead so that you know what your next move is well in advance. The last thing that you want to do is get left behind, and lose all your customers, as well as existing customers to a company that markets better. We wish you the very best of luck with this, and hope that it proves successful.
Before you think about all the tricky aspects of starting a company, you need to conjure up an idea.
What is the best possible business idea you can think of?
Well…there’s no such thing as a business idea that is the best of the best. You will not be able to find one particular idea that is a cut above the rest. Why? Because the secret to finding a good business idea lies in this one simple tip:
That's one of the key pieces of the Star Power Framework. Maybe you're a Linear Creative and starting a tax business might be a good fit. However, just because you're great at numbers doesn't mean you'll like the work of interfacing with people and the high-pressure environment of tax season.
Playing to your strengths means that you focus on the things you are good at while finding the right audience fit for what you have to offer. With that in mind, how can you conjure up a business idea around your strengths?
To start, you need to find what you are good at. Sit down, think about your interests and talents, then make a list of the things you believe you excel at. Honestly, this list can include anything and everything that comes to your mind. Perhaps you’re great at content creation, you have a passion for fitness, you love knitting - the possibilities are endless and they all depend on your strengths.
Next, you need to go through this list and look at all of your strengths. Choose each one and try to think of a business opportunity that revolves around it. For example, maybe you’re excellent at content creation and you love writing. You could start a business offering freelance content writing services to businesses of all shapes and sizes. Or, you can start a blog and turn that into a business through monetization.
Figure out which of your strengths are most likely to result in a good business idea. You may find that some of the things you love doing just won’t be viable businesses. Ask your network for input on what they'd buy - or if they know other people who might buy it. DON'T ask them if they like it. That's a cop-out question. Just because they like it doesn't mean it will sell well enough for you to make a career out of it.
After you’ve chosen your business idea, you need to start planning. Create a business plan that involves all the different steps you’ll pass through to go from the idea stage all the way to opening your business. Depending on the idea, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few months/years.
Just like that, you have found the best business idea possible - for you. It’s an idea that plays to your strengths, meaning you feel more than competent going forwards. Clarity, confidence, and courage to act will help you go far. If you are confident and creating a business around a key strength of yours, you will have an easier time trying to stand out in your industry.
Your business performance is one of the most crucial aspects of running a successful company. But, you know you cannot be present all of the time. You may have meetings with investors or new clients. You may simply need to take a vacation to help you realign your focus and get back to your best. As your pride and joy, you need your business to continue to perform well while you are away, and you will need to put others in charge during your absence. This means you must trust your team, but how can you be certain they will meet your expectations?
You will never be able to trust your team if you hire the wrong people. When considering how to rely on employees in your absence, think back to how your hurting process will affect this. A strong hiring process will identify the most suitable candidates for the role, and you may even be able to find those who are management material early on.
Failing to outline an effective hiring process can lead to staffing issues that could negatively impact your business. The likes of Jonathan Sears SC have plenty of useful advice on how to mitigate understaffing and how this will could hurt your business by hiring the wrong candidates.
Your team should be able to get on with their duties without much supervision. Still, they may feel this way because they know you are there to help if they encounter a problem. In your absence, this safety net is gone, which could affect their confidence.
Before departing, make sure to provide concise communication about expectations and requirements. You can hold a team meeting to discuss this and also send an email outlining what everyone needs to do. Don’t get too complicated, as this could cause miscommunications which may lead to issues.
Managers can also put management responsibilities on a member of the team who they trust. This person could be one of the potential successors you have outlined for the business, and they may have already proved their leadership skills beforehand.
By delegating your management duties, you give an employee the chance to show you what they can do. This can motivate them and give them a reason to push themselves to ensure the team follows your recommendations.
Accountability is always essential in business, so ask your team to document their actions. This will give you a thorough outline of what happened while you were away.
This may seem a little too Big Brother, but this isn’t the purpose. Instead, it helps you see how the team managed without you, and it could prove that you can trust them to complete their tasks, which can give you more confidence in your employees.
As much as you want to be in the office as much as possible, it is not doable, and spending too much time working can impact your mental health, which will affect your creativity. You should feel confident if you ever need to be away from the office, so consider these tips to ensure your team continues to flourish even in your absence.
Identifying the biggest risks in your business can help you prevent disaster before it strikes. I'm not just talking about natural disasters or social crises like a pandemic or military invasion, either. Often we can't see those things coming, even though they're always a possibility.
External factors aren't the only things that can affect your company’s growth and success. Sometimes, the biggest (and most likely) risks occur inside your organization. Things like time-wasting, poor employee training or customer service, or focusing on the wrong thing can set a company back months, if not years!
If left unchecked, these issues can have catastrophic consequences for your enterprise. Sure, you could fall behind competitors, but you could also lose the high-quality customers and talent that helped make your company what it is today. A regular business audit can help you catch these issues before they become problems in your company.
Streamlining business processes is one of the most effective ways for you to improve your company. Rather than rely on old-fashioned approaches, such as physical documents or manual activities, look to automation as much as you can to execute your processes. Things like an online scheduling tool or CRM for managing customer data are a great place to start.
Keep your process docs up to date, too. Use the cloud to store your process documents so that they can be updated by anyone in the company at any time. A central repository means everyone has the most up-to-date version of your process documentation.
Similarly, organizing your information and projects is a superb way to improve your business. File cabinets are useful, but I'm talking about all the stuff you have collecting digital dust. No matter what you do, you may have a server full of scattered documents, images, and reports that are impossible to find.
Using programs or apps that archive files and folders will make a significant improvement. Now, you don’t need to spend hours pouring through the folder you were certain contained specific information, and instead, you can find it in an instant. You can also use this archive to maximize server space, which will accelerate your system and make everything quicker and more efficient.
This may seem obvious, but I often find folks spending money they don't need to in the early stages of their business. It's can be tricky to balance your budget and know which areas of your business require the most financial attention. It is just as important to make every penny count, too. There is a chance that your business is paying for services or subscriptions that you do not use, so go through your financials and identify everything.
You might find you are paying too much for items you don’t use, especially things like stationery, office furniture, and other items that are quickly becoming (mostly) irrelevant in an office setting. Your business may have evolved significantly over the last two years, also. If you have embraced remote working over office-based work, consider whether you need office space, and even if you do, does it need to be as big as it is? Chaotics often have what I call "champagne wishes and Kool-Aid money". Yes, we want to have nice things, but if the business can't financially support having those things, you really need to think twice about spending that money.
Employee performance (including your own!) is a strong indicator of how successful your business is and how successful it will be in the future. It’s always beneficial to check in with employees and team members (both at the office and remote) so you can get an idea of their thoughts and feelings regarding their professional development and their role in the company.
Ambitious professionals are always looking for ways to improve their skills and take on more responsibility. If they feel they are spinning their wheels, they won’t have the drive to push themselves. They may even feel like their efforts go unnoticed and may be considering a move away from your organization. Get feedback from employees and make a change that could benefit your whole organization.
All businesses will have areas for change, but you’ll never be able to make these changes if you don’t first identify them. You can get an idea of these changes from employee feedback, and they might highlight pointless meetings or similar issues that contribute to significant time drains.
Your organizational setup is not perfect, and just because you have done things one way forever doesn’t mean you won’t find any benefit if you adjust it. Implementing changes does not always go down well, but if enough people believe it is the right thing to do, others will soon forget how it was done previously, and you can look forward to the next stage for your business.
Your creative well is something you will need to draw from at times if you want to make a statement. Look at what your competitors are doing and consider how you can improve their approach to attract new customers and bring more eyes to your product or service.
Digital marketing typically involves social media or email campaigns, but everyone does this. If you want to experience the success you expect, you need to look at doing something more. This doesn’t mean abandoning digital marketing altogether, at the moment, it will always have a purpose. But this is not the only way to market your company or share content. Experiences are a useful way to garner attention, especially if you are trying to enter new markets. Make a splash with something unique, and you will get the attention you need.
Did you know that poor customer service wastes $75 billion annually across all industries? This is a significant and even terrifying figure to look at, which is why your business must get it right the first time. Many businesses pride themselves on excellent customer service at first, but soon become complacent once they become the most recognized name in their industry. They know they offer convenience and so customers will return even after a bad experience.
Believing that the customers will always come back is not sustainable, though. You must get your customer service right the first time to ensure they have a positive experience when working with you. Of course, mistakes are bound to be made along the way, but if you can find out where these mistakes are made most often, you can take steps towards reducing them as much as possible.
There is no such thing as the perfect company, and you shouldn’t expect perfection. Still, getting closer to perfect is possible. While you may think everything is going well, it could always be better. Carrying out a business audit will highlight the areas for improvement and allow you to consider alternatives that will put your company in a strong position to succeed and thrive in your industry. You don't have to do everything at once, but doing SOMETHING will help move the needle in your favor.
