How To Make The Most Out Of Your Dinner Meetings

April 8, 2019 Business Business Hacks, Business Tips, productivity

Not everyone knows how to make a business meeting fruitful. Especially when it comes to any business meeting turning into a lunch or a dinner, there are certain etiquettes for any business meeting to keep in mind. Talking and convincing is art. Not everyone is good at it. People with special skills to convince others to get the deal done while even socializing with them need some good tricks. To get a great deal done correctly, it requires a good development of understanding among both the parties. Both business potentials should have a clear idea of what they want and where they want their meeting end. Even usually when a family is gathered at the dining table, it’s the time when they discuss and talk about the plans, make decisions and discuss what to do or what steps should be taken.

Similarly, some business professionals also prefer a table to talk, discuss, plan and negotiate. Good relationship of trust and business links are formed easily than they could have established in that meeting room. It’s all about the convincing skills. It’s selling one way or the other. A person good enough in the sales department would know how it is and how a product or strategy is sold.

Meet Rylee Meek, author of “Food For Thought” How To Use Dinner Seminar Marketing to Grow Your Business In Ways You Never Thought Possible”, a Caucasian trainer, a speaker, a coach and an entrepreneur associated with industry of sales and marketing who has also been practicing NLP and TIME techniques who is also a certified clinical hypnotherapist. Like every other person having an insight of business world, Rylee believes on the thought that some meetings during meals should be taken way too seriously as they can either help you out or will turn their back towards you. Business meetings turning into meals fall under the same category to be taken seriously and make the most of them while planning them in such a way that the plan doesn’t fall apart. Treating your client or the opposite business party is very important. Your behavior towards the other party portrays a lot about your company and yourself. Also, it should not be forgotten that it along with the word lunch/dinner it has the word “official” attached to it or if not then it should be kept in mind that it is a lunch/dinner having a purpose, i.e. it is a business meeting lunch/dinner. It is not just a socializing gathering.

Social Dynamic Selling is Rylee’s project of which he is a CEO. Rylee started this venture to provide other people with the knowledge he has and the struggle he went through to become someone well reputed in the industry. Always wishing someone to be considered as a lighthouse in the stormy sea, Rylee hopes to guide the entrepreneurs while leading them with the right steps to success.

Rylee has not only been an author and an entrepreneur, but he also has some good qualities of skills which he can use to become an excellent mentor. Social Dynamic Selling specializes in a subtle form providing dinner seminar marketing techniques. During the initial days before delivering a well-prepared seminar, this strategy had to go through many errors and changes but when at the time of its delivering, it turned and became the most reliable dinner seminar marketing service in the industry working efficiently and effectively.

10 Benefits of Outsourcing Accounting Services for Your Firm

April 1, 2019 Business Accounting, business

There is an unprecedented demand for outsourced accounting services among CPA firms today. Many of these firms acknowledge their relevance in cutting overhead and operational costs substantially. The cost savings, however, amount to just a tiny advantage for a service that can benefit and prove to be insurmountably lucrative in the long run.

Cost savings aside, outsourcing accounting services can have innumerable merits for the profitability of a firm.

Below are the 10 benefits that outsourcing accounting services can have on CPA firms.

Substantially Decreases Operational Costs

Many CPA firms decide to outsource their accounting services to save on operational costs. Hiring a freelancer expert results in firms paying only if and when the service is rendered and not otherwise.

Increasing Profit Margins

CPA firms can outsource low margin activities like undertaking data-intensive compliance functions, thus increasing profit margins.

Boosting Operational Efficiency

A typically cited benefit but potent nonetheless, outsourcing accounting services can result in smoother operational functions in a firm. CPA firms who are just starting and are yet to see some returns can hire accounting specialists who are better equipped with the software technology to carry out complex accounting services.

Competitive Advantage

Hiring outside help pertains to hiring someone who is far more proficient and capable of handling the accounting service required. Thus, hiring such talent inadvertently increases the value of the services you provide to your customers. This dramatically gives you an effective advantage over your competitors.

Risk Sharing

Outsourcing accounting services can prove to be a very smart strategy resulting in decimating a firm’s risks. Risks associated with a particular project is shared between the firm and the outsourced accounting specialist.

Time Effective

It’s fascinating to learn how much time is spent in an organization doing things that ultimately proves to be unproductive. Outsourcing specific talent for specific services can save management a lot of time in recruitment and selection. This time can be better utilized in other productive activities like relationship management and client servicing.

Being Flexible With The Workforce

Perhaps the most underrated advantage of outsourcing would be the flexibility it provides the management in dealing with outsourced talent. Unlike permanent placements, firms have the option of experimenting with different skills available in the market. They can choose to carry on with the current outsourced expert or opt for another one depending on their satisfaction.

Working With The Best Talent

Outsourcing allows firms to work with a plethora of talented, proficient accountants playing in the market. With the help of a few minutes of internet research, a firm can scrounge for some of the best minds in the business today. Getting your hands on such talent can dramatically improve your standing in the industry.

Dealing With The Legal System

Most outsource accounting service are well equipped with the tools and resources required in dealing with legal bodies like the IRS and US GAAP. As they handle the legislative aspects of the business, you can concentrate on the more pressing issues of your firm.

Challenging Big Firms

Outsourcing accounting services by smaller and medium CPA firms can drastically change their standing in the market. Having a well-fueled accounting service delivering the best services to your customers can help you go toe to toe with many big firms in the industry and maybe even outdo them one day.

Outsourcing accounting services have been proven to be a lucrative undertaking for many CPA firms struggling to succeed in a competitive industry. The benefits listed should be enough reasons for you also to consider outsourcing your accounting services to a reputed expert in the field.

5 Must-Read Tips For Planning Your Next Successful Company Event

March 28, 2019 Business

Every corporate event is a high-stakes gamble. You have to impress employers and show them that your company team is up to the task of attracting clients. There are a lot of factors you have to watch out for when planning an event like this, which is why it’s good to come prepared.

1. Decide your mission ahead of time

Every company event has a specific purpose in mind before it’s even organized. Perhaps you want to honour employees and their dedication to the company. Some events can be a great way to reach out to new business partners by creating buzz around your business. If all eyes are on you, it would be the perfect time to introduce a new product or service that your company offers. These are just some of the benefits a corporate event could bring.

On the other hand, you have to keep your specific mission in mind when you plan for the event. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you are too broad with your celebration and you honour workers while also selling a product, it can get a bit confusing. Pick a theme and run with it and you’ll find the event much easier to manage.

2. A budget for the event

Before you make any big decisions regarding the event, you should have a set budget in advance. Since it is a corporate event, you’ll have to deal with a variety of different vendors and that can cost money. It’s hard to keep your eye on the price when there are hundreds of things you have to focus on.

By budgeting early, you can help put individual expenditures in perspective and that will allow you to look at the big picture.

3. Assemble a team

Planning an entire corporate event might not seem like a big deal, but doing it all on your own can be pretty stressful. Once you get into all the details, you’ll find that it’s a bit more challenging than it seems. When push comes to shove, you might want to enlist the help of some of your coworkers.

Micromanagement is essential for setting up a big event. Give everyone a specific task for the event and make sure they are in sync with each other. You want to have everything set up just in time for the first guests.

You can think of it as a more personal version of a work project. While you’re helping each other out, it might blossom into an even closer professional relationship.

4. Build some buzz

There’s no use in making the perfect event if nobody shows up. Obviously, you’re going to want to see a lot of people attend the event in order to spread your message. Creating some buzz before and during the event should get the attention of your target audience.

Start by creating a newsletter that you’ll send to coworkers and clients. Keep it creative and attractive enough to pique their interest. Pictures of the event and people present are a great way to get people to come, which is why a lot of organizers consider a photobooth studio for hire for their event. A good photo is going to be worth a thousand words, which is why you should take as many as possible.

5. Make connections after the event

One of the best ways to make use of your event is to create connections. With whom you make these connections is up to you. A lot of company events focus on creating new clients and business opportunities. Try to connect with the various guests and show them what the company can offer to their business.

You can also build better connections with your workers and coworkers. Increasing office cohesiveness and building friendship can help increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

Conclusion

Corporate events like this can be quite demanding of your attention and creativity. When you manage to pull it off, you’ll find that it’s well worth the trouble. As long as you stick to some of these tips, your event should go off without a hitch and you will have proven yourself to employers and clients alike.

6 Lead-Generating Strategies New Online Marketers Should Know

March 28, 2019 Business

Have you noticed more brands are using social media to market their products? With 4.4-billion people using the Internet, it’s an obvious choice. Moreover, it’s more cost effective than traditional media and, depending on your lead generation strategies, you can target a specific audience and see how effective your campaign is in real time.

It’s easy to follow how other brands do their online marketing, but, sadly, not every marketing campaign fits how a certain business can manage their own leads. It’s a tricky business – online marketing that is. You can be wasting your client’s precious resources with bad marketing strategies and cold leads – especially if you’re a beginner.

If you want to learn the ins and outs of good online marketing, you need to take a good look at this beginner’s guide to generating leads online for a start.

What is a lead?

Before we dive into the specifics of the lead generation process, it’s best that we know first what a lead is – after all, this is a beginner’s guide. A lead is someone who is interested in your company’s product or services. In layman’s terms, a lead is a potential customer.

How can someone qualify as a lead?

You can tell if someone can qualify as a lead when they are considered more likely to apply for a position or avail your product or service. This can be done by collecting enough information to discern if the lead has a valid interest in your business. That person may have engaged or shown interest more than the others through an email, survey, inquiry, and the likes. The basis for identifying a qualified lead can change depending on the lead definition of your business created for your client.

What are lead generation and management?

Now that you know what a lead is, it’s time to know how to get a lead and what to do with it. Enter lead generation and management.

Lead generation is the process of luring people into someone naturally interested in your product or service. This can be anything from engaging written articles, entertaining videos, beautiful pictures, email blasts, surveys, ads, and even free items. Anything!

But what happens when leads start pouring in? You need to learn lead management. It’s the process of lead generation (capturing leads), tracking their activities (if possible), and giving them the attention they need to help them apply for something, make a purchase, or avail service from you.

Why do you need lead management?

A study from AutoDeal about online leads reveals that not all leads are equal, thus requiring businesses to take different strategies across different platforms to get high conversion rates. Knowing where the high-quality leads come from will help you allocate resources properly and maximize different channels. This way you will be able to guide your lead across the buying funnel, increasing the chances of sales conversion with as low pay-per-click (PPC) cost as possible.

So how exactly can you generate leads online? Well, among the many lead generation ideas out there, you can start with these six tips:

Be the market expert

When you think of brands such as Coca-cola, Colgate, and Lego, you instantly associate the names with their products. That’s because they’ve already established their authority in their respective market. If you want your product or service to become just like them, you can start by creating outbound content that provides important educational information. You don’t even have to mention your own product. Just make sure it has your logo to subtly establish your brand as a market leader or gain recognition.

Quality rather than quantity, at least in lead generating

The number of blogs, videos, infographics or email blasts you have doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make your audience curious. Create content that can engage your audience or, at least, have a lasting impression on them. The more hooked they are, the higher the chance of a sale.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Le Blanc via Pexels.com

Use all the tools that are available to you

As previously mentioned, no leads are equal. You need to keep in mind that not everyone can fit in one boat or would like to ride in it. Do multichannel marketing. Use various social media platforms, PPC ads or email marketing. Cover as many channels as you can to increase the chances of getting high-quality leads.

Photo courtesy of Lukas via Pexels.com

Study the data and your leads

Just because you’ve got a lead and turned it into a sale means you can just sit back and relax. As an online marketer, you need to take the time to study the data you have from a lead. Ask yourself questions like: What made them want to purchase your product? What kind of content made them interested? How did they find your business? Knowing these will help you create a solid campaign and get higher quality leads.

Conduct A/B test

Conducting A/B testing or split testing is a great way to improve your lead generation process. It’s basically testing two ways to achieve one goal to see which is better. This will help you determine what works and what doesn’t. Do this in your social media posts, email marketing, and landing pages, and do it often.

Then test some more

Don’t let the success or failure of your marketing campaign stop you from improving. The dynamics of people are a never-ending process of discovering things that will work to gain their attention. Moreover, your marketing budget will also change constantly. So you’ll have to keep working and studying to improve your campaign to get more data, high-quality leads, and, ultimately, increase profit.

Lead generation can be confusing and requires a lot of work. Knowing the basics can help you, your business and your clients reach greater heights when it comes to getting high-quality leads. Continue to work on your process and, hopefully, the results will follow.

Preventing the Most Common Industrial Accidents

March 26, 2019 Business Industrial News, Industry, Tips & Tricks

Every industry is required to follow safety standards which Health and Safety Executive, a UK Government agency has developed for all industries to diligently observe. Yet, some industries transgress the safety laws resulting in accidents and then lawsuits from workers. In order to ensure maximum safety standards in an industry, every business has to carry out routine maintenance, especially to check for any leaks and spills or machinery malfunction.

Failure to be proactive in this respect would only risk workers and invite potential injuries. On the other hand, it can also devastate the maximum output and hinder productivity. This is why it is a no-brainer not to invest in maintaining safety standards. There are certain requisites which abide all safety laws. The most common types of accidents lead to great complications and here is how they should be avoided:

Short circuits: Proper insulation and utilization of materials made of the highest quality is a mandatory practice for the industrial sector. In this case, BICC Components Ltd. has developed an array of products that are dedicated to performing at the highest level. They are a part of the electrical system of industry and include industrial cable glands, copper terminal, and cable cleats. BICC Components are designed to withstanding hostile industrial environments and they help keep the risk of short circuits at bay.

Slips and falls: The floors should always be cleaned and wiped off any liquid that could result in an individual from slipping. Caution signs need to be placed and installed in areas which are prone to risks and anything wrong has happened, like a liquid spill. Announcements should be duly made for workers to avoid walking by the hazardous area and an imminent order to clear out the area should be made.

Chemical and radiation exposure: All workers should be trained to practice safety standards. Frequent drills should also be performed to avoid any future hassle. Plus, the components where there is a high concentration of chemical use should be attended with maximum safety equipment to avoid harmful exposure if an accident occurs. Safety vests, goggles, and oxygen masks should be utilized by all means. In addition, the area should be immediately cleared if harmful radiation are observed and concerned authorities should be informed at once.

Falling objects: Every industry worker should know how to place objects so that they remain in a fixed place and not fall off from high altitudes increasing the risk of accidents. Machinery like cranes which are used to lift and store raw materials and objects on different storage levels need to be operated with care and maximum precautions. No person should be allowed to stay within 6 feet of the area where storage is taking place.

How To Create A Marketing Video That Sells: 20 Tips

March 25, 2019 Business Video Marketing

A well-designed and clever marketing video has the power to elevate your brand and boost your conversions. However, it isn’t as easy to great a brand video that converts as it may seem – it requires a strong narrative, SEO considerations and a whole lot more.

To create a powerful marketing video that sells, heed these 20 tips.

Communicate a story

A good marketing video that converts its viewers does not take the sales approach, it tells a story. Use narrative and themes to evoke an emotional reaction within the viewer and appeal to their desires and their needs.

Make an impression with the title

To get a viewer to click on your video, you need to capture their attention with a title. Ensure that the title is eye-catching and is also SEO-optimised so that it appears on the SERPs (search engine results pages).

Pay attention to the first 10 seconds

When it comes to capturing the attention of your viewers, you have less than 10 seconds. This means that in this time you must get your message across whilst being entertaining, engaging and impactful.

Keep it short

People today are very busy; they simply don’t have time to watch a video that is long in length. Therefore, as a rule, you should make your video no longer than 60 seconds, and fill it with plenty of peaks and highlights to stop a viewer from clicking off of it.

What’s your mission?

In order to elevate your brand and strengthen its impact within your industry, you should use your videos to sell your mission, as much as your products. What do you stand for? What are you trying to change? What can you do for your customers?

Make it educational

To really add value to your viewers, ensure that your marketing video educates and informs. If your video can offer guidance, advice and tips on a matter that is relevant to your viewers, it will be considered more valuable and engaging.

Don’t be afraid to take a risk

Risqué videos are remembered, and boring videos are forgotten as soon as a viewer clicks off on it. Whatever your brand or industry, you should look for ways to stand out and do something different – so long as it’s still appropriate and on-brand.

Use sound

Music and sound has a profound power to evoke emotion when used in conjunction with high-resolution imagery. Therefore, music and atmosphere should be carefully considered in the design of the video to make it as impactful as possible.

Optimise it for mobile

In today’s digital age where most internet interaction is on smartphones, it is critical that your video is mobile-friendly. If it isn’t, your brand will lose credibility. If a user cannot easily watch your video on their marketing device, they won’t waste their time.

Don’t skimp on quality

The quality of your video – including the quality of the picture, the sound and the design of the story – has the ability to make or break your brand. To ensure you get it right, consider enlisting the expertise of a video production company sydney.

Consider SEO

In order for your video to convert, it first has to be seen. Good SEO will make your video discoverable, and this means that it should have keywords in the description, the URL, the title and the ALT tags.

Use the URL in the video

Don’t forget to embed the URL to your website in the video so that the viewer has a direct journey to what he or she is looking for.

Create a designated landing page

Any marketing endeavours are fruitless without a landing page in which customers can land on and find exactly what they came for. If your video is selling something, they should be able to click straight through to a considered landing page that will convert them.

Use testimonials

Use testimonials of real customers to entice and reassure prospective customers and build the trust of the viewer. Interview your customers and ask them how your product or service has benefitted them.

Implement tutorials and how-to guides

Internet users love to consume information and learn new things, so if you can teach them to do something they didn’t already know how to do, you will achieve their respect and their time. Show them just enough that you have engaged them, but always leave them wanting more – don’t give away all of your secrets for free.

Give customers a BTS insight

Appeal to viewers appetite for a behind the scenes looks into your brand or business operations by showing them what goes on behind closed doors. This could include a short interview with the CEO or employees at work in the office.

Include a Call to Action

Any good marketing content features a powerful Call to Action, including video. Just like you would at the end of a blog post, or on a landing page, give your viewers a clear instruction into how to act in order to move them down your sales funnel so that they convert.

Ask questions

Good marketing is about presenting a common problem that your target audience have, and then offering them a solution. Therefore, your video should make your viewers think about themselves and their own situations, which then makes it easier to sell your product or service.

Inject some humour

An easy way to connect with other people is through a shared sense of humour. So, if it’s appropriate for your business to tap into a lighter side, don’t miss an opportunity. If you can make a viewer laugh, even a little, they are much more likely to remember you.

Create a hype around the video

You can’t just make a video, put it on your website or on YouTube and assume it’ll gain traction on its own. You need to pull together all of your marketing streams and social media channels to promote the video and get viewers interested.

Conclusion

To ensure your marketing video makes an impression, follow the above 20 tips and you’ll experience great rewards.

Does Your Business Need a Website?

March 20, 2019 Business, Other

If you’re a small business owner, chances are you want to grow your brand. And if that is the case then you will probably have already considered investing in a website for your business. However, you may have also disregarded having your own website in the same breathe.

So, with that in mind, here are all of the reasons that you may or may not need a website for your business. Hint: there’s a lot more yes than no in this article.

Yes

The reasons for yes, you should have a website in 2018 are many. But, for simplicity’s sake, here are a few of the more important ones:

It’s What Customers Want

In the age of the internet, your customers expect you to have a website. It’s a simple and unavoidable fact. In 2019, people will likely want to find out more about your business before taking the plunge and converting. If you do not have a business website this can immediately be a red flag in their minds, as it removes the certainty that you are a reputable business.

The only way you could avoid this, for example, would be if you were selling products on a trusted third party website (like Amazon and eBay). Users trust the site and so you don’t necessarily need to instil your own trust factors into this.

A Business Narrative

Having your own website gives your business the ability to do something very special: control its own narrative. The more control you have over your own story and ultimately the message you portray to potential customers. It’s much more in-depth than having a simple Facebook, Instagram or whatever page. You can write more, even visualise your brand story if you prefer.

Drives New Revenue

Have you ever considered the fact that a website can drive more money into your business? No, well it certainly can. In fact, for some businesses, the most revenue comes through the web.

The more you build your website, the more revenue it can provide for your business. So, for that reason, it is very important you work towards improving your online revenue. Even if you only do so gradually, over time it can easily become the biggest source of income for your business on the whole.

Your Competitors Have One

It’s true, most of your competitors (to be classed as such) probably have a website. Unless you are in the most unexposed niche business in the world, then having a presence online in some form is likely needed to be considered a competitor. Whether you are a what’s on in Manchester publication or something as simple as a barber, you probably need a website. So, don’t be afraid to get one.

24-7 Access

Having a physical store is all well and good, but it has opening and closing times. You and your business are not accessible at all times. Which, sometimes, is exactly what you need to be in order to be successful. Giving customers a website to find you can remove pesky obstacles like opening times and social convention, as they can visit it at any time of day to suit their needs.

A website gives your business an open day for customers, no matter the time of day. Which is exactly what can set you apart and ensure your gain their custom. Being accessible is a vital part of a business in 2019, so don’t overlook it.

There’s no reason for your business to have a website. No matter how big/small it is, where it is located or even what language you speak. There is no real excuse for not having a website as a business in 2019. Especially as, all things said and done, it is so easy to create – even if you have no website or coding knowledge! There are plenty of website builders available on the internet to help you along the way and with the right security management system protecting your information, it worthwhile to help with recording data.

Final Thoughts

As a business functioning in 2019, whether you like it or not, you will almost definitely need your own website. And it’s not hard to achieve, even on a small budget! So, get building today and reap the rewards of your very own business website tomorrow.

Enterprises across the Globe Have Already Begun Deploying RPA Software

March 20, 2019 Business AI, Robotics, Tech News

The concept of Artificial Intelligence taking over the world has been a common plot in a lot of movies. We saw a glimpse of reality in these concepts when the globally renowned phenomenon ‘Sophia’ was launched. Although this AI-based robot has excellent potential, this area of technology still has a long way to go before it becomes independent. The progress in this area might be slow, but it is evident. We already have software like Robotic Process Automation (RPA) being deployed by large enterprises across the globe.

What is Robotic Process Automation?

Astonishingly, the concept of RPA has been around for over a decade. However, it has only surfaced recently corresponding to the recent growth in AI. RPA is a software that allows companies to automate their redundant processes. While still nascent, RPA tech is expected to grow vastly in the next decade. Experts believe that with the benefits it is proposing, annual spending on RPAs will increase to over a billion USD within a decade.

RPA brings along an array of benefits for companies. By allowing them to automate routine processes, it saves the valuable time of a human resource which can be used in high-end operations like creating policies or developing strategies. In addition to that, since RPA is AI-based, it becomes more efficient with time allowing the same processes to be completed in a far lesser time.

Organizations are already in transition

A lot of businesses are currently using this software to automate functions like payroll generation or invoice formation, etc. Leading IT firms like PTC System (S) Pte Ltd are offering RPA solutions at highly affordable rates. Since these solutions require little to no human interaction, a lot of businesses out there are even propose replacing the human resource with such RPAs, thereby cutting down on salary expenditures. However, it is deemed better to rotate jobs and allow the same individuals to take part in more critical value-generating business decisions while they oversee RPA on the side. In addition to that, improved efficiency of work and reduced cycle times also translates into better productivity for companies overall.

Furthermore, another one of the many reasons why enterprises are beginning to prefer RPA solutions is that it also reduces the possibility of potential errors. Human beings are limited in their ability to perform efficiently within a 24-hour period. Their productivity is also subject to their health and exhaustion. In such cases, the probability of errors becomes higher than usual turning into a potential risk for the business. Robotic Process Automation software, on the other hand, can perform efficiently for a lot more time.

Applications of RPA

Robotic Process Automation is being used by enterprises in many ways. Some organizations are using it for processes like payroll generation and invoice creation as mentioned above, others are using RPAs for more crucial tasks like analyzing investment portfolios, monitoring employee communication for noncompliant activities, and providing real-time response to potential customers, among other applications. The best thing about RPA tools is that they allow applications in a broad area of functions. All in all, it is fair to state that the potential of Robotic Process Automation is limitless in the years to come. You can reach out to top of the line IT solutions companies like PTC System (S) Pte Ltd to deploy Robotic Process Automation software in your enterprise. Go through their IT-based services through this link: www.ptcsys.com.

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Hair and Beauty Salon

March 12, 2019 Business

If you dream of starting your own salon business one day, you’re probably wondering how much does it cost to open one. Well, the thing is, the start-up costs can usually differ depending on your business model and goals.

You need to know of the specifics so that you can come up with a more accurate estimate.

That’s why we created this salon start-up guide to help you get started:

Trimming Your Salon Startup Costs

Decide what salon do you want to start before breaking down the actual costs. Do you want to start an all-inclusive spa? Or a business that specializes in hair or nails?

Chances are, hair salon expenses may differ as opposed to starting a nail or spa business. So, making this decision should be your priority, as it’s easier to estimate the costs later on.

Certification

Salons cannot service clients without licensed stylists. That means you and the rest of your employees should have a state cosmetology license or enrolled in an accredited program for beauticians. A cosmetology license is usually issued by the state where your business is located.

Many programs are offered for aspiring stylists, and each state has different licensing hour requirements. After passing an accredited program, stylists must then pass a state board test (both written and practical) to get their license.

Licenses and permits

Next, you need to register your business and get a business license issued by the secretary of the state. Your business license should be posted in your store at all times. Remember that most licenses usually require yearly renewals.

Moreover, specific salon requirements usually differ per state. So, it’s essential to check these first, as well as with the state cosmetology board to know how you can obtain a salon-specific license.

Also, if you’re planning to start a small retail store within your salon to feature the products you use and sell it to clients, you also need to get a seller’s permit.

Physical location

As far as location is concerned, many options are available depending on your budget. If you want to start small, then an in-home salon may be a viable option since it’s least expensive and does not require you to pay monthly rentals.

However, if that’s not an option for you, then you can consider renting out or buying a commercial space. Costs usually vary depending on the location, so it’s always a good idea to do thorough research first of your desired neighborhood.

If you’re planning to buy an existing salon, expect to shell out approximately $40,000 to $250,000. Note that these usually depends on the size, location, and condition of the property and equipment.

However, if you want to build a salon from the ground and up, costs usually run between $100,000 to $500,000 on average.

Salon equipment and supplies

Salon equipment usually depends on the type of services you’re offering to your salon.

Basic equipment usually includes:

styling tools
styling chair
hair dryers
water basins
supply trolleys
Aprons

You also need extra cash to spend on other miscellaneous items such as computers, software, cash register, furniture, desk, and phones.

Meanwhile, basic salon supplies include:

back-bar products
basic office supplies
cleaning supplies
retail products

Note that equipment and supplies usually vary depending on the supplier, so it’s better to check first for the best prices and quality that are available in the market.

Initial inventory

If you plan to set up a retail part in your store, then it’s essential to stock up an initial inventory of the products that you want to sell.

Costs vary based on the size of the retail portion of your salon. These are usually adjusted as you move forth in your business, depending on customer demand.

A salon promotion software helps track your inventory in real-time. It deducts stocks automatically for every product that’s sold, or for every service that was given.

Legal and consulting fees

At one point or another, you might need to seek out professional help when dealing with various business matters like closing in a property sale, negotiating a lease, or going through the processing of necessary licenses and permits for your business.

Expect to pay an average of $200 per hour to avail on legal services.

Insurance

Getting insurance for your business is a wise decision since it ensures your protection. It usually covers you from different liabilities such as theft, loss of equipment, injuries, and other responsibilities that can significantly impact your business.

Structure improvements and remodeling

If you’re taking over an already existing salon, then minimal to no renovations are needed.

However, if you’re building from scratch, then you must factor in permanent and non-permanent fixtures as well as various design elements.

If you include the salon’s interior design and furniture, expect to spend an average of $32,000.

Computer and POS system

A salon point-of-sale (POS) software lets you collect payments from clients and streamlines the entire operation of your business.

Benefits include:

Online scheduling software: Allows customers to conveniently schedule appointments any time of the day.
Built-in tipping feature: This tipping option improves tips for your stylists, and also boosting business profit as well.
Accessible checkout options: By using an integrated salon POS, customers have the choice to pay via credit, debit, and other payment options.

Signage

Creating unique signage for your salon is essential since it represents your brand. You can secure proper signage for as low as $23, but you can pay for more.

Responsive website

You need a responsive website to improve your visibility online and attract more clients. Expect to shell out between $300 to $700 for the initial build.

Operating cash

Remember that you also need cash at hand. So, you need to have at least $500 on the starting day of your business, and reserve enough money on normal business operations.

To Wrap It Up

The initial costs of starting your own salon business can be quite overwhelming. However, by proper planning, creating an efficient budget, and exploring ways to cut down costs, you can open up your salon business with more confidence.

How to Improve Your Customer Experience with User-Focused Web Design

March 8, 2019 Business

One of the vital elements of your marketing strategy is excellent web design. It creates a significant impact on the digital customer experience. Features such as usability, your site’s aesthetic appearance and more are critical factors that determine your company’s success.

However, design trends quickly come and go, making your site look outdated. Sometimes, a makeover for your website design is needed. If that’s the case, hiring a company that specializes in web design is ideal.

In this post, we’re going to discuss the different ways how you can dramatically improve customer experience through user-focused web design.

You’ll also learn about the different steps in boosting user satisfaction and ROI by utilizing several UX techniques and practices:

1. Website Appearance Is Important

As soon as users click on your web page, they have already formed an initial impression in mind. So if your site doesn’t fit to what they want to see (or it isn’t compelling enough,) they’ll bounce from your website. Chances are, they wouldn’t likely visit again.

That’s why first impressions do count.

Your site doesn’t have to be complex. However, you must ensure that it’s always updated and more accessible to visitors.

Ideally, it must have the following elements:

Responsive Design: For a more seamless appearance across all devices, you must pick a design that’s responsive from your desktop computer to your smartphone.
Bold Fonts: Include easy-to-read fonts and content that gives value to your readers.
Eye-Catching Images: Compelling visuals and imagery help to summarize the text. It also helps users absorb information quickly.
Multimedia: Adding interactive elements like videos, infographics, images, and GIFs helps convert visitors into leads and leads into conversions.

Aside from having an excellent design, strive for a site that’s unique and consistent.

2. Website Clarity Should Be Upfront

The importance of website clarity is pretty simple. It helps users find what they need, in the quickest way possible. It’s also gradually improved through the use of navigation tools.

Here are two practical ways on how you can improve the overall clarity of your site:

Breadcrumb: Breadcrumbs help visitors to find their way back home. Every single time they click on a new link, a breadcrumb will see to it that it links back to the previous page.
Drop-down Menu: Usually reflects content that separated into different categories, making it easier for products and services to be searched.

3. Provide Good Website Navigation Experience

The navigation of your site is how users will be able to explore and move through it. That’s why it needs to be intuitive and effortless as much as possible. The moment visitors get irritated and confused, you’ve already lost your chance in converting them.

Ideally, when users browse through your site’s menu, they should easily understand how your site is organized. They’ll also know what links to follow so that they can find what they’re looking for.

For instance, if you sell products, links to different kinds of products should be included in your drop-down menu. Meanwhile, if you’re a subscription-based service, a more appropriate thing to do is to add links to product categories and recurring subscriptions.

The bottom line is that it’s up to you ensure that your site visitors know where they’re going, and how they can find their way back.

4. Make Your Site Accessible Across All Devices

Over the last few years, mobile traffic has boomed worldwide. Last 2018, approximately 52.2 percent of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. Now that is has overtaken the number of desktop users, cannot afford not to have a mobile-optimized design.

While having a responsive web design has been overlooked for many years, it’s not the standard. Customers use it to measure and make conclusions on your site’s overall experience.

That’s why you need to be focused on creating an online experience that can adapt to any screen size ‒ making your site look aesthetically pleasing and function appropriately across any device.

5. Understand Customer Requirements

Here’s the thing, you need to have a clear concept of your customer’s requirements, as well as their browsing habits. Once you identify those needs, it’s easier for you to formulate a plan on how to fulfill them.

Integrate all forms of communication with your customers in a single database. Then carefully review those preferences.

For instance, most customers would want more personalized communication with your brand. They long for an emotional connection.

If you can deliver, more people will buy your products and services, and giving you more credibility in return. Creating positive emotions make them trust you more, encouraging them to come back in the future.

6. Utilize Human Faces On Your Design

According to research, the human eyes are drawn on instinct to photos with human faces.

When placed strategically, pictures with human faces help build stronger customer relationships with users.

For instance, in your About Us Page, show the human faces behind your brand. If you’re trying to sell something, you can include photos of a person interacting with your products. Doing so helps users relate to your products even more.

While making these changes are relatively simple, they can have profound effects on how customers will experience your website.

Using human faces might seem like an odd design principle, as it helps users relate with your brand more. While you can still use stock images, what works best is to use the photos of your team.

When you show the more human side of your brand, people are more comfortable getting in touch with you. It also goes a long way in establishing trust and fostering a positive relationship with your customers.

7. Improve Site Loading Time

Your site’s loading time is another crucial factor that has a significant impact not only on your site’s accessibility but also your overall rank on search engines. People are getting more and more impatient these days, so if your page takes more than 5 seconds to load, they’ll leave and move on to your competitors.

You can avoid this from happening to you by making a few practical changes:

Optimize your images so that you’ll gain maximum load speed with minimal wait times.
Add white space in your site’s overall design to speed up page loading times.
For various forms of multimedia such as images and video, disable the autoplay mode.

Strive for Better Conversion

In today’s ever-changing digital marketing landscape, your site is becoming a powerful tool. It acts as your 24/7 salesman and can become a vital asset in improving your marketing efforts.

Always remember that designing a website with excellent user experience requires a thorough understanding of users’ different problems and solving them. Making these simple tweaks can do wonders in improving your conversions.

Hopefully, you’ll have a better understanding of how web designs can impact the overall customer experience. However, web design is more on just the visual aspect. It’s still up to you on how you can make the entire customer experience a positive one.

Author Bio

Kenneth Sytian is the CEO of Sytian Productions a web design company in the Philippines. He has been designing websites and developing web apps for more than a decade. He is regarded as one of the top influencers in web design and development in the Philippines.

Tips to Boost Your E-Commerce Sales Through SEO

March 7, 2019 Business digital marketing, Online Marketing, SEO

Do you want your business to reach the upper echelon of profits and revenue generation? To make your E-commerce business to gain as much traction as possible, you have to follow a couple of tips that we have for you.
We interviewed one of the top SEO companies in the United States to give you 3 tips you can do on your own to better improve your ecommerce SEO conversion. Soderman contributes SEO strategies regularly on numerous sites, including Forbes. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Soderman Marketing is a full-service digital marketing company that specializes in SEO services for businesses of all sizes across the United States.

Built on the idea of creating affordable and effective SEO services for small businesses and large entities, their SEO experts and knowledgeable staff have helped hundreds of small businesses rank for the product and services they provide – allowing them to fully take back and capitalize on the online users searching for what they provide. Their small business clients rank #1 for some of the most competitive searches, in some of the most competitive areas. Their slogan is to “Fly Above Your Competition” and they do so by getting you the perfect customer organically.

So let’s get to what the tips are to get the best conversion rates for your brand:

1. Optimizing Pictures and Videos

The quality of the pictures and videos will influence how visitors will feel about your service or product. Pictures that catch attention get shares on different social networks and forums like Pinterest. If you use optimized images, you can pull in more traffic from Google image search. High-quality pictures pave the way for mental impact. You can optimize your images as well by seeing that the file name, caption, alt text etc. are short but descriptive. This helps search engines understand what content your image withholds. A/B test options is also another way. An amazing case study saw Nominal increase their conversion on their Arabic watch items by over 300% with simple optimization.

2. Managing Out-of-Stock Items

If the item that’s out of stock will come back later then keep the pages up instead of replacing, hiding or deleting them. Offer alternates to the initial product such as the newer versions, same ones in a different color, other products that match the quality and price etc.

Another key thing to keep in practice is that your website should inform the customers when the product is likely to be in stock again. A prospective buyer will wait a few days and order beforehand for the new stock. You can even offer them price reductions for when the fresh stocks arrive so that they are interested in buying them later.

3. Organizing Related Products on The Site

Metadata from your PIM makes sure that all items are presented are personalized, in stock and relevance. When visitors arrive on the product page, give them more options based on their cost, possible choice of products and persona of the buyer. If there’s a product that you think has the capability of being a best-seller or it’s something customers would love, then don’t position it where there are tons of other products huddled around it too.

What Are RTOs and How Can You Benefit from Them?

March 1, 2019 Business, Investments

RTOs (registered training organizations) are Australian privatized VET (vocational education and training) institutions, similar to government-ran TEFL. Due to the fact that they’re privately owned businesses, their owners see it in their best interest to meet the demands of the market. This means that they’re much quicker to adapt to educational trends in order to provide the highest quality of service. The best thing about RTO’s is the fact that they bring a series of benefits to RTO owners, attendees, the educational sector as a whole and a series of related industries. Here are several ways how.

Starting your own RTO

While, in theory, a lucrative business idea, getting the status of a registered training organization is not as easy as it may sound. You first need to be approved by ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) or its local (state-based) equivalent. In order to get there, you need to structure your organization, pay initial fees, make a satisfactory curriculum, hire trained and experienced teachers, as well as deliver some results. Other than this, you need to prove that you’re properly resourced and that your motivation is to provide quality training to your attendees, not just make a profit. All of this is harder than it looks but it’s definitely worth your while.

Benefits of RTOs for businesses

Perhaps the biggest advantage that RTOs provide is the one for businesses in forms of structuring organizations, providing consistent results and preparing people for highly specialized positions. As a business owner, you might have to groom some of your employees for different positions, unless you want to outsource all except your sales and production. This is why you need collaboration with an RTO or a number of them. The best thing about his is the fact that it allows you to make your grooming process systemic, thus making your organization impeccable.

Related industries

In the introduction, we talked about the fact that RTOs, as a phenomenon, seems to help a number of industries grow. The first thing we’ve mentioned is the educational sector. Due to the fact that almost 2 million people in Australia are currently enlisted in various RTOs, it’s more than obvious that there’s a growing demand for skilled and experienced teachers and tutors. Other than this, businesses like TotalVET Training Resources, that specialize in providing learning materials for people enlisted in various RTOs, also seem to be thriving. All of this contributes to a stronger education system and leaves one with a much greater number of opportunities.

A chance for self-improvement

One advantage that RTOs have over traditional education is the fact that they provide specialized courses that revolve around applicable knowledge. They’re not there to grade you and certify you but teach you how to handle the task/field that you were interested in, to begin with. Also, they have a much more focused curriculum, which gives you an opportunity to get much more for your money’s worth. Keep in mind that this is not just an amazing opportunity for you to advance at your current job or become more skilled at it. It can also be used to prepare you for a lateral career shift, should you choose to look for a more lucrative, yet, somewhat unrelated job.

In conclusion

As you can see, regardless of the role or position that you’re in, there’s always a way in which you can benefit from the RTO. This ability to benefit individual, organizations and economy as a whole is what makes them so unique in this field. For this reason alone, the future of ROT and related industries looks quite bright from this standpoint.