5 Aspects Every Startup Needs to be Successful

Ask any seasoned entrepreneur and they will confirm that in order for a business venture to be successful, many things need to be in place, and when everything is connected and the business plan is professionally implemented, you can gradually establish your market share. Here are a few essential aspects of a new enterprise that need to be in place.

1. The Business Plan – If you thought a business plan was exclusively for sourcing investors, think again. Your business plan is the framework for the project and should address every aspect of the business; marketing, accounting, startup and running costs, plus profit forecasts for the first 5 years. A comprehensive business plan might be 25-30 pages in length and when you are happy with it, let a business guru take a look, and they would likely find a few issues that need to be addressed. This should be the very first thing you do, and if you haven’t got the capital to make it work, take out a business startup loan, which you can pay off gradually.
2. Digital Marketing – Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is an optional extra, it most certainly is not – without SEO services, you will not get sufficient web traffic to break even – and as the services need to be ongoing, factor the monthly service into your running costs. The current Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many consumers online, all the more reason to have your website optimised for Google searches, which is something for a specialist SEO agency to handle.
3. Essential Resources – You will need some form of office space, which might be the spare room or garage, and you will need a good Desktop PC, which you can acquire at jib.co.th/web/, the go-to people for all kinds of IT equipment. List all the essential items you need to get the business off the ground, and make sure you have the capital to acquire them all, and never forget that outsourcing is always an option. Business cards, letterheads and flyers can all be done by a local printer, which eliminates the need for laser printing hardware, and prior to doing anything, you need to crunch the numbers to ensure you have the funds you need.
4. The Right Mindset – Launching a business demands the right mindset; a positive outlook and lots of enthusiasm are essential, and with a ‘can do’ attitude, don’t listen to those who say you’ll never make it. You will face many obstacles, of that you can be sure, and if you have a strong belief that your products or services are top quality, this should fuel you through the difficult times. Be realistic and plan for every eventuality, and be prepared to work round the clock to make your mark, which will probably be required if you are to succeed. If your new business is e-commerce, here is a great e-commerce checklist to ensure nothing is overlooked.
5. Organisation – You should create a flowchart that shows how your organisation works, and if it is truly a one-man show, you will need to delegate at some point. Make the best use of state-of-the-art business software, as this takes the headache out of bookkeeping and other administrative aspects of the business, and it will allow you to focus your energy on improving the customer experience. Make plans for business expansion, as your digital marketing plan will be aiming to drive traffic to your digital platform, so do make provisions for high volumes of orders. If you concentrate on refining the customer experience, this will always lead to growth, and whatever your chosen industry, you will have a lot of competition. Here are some UK government guidelines on setting up a business, which is an informative read.

Once you are sure that your business idea is realistic, start putting together your business plan, which is the foundation for a successful startup, then crunch the numbers to see if you have the finances to make it happen. The rest is all about hard work and determination, and with an aggressive digital marketing plan that is implemented by professionals, you are sure to get your message out to the right people.

While positivity is a great asset, it is important to be realistic, and don’t be afraid to bounce ideas off friends and family, as this can help your concept to take shape. It is worth noting that every single successful business began as an idea in someone’s head, and if you are unsure about anything, seek advice from the experts, who are always happy to help. You can play devil’s advocate and try to pick holes in your own business plan, which often reveals a potential weakness, then you can plan for every eventuality.

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2020 Engineering Services Market Trend/Forecast

The stability of work and enterprise has taken a few hits in 2020 but it’s not all doom and gloom for many industries. Engineering in particular has a bright future to look forward to.

Engineering services, ranging from aerospace to automotive to telecommunications, has a lot to offer a world that is hungry for boosts to infrastructure and technology.

Where does that leave those looking to reap the benefits of engineering’s desirable position? Let’s dive deep into what the market forecast for 2020 and beyond looks like for the engineering industry. 

Breaking Down the Big Forecast of Engineering Services in 2020

Where exactly are engineering services heating up? Here are five major trends to look forward to in 2020. 

1. Boons in the Markets of Civil Engineering

Civil engineering covers streets and infrastructure for the day-to-day running of cities and countries. As the push toward higher rates of urbanization grows all across the world, city infrastructure needs a massive overhaul.

China and India, with their heavy populations, are at the top of the pile for demand in urban expansion projects. This also includes major projects to private sectors such as healthcare facilities, business sky-rises, and educational infrastructure.

2. Demand for Environmentally-Friendly Engineering

With heavy talks of climate change, a push for environmentally-friendly engineering solutions is a big topic. This includes material changes, better power routing and structures, and installation of solar and wind generators. 

This will be a dynamic push across all facets of engineering, either in the final product or in the production of said product, often both. Pushing this as a sales point will help some companies succeed where others may falter. 

This puts manufacturers of products in the limelight, as a chance to craft better products with less impact will be key. From 3D printing to extrusion and more, manufacturing has some powerful opportunities to step up to the plate.

3. Asia-Pacific Market Booms

Due to the large influx of infrastructure change in both India and China, the Asia-Pacific market is taking in a massive increase in engineering projects. 

This boom in infrastructure includes airports and places of business, attracting many other industries to expand into new markets across Asia. 

4. Competitive Mergers

Engineering has had a competitive marketplace due to several big corporate giants such as AECOM, Bechtel Corporation, and Kiewit Corporation. Competitive mergers and alliances have been rising in recent years, shaping the global engineering industries as a whole.

Many of these mergers and alliances focus around large, singular projects. Projects like the 5.1 mile of US 70 in North Carolina that underwent some positive changes to improve traffic from Balfour Beatty. 

5. Growth in Aviation and Robotics

Outside of the infrastructure of new roads and city planning, the biggest winners for engineering has been both aerospace aviation and robotics. 

India pushes for over 100 new airports across its country, a foundation for the massive expansion of international aviation travel. New airports also boost infrastructure in the area, making collaborations with other companies, like the alliances noted above, a powerful move.

Robotics has been the hot trend for a long while now. From manufacturing to the service industry, the newest elements of robotics are still on everyone’s lips. 

Keeping Connected in Business and More

Engineering services will always have some level of demand in a world of infrastructure and technology. The boons to engineering here come from a unique place of restructuring around the world. As the world grows, engineering will be a pinnacle to support it. From startups to marketing, we here at Feedster have a finger on the pulse of where business can lead you. Check out our other articles today to keep up!

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Business Struggling Due to COVID-19? 4 Tips to Help Stay Afloat

The immense shift in business due to the Coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of small businesses to close. There simply was not enough capital for some businesses to survive. The operation costs at a business like a restaurant can put the owner in a hole financially in a matter of a month or two. Other businesses had better luck as they could allow employees to work from home for extended periods.

Create New Streams of Revenue

The number of restaurants that offer takeout or delivery is higher than ever before. There were even 5-star restaurants that offered this in New York City as a new form of revenue. A digital marketing company might offer social media services if they primarily focus on web design or online advertising. The same company could open an ecommerce store utilizing drop shipping as they understand how to market it. The overhead can be extremely low on this project when utilizing drop shipping. In today’s digital world it is easier than ever for some businesses to offer new services or products.

Reduce Costs Where Possible

Reducing costs is going to be extremely important going into the future. These costs can include rent, contractor payments, and other monthly/quarterly bills. You can give work to employees to do off of the clock that you would give to contractors. This can give them added income during this time as many people are staying at home with plenty of free time. Freelancers can be a huge help during this time if you had to let go of employees due to financial reasons. Being able to lower costs by a few thousand dollars a month can allow a small business to squeak by until the world economy recovers.

Furlough Employees Where Possible

There are a number of furloughed employees that will return to work in the near future. A number of companies reduced the salaries of employees by a certain percentage. There were so many professionals that were simply happy to have a job during this period. A business that brings employees back shows loyalty to those that helped them in the past. Letting employees go permanently might be the only option depending on the circumstance. Revenue generating positions should be prioritized during this time like sales, marketing, and production.

Look into the Paycheck Protection Program

The federal government created the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses survive this unexpected time in history. The next round of funding will be available once a second stimulus package is approved. Taking a look at a PPP loan database will allow you to see how much your business qualifies for. This loan can even be forgiven to a certain point which makes it a great opportunity for small businesses.

Businesses that were otherwise stable have been rocked by the pandemic. The management of money for businesses will change as emergency funds are going to be far more prevalent. Growing businesses will be done in a more cautious way as expanding then encountering another pandemic is a recipe for disaster. Utilize the tips above to help your business survive this uncertain time.

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How To Start A Corporation In California

Although certain business structures might suit the needs of both the business and the owner in a host of different ways, it’s always good to be well-informed about what a corporation is and how you can start one. Although the following will only cover how to start a corporation in California, we can briefly review what a corporation is and how the structure is different from that of Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Partnerships, and nonprofits.

What is a Corporation?

Depending on the state in which you reside and local regulations and business law, a corporation by definition is a legal entity that is identified by both state and federal entities. Corporations are open to being taxed, but in recent times, more questions have been raised about “double taxation.” This means that both person(s), officers, owners, and shareholders will be taxed on their profits received from the corporation, and the corporation will be taxed as well.

Federal law sees a corporation as a separate and legal structure that can undergo juridical means if needed, such as being sued, suing other companies or individuals, and being personally liable for any debts amounted by the corporation.

California offers great benefits for those looking to form a new corporation. Read more in our extensive online guide.

Here is a concise step-by-step guide on how to form a corporation in California

Step One

Name or create a new name for your corporation

Following certain naming guidelines and rules outlined by the State will ensure that your new name complies with the requirements. Some requirements include that your new name must contain the word, ‘corporation,’ ‘company,’ ‘incorporated,’ ‘limited,’ or perhaps the abbreviated version thereof.

Additionally, your new corporation name cannot be that of which is already registered and filed with the Secretary of State, which is why a full name search on California’s SunBiz Website is needed beforehand.

You can also name search with the Secretary of State, or perhaps make a reservation for a chosen name for a fee of $10. The reservation will be active for 60 days.

Step Two

Assign a California Registered Agent

A registered agent or service of process is a named individual, company, or third-party who will be responsible for all legal and tax documents, filing, and liaise between the business and government entities. A registered agent is required in the state of California, and thus it is important that you choose or assign a trusted individual or third-party.

Your registered agent will represent your business or corporation on your behalf in California, and it should in some cases be someone who is resident within the state.

Step Three

Choose Initial Directors

Directors of any corporation in California are responsible for the adoption, amendment, and repeal of the operational bylaws. More so, directors also oversee the election and removal of officers. For your new corporation, state laws require you to assign an initial director, who will act on behalf of your corporation until its first shareholder meeting is conducted.

Depending on how big the corporation is, and the number of directors, it’s important to note that all names, and addresses od directors should be captured in your California corporation record books.

Step Four

File the Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State

After you have completed your “Incorporator Statement” and have compiled the necessary documentation, you can now file your articles of incorporation.

Your files of incorporation should include your corporate name and primary address, service of process agent and street address, incorporator name and address, and the number of authorized shares the corporation will issue.

Additionally, your articles of incorporation for your California corporation will also need to disclose some other, more basic business details and information. The filing fee is $100 and can be mailed or in-person delivered to the Secretary of State. For more information on local guidelines and regulations, visit the SunBiz website. 

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Work Overwhelming You? 4 Self-Care Tips to Stay Productive During this Tough Time

Working long hours with high expectations can become overwhelming over a period of time. People that want to advance in their career see these long hours as a rite of passage. Staying productive even when you are overwhelmed is going to be a challenge. Managing your stress is going to be paramount and keeping things in perspective is essential. Taking a proactive approach in terms of your career will help you avoid those stressful circumstances where you are rushing to hit a deadline. The following are tips to stay productive even during the toughest times that you have professionally.

Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly is very important when you are stressed as it can help relieve the stress. Being able to relieve stress while becoming healthier physically is a win-win scenario. Putting in headphones can allow you to drown out all of that outside noise. The added benefit of headphones is you can avoid those chatty gym patrons that seem to interrupt workouts time after time.

Focus on Getting Consistent Quality Sleep

Putting a focus on getting your sleep schedule organized needs to be done. Sleep allows the body and mind to recover after long days whether you had issues personally or professionally. Set a time that you will go to bed and turn off all devices prior to bed to avoid distraction. There are light filters on mobile devices that can allow you to use these without impacting your sleep negatively. Avoid using alcohol to fall asleep as while it makes falling asleep easier, it also decreases your quality of sleep immensely.

Get a Massage or Visit an Acupuncturist

Getting a massage can be one of the most relaxing things that you can do with an hour. Acupuncture and acupressure is another option that has been utilized for centuries around the world. Take a look online to see the top professionals in your area as online reviews can be extremely useful. Being able to feel the stress leave your body can turn seeing a masseuse or acupuncturist weekly into the ultimate form of self-care.

Schedule Out Time to Relax

There should be time daily that you set aside for yourself especially during stressful times professionally. This can be a few hours in the morning or after work where you turn off your device. Turning off notifications is also wise as unplugging can allow you to feel like you are truly getting a break. You can do something that you truly enjoy at this time whether it is watching reality TV or browsing social media. We all have guilty pleasures that we can indulge in regularly regardless of what they are.

Do not let work overwhelm you by keeping things in perspective. Some jobs are just stepping stones to your final goal so keep this in mind. Put your best foot forward when it comes to your job without sacrificing your mental or physical health.

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Honolulu Rail’s Future Uncertain as Finances Sour

Honolulu rail is digging a deeper hole as board members worried about the current uncertainties crowding the public works project, which is the company’s largest-ever executed.

The city missed its latest deadline two weeks ago, and so far, there hasn’t been a clear reward for going ahead with a private-public partnership.

The deal has been pursued for the past two years, as board members have continued to reassure the public that this is the best way to spend their money.

The deal was originally supposed to be implemented in September, but that date has come and gone.

Terrence Lee, Vice Chairman of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Board, said that we have to be prepared for this type of partnership not to be successful on Thursday.

Huge Shortfall Seen as a Result of Pandemic

There has been a shortfall of $450 million in the project ever since COVID first started to affect the local economy. Currently, costs are estimated to reach as much as $9.1 billion.

Most local economies are reeling from the current pandemic, even as lockdown restrictions begin to ease. There are plenty of people struggling to find a way to pay rent, overhead, and bills as businesses have been forced to close for months now.

The unpredictable economic climate means that many have lost more than they anticipated. This might cause a gap between existing funds and current costs.

If this is the case, personal and title loans can help bridge that gap. Look up ‘title loans near me’ for more information.

Lee continues by wondering how HART is going to get out of this financial hole that they have found themselves in.

Legislature Not in it For the Third Time

Lee says that he’s not feeling optimistic about the idea of Legislature providing a bailout for the rail for the third time. He is wondering whether the issue will have to sit on ice until a new mayor is elected.

Toby Martyn, Board Chairman of HART, says that there haven’t been any serious conversations about how to bridge the gap for the shortfall as far as he is aware.

Other than the legislature stepping in, he says that the only way to make it up would be for the city to chip in and cover the additional costs.

Government Might Be There in the End

There is a small chance that the government is slated to pass another large-scale relief bill for states and cities nationwide. It would be similar to the CARES act, and it would include funding for capital projects like the rail construction and management.

If the deal still went through and was half publicly funded, half privately funded, then a private company would build the final 4.1 miles of transit line and the eight stations that lead to the Ala Moana Center.

The work that the private firm would be responsible for is estimated to cost $1.4 billion alone. 

While the board doesn’t oversee the joint development, it still meets to discuss the process regardless. Hopefully, by the end of the day, it will be clear what direction to take it.

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How to Choose Between a Sole Proprietorship and an LLC

It can sometimes be tricky deciding on what business structure to go for your business and how it can benefit you. It can also be daunting to understand what the differences are between business structures, especially what a sole proprietor and LLC is. That is why we have gone into detail in this article in order to give new business owners a clearer mind, in order to make the right decision.

Sole Proprietor vs LLC

A very common comparison is sole proprietor vs LLC, as there is so much information to compare against each other. To start with, a sole proprietor is an individual who is personally tied to an informal unincorporated business and an LLC is a type of business structure that doesn’t legally tie the business owners to the business, but actually protects them. This means that sole proprietors are at a higher risk of losing their personal assets, since it is the same as their professional assets, whereas LLC companies are able to protect their assets, by separating them.

What’s the benefit of being a sole proprietor?

The main benefit of sole proprietorship vs LLC is that you have very little spending costs for running a business. A sole proprietor business has to have a small client base in order to be able to reduce any risks or losses for the business. This then means that you are only required to pay the financial costs to run a business online or physically, which is very minimal. Another benefit is that you can use a fictitious name to operate under, by registering a DBA (Doing Business As). This also means that you can open up a business bank account under the fictitious name.

What is the disadvantage of being a sole proprietor?

There are many disadvantages as a sole proprietor is that you are personally liable for any damages or losses that your business receives and you are most likely to pay a higher tax rate, since you won’t benefit from any incentives. If you are looking for your business to grow, this won’t happen as a sole proprietor, since it is created as a business structure for a limited clientele base.

LLC vs Sole Proprietor

The main advantage of  LLC vs sole proprietorship is that it can bring credibility to your company and it is not needed to use your personal name for your business, whereas for a sole proprietor it is if they don’t register a DBA. You also have beneficial incentives for taxes and you are able to obtain an EIN number (Employment Identification Number) in order to higher employees and expand your business in many ways.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Another reason why an LLC vs sole proprietor is advantageous is that you can protect the reputation of your company and have a hired registered agent who can handle any lawsuits discreetly and helps out with all the legal paperwork and annual tax reporting. LLC business owners have a separate bank account, meaning that their personal and professional assets are both separated and protected.

However, a disadvantage for LLC business owners are the high costs and fees that are needed to run a business smoothly and have a healthy cash flow without any damages. This can be challenging for businesses.

Our say

It is very important for the business owner to have a clear understanding and goal as to what they want to achieve from their business. If they are looking to set up a small business that is specialised in a certain skill or hobby such as photography or pottery, they would be suited to a sole proprietorship business structure. However, if the business owner is looking to grow and expand to a huge clientele with a certain product or service, then it is suitable to choose an LLC business structure.

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How to start a startup

First of all, what is a startup?

A startup is a company typically in the early stages of its development.

“A startup is a company working to solve a problem where the solution is not obvious and success is not guaranteed”, said Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker.

Starting your own business, in other words, being an entrepreneur is really a great decision in your life. The most obvious advantage of having your own business is the possibility of becoming your own boss. The startup entrepreneurship mainly focuses on Entrepreneurship as well as innovation and creativity. It leads to the process of developing a startup from a small idea.

This article has explained 10 factors about how to start your own business.

1. Understand the Challenges and make a business plan

As an entrepreneur, you need to dedicate time, resources and energy to start and grow a business. Understanding the challenges is also an important thing. Let’s see what are the challenges for startup businesses.

• Coming up with a great business plan
• Select the best startup name
• Managing your time and resources efficiently
• Having enough capital and cash flow
• Coming up with unique and high quality products
• Find trustworthy employees
• Not getting discouraged by failures
• Retain happy and loyal customers and expand the new customer base

There will be more challenges other than these. You need the courage to overcome these challenges.

Another thing is to make a great business plan. You will be able to get significant benefits from a proper business plan. So, how to write a business plan? In simple words, a business plan is a description of your startup company’s future. It explains the things you want to do and how you are going to do.

Here are the startup business planning tips.

1. Research your target market thoroughly
2. Identify your competitors
3. Identify your audience
4. Get your financial information correctly
5. Have evidence to back up any claim that you make
6. Be realistic with the time and available resources
7. Be logical
8. Implement your business plan properly

Let your business plan be the first thing on launching your startup process because it will affect the whole future of your business.

2. Come up with a catchy business name

It will be more meaningful if you evaluate your startup name. It’s not compulsory to evaluate your name, but if you do, there will be more benefits. You can check whether your startup name is brandable or not according to brand name qualities.

Selecting the best startup name is one of the most important factors for startup companies. Your name is like the backbone of your business because it can either make you successful or make you fail. You should have a catchy business name which can attract customers easily.

A perfect startup/brand name always comes up with brand name qualities. If your brand name consists of brand name qualities you can easily attract customers’ attention. Sometimes your happy customers act as your clients. They spread good word of mouth of your business if you have a quality brand name. So that you can retain loyal customers and expand your new customer base.

Let’s look for what are the brand name qualities.

• Uniqueness – ownership of the .com domain
• Simplicity – high vocabulary score value
• Easily pronounceable – Can be spelled by Voice Assistant
• High memorization power
• Having the best fit character count (range of 4-6 )
• Exclude numbers or special characters
• Easy to spell and write
• Check the legal availability
• Don’t use dictionary words
• Don’t imitate other brands
• Avoid words which have negative connotations in other languages
• Use a single word

You must select a name that you love to use. Because if you are unhappy with your startup name you will regret it and it will affect your behavior and the way you run the business.

3. Protect Your Personal Assets

In order to start your own business, you need enough capital. Cost of startup varies from industry to industry and business to startup. So, you will need more or less capital depending on your startup ideas.

Roughly 80% of startup businesses fail because of cash flow problems. Your business plan should contain a financial plan which includes,

• Sales forecast
• Balance sheet
• Cash-flow statement
• Profit and loss statement

If you don’t have enough capital, you have other options. You can look for bank loans but banks are hardly likely to give large amounts of money to new businesses with no income or assets. So, I guess the best way to look for funds is, finding investors. Investors can be Friends, Family, Venture capitalists or Angel investors. But the thing is, you must proceed carefully.

If you assure the right funding, you can move to the next step of launching your startup company.

There is one more thing. If you are suffering from not having fantastic capital at the beginning, don’t worry. You are not the only one. There are 75% entrepreneurs who have launched their startups without having even a rented office. Some of them have started their journey from college dorms. But now they are the giants in the industry. Because “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

4. Surround yourself with the right people

If you are going to start your company with co-founders, at the first you should agree to details of your business relationship. Roles and responsibilities of the founders, How is the equity split among the founders, How much time commitment to the business is expected of each founder, What is the overall goal and vision for the business, are some deals that should be in the agreement.

Also, you need some staff and managers to run your startup company. Hiring for startups can be harder because of the limited cash flow of the startup. If you hire the wrong employee it will be an additional cost. Trustworthy employees are the most important factor for a successful business. So, you must be careful when hiring employees.

Let’s look into some tips to find the best employees.

• Consider about hiring remote employees
• Build your company with a great mission and vision so that best talented employees will come to you
• Hire people who can be supporters
• Make  great place to work
• Hold onto your existing talent

5. Find the best location

Finding the right location is another important factor which will be critical to your success. Most new businesses fail as a result of the wrong location. It’s better if you think about the location of your startup business from your customers’ point of view.

Let’s look for some tips to select the best location for your startup.

• Know your business well
• Identify and understand your customers well
• Investigate the community
• Do a competitive analysis
• Assess the building
• Balance the cost

6. Determine your legal business structure

When registering your startup, first of all, you need to decide what type of entity it is. In case something goes wrong, your business structure legally affects everything from how you file your taxes to your personal responsibility.

The simplest form of business entity is sole proprietorship. That is one person is responsible for all company’s profits and debts. If you want to be responsible for all debts you can register for a sole proprietorship. But this can affect your personal credit directly.

Another entity type is Partnership, that is, owned by two or more individuals. Partners held personally liable as business owners. Here, you need a partnership agreement. Usually it’s a smart idea to bring someone in the mix to help the company prosper.

If you form a corporation you will be able to separate your personal liability from your company’s liability. Corporations can own property, assume liability, pay taxes, enter contracts, sue and be sued like any other individual.

Most common structure for small business ideas is LLC (Limited Liability Corporation). It is a hybrid structure that enables owners to limit their personal liabilities while allowing for the tax benefits.

You should decide the best legal entity for your startup business.

7. Build a great website and brand yourself and advertise

Your startup company needs a web address as well. With the technological revolution, dealing with the virtual world has now become the usual habit of people. When it comes to finding information about something automatically we start surfing throughout the internet. It’s a better idea if you develop a website at the beginning. If users search your business through the web, you should show them that you exist.

Let’s see why you need a website.

• People are searching for you online. You should show them your existence.
• Currently, consumers don’t consider businesses without websites.
• Most of the users try to engage with the business online
• 75 percent of people tend to judging the reputation of a business based on the design of a website
• You need to answer the questions like , Who are you?, What do you do/offer? How do I contact you?, quickly.
• Showcasing your brand to your prospective customers.
• Once you’re online and have an SEO-optimized website, you have a chance of showing up in Google search results.
• Saving You Time + Customer Service
• Since your website is on 24/7, it’s easy to post updates and announcements to your customers
• Digital Marketing

8. Build a customer base

Once you open the business to the world, the first thing is you need your customers to purchase things. But it is not the only thing. You should make loyal customers as well as you need to expand your new customer base. To do that you need to satisfy your customers and make your customers come back. Without any obligations, the principal to satisfy your customers is providing the best customer service.

And your startup name also affects how to build the customer base. You need a simple name for your business which can attract customers’ minds. Sometimes your happy customers act as your clients. They spread good word of mouth of your business. If your startup name is a tongue twister it will directly affect the budding customer base.

9. Prepare for anything

Your path to success will not be easy at all times. Have faith in the process, take risks, rediscover your challenges, and improvise to get results. It’s not like you can’t be successful, of course you can. But the thing is you need to have the courage. You will have to commit time and other things. And the main thing is  don’t step down by mistakes and failures. Try to learn from your own mistakes. Have trust in yourself. Get yourself prepared for anything. Expect the unexpected. If You Do Not Believe in You, Who Else Will?

10. Grow your business

As an entrepreneur, the first sale is the beginning of your journey. In order to make profit you need to be growing your business. You have to commit your time and effort, but at the end you will take out from your business what you put into it.

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How To Choose A Crib For Your Baby

Choosing a crib for a baby is a significant concern since it’s likely going to be your baby’s bed for at least a few years. With the constant threat of SIDS being a danger to newborns, your choice of a crib may be able to help babies avoid that issue. Unfortunately, there’s no hard-and-fast rule as to how to choose a crib. You want something that’ll both keep your baby safe and ensure that he or she can enjoy their sleeping time. You don’t want it put in a room that isn’t conducive to resting either. That’s why, when choosing a crib, you’ll have to select a spot in your house where your baby can fall asleep. In this article, we’ll look at the considerations you should have in choosing a crib for your baby.

Finding the Right Room

Where is the best place for a baby to sleep? While you might want to keep your baby close by, they should have a spot to themselves. The room they’re in should be well-ventilated, which means you should get a fan. Medical Xpress notes that having a fan on a baby reduces the chance of SIDS by 72%. The room temperature should be between 65 and 70 degrees to create the perfect sleeping temperature for a baby. Finally, the crib should remain uncluttered. A cluttered crib can distract the baby in the best case, and lead to them rolling into something and damaging themselves while they sleep in the worst case.

Soft quilted mattresses are soft and supportive, but they may be the wrong choice for a baby. Their softness can lead to suffocation of the baby rolls over onto their fronts. You may want to avoid these soft bedding choices.

Crib Choice Considerations

While you shouldn’t focus on the brand name, one of the qualifications your crib should have is a tag showing its dedication to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). According to the JPMA, the safety standards that the organization sets forward are based on international ASTM standards. This standards-based approach ensures that materials and measurements meet the international engineering levels for safety. When it comes to your baby, having a structurally sound crib isn’t just a consideration. It should be the rule. No parent wants their child to be left in a crib that isn’t secure.

When installing the crib, if it requires mounting, always follow the instructions as closely as possible. If the crib is shaky or seems unstable after your effort, look through your work. There’s likely one or more parts that you missed or installed incorrectly. If worst comes to worst, you can always use the customer service line to get some help installing it the right way around.

Most cribs offer a decent height off the ground. You don’t want a height that’s so tall that you can’t reach in and get your baby from it. The majority of commercial cribs are assembled to be around waist height, allowing easy access to the child inside the enclosure. Some of the more modern cribs come with an option for lowering or raising the crib height. If you have a variety of heights in the family, this may be an option you want to explore.

A crib’s slats need to be a certain width to ensure that the baby doesn’t inadvertently slide between the bars or become caught in them. The ideal width should be about as wide as a soda can. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) mentions that the width between slats in a crib should be no more than two and three-eighths of an inch apart. The corner posts should similarly have a defined height. Anything that extends more than 1/16 of an inch above the crib’s height is a hazard for getting the baby’s clothes caught on it.

Bedding Considerations

Bedding for a baby is very simple. The only thing that a baby really requires is a waterproof pad along with a soft, tightly-fitted bottom sheet. High-count woven cotton, knit cotton, or flannel are all excellent bedding options for a baby. Ideally, you should have between three and four chances of bedding for baby, so that there’s always one available while the others are being washed. Before installing the bedding the first time, it should also be washed to remove any harsh chemicals that may irritate the baby’s sensitive skin.

Making the Right Choices

Your baby’s health and well-being are in your hands, and because of that, you need the information to make the best choices. You don’t want to buy the first Franklink & Ben crib you come across. This choice is a decision that should take you some time because the well-being of your baby depends on it. As a parent, you’re responsible for this little one’s comfort. It would be best if you took that responsibility seriously.

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Expanding Your Real Estate Business: Should You Hire a Transaction Coordinator?

If you are looking to expand your real estate business, you could consider hiring a transaction coordinator.

Once you have ratified a contract between a buyer and seller, a transaction coordinator can take over to handle everything from the communication between parties to the management of Escrow and the deal’s closing.

Hiring a transaction coordinator can be a great first step in expanding your firm, so let’s take a look at the advantages of adding this professional to your real estate team.

Another Pair of Eyes Will Help You to Achieve Smooth Sales

If you hate handling paperwork, you will dislike a large part of your professional life as a real estate agent. Contracts in the real estate industry are long and complicated with multiple disclosures.

So, it can be frustrating and take a long time, to handle paperwork accordingly and ensure you do not miss deadlines or an appointment with a client in town on short notice.

By hiring a transaction coordinator business professional to look over contracts, you can avoid costly mistakes.

A transaction coordinator will ensure that all compliance and dates are met, and check to see that everything is in place for sales to be delivered and closed on time.

You Will Gain More Free Time to Take Your Business to the Next Level

By getting a transaction coordinator on board, you will have more time to spend on other areas of your business (like real estate investing) instead of having to handle every element and issue of a contract up to its close.

With someone else to do the work on your behalf, you will have fewer interruptions and be more in control of your time.

Once you hire a transaction coordinator, he or she can review contracts for compliance and perform all actions and communications throughout the sale process from clients, lenders, insurers, and so on.

With a huge chunk of your tasks and duties in the safe hands of a professional transaction coordinator, you can move on to finding new clients and securing new contracts.

You Do Not Need to Waste Time and Resources on Hiring Admin Assistants

One of the first steps to take in expanding any business is to hire more staff. However, some real estate agents believe the best approach is to hire and train an admin assistant.

The truth is it is difficult to find an unqualified person who can learn the real estate business quickly. As you will already know, it takes time to master the many nuances and details of real estate contracts and transactions.

So, hiring and training someone with no or little expertise can take up a lot of your valuable time, especially if you end up hiring and losing assistants in quick succession.

If you really want to expand your business, you need to have the time to spend on those expansion areas, so it is imperative you hire someone who knows precisely what they are doing.

A transaction coordinator already knows contracts inside out and has the systems in place to deal with them professionally.

Hiring a Transaction Coordinator Can Increase Your Income

There are many reasons for wishing to expand a business, but ultimately, the main reason for expansion is always to generate more income.

Quite simply, the more professionals you have on board to help you close sales, the more revenue you can create. Sure, you will have to pay your transaction coordinator their fees, but every business person knows it takes money to make money.

It will be more than worth investing in a transaction coordinator if it means you can double your number of closings each month. Double your closings, and you can double your income.

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Destiny 2 Boost: Dark Age Arsenal Triumph

Destiny 2 is a free online-only multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie on the 6th of September, 2017.

The game is released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and is a sequel to the original Destiny released in 2014. It is set in a fictional scenario within a shared world environment consisting of role-playing elements.

The Destiny 2 provides two game types, the PvP (Player versus Player) and PvE ( Player Verdi’s Environment). The game features regular story missions with three-player strikes and six-player raids.

The new activities within the game will emphasize exploring different planets while interacting with the non-player characters (NPCs).

The PvP game type will feature an objective-based mode along with the traditional deathmatch game modes. Upon its release, the game received positive criticism for its improvements over its predecessor.

It was praised for engaging players with a more powerful story, and the presence of an actual fleshed out villain.

If you want to know anything regarding Destiny 2, you can visit the website LFcarry.com. This will provide you information and guidance about anything within the game, getting you where you want to go.

If you wish to acquire some hard-to-earn items or are a beginner, LFcarry is always there to help you.

Showing a desire for a competitive scene within the game community, the developers have provided various new raids and strikes to keep up with the most elite players.

Through the LFcarry site, you will complete multiple events within the game with some of the best pro players available. They will guide you throughout the game until you reach your goal.

One such example is completing the Dark Age Arsenal Triumph quickly and easily with professional players’ help. This is how it will work:

• You will first need to contact the website via the chat option in the lfcarry for Dark Age Arsenal Triumph and inform them of your progress, after which a custom deal will be set up just for you.
• You can choose a preferred schedule and fill in the required details; after you checkout, you will receive a link to your account.
• A secure private chat will be created to share the minimum required information according to which a pro will be assigned.
• You will be updated for each session and can check the real-time progress.
• The Pro will then complete the task given.
• If the task done is up to your satisfaction, then only the pro will be paid.

Conclusion:

Completing the Dark Age Arsenal will get you the Dark Age Arsenal Triumph, experience with seasonal arrogant, infamy points, any weapon drops, and bring you one step closer to the Dredgen Title.

You can buy the Dark Age in Destiny 2 from LFcarry, and the pros will help you complete the Dark Age Arsenal Triumph.

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Used Cars With a Damaged History: What to Do?

During the purchase of the used car, the most important factor to address is whether the car is involved in an accident. It also includes if there are some major repairs done on it.

Why is this an important issue? The reason is that it can make your colossal investment either worse if you fail to identify the damage before purchasing a used car.

Subsequently, it can be worth it if you know about exploring the damage record of the used car.

Most of the buyers shop the used cars based on their allocated budget. All of them have a common wish that the car must not be involved in any damage.

Conversely, car accidents that can affect the look of the car and compromise its authenticity. The buyer will be shocked to see the significant damage history of the car. It could merely result in affecting the injunction of the buyer to purchase the car.

Therefore to check that the used car has a damaged history, you must go through the following steps.

Inspection of the damage

Most people don’t realize that the damage history of the car must not be a deal-breaker as long as it is appropriately framed. This can turn into an opportunity for the buyer to inspect for the car’s records. One must analyze the damage history of the car itself.

Well, If you want to get the clear records for the car you wish to buy, then you can check it through an online vehicle history check platform. It assists you with all the essential information regarding the car.  

This online platform will guide you about all the information that is necessary for making your choice best in purchasing a used car.

If you know the previous records of the car damage, then it will be feasible for you to make an authentic decision regarding the purchase of your car. 

Using the damage of the car as an opportunity

If a person has a taste of buying a luxury or an economy brand of a used car, then analyzing the damage in the car can be an opportunity that you are looking for. If there is any accidental damage done to the vehicle, then it is sure that it will impact the price of the car negatively. No matter if the repairs are done correctly, still the value of the car will be depreciated to a great extent.

If you buy anything in the market, the priority in your mind is its genuineness. The same concept is utilized in the perspective of a used car. If the used car is involved in any accidental damage, then it will consequently affect the decision of your purchasing.

If the car has any shade of damage history, if it is repaired by the authorized company with the replacement of the genuine parts, then it will not affect the quality of the car. You will be lucky if you will find such a car at an economical price due to its perfect condition. Moreover, it will repay you in the future when you want to sell the car without any loss.

Title status

The biggest hurdle you need to keep an eye while buying a damaged car is; make sure you check the title status of a car. Title status is generally a document specifying if you are the legal owner of a car. A clean title status is what you should look after, but it doesn’t mean the car is unbound to problems.

Primarily, for our concern, there are two types of titles issued to a vehicle; a salvage title and a rebuilt title. A salvage title in many states is issued to a car that exceeds its current value. Whereas, the rebuilt title is given to a car that meets all standards to be titled as a safety vehicle. We suggest you stay away from the salvage and rebuild titled damaged vehicles as possible.

Remember, damaged cars impact the resale value; even if it has been repaired and has no title history, it’s worth a negotiation. 

Inspection of the car through auto technician

If the buyer demands the desirable receipts and records of the vehicle that is undergone with maintenance, then it’s a good decision to come up with. After receiving the desired documents for vehicle maintenance, you must take the documents to the reputable auto technician. He should be accountable for checking the reliability of the car repairs.  

The auto technician will provide you a reliable brief description of the car issues. It will be helpful for you to acknowledge whether the car is in good working order or not.

After this inspection, if the auto technician approves the car’s reliability car, you must purchase it. On the other hand, if the records are not reliable, then looking for another option will be a better decision. Looking after the emblems and badges of the car, a vehicle hit from the back losing its badges could notably be alarming to purchase.

Also, ask a technician to inspect if the car was maintained by a local repair technician or the factory. The auto technician you are hiring should be able to provide you with detailed information on the accidental fixes.

Hence, these are the steps that you must undergo to inspect the damage history of the used car.

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How Founders Can Help Their Teams Grow

Running a startup can be challenging and for many founders, it is a process of trial and error, but the truth is that you need a team to be a successful founder. As such, one of your most important roles as a founder, besides raising money, is helping your team grow.

This might come as a surprise as most startups begin as a tight-knit group, usually one or two co-founders. However, as you grow from a great idea to the MVP to your beta, your team will grow.

Along the way, you will bring on people and let some people go. But if your company is going to be a success, you will need a strong team. With that in mind, here are some ideas on how founders can help their teams grow.

Match Skills and Teamwork

One key to success is finding the right people for the right job. This includes finding people who will buy into the type of team you are trying to build.

In doing so, you set yourself up for success as everyone will be pulling in the same direction, rather than pulling apart.

Beyond this, you want to make sure your team can complement each other. This is important, especially in the early days, where you need to ensure that your team has the bases covered.

Make the Most with What You Have

Startup team members need to wear a lot of hats. Even if you are well funded, you are always trying to make the most with what you have.

As such, you want a team that is flexible enough to take on different projects when needed. In this way, you can focus on growing while keeping costs under control.

When you are just starting, your primary focus will be on building the product, but you might not afford to hire a complete team.

Sure, you can give equity to early team members, but this will only get you so far. But this can come back to haunt you, significantly as team members get diluted in later rounds of funding.

Instead, help your team to grow but putting them in positions to be successful.

This might include assigning projects which will challenge them or giving them an opportunity for personal development such as the Thomas Kilmann instrument as this sort of “soft skill” development will help them to better lead teams in the future.

Learn from Your Mistakes

One thing that many founders fail to do is to learn from their mistakes. When it comes to helping a team grow, this means understanding what it takes to hire the right people and how to motivate individuals to work together as a unit.

While you will need to be scrappy in the beginning, over time, you will have to refine your approach.

This will require you to grow as your company grows, and in some cases, it might even mean that you will have to recognize that your skills are better suited for the technical aspects of your company rather than executive management.

You can still be the founder, but there are times when having a professional leader at the head of your team will make all the difference in the world.

Learning from your mistakes does not mean that you always need to be the leader. There are times when letting go might be the right move.

Get the Best Bang for Your Buck

When hiring, you want to start by filling high-impact positions first. In this way, you can build a team that will meet your most immediate needs.

From there, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that team members can grow into new roles, and the company matures, or you might need to bring on more people.

Either focus on getting a bang for your buck as this will position the company, and your team, to grow in the future.

Embrace Being a Leader

Sure, when you first start, the culture is going to be less structured. But as your startup begins to gain traction, you will need to pivot from being the lead coder or salesperson to a leader.

This is important as you will not only need to set the strategic direction for your company. You will need to give your team the tools they need to make it happen.

While this can be a daunting task for some, you need to embrace being a leader. Doing so will give you the motivation needed to inspire those around you to reach higher.

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from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/at-work/how-founders-can-help-their-teams-grow/

Importance Of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the ability and readiness to develop, organize and run a business enterprise, together with any of its uncertainties in order to create a profit. The foremost outstanding example of entrepreneurship is the beginning of new businesses. Entrepreneurship is the act of business or businesses whereas building and scaling it to get a profit. In economics, entrepreneurship connected with land, labour, natural resources and capital will generate a profit. The entrepreneurial vision is outlined by discovery and risk taking and is an imperative part of a nation’s capability to reach an dynamic and additional competitive international marketplace.

Entrepreneur

The entrepreneur is outlined as somebody who has the ability and need to establish, administer and achieve a startup venture along side risk entitled to it, to create profits.Tthe most effective example of entrepreneurship is the beginning of a brand new business venture. The entrepreneurs are usually known as a supply of latest ideas or innovators, and produce new ideas within the market by substitution previous with a new invention. Entrepreneurs play a key role in any economy, exploitation the skills and initiative necessary to anticipate desires and bring smart new ideas to market. Entrepreneurs who convince achieve success in taking up the risks of a startup are rewarded with profits, fame, and continuing growth opportunities. Those that fail, suffer losses and settle down prevalent within the markets.

4 Types of Entrepreneurship

-Small Business-

These businesses are a consultant, hairdresser, travel agent, carpenter, electrician, etcetera. These individuals run or own their own business and rent members of the family or local employee. For them, the profit would be able to feed their family and not creating one hundred million business or taking up an industry. They fund their business by taking small business loans or loans from they friends.

-Scalable Startup-

This start-up entrepreneur starts a business knowing that their vision will modificate the world. They attract investors who assume and encourage folks that plan of the box. The analysis focuses on a climbable business and experimental models, so, they rent the most effective and the brightest employees. They need more working capital to fuel and back their project or business.

-Large Company-

These large firms have outlined life cycle. Most of those companies grow and sustain by providing new and innovative merchandise that revolve around their main products. The modification in technology, new competition, client preferences, etc., build pressure for giant companies to form an innovative product and sell it to the new set of customers within the new market. To deal with the fast technological changes, the existing organisations either purchase innovation enterprises or plan to construct the merchandise internally.

-Social-

This kind of entrepreneurship focuses on manufacturing product and services that resolve social wants and problems. Their solely slogan and goal is to work for society and not create any profits.

Are You Ready to Be an Entrepreneur?

In a sphere with such a lot diversity, there is a number of things that every one entrepreneur have in common: they are filled with ambition and passion, and that they use these as a drive to create empires that solve some of the globe’s toughest problems.If you’re wanting to create your mark on the world or advance society – or perhaps break free from the exhausting and inflexible 9-to-5 job, you simply could be an entrepreneur within the making. Trust your gut, follow your instincts, and continuously keep your mind receptive learning and exploring new opportunities that come back your way.

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The Argument For A Workplace Uniform: Reasons To Consider An Office Dress Code

We have long lived in a cultural ethos of individuality. It is almost endemic to our western mentality, to stand out from the crowd and differentiate ourselves at every opportunity. While the merits of individualism are arguable, the value of a unified business identity by way of custom uniforms is often ignored, being chalked up to antiquated, post-industrial revolution practices.

In truth, the primary argument for, or rather against workplace uniforms lies with your brand. All the same, you must understand the benefits so that you can make this decision armed with an understanding of the advantages. You will also need to apply these advantages to your business as a whole. If you are considering whether or not it will be worth the investment, these reasons to implement unity at work may help sway your mind for the benefit of your business.

Nurturing Equality

Dismissing the idea of a workplace uniform solely on the grounds of individuality may be a bit rash. One of the primary benefits of the uniform is that it offers a more egalitarian basis for employee dress. It will almost always be the case that some members of your staff will be financially able to dress more expensively than others. That said, implementing uniforms will nurture equality by means of visual aesthetic; your team will feel unified merely because they are showcasing unity. Fostering equality comes with several of its very own benefits from employee confidence to social comfort within the workplace.

Reducing Obvious Financial Inequalities

This becomes at very least a curious paradigm when you consider that many of the people who are financially able to expand more on their outfits will not necessarily be senior members of staff. When your receptionist flaunts an outfit that costs more than your HR manager makes in a month, you start understanding the heart of an awkward problem. Once again, uniforms will implement unity through aesthetic, benefiting the social dilemmas most team members may not be comfortable enough to point out for rather obvious reasons.

It Can Still Look Good

Keeping in mind that by ‘uniform’, we don’t necessarily mean a one-piece jumpsuit with a massive logo on the back, workplace attire needs by no means be unflattering or demeaning. The idea is to standardise, and thereby start everyone off on equal footing as far as appearance goes. Formal uniforms could be standard dark pants or skirts paired with company-branded shirts that are well-fitted. The limitations on fashion are near-endless when it comes to customised uniforms and encouraging employee feedback on initial ideas is another great way to unify your team.

Brand Consistency

This form of standardisation allows you a good measure of control when it comes to consistent brand identity. Remember that your staff are at all times ambassadors to your company’s public image. An unfortunate encounter with anyone working for you will tarnish your business’ reputation. Therefore, having your team easily identifiable in public areas will benefit brand identity significantly while also assisting with exposure on a relatively isolated level. Some of the most iconic businesses around the globe have implemented basic uniforms for this reason.

Sensitive To Various Dispositions

While you cannot necessarily control the behaviour of your staff, by everyone dressing in a way that reflects your brand, you do circumvent the possibility of anyone taking any personal offence to how your team present themselves. Uniforms prevent the possibility of staff appearing less than ideal. Formality is especially crucial in a corporate environment, although, even less formal industries such as automotive industries are known to implement custom uniforms.

Tailored To Your Markets Sensibilities

When extending on this principle, a uniform allows you control over subtleties which may have otherwise offended the sensibilities of a target market who may be sensitive to several nuanced dress codes and practices. This level of oversight becomes increasingly beneficial, the more specialised your industry. However, it can be applied to all sectors regardless.

Concise Advertising

As we said, a uniform need not be a glorified, branded overall. A workforce donned in consistent professional attire is its own form of advertising. Perhaps more effective than a flaunted logo, this approach offers you a rare opportunity to advertise to potential clients by way of presentation and image. As mentioned above, it is quite an underrated benefit to having the local community identify your team quickly. Whether staff are on their way to work or stopping by the store on their way home, a certain number of local individuals will become acquainted with your brand by merely noting the uniform, even if only on a subconscious level.

When Done Well

When deciding to opt for a business uniform and dress code, it does not mean that one needs to adhere to the stuffy and unattractive wear associated with more common implementations. By taking careful consideration for your business’ brand identity, it becomes an opportunity to direct the public’s perception of the people that constitute its operations and the value of the interaction they can expect to receive. Allowing input from your team when crafting the specifics of uniforms will also ensure there is no room for disgruntled employees when the uniforms arrive. Even if there is a certain level of argument prior to decisions being made, empowering yr employees to give their input will ensure a peaceful and comfortable result.

Company uniforms may seem like a considerable initial expense, although, with several sensible reasons to back the decision, the initial costs will be worth the spend. If the initial prices are illogical according to profits, many businesses have requested that employees purchase uniforms as a standard. This solution also ensures employees are far more likely to maintain uniform quality over time as they are essentially responsible for their attire. While there are several ways to consider the costs involved, unifying your team and strengthening your brand should be an ongoing priority for businesses of every size and in every industry. Team building strategies are not the only means of unifying a divided team.

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6 Ways Startups Can Improve Customer Retention

So, you’ve had the idea, you’ve got the funding, and you’ve given up the 9-5 to finally start your own business. Congratulations! 

No matter how many customers you get, there is no greater buzz than making an independent sale. 

As a startup, though, you know that fighting your way through the competition can be hard. And one of the knock-on effects of that is that you may struggle retaining customers. 

It can be difficult to build a community around your business. That doesn’t mean it’s time to give up.

There are plenty of ways to handle this problem. You could learn how to use VoIP systems for small business. Or implement SMS customer support into your processes. But for now, here are six ways that will help you retain customers and become more profitable without the need for significant outlay. 

Interact with your customers

This isn’t to say that you should be meeting up for a coffee with each person. Just make sure that you are listening and responding to your customers or clients. 

For example, if they comment on a product on social media, positively or negatively, respond. Make sure that you are dealing with customer complaints and solving issues. 

Be sure to always send a thank you note after a sale as a personal touch. This will make your company stick in a customer’s head. 

If people are telling you how much they like your product, thank them and show them they are appreciated. You can set up Gmail reminders to encourage you to do this if needs be. 

Source: Forbes

Make the most of feedback

As a start-up, feedback is the perfect way to improve the customer experience. It helps you see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Then, you can build on, or change this. 

This can be done by sending out a quick (!) questionnaire after purchase.

You want to understand what customers like and what they don’t like about your firm. It could be that they love the colors of your product, yet wish you would use more eco packaging. Or maybe the way you handled complaints was perfect but your delivery times were slow. 

You aren’t going to find out until you give people the opportunity to tell you. 

Keep up to date with your socials, too, as this is where a lot of people will be communicating with you. 

Provide customer support

It doesn’t matter if you are a two-person company and you make digital magazines from your kitchen table. Or a twenty-person app creation company with your own swish office. You need to have some sort of customer support. 

Because if you don’t, the first thing people will do is head to social media and give you a bad name. 

Remember that people don’t always want to phone up to complain. It could just be that they can’t figure out how to use the thingamajig – as they may call it – on your new product. 

In the modern age, it’s so easy to give contact details of your firm. You could provide customer service via social media, phone, email, or even by post. As long as you have some way for people to get in contact, they will be happy. 

If people do get in contact, try to respond quickly and always be polite and kind. Do what you can to resolve their issue and keep a record of any interactions. Think about what you want as a client and reflect on that in your customer support. 

Source: Quantzig

Publish content 

This is a great way to show a personable side to the company, and prove that you are interested in values, not just money. 

Do what you can as a startup to get your voice out there. Publishing content is a great way to show your brand voice because you are in charge of what you put out. Be creative and stand out from the competition. 

You could write a blog about why you started the company and what inspires you. You could design a funny illustration of your staff and why they love working at your firm. You could even make a serious video of your team visiting the factory you use. 

Content doesn’t have to be published every day, you just need to be able to engage and connect with your audience. Show that you are adapting to customer wants and needs. 

Make memories and build on that community spirit. 

Make a customer marketing strategy 

The key to any good business is good planning, and this true when it comes to customer retention, too. 

You need to think about what you want as an end result, and then consider how you are going to reach that goal. 

For example, say you have decided you want to send out more emails to customers. Who will the emails be from? How often do you want to send them? What is their purpose? All these are points that will help make an effective customer strategy. You can translate this way of thinking to whatever your goals are. 

Find creative ways to stand out and grab the customer’s attention. Also, analyze the results of your plan and adapt where you need to. 

Keep making plans

Always look forward and do what you need to improve. 

It may be that you must invest in the right tech to push you forward. Something like an auto dialler can help you connect with customers. Maybe your social media is blowing up. In which case, hiring a social media manager will help. 

Whatever it is, always try to plan for the next step. You don’t want things to get stale and it’s also really important to move with the times to stay ahead of the game. 

Source: Help Race

Following these six steps will help with customer retention. In all you do, you need to analyze and keep track of what is working and what isn’t. 

Keep in mind that your customers are key to the success of your business. So, having them at the heart of what you do encourages them, both old and new, to come back time and time again. 

Bio:

John Allen, Director, Global SEO at RingCentral, a global UCaaS, VoIP and contact center software provider. He has over 14 years of experience and an extensive background in building and optimizing digital marketing programs. He has written for websites such as Vault and BigCommerce.

The post 6 Ways Startups Can Improve Customer Retention first appeared on Feedster.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/startups/6-ways-startups-can-improve-customer-retention/

7 Reasons Why You Should Try Diamond Painting – 2020 Guide

Due to the excess of free time on our hands during the pandemic, everyone has been looking for new skills to learn and new hobbies to explore. And so, the art of diamond painting has recently gained popularity among both the art enthusiasts and the layman artists alike. 

Diamond painting is a new form of art that has its roots in the East. This artistic hobby hybridizes the techniques of paint-by-numbers and cross-stitch to create mosaic art pieces that dazzle and wow the spectator. The craft of diamond painting utilizes the application of colorful resin rhinestones over a colored canvas to produce a sparkly, glitzy 3-D image. 

TOOLS FOR DIAMOND PAINTING 

Paint with diamonds is a craft that requires a specific set of tools that come with its own kit. The kit contains:

• A highly pigmented painting on a canvas. Some companies offer the option to turn your own paintings into a canvas for diamond painting. 
• Rhinestone “diamonds” in packets with numbers coordinated with the canvas. 
• A plastic tray to lay out all the stones orderly before painting them onto the canvas. 
• Applicator pen and wax sheet used to pick up the stones and attach them to the painting. 
• An extra-sharp tweezer to correct any mistakes. 
• And, an instructions manual. 

WHY TRY DIAMOND PAINTING?

Being such an easy to do project, it is no wonder that diamond painting has gained so much fame in its short history. Becoming an artist without having even an ounce of creativity in one’s self is enough reason for anyone to try this new activity and have fun with it. Diamond painting is a fascinating and pleasant experience that is entertaining for all to enjoy! 

Besides being an interesting new hobby to learn, diamond painting offers a wide range of advantages and benefits that make its popularity worth it. Here we discuss some of the reasons why you should try diamond painting in 2020:

1. Fun while Multitasking

Diamond painting is a form of art that allows you to have fun and produce work that is worth displaying in your own house. All you have to do is buy a diamond painting kit, find a nice spot in a corner and get to work. It can also be coupled with other activities that would be rather mundane on their own, such as listening to songs or a podcast, watching tv or attending an online lecture!

1. Relaxing and Therapeutic

After a long day at work, everyone looks for an outlet to relax and decompress. Some opt for the gym, some prefer reading, while some choose sleep as a stress reliever. Painting is also considered a beneficial activity in helping release the strain on the mind and the body that one intake while working. 

Painting through Diamonds is an amazingly therapeutic way to reduce stress and relax after a tiring day or week. It can be considered as a type of mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) as it is both curative and meditative to spend time painting and creating art. Coupling diamond painting with a peaceful environment can help one let go of all their anger and sadness, and just bask in the serenity that art provides. There are several meditation arts diamond painting kits available all over the internet to make the experience even more worthwhile. 

1. Me-time 

Diamond painting is something that becomes easier as you keep going at it. So, once you are completely immersed in the project and are working on it obviously, your mind can just drift off to other aspects of your life. You can finally have the “me-time” that you have been craving for so long. Being busy all the time with work and other social commitments, you never get a chance to sit back and ponder over your life and what meaning does your existence have. With diamond painting, you have hours to think about all of that while creating an amazing art work of your own. 

So just go ahead and think about your life and your future. No one would disturb your musings. 

1. Available for All

Diamond painting is a simple DIY project available for all. It is strangely addictive and once you’re hooked on a project, you can’t stop until you finish. It invokes the creative parts of the brain and lets the imagination run wild. There are so many different canvases and kits available nowadays that anyone can get creative and find the artist within themselves. Even if the painting is already available, one can be precise and meticulous in placing the stones on to the canvas and feel like a true artist when they see the finished product.

Diamond painting can soothe the artistic cravings of people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorders since it does not require getting your hands dirty and the meticulously finished final product can be rather satisfying.  

1. Belief in one’s own artistic abilities 

Being “creative” is not everyone’s cup of tea, but should that stop you from creating spectacular paintings by yourself? Of course not! Thus, diamond painting allows you to explore the artist within you by following simple instructions and a step-by-step guide to creating a masterpiece. It is recommended for all ages, even different types of kits available for different age groups and level of artistic maturity. You can start at the beginner level and work your way up. 

Diamond painting gives every ordinary person a chance to create an extraordinary art piece all by themselves and feel the pride that comes with framing your work and displaying it for the world to see! 

1. Something other than technology 

Technology has taken over every aspect of our lives and we are left in a constant mode of Scroll. Click. Like. Share. Binge. Repeat. 

We are stuck to our mobile, laptop, tablet or tv screens, more than we ought to. This consistent bond with technology is having deteriorating effects on the health of individuals all over the globe and so, everyone is looking for a way to save themselves. Under these conditions, diamond painting provides a creative outlet for us to spend our time without straining our eyes and brain. One small to medium canvas takes days to complete and one is not satisfied until they see the finished project. Hence, it demands undivided attention and therefore, disconnects one from the constant pull of technology. 

Diamond painting can be a perfect substitute for the endless scrolling that we tend to do on our social media, since it is both time-consuming and satisfying! 

1. Becoming a part of a community 

Learning a new skill comes with the added advantage of meeting new people who share the same passions as you. With diamond painting steadily picking up notoriety all over the world, it is not difficult to find several groups and forums dedicated to the art and its lovers. Social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest etc. are a great way to start looking for groups that regularly discuss diamond painting and share skill enhancing tips with one another. 

There may also be several other forums and channels available all over the internet in the form of blogs and YouTube videos where one can meet new individuals with similar interests and, hopefully, make lifelong connections.

All in all, diamond painting is an interesting new technique to learn and enjoy. So what are you waiting for? Grab a diamond painting kit today and allow yourself to feel the joy and elation of creating something unique.

The post 7 Reasons Why You Should Try Diamond Painting – 2020 Guide first appeared on Feedster.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/entertainment/7-reasons-why-you-should-try-diamond-painting-2020-guide/