Entrepreneurs (99)
There's a misconception that keeps those with dreams of owning their own business from following their dreams.
It's a misconception that's not only false but dangerous to the small business community.
It's not true that every entrepreneur sits in a rundown apartment somewhere in Silicon Valley, eats boxes of cheap mac-and-cheese and stays up all night building the next big startup.
Most entrepreneurs aren't living in poverty hoping to someday sign the papers for millions of dollars in funding only to see their dreams become the next worldwide craze.
The real landscape of entrepreneurship is much different and more mainstream than the model seen in the movies. According a Kauffman Foundation study, entrepreneurs are more likely to be between the ages of 45-54 and of minority descent. They may be starting businesses as second careers, but even those entrepreneurs don't fit the stereotype.
Another misconception is the notion that businesses have to start with a "bang," which translates to lots of time, quitting your day job, sacrificing family time and taking a big personal and financial risk on a dream that may not succeed and could burden you with large amounts of debt.
In fact, many business owners start their businesses as side ventures. They don't quit their day jobs, but instead use the skills they've learned to start that side business.
They aren't expecting these businesses to pay the bills, but they don't limit themselves on growth either. Starting small keeps the startup costs low. If it does fail, they have lost very little. How do you start a side business? Here are a few tips.
Make It Scaleable
So you love to cook? You could start a restaurant that will take a full-time commitment and a lot of money – or you could start a weekend catering business or a mobile food truck.
A business where you provide small services on your own schedule can grow as much or as little as your time allows. Look for those opportunities while you're starting out.
Limit the Formal Marketing
You want to gain business, but investing in large marketing efforts could have two negative effects: You could waste a lot of money on a campaign that produced very little business or it could produce so much business that you don't have the time to handle all of the orders.
Instead, focus on word-of-mouth advertising and let the business grow debt free.
Compartmentalize
If you're going to keep your day job, try not to mix the two businesses.
The job that pays the bills and offers health insurance and a retirement package deserves the bulk of your time and energy, even if you've lost some of the passion for that position.
After work, when you get back home, concentrate on your side business.
Don't Expect It to Be Easy
Before starting your side business, consider your expectations. If it's going to be a part-time effort, expecting to rival your full-time competitors in the first few years is unrealistic.
You don't have to be the biggest to find fulfillment. Expecting to do something you enjoy while making a little extra money is a healthy and appropriate goal.
The Bottom Line
If you dream of starting a business, don't fall for the misconception that you have to quit your job and put all of your time and money into your idea.
Instead, start small and see where the business takes you. Launching a business for the enjoyment of doing what you love is just as noble as being a Silicon Valley entrepreneur starting a dotcom.
source: investopedia
Brands have embraced automation to help them carry out a spectrum of everyday tasks.
According to a recent survey published by Social Media Today, 75 percent of marketing teams use some form of an automation tool. However, with growing popularity, there are growing concerns.
The same survey reports that 61 percent of marketers are concerned about the lack of personalization due to automation. Likewise, a global study by PWC found that as technology advances, most consumers want brands to use technology as a tool for increasing personalized support.
Put simply, customers want more human interaction, not less.
That's why it’s vital that today’s businesses find the right balance between automation and personalization. Companies that go overboard on automation can come across as detached and generic. On the other hand, those that get too personal with customers can come off as intrusive and creepy. Brands need to get it right to maintain a trusting relationship with their customers.
Here are ways marketers can successfully balance automation and personalization.
Offer Timely, Valuable Content
Email campaigns are an effective, low-cost way to leverage automation and personalization, but marketers need to be careful not to clog consumer inboxes. Instead, they should focus on offering relevant and valuable content that doesn’t involve using intrusive data.
Most consumers are familiar with receiving personalized content based on an action, such as an online purchase, that features a related product or service.
Using transactional data to send automated, personalized emails can be less intrusive since it’s a natural, and at this point expected, component of the relationship.
Marketers can also use geographical data, such as a customer’s zip code or address, to deliver personalized content, like creating a segmented list of customers and offering them discounts to nearby events. Although consumers dislike when brands bombard them with irrelevant, generic messaging, they also don’t like overly personal messages that infringe on their privacy.
Respect Consumer Privacy
Research shows that 81 percent of consumers want brands to get to know them and understand when to approach them, but not at the expense of their privacy.
There is a fine line between highly relevant content and tactics that take marketing personalization too far.
For example, sending mass emails to consumers with the same promotions or offers isn’t an effective strategy. Consumer interests vary significantly.
Marketers should pay attention to their target audience and consider whether the interaction will make them feel special or unsettled.
Customer data can be used effectively, but content that’s too personalized can disturb customers, thus putting them off the brand.
Enhance the Customer Experience
It’s crucial that marketers use technology to improve the consumer experience, rather than eliminate the human touch. For instance, British grocery chain Sainsbury’s delivered an exceptional customer experience with its “This Time It’s Ultra Personalized!” campaign.
The store used smartphone location data to provide personalized offers to customers through their mobile devices as they walked around the store.
Not only did the campaign promote in-store offers, but it helped the company gain insights about how people navigated the aisles. As a result, Sainsbury’s was able to make better merchandising decisions and improve its in-store customer experience. Marketers must remember that relationships are crucial in business and that automation tools provide additional support.
Combine Automation and Human Touch
There are many ways marketers can mix automation and personalization, such as inserting tags to add customers’s names in emails to make them feel like the message addresses them individually.
Going a step further, marketers can encourage team members to interact with potential customers by making calls, sending emails or requesting a connection on social media.
For example, if a visitor downloads content from the brand’s website, it’s a good idea to have someone on the team reach out personally, immediately.
According to an oft-cited Lead Response Management Study, waiting more than 10 minutes to follow up decreased the odds of securing a lead by as much as 400 percent.
If automation and personalization are going to be effective, it's important to find a way to balance the two.
Overdoing automation can make brand messages seem robotic and irrelevant. Likewise, getting too personal can overwhelm consumers.
A successful relationship between consumers and brands ultimately relies on the right blend.
source: entrepreneu
Looking ahead to the new year, innovation leaders should take note of these hype-worthy tech trends.
Gartner's Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies report, released on Thursday, detailed which future tech trends are more than hype.
The report found that these technologies show great promise in producing significant competitive advantage for companies over the next five to 10 years.
Deciding which emerging technology to use in your company isn't easy and vary by company, said Brian Burke, research vice president at Gartner.
"Each of these emerging technologies are advancing at different rates, but within each are a number of generic use cases," Burke said.
"Technology leaders in organizations need to look at the technology and identify if it is mature enough to deploy in their specific use case."
It all comes down to what your business needs.
If a business has a specific use case for the technology that aligns with a generic use case, then the business has found the technology worth investing in, Burke added.
Here are the five emerging technologies, along with examples of each:
1. Sensing and mobility
"Sensing and mobility sound like two very different things, but they are actually very closely related, in that it is sensing that is enabling mobility" Burke said.
Organizations considering sensing and mobility technologies should check their personal use cases to see if there is a need for 3D-sensing cameras, AR cloud, light-cargo delivery drones, flying autonomous vehicles, and autonomous driving—all of which are emerging under this trend, the report found.
2. Augmented human
Emerging technologies in the augmented human realm include biochips, personification, augmented intelligence, emotion AI, immersive workspaces, and biotech, the report found.
"When we talk about augmented humans we are talking about providing people with immersive experiences," said Burke. Whether this is through immersive workspaces, which allows you to work virtually from anywhere, or physical experiences like prosthetic limbs, he added.
3. Postclassical compute and communications
Classical core computing and communication technologies have been going on for the last 30 years, predicted under Moore's Law, Burke said.
However, "Post Classical communications and compute cover how the underlying technologies are being deployed in entirely different ways, which is really giving us a step-change in compute and communication power," Burke noted.
An example of this is low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Burke added. "Satellites have completely changed how we are going to connect and commute globally, especially in underserved areas," he said.
Enterprises should consider postclassical compute and communications technologies if they have use cases for 5G, next-generation memory, LEO systems, and nanoscale 3D printing, according to the report.
4. Digital ecosystems
"We've had ecosystems since businesses started, but digital ecosystems are about how digital technologies are reducing friction in business ecosystems," Burke noted.
On top of becoming more digital and reducing friction, he said, these ecosystems are also becoming more decentralized, which will allow users to have control over their own data and reduce the power of internet giants.
Examples of digital ecosystem technologies include DigitalOps, knowledge graphs, synthetic data, decentralized web, and decentralized autonomous organizations, the report found.
5. Advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics
"AI is a pervasive trend," said Burke; it not only pervades the enterprise, but also all of these trends.
The most significant emerging uses of AI include adaptive machine learning, edge AI, edge analytics, explainable AI, AI platform as a service (PaaS), transfer learning, generative adversarial networks, and graph analytics, according to the report.
"We are seeing significant advances in AI algorithms, where AI is being used, and how AI is being democratized, so that it's not just strictly in the realm of giant tech companies, but are now available to end user organizations," Burke added.
Additional analysis on emerging technologies will be presented duringGartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2019
source: Techrepublicechrepublic
Trying to do an investment check on digital transformation projects? 5 expert tips
5 digital transformation ROI best practices
In order to set up a holistic view of digital transformation performance, IT leaders can take a number of actions:
Set initial metrics in advance
In many cases, these metrics will be hypothetical, and that’s okay. “The value of an investment will only be proven by the business outcome; there is no other measure,” says Prashant Kelker, partner with technology research and advisory firm ISG. “The challenge is that business outcomes cannot be predicted; they have to be guessed as a digital transformation progresses. This means a fundamental pivot from a large transformation mentality to an approach focused on continuous business outcomes.”
Develop micro-metrics for agile experiments
“Enterprises should not focus on the big change, but instead the step-by-step process,” Kelker says. “This forces companies to change from one large plan and one large target architecture to having to manage dozens of microplans. This protects investments because you are constantly either getting immediate business value or killing things that don’t work.”
However, these discrete efforts “should be evaluated across integrated processes from an investment perspective to ensure ROI,” says Andrew Alpert, managing director with Pace Harmon.
Incorporate business outcomes
“A look at the total value will include impact in three areas,” says Edwards. IT leaders should incorporate strategic impact (e.g., revenue growth, lifetime customer value, time to market), operational impact (e.g., productivity improvements, scale, operational efficiencies), and cost impact.
Look beyond cost savings
“While the business cases for technology projects have most recently been heavily focused on cost savings, organizations that make strategic and operational impact their objective consistently achieve higher returns across all dimensions,” says Edwards. Be sure to include those in the digital transformation metrics.
Don’t forget to include the digital transformation of IT itself. “Digital transformation initiatives should help identify new possible requirements for technology vendor relationships based on new available capabilities, such as agile collaboration with providers driving faster delivery times,” says Caplan.
Use metrics to review and adjust regularly
“On a periodic basis, perhaps quarterly, a check should be made to determine whether there are signs that [projects are] having the type of impact anticipated or [are] contributing in an unintended manner,” Edwards advises. When a project is falling short, IT can make changes. “If business requirements have changed, sufficient learning has been gleaned from the project, or it is determined the project will not deliver results, the project may be terminated.”
Source: enterprisersproject
By Maurray Newlands
Today, many people today are looking to leave the daily grind for something that feeds their passion.
People do not want to retire at the age of 60 (or older) to look back on life and feel they have wasted it.
Luckily, it is now increasingly easy to start a business from scratch without spending a fortune. Below, I've highlighted 75 varied business ideas you can start cheaply from the comfort of your own home.
Some of the business ideas listed require nothing more than an internet connection, while others demand a level of licensing or a specific set of vocational skills...the choice is yours!
1.Making Chatbots
I am quoted on entrepreneur.com as, "ChatBot expert Murray Newlands commented that, 'Where 10 years ago every company needed a website and five years ago every company needed an app, now every company needs to embrace messaging with AI and chatbots.'" That brings opportunity and jobs. You can learn to make them for free without coding for companies.
Chatbots are in, and it has reached the point where every business needs one. Chatbots have become a huge opportunity for companies to engage with their customers, gather data, and improve their marketing and customer care efforts.
You can start your own chatbot creation business easily and quickly without needing to code. I created the free to use tool Chattypeople.com, but there are lots of others out there. All you need to do is:
- Read about bots and their functions
- Create an account
- Learn about the company who needs a chatbot
- Create their bot through
- Launch it through Facebook Messenger
- No coding or long courses needed
The platform is great, as it:
- Works with Facebook Messenger and comments
- Can push promotions to customers on demand
- Recognizes variations on trigger words
- Can process orders from Facebook
- Integrates with all main payment processing platforms
2. Bookkeeping Services
Are you great with numbers and want to work from the comfort of home? To become a freelance bookkeeper, you do not need to be a Certified Public Accountant, but you do need to be good with numbers. There are lots of free to use online invoicing tools such as Sighted.com and online payments tools like Due.com. Some services you could offer include:
- Creating balance sheets
- Providing income statements
- Creating various monthly, quarterly, or annual financial reports
3.Personal or Virtual Assistant
Although personal and virtual assistant jobs do not sound glamorous, they do pay well.
If you have already held this job in an office, you will find the digital version allows for a lot more freedom. Use services like Upwork.com to find clients. You can choose:
- Your clients
- Your hours
- Your hourly, daily, or monthly pay rate
4. Marketing Services
Marketing does involve a certain level of background knowledge. That said, if you are not experienced, investing in an online course is not only cheap but will equip you with the adequate tools to start a solo digital marketing agency you could expand in the future. There are lots of new marketing fields opening up such as influencer marketing.
Companies are always looking for freelancers able to provide marketing copy that is SEO-friendly and can transform website visitors into leads and, eventually, customers. In addition to offering optimized copy, you could offer to upload the content to their websites and improve their SEO further with:
- Meta descriptions
- The right titles
- The correct keyword density
- Tags and categories
- Relevant images with SEO captions and alt tags
5. Social Media Consultant
Who doesn’t love Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Fancy yourself to be a bit of whiz, but don’t have any formal training? Twitter and Google, among other platforms, offer complete professional courses with recognized certifications that require little to no money. Social media is also a business that has unlimited potential with a client base that can span across the world. This trend is unlikely to die soon, if ever, and new platforms are being released every year, making the possibilities for expansion limitless. You can use social media management tools to make your job easy.
6. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is extremely easy to get into and involves you earning a commission by promoting other companies' products and services. Basically, you choose a product you like, promote it, and make a profit on each sale that stems from your marketing efforts. An affiliate marketing business is especially easy to start if:
- You have a blog or website of your own
- You can prove your success through visitor statistics
- You have already successfully undertaken affiliate marketing and can show this to your potential clients
7. Tester or Reviewer
Individuals or startups often look for people to review their products to encourage others to buy them. You can either get started with a profile on freelancing websites or approach companies directly, offering them a review in exchange for a monetary reward by becoming an influencer.
Even better, if you have your own website or blog, you could write entire posts about their products, thus allowing you to charge more money in the long run and build a portfolio with tangible results to show future clients.
8. Secretarial Services
Similar to virtual assisting, remote secretarial services require little to no experience. All you need is:
- Strong organizational skills
- Good communication skills
- Good time management
- A high level of autonomy
Your day-to-day tasks as a freelancing secretary will typically include:
- Booking meetings
- Organizing calendars
- Replying to emails
- Putting together presentations
- Answering phone calls
9. Online Dating Consultant
Have you got a way with words? Or have you found your Mr. or Mrs. Right and want to share how you got there? You can become someone's wingman or woman and help them find love by becoming an online dating consultant. This type of consulting comes with a large level of responsibility, as you will be guiding someone's love life. Daily tasks include:
- Acting as an account manager on dating sites
- Writing profiles
- Offering telephone updates on their matchmaking status
10. Ebay Assistant or Seller
An Ebay assistant or seller is similar to being a marketing affiliate. The key difference is that instead of marketing the product, you are selling it directly to the customer. When selling for others on Ebay or any other platform, you will sell the product and keep a commission as compensation.
Unfortunately, this type of job comes with risks. Commonly, scam artists attract Ebay sellers and use fake shipping papers to convince them to send payments. Unfortunately, even if you are scammed, you will be held responsible for your customers not receiving their items. Always remember to:
- Get to know the distributor
- Keep all payments in your e-wallet until the customer confirms having received the parcel
- Report any suspicious activity
- Do not share any of your banking details
11. Application Developer
New applications are launched on a daily basis and if you believe you have the skills to create your own and a unique enough idea, you should do it! Aside from the fact that you will have to invest little to no money to get started, it is far less time consuming than the average 9 to 5. Once you have created your application, couple it with the right marketing strategy and you'll be making money in your sleep. The best part about developing applications is that you can do it from anywhere in the world.
12. Website Developer
We live in a digital world where every business needs a website to drive their traffic to in order to make sales. If you have the skills, you could enter an industry that will never die. You can also start small by creating websites on platforms such as Wordpress. If you want to take your web-building skills to the next level, you can learn the language of website creation through Codecademy.com, where you will be able to learn how to incorporate personalized:
- Shopping carts
- Product pages
- Galleries
- Blogs
- Services pages
- Feedback forms
13. Internet Security Consultant
Hacking, scamming, and viruses are just some of the security threats on the web today. If you know your stuff, you could make very good money consulting businesses, especially those who handle sensitive customer information and want to keep it as safe as possible.
14. Graphic Designer
Companies are always in search for branding that tells people about what they do. If you can follow company guidelines and customer needs, all you will need to get started is a computer and applications such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Types of media you will be responsible for creating include:
- Logos
- Fliers
- Newsletters
- Magazines
- Information sheets
- Letters
- Advertisements
15. Desktop Publisher
Desktop publishers typically use publishing software to create:
- Magazines
- Books
- Marketing newsletters
- Other marketing materials
In order to offer a full service, you could also write the content or hire a content writer and create your own small team.
16. Designing Business Plans
Having a eureka moment is great, but it can be hard to put that idea down on paper in a way that will speak to a potential investor. If you have owned your own business in the past or earned a business degree, why not help those with a eureka moment start something they love? Plan your fee around the various packages you are prepared to offer your clients. You can either:
- Create an electronic copy that your client can customize
- Keep a copy on file and continue customizing it according to their needs
- Create various templates that you can show your customers and how you can customize the templates for them accordingly
17. Tax Consultant
Companies big and small pay good money to have their taxes prepared for them. It gives them a chance to focus on the everyday operations of their business. If you have the appropriate experience, you could set yourself up as a freelancer; however, by starting with a tax preparation franchise, you will receive courses, seminars and training.
18. Blogger or Vlogger
Are you an expert in a specific field? From travel, fashion, cooking, to DIY, and removal services, if you know how to do something particularly well, why not tell the world through a blog or vlog? All you will need is a computer and a good quality camera. You can make money by offering advertising space and reviews of products on your platform.
19. Informational Product Creator
Similar to blogging or vlogging, creating informational products is your chance to put your expertise in an e-book or some form of digital format and selling it to the online world. Find a niche that's not been overdone and start writing. You can sell your information piece on platforms such as Amazon Books.
20. Resume Writer
No matter the experience, there are very few people that enjoy or are good at writing their own resume. Individuals pay very good money to have their personal statements put on paper for them. It will cost you nothing to get setup and once you get the hang of it, you should be able to average a good hourly or daily pay rate.
21. Domain Name Buyer
As the name suggests, all you need to do is buy domain names you believe people will want and sell them for a profit. You will need to be able to:
- Identify profitable domain names
- Identify domain names that are memorable
- Learn about SEO and keyword optimization
22. Flipping Websites
Flipping a website is the art of buying an already existing website, improving it, and selling it. With the right web development skills, it is a very easy and cheap trade to explore. That said, you need to be able to identify websites that have the potential for improvement.
23. Translator
Translating is one of the easiest and most profitable industries to delve into if you are proficient in more than one language. Sought out on a global scale, translators do not need any capital to get started and can earn a salary of $40,000 a year (minimum) depending on the size of the company you are hired by and the length of the contract they offer.
24. Financial Advisor
Although the number of people wanting to start their own business has grown, many still do not know how to organize themselves financially. Start by getting your Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certificate to show clients you are credible. On the other hand, if you already have the experience, you can start by advising individuals and then grow your empire to consult for larger organizations.
25. Editorial Services
An editorial services business is easy to start, requires no initial monetary investment, and has a huge potential for expansion. From small and large businesses to authors and students, your client base could be endless. You can offer a variety of services, some of which include:
- Copywriting
- Ghostwriting
- Magazine article writing
- Newspaper article writing
- Web content writing
- Proofreading
- Editing
- Indexing
- Book writing
26. Online Photo Selling
If you are a professional photographer or just have a deep-rooted passion for it, you can make money from your pictures on photo selling websites. All you need to get started is a camera, preferably a digital SLR with a minimum of 8 megapixels, and a computer. Once you have established yourself on websites such as GettyImages.com and Flickr.com, you can setup your own website with a list of your watermarked images and their price per unit.
27. Meal Planning
There are loads of people who love food but don't have the first clue about what to buy. They are either not very confident in the kitchen, don't know the first thing about a balanced diet, or struggle with maintaining a budget. As a meal planner, you would:
- Create a list of ingredients
- Create step-by-step recipes for your customers to follow
- Explain the nutritional value of the meals to educate your customers
- Explain to them how they are saving money by sticking to your meal plans
28. Patient Advocacy Services
Patient advocacy services are extremely important to communities across the world. On a daily basis, you would be:
- Helping people track down hospitals for paperwork
- Gather bills for insurance companies
- Argue cases with insurance companies
People in need of these services are most likely ill or grieving, leaving them fragile and often unable to defend themselves. It is important they have the right support during this time in their lives.
29. Ecommerce Store
If you have a great product, but no money to invest in a physical storefront, staff, and bills, why not set yourself up online? Aside from the lack of huge monetary investment and time commitment, the marketing opportunities online are endless. Also, although a storefront is great for branding purposes, it does limit the size and scope of your audience. By setting yourself up with an e-commerce store, you can:
- Sell to anyone in the world
- Have a store that is open 24/7 (meaning you literally make money in your sleep)
- Run promotions easily, whenever you want
- Cross-sell between your marketing and social media platforms and your website
- Run marketing campaigns through Google and other platforms
30. Survey Taking
Although you won't get rich doing surveys online, you may make a steady income if you sign up to multiple sites. These surveys take barely any time at all to complete and can normally net you around $150+. Some of the most popular survey-taking platforms include:
- MySurveys
- InboxDollars
- Global Test Market
- EarningStation
- Harris Poll
31. Video Production
There are a number of ways you can use videography to create your own home-based business. There are so many people wanting to become YouTube celebrities who don't have the skills to upload high-quality, well-edited videos. Other services you could offer include:
- Vlog editing
- Creating music videos
- Voice-overs
- Adverts
32. Sustainability Consultant
Businesses of all sizes are trying to find news ways to do their part for the environment by implementing greener practices. Unfortunately, many of the more eco-friendly options available today are also significantly more expensive, so business owners need someone like you who can advise them on how they can change their process without sacrificing their bottom line.
33. Call Center Representative
More companies are looking to hire call center representatives who are willing to work from home on customer care issues. All you need to get started is a computer and a phone line. Aside from the fact that you could earn a good base salary, you will not have any commuting expenses and can save money by cooking your meals at home.
34. Direct Sales Representative
The term "door-to-door sales" often puts off people, because all they picture is getting doors slammed in their faces on a daily basis. That said, by working for companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, and Tupperware in the right areas, you could host very civilized parties in your home, allowing you to make money while meeting new people.
35. Travel Planning
With all the booking platforms available online today, anyone can book a holiday from the comforts of their home. But with so many different factors to compare, it can be overwhelming. Some of these include:
- Flights
- Car rentals
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Tours
- Activities
If you have strong organizational skills and the knack for finding a good bargain, you could offer these services to others who have less time on their hands. Find the deals for your customers and add your surcharge for your services.
36. Online Custom Tailoring
People are increasingly conscientious about the way they look, and with that comes the need for tailored clothing. One size does not fit all, and businessmen and women, in particular, want to look the part when they go into the office every day. The custom clothing industry is still relatively untapped, so starting a business now will offer you a significant potential for growth in the future. In addition to having their pieces delivered directly to their homes, you can offer customization of:
- Fabric
- Patterns
- Size
- Fitting
- Stitching
- Lining
37. Currency Trading
Online currency trading is easier than ever thanks to the number of tutorial videos, online courses, and applications that offer step-by-step guides to becoming a currency trader. All you need is:
- Technical skills
- Fundamental analytical skills
- A small amount of cash flow
- A phone, tablet, or computer
38. Telemarketing Services
More and more companies are outsourcing their marketing efforts, and telemarketing is one of them. As a freelance telemarketer working from home, you will be setting appointments with customers and creating warm leads for companies. The amount you charge will depend on the size of the company you are working for, and the project they want to allocate you.
39. Referral Services
Are you the person who all your friends and family call when they're trying to find a good restaurant, lawyer, plumber or gardener? If that's the case and you love referring them to all the lovely businesses you know of in your neighborhood, you could start a business doing just that. You'll be able to work with individuals and businesses, helping customers find what they want, and businesses gain more clients. To get started, you will need to:
- Gather a list of businesses you want on your referral lists
- Sell them the benefits of being on your list
- Place ads online and in the Yellow Pages to gain customers
40. Event and Project Planning
Event and project planning can be done remotely, but having a hands-on approach and offering your services in your local area will be more beneficial to you from both a quality control and monetary point of view. You can start this business from the comforts of your home and meet with clients in restaurants, cafes or at their office or home.
41. Professional Photography
Whether it is a wedding, family event, or a business' marketing materials, people pay good money for professional photography. Unless you feel the need to sign up for an online course, the only monetary investment you will have to make is for a camera. Establish your daily fee and remember to keep into account your travel expenses.
42. Tutoring
Have you worked as a teacher before? Are you proficient in a second language? Have you studied math, science, or any other subject? If so, you could tutor adults and children, provided you have the right paperwork for child protection reasons. It will cost you very little to get setup, and you can offer your services at people's homes.
43. Computer Trainer
There are a number of seniors wanting to learn how to use computers and the internet, meaning that if you are proficient in both Mac and PC, you could offer your services in your neighborhood. Be warned, most will not be as passionate about computers as you, so they will only want to learn basics, such as emailing and using an internet browser.
44. Property Manager
As a property manager, you will be responsible for ensuring your clients' properties are running smoothly. You will also be the primary contact for tenants and will be responsible for making sure the properties you manage are safe and well-maintained.
45. Home Inspector
This job may sound like it is just a matter of looking around people's homes, but it actually requires a high level of expertise. You will need to learn about the new products that are constantly appearing in the market and stay updated with any changing laws. Networking and building positive relationships with your local real estate agents will give you the best chance of success, as they will recommend your services to others in your area.
46. Courier Services
You may be thinking “that is what the mail room is for”, but in actuality, businesses in busy areas often use local courier services, as they can offer more flexible pickup and drop-off times. Because of the specific services you are offering, you will also be able to charge more.
47. Life Coaching or Mentoring
If you have a proven track record in a particular field, can prove past success, or have trained in matters of the mind, life coaching or mentorship could be for you. People, especially soon to be entrepreneurs, seek guidance through mentorship and life coaches. You can setup your services from the comforts of your home with no monetary investment.
48. Massage Therapist
The licensing to become a massage therapist varies according to the state in which you reside, but if you have a passion for health-related activities, you could take a masseuse course and set up a clinic from the comforts of your home. Once you have completed your course and gained your license, you will have to invest in a massage bed as well as the appropriate oils and massage products.
49. Personal Trainer
Fancy yourself as a bit of a fitness fanatic? Then why not channel that energy into a course where nutrition and the anatomy of the body are also covered? With this, you can train novices from the comforts of your home or through your local gym.
50. Personal Chef
As a personal chef, you will spend your days cooking for people who do not have the time to do so themselves but do have the money to pay someone to do it for them. If you want to stand out from the crowd, offer meal plans that suit various dietary requirements, such as:
- Gluten-free, lactose-free, or egg-free meals
- Vegan and vegetarian dishes
- Meals for those with diseases, such as coeliac
51. Cleaning Services
Cleaning services are easy to offer and require no training. You can either:
- Offer discounted services, provided they have the necessary cleaning products onsite
- Offer a more expensive service that includes you bringing your own products
Also, you can take your business in various directions by targeting different clients. Possibilities include:
- Cleaning offices or shops in the evenings
- Cleaning restaurants or people's homes during the day
- Providing morning housekeeping services for hotels
52. Dog Walker/Trainer/Groomer
In some places, dog walking alone can be a very profitable business. Those working from 9 to 5 either do not have time to walk their dogs before leaving the house or just prefer it if someone comes in to let them out of the house for some exercise. Also, dog walking businesses that offer additional services are becoming increasingly popular. Consider also offering:
- Training
- Grooming
- Dogsitting
53. Packing Services
If you have an eye for the little details, a packing service business could be your calling. When someone moves out of their home, they pay for removal services to take their belongings from their old house to their new one. But the process of packing all their belongings into boxes in the first place is extremely time-consuming. Why not offer people your time to do this for them while they are at work or busy running errands?
54. Laundry Services
If you are looking for a way to make money at home without the need to learn new skills, home-based laundry services are easy to offer with the possibility for expansion in the future. The most complex part of the process will be establishing whether or not you need licensing to start this business from your home. This will depend on your location and the size to which you plan to grow your empire. Otherwise, all you need to do is:
- Keep track of your sales, expenses, taxes, and general bookkeeping
- Establish how much you will charge
- Decide on how the payment process will take place (e.g., before or after you complete the service; in cash, or via card, bank transfer, etc.)
- Create a website and other marketing materials to get your name out there
55. Caregiving
To become a caregiver, you will have to undergo professional training and acquire various certifications and health and safety diplomas. That said, if you've have cared for a parent, sibling, or friend in the past and feel this is something you want to pursue, it is a business you can set up cheaply. You can not only choose your clients but also your working hours. Daily tasks as a caregiver will vary; however, you will often be expected to:
- Clean
- Wash
- Do laundry
- Prepare meals
- Take your patients outdoors for fresh air
- Do their shopping
- Potentially dress and feed them
56. Landlord or Bed and Breakfast
You do not have to own a huge building with multiple rooms to start your own bed and breakfast. If you have a nice, clean home with a spare room, why not advertise it? Websites such as Airbnb make it easy for people to rent out the spare rooms in their homes. You can even charge more by offering:
- Food and beverages
- City tours
- Local experiences
- Housekeeping services
By offering your customers something unique, you will find the experience gratifying and profitable.
Related: What 70 Airbnb Stays Can Teach Anyone About Running Any Business
57. Personal Concierge
You are probably thinking that being the concierge to the executive of a big company will be a piece of cake, think twice. Although you will make good money being someone's personal concierge, it is a very challenging job in which you will be expected to deliver what has been asked of you, on time, with a smile. That said, you will normally be paid very handsomely for your services.
58. Grocery Delivery Services
Big supermarkets do offer this service, but delivery prices are often very high or the food is warm or bruised when it arrives at the customer's home. If you own a large car, you could become people's personal shopper. Some people do not have time to run errands after a long day at work and others may not have the physical capacity to do so, so why not do it for them? You could also couple this service with others, such as:
- Being a concierge
- Offering cleaning services
- Daily or weekly dog grooming, walking, and training services
- Being a caregiver
59. Lawn Care and Gardening
Although you will only be able to mow lawns for a limited time of the year, gardening services span throughout the 12 months. You can set up your own business with services, such as:
- Lawnmowing
- Gardening
- Raking
- Snow removal
- Herb farming
Herb farming can be offered as a service across most parts of the world. Whether you are in an urban or rural area, herb gardens take up very little space.
60. Babysitting Services
Babysitting may not sound like a profitable market to enter, but you'd be surprised how well you can get paid if you have the right experience, certifications and licenses. Although formal training is not required, this can teach you all the procedures in the case of any emergency. There are also a number of families offering service work as a:
- Babysitter
- Nanny
- Tutor
- Au pair
Related: 8 Tips for Anyone Starting a Child-Care Service
61. Childproofing Services
Childproofing is a trade that many do not think of these days. But every family with a newborn baby or small child wants to provide a safe home for them. There are so many areas of a home that can be dangerous, from sharp corners to stairs. A childproofing business is very cheap to start up, but you may be required to follow certain state regulations, depending on your location. To understand all the ins and outs of the industry, you may want to undertake an internship in the field before setting up shop.
62. Digital Media Conversion
Have you ever thought about what happens to all the old CDs and DVDs we used to use to listen to music and watch films? Well, the answer is, often nothing. For those who have only just started using the internet to download, purchase, and listen to music, their CDs are wasted. If you know how to transfer this media to a computer, you could be doing the tech-phobic and those with little time on their hands a serious favor. Offer your services on forums, social media or flyers. You may even end up with customers with more general tech needs on a long-term basis.
63. Personal Driver or Taxi Services
This is an especially easy business to start if you live in an urban area, as many businessmen and women prefer having a driver to go to and from work in order to make calls, schedule meetings, and generally work on the operational aspects of their companies during that time. On the other hand, if you are looking to start a business that is more like a taxi service, why not become an Uber driver? To become an Uber driver, you need:
- A decent car
- A clean driving record
- A smartphone
- To be 21 years or older
- At least 3 years' driving experience
- A background check
Some of the main benefits of being an Uber driver are:
- You can create your own schedule
- You don't have a real boss
- You will benefit from “surge pricing” regularly
- You'll meet new people every day
Related: 5 Lessons Learned From the World's Greatest Uber Driver
64. Hairdressing or Makeup Artist Services
If you have worked in a salon before or just know how to cut hair but do not have the capital to open your own business, you could start one from home. All you need to do is make sure you comply with all your state's requirements for opening a salon in your home. That said, once you've got yourself up and running, you could earn anywhere from $22,500 and up. You could also offer other beauty treatments, such as:
- Hair coloring
- Hair extensions
- Manicure and pedicures
- Makeup
- Massages
65. Interior Designer
Both homeowners and business owners look for interior design and home decorating services in order to make the vision for their space come to life. Having a degree or certification will help you understand the different functions of a home or office, but it is not legally required in most places. You will be able to do most of your research from the comforts of your home, but you will need to get to know your client in order to understand how they want to use the space. Consider asking questions like:
- Is it for adults or children, or both?
- Does the space need to be pet-friendly?
- What is the purpose of the room?
66. Tour Guide
Many tourists like visiting new places with a guide. It allows them to ask all the questions they want and get a real local feel of the place they are visiting. If you know your town like the back of your hand, why not charge people for tours? You can create packages that include:
- Walking tours
- Taxi services to and from their hotels
- Breakfast, lunch, or dinner at a local restaurant
67. Bridal Concierge
The wedding industry is one that will most likely live in perpetuity. This is meant to be a special day for a couple, but often turns into a chore because of all the planning that comes with it. Because it is nearly impossible for brides and grooms to be able to enjoy the planning of their wedding, they often pay professionals to do it for them. If you have strong organizational skills, are communicative, pay attention to the little details, and love weddings, then you could set up shop from the comforts of your home. To get started and build a portfolio, offer your services to a friend or family member. From there, you can start charging other clients.
Related: What You Can Learn About Ecommerce From Used Wedding Dresses
68. House and Pet Sitting
People who go away on holiday often worry about whether or not they will come back to an intact home, especially if they have pets. This type of business requires little to no monetary investment. Start by approaching:
- Friends
- Family members
- Neighbors
As your house and petsitting business gets on its feet, think about marketing yourself to your local community by:
- Designing business cards
- Launching a website
- Hanging flyers in your area
- Advertising in the Yellow Pages
69. Senior Home Companion
The minimum life expectancy is becoming later and there are now more than 45 million people in the United States who are 65 years old and up. As people age, they need more help with their day-to-day activities and may also appreciate some companionship.
70. Electronics Repair Services
The 21st century has led the majority of people to own at least one electronic device, if not multiple. Although many insure their products, most still prefer to get a quick fix rather than sending it off for a long time before getting it back. This type of business has room for expansion, and you can offer repairs for:
- Appliances
- Computers
- Cameras
- Phones
- Speakers and musical equipment
- Televisions
- Gaming devices
71. Upholstering Services
If you're good with your hands and have a particular love for sewing, why not train as an upholsterer? There are a number of ways you can learn the upholstering trade, including:
- A course
- Books
- YouTube tutorial videos
- Practicing on old furniture
There is also significant potential for expansion. Often people who need upholstering services also need their furniture repaired, so why not learn to repair furniture as well? You could also team up with a company who does repairs and add these costs to your customer's final invoice.
72. Auto Repairs
You can start an auto repair shop from the comforts of your home if you have a garage and the right tools. On the other hand, if you don't have the space to open a business from home but do have the tools, you could open a mobile auto repair shop where you travel to the location of the vehicle in need of repair. There is also the option to start your own car wash and detailing shop. You don't need to have any mechanic skills, just a keen eye for detail and a love for getting your hands dirty. This is a very rewarding business that can become extremely profitable with the right promotion.
Related: How to Find the Right Tech Talent (for the Non-Tech Entrepreneur)
73. Bicycle Repair
Although a bicycle repair service can be seasonal, there are opportunities to tap into multiple markets so that you can have an income year round. For cyclists who just use their bikes to go to and from work, offer general repairs and maybe storage facilities during the winter months. If you want to attract cycling fanatics, you can offer year-round repair services. A Saturday shop in the right location is the perfect way to gather a bit of a crowd that will surely spend hours discussing their common passion.
74. Menu Planning Services
The restaurant chef is not the only person that has a say on what goes on the menu. High-end restaurants often find themselves indecisive when it comes to the food they want to serve, especially as seasons change. A menu planning business is a very low-cost idea, but is perfect for those who love to work with food without any direct involvement in preparing or serving it. Many places are willing to hire a consultant to design their seasonal menus, so visit local restaurants and make them aware of your culinary skill set.
75. Home Daycare Services
Firstly, you will definitely need the appropriate licensing and permits to start a home daycare business. That said, if you love children; have worked with them before; and have friends, neighbors, or family who take their young children to nurseries while they are at work, then starting your own home daycare business could be very profitable. When getting licensed, you will need to:
- Research the requirements according to your state's laws
- Get the correct orientations
- Submit your application
- Get your training
- Buy the necessary insurance
- Have your home inspected
Finally…
It may seem daunting to leave your 9-to-5 grind and start your own business, but by doing so, you are giving yourself a newfound level of freedom while doing something that feeds your passion(s). The internet has made it increasingly possible for you to brush up on your skillset or even learn new ones, leaving you with the opportunity to start a business easily and cheaply.
source: entrepreneur
Building a business in the modern world can be hard due to the fierce competition in all industries. This competition often forces small-scale businesses, who lack funding, to shut down.
We all know the commonly told statistic that around 90% of startup companies fail within their first few years. Although this may sound daunting, it does not mean that all innovators need to abandon their business dreams—quite the opposite really.
Those individuals who are interested in the business world simply need to understand how much it costs to start up a business.
By knowing the relative costs, they will be able to spend their money wisely and hopefully turnover more profits. This, in turn, ought to allow them to survive in this harsh business climate.
Quite often we see businesses failing as they have failed to pay attention to the finer details. As such, I would like to explore the costs of these finer details which, more often than not, can determine the success or failure of a newly founded firm.
The first thing that any startup business will need is a good website and domain. A website enables you to provide a source of information about your company which is easily accessible for potential consumers. Moreover, a website is easily shareable therefore meaning that it can enable your business to gain more attention from all around the world. Quite often we see websites being created by web designers—individuals who specialize in creating attractive websites.
These individuals are responsible for setting up, designing, building and maintaining your website. The best thing about such individuals is that they can give you a unique design which will make your website stand out. The downside is, however, that they can be quite expensive which can make life tough for startup business owners. According to Website Builder Expert, a web designer has the potential to charge you around $7000 in your first year, however, in my experience, a decent website for a startup is around £750-1500.
Alternatively, you may decide to use a website builder which is far cheaper. These sites offer you templates from which you can build your website and organize your content as you so please.
The issue here is that you will be required to do more work, and your website could come across as far more generic and potentially less professional. Nonetheless, it could be a good strategy for individuals that are interested in bootstrapping in order to save as much money as possible and get the business going.
Another potential cost could be that of business cards. Business cards are an excellent way of spreading the word about your services in a personal manner. They are also useful because they enable potential clients to know exactly how they could contact you.
Just like websites, business cards can be intricately designed or make use of basic templates. Hence, they can cost anywhere in the range of £10-£40 per 100 cards. The important thing to remember about business cards is that they should be straightforward and easy to interpret. You could, for example, outline your basic services and contact details (use a professional email address with your business domain) and then go into greater detail by using a LinkedIn page or through your website. Whichever you go, remember to stick to a clear and precise message.
But I would add as a note, that a business card is a reflection of you and your brand so it makes sense to invest in a designer and a good quality print and card. It says a lot about you!
When you’re starting up your business you may also wish to spend time with a business mentor who will guide you through the early stages of your businesses’ development. Business mentoring is a useful tool to invest in because it can enable business growth, prevent mistakes and develop your knowledge of the business world. According to The Business Mentors, mentoring programs can cost anywhere in the range of £400-£4000 depending on the level of input required.
Consultancy is another essential service that all business owners will require because it means that businesses can receive more expert advice. Consultancy firms often charge large sums of money for their services, but are well-known for providing a good service.
I believe in a consultative mentoring experience with the mentees that I support because want to be able to share my experience, expertise and embed them into a community of like-minded people. Who you surround yourself with in business, is an essential part of your business development. The wrong people, the wrong advice or no advice–can end up costing your £000s.
With all of this in mind, the question is: can you afford a business simply through bootstrapping? Could you, for example, start your business from your kitchen with the aim of spending as little as possible? Although it may be somewhat tougher than starting your business in the regular fashion, I believe that you could bootstrap and start your business from home.
This will, however, require you to do lots of research beforehand. It may also require you to develop some sort of side hustle, in order to accumulate enough funds to build your business. I strongly believe in starting on the journey with a survival budget spreadsheet so that you know exactly how much money you need to have saved or coming in to ‘survive’ during the business development process.
There will, of course, be other expenses but these are the ones which you will have to take care of right at the beginning. There are also other elements required for the business that don’t cost anything to set up like social media but can still be very time consuming and therefore costly–so use it wisely!
It will inevitably be a difficult thing at first; however, through hard work you will be able to succeed. Just like anything else, success in the business world is reliant on four key things: determination, hard work, a decent idea and passion!
source: forbes
Entrepreneurs are frequently thought of as national assets to be cultivated, motivated, and remunerated to the greatest possible extent. Great entrepreneurs have the ability to change the way we live and work. If successful, their innovations may improve standards of living, and in addition to creating wealth with entrepreneurial ventures, they also create jobs and contribute to a growing economy.
Entrepreneurship is important for a number of reasons, from promoting social change to driving innovation.
Entrepreneurs Spur Economic Growth
New products and services created by entrepreneurs can produce a cascading effect, where it stimulates related businesses or sectors that need to support the new venture, furthering economic development.
For example, a few information technology companies made up the IT industry in India during the 1990s. The industry quickly expanded and many other sectors benefited from it.
Businesses in associated industries, such as call center operations, network maintenance companies, and hardware providers flourished. Education and training institutes nurtured a new class of IT workers who were offered better, high-paying jobs.
Infrastructure development organizations and even real estate companies capitalized on this growth as workers migrated to cities where employment was growing.
Similarly, future development efforts in underdeveloped countries require robust logistics support, capital investments, and a qualified workforce.
From the highly qualified programmer to the construction worker, entrepreneurship benefits a large part of the economy.
Entrepreneurs Add to National Income
Entrepreneurial ventures help generate new wealth. Existing businesses may remain confined to existing markets and may hit the glass ceiling in terms of income.
New and improved products, services or technology from entrepreneurs enable new markets to be developed and new wealth to be created.
Additionally, increased employment and higher earnings contribute to better national income in the form of higher tax revenue and higher government spending.
This revenue can be used by the government to invest in other, struggling sectors and human capital. Although it may make a few existing players redundant, the government can soften the blow by redirecting surplus wealth to retrain workers.
Entrepreneurs Create Social Change
Through offering unique goods and services, entrepreneurs break away from tradition and reduce dependence on obsolete systems and technologies. This results in an improved quality of life, improved morale, and greater economic freedom.
For example, the water supply in a water-scarce region will, at times, forces people to stop working to collect water. This will impact their business, productivity, and income. Imagine an innovative and automatic pump that can fill people's water containers automatically. This type of innovation ensures people are able to focus on their jobs without worrying about a basic necessity like water. More time to devote to work translates to economic growth.
For a more contemporary example, smartphones and apps have revolutionized work and play across the globe. Smartphones are not exclusive to wealthy countries or people. As the growth of the smartphone market continues, technological entrepreneurship can have a profound, long-lasting impact on the world.
Moreover, the globalization of technology means entrepreneurs in lesser-developed countries have access to the same tools as their counterparts in richer countries.
They also have the advantage of a lower cost of living, so a young entrepreneur from an underdeveloped country can compete with a multi-million-dollar existing product from a developed country.
Community Development
Entrepreneurs regularly nurture ventures by other like-minded individuals. They also invest in community projects and provide financial support to local charities.
This enables further development beyond their own ventures. Some famous entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates, have used their money to finance good causes, from education to public health. The qualities that make one an entrepreneur are the same qualities that help motivate entrepreneurs to pay it forward.
Is All Entrepreneurship Good?
Are there any drawbacks to cultivating entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship? Is there a limit to the number of entrepreneurs a society can hold?
Italy may provide an example of a place where high levels of self-employment have proved to be inefficient for economic development. Research has shown that Italy has experienced large negative impacts on the growth of its economy because of self-employment. There may be truth in the old saying, "too many chefs and not enough cooks spoil the soup."
The Role of Government
Regulation plays a crucial role in nurturing entrepreneurship. Unregulated entrepreneurship may lead to unwanted social outcomes including unfair market practices, pervasive corruption, and criminal activity.
Findings from the United Nations University also indicate the possible implications of “over-nurturing" entrepreneurship.
European economist Wim Naudé argues that “while entrepreneurship may raise economic growth and material welfare, it may not always result in improvements in non-material welfare (or happiness). Promotion of happiness is increasingly seen as an essential goal.”
Paradoxically, a significantly high number of entrepreneurs may lead to fierce competition and loss of career choices for individuals.
With too many entrepreneurs, levels of aspirations usually rise. Owing to the variability of success in entrepreneurial ventures, the scenario of having too many entrepreneurs may also lead to income inequality, making citizens more unhappy.
The Bottom Line
The relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development is important to understand for policymakers and business owners. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of entrepreneurship allows a balanced approach to nurturing entrepreneurship to be taken, which can result in a positive economic and societal impact.
source: investopedia
Entrepreneurs And Investors, It's Not About Bitcoin: Build Or Invest In Blockchain Solutions
31 May 2019 Written by Admin AdminThe recent rise and fall of Bitcoin (slight uptick recently), should give you pause for thought and help you understand where the real potential might be. While the future potential of secure digital payments through crypto currency remains to be seen, the focus should be on building blockchain based platforms and marketplaces. The rapid rise and fall in Bitcoin should remind us of the early Internet days when a new technology arrives but no one really knows how to use it. Early websites were nothing more than brochure ware while companies like Amazon saw the real potential to conduct enterprise-based ecommerce in entirely new ways. Sometimes, it’s not about the product but about the technology. And in this case, that is blockchain.
Here is a simple definition of blockchain. A blockchain is a digital record of transactions. The name comes from its structure, in which individual records, called blocks, are linked together in single list, called a chain. Blockchain can be used for recording transactions made with crypto currencies, such as Bitcoin, but have many other powerful applications. Each transaction added to a blockchain is validated by multiple computers on the Internet. These systems, which are configured to monitor specific types of blockchain transactions, form a peer-to-peer network. They work together to ensure each transaction is valid before it is added to the blockchain. This decentralized network of computers ensures a single system cannot add invalid blocks to the chain.
So why should you as an entrepreneur or investor care more about blockchain than Bitcoin? Bitcoin is still a speculation on a future crypto currency that the world may not yet adopt. Maybe in the future, maybe not. But blockchain is a serious technology that can provide a variety of solutions. Imagine you are an automotive manufacturer and you have a product quality problem. Rather than recall thousands or millions of cars, you can simply recall the cars whose part is potentially defective based on blockchain identification and tracking. Or perhaps you need to track a product or good all the way through the supply chain to verify its source or heritage. Think heirloom tomatoes or cannabis where absolute tracking is critical.
The real potential for blockchain will come from existing companies or startups that actually build the new platforms and marketplaces of the future. Using tokens (values of an asset), here are four potential solutions that companies can build using blockchain.
Source: forbes
5 Ways to Optimize and Accelerate Your LinkedIn Company Page in 2019
31 May 2019 Written by Admin AdminThe latest 2019 LinkedIn statistics support the importance to companies of having a well-established presence on LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn has more than 30 million companies on its platform.
- LinkedIn is almost three times (277 percent) more effective in generating leads than Twitter and Facebook.
Even though LinkedIn can recognize Boolean operators and filter results according to the user’s search requirements to bring up the name of the company in the search results, companies still need to optimize their company page on the platform.
With a focus on following LinkedIn company page best practices and increased competition as the LinkedIn algorithm continues to evolve, here are the top five ways that companies can optimize a company page on LinkedIn in 2019:
1. Optimize for SEO.
Companies need to optimize their company page on LinkedIn for SEO. An SEO-friendly LinkedIn profile will increase online visibility among users searching for information on them, such as the types of products they offer and the services they provide. Companies can optimize their LinkedIn profile doing the following:
- Inserting keywords and phrases into their company profile.
- Creating links to their company profile by adding it to their official website, blog and other marketing and promotional material.
- Sharing relevant and engaging content on a regular basis
2. Create a visually compelling company profile.
Companies need to create a visually compelling LinkedIn profile by combining text with an image -- recommended size is 1200 x 627 pixels. Since the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than words, adding images will provide companies with 94 percent more views.
Consequently, a company needs to take proactive measures in ensuring that they upload articles with pictures, infographics, charts, presentations and more. They can also consider creating and uploading videos on LinkedIn. They can publish these visuals with text on LinkedIn’s publishing platform as well as on their company page.
Another way a business can create visual interest is to design an appealing header image, changing it after every six months. Lastly, businesses can use their banner image for various promotional services, such as advertising upcoming events, highlighting various teams in the company and announcing seasonal campaigns.
3. Publish and share content on LinkedIn.
Publishing and sharing content on various social media websites, not just LinkedIn, has become pertinent for targeting the right demographic for a company's brand. Companies need to take advantage of this by regularly (two to four times per week) creating and publishing media ranging from articles, slideshows and videos to infographics and more on LinkedIn. The objective of content creation is to engage the audience, compelling them to return.
Further confirming the power of content creation is the statistics, stating that content receives 9 billion impression each week. However, only 3 million users share content each week, and LinkedIn has more than 500 million profiles.
4. Add strategic hashtags to posts.
LinkedIn has encouraged users to post and search for industry-specific hashtags to add to shared posts and comments. The professional networking platform provides users with a maximum of 200 hashtag categories.
Here are a few different ways businesses can use hashtags on the professional networking platform:
- Add tags based on location locally, nationally, or internationally.
- Use hashtags to keep track of clients.
- Create hashtags for prospects businesses can create hashtags for potential clients they want to attract with content creation.
- Reach out to Influencers businesses can create a list of influencers in their industry, using hashtags to draw their attention.
5. Follow the four-one-one rule.
For every four pieces of new content companies publish, they need to repost one post and one self-serving post:
- Companies do not need to create freshly curated content each time but can share content from another website or blog that they perceive as interesting and relevant to their target market. The content shared is classified as new because it has not been introduced to their audience.
- Companies can repost posts of another user that they found as intriguing read or watch with their target market, which allows businesses to build relationships with people and brands.
- Companies can create self-serving posts that have the role of promoting their business to their audience. Self-serving posts include announcements, links to
- content they have created or links to their website.
Finally, as a last hurrah to ensure your company page make a lasting impression, gather recommendations by engaging directly with clients and followers. If someone comments on an article you’ve shared on your Company Page or messages you with an inquiry, use it as an opportunity to create a dialogue and win an endorsement winning.
Source: entrepreneur
When you have a great idea for a business, the thrill can drive you headlong into an energetic launch. But wait. Statistics show that over 50% of businesses fail in their first five years– with 30% failing in the first year alone.
There are several reasons why businesses go down, but this early failure rate is usually the result of poor planning. For a business idea to succeed, you need to follow methodical procedures to ensure you launch from a firm base. And the first question to ask is whether your idea is as smart and original as you think.
- Research the market You may think you’ve come up with a fool-proof idea, but is there a market for it? Many businesses launch, only to find someone else has already had the same idea and has got into the market first. Or the potential market is so small that you’re never going to be able to make a sustainable income from it. You need to carry out a full market analysis of your idea and the target audience to ensure your idea is really going to fulfil a need.
Start by doing a SWOT analysis on your proposal, defining all the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with it. Involve all your business associates, or friends and family members if you’re working alone. Going through the process will help you to evaluate and refine the concept at a high level- questions to ask include:
- What demand is there for your idea?
- If it is a product, who will buy it?
- If it is a service, who will use it?
- Who else in the UAE does this already?
- Are they successful and, if so, why?
- What price can you put on your product or service?
As you build up answers to these questions, you will form a clearer picture of whether or not your idea is sound. If it’s not, let it go.
- Compile a financial plan If your market research is positive, and you decide to proceed, the next step is to put together a financial forecast. This will become a valuable guide when you’re up and running and is essential if you’re applying for funding. The more thorough your market research and your financial plan, the better chance you stand of securing investment. This also applies if you’re relying on friends and family for launch capital– often the preferable option because the terms are more favorable. But take a professional approach and make sure you have an agreement in writing. There’s nothing like unpaid debts to turn a relationship sour.
Your financial plan is a key part of your overall business plan, forecasting how the figures will add up. It needs to include sound estimates of overheads, cash flow, income, profit/loss and investment stages, usually projected over three to five years. Of course, these figures will be largely theoretical, but they need to be based on reality, so do your research. An accountant or business startup consultant will be able to help you.
- Position your product or service So, you’ve ascertained that there is a market for your idea, and that the figures work out. Now it’s time to prepare your idea for market. You need to be able to describe quickly and clearly what it is you’re selling. Potential customers have a very short attention span, so you need to grab them in a matter of seconds.
Start with the benefits. What will your product or service do for its customers? What need or problem will it satisfy? Explain it in language that your target customers will understand in under 30 seconds. When Steve Jobs of Apple launched the iPod in 2001, he didn’t describe the new device as an MP3 player with a 5GB hard drive. He introduced it as “a thousand songs in your pocket.” The audience understood the proposition immediately. When you’re happy with your messaging, test it on friends and family, or your startup consultant.
- Build your brand The most successful businesses are instantly recognizable in many ways: their name and logo, their strapline, their colors, their use of imagery, their tone of voice. All these factors make up their brand. You don’t have to be a large, established company to have a strong brand. By paying attention to all these aspects, you can build a new brand that quickly catches on and gains recognition.
Consistency is key. Your brand needs to be an unwavering reflection of your values, but it also needs to reflect the values of your target customers. You can develop your brand personality by thinking of your product or service as a person or an animal, for example.
With the help of a branding expert, you can translate your brand personality into a look and feel and tone of voice, with brand guidelines to follow for consistency. It’s the consistent application of these guidelines across all your marketing that gives your idea life as a brand.
- Set up a legal company With your big idea developed and tested, you’re now at the stage to formally set up your business. There are various ways you can do this in the UAE. Cutting corners, though, could jeopardize your company before it even starts. The best approach to setting up a legal company is to use a reputable company formation specialist. They will listen to your needs, explain the options and propose the best way forward. They can also complete all the paperwork, set up a corporate bank account and make sure you stay legally compliant.
Patience is the key when turning a business idea into reality. Applying the above steps in order should help avoid the pitfalls of building your house on flimsy foundations. Most importantly, share the process. Listen to constructive criticism and take professional advice. After all, this could be a life-defining venture.
Source: entrepreneur
