As a business owner, it’s essential that you have a business card to hand out to potential customers anywhere, any time. Creating a unique, eye-catching card doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. All it takes is a little imagination and some decisions on how best to produce your cards.
Templates
One of the easiest ways to start creating a card for your business is to browse templates for programs such as Microsoft Publisher and Word. These can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft website and imported into programs on your computer. From there, you can add custom text and images to make the card look just the way you want.
Be sure to include your business name, physical address, phone number and e-mail address on the card. If you have specific contact numbers or extensions for customer service, product inquiries or technical support, you may wish to include those as well. And don’t forget to put your company logo in a prominent place so people will remember at a glance who they got the card from.
Image: Lenore Edman / Flickr
Specialty Paper
If you’re going to be printing your own business card designs, choosing the right paper is important. You should seek out sturdy, high-quality paper so that your finished cards appear clean and professional. Companies such as Avery make special business card stock just for this purpose. You might also be able to find card stock that is already divided into individual boxes, so all you have to do is print your designs and punch the cards out along a set of perforated lines.
Online Services
A wider selection of templates and printing options may be found online. Many services offer an initial free run of business cards. This allows you to get a small number of your chosen card for just the cost of shipping so you can see your design in practice before investing money in a larger run. It always pays to shop around, so take the time to research the different options to find one that’s right for your business and your budget. If you still prefer to print your own cards and just need a user-friendly template selection to get you started, a service like Business Card Star can help in your design efforts.
Having all of your information on a concise, attractive card makes it easy to connect with potential customers and remind others that your business is always there when they need it. With the variety of templates and services available, you can have the perfect business card printed in no time.
About the Author: The article is written by Jo Turnbull. There are many different printing services throughout Australia which offer affordable business card design and printing. For printing and web design services, visit your local printing company.
The answer is of course yes. If you are starting out on your own you need a website, but you will not have the budget to build an expensive one. You may need to manage your own website expectations to ensure it is within budget. Here are a few ways you can have the website you want without breaking the bank.
1. Create a brief
This is important so that you clearly lay out what you want and do not want in your website. It does not have to be a large document, just clearly lays out your objectives of the website, the functionality which you can sometimes forget when you are in the middle of creating your site
2. Use off the shelf packages
It is not cheating if you use content management systems (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal. Personally, I would recommend WordPress as it is much easier to use than other CMS. Plus you will always be able to download the latest update so you do not have to worry about your website being out of date.
3. Keep it simple
You may want to have a fantastic website that has lots of images, videos and sharing widgets. You may also want a unique colour on your site, not one that other people have. Although this may sound good, it all makes it far more complicated and hence expensive. Choose a Pantone colour that already exists, that way you can easily recreate it off line as well, such as in a business card or any other marketing material. Use only a few relevant images, having too many on a website will slow the site down. If you want a video, don’t host it on your site, have a YouTube channel and host it there, just embed it on your website.
4. Hire graduates
If you really want to build a website from scratch, contact local Universities and ask them if they know any students who are studying web design if they want some experience working for you. Many students will have to complete a final year project as park of their degree in which they have to design and build a fully functioning website.
There are many affordable web design options out there in the market, you just have to look a bit harder to find them. Think out of the box, perhaps if you have time but little funds, work with the graduate developer you have hired. Or teach yourself how to use WordPress. There are many different themes you can use once you have got to grips with this CMS.
About the Author: The article is written by Jo Turnbull. For those in Australia, Snap provides affordable web design services throughout the country. They also offer affordable printing services in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide.
After much planning, you have made the decision to move Down Under. You want to set up your own business in Australia to allow you to take advantage of all what Australia has to offer including sun, sea and surf. Here are 5 steps to help set up your business in Australia.
1. TFN
This is your Tax File Number, which is the same as a National Insurance Number in the UK or a Social Security Number in the US. Everyone needs a TFN which is issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) before they are able to work. It shows they have the legal right to work in Australia and are paying taxes. Everyone has a different TFN and it stays with you your whole working life so that the Government can identify your tax records. If you do not have a TFN, you will be paying emergency tax which is 46.5%.
Image: marc falardeau / Flickr
2. ABN
Every person that is self employed and is running a business, has an ABN (although it is not compulsory). You will need to use your ABN when dealing with other businesses, (when doing work for them), when filing your tax returns, if you are registered for GST (goods sales tax). Once you have your TFN you can then apply for your ABN, which can take up to 4 weeks. The ABN will be used when you file your tax returns at the end of the financial year, which runs July to July.
3. Contact An Accountant
It is important to get in touch with an accountant at the earliest possibility. This will help you to sort out your tax before you start bringing in a lot of business. The last thing you want to doing before the end of the tax year is finding out you have not been paying enough tax. The amount of tax you pay is dependent on your earnings and whether you are classified as an Australian resident. If you have to buy products for your company and travel costs, you can claim these as an expense.
4. Set Up Your Website
As you have just come into a new market, you will need to do a lot of advertising to promote yourself and be seen in Australia. The best way to do this is to set up your own website. If you already have one, then you will need to amend the details to include your new location. If you do not yet have a site, there are many companies in Australia that offer affordable web design solutions.
5. Print Your Business Cards
Once you have your website, you will need to ensure you have some business cards printed with your website address, new Australian mobile and landline number (should you have one).
About the Author: The article is written by Jo Turnbull. There are many printing services in Australia. Visit your local printing company to see what’s on offer.
A Laundromat is the perfect business for anyone who wants a profitable business with the potential to grow but doesn’t want to spend all their time working. Most owners of Laundromats truly enjoy the business so much that a lot of them open multiple stores. Having a business that doesn’t require a lot of involvement but delivers a comfortable profit is a wonderful opportunity.
You might ask yourself why you should consider something as unexciting as a Laundromat when there are so many exciting ventures available. The short answer is that this is a business with a very low failure rate and a sound business concept. Laundromat owners make money even when other businesses are floundering, no matter what shape the economy is in. It’s a service that everyone need. People will cut corners and find cheaper ways to do things but there are few people that are willing to wash their own clothing in their sink or bathtub.
Laundromats are used by people from every income group. Even the wealthiest people use Laundromats that provide a service that lets them drop off their washing and pick it up later when it has been washed, dried and folded. Businesses, especially smaller ones, use Laundromats for their linens and other items.
Once you succeed with one Laundromat you may want to start another in a different location. You won’t be working 20 hour days like a lot of business owners do to get their businesses on their feet as it takes just a few hours a week to maintain the store, collect the coins, replenish the change machines and do the accounting. It’s a partially automated business that doesn’t require a lot of attention from the owner.
Image: midorisyu / Flickr
A Business Full of Opportunities
You can start your Laundromat in a few different ways depending on how fast you need it to be profitable and how much financing you have available. You can buy an already existing store that is doing well with an established clientele. You may want to opt for one that is not doing well so that you can get it at a bargain price. If you have a lot of financial resources, you can start your own from the bottom up. If you choose the latter you can often get a good deal on your lease because Laundromats are viewed as “anchor” stores by strip mall landlords. They usually sig long leases and support other businesses by bringing in regular customers.
If you are successful with your first Laundromat you might want to follow the Franchise business model. Opening a couple more Laundromats and selling or leasing them to entrepreneurs like yourself can bring you a very nice passive income.
What will it Cost?
A Laundromat has some pretty hefty start up costs, one of the few drawbacks of starting this kind of business. You’ll have to allow for building costs or renovation if you decide to start from scratch as well as the cost of washers, dryers, coin changing machines, sewage and waste disposal. Don’t forget about insurance and security systems if you should need them.
Promoting Your Business
Laundromats don’t need much in the way of marketing and you probably won’t be doing much of it after your business becomes known in the community. You’ll need good signage, of course, and that’s one area you can use to attract a better class of customer. A cheap, garish sign like “Duds ‘N Suds” will attract a different sort of person than a sign with “Laundromat” in a distinctive font or cursive with an understated color scheme. Making the inside of the store attractive and comfortable will also help the store attract a more positive trade.
Distributing flyers and having a launch party will let the community know you’re there and give them a chance to visit the premises. You should consider giving your store a website, which can be invaluable for promotions and publicity. You can draw your clients in with web-based newsletters that contain laundry hints, industry news and updates on the latest fashions and how to care for the fabrics involved. You could even stage a contest a few times a year that gives the winner a free wash and dry or kids’ coloring pages on holidays. Your clients will have fun and fell as if your store is “their” Laundromat. Compete with other stores by offering morning coffee or pay for play game machines; anything that increases customer comfort will help keep your store busy.
Location, Location, Location!
You can have the best store in the world but it will be a failure if you don’t choose the proper location. Study the demographics of any neighborhood you’re considering. You’ll need young families in apartments, students, maybe even some upper income clients to whom you can offer drop off and pick up service.
What can you afford? The best sites are priced accordingly but paying a little extra will generally result in healthier profits. On the other hand, a creative marketing program can keep customers coming in to a less desired location. You’ll need to assess the parking situation, whether your customers will be safe at night and if there are other businesses whose customers will be interested in your store.
Knowing your competitors is one of your best tools to success. Know their locations because if there are too many in one small area, none of them will do very well. It’s hard to make people break a habit and switch Laundromats.
How Do You Want to Manage Your Store?
One of the best aspects of running a Laundromat is the short work week. If you have just one store or even two, you’ll probably be working less than 10 hours per week to keep everything running smoothly. Once you grow larger you will probably need to hire a few employees to manage and maintain the stores. The advantage of having employees is that you can offer some premium services like small mending repairs, button replacements, washing, ironing and folding. The disadvantage is employee turnover, employees calling in sick at the last moment and other problems employers encounter. You’ll have to think about such situations and make some contingency plans. Running one store by yourself is quite different from being an employer.
You should decide if you want to keep the store open 24 hours a day or stick to an early morning to mid-evening schedule. You’ll save on utilities if you close at night but if you live near a large student population you could miss out on a lot of business. On the other hand, if your clientele is mostly young families or working people there won’t be much demand for your store’s services after 9PM. You may also save on insurance premiums if the store is closed at night.
Don’t forget that your machines will need maintenance and repairs. If you don’t know enough to make these repairs you should find a reliable person or company before you open your store. You can often find retired appliance repair personnel who are happy to pick up some work or you might see which companies others in your industry use. Being ready when a machine needs work will keep your store running smoothly and keep your customers happy.
If you are looking for more details on the laundromat business you can find more articles at OpeningaLaundromat.com
Many businesses have been employing the use of Facebook to help them market their business as well as interact with their customers. Facebook can be a great tool for businesses when it is used properly, however, there are many companies out there that are making fatal Facebook mistakes.
No-No #1: Using a personal page instead of a business page.
Facebook has two separate platforms: one for individuals and one for businesses. Many businesses make the mistake of creating a business page on a regular individual page, and this is a big no-no. First, it violates Facebook’s guidelines.
Second, personal profiles have limitations that are not good for businesses. A personal profile has a numerical limit on the number of friends you can have and if your settings are set to private, only friends can see your page. On the other hand, business pages are open to the public. You can have as many fans as you want, you don’t have to approve every fan request and you have more options to increase awareness and engage with customers.
No-No #2: Not having a plan.
You can’t simply walk blindly into Facebook and expect it to work miracles. Facebook is an extension of your marketing strategy; therefore, it needs a plan.
You need to determine the goals of your Facebook page first. Do you simply want to generate awareness about your company? Do you want to use it as a way for customers to contact you for more information on your products or services? Do you want to use it for community engagement? All of these goals require different Facebook strategies, so it’s important to have a good handle on your goals before jumping into Facebook.
You also need to implement a monitoring plan. Who is going to constantly watch your site? Are you going to assign a team of employees to handle this, or are you going to outsource? You also need to determine your plan of action. If a customer posts an unhappy message on your wall for all to see, what are you going to do?
Having a well thought out plan can alleviate the ailments that can come with a social media presence. And by knowing your goals, you can accurately implement tactics to achieve them.
No-No #3: Being inactive.
The purpose of Facebook is to interact with customers and fans and be social. You cannot create a Facebook page just to say you have a Facebook page and then never do anything with it. If you’re inactive on Facebook, you will not gain any fans. If you have no fans, there’s no purpose in having a Facebook page.
If you simply cannot manage the responsibility of a business Facebook page, create a team of dedicated staff to run it or outsource it to a social media company. Depending on the size of your following and the demands from your customers, your Facebook page could be a hub of constant interaction. If this is the case, give your followers what they want and engage with them. Post pictures or videos, create fun and engaging status updates, comment and like status updates or photos of your fans. The more you can be active with your customers, the more human your company will seem.
No-No #4: Being redundant.
One step above being inactive, you’ll find redundancy is also a Facebook no-no. Facebook business pages allow you to do a wide variety of things. You can post pictures or videos, ask questions to your audience, post status updates, create polls, create deals and even allow users to “check-in” to your location. Since you have all of these options at your fingertips—use them.
The more interesting your page is on a daily basis will entice your fans to visit your page more often. If you are constantly boring them with the same old garbage, you could end up losing them in the long run.
When used correctly, Facebook can be a great addition to your marketing strategy. You can get your business in front of your target demographic and you can connect with your fans on a more personal level, listen to their input and get a grasp of what they want from you and what will make them happy. If you can get all of this from a social networking site, it’s important that your business does not implement any of these no-nos.
About the Author: Charlie Adams is a social media expert and marketing professional who works with the Palms hotel in Las Vegas. He often generates content to aid people or businesses in the proper application of social networks.
