Author: BizSieve Team

Why You Should Consider Hiring Freelancers for Your Small Business

Small businesses often tend to be one-person operations as entrepreneurs try to take on all the responsibilities in order to save as much money as possible. Employees are often limited to family and close friends or just an extra hand or two to help out.

However, small businesses can benefit greatly from hiring on employees, who can help their operations grow more quickly. For small businesses on a budget — which is most of them — freelancers can fill this role for less cost. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should consider hiring freelancers for your small business:

hire us
Image by Dita Margarita

Experience for Less

With a freelancer, you pay by the hour or by the project, allowing you to spend far less for the same experience you would get in a much more expensive employee. You would have to pay a high salary to get the same level of experience in an employee. By hiring a freelancer, you can get the skill and experience your company needs for less.

Not Responsible for Benefits

Salary is only one part of the expense of employees. Typically, you would also need to pay for benefits such as a portion of health insurance premiums, a contribution towards a 401(k) or other retirement account, and paid time off. You would also be responsible for paying a portion of the employee’s taxes. When you hire a freelancer, you don’t have to pay for any of these items — which can nearly double the cost of an employee’s pay package in some cases.

Pay Only for Results

When you hire a full-time employee, you may end up paying for a certain amount of clock watching. With a freelancer, you only pay for results. Even if a freelancer charges you by the hour, you pay by the job, so you can more easily calculate whether the hours reported for the job seem reasonable. However, most often, you will pay a flat fee for the project, so you won’t have to worry about how many hours were put into the job.

Little Risk

Freelancers work on a contract basis. That means that you aren’t bound by a contract and you don’t have any obligation to the freelancer, other than to pay for the job. That means that there is less risk. If you have a problem with an employee, you may have to go through a drawn-out process of filing reports and attempting mediation before you can finally fire the person. In the process, you will lose money and productivity. You don’t face that risk with a freelancer. If you are dissatisfied with a freelancer’s work, you just don’t hire that person again.

Freelance workers offer small businesses all the benefits of full-time employees without the same risk and without costing as much in salary and benefits. If your small business is not already using freelancers, it’s time you look into hiring them to help your business grow.

Do you work with freelancers for your small business? Share your tips for success in the comments!

About the Author: Sarah Clare is a writer and oversees the site projectmanagementsoftware.com, where she has recently been researching project manager software. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys cooking and scrapbooking.

Building a Wireless Internet Connection for Your Small Business

Your business is already expanding these days. Although you started out with only a few people that have been working at home, now you have a few teams that share an office space with. In order to have these employees connected, you could opt to spend thousands in hiring a construction and IT consultant crew to have Ethernet cables strung throughout floorboards and ceilings. A less expensive way however is setting up a wireless network that is simple and allows you to use inexpensive equipment as well. As an added bonus, your employees will be able to share files, printers and Internet connectivity without having to be chained to each other.

One of the first things that an office requires is having an Internet connection. For those interested in this, you will have to do your own research and find out what the service providers can do for you. This can include their various plan options.

wireless internet
Image by John Taylor

There are also cases wherein people are only stuck to going for a single provider available in their area. While those in others, they may be able to choose from DSL, fiber optic, T1 and cable Internet providers. The T1 lines will typically give users a better upload and download speed but the technology that has been chosen will actually depend on the bandwidth guaranteed by the service provider.

You should purchase a bandwidth length from a reliable business internet provider based on the job functions of your employee as well as their habits at work. Business owners should allocate at least 100 Kbps for each user. If you have 30 users in your company, that would amount to 3Mbps downloads. But if you have workers who are doing a lot of their work within the cloud or are sending in large files, you will have to ensure that their upload speeds are equally close to the download speed. The T1 lines usually offer upload speeds that are good but are more expensive than DSL or cable Internet.

When it comes to selecting a router, choose one that utilizes 802.11n technology in order to make the most out of maximum range and speed as well as having a built-in firewall. It will also support WPA encryption at the least. Aside from that, you should make sure that the router will allow enough virtual private network connections so that the employees will be able to access their resources in the network while they are traveling. One of the most affordable choices for small businesses is that of the Cisco RV 120W, having 802.11n, SP1 firewall and can support up to 10 VPN connections simultaneously.

You should also never forgo leaving your wireless network unsecured as the hackers or neighbors can steal your bandwidth connection and utilize your sensitive data. You should avoid going for WEP encryption that is outdated, as this is just as similar to having no security at all. Since it will be easier to modify, people who will have WEP encryption can easily break through it if they so wish. One can find programs out there that can do this that is why you should not forgo this temptation.

About the Author: Find out what broadband packages are available in your area and compare speeds and pricing on Broadband Expert.

Help Desk Support for Enhancing Your Businesses Reputation

The manner in which the receptionist of a company answers phone calls can display an image of the business to the customer. It is important for every company to ensure that their calls are handled by personnel who are fluent in a particular language, and who also sound nice and clear.

If there is information that you do not have immediate access to and want to put your caller on hold, you must take permission from him/her before doing so. Also, if you think that you will need some time to get back to them, it is better to tell them that you will call them back later as you’re unable to help them out right away. Your callers will appreciate this rather than being put on hold for a while.

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Image by Matt Hutchinson

You must use a pleasant tone at all times while answering phone calls and make sure that your language is clean. Do not use slang words and never interrupt the person when he/she is speaking. Wait for them to stop, and only then start talking. You must also be precise and not waste the caller’s time with topics that do not concern them. Arguing with a customer over the phone is not advised, regardless of how they may speak.

The rules on providing telephone service to customers are not followed by everyone. The receptionist or help desk agent you have hired for your company may not have the best training and guidance on how to follow these rules. Taking time and money out of your business to train a reliable staff may get wasted sometimes. In order to avoid all the hassle and worry, you can hire the services of a Help Desk/Contact Centre to handle all your business phone calls. With this service, you can provide efficient telephone service to your customers. You can also increase the customer satisfaction rate of your company as most of the customers can get their issues resolved in just one phone call.

When customers call a business for any service or questions, they want to speak with someone who knows their importance. Help Desk/Contact Centre professionals are trained to do exactly that. One customer can be provided with one point of contact, which makes the service more personalized and efficient.

If customers know that they are given a priority in your business, they always want to do more for you. They can develop loyalty to your company and appreciate the value you have towards them. This service can significantly increase your customer satisfaction and retention rate. The personnel who work with these service providers have excellent communication skills and etiquette that can help in building the repute of your organization.

About the Author: Penny is associated with Answerplus.ca which provides Help Desk/Contact Centre and other services.

8 Ways to Stay Motivated When Business is Slow

Business could always be better. Particular times are dreadful. How do you improve business while income is slow? Anxiety and negativity won’t invite commerce. You might as well make the most of your present situation, minding strategies of ongoing motivation.

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Image by USFWS Mountain-Prairie

Employee Vacation Time

You’re experiencing a period where staff could be spared. Some may appreciate the offer to work less. It saves you money and relays a sentiment of flexibility and appreciation to employees. Furthermore, employees are more likely to do you a favor, such as cover an additional shift, once things begin to pick up again.

Group Outing

Maybe your employees have ideas about igniting sales. Take your staff on a group outing, addressing the slow period, inquiring whether they have any ideas. A number of them may appreciate you asked for their insight. You’ll have to invest money in the group outing; but, the idea generation and camaraderie afforded may be well worth it. The generous sentiment expresses your ability to stay positive during a potentially nerve-wracking period.

Shop the Competition

Use downtime to ignite the business’s strategy. Have you ever gone to your competitors’ shops, experiencing their establishments as a customer? What good ideas could you take away from them? What things could you identify you do better? Those are good things to know. Take some staff on an outing, perusing through competitors’ stores.

Improve Customer Service

Often, there are not many factors differentiating one competitor’s product/service from another. What separates good from bad business? It is the level of customer service provided. Take this time to initiate better customer service practices, achieved through hiring a consultant, going online for tips and suggestions. Have employees exercise things learned, improving the level of customer service throughout the store. Does your store have a Web page where customers can ask questions before coming in? That’s a great customer service idea! Invest time in implementing a higher level of customer service.

Expansion

The notion of spending during a slow period seems illogical; but, expanding offered goods and services may drive more traffic to your establishment. Take a survey of available goods. What is selling well, hardly, and not at all? Could anything be cut or exchanged for a new offering? A little change could pique the interest of a new set of consumers or newly intrigue present ones.

Start a Hobby

Minding something other than waning foot traffic is healthy. Is there a hobby you ever wanted to start? Learning something new challenges the brain; getting the brain thinking differently may help you generate new business ideas. Sometimes it’s just a matter of patience, allowing the slow period to dissipate. Focus on a new hobby; pass the time in a wise manner.

Study Periods of Success

Go over your sales records, peering into successful periods. What was going on at that time? Was it due to a holiday season, the release of a new product, or a sale? You can’t replicate the holiday season; but, you could replicate other factors related to successful times. Hosting a sale poses a cut in initial investment; however, the return on the initial loss can be a reversal of fortunes.

It Will Be Okay

It’s one of those maxims, which are incredibly annoying to hear, yet makes sense in retrospect. This too shall pass; it will be okay. Your time is much better invested in attempting to do something positive for your business rather than worry about things beyond your control. The immediate sales are beyond your control; but, thinking positively is within your control. Take a look at the big picture; isn’t it pleasing to have issues related to your own business? You have your own business. That’s a pipedream of many; you’re there. That’s a positive.

About the Author: Valerie Cecil is a research coordinator, marketing specialist and writer for Outbounding.com. Her work allows her to investigate many topics, ranging from online consumer relations to effective communication in the workplace. When she is not working, she enjoys kayaking, watercolor, and scouting out the cutest Retail Packaging Gift Boxes she can find.

Do you Need a Business Credit Card for your Small Business?

The short answer to this question is no, you don’t NEED a business card. But consider the fact that most companies don’t operate without one, and also consider the fact that there are various benefits of having a business credit card for your small business. Some banks even offer credit cards tailored specifically for small businesses! Here are a few reasons you may want to consider getting a business credit card:

1. You’re business will be perceived as more legitimate.

There’s much symbolic power that comes with having an official business credit card. This holds true both for the people you do business with, as well as with your own sense of identity as a business. When you use a business credit card instead of a personal credit card to charge business expenses, your business will have an added sense of legitimacy and professionalism.

2. Business credit cards offer rewards specifically tailored to small business.

Just like with personal credit cards, business credit cards offer certain rewards as you accumulate points. However, business credit cards have rewards that are tailored to specific business needs. For example, business credit cards offer airline miles, discounts for business services, as well as discounts for business equipment.

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Image by Dennis Kim

3. Business credit cards can help you tremendously with business expenses.

As you probably know by now, running a small business entails having various different business expenses each month. If you pay for them as you go, you’ll soon find that your ability to purchase items and services necessary to run your business will be quite limited. With a business credit card, you can charge all your business expenses to the card, and pay off the balance at the end of the month, enabling you to improve your cash flow. Just be sure to stay balanced and ALWAYS pay at the end of the month to keep from incurring fees and paying added interest rates.

4. You can more easily keep business and personal expenditures separate.

For me, this is the best reason to get a business credit card, especially if your business is very small. For those of us who own small, one-person businesses, it can be tempting to put all your business and personal expenses together. However, if you use a business credit card for all business-related expenses, you’ll be able to file taxes for your business and make tax deductions much more easily.

Now that you may be considering a business credit card, you may be wondering which card is best for your business. Be sure to do as much research as possible.

Good luck!

About the Author: Stella Walker is a freelance writer and business owner. She enjoys giving advice about credit cards, personal finance, small business strategies, and debt reduction. Stella welcomes your comments below!