Entrepreneurship | BizSieve.com

Starting A Business? Here’s Your Checklist

So, are you tired of living off from your salary? Do you feel like you have been working too hard without being paid just as much? Or are you over with the thought of having to need more than just one job to be able to pay your bills? Or perhaps you are a student, trying to find ways to pay off your student loan as much as you could to lessen your parents’ burden? Maybe you are a retired personnel wanting to invest money and make it grow? Or are you a homemaker whose kids have gone off to college and now has more time for yourself? In any case, today, to be able to survive, it is important to have an eye for business. Why business? Because business is the root of everything—the economy, supply and demand all rely on business and how it will grow. Even some academic institutions were built for the main purpose of profit. This is how important a business is. It is a part of the life cycle which may make or break the person. But just how do you start your business?

Here’s your checklist:

1. An Idea That Sells.

Before thinking of anything else, you have to know first, what it is that you are going to do. If you are good in baking, then you can probably start a bakery but with a twist—you wouldn’t want to be like the other bakeries! Maybe you can do something to lower your costs and then go for an everyday buy one take one, or a food truck that sells authentic dishes that cannot be found elsewhere.

2. A Unique Name.

To catch your customers or clients, you have to come up with a name that’s special and that speaks for your business. Remember, this name will carry your future.

3. Investors

You may or may not need investors because it depends on how big your budget is and your vision to the business. However, it would be better of course to have a partner to help you out with the chores and the errands. It wouldn’t hurt too, that they can lessen the money you will cash out.

4. Target Market

Who is your business for? This is in relation to the first item on the checklist. You have to know your bu
siness above anybody else. Your target market will help you in choosing your advertisements and even in the pricing strategy!

5. Paperworks

Now, you have to go on with the paper works such as the different permits you have to secure. In cases where the health may be at risk, be ready for an inspection in your area.

6. Headquarters

The headquarters will serve as your playroom slash boardroom. It is where you will discuss things that you are not comfortable discussing with others such are the tedious tasks, the amount of taxes you have to pay, the multiple permits you need, and the likes.

7. Employees

Unless you intend on a one-man job, you will need several employees to do the tasks for you.

8. Office Space

To grow a business, you need to have a decent office. The difference between this and the headquarters is that, the headquarters can be as messy as you want it to be.The office space needs to be gleaming and presentable at all times. Choose furniture that’s elegant, classy and never goes out of style. Office furniture such as the sofa in the waiting area will show your prospective clients that you mean business. As what they say, “”First impressions last.” . Remember, your office is the reflection of your business. Treat it as your
home.

About the Author: Marie is an Interior Designer and Decorator who specializes in offering design consulting to various Business’s. She occasionally shops for office furniture from Only Office Furniture.

5 Most Effective Tips To Boost Your Home Business

Operating your own home business is certainly exciting, but if you want that home business to be a success it is essential that you are operating that business properly. Not all home businesses will be around in one year, much less 5 or 10. Those businesses that do not succeed are those whose owners were unwilling to put forth the effort required to boost the business. If you want success you have to live success and this means putting forth all of the right skills and techniques.

But, even those who have all of the motivation in the world may not find their home business a success if the right steps and tips are not used. Do not allow yourself to become a part of this scenario. Instead, use these 5 effective tips and boost your business greatly. Success is a given with this enlightening information.

1. Go Social

Social media is where it is at. If you are a home business owner, using social media can put you in the mi
x of thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds from around the world. Each opportunity of meeting these people is one that can help you grow your business. You can reach consumers by building your own page, adding a variety of information, tips, photos and fun to draw in more awareness of your company. Join a variety of sites, update them regularly, interact with fans and build your brand! Thousands of business are in the mix with these social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and so should you!

2. Use Effective Marketing Schemes

Using effective marketing schemes, such as social media as outlined in tip one, helps you avoid wasting time, money and potentially trust to your business. The marketing schemes best for you are based upon the nature of your business and the people that you are trying to reach. Many forms of marketing exists, so do take the time to examine them all. Some of the most common forms of marketing include text message marketing, advertising via banner, online, etc., social media, radio and TV commercials, t-shirts and promotional items and more. Decide which of these can be of the most benefit to you.

3. Keep up with the Latest Trends

When trends change your business should change, too. The world around you matters the most in the success around you. When you are aware and up- to- date with all of the trends, your home business can benefit greatly. This is a true statement no matter the type of business you are operating from your home.

There are many blogs you can follow to keep up with the latest trends. One of the blog I follow is Jobs8Home where I get the tips on growing my online business.

4. Have a Plan

Going into any deal without a plan is one of the riskiest things that you will ever do. When it is time to find success with your home-based business, this is the last thing that you want to happen. It is simple to create a business plan. Inside of this plan include your projections for profit, loss, and goals for the future. Know what you want to do and how you are going to do it, and put it in writing so that you can easily go back and look at it any time it should be needed.

5. Have a Mentor

Having a mentor who has been there, done that can provide you with a great amount of assurance and confidence in your endeavors.

Look for someone that has been successful in running a home business, whether this person is found locally or online. One great online source to look at is known as SCORE. It is a free service that is used for monitoring and mentoring.

Small Business Tips For Using Twitter

Social media sites are a vital part of marketing for all businesses today no matter the size of the company. This trend is not changing, in fact, it will become more necessary for businesses to use social media in the future so if your small business is not utilizing social media, now is the time to start. One of the top social media sites today is Twitter and if your company does not have an account then you are missing out on a great marketing opportunity. Your company’s website’s SEO ranking is dependent upon Twitter and other sites and if you are not sure how to get started, then you need to read the tips below.

It’s Not Just About Business

You always want to maintain your professionalism but you also want people to see who you are and what your company is about without being too salesy. One huge mistake that company’s make on Twitter is to only focus on the business aspect of the account without being personable in any way. The main point of being on Twitter is to get more followers and unless you only want those that you can buy online then you have to engage people and make them want to follow you and your company. So don’t be afraid to make your followers laugh with an anecdote from the workday or by posting photos of your employees doing their job well. Just make sure that you are offering your followers something that is interesting and that they want to retweet.

Follow Friends and Family Members

You can start getting more followers by simply following friends and family members to help get your numbers boosted. This can be a great strategy particularly if they are already settled into the site as they will have people they know that they can recommend for
and to you. Once you start following these other people, they will follow you back. The first rule of Twitter is if someone isn’t a spammer, they deserve a follow back if you are following them. This can build up your list of followers very quickly and can make your company’s SEO efforts take off. Just make sure that you don’t beg for followers, you can let your other followers ask for you but you should never make the request on your own or you come off as desperate.

Use Other Methods to Get Followers

Once you have become comfortable with the format of Twitter and have started following and being followed by others, it’s time use other methods to gain even more followers. Make sure you have a Twitter widget on your website so your customers can click it to easily follow you and promote your Twitter account on Facebook and other social networking sites. It may seem like the work is never ending and to be completely honest, it is never ending. You have to always be working to make sure that your Twitter account stays active and positive for your followers.

It is vital for every business to have a great social media presence and this includes having a great Twitter account with many followers.

About the Author: Shannon Fouts has been helping small businesses to build up their social media presence for three years and is now writing about all social media sites.

Office Acquisition – The importance of having an agent on board

People tend to consider the role of an estate agent to be somewhat limited in its scope. Many would leave contacting an agent until quite late in the process of acquiring new business premises and wait until they had a clear idea and plan of what they wanted before getting one on board.

What those people don’t realise is that estate agents have a much broader range of skills than just providing a list of properties on their books and arranging viewings. They have connections across the property market and can help from the moment of considering a move to new premises right the way through to taking possession of the keys.

Determining your requirements

With a great deal of experience of dealing with dozens or even hundreds of clients throughout the course of their work, business estate agents have an excellent grip on the kinds of premises that will work for a business and how those needs can be required. Getting in touch with an estate agent as soon as you’re thinking about acquiring an office means they can ask the right kinds of questions and get companies looking at the sorts of properties that would be suitable for your needs sooner than if left to one’s own devices.

Meeting with an agent can help a company seeking an office to think through a number of things. The needs of the business, the likely use of the premises and available finances will help to set the scene for the types of offices that could be within reach and those that can be ruled out from the outset. Considering things such as ownership or lease, tenure and future expansion plans for the company can also assist with future-proofing plans for office space.

Finding the right property

With the company’s requirements and parameters in hand, an estate agent such as Occupa can then go about finding properties that fit the bill. The search conducted by the agent will take into account a number of things such as required space, cost, location and terms of the purchase or lease. By sifting out the properties that don’t meet the company’s vital requirements, the remaining list is a viable set of possibilities that the time-pressed company decision makers can consider.

The estate agent’s role is to do the searching for the company

Choosing a specialist corporate estate agent can also allow businesses to access a range of other supporting services. From seeking finance to purchase properties outright through to office removal firms, agents working in the field will be able to put businesses in contact with the right people to make the process as easy as possible.

Sealing the deal

Once the property has been selected, estate agents can guide the company through making the offer for purchase or lease. Negotiations will be carried out through the agent, so the fuller idea they have of the company’s requirements, limitations and points of flexibility, the better job they can do on the business’s behalf.

The agent can get you to the point where the deal is sealed

When the company’s offer for the office has been accepted, the role of finalising arrangements and agreement can be passed to solicitors. However, everything before that point is something in which the estate agent can have a key role in securing and agreeing.

Conclusion

Rather than just acting as a list service for office properties, estate agents have a valuable role to play in the acquisition of offices right from the first thoughts about taking on new premises. Involve specialist business estate agents at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the best advantage is taken of their unique abilities and inside knowledge on the workings of the corporate property market.

Image Credits: mushon and SalFalko

Four Ways To Spend Much Less On Your Small Business

An essential part of running a small business is constantly finding new ways to reduce costs, keeping spending to a minimum. Initially, you may be thinking that by spending less you will have to make sacrifices, damaging your business in the process. However, reducing spending does not always have to equate to a loss. Ultimately, removing unnecessary expenses in your small business will increase your budget, freeing up money that you can invest in other parts of your business.

Online Marketing

More often than not, marketing costs take up a huge amount of budget, particularly for small businesses that invest in offline methods such as direct mail. However, by simply switching or concentrating more on online marketing, you could save yourself a great deal of money, while targeting a much larger market. There are various ways you can market your business online, all of which are often low-cost and very effective. Essentially, you will be paying less for a more
successful method. You can start by creating a profile for your business on one of the many social media platforms. It is free and a great way of connecting to your customers while building up a strong following. Another idea to market your small business online is to start a blog that contains content related to your products or services.

Go Green, Go Paperless

Without realising it, a lot of money can be wasted away on paper through the sheer cost of ink, supplies and postage; not to mention the endless waste of paper. By eliminating the use of paper or even just minimising you can significantly reduce spending. Going digital is said to save a great deal of money, but not only that, it also creates a more organised working environment and is a lot more secure than having a paper trail. You can make the transition by opting for digital invoices, filing information on the computer and completely replace snail mail with email. As well as cutting spending you are
also helping the environment, which is always a positive thing.

Telephone and Web Conferencing

As a small business, spending large amounts of money on conferences, presentations and meetings really will make a significant dent in your budget, as there are a great deal of expenses involved, including travel and food. To reduce the costs, opting for a teleconference or web conference service is a great idea as you will spend a lot less for a good service than you ever would with face-to-face costs. Additionally, using such a service will allow you to connect to colleagues and clients globally.

IT Managed Service

As hiring an IT guy is a luxury to many small business, using managed services is proven to be a wise decision; you have access to IT expertise at a fraction of costs.

Managing Your Team

As your business develops so will your team, but it is essential that you manage this process carefully if you want to save money. Within a small business you need to ensure that you are regularly assessing your team’s productivity, making sure that most of your employees’ time is spent on value creating activities. Also, there are way
s that you can get the job done without having to hire an extra employee, including using interns and freelancers.