Business Plus Baby

As everyone working in or running a business will know, the corporate world never sleeps. Those companies that do go down the traditional route and clock off once 5 pm hits, unfortunately, do not last very long in the modern day. The advances of the Internet have made 24/7 business a very real and very accessible thing. For every hour that your company is not active and engaging with its customers, another business could be sliding in and taking that custom away from you. That is why it is so integral these days to be on top of your sales opportunities, and to not let any of them slip through your fingers. Here are a few ways you might be missing out on potential sales, and what you can do to create more frequent opportunities for yourself.

Put your service first and your branding second

Regarding your marketing, what is it that you are really selling? You might have excellent branding, with a great name, logo, and some visual marketing. But if your potential client doesn’t know what it is you can do for them, your whole strategy could easily fall flat. Remember that the average punter is not going to care about how pretty or sophisticated your branding is unless they think you can help them solve a problem they have. So, catch your customers by telling them how you can help them first, and formulating your brand second.

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Your technology is failing you

If you are anything like other modern businesses, chances are you do a great deal of your client interaction online. This could be via your company website, landing page, or even through an e-commerce portal. So when the online side of your business fails, it can have disastrous consequences for your sales records. One such example is when your website crashes, or when it takes a long time to load. The modern consumer is impatient, with limited time on their hands. With this in mind, you need to make sure you are using a dedicated server that can operate at the speed you need it to. Otherwise, if your website takes more than a couple of minutes to load, your client will simply get bored within those minutes and move on to one of your competitors.

You aren’t following up with clients

If your business is quite large, you may be chasing any number of leads at any given time. But one of the most common reasons for businesses not making sales is that they forget to follow up lines of inquiry. If, for example, someone contacts you asking about a service you provide, don’t just give them the basic details and then offer no further conversation. Always make the interaction with the potential client open-ended, so there is no ‘end’ to your relationship with them. If they go cold on you, give them a call (never an email) over the next couple of days, asking if they need anything else from you. They could say no, but you’ll never know until you ask.

Business consultants commonly operate in key areas such as HR, marketing, accounting or management. The role of the business consultant is to assist firms by evaluating working practices and employees and determining what a company’s weaknesses are. The business consultant should then provide recommendations and solutions that will help a firm to improve its output and develop.

There is flexibility involved with the working hours of a consultant. While it is common to be present during working hours to study, review and speak with employees and oversee the general level of activity within a company, a lot of work can be done away from the office. A business consultant will analyse a lot of figures and company information, and this is work that can be done at any time of day or night and from any location.

Given that a consultant only needs to be in the office at certain times, the role of a business consultant is one that can fit in with the schedule of a parent. After dropping children off at school, nursery or with a child-minder, the parent can spend a few hours in the workplace gaining an understanding of the company, its practices and its employees. After this, the consultant can collect their kids, spend time with them and then undertake more work at home in the evening.

 Consultancy work is flexible

The flexibility associated with the working practices of a consultant makes this role suitable for parents who require flexibility with respect to childcare and maintaining a work-life balance. In addition to the increased flexibility of working hours and location, there are other reasons why a young parent may decide that working as a consultant is best for them.

A lot of young professionals are attracted to the diversity of working with a broad range of firms. This helps to keep the role interesting, it allows a professional to make contacts for networking purposes, and it provides a broader range of experience. A young parent who is looking to develop their CV so as to find a stronger role when their children are in full-time education will find that consultancy work can open many doors.

Another strong reason for young parents to consider consultancy work relates to the financial perks. A consultant will pay less in taxes compared to a standard employee, and a contractor is able to deduct their expenses. This means that a consultant can have a higher level of take-home pay, and it is clear to see why young parents would appreciate additional income.

However, there are tax issues relating to being a freelance consultant. Many consultants find that in order to fully comply with regulations and avoid complications with HMRC, it is best to seek guidance from professionals, and this may come in the shape of using the services of an umbrella company. With tax regulations changing all the time, consultants need to ensure that they receive the best IR35 advice and obtain guidance on how to best operate their business.

In creating a suitable work-life balance, it is easy to see why young parents would be interested in consultancy work.

Photo credit: 089photoshootings

Photo: Eroyka

A popular route into setting up a business nowadays is to start out online. It makes sense. Online retail is great for startups: no overheads or rent costs, relatively cheap setup and your customers can take a look at your stock 24 hours a day. If things don’t work out, then you haven’t lost all too much. But as your business grows and expands, you might like to consider setting up a real life tangible shop. A store gives your business the benefit of interacting directly with your customers. Great customer service increases customer loyalty. It also allows your brand to reach out to an audience who aren’t online. There are so many things to bear in mind when starting up a physical business. Health and safety don’t usually come top of the list of people’s priorities, but it’s such an imperative part of physical business that you just can’t allow it to be swept under the carpet.

Why is Health and Safety Important?

Health and safety should always take priority. It’s of the utmost importance. Regardless of the workplace environment, there are bound to be hazards. These pose the risk of accidents which can cause problems with an individual’s health or serious injury. Whether that person is you, a staff member or a customer, it needs to be avoided. You need to be personally and socially responsible.

Precautionary Measures

Health and Safety Management System

Every business should have a health and safety management system in place. Everyone working for the business should be fully aware of it: always give a debriefing to any members of staff before they are in the workplace. If you employ more than five people, you’ll have to put your system onto paper in a written health and safety policy statement. Employ a competent legal aid to help you draw this up.

Risk Assessments

“Risk” is the significant probability that an accident will occur. You have to assess the potential risks in your workplace and draw up an assessment of them. This is a legal requirement. The main point is to ensure that everyone in the workplace is aware of potential risks.

Risk Control

Risk control involves training employees to prevent accidents and deal with accidents if they are to happen. Remember that all incidents must be reported, so have a book handy for staff to note down anything dangerous that occurs in the store. Make sure that there’s a first aid kit in easy reach and that everyone knows where it is stored.You must also take out employers’ liability insurance.

Creating a safe retail space

So, how do you go about creating a safe retail space? This might all sound like a lot of hassle, but it is all worth it. Most of the work will take place when you open up your business. Here are some key things to bear in mind.

Photo: minthu

Fire Safety

Every single store is at risk of fire hazards. From electrical faults to improper storage of cleaning products: risks lie everywhere. To ensure that you are prepared for any first that may arise, you must have fire extinguishers in store and train your employees in how to use them, should they need to. You should also schedule regular fire drills and fire inspections to verify that all staff are briefed on fire procedures and your equipment is working correctly.

Lighting

Certain stores prefer low lighting to create a certain atmosphere. But reduced lighting, unsurprisingly, results in more accidents. Customers are more likely to collide with displays and one another. There is also the increased risk of staff not noticing spills on the floor, which could cause somebody to slip and injure themselves. If possible, use bright lighting. Both in your store front and back in the stock rooms.

Air Quality

Not all stores have windows to air the space out. Think of stores located in malls or other large retail spaces. If your store doesn’t have windows, make sure that you have a good quality air ventilation system in place. This will prevent the growth of mould and bacteria in your retail space.

Photo: Mike Mozart

Temporary Hazard Signs

Make sure that your store has temporary hazard signs that can be put out. The most important of these is a wet floor sign. If there has been a spill, it will need to be cleaned up. But one of these signs should be placed in the wet area to warn customers of the safety risk until the floor is completely dry.

Photo: Jonathan Rolande

Store Fittings

Every retail space will have fittings to display stock. This could be rails, shelves, table tops or any number of display units. It is important to check that these remain in good condition. As time goes on, you may find that wood splinters, shelves become loose, and display units develop sharp corners. When installing colored fittings in your store, try to ensure that they are powder coated. This means that the coloring won’t transfer onto your stock and customers. For more information, contact companies such as http://www.reliantfinishingsystems.com/.

Different Perspectives

Remember that a whole range of people will be visiting your store. Including babies, toddlers, and children. Take a look at your retail space from different perspectives to ensure that there aren’t any underlying hazards that you have overlooked. Scour your store from top to bottom. Put up warning signs for low ceilings where the tall may bump their heads. Make sure there aren’t any exposed wires at ground level.

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Manual Handling

Chances are that at some point your staff are going to have to do some form of lifting or manual handling. This can be something as simple as moving a box in a storeroom. It sounds simple enough, but weeks of work have been missed from employees pulling muscles in their back while shifting stock. Train your staff in how to properly lift and move items. If you will need particularly heavy items moved, make sure that the proper equipment is in place and that everybody understands how to operate it.

There’s a reason that not many people start a business, and even less of them succeed. The bottom line is, it’s hard. There are so many risks involved and then you have to consider all of the factors that are outside of your control. Sometimes people can fail even if they get everything right, but a lot of the time people tend to fall prey to the same things. There are a few mistakes that people seem to make over and over. Knowing what these issues are and how to avoid them before you get started can massively improve your chances of success.

Increasing Revenue

Most new businesses tend to start off getting a few clients, it feels like everything is about to snowball. Then it all slows down. The clients aren’t coming in as quickly as they were and the cash is starting to run out. This can often happen because companies get complacent after their initial success. If you fail to increase your revenue then you won’t be able to keep your head above water for very long at all. Just because you’ve had a few good clients, don’t stop pursuing them. Being proactive about finding business is the key to bringing in more money. If you are struggling then consider a merchant cash advance company to give yourself a bit more breathing room.

Hiring Employees

Any business leader worth their salt knows that good employees are vital to a winning business. They are responsible for the day to day running of the business so if they aren’t the best people for the job then you’ll run into all sorts of efficiency problems. When hiring employees, always think quality over quantity. There’s no use paying lots of people that don’t offer any value in the business. It’s better to have a small staff of people that each bring something to the operation. When you interview, it is important to consider all of the usual things like qualifications etc. but don’t neglect personality. A team that works well together will be far more productive so choose people with a similar outlook to your own.

Government Regulations

You can’t blink without filling out a form these days. Government regulations have wormed their way into every single aspect of our lives. The regulations around businesses are particularly restrictive. Unfortunately, you can’t just avoid them. If you are caught operating outside of these regulations you’ll find yourself being hit by a hefty fine that you can’t afford to pay. It could kill your business there and then. Although it is an extra expense to take on, it might be worth hiring a lawyer to help you navigate the legal minefield and make sure that you don’t make any costly errors.

Healthcare

Health Care for your employees is one thing that is majorly affected by government legislation. There are certain rules that need to be adhered to. Any business with more than fifty employees is legally obliged to provide health care. Smaller businesses aren’t obliged, but if you want to get the best people working for you, it is a good idea to provide some kind of package.   

Photo: ndemello