So you have finally taken the plunge and are either starting a franchise from scratch or have bought an existing branch. If you are thinking about running a franchise as a small business, you should have a good idea of what it takes to run it, from the day-to-day operations to the administration tasks. You should have also decided how involved you will be in the daily running of the business.
customer service
Everybody wants more sales. Everybody wants marketing techniques that work, and 5-star product reviews that lead to more interest from potential customers. But where to begin?
[continue reading…]The year 2020 has seen a steep uptick in people working remotely. This is changing how businesses are communicating with customers. Many businesses have moved their communications to the cloud to make employee customer interactions seamless. Still, some businesses fear that having employees work remotely will inhibit their ability to successfully connect with customers.
[continue reading…]Though many areas are beginning to ease up on their shelter-at-home directives, it’s still going to take weeks if not months for in-person customer interactions to get back to normal. This is why it’s essential for businesses to pivot their communication strategies to focus on maintaining and forging virtual connections.
[continue reading…]Artificial Intelligence is changing many of the ways that you can conduct your business. Many of these improvements focus on task management and evolving data collection.
With the evolution of financial technology, international money transfers are now easier, faster, and more secure. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is that these international transfers still come at a steep price.
In the business world today, the competition is becoming more serious. This is why it is crucial for business owners to pay attention to the latest trends to get ahead, especially for small businesses. Getting ahead means accessing new knowledge, skills, resources, and tools. And you can only learn these things when you break away from your comfort zone.
The idea of collecting loyalty points and getting rewards continues to be popular with customers. This is demonstrated by the fact that in the UK 77% of the population are members of a loyalty programme of some kind. Nearly half believe that loyalty programmes encourage their brand loyalty.
When your business takes off, the initial high can quickly turn into a low as you scramble to meet demand and create more capital. Growing pains can be uncomfortable and can make successful small start-ups flounder. To successfully ride your initial wave of success, you need to be able to sustain your growth spurt without losing focus.
Is there anything more important than customer satisfaction when it comes to ensuring that your business achieves the best results? Well, unless you’re selling your products or services to people who have no basic knowledge of what quality product means, the question of how important of a role customer satisfaction plays in business marketing cannot be undermined in any aspect.
So, you’ve done it. You’ve had an idea, you’ve launched a business, it’s even started to grow. Congratulations; you’ve cleared your first set of hurdles. But what do you do next? You have information coming at you from every angle. Demands on your time are growing and your available time is dwindling. How do you know which information matters? And how do you keep the momentum going, or even build to the next level? Every business is different, but some requirements are universal, and some data should never be overlooked.
Nowadays, pretty much everything has become digitalised. Businesses are operating in the online world and their business operations rely heavily on modern technology. The fact of the matter is that digital transformation is slowly but surely disrupting almost every business factor today.
2019 is fast approaching, and with the New Year comes new opportunities in almost every sector. Among these opportunities, some of the major ones will include creative new small business ideas.
You have successfully set up your dream restaurant or café and now you want to enjoy the freedom of running your own business while enjoying your passion for food and people. For your business to be a success, it is vital that customers have a great experience and want to return to your venue. Keeping the customers you already have happy is important, as they are the backbone of your business and provide a regular stream of revenue. But you should also consider that the customers you retain will actually help spread the word and attract new customers to your business. According to Harvard Business School: “increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.”
When small businesses become stable they should consider looking beyond their border to grow their business. Business growth is incredibly important and the lack of it can leave small businesses stagnant leading to failure. One way to grow a business is by taking it international and catering to customers across the world. It may seem daunting leaving the security of what you know, however, it can be a worthwhile challenge. There are multiple ways in which you can appeal to customers all over the world.
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It can be a real challenge for start-ups to become legitimate businesses, or at least look the part. There’s a certain image that must be attained in order to be taken seriously, and that usually takes time. But there are short-cuts you can take so that your small business can create the big business image you are aspiring to. You just need to know what steps to take, where to spend money, and where to invest your time and efforts and you will see what a difference that can make.
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Deciding between working with a Cut Make Trim (CMT) manufacturing partner or scaling up production and opting for a fully-factored partner (FF) abroad, is a choice that most successful fashion, accessories and furniture brands have had to make at some point.
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So you have a great idea and a business plan and you want to grow a successful online business. Not surprising, given that online sales now make up over 17% of all purchases in the UK and there’s no sign of that slowing down.
All business owners look for ways to grow their business quickly. It’s dangerous when you become too comfortable, it means that your business can get stagnant. Always strive for more, challenge yourself and take risks to reap the rewards. Below are seven tips from David Simmons, a financial analyst from Ebroker, to help you grow your business quickly.
Like many business owners, you may dread holiday periods coming around. Finding someone to fill in for an employee’s essential duties can be a dismal task. However, there are positive days ahead, as your business will benefit in the following ways when your employee returns from their vacation. Here Austrack Campers highlight why it’s important to encourage your employees to travel while on paid time off.
