5 Practical Ways To Improve Employee Performance

employee performance

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, companies must continuously find ways to improve employee performance. A workforce that is motivated, engaged, and performing at its best is key to achieving business objectives and driving growth.

However, improving employee performance can be a challenging task, especially in the current climate of remote work and changing business conditions. A recent survey found that only 32% of American workers are engaged at work, underscoring the need for employers to concentrate on employee performance in order to enhance engagement and productivity.

Developing a culture of performance excellence is an integral part of any strategy for improving staff productivity. In this post, we will delve into five practical ways to improve employee performance that you can implement today.

Invest in Employee Training

Investing in employee training is an excellent strategy to increase job performance. Employees who participate in training programs are more likely to acquire the expertise and information they need to perform well at their job positions.

First, you’ll need to identify any skill gaps. This is the area where the employee lacks the skill or knowledge to do a certain task. Once skill gaps have been identified, you can then provide relevant training opportunities.

One way to do this is to utilize employee training software. The employee training software can help you deliver training to employees efficiently and effectively. The training is done online, which is convenient for employees and saves businesses time and money. The employee training software can also track employee progress and provide reports to managers, making it easy to monitor employee training and performance.

employee performance

Establish Clear Expectations

The most fundamental step in improving employee performance is to establish clear expectations. When workers have an idea of what they are, they are more inclined to dedicate their efforts to meeting those needs.

In order to establish clear expectations, you’ll need to communicate performance standards. These standards are the criteria by which an employee’s performance is measured. They should be objective, fair, and consistent. By communicating performance standards to employees, they will understand what is expected of them and how they will be evaluated.

Finally, providing regular feedback and coaching is essential for establishing clear expectations. It’s best to provide specific and constructive criticism, focusing on areas where employees can improve. Coaching should be ongoing, helping employees develop their skills and abilities to meet performance expectations.

Encourage Open Communication

Encouraging open communication is essential for improving employee performance. When employees have open lines of communication with their supervisors, they’re more willing to provide constructive criticism and ideas for improvement. Creating a culture of transparency is a great way to encourage open communication. You should be open and honest with your employees about business objectives, performance expectations, and other important information.

Providing channels for feedback and suggestions is also important for encouraging open communication. Managers should offer employees opportunities to provide feedback and suggestions. This can be done through surveys, suggestion boxes, or regular check-ins with employees.

Regularly checking in with employees is another way to encourage open communication. If you as a manager put in the effort to check on your employees regularly, you’re encouraging feedback from them on any issues you might not be aware of. Regular check-ins can also help employees feel valued and appreciated, which can improve motivation and performance.

employee performance

Offer Flexibility

One of the leading reasons for poor performance in the workplace is a lack of autonomy. In addition to other forms of independence, workers value the opportunity to adapt to changing circumstances.

Flexibility is not seen as a bonus by the entering staff; rather, it is a core policy. However, it doesn’t mean that your employees will be able to come to work whenever they please, rather that they will feel like they have a choice and some leeway to choose their working hours. Not attempting to micromanage is another part of this.

Even so, it takes more than just a shift in attitude and approach to the way a business operates in order to provide flexibility for its employees. Recognizing that each worker is unique is just as important as introducing guidelines that are adaptable in order to create a policy that works for everyone. The definition of flexibility, and the motivations for seeking it, are very contextual.

Recognize and Reward Achievements

Recognizing and rewarding achievements is a great way to improve employee performance. This can be done through public recognition, such as announcing achievements at team meetings, or through private recognition, such as sending a personal note of thanks to an employee.

Providing incentives and rewards for high performers is also important for improving employee performance. Financial incentives can include bonuses, commissions, or profit-sharing. Non-financial incentives can include extra time off, flexible work arrangements, or professional development opportunities.

Celebrating milestones and achievements is another way to recognize and reward achievements. Celebrating milestones, such as an employee’s work anniversary or completing a big project, can help employees feel valued and appreciated. Celebrating achievements, such as reaching sales targets or completing training programs, can help motivate employees to continue performing at a high level.

Final Thoughts

Improving employee performance is essential for the success of any business. By implementing these strategies, you can create a culture of performance excellence that drives success and growth. Improving employee performance is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort, but by investing in employees, businesses can achieve their objectives and thrive.

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How To Prevent Context Switching In Remote Work

context switching

Context switching is a common issue for remote workers, and it isn’t because they’re spending time at home. Poor management, techniques, and workflow are the main culprits of context switching. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make your remote team more focused.

How to Prevent Context Switching in Remote Work

Unfocused employees are less productive, so it’s in your best interest to prevent this behavior in the workplace. 

Here are 10 ways to prevent context switching in remote work and beyond.

1. Map Out Your Workflow

The fastest way to prevent context switching is with a competent workflow. When employees know exactly what to do and when to do it, they won’t feel the need to start and stop. A mapped out workflow also reduces the number of questions your team has to ask before getting started.

The best workflows leave no stone unturned. They follow a step-by-step process that includes every process and subprocess, deliverables, and anything else required to complete the project.

2. Break Tasks into Chunks

context switching

Most projects involve multiple deliverables, but if your workflow doesn’t reflect this, it can intimidate employees. Breaking a major project or task into smaller, more manageable chunks makes it easier for teams to focus on one element at a time without feeling overwhelmed.

A task management tool can help avoid context switching due to fatigue. Check out this this top 12 task management software list if you need a more intuitive way to organize tasks. 

3. Prioritize Important Deadlines

Team members may be forced to switch tasks because a project suddenly became a high priority. It’s okay to do this once in a while, but you’ll want a strict workflow most of the time. This makes it easier for remote employees to tackle projects as they come rather than by priority.

Don’t take on more projects than your employees can handle. If a client asks for a rush order, consider your team’s workload before accepting it. Alternatively, you could hire a crisis team.

4. Hire a Remote “Crisis Team”

Crisis teams can be made up of remote employees who tackle high priority tasks. When they’re free, they can help with low priority projects, but shouldn’t take an active role. That way, they’ll have enough free time to focus on demanding tasks, preventing context switching in your team.

Employers should try to prepare for the inevitable. If your company constantly takes on priority projects, it should have enough employees to deliver them within a reasonable time frame.

5. Set Reasonable Goals Everyday

Employees may feel pressured to switch tasks when their goals don’t align with their current assignments. For example, when a salesperson has to stop canvassing because there’s no guarantee it’ll make a sale. It makes more sense to align assignments with employment goals.

Since we know canvassing will eventually lead to a sale, employers can encourage salespeople to speak to 10 people a day. If they hit this goal daily, they have 50 chances to make a sale.

6. Don’t Multitask or Switch Focus

Despite popular belief, very few people can multitask effectively. A study of 200 participants found that only 2.5% showed no performance decrements when performing single and dual tasks. It’s time to put the myth to rest that humans can focus on more than one thing at a time.

Employers should never encourage staff to switch projects unless they’ll be focusing on that one task for a while. Otherwise, you’ll spread your staff too thin and slow down team progress.

7. Encourage Health and Wellness

According to a survey of remote working Americans, 60% of employees feel guilty about taking breaks during work-from-home hours. However, breaks make us more productive and prevent context switching when we’re losing steam. Breaks are good for our health and wellness.

While employers should encourage breaks, they must also stress the positives of sleep, healthy eating, and exercise. Sitting at the computer all day can disrupt our physical health and focus.

8. Manage Stress Through Self-Care

context switching

Poor mental health can really disrupt our focus, and stress can cause us to feel overwhelmed and unenthusiastic about work. Employers should suggest incorporating simple stress-relieving activities during the day, such as journal writing, meditation, and yoga exercises when remote.

If you’re noticing your employees are becoming more stressed, consider leading by example. Say that you like to go for a quick walk or nap after a meeting to clear your head or unwind.

9. Encourage Communication

Context switching may happen when an employee doesn’t know how to start a project or has questions about certain deliverables. It’s impossible to prevent context switching in a workplace that doesn’t encourage communication, as workers will be too confused or scared to act.

When employees can ask questions (and receive quick responses in return), they can stay focused on their tasks. If workers are afraid to speak up, assess why as soon as possible.

10. Record Progress via Surveys

Your employees may be too scared to admit they’re being unproductive, even when it isn’t their fault. Anonymous surveys can give employees the space to be honest while also giving you the data you need to improve your business. For this to work, you need to ask specific questions.

Asking why your remote workers are unproductive is too vague. Instead, give them a list of reasons why productivity may be an issue, ranging from their location to a poor workflow.

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From Burnout To Living Her Dreams

burnout

From Burnout To Living Her Dreams: 111 Hours To 47.5 Hours A Week

Burnout is not new to business owners.

You work hard to run and maintain the business. By working hard, you end up sacrificing things that are so important to you and to your business as well.

In the end, you see yourself working hard endlessly and not having the result you ever wanted.

In that respect, Charlotte was living a typical life of a burnout business owner.

She established her business in 2012 and grew her business. However, she felt that she was drowning and burned out.

Her business could only run with her. Why? She did everything from answering the phone to billing her clients.

She ended up working 111 hours a week and could barely take care of herself.

As Charlotte explained:

“I established my business in 2012, and we experienced extreme growth in 2020. However, by 2021 I was drowning. I was burning out. I was working more than 100 hours a week, and my health was suffering. My work week consisted of answering the phone, scheduling appointments, attending sales meetings, ordering products for clients, and billing clients.”

Some business owners believe that working hard is the key to success. 

Doing things by themselves is the best for business growth.

Charlotte, on the other hand, recognized that she needed help. Even if her sales grew to a million dollars, she knew she would never be happy or have an amazing lifestyle.

So Charlotte took action. Eventually, she discovered Small Business Coach, and the rest is history.

“I reached out to my coach with Small Business Coach Associates. He showed me the 7 Stages of Business Freedom, and I was in the Burnout Stage. My coach helped me to develop a Strategic Plan and then to determine where I was spending my time and how to delegate tasks that were non-CEO level tasks and to work more in executive function activities. I had been focused on sales in the past but not on profits. Delegating lower-level work freed up time some we could work on our gross margins, and we determined that I had been underpricing my products.”
Charlotte has been an amazing client to work with. She is focused and true to her words in changing how she works and runs her business. She already did a great job of growing her sales. All that was needed was a little adjustment in managing her time and delegating tasks.

“I focused on developing employees, process improvement, improving inefficiencies, and managing customers. We are now on the path to Stage 7, the business freedom stage. As we implemented personnel development and daily time management, my entire mindset changed. I began to attend to myself first before working in the business, first with reading, exercise, and yoga. I now feel like I’m succeeding and have more peace. I hired my coach to help with infighting with my son, and I now know how to handle that. Before, I had an “elephant-sized problem,” and the elephant was sitting on me; now, I’m sitting on “the elephant.” My work hours dropped from 111 hours a week to an average of 47.5 hours a week!”

Now, she is living her dreams and on the path to business freedom. Since working with a small business coach:

Charlotte’s working hours dropped from 111 to 47.5 hours a week.

Feels that she is succeeding and has more peace.

Now on the path to Business Freedom Stage

Continued the foundation and system she built for continued growth without a constant struggle.

burnout

What is Burnout?

According to Helpguide, burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. 

Therefore, burnout can be triggered by factors such as working long hours, high workloads, lack of job satisfaction, and an inability to achieve a work-life balance. It can also be caused by an unhealthy organizational culture or work environment that is unsupportive or hinders personal growth. 

As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. You may start to feel helpless, hopeless, and disconnected from colleagues and family members. Work may feel like a chore rather than a source of satisfaction and accomplishment. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give. This can lead to irritability, frustration, and blaming others for your circumstances. Are there any secrets? How did Charlotte free from the constant struggle and typical burnout business owners’ stories?

Why is burnout a common problem for business owners?

Burnout is a common problem for business owners due to its tendency to crawl up gradually over time. The combination of long hours, stressful decisions, high expectations, and lack of appreciation can quickly lead to feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm. With so many responsibilities on their plate at any given moment, business owners often find it challenging to prioritize self-care or recuperate, leading to burnout.

Burnout is a common problem for business owners due to its tendency to crawl up gradually over time. The combination of long hours, stressful decisions, high expectations, and lack of appreciation can quickly lead to feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm. With so many responsibilities on their plate at any given moment, business owners often find it challenging to prioritize self-care or recuperate, leading to burnout.

It’s like a car running out of gas – over time, the lack of rest and recovery can cause an entrepreneur to become drained, both physically and mentally. Without refueling the tank with essential elements such as quality sleep, good nutrition, and regular exercise, it’s difficult for business owners to stay motivated and productive. Even the most successful entrepreneurs need to be mindful of their energy levels and take the necessary steps to ensure they are not running low on fuel. They must find ways to re-energize and make time for themselves to prevent burnout, as it can devastate business performance. Taking regular breaks, delegating tasks, and planning ahead are all important steps business owners can take to avoid burnout and stay on the path to success. 

Stress vs Burnout 

Put simply; stress is like a spark while burnout is like wildfire–both have the potential to cause harm, but one happens suddenly, and the other grows slowly over time.

Stress is the reaction we experience when facing a difficult situation or demand. External pressures, such as work deadlines, family issues, or financial worries, can cause it. Stress can also result from internal factors like worrying about self-image or feeling overwhelmed.

Stress is usually short-term and can be managed with healthy coping strategies. However, when stress persists over time and goes unmanaged, it can lead to burnout. Burnout occurs when we are unable to cope effectively with long-term stressors, and our physical and mental exhaustion becomes overwhelming. Symptoms of burnout include a loss of motivation, lack of energy, or feeling overwhelmed. To combat burnout, it’s important to recognize and address the underlying stressors that may be causing it.

Are You heading down the path of burnout?

Yes, you are if:

➡You often feel tired, overwhelmed, and stressed out. 

➡ You’re not enjoying activities that you used to find enjoyable.

➡You feel like you don’t have any control over your life. 

➡You feel like you’re working too hard without getting enough done.

➡ You’re experiencing physical ailments due to stress 

Types Of Entrepreneurial Burnout

Entrepreneurial burnout can manifest itself in different ways. Some of the most common types of entrepreneurial burnout include: 

Time burnout: This type of burnout is caused by long work hours, lack of sleep, and deprivation of leisure time to relax.

Money Burnout: This type of burnout is caused by the frustration of not having enough money to cover business expenses, such as salaries and capital investments.

Motivation Burnout: This occurs when entrepreneurs become demotivated and stop taking risks or challenging themselves to grow their businesses. 

Burnout from Perfectionism: This type of burnout is caused by feeling the need to be perfect in everything they do, which can lead to taking on too much and becoming overwhelmed with.

Burnout from Unsatisfactory Results: This type of burnout is caused by not achieving the desired results, leading to feelings of disappointment and frustration.

How may burnout affect a business if the owner is burnt out?

Burnout can significantly impact a business if the business owner is burnout. It decreases productivity, creativity, and effectiveness. Burnout can also lead to increased employee turnover as well as decreased morale in the workplace. All this adds up to reduced profitability and overall growth of the business. 

Employees and customers may be able to tell if a business owner feels overwhelmed or stressed due to signs such as reduced engagement during meetings, difficulty making decisions, and changes in attitude towards work.

When a business owner feels overwhelmed or stressed, it can seriously impact the business’s success. Employees will become disengaged and less productive, leading to decreased output and efficiency. Customers may experience poorer service due to a lack of communication and reduced responsiveness from the business owner. 

These issues can lead to decreased customer satisfaction and loyalty, resulting in decreased revenue. Additionally, the business owner may need more time to focus on long-term goals and strategies, leading to missed opportunities for growth and development. Business owners must take steps to manage their stress levels to ensure their businesses remain successful.

Can a business owner recover from burnout?

Yes, a business owner can recover from burnout. Business owners must step back and assess their priorities. It’s important to identify areas of stress or conflict and focus on ways to reduce them.

In Small Business Coach Associates, we recommended that our client take the Time Mastery System.

The Time Mastery System is a comprehensive system designed to help business owners get the most out of their time. It encourages them to plan and invest their time wisely, eliminating or delegating tasks that don’t need immediate attention so that they can focus on the CEO-level activities that require decisions and drive results. This type of time management can help business owners stay organized, prioritize their tasks and make the most of their time.

The Time Mastery System is useful in helping business owners plan and manage their time more effectively and helps them become more productive. By understanding their own time better and knowing how to use it to reach their goals, business owners can save themselves from wasting valuable hours on tasks that don’t benefit them in the long run. It also allows them to focus on the activities that will bring real success and growth to their businesses.

Steps to prevent and manage burnout

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent and manage burnout. Here are some tips for avoiding or managing burnout:

Take breaks – Make sure you’re taking regular breaks from work to give your mind and body a chance to rest and recharge.

Exercise: Incorporating physical activity into your daily routine can help reduce stress and increase energy levels. 

Establish boundaries – Learn how to set healthy boundaries with your business and manage workloads more effectively.

Connect with others – Spending time connecting with friends, family, or colleagues helps to reduce feelings of isolation and frustration.

Get enough sleep – Make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night to help maintain your energy levels and emotional health.

Invest in some help – Delegating tasks or hiring someone can take some of the burdens off your shoulders and give you more time to focus on yourself.

Stop owning all the hustle because it gains you no muscle

Stop owning all the hustle to gain success because it won’t build the strong foundation you need for a lasting impact. Focus instead on working smarter and more efficiently to achieve your goals more sustainably.

Make sure to take time to focus on your mental and physical health, as well as strategize for long-term success. A balanced approach will help you create a better future and reach your goals effectively and sustainably.

Working hard is fine, but don’t make it the only thing you do. Take the time to appreciate and invest in yourself, too, so that when success finally comes, you’re ready to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. With a balanced lifestyle and a commitment to putting your best foot forward, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Going back to Charlotte’s story.

Are there any secrets? How did Charlotte free from the constant struggle and typical burnout business owners’ stories?

Let’s dig into her biggest lesson from her Small Business Coach experience:

Lesson#1

Strategic planning is essential for long-term business success and growth.

Strategic planning is essential for long-term business success and growth. It can help you identify opportunities, set realistic goals, and develop strategies to capitalize on those opportunities.

It’s the process of setting short and long-term goals, analyzing potential obstacles, and creating a plan to turn those goals into reality. It requires a strong vision, an understanding of the current market, and the ability to anticipate future changes. 

“My coach helped me to developed a Strategic Plan, and then to determine where I was spending my time and how to delegate tasks that were non-CEO level tasks and to work more in executive function activities.”
Lesson#2

It’s important to delegate non-CEO level tasks to free up time for executive functions.

If you want to achieve success, it is important to delegate non-CEO level tasks. This allows you to focus on the executive functions of running a business and leads to greater productivity.

Charlotte realized what she had missed while we were working on the delegating process.

“I had been focused on sales in the past but not on profits. Delegating lower-level work freed up time to work on our gross margins, and we determined that I had been underpricing my products. I focused on developing employees, process improvement, improving inefficiencies, and managing customers. We are now on the path to Stage 7, the business freedom stage.”

By delegating tasks that are not strictly within the scope of the CEO’s responsibilities, you free up time, energy, and resources that can be devoted to achieving your business goals. As a leader, it is important to recognize when tasks can be delegated to other members of the team and trust them to do an effective job.

burnout

Lesson#3

Self-care needs to be prioritized in order to maintain physical and mental health when running a business.

Parker J. Palmer once said, “Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.”

In the context of running a business, this statement is especially true. Self-care should be a priority for business owners in order to maintain physical and mental health. Taking time out from the daily grind of work can help you feel refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle new challenges with renewed enthusiasm and vigor.

And this was true for Charlotte’s situation, as she mentioned

“As we implemented personnel development and daily time management, my entire mindset changed. I began to attend to myself first before working in the business, first with reading, exercise, and yoga. I now feel like I’m succeeding and have more peace. I hired my coach to help with infighting with my son, and I now know how to handle that. Before, I had an “elephant-sized problem,” and the elephant was sitting on me; now, I’m sitting on “the elephant.”

There you go. If you are in a situation similar to Charlotte’s and would like to take Charlotte’s biggest lesson and hire a coach to hold your hand to success, we’re here to help.

What You Need To Know About Investing For Retirement

Investing-For-Retirement

Investing for retirement is one of your most important financial decisions. With life expectancy increasing, it’s more important than ever to get started early on and make sure you have enough money to live comfortably in your later years.

Investing for retirement can seem intimidating and daunting, especially if you are new to the concept. However, by understanding a few key concepts and taking advantage of available resources, you can create a retirement plan that works for you.

This guide will provide an overview of what you need to know about investing for retirement. 

1. Manage Your Taxes Wisely While Investing for Retirement

Managing your taxes wisely is an important component of any retirement plan. Tax laws are constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest information. Investing in tax-advantaged accounts such as a 401(k), IRA, or Roth IRA can help you save more for retirement while minimizing your tax burden.

Knowing how taxes will affect your investments and withdrawals from them is important. You should also account for other taxes, such as capital gains, state and estate taxes. Taking the time to understand how taxes work can help you make the most of your retirement savings. 

2. Choose The Right Type Of Investments For Your Risk Level

Investing-For-Retirement

The type of investments you make for your retirement will depend on your risk tolerance. Generally, those with a lower risk tolerance should choose safer investments such as bonds, CDs, and money market funds. For those willing to take more risks, stocks may be the best option. Diversifying your portfolio by investing in different asset classes, such as real estate and commodities, is important.

You should also consider your time horizon when selecting investments. If you plan on retiring in the near future, you may want to invest more conservatively than if you have a longer timeline. Understanding the different asset classes and how they’re expected to perform in different market conditions can help you make informed decisions. 

3. Don’t Just Think About The Stock Market 

When you think about investing for retirement, it’s easy to depict the stock market as your only option. However, there are other choices accessible that can help secure a healthy future! Real estate investment can be a great option to diversify your portfolio and achieve long-term growth. Real estate offers potential tax benefits and the ability to leverage your investment with mortgage financing.

Commodities such as gold and silver can also be part of a successful retirement plan. Investing in commodities provides the benefit of portfolio diversification and protection from inflation. Precious metals are considered safe investments since their prices remain relatively stable.

Finally, don’t forget to consider alternative investments such as private equity and venture capital. These investments require careful research but can offer substantial returns if done correctly. 

4. Have A Clear Plan For Your Retirement

A clear retirement plan is essential to ensure you can meet your goals. It’s important to figure out how much money you need to save and what type of investment vehicles will get you there. You should consider factors such as the time between now and when you want to retire, the age you plan on retiring, inflation rates, and your desired lifestyle.

Knowing what kind of retirement income you’ll need will dictate the types of investments you make. You should also consider any additional retirement accounts available, such as a 401(K), IRA, or Roth IRA. These accounts offer tax advantages that can help you save more for retirement.  And there’s more you can learn about income investing here.

5. Protect Yourself From Fraud And Scam Schemes

Unfortunately, there are plenty of scam schemes and frauds targeting retirees. It’s essential to be aware of the different types of scams to protect yourself against them. Common scams include pyramid schemes, investment frauds, identity theft, and fake charities.

It’s also important to be wary of anyone promising guaranteed returns or pressuring you to make a quick investment decision. You should also be careful of unsolicited phone calls and emails requesting personal information. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Be sure to research any potential investments and verify that the person offering the investment is properly licensed with your state securities regulator. Ask questions and read all disclosure documents before investing. 

6. Invest Regularly Through Contributions To An Ira Or 401(K)

Regularly contributing to a retirement account such as an IRA or 401(k) can be one of the most impactful ways to save for retirement. Contributing regularly allows you to take advantage of compounding interest and tax breaks, which can help your money grow faster.

Additionally, regular contributions enable you to set up an automated system, so you don’t have to manage your investments daily actively. Most employer-sponsored retirement plans will automatically deduct money from your paycheck and deposit it into the account of your choice.

Depending on the type of retirement plan, contributions may be tax deductible or subject to tax credits. In either case, you’ll benefit from the tax savings, allowing your money to grow faster.

7. Diversify Your Portfolio

Investing-For-Retirement

Diversifying your portfolio is a key part of any retirement plan. Investing in various assets can reduce risks while still allowing you to capture returns. Investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs can provide a stable foundation for your portfolio while allowing you to take advantage of different market conditions.

It’s essential to have a mix of investments that fit your goals. For example, if you’re looking for growth potential over the long term, consider investing in stocks. On the other hand, if you’re looking for income or preservation of capital over the short term, bonds may be a better choice.

In addition to diversifying between asset classes, it’s also important to diversify within those classes. For example, even if you’re invested in stocks, you might want to diversify across different sectors and industries. This way, if the market shifts, some of your investments will still perform well. 

8. Monitor The Markets Carefully

Monitoring the markets carefully is an essential part of any retirement plan. Staying up to date on economic news and market activity can help you make informed decisions about when to buy, sell, or hold your investments. You should also be aware of the risks associated with investing, such as market volatility or geopolitical events.

It’s important to be realistic about your expectations and set achievable goals. Monitor your investments regularly and make adjustments as needed. Pay attention to the fees you’re being charged and any changes in yields or returns that could affect  your investments.

Finally, seek the advice of a financial advisor to help you stay on track with your retirement plan. They can provide valuable insight and guidance and help you make decisions that are in your best interest. With careful planning and monitoring, you’ll be able to retire confidently.

Bottom Line on Investing for Retirement

Investing for retirement can be daunting, but with careful planning and monitoring, it’s possible to create a successful retirement plan. Understand the types of investments available, diversify your portfolio across different asset classes, and regularly contribute to an IRA or 401(k).

Additionally, monitoring the markets closely and seeking advice from a financial advisor can help you make informed decisions that will ultimately lead to a more secure retirement.

Investing for retirement should be taken seriously, and with careful planning and monitoring, it is possible to create an effective retirement plan to ensure a secure future. 

small business coach

9 Ways to Simplify And Improve Your Organization’s Workflow

workflow

Simplifying and standardizing procedures in order to provide better quality output quickly enhances workflow efficiency. When you have adequate and simplified processes in place, it will protect workplace culture and customer relationships. If you get rid of tasks that aren’t required, you’ll save money and other resources, which will benefit your bottom line. As a result, your team will have more time to devote to productive growth elements.

One of the greatest risks businesses face today is inefficient processes, potentially costing 30% of the business’s annual revenue and 26% of an employee’s time. Inefficiency is fatal to the survival and expansion of any business, but how will the processes be optimized? 

Before we walk you through some of the ways you must adapt to simplify and improve your organization’s workflow, it is vital to understand what process improvement is.

Understanding process improvement

workflow

The purpose of process improvement is to assist you in gathering and analyzing feedback on your processes to facilitate constant development. It entails eliminating mistakes, decreasing waste, enhancing productivity, and streamlining efficiency in order to eliminate redundancies in procedures that contribute to delays in projects, staff demotivation, and productivity reduction. 

Process improvement begins with a focus on defining the business requirements of a process, meeting best practice standards, or simply improving quality and the user experience for customers and end-users. This is done rather than contemplating the technology that must be used to circumvent the challenges. Businesses that successfully implement process improvement see a return on their investment via process optimization, which results in greater product sales, enhanced customer experience, and time saved will be invested in strategic moves that can give the firm a competitive edge.

9 Ways to simplify and improve your organization’s workflow

Workflow in the business world is one of the most dynamic fields. It analyzes the organizational structure of work and the methods through which different departments coordinate to fulfill tasks. A well-designed workflow will free you from the tedious task of micromanaging each phase as you go about your day.

Here are some ways to help streamline your workflow:

1. Simplify processes using PDF merger

workflow

PDF merger is a robust tool to optimize workflow. When you combine PDF files online, you will create a dynamic system that supports improving your organization’s workflow goals. The online PDF merger allows you to do this in a few clicks. Combining files using an online PDF merger is easy and secure drag and drop your pages into the combiner, rearrange or delete them, and add the pages you need. 

The PDF merger also allows you to choose from a variety of templates and these templates are customizable. You will get the required single document when you merge the desired pages. The document provides valuable insights into your team’s workflow efficiency.

2. Analyze your current processes

Knowing the status of the current workflow of every department of your organization is an integral part of business improvement before you move to start implementing changes. Check thoroughly every component of your business process to understand what is already in place and wherefrom you need to start.

Take the feedback from each employee to understand what already exists and the results you drive from the current processes. Ask for feedback from each member in every department to determine what changes you need to incorporate in consideration of the improvement areas and inefficiencies. 

The current status of processes will provide you with a roadmap to decide on your future course to optimize and enhance your processes.

3. Document the processworkflow

Documenting important things is essential since it is not possible for you to remember everything. If you do this, you’ll be able to get more done in less time. Listing every task, whether big or small, is a way forward to take your project from idea to execution, as doing this you will serve as a process audit. You’ll observe that there are too many unnecessary stages in one area while you need to include some crucial ones in another, and it is at the point in the process when mistakes most often occur.

Your procedures are available in some form, whether in your ideas, unspoken habits, or as a collection of emails and papers that have never been formally specified. To state the obvious, you will only review, modify, or automate your process if you’ve clarified and streamlined it.

4. Set priorities for tasks and objectives

After gaining an awareness of the processes that are already in place and documenting them, you need to set them in order of preference and rate the tasks that need immediate attention. Create a timetable in order to keep track of and organize the essential tasks. 

It is vital to understand that whatever tasks are assigned by you, there must be regular tracking for the ongoing progress on each component of the project.

workflow

5. Create efficient workflows

Creating a visual map of all the tasks and procedures involved in a project will help you learn what needs to be done and how to get there faster. 

The first step in designing efficient workflows is to create a diagram of your jobs, detailing the many steps involved and their respective beginnings and endings using a simple flowchart.

You also need to think about the outputs of your process and include all the necessary data and instructions. Finally, while building an efficient workflow, it is essential to determine which, if any, sub-workflows are critical for the completion of the project.

It’s essential to try out different strategies to evaluate what works best for your team before making any major changes to the infrastructure. 

The following objectives must be met for the procedure to be considered successful:

  • Sharing data must be more accessible
  • The number of distractions must be the least
  • Inclusion of process for regular evaluation and improvement
  • Accelerating processes to increase productivity

6. Explore emerging technologies

Pick the right technology for your company’s web apps, ideally one that allows for some degree of adaptability with your website. Server-side programs (PHP) make web apps more manageable than their client-side counterparts (HTML).

Use video conferencing instead of a regular conference call to save time and avoid the trouble of commuting to and from the workplace for meetings. Using video conferencing programs like Skype or Google Hangouts to have in-person meetings instead of driving across town or flying across the globe will drastically cut corporate travel costs.

7. Give your workers a sense of independence

It’s essential to divide the tasks so that everyone will contribute to the development of the process rather than relying just on one team. Until the perfect version of the process is adopted, the inputs from many workers and their viewpoints on the specific job will help eliminate the faults.

A good workflow is achieved when you assign particular tasks to specific workers. Although this seems like it would add extra work for you, it will let your staff relax. After finishing their task, individuals are no longer bound by the procedures of a business.

They are more productive, resulting in higher-quality output, and they have more spare time to enjoy their lives. They won’t be bothered or contacted for no apparent reason concerning matters outside their purview. Taking responsibility for one’s actions will give one the internal drive to tackle the task and see it through to its conclusion.

8. Adopt automation

Most business executives are skeptical about automationthey fear it will lower quality which is not valid. Relying on automation and automating some of the tasks in routine will reduce duplication and free up your staff to do what is essential. 

Leveraging automation will allow them to make greater contributions to the team and the company as a whole. Try to find places in your process where human effort needs to be eliminated by adding in some automation. Investing in automation solutions is worthwhilethey minimize the time your staff spends on menial tasks.

workflow

9. Put together a competent team

Without the right team, companies find it challenging to function correctly—having the appropriate people is critical to its success and development—it will even reduce the need to recruit more workers. 

With the right team in place, you will be confident that your firm will run smoothly and that employees will step up and take charge when required. When a company has a healthy corporate culture, everyone works together toward a common objective and knows their role in its success

Most successful organizations believe that human resource is one of their most valuable assets for them. Hiring the right team contributes in many ways, including: 

  • Building integrity and reputation
  • Creating customer satisfaction
  • Saving time and resources
  • Inducing motivation and synergy

Wrapping up ways to improve your organization’s workflow

Every procedure your company implements must be well-planned and easy enough to function without constant oversight to maintain a steady work stream. The key to efficient workflow is running with little hassle while achieving the desired results. To find and fix inefficiencies in your organization’s processes, you must evaluate processes regularly. Using technology to your advantage will streamline the process, so keep trying in different environments and honing your technique until you succeed.

Author Bio:

Surya Ranjan Pandita is a content marketer. He is always on the lookout for new optimization strategies and loves to create actionable content. 

small business coach

 

Meet The Best Consulting Firms You Should Work With In 2023

best consulting firms
“Those who have stopped learning find themselves equipped for a world that no longer exists.” 
– Eric Hoffer

 

There. That’s your very first lesson and the most crucial aspect of growing yourself and your business or getting out of a tight spot if you ever get into one. Helping you and making you learn something for the future is not something that most consulting firms, bar the very best consulting firms, focus their time and energy on. That’s why you need to choose the one with absolutely top professionals.

best consulting firms

Consulting firms are a big deal. They can make or break a business, and they’re often relied upon for their expert advice. They offer guidance and strategic planning to companies or individuals who need it – whether they’re just starting or have been around for years. 

Because of the importance of their services, many people rely on consulting firms to help them with their professional issues or grow and succeed.

But how do you know who the best consulting firms are? And which one is right for your business or problem? This blog post will enlist the best consulting firms in each category and for overall small businesses to help you decide.

But before we dive into the said details, let’s know a bit about the consultants you may have at your disposal.

Let’s get started!

Types of Consultants or Consulting Firms

When it comes to starting or growing a small business, there are a lot of things to consider. One important decision is whether or not to hire a consultant. 

There are many different types of consultants, and each offers its own unique set of skills and expertise. 

Here is a brief overview of some of the most common types of consulting firms:

Management Consultants

They help businesses with everything from startups to marketing strategies. They can provide valuable insights into how to run a successful business. Management consultants often work with businesses to help them streamline their operations and make better use of their resources.

Financial Consultants

Need a hand with finances? They help businesses with financial planning and decision-making. They can advise on issuing debt, raising capital, and managing cash flow.

Tax Advisory Consultants

Tax advisory consulting firms help small businesses with their tax planning and compliance. These experts can counsel business owners on the tax implications of their future decisions, and they also guarantee that businesses are paying the right amount in taxes. 

In addition, tax advisory consulting firms can help businesses to negotiate with the IRS and to resolve tax disputes.

Pro-Tip: Grab 30 minutes on my calendar to ask any questions you have about business coaching. I’ve been a business coach (and business broker) for over 20 years. I also have a business coach of my own, so I know what successful coaching looks like on both sides of the table.

~ Alan Melton, Small Business Coach Associates


Human Resources (HR)
Consultants

Human resources professionals help businesses with a variety of employee-related issues, from recruitment and training to compensation and compliance with employment laws and regulations.

Legal Consulting Consultants

Legal consultants can help businesses navigate the complexities of the legal system. They can assist with everything from drafting contracts to filing for permits and licenses. 

In addition, legal consultants can guide compliance with regulations and laws.

Marketing Consultants

After you complete all your other work, it’s time to market your business. They will assist you in developing and implementing marketing plans, identifying target markets, creating branding strategies, and developing advertising campaigns.

Small Business Consultants

They help business owners in a number of ways, with the initial planning stages of starting a business, including the development of a business plan and the identification of potential sources of funding. They can also provide advice on how to manage and grow a small business, including advice on marketing, hiring staff, and financial management. In addition, they offer support and guidance during difficult times, such as when a business is facing financial difficulties or is experiencing rapid growth. By providing expert advice and assistance, Small Business Consultants can help small businesses to overcome these challenges and achieve long-term success.

Best Consulting Firms for Management Consultancy 

When it comes to management consultancy, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, finding a firm specializing in small businesses is important. The needs of a small business are different than those of a large corporation, so you want to make sure you’re working with someone who understands your specific situation. 

Second, you want to find a firm that has a proven track record of success. While there are many different management consulting firms to choose from, not all of them are created equal. 

The following is a list of the best consulting firms for management consulting.

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey is one of the world’s largest and most well-known management consulting firms. They have worked with some of the biggest names in business, and their experience is second to none. However, they are also known for being one of the most expensive firms to work with. 

If budget is not a concern, McKinsey is an excellent choice.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

BCG is another top-tier management consulting firm that has worked with Fortune 500 companies and other large businesses. They offer a full range of services, from strategy development to implementation support. 

Like McKinsey, BCG is also on the pricier side. But if you can afford their rates, they are definitely worth considering.

best consulting firms

Bain & Company

Bain is another reputable management consulting firm that has a long track record of success. They have worked with businesses of all sizes, from startups to large corporations. Bain offers a comprehensive suite of services, including market analysis, financial modeling, and operations improvement. 

And while their rates are not as high as McKinsey or BCG, they are still more expensive than most other firms on this list.

The Monitor Group

The Monitor Group is a management consulting firm that focuses on helping businesses grow and compete in today’s global economy. They offer a wide range of services, including market research, competitive analysis, and business planning.

Booz & Company

Booz is a global management consulting firm that offers a wide range of services to businesses of all sizes. They have particular expertise in helping businesses enter new markets and expand into new geographies.

Best Consulting Firms for Financial Consultancy

Many small business owners are not trained in accounting or financial management, and as a result, they can make poor decisions that jeopardize the future of their businesses. A financial consultant can provide expert advice on a variety of topics, including cash flow management, investment strategies, and developing realistic financial goals, and creating a plan to achieve those goals.

To help you choose the best firm for your needs, here is a list of some of the best consulting firms for financial consultancy:

Deloitte

Deloitte is a professional services firm that offers a variety of services, including financial consulting. They have a team of experienced professionals who can provide you with comprehensive financial analysis and advice.

Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is another large professional services firm with over 260,000 employees in over 700 offices around the globe. They offer a comprehensive range of services, including financial consultancy.

KPMG

KPMG Bain is another leading consulting firm that provides services to companies in a variety of industries. They have extensive experience in financial analysis and modeling and can help you make the right decisions for your business.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services network with over 276,000 employees in over 157 countries. They offer a comprehensive range of services, including financial consultancy.

Protiviti Inc.

Protiviti Inc. is a global consulting firm that provides financial and business consulting services. It has more than 80 offices in 27 countries, and its services include financial audits, risk management, compliance, and investigations.

Protiviti Inc. also offers financial advisory services such as mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and valuation. Protiviti has a team of experienced consultants who have worked with major organizations in the financial sector.

The company has been recognized as one of the best consulting firms for financial consultancy by various magazines and research firms.

Best Consulting Firms for Tax Advisory Consultancy

When it comes to finding the best consulting firm for tax advisory consultancy, it’s important to find a firm with experience in the specific area of taxation that you’re looking for advice on. A top firm should have a good reputation and is known for providing quality services.

Here are a few of the best consulting firms for tax advisory consultancy.

PwC

PwC also has a strong focus on tax advisory. They offer a comprehensive range of tax advisory services, from compliance to planning and structuring. PwC is a one-stop shop for all your tax advisory needs, and its team of experienced professionals makes it a top choice for any business.

JS Morlu

Regarding tax advisory consultancy, JS Morlu is one of the best in the business. JS Morlu has a team of experienced and knowledgeable consultants who can provide comprehensive tax advice and guidance.

Whether you’re looking for help with tax compliance or tax planning, JS Morlu can assist you. They also have a strong track record in representing clients before the IRS and other tax authorities.

JS Morlu is definitely a firm you should consider if you require tax advisory services.

best consulting firms

Mazars

Mazars is a leading tax advisory firm with a long history of providing quality services to clients. The firm has a team of experienced professionals who are well-versed in tax law and have a deep understanding of the complexities of the tax code.

Mazars provides comprehensive tax advisory services, including planning, compliance, and structuring. The firm also offers a full range of consulting services, from strategy and operations to financial due diligence.

Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton is a leading global provider of Tax Advisory Consultancy services. The firm has a strong presence with over 50 offices in the country and offers a comprehensive range of services to help businesses minimize their tax liabilities.

Grant Thornton’s team of experienced tax advisers can assist businesses with all aspects of tax compliance, from preparing and filing tax returns to negotiating with tax authorities.

The firm also provides advice on structuring transactions to minimize tax liabilities and can help businesses take advantage of opportunities for tax relief.

BDO USA

BDO has been in business for over 100 years and have a wealth of experience to offer clients. Their team of experts can provide advice on a wide range of tax-related issues, from compliance to planning and structuring.

They also have a strong understanding of the latest changes to tax law, which means they can keep clients up-to-date with the latest developments.

In addition, BDO has a global reach, with offices in over 150 countries. This means they can advise clients based in any country, ensuring they receive the best possible service.

Pro-Tip: Grab 30 minutes on my calendar to ask any questions you have about business coaching. I’ve been a business coach (and business broker) for over 20 years. I also have a business coach of my own, so I know what successful coaching looks like on both sides of the table.

~ Alan Melton, Small Business Coach Associates

Best Consulting Firms for Human Resources (HR) Consultancy

A number of top-tier HR consulting firms can provide your organization with the expertise and resources it needs to optimize its talent management strategy. Here is a list of some of the best:

Bersin by Deloitte

Bersin by Deloitte is a leading research and advisory firm that provides insights and tools to help organizations improve their HR functions. They offer comprehensive services, including consulting, technology, and outsourced HR solutions.

Mercer

Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement, and investment solutions. They work with organizations of all sizes to design and implement customized HR programs that help solve their most pressing challenges.

Aon Hewitt

Aon Hewitt is a leading provider of human capital and management consulting services. They work with organizations worldwide to design and implement programs that drive business results.

human resource

Towers Watson

Towers Watson is a global professional services firm that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, risk, and financial management. They offer a full range of services, including consulting, technology, and outsourcing solutions.

Baker Tilly

Baker Tilly is also leading the race in accounting and advisory consulting with extensive experience in human resources consulting. They offer a wide range of services, including HR strategy, talent management, and organization development.

Best Consulting Firms for Legal Consultancy 

If you are in need of legal assistance, it is important to choose a reputable and experienced law firm. With so many firms to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. To help narrow your search, we have compiled a list of the best consulting firms for legal consultancy. 

K&L Gates 

K&L Gates is a leading international law firm with more than 2,000 lawyers worldwide. The firm handles a wide range of legal matters, including corporate, litigation, and public policy. 

Linklaters LLP

Linklaters is another top-rated international law firm with over 2,500 lawyers in more than 30 countries. The firm has a strong focus on corporate law and advises some of the world’s largest companies. 

legal consultant

Cooley LLP

Cooley LLP may be a good option if you are looking for a smaller firm with a more personal touch. With more than 1,000 lawyers across 11 offices, the firm provides high-quality legal services to clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Accenture

Accenture is one of the world’s leading management consulting firms. It offers a broad range of services, including legal consultancy. Accenture has a team of experienced legal consultants who can provide advice on a wide range of legal issues, from corporate law to intellectual property law. 

In addition, Accenture has a strong track record of delivering legal services to clients in various industries, including the banking, insurance, and healthcare sectors.

Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman is one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, with over 60 offices in more than 30 countries. The firm provides a wide range of services to a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, startups, and not-for-profit organizations. 

The firm’s lawyers have a deep understanding of the legal landscape and provide comprehensive advice on various legal matters. In addition, Oliver Wyman has a strong track record of successfully representing clients in court proceedings.

Best Consulting Firms for Marketing Consultancy 

Consulting firms play an important role in the world of marketing. By providing strategic advice and guidance, they help businesses to make the most of their marketing budgets and make informed decisions about where to allocate their resources. 

Our list of the best marketing consulting firms includes some from the previous categories as well as they have a multitude of consultancy experiences and expertise.

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm that provides a range of services, including marketing consultancy. They have worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Coca-Cola, Disney, and Microsoft. Their team of experienced consultants has a deep understanding of the latest marketing trends and can provide invaluable insights into how to reach your target audience.

Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group is another top management consulting firm with a strong focus on marketing. They have helped companies such as Nestle, Adidas, and Samsung to develop effective marketing strategies. They are also known for their work in the digital space, and their team can offer valuable guidance on how to use digital channels to reach your target market.

marketing consultant

Bain & Company

 Bain & Company is another leading management consulting firm with extensive experience in marketing. They have worked with major brands such as Apple, AT&T, and GE. 

Their team offers a full range of marketing services, from brand strategy to customer insights. They also have a strong focus on data-driven decision-making, which can be extremely helpful when it comes to developing an effective marketing strategy.

Deloitte

Deloitte is one of the “big four” professional services firms and offers a comprehensive range of marketing consulting services, from brand strategy to customer insights and data analytics.

Accenture

Accenture provides a variety of professional services, including marketing consultancy. Their consultants can help with advertising, media buying, public relations, digital marketing, and more. They have extensive experience helping both small businesses and large corporations meet their marketing objectives.

Best Small Businesses Consulting Firms

Small Business Coach Associates

This is a leading consulting firm with a proven track record of helping businesses and startups to stabilize and familiarize themselves with the business environment. Our business coaches are highly qualified to guide you on the best measures to observe while carrying out your business. With us, your business can generate a revenue of between $250k to $5M in annual revenues. 

Kabbage

With offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and New York City, Kabbage is one of the leading small business consulting firms in the United States. They offer a comprehensive suite of services to help small businesses thrive, including financial analysis and reporting, marketing strategy development, and HR support. Whether you need guidance developing your long-term financial strategy or support navigating complex regulatory changes, Kabbage has the expertise you need for success.

SCORE

With offices in more than 400 locations across the United States, SCORE is a leading small business consulting firm with global reach. They offer a comprehensive suite of services to help entrepreneurs at every stage of growth, from business idea validation and pitch development to online marketing strategy and financial planning. Whether you need guidance developing your long-term business strategy or support navigating regulatory changes, SCORE has the expertise you need for success.

Rackspace

With offices in San Antonio, Texas, London, England, and Hong Kong, China, Rackspace is one of the leading small business consulting firms with global reach. They offer a comprehensive suite of services to help businesses thrive across every industry, from online marketing strategy and eCommerce development to financial analysis and reporting. Whether you need support navigating complex legal issues or guidance developing your long-term business strategy, Rackspace has the expertise you need for success.

 First Annapolis

With offices in Washington, DC, and London, England, First Annapolis is one of North America’s most respected small business consulting firms. They offer a comprehensive suite of services to help businesses succeed across various industries, from online marketing strategy and eCommerce development to financial analysis and reporting. Whether you need guidance developing your long-term business strategy or support navigating complex legal issues, First Annapolis has the expertise you need for success.

Conclusion

So there you have it. The best consulting firms in various categories are as follows. You don’t have to worry about finding help with marketing, accounting, legal services, or small businesses; we have everything figured out for you. These companies listed below are dependable, experienced, and inventive–everything you need to make sure your business succeeds. 

Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to do your research before deciding. 

If you have questions or want to partner with anyone, don’t hesitate to contact them.

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Online Business Ideas that Can Make You Rich

online business ideas

What are the best online business ideas? COVID-19 has transformed the dimensions of every business. Many companies have shifted their work online. In such circumstances, many people started thinking about starting an online business. We can say that business-minded people have turned COVID-19 into an opportunity. Being your own supervisor is a great motivation for starting a business. There are no restrictions on time. Most importantly, you get a lifestyle that you always wanted by starting your own business.

Here we shall discuss a few of the online business ideas that can make you rich in 2023

Print-on-demand:

Print on demand is one of the successful business ideas to execute. If you are good at designing, then try this. In this business, you design the customer’s demand often on items like mugs, t-shirts and phone cases, but you do not print out your designed work. You collaborate with the suppliers in order to print out your artwork on the items and ship them to customers. Printing, packaging and shipping; all is the responsibility of the supplier. If you have the skill to design different things, then this business is best for you to execute.

Translation:

People who can speak multiple languages have more business opportunities than other people who are unilingual or bilingual. If you are multilingual, then start taking the projects of translation. This is one of the best side businesses you can ever have. You just have to give few hours of your day to translation. Start looking for projects on different international platforms where people are looking for translating the languages you are master in. It is the best way to monetize your skill. Once you have established the translation business, you can create your team of multilingual people and delegate the translation work to team members. In this way, you shall be having less burden and also earning money. Do not forget to post about your work on social media platforms. It will bring you more clients and will widen your reach.

Website flipping:

Website flipping is one of the most exciting ideas for fresh graduates and also for the people who want to work from home. It deals with buying a certain website, improving its features and then selling it for profit. In website flipping, you have to take an already running website and improve its features, including design, content and SEO. Once you have improved the website features, it is time to sell the website at market price. It will bring you more revenue than it was worth before the improvement. Website flipping is a three-step cycle that includes buying, improving and selling. If you are a web designer, website flipping is the best online business for you.

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Home-based catering:

If people praise you for your cooking ability, then why not to think about earning from this ability? Home based catering is best for the people who have the ability of cooking. The size of catering business depends on you on how small or big you want it to be initially. If you want to establish a small set-up initially, it is recommended to contact with the local food companies. There are multiple ways you can opt-in order to initiate home based catering. You can design a website of home based catering where people or food companies reach you. Also you can join cooking platforms where cooking experts show their skill of cooking and receive earnings from it.

Virtual Assistant:

A virtual assistant is the need of every type of growing business. If you are an effective organizer and having exceptional communication skills then do apply as a virtual assistant. You will get pay for your organizational skills. In every business, there is a need of a person who schedules emails, meeting, answers the emails and performs the administrative duties. Business owners cannot manage all these tasks because there are a lot other responsibilities that owner has to deal with. So these tasks are managed by the virtual assistant.

Dropshipping:

Dropshipping is one of the easiest business that you can start with. It is a business model in which owner does not have to store the product physically. Rather, the business owner collaborates with suppliers who manages and stores the product and business owner reach out to customers for buying the products. This is the best business model if you do not have enough money to establish a physical store to manage the products. The only work you will do in dropshipping is to establish an online store where customers will find their desired products and order them. The suppliers will manage the packaging, storage and shipping of the product. In this way, you do not have to spend plenty of hours on product research. Also you do not have to manage a huge inventory. So this idea will definitely work for you if you are planning to sell certain products such as titan paint sprayer parts. It is time to reach out to suppliers.

Check out some more great online business ideas here.

Author Bio:

Arslan Haider is author of the above blog. He is a Senior SEO Expert at MediaHicon (deals in SEO services). Apart from that, he loves to post blogs having valuable content.

 

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Money Management Tips to Keep Your Small Business Afloat

money management

The challenges money management and all the other issues we juggle in owning a small business can feel insurmountable at times, especially when it comes to finances. Money management is the biggest factor in terms of personal success. As an entrepreneur or startup founder, you alone are the chief financial officer and accountant for your business. The only person who sets the budget, enforces boundaries and manages income and expenses is you.

That’s a lot of pressure, but it can also be immensely gratifying when you manage to maximize your revenue and gain more financial freedom than ever.

Money Management Tips to Keep Your Small Business Afloat

To give you the greatest chance at reaching your goals and making your business prosper, here are some of the best money management tips you should know. They’ll not only help you build a solid foundation, but they can also work in a pinch when you find yourself starting to struggle to make ends meet.

Understanding Small Business Finances

The challenge of running a small business is the lack of capital and/or revenue. You simply don’t have the quantity of resources to work with as a bigger or more established company. When times get tough, you are likely to run out of options faster and quickly find your savings or even personal finances dwindling. Even with fantastic planning, certain circumstances happen that are simply outside of your control.

A pandemic, for example, can’t be controlled, and the impact of COVID-19 left many small business owners at a total loss. You’ll likely have more expenses and obligations than profit in the beginning. If you are generating sales, that’s great, but you’ll need to pay close attention to how you distribute your revenue if you want to stay successful and scale your operations.

Large vs. Small Business Financing Options

The size of a business varies by industry, but generally speaking, a large business is a corporation or enterprise that has stockholders involved. They are operating at a much greater scale than an individually-owned or small company, and they not only have more resources in reserve but far greater options when they’re in a bind. At the higher levels of operation, companies can take out lines of credit and receive loans that may not be accessible to a startup.

While there are SBA loans and credit cards available for smaller operations, the principals tend to be smaller and yield higher interest rates, which can make repayment difficult when a company is already struggling. Greater assets mean greater options, but that doesn’t mean small business owners are out of luck. By building the right skills and knowing how to predict and prepare for setbacks, you can weather the storm and guide your business to greener pastures.

Separate Business and Personal Funds

The biggest mistake most entrepreneurs make is failing to separate their work and personal expenses. Although your company is your primary source of income, you need to deduct your take-home pay and leave the savings and additional revenues separate. If you find that you’re running too low on expenses when you’re running your company, you can look into borrowing a personal loan from a private lender.

Personal loans are meant to meet your current needs, so there are plenty of options including flexible repayment schedules, different payment amounts and different interest rates. Explore your options to discover the right refinancing option for you. This can come in helpful down the line if you have multiple loans and want to save money on repayments without tapping into your business’s reserves.

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Stay on Top of Deadlines

Invoices, bills and other deadlines should always be paid in-full and on time. Keep a schedule active and set notifications. If you can automate payments, do so. Knowing that a certain amount of money is set to come out of your bank account each month can help keep you focused and accountable, as there isn’t room to put things off or backtrack when you’ve agreed to pay things by a certain time.

Time Your Purchases

How often do you need to replenish your inventory? Does your manufacturer or supply chain currently feel out of sync with your overall budget? Pay close attention to when deductions are made, and time them to maximize your income. Revenue will always take a hit to keep an operation running. The ideal timing, however, can turn a model that feels choppy and disconnected into one that smoothly runs without a hitch.

Cut Costs and Increase Revenue

Could you switch to a different supplier and save more money? What about cutting back on packaging or even software expenses? There are many ways you can subtly and substantially lower costs to bolster profit. If you’ve been paying others to do work that you could handle yourself, do so. It may mean longer hours, but the eventual pay-off is worth the price.

On a more practical note, take a look at things like utilities, water consumption and office supplies. Be mindful of how you operate, how much you’re using and how you could adjust your usage to save more. Increasing revenue can happen in a few ways. Sales and promotions are always an option, and there’s also the possibility of raising your prices to reap greater rewards from each sale. Consider your current client base and growth rate to determine which option would be best for you right now.

Recap

Although you will face hardships running your own company, being a small business owner helps you grow in ways few other jobs can. Mastering money management for your professional life will undoubtedly have major advantages in your personal one, too. Take advantage of the financing options available to you. Loans can be especially valuable if you know how to optimize your principal and turn it into an even greater profit.

Take a look at this post to see how a Financial Planner can help with money management.

 

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The 9 Types of Entrepreneurship: What’s Your Style?

TYPES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

When thinking about the many types of entrepreneurship, this is a big reason I decided to become a business coach. I love the variety of the amazing small business owners that I coach.

An entrepreneur is someone with the ability and desire to start up, administer and succeed at a particular business, bearing the associated risks to make a profit. When we hear of entrepreneurs, we often think of individuals who establish new business ventures regardless of the risks.

Entrepreneurs are often regarded as a hub of innovation, as they bring new ideas and innovation to the market. They break cycles of monotony in processes and products. They combine resources like land, labor, capital to generate new goods/services.

 

There are various types of entrepreneurship, classified based on several factors. In this article, we will be exploring the nine different types of entrepreneurs. But before we get into it, let’s see some common characteristics among entrepreneurs. Check out this information on employer of record services.

Characteristics of Entrepreneurship:

Before we proceed, it is worth mentioning that not all entrepreneurs succeed in their ventures and being an entrepreneur doesn’t automatically make one successful. However, most successful entrepreneurs have some traits in common. Here are a few of them.

  •         They take risks

The associated risks with starting a new business venture are pretty considerable, as there are chances of failure. Entrepreneurs, therefore, need to be bold and very courageous. They also need to evaluate the risks and benefits of a new venture and make relevant conclusions about whether it is worth engaging. Taking risks is what being an entrepreneur is all about.

  •         They are innovative

Entrepreneurs are a hub of new ideas. They think differently and outside the box too. Their innovative ideas are capable of generating new revenue streams for their companies. This could involve introducing a new product to the market, augmenting an existing product in the market, or establishing a new market for products. They could also positively impact the production process, making it more efficient, thereby maximizing profits.

  •         They possess visionary and leadership quality

To be successful entails having a clear vision of the new venture, and successful entrepreneurs have this quality.

Having the vision is one thing, and materializing it is quite another. Thus, successful entrepreneurs can combine available resources towards the attainment of set goals and objectives. They possess unparalleled leadership skills in guiding and influencing employees in the path of success.

  •         They are usually open-minded

Successful entrepreneurs can recognize circumstances as opportunities with the potential to benefit the company positively.

  •         They are flexible

Successful entrepreneurs aren’t rigid; they are flexible and open to change when the need arises. They are ready to embrace a new path or product when necessary.

Nine Types of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs materialize ideas into reality. They create jobs and have a tangible impact on the economy. There are many entrepreneur types, each with a distinct characteristic and path, defined by their personality, ability, and surrounding environment.

many types of entrepreneurshipThere isn’t a universally accepted distinction in the types of entrepreneurs, as the types differ from region to region based on the country and the sectors active in that country. The most common, however, are,

  •         Small Business Entrepreneurs
  •         Large Company Entrepreneurs
  •         Scalable start-up Entrepreneurs
  •         Social Entrepreneurs
  •         Innovators
  •         Hustlers
  •         Fabian Entrepreneurs
  •         Researchers
  •         Drone Entrepreneurs
  •         Buyers

With the many types of entrepreneurship I would venture to say that when you factor in the many different styles, talents and personalities, there is a different type for every business on the planet! But to simplify the list, we will discuss the 9 types. Each of these distinct categories of entrepreneurs has different rules of business success. Still, they usually go through similar tussles regarding finance, people, marketing, and even self-management issues.

Let us explore some of the more prominent types of entrepreneurs, what makes them unique, their roles, and how they impact the business’s success.

  1. Innovative entrepreneurship

As the name implies, innovators describe the class of entrepreneurs that develop entirely new ideas and transform those seemingly far-fetched ideas into viable business opportunities.

These entrepreneurs usually change peoples’ perceptions of things, opening up their understanding to view and think differently. As a general trend, innovative entrepreneurs are usually passionate about their cause, sometimes coming off as obsessive, and are deeply intrinsically motivated because of their business ideas’ uniqueness.

As a unique characteristic, innovating entrepreneurs usually introduce new goods/ / services and new production methods, create new markets, and completely restructure an enterprise for greater productivity.

Being innovative also applies to their ability to devise new approaches and ways to market their products. They use unique strategies that separate their companies from the crows and help them stand out with product differentiation strategies. And it doesn’t end there. They may not only stand out from the crowd but have the potential to create a new crowd, changing the status quo in significant ways.

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Advantages of Innovative Entrepreneurship

  •         They usually receive all the credit for the business’s success, as they bear the brunt.
  •         They create the rules of engagement.
  •         During the initial days of the business, they would, very often, face minimal competition

Disadvantages of Innovative Entrepreneurship:

  •         Birthing a new idea to reality would usually necessitate vast amounts of capital.
  •         They often encounter significant resistance and opposition from current shareholders.
  •         Their job always requires patience as the timeline for success is a lot longer than usual.
  •         They can work only when a certain development level is already achieved, and people look forward to changing and improving.

This type of entrepreneurship’s unique attribute is their ability to visualize a new pattern of thinking and discover new ways of doing things, which sets them apart from the crowd of entrepreneurs and makes them largely successful. However, innovators’ burden reflects the amount of patience, commitment, and required capital to bring about innovation.

  1. Hustle Entrepreneurship

entrepreneurs workingAs a mark distinction from innovators who go through the pain to develop new ideas as fuel for the business process, hustling entrepreneurs invest hard work. They are not afraid to get on their blue-collar suits and get their hands dirty. Unlike the innovative type of entrepreneurship that looks to significant capital to implement their new vision, hustlers usually start small and focus on investing hard work and effort to grow their businesses. These entrepreneurs pay attention to a small start-up and look to grow it steadily with the hope of becoming more prominent in the future.

With their dream, hustlers find the motivation and the commitment to work very hard to realize them. They are usually very focused individuals who’d stop at nothing to achieve their dreams. They would quickly get rid of any distractions in their path, preferring to take risks and the discomforting path than indulge in pleasure and comfort. Think of the famous Mark Cuban, as an example here, who started at a very young age selling trash bags, postage stamps, and newspapers. His company later progressed to a goldmine which the internet giant Yahoo later purchased.

Advantages of Hustler Entrepreneurship

  •         they are the most hardworking of all types of entrepreneurs. They will outwork most
  •         they usually don’t give up easily and will usually develop thick skin.
  •         Having a thick skin also implies they’d see challenges, rejection, disappointments, and failures as a part of the journey.

Disadvantages Hustler Entrepreneurship

  •         Having to invest such gruesome amounts of hard work means they are more likely to burn out.
  •         The degree of work they engage in can also wear out their team members, who may not have the same agility of work ethic.
  •         Some hustlers may overlook the need to accumulate capital as they’d prefer to invest their labor in working harder.

This type of entrepreneur usually never gives up. It also means they are usually more willing than most to try just about anything to succeed. Though they may succeed, the number of trials and errors may become significant, and the time taken to achieve their dreams daily increase.

  1. Fabian Entrepreneurship

entrepreneur on laptopFabian entrepreneurs are a type of entrepreneurs that are generally stereotypic concerning change. They are generally skeptical about implementing changes in the business.

Fabian entrepreneurs do not initiate new ideas but can copy innovations only after being fully satisfied with the innovative entrepreneur’s already implemented initiative. Fabian entrepreneurs are more imitators than initiators.

Imitators are those who copy others (captain obvious!) Fabian entrepreneurship, thus, involves copying the trends and patterns of other businesses and making improvements upon them. Fabian entrepreneurs can copy other business ideas or products and improve upon them to gain the upper hand and dominate the market.

This type of entrepreneur usually has great readiness to adopt successful approaches already implemented by successful innovative entrepreneurs. Though they may not innovate themselves, they also do not copy and implement without making some adjustments and improvements to suit their context and agendas. In developing nations, such entrepreneurs are pretty instrumental in driving in a new wind of change. They can adopt new strategies and techniques from other successful entrepreneurs and usher in combining factors of production foreign to their economy, but not to already developed regions.

Imitators incorporate attributes of innovative and hustling types of entrepreneurship. They do not seek to maintain the status quo but seek to change things, and they ride on a great deal of confidence and handwork in what they strive to achieve.

Advantages of Imitators

  •         Modifying and adapting an already-existent and tested idea is a lot easier and less strenuous.
  •         Adapting an already tested idea also makes it possible to compare your results with the original developer and implementer of the idea.
  •         Taking the route of imitating makes it possible to avoid mistakes that would have been made in initiating a new idea.

Disadvantages of Imitators

  •         The ideas of imitators always appear to be in the shadow of the original.
  •         They are always behind, trying to reach up to already set standards.

It can be a great idea to adapt an existing idea to suit one’s context in developing a business. The associated risks with imitation aren’t as much as initiating a new venture altogether, but it might not acclaim all the credit for the initiative when the copied idea finally succeeds.

types of entrepreneurship

  1. Researcher Entrepreneurship

Even when an individual has an idea, there needs to be adequate research to gather relevant information, which takes time. This is where research entrepreneurs come in.

Researchers take the time to get all the necessary information before engaging an idea. To them, there isn’t any room for failure since they know all there is to know about the venture they’re engaging in.

Researcher entrepreneurs go the route of information gathering because they believe a business has a higher chance of success when there is an in-depth understanding of all aspects of the business. That is why they put in the work to seek out the knowledge. Consequently, they usually take a great deal of time to launch new products or make new decisions because they need great knowledge foundations upon which to act. They, thus, rely heavily on facts and existing data than intuition and instincts.

For researcher entrepreneurs, there should be no room for errors.

Advantages Researcher Entrepreneurship

  •         They consider and plan for as many foreseeable contingencies as possible
  •         Their business and financial plans are usually well thought out, detailed, and substantiated with relevant data.
  •         They rely on data and facts rather than instincts for decision-making.
  •         They usually wouldn’t make a move until they feel they have adequate knowledge of the market.
  •         Because of the immense research, they are less likely to make mistakes or fail in business.

Disadvantages of Researcher Entrepreneurship

  •         Since they require extensive research backing their actions and decisions, they usually move slowly.
  •         They don’t like taking risky ventures, and for new ventures, that will stagnate and hinder the move as every new venture requires some degree of associated risks.

Researcher entrepreneurs invest a great lot of time investigating and digging into existing to substantiate their decisions/actions. That can easily land them in the harmful habit of drooling over the numbers rather than paying attention to the business’s running.

  1. Drone Entrepreneurs

This type of entrepreneurship is very resistant to change. Drone entrepreneurs exhibit great reluctance in accepting change and are very conservative in their methods and procedures.

Drone entrepreneurs exhibit great contentment with the business’s current state and see no need to alter an already perfect system of operation. They will, thus, prefer to maintain an inefficient production process even though they are suffering losses than to introduce changes of any kind.

Advantages of Drone Entrepreneurship

  •         They are more stable in their operations and can’t be influenced by temporal trends.
  •         They quickly get content and can wave off unnecessary pressures for change

Disadvantages of drone Entrepreneurship

  •         Stereotypic attitudes can birth stagnation in the business
  •         They run the risk of having irrelevant businesses in their failure to embrace changes.

florist entrepreneurship

  1. Buyer Entrepreneurship

Buyers have a characteristic feature as entrepreneurs – their wealth. They have the money and are specialized in buying off profitable businesses.

Buyers scan through and identify valuable businesses. They then assess the business’s viability and, based on their conclusions, move to buy the business and get a competent individual to run and grow the business actively.

Advantages of Buyer Entrepreneurship

  •         The risks associated with purchasing an already established business are minimal.
  •         This type of entrepreneurship has little worry for innovation as it jumps on already implemented innovation.
  •         Rather than building from the foundation up, buyers can easily focus on developing an already-started venture.
  •         There already exists a market, and buyers inherit the products’ market when they purchase a business.

Disadvantages of being a Business Buyer

  •         The cost of acquiring a business can sometimes be very costly, and buyers often pay high prices for profitable businesses.
  •         There is still a degree of associated risks involved in buying businesses with problems that are underestimated or you think can be easily handled. That may not always be the case.
  1. Small Business Entrepreneurship

Small business entrepreneurship is a type of entrepreneurship that involves the ownership and running of one’s small-scale business.

Most businesses today are small businesses. This type of entrepreneur toggles capital and profit sufficient to take care of self, household, and other basic needs. They don’t go for large-scale ventures or capital-demanding businesses. They would, most often, hire family or local community members.

Funding for such small businesses comes from gifts, small-scale loans, or savings.

Advantages of Small Business Entrepreneurship

  •         Requires very little capital to become a small business entrepreneur
  •         Work with smaller teams of individuals

Disadvantages of Small Business Entrepreneurship

  •         Profits from these businesses are small
  •         It May sometimes not be recognized by official government programs.
  1. Large Company Entrepreneurship

Large-scale entrepreneurs work with companies with a finite amount of life cycles in this size-based classification, larger-scale businesses. This type of entrepreneurship requires professionals with innovative skills to sustains business.

Large companies usually introduce new products to meet customer demands and grow from small businesses under the right growth conditions. Small businesses can also become large companies if an already large company buys them over.

Advantages of Large Company Entrepreneurship

  •         Prominent company entrepreneurs are innovative. They can bring new ideas and sustain company relevance for generations

Disadvantages of Large Company Entrepreneurship

  •         Requires more professional skills and innovations, thus limiting the range of persons that can become prominent company entrepreneurs
  1. Scalable Start-Up Entrepreneurship

When entrepreneurs believe that their company can change the world, they become scalable start-up entrepreneurs. They are often funded by venture capitalists and must need hire professionals with specialized skills.

This type of entrepreneur has an eye to identify needs in the market and provide adequate solutions as a business idea. Most cases of scalable businesses are technology-based and have global impacts, like Facebook.

Scalable start-up entrepreneurs require investors who believe in their idea and can appreciate out-of-the-box thinking. Their need to work with just the best and brightest in a specialty can sometimes make this entrepreneur picky. They also would need incredible amounts of capital to fund their ideas.

Advantages of Scalable Start-Up Entrepreneurship

  •         They are innovative and can think outside the box
  •         They usually have a great degree of confidence in what they do.

Disadvantages of Scalable Start-Up Entrepreneurship

  •         They require more professional teams of individuals to work with and can be very picky
  •         Their notions of changing the world with an idea can sometimes depict them as crazy, especially if they fail.
  •         They require significant amounts of capital to start and fund their ideas
  1. Social Entrepreneurship

When an entrepreneur focuses on solving social problems by supplying particular goods and services, they are social entrepreneurs. They aim to make the world better by their goods/services they supply. Their focus isn’t the amount of profit they make but the degree of a positive impact on the world.

Social entrepreneurs will, most often, engage in non-profit companies and NGOs, dedicating themselves towards the social welfare of humanity.

Advantages of Social Entrepreneurship

  •         They focus on the social well-being of humanity
  •         Their focus isn’t profit-making but making the world a better place

Disadvantages of Social Entrepreneurship

  •         Having a social well-being perspective means their decisions and actions may not always favor the company’s growth.
  •         Social causes may not attract as many investors as profit-making ventures.

Importance of Entrepreneurship:

types of entrepreneurship handbags

  •         Creates Employment

The activities of entrepreneurs generate employment opportunities for the public. They create new jobs for both skilled and unskilled labor.

  •         Increase Public Standards of Living

Entrepreneurship harnesses and promotes innovation. Such innovation is the drive behind introducing new products, services, technology, and qualities of goods to the market. Their innovation, thus, enhances the standards of living of the general public.

  •         Promote Development

There is bound to be development in society when there are increased employment rates and better living standards. Facilities for investment like education, sanitation, markets, infrastructure, etc., become highlighted for development. By their activities, entrepreneurs promote social and community development, leading to a better quality of life.

  •         Increase Income Levels

Entrepreneurship also provides more opportunities for individuals to raise more money for themselves and their loved ones, thus raising income levels in the community. Increased income levels mean increased expenditures on essential commodities and luxury commodities, thus raising general living standards.

  •         Promote research and development

Entrepreneurship is a hub for innovation, and by the work of entrepreneurs, new products and services come on the scene. But these new products need to be adequately researched before they can be introduced for public consumption. As such, entrepreneurs invest in research ventures and dispense towards research institutions and universities. Their drive promotes research and, consequently, development in the economy.

Now that we’ve discussed some of the types of entrepreneurship, check out this article on the Top 10 Best Business Tools for Entrepreneurs!

 

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3 Technical Skills Online Entrepreneurs Should Add to Their Resume

online entrepreneurs

Online entrepreneurs know that knowledge is power – the phrase is attributed to an English philosopher in the 16th century and has been used in numerous scenarios along the years.

Despite its age, the phrase retained its power and even gained on it as it has never been more accurate than the present time. In our highly technologized times, with readily available mountains of information, knowledge is extremely powerful.

As an online entrepreneurs in today’s hyperactive online world, you can never have enough knowledge. New skills will keep you one step in front of the competition and will make you better prepared for modern customers’ demands.

3 Technical Skills Online Entrepreneurs Should Have

While an online entrepreneurs must have a diverse set of skills, from a wide range of domains, technical skills are crucial. Of course, this is a broad term, so we narrowed it down to three main tech skills that any online entrepreneurs must acquire.

1. SEO Basics

The world of search engine optimization (or SEO) is complex and dynamic. Google, as the most popular search engine of the present, is constantly adapting to provide users with the best experience. As a result, every new update leads to new SEO rules and guidelines.

For instance, Google launched two broad core updates in 2020 (one in January and one in May).

online entrepreneurs

While they perform small updates almost daily, broad core updates have an impact on search results all over the world. This is usually seen in changes in search ranking. For instance, if a site’s content improved in relevancy towards its core audience since the last update, it will be moved up in SERP. If it lost relevancy, it will be pushed down.

What ONLINE Entrepreneurs Should Know

Whether you have a team of SEO specialists working around the clock, or you’re a one-person business, there are a few knowledge bits that can help you stay on track with these changes:

How Keywords Work

There will always be people who will say that keywords don’t matter anymore.

And, to some extent, they are right.

While search engines don’t establish a page’s position by the number of keywords it uses, they still use them as a factor for relevancy and ranking. Furthermore, according to SEO specialists, it matters the type of keywords you use.

online entrepreneurs

Source: https://neilpatel.com/

Long-tail keywords are the ones that help you reach a specific niche, that’s more likely interested in making a purchase rather than browsing.

For instance, if you develop a virtual reality (VR) software product (an app or a game), the go-to keyword is “virtual reality”. However, the competition is high on this keyword and the audience is broad.

On the other hand, if you use “virtual reality games for PS4” or “virtual reality app for Android”, you have a better chance of standing out from the crowd. With long-tail keywords, the competition is lower, so it’s easier to rank in search engines.

Content Relevancy is Key

 You probably know that “content is king”, but you also need to know how to use its power. There are many bloggers out there who post new content on a daily basis without any significant results.

So why doesn’t it work for them?

It’s all about relevancy and how search engines interpret your intentions. Are you creating content just for ranking or are you genuinely trying to create value?

According to a study done by Neil Patel, the May Google update impacted (in a negative way) websites with old and thin content the most.

In conclusion, search engines appreciate content that’s constantly updated to reflect the present and that brings value to the target audience by providing detailed information.

 Follow the Trend

As an online entrepreneurs, it is an advantage to stay updated on the online trends. Google updates also show the trend of the market and the industries that are the most volatile at the moment. For instance, the May update showed the industries most affected by the 2020 pandemic (real estate, travel, and health were among the most affected).

This sort of knowledge can be integrated into SEO strategies to adapt to the current market demands and prevision for future fluctuations.

2. Coding Skills

Whether you own a standard website or you’re a prolific e-commerce online entrepreneurs, coding skills are a must-have.

While there are plugins (especially with flexible platforms like WordPress) that can help with virtually anything, there are situations when a few lines of code can save time and money. As such, basic coding skills are valuable knowledge for today’s online entrepreneur.

Most modern web pages are developed using a mixture of HTML, CSS, JavaScrip, Java, and Python, but it never hurts to consider other technologies as well.

Luckily, nowadays it’s rather easy to understand how coding works and it doesn’t take much to learn your way through functions and procedures. Also, there are plenty of online coding courses one can join and it only takes a few weeks of study to become familiar with the process.

As an online entrepreneurs, you will work with highly-skilled developers, but it helps to know how to solve quick and easy problems. It’s also a way of knowing your product, whether it’s an app or a web page.

3. Social Media

Why is social media a technical skill? After all, you’re only using these platforms, you’re not developing them.

Social media is a bit different for businesses than it is for regular people. As an entrepreneur, you’re using these platforms to attract new leads and disseminate messages in an optimal manner.

This means that you need to understand how the platform works and how it is being used by your audience.

For instance, according to HubSpot, the success of your Instagram posts depends on the day and time of day you decide to publish. Research suggests that the best time to post on Instagram is on a Thursday, at 5 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 4 PM.

online entrepreneurs

Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/

Of course, the data is different for other platforms, and it’s important to understand why and how the information is relevant for your target audience.

In addition to this, social media platforms offer analytics data and tracking tools that can be useful in planning new marketing strategies. A successful online entrepreneurs, you must be up to date with everything social media has to offer and learn new methods of promotion.

Wrap Up

There’s more to a successful business than just learning new skills, but it all starts here. When you’re open to new information and knowledge, you open your mind to new possibilities. As a result, it will be easier to accept and implement change and adapt to a market that’s highly influenced by new technologies.

Erika Rykun is a content strategist with Udemy which offers online courses and producer who believes in the power of networking and quality writing. She’s an avid reader, writer, and runner.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-rykun

Twitter: @erika_rykun

 

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