Archive for Business
I asked this question of a large business networking community recently….. “What features/factors do you consider most important when choosing a business cell phone….and why?”
Here’s more of their answers for your education and enjoyment:
* “It’s going to sound dull, but…business benefit and value for money.
Assuming you’ve got a corporate tarriff sorted, then I’d be looking for ….
* economy
* connectivity – e.g. quad band so we can standardise on a couple of
handsets globally
* functionality – e.g. sync to work PC for Outlook etc.
* decent vendor support.
Pretty low down on the list are things like eye candy and mp3 playback – no iPhone for us unfortunately!”
* “When it comes to a “business cell phone” a lot depends upon what you will use it for, where you will use it and how often you will use it.
If you just need email access and your HQ is in North America then RIM is still King….even when roaming abroad. If you need more than simple email access then the world gets more complicated. Bottom line is to look at the TCO of any solution you choose and make a platform choice not a cell phone choice.”
* “My preference list:
- Good data connectivity. EDGE or HSDPA.
- Very good EMail client.
- Good PC-Sync capability.
- Able to view and edit MS-OFFICE, Acrobat files
- BLUETOOTH connectivity. supporting boardroom presentations from mobile.
- QWERTY keypad is must. will be helpful if a foldable keypad with mobile cradle attached is provided. notes can be directly created using original keypad.
- Wireless connectivity and seamless switching between GSM/UMTS and WLAN.”
* “The following features are a must for my business cell phone:
- Qwerty keyboard
- Office suite/editable
- Adobe support
- Sharp organiser
- Effective email support
- VPN connectivity
- 3G enabled
I think IPhone is defintely a good bet for this category though currently I am on a Motorola PDA.”
* “Simplicity. I hate it when mobiles have so many gimmicks that making telephone call almost becomes an option. I don’t want a camera, don’t need to text, I don’t send emails, I don’t need a colour display. I just want a simple phone, with large buttons and a simple menu.
* “First off I look for a phone that has a good battery, excellent radio and lots of storage.
Next I look for something that works with Office, since I need to be able to synchronise with Outlook and view documents. In the messaging suite it needs to be able to effectively do email. For example, I want it to have some form of keyboard device rather than just touch.
In the past I have also looked at the ability for the device to run a number of enterprise applications such as SAP, Oracle, etc.so that I can access CRM and Financial Data Systems.
At present I have a Sony Ericsson P1i as my main handset and have replaced a Blackberry with an HTC Touch Plus as my data device. However, I also have a Sony Vaio SZ61XP which runs with embedded HSDPA so my Laptop has become my smartphone.
What I would say is that despite the effort of .dot mobi to get better ….. the most effective way to squeeze the web onto a phone has been to run the Opera browser which I do on all three devices.”
* “ok.. I’m not sure how the iPhone can qualify as a business cell phone. Like most Mac products it hinders business more than helps it.
In a phone, it must MUST be able to work with and exchange in “always up to date” / real time email. It also must be able to support email encryption and be remotely managable. Such as Blackberry, or Windows Mobile 6 devices.
Someone steals my phone, and it’s already locked, so no use to them, as soon as I call the office, bam.. now it is also erased and deactivated. Instant paperweight.
My current Favorites ….. Moto Q Global, Blackjack with the WM6 update, or Black Jack II.
I am a bit of a cell phone addict, and have owned practically every type of phone that has existed, the rest are all lacking in some way.
Cingular/ATT 3125 (aka HTC Star Trek) was actually really cool. Full Windows smartphone features, but eventually I decided that I could no longer live without a full qwerty keyboard.”
* “I would choose the Nokia E61 for businesses. The best feature about this phone is that you do not need a SIM Card to access internet or your IPLC in the office premises if your wireless is activated. It supports an email client and that enables you to access your personal and official mail. The phone has all the features of a desktop and supports most of the files types.”
* “First and foremost, as I travel internationally quite often, I need an unlocked gsm phone so that I can easily swap SIMs, and it should be quadband (world) compatible.
Wifi and VoIP (“real” VoIP — ie SIP, not Skype –both over GPRS and Wifi) is a must.
Easy syncing with Microsoft Outlook. Full QWERTY keyboard. IMAP email client, full web browser.
The obvious choice for my needs is the Nokia E61i… absolute best phone I have ever found for the international business user that has to stay completely connected from remote locales.
Also should add that bluetooth is a must and the ability to expand (with FlashSD or whatnot) the memory to at least 2GB. Should also have full media player capability (both video and audio) for watching movies or listening to some tunes on those long-haul flights. Also needs to support ACCD2 or
whatever it’s called for stereo bluetooth audio (I love my Motorola S9 headset!)…. again, the Nokia E61 or E61i (same as E61 but with camera) wins hands down..only cell(smart) phone I’ve found that meets all of my demands.”
* “Business means that you’ll probably have to deal with many people, many calls and many tasks.
Important things are:
1. how call history works. If somebody calls you several times it is good if the phone can store EVERY call instance, not only the last one with a given person. My TREO was storing histories of all incoming and outgoing calls for months and months (i was having at least 50 calls a day). So call history must be full and long.
2. big memory for contacts – for obvious reasons. And many fields for contacts – also helps put more information about people so that when you have 3 persons with name John Smith you’ll be able to find out which one you need.
3. Fully functional keyboard. When you know somebody is on the meeting and you can not speak to him it might help sending him/her a message – it will be seen even if person is in the meeting. If you have QWERTY keyboard then composing a message will take you 70-80% less time than doing it on a
traditional mobile.
4. Phone must be reliable. The last thing you want is your phone to fail killing all your contacts when you are for a business trip out of your country. You also do not want to lose tons of calls because phone has hanged up for a couple of hours and you did not know it.
5. GPS sometimes is helpful for people who travel much. But not for every business person.
The model of the phone does not really matter, but I think that NOKIA is a reliable brand, PALM Treo is also a good thing.”
* “A phone which you can answer , find the contact, and call them without spilling the coffee on your suit.”
More real life comments on the question will be shared in Part III of this series.
For anyone looking for a business cell phone……drop by Broadband Nation for information and resources.
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications….including Small Business Resources Cafe. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.
Business Stationery for Invitations Business, Corporate Invitations and Business Announcements
Operating a business can be a lot of work as you already know. First and foremost, you must maintain your professional image. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time securing clients and increasing your levels of success. One of the best ways to improve your corporate image is by having eye-catching and attention-grabbing business stationery, http://www.announcements-shoppe.com/business-stationery/ that you can use for all of your correspondence, including corporate invitations and business invitations, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/business-invitations/ Let the experts at the online shoppes help you find the perfect corporate stationery to secure you new business and to impress your existing clientele.
Making the Invitations Announcements Stationery Yours
Anyone can purchase generic company stationery from their local business supply store for their announcements invitations and other paper needs. However, you’re not going to dazzle anyone with that approach. Even if your company is just starting out and your budget is tight, you can’t afford to skimp on the stationery corporate. Now you may not be able to afford to have letterhead created for your company through a traditional print shop but they can help you get the customized look you want for a lot less.
Here’s what you do. Find any card design on the site that you like. Choose one that’s going to fit your new business announcements, for example. Now when you start to place your order, you’ll have the option of uploading a picture that we can add to the card. However, you don’t have to upload a picture. If you have a company logo, we can add that to your card design. If you have a photo of your company or of your sales team you would like to include, you can use that. Whatever image you want to present to your audience can be uploaded and added to your card.
Customizing & Previewing You Business Invitations Cards
Whether you choose to add a photo or not, you will still have the option of making some tweaks to the design you have chosen for your invitation business cards. You can choose a different font, perhaps one that complements the colors of your logo, for example. You can also add your own message that will be printed on the invitations stationery. If you’re not sure what you want to say, many sites have a huge database of wording samples you can review for ideas. Once you made these changes to the invitations, you can use their patented preview feature to see instantly what your finished cards are going to look like when completed. You can even go back and tweak them some more. They just want to know you’re happy when you take the next step and place your business invitations, http://www.express-invitations.com/business-invitations/ stationery order.
And after you do place your order, they’ll send you a proof within one hour of the finished draft of your card, including the image you have provided (if applicable). Once you approve the proof, they’ll print and ship the same business day so you can have your invitations business as soon as possible.
Why Shop with Online for Your Personalized Invitations Business, http://www.announcements-shoppe.com/?
Her are some of the MANY advantages to shopping online with the largest and best place to purchase company invitations announcements cards.
* Unique and Exclusive Designs * See Your custom invites business BEFORE You Buy with patented Instant Preview Features * Proof Emailed to You within ONE Hour during the Business Day, and You Can Make Unlimited Changes at No Additional Cost * Free 10 Cards and Free Shipping * Print and Ship Your Order the SAME DAY it is Approved * Add a Photo, Picture or Logo to Any Card * Modify Any Card Design or Color As Requested * Create a Special Design Just For You
About the Author: Sarah Porter have written about Printed Business Invitations, Personalized Business Announcements, Unique Invitations Business Stationery, Free New Business Cards and more for http://www.cardsshoppe.com http://www.express-invitations.com and http://www.announcements-shoppe.com
All That Goes Behind a Business Card Design
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It is a fine summer morning and you are in a happy mood. You have just returned from a long and important overseas business trip and you have attended a number of seminars and exhibitions. As you sit down with a cup of coffee your secretary enters and hands you a stiff piece of rectangular paper. She announces that a well-dressed man had come to meet you regarding an important business deal and had left behind his business card. As you glance through the card, you are impressed by the quality of the board used to make the card. What strikes you is the superb color combination the logo and the lettering of the card uses. Your eyes are riveted to the same and you just cannot take them away.
You also recall how many business opportunities you had lost in these meetings, seminars and exhibitions just because you did not have a business card. It is high time that you got a decent one made for your company. If you search the net, you will come across many ads that are selling cheap Business card designs that you can use for your business card design. It is not recommended that you use them for your official business card. If these designs are available on the net, you are not the only smart browser and in all probabilities others must have downloaded and used the same for designing their organization’s business cards. Check the net again and go in for some blank business cards online and select one whose base color and quality of card appeals to you.
Better yet, appoint some professional to make the selection for you. They are your best option when it comes to designing a professional business card for they have been in this business for many years and know how to design and print a perfect business card that adorns your wallet. You may go in for plain white colored cards, or ivory cards as they are called, for making your business card. If you so wish, you might also go in for color business cards that are the rage nowadays. During your sojourn you might have also come across business card maker programs. These programs are helpful when you need to print a limited number of business cards immediately
They are perfect when you have exhausted your current stock of business cards and need some immediately. However you need to ensure that you have your business card design in your computer before you can use the special software to make a few copies of your business card. Come to think of it, what is the need of such a program when you have the business card design on your computer? In all probabilities the agency that designed your card might have provided you with a `one up’ card design. This means that if you print it using a personal printer, just one card will appear on the printed A4 sheet. Not a wise judgment and too much loss of paper.
The special program will take the business card design that you have on your computer as the source and will make multiple copies of the same and arrange them on a single sheet of paper with cutting guidelines. This ensures that the paper is not wasted and that all the business cards are laid out properly. Just use a slitting knife to cut and separate the individual business cards and you are in business. Before jumping in, make sure that you have got the business card design of your official business card designed by professionals. They ensure that your card will stand out among others and when the purchaser has to select from a number of business cards lying on his table, his eyes are attracted by yours and that he picks yours only.
This results in you procuring the order you were hunting for a long period of time. Take some time and try to make a collection of the business cards of leading organizations and put them out on the table. Look at them and examine them carefully. Can you see what makes them tick? Most of them will be having simple designs and a good color combination. Not just the color combination of the text and logo, but also the color that is used in the background of the card. You will also notice that the leading companies also maintain a certain standard in their business card design. They never clutter up the card with too much text or information.
There are some folks who cram up their business cards with all the information it can hold. This is not done, for a business card is business card and not sales literature. Let the additional info be there on your sales literature and keep the business card as simple as possible. This will ensure that the card will be able to pass across the information it was supposed to convey immediately. Would you rather want that the CEO of a reputed company scanned all through your business card just to find your contact information? A proper business card design should have as much `white space’ as possible on it. People should be able to access the necessary information immediately.
When going in for your business card design, do not go in for a design that requires multi-fold cards. If you use such a card, you can be rest assured that the CEO will dump it in the trashcan without even bothering to glance at it. Get your organizations business card design designed by a professional. This might cost you some additional money, but it will ensure that your business card conveys your true image. After all this is what a business card is supposed to do. They are not required to promote your products. They are meant to project your image and they can do it only if designed by professionals.
Simon is a graphic designer and creative writer on various business related topics which help others to start up and boost up their business. Get more valuable information about Logo design and logo design services at Business Card Design.
Orange Spv M700: Especially Designed for Business Class
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If you are looking for business mobiles, a mobile that can be beneficial for storing the data of business and incorporate the entertainment aspects with the latest trends then opting for Orange SPV M700 will be the right pick for you. Orange SPV M700 combines the style and characteristics balancing the work and multimedia options.
Orange SPV M700 bundle consists of fairly compact 3G device smartphone which works well on Window Mobile 5.0 and comprises of large 2.8″ 240 x 320 pixel display. Orange SPV M700 truly a mobile phone works like a computer as user can view, create, edit his document of Word, Excel, and Outlook on its large interactive display screen. The additional feature of Orange SPV M700 which specifies 128Mb of internal memory makes the business people attractive towards this handset as they can expand the memory of mobile phone with the mini SD memory expansion.
Orange SPV M700, offers the business class users to avail the connectivity as it has embedded Wi-Fi, Bluetooth which assist the mobile users in convenient way to transfer the data. Orange SPV M700, supports EDGE data as well as UMTS, GPRS on pretty impressive full-blown PDA-style device.
User can easily download files at high speed of 1.8 Mbps as it supports quad-band GSM with 3G and caters HSDPA. Transferring the data can be through the wirelessly connectivity i.e. it comprises of Bluetooth technology.
Considering the business class user Orange SPV M700 comes in the choice of two beautiful colors of white and black livery. Orange SPV M700 is light in weight with 165 grams as it measures the dimensions of 117.5x 59×19.8 mm; though comes in attractive looks and shining finish in its casing.
Orange SPV M700 offers multimedia features with Windows Media Player 10 that easily performs to play different formats of music. User can enjoy and listen to his favorite songs with the aid of its music player on the move at no time.
Considering the importance of money, business class users can avail the Orange SPV M700 from online mobile phone shops and retailing sites. To reduce the burden of the mobile phone, mobile phone deals like contract mobile phone, 12 month free line rental, pay monthly mobile phone and pay as you go help them to marginalize the cost of the services. Like other mobile phones, Orange SPV M700 too can be opted without any restriction of service providers like Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2, Mobile or Virgin on handset purchase. To make your shopping at minimal price, user must compare and contrast the prices and opt for the preferred handset at minimal prices.
Daphne Scott is associated with Cheap Mobile Phone Deals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication from IIT,Kharagpur. To know more about Mobile Phone, Sony Ericsson Mobile Phone, Orange SPV M700, Prada Phone By Lg, Contract Mobile Phone, Orange Spv E650 visit http://www.cheapmobilephonedeals.net
Business Travel Destination Spotlight: Atlanta
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Atlanta is frequented regularly by thousands of business travelers. Several large corporations, including Coca-Cola, CNN, Delta and Home Depot are headquartered in Atlanta and the airport is one of the largest in the US. Atlanta’s metro area has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade – going from 2.9 million people to 4.1, an increase of nearly 40%. Full of history, museums and world-class restaurants, there are countless things for business travelers to see and do when visiting Atlanta.
Transportation
Atlanta is home to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, locally known as simply Hartsfield. Since 2005, it has been recognized as the busiest airport in the US due to the fact that it has more nonstop flights and destinations than any airport in the world. Business and leisure travelers can reach over 240 destinations in 45 countries non-stop via Hartsfield. Also, Hartsfield is the chief hub for Delta Airlines.
Being such a large airport, Hartsfield has every modern amenity that a business traveler could want. However, the size does create a problem for passengers catching connecting flights. Be sure to leave at least an hour for your connection to allow ample time to go from one gate to the other. Chances are if you are a frequent business traveler, Atlanta will be a frequent layover spot.
Getting Around Atlanta
Hartsfield has its own train station on the city’s rapid transit system – MARTA, which will get you to most places in the city. However, a rental car is a much better option for getting around Atlanta. The city is very large and you may run into traffic, so allow plenty of time when traveling around Atlanta. Unfortunately, the taxi system is not as good as in other cities such as New York.
What to See
Downtown Atlanta is centered on the Five Points – the intersection of Peachtree Street with Marietta, Broad, and Forsyth streets. There are many spots to visit within walking distance of this spot including the Atlanta International Museum of Art and Design, Folk Art Park, the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park. Other places worth seeing are the World of Coca-Cola Pavilion, the Civil War Museum, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic District and Zoo Atlanta.
Safe Harbors Travel Group is shaping a new age of business travel management. Safe Harbors? expertise in business travel, global travel infrastructure, vendor management, expense and accountability reporting and travel information systems is helping clients achieve their business goals with a higher return-on-travel-investment. Headquartered in Baltimore, Safe Harbors provides global travel management to more than 100 corporate clients.
To learn more visit SafeHarbors.com.
For more travel information from Safe Harbors visit SafeHarbors.com/TravelBlog.
Various Business Greeting Cards Tips
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As your business adds more and more customers, make sure you collect some basic information about them, such as their mailing address. That way, you can send out greeting cards to your customers. Greeting cards can be a great way to entice these customers to come back to you for more business. And there is nothing better than a loyal customer, right?
Here are some tips to remember the next time you print greeting cards:
1. Plan Ahead
Not only do you have to continually collect information from your customers, but you need to plan your greeting card campaign, too. Plan ahead to make sure you can cover the cost for materials and postage and any other costs that come up. And make sure you get the cards out soon enough to arrive on time.
2. Shop Around
Decide what kind of greeting card you want to send to your customers, and shop around for that type. Try to find the most cost effective way to send a great message. There are many options out there, so take the time to find the right fit for you.
3. Use Greeting Card Etiquette
Even if something does not sound offensive to you, it might to someone else. Be scrupulously clean when it comes to your greeting cards. Be careful not to say anything that might offend anyone. It is a good idea to try out your greeting card idea on others before you actually print greeting cards, to get an idea of how it will go over.
4. Personalize Your Cards
Include handwritten notes on the greeting cards that you send out. You do not have to have totally handwritten cards, just a small, personalized note on each one. This little detail can have a profound effect on your cards’ effectiveness.
5. Have the Whole Company Help
If you have employees, have them all sign the cards. Obviously, this isn’t an option if you are sending out thousands of cards. But, most likely, you are not. So have the whole team sign the cards you send out. This is a fabulous little touch that many people will really enjoy.
6. Handwrite the Address
Even if you do not write handwritten notes inside the card, or have your whole team sign it, you should definitely take the time to handwrite all of the envelopes. People do not like getting mail that looks too professional. Make it more personal by handwriting the recipient’s address on the envelope.
7. Use Snail Mail
You might be tempted to save money by sending an email greeting card, but don’t bother. They are just not nearly as effective as a real paper greeting card. Take the time to make real cards, and write out the addresses, and send them the old fashioned way. It will pay off for you in the end.
Learn about print greeting cards.
Katie Marcus writes about the various online printing and commercial printing technologies that businesses use for their advertising and marketing campaigns.
Balloon Ride Business On The Up
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Ten years ago it was all very different in the world of ballooning. You could expect to travel some considerable distance to find a balloon ride operator to take you into the air for a hot air balloon ride. You might even have to leave your own country. If you were lucky, there would be a small number of balloon ride operators somewhere near you, and if you were unlucky, there would be none.
The good news is that all that has changed in the balloon ride business. These days a balloon ride can be had pretty much wherever you wish: Brazil, Russia, Chile, Surrey, South Africa, Spain, Gloucestershire, Namibia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Hertfordshire and, let us not forget, little old Australia and the United States of America.
That I am able to throw a few counties in England into my list of exciting ballooning locations from around the world is a sign of high times for the balloon ride business in the United Kingdom. It’s good news for any one like me who loves the idea of taking a balloon ride in Kenya, but is too poor of time and money to book the flight out there.
Australians and Americans, blessed as they are in their respective countries with numerous stunning locations that are ideal for balloon rides, might legitimately say that the United Kingdom is not blessed with the most ideal of flying conditions for a balloon ride. We Brits might sigh and agree that (even if we do get up in the air) our balloon ride will just disappear into a constitutionally guaranteed grey sky, where the best sight from our basket will be a steaming cup of tea. But the truth is rather brighter. Most flights take place early in the morning, when the weather is calmer, and if you get up into the air, it’s because the conditions are right for flight, and so you will get a great view. I have been taking photographs from way up there for ten years, and my photo albums speak of the ballooning beauty that is Great Britain.
Of course the weather can disappoint. Too much wind, or the wrong type of wind, will keep you on the ground, ruining your day. But there is usually another one following it, so there is time to try again.
There are over a hundred commercial balloon ride operators in the United Kingdom just waiting to get you into the air. The statistics are impressive: there were around 80,000 balloon ride passengers in the United Kingdom last year. And if you don’t trust the statistics, trust the pilots. Many of our pilots are highly experienced Australian and American pilots, and if the flying or the business were poor, they would not be here.
So why not make yourself one of the 80,000? Bring your friends, the family, who ever you want. It really is jaw-droppingly beautiful up there. It’s another world and you just do not want to come down. But with business the way it is, you don’t have to for long.
How to Make your Business Stationeries Popular
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Stationery printing is not just about printing boring stationeries right? If you are really serious about it, your stationery printing for business must also be aimed for a little business image building and popularity. Be it for your own employees, or for your clients and customers, there are many benefits to making your business stationeries popular. In this article I will show you four tips on how to make your business stationeries attractive and popular to use among people.
Use the newest contemporary design styles – Popularity of course means you have to be “in” with the latest design styles. People have to see your stationeries and say, “oh, those look like the newest ones, see the design?” People know usually what is new and what is not. If your stationeries always look like the most hip and popular designs out there, then they themselves should become hip and popular. You just need to capitalize on what is popular in the current culture today and just adopt it. Simple as that and your stationeries should be noticed immediately.
Make the concept original – On a more fundamental level though, being popular actually means being distinct and distinguishable from the rest. So you have to keep your stationery designs original. Do not use templates, or use the same message concepts that you have done before. Think of something new, and think of something different everytime. Do a brainstorming session and see what hasn’t been done with a stationery before. Try to alter properties and change materials. Just mix and match your ideas until you form something that is uniquely yours. Once you achieve that, you should increase the chances of your stationeries becoming popular.
Spend on color stationeries – Also, color stationeries are a mandatory requirement to be popular. No one really responds to black and white, or plain colored stationeries nowadays. They look boring, bland and uninteresting. With full color stationeries you can reach people through colors and their emotions, you can attract, repel and energize with just a few choice colors. It can really engage the users of the stationeries making it really popular to use.
Print as many as you can – Finally, popularity is not only achieved by quality, but also by quantity. No one will really know about your stationery if you do not print as many as you can and give them away. The more you produce, the higher the chance that that stationery can become very popular. So mass produce them until your budget hurts. Believe me, the more the merrier.
That’s it! Follow these tips and watch your business stationeries slowly get popular to whoever you give them too. As long as it is unique, original with a flair for popularity, you should have no trouble with your stationery printing.
Visit this site for more information on stationery printing
Is Your Business In The Comfort Zone?
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I have an acquaintance who supplies products to the small business retail trade. He decided a few years ago that he was happy with the level of business he had. He stopped all forms of new marketing and focused on just keeping his existing customers happy.
He was now comfortable and business was good. What he failed to realise was whilst he was not seeking new customers, more and more supermarkets were opening in the area. They were taking business left, right and centre from the small retail trade.
Yes, you guessed it. Whilst still maintaining his existing customer base, his sales to each of them started dwindling. He realised his mistake far too late when a few businesses actually shut up shop or closed down due to lack of profitability.
A one / two person business can stay in the comfort zone for a lot longer than a business which employs 15 – 20 people.
In business usually / around 80% of your turnover pays the bills whilst the last 20% makes your profit. Therefore if a profitable business loses only 10% of their turnover and all of a sudden the prices you can charge customers become more competitive – the business is no longer making money.
So what can you do to avoid the above scenario?
First of all you have to realise / except that you are in the comfort zone.
Create a plan of attack to generate more sales.
Evaluate the marketplace you are in and don’t be scared to drop lines that are no longer profitable.
Look at new products to rejuvenate the existing product range.
Examine your methods of working – what worked 5 years ago might not work as well today.
Is it possible to do anything faster, easier or cheaper with modern technology and new ways of working?
Have a fresh look at your work force.
Consider training so that you have a skilled work force ready for the challenges of today.
Have your property surveyed and examine the possibility of relocating.
Has your customer base moved whilst you have been in a state of denial?
Can you use the space more efficiently? Is your property and land worth more for building on than actually running the business?
Have a fresh look at your opening hours. Would you fare better opening 1 hour earlier? What time do you generate most business?
Are you like most businesses that trade Mon – Friday? Do you open 9am – 5.30pm? Would it be more profitable for you and easier for your staff if you opened at 8am and closed at 4.30pm? What about closing 1 day mid week and staying open all day Saturday?
How do you transport your goods?
Is it more efficient to still run vans on the road when couriers and distributions companies are now so efficient? Vice versa – would you save money or provide a better service by delivering your own goods?
Create a business plan for the next 1, 3 & 5 years.
Have your business valued.
Remember to use baby steps. Tackle 1 problem at a time or get an outside company which specialises in looking at businesses from top to bottom. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can often spot what you fail to.
In business there is no such thing as a comfort zone for most types of small companies. Either you are moving forwards or eventually you will start to move back. The world is forever changing and those who adapt quickly will succeed whilst those who fail to adapt will disappear. If you don’t believe me than have a look at the top 100 companies in the stock market 20 years ago and see which ones are still in the top 100 today.
Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal
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