Category Archives: Business Advice

Inventory Management Software and 3 other Tips for Running a Warehouse Efficiently

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It is not possible to run a warehouse of any size these days unless you have some kind of computerized system. This means not only having a barcode scanner but the kind of software that can keep you in touch with your stock levels.

If you are looking for inventory software, then go to: https://www.scoutsft.com/barcode-inventory-scanner/. They will be able to help with managing your warehouse more effectively and keeping up with those orders.

Inventory Management Software

Barcode scanners are handheld devices that can be used in all areas of a warehouse. The figures that the software manages can be seen by everyone from warehouse staff to management, who can make buying decisions. To make an informed decision regarding stock levels, there needs to be an efficient method of recording and managing those figures. For example, in a car dealership, a staff member would need to have the relevant information in hand regarding different models that are available, in order to give accurate information to customers. Moreover, customers also would need to know what options they have before they choose a car. With the help of inventory management software (you can head to https://www.vinsolutions.com/ to see one), dealers can have the relevant data at hand to promote specific models to their customers based on their needs. Such software can allow for a business to immediately know at any time and from anywhere just what its stock levels are in a particular warehouse. A system of inventory software will allow for the stock levels from several warehouses to be recorded and be taken into account when forming the bigger picture. The efficient running of a business that handles stock relies on all operations working as efficiently as one another.

Barcode scanners are an accurate and fast way of recording stock levels. The inventory software that is purchased will mean that information can be kept track of and displayed in a meaningful way. The information will be there whenever it is needed to be looked at and reviewed. It needs to be accurate so that the right kinds of stock are in the warehouse at any point in time. If an order cannot be fulfilled because stock levels get too low it has the potential to lose a customer. Conversely, if too much stock is kept, it will mean money tied up that could have been used better elsewhere in the business.

Order Stock Stored In

A stock control system should bear in mind the life of a product. With perishables, for instance, the oldest stock should be the first to be dispatched from a warehouse. In these instances, a Just In Time system, rather than a First-In, First-Out system might prove the most effective. This will mean that stock will arrive and hardly spend any time in the warehouse at all. This will rely on good inventory software to record the stock quickly and keep track of it for the short period it is in a business’s possession. It is an ideal system for supplying food outlets.

Best Use of Space

The layout of a warehouse is all-important. Ideally, a business should have equal access to all areas of a warehouse, with an indoor safety gate to protect the stock and employees when maneuvering the area. This type of access is not because the stock will be forgotten, this is the purpose of a barcode scanner and inventory software, but because this saves moving stock around that is not selling to gain access to that which is. It is all about the best use of time. If space is a premium, then be sure to put the stock at the back that sells less frequently but is sometimes asked for by suppliers. You need to stock these items to keep your supplier happy but do not need frequent access to them. To make this even more efficient, the use of forklifts can help keep the stock organized and moved carefully so that no one is putting themselves at risk in maneuvering areas. It is important to keep all equipment and machines looked after by utilizing resources like https://txmotive.com/repair-refurbish/refurbished-batteries/ so that the machinery is consistently working for optimum workflow.

Effective Planning

To run a warehouse effectively is not just about knowing what stock you have but making the best use of the information. Where possible, co-ordinate delivery times so that staff can always be kept occupied. This control is best achieved where a company owns or leases a fleet of delivery vehicles. There are also a lot of tools to use with fleet operations like that found at this site https://www.lytx.com/en-us/resources/articles/telematics. Research on these tools will make it apparent that managing a fleet can be made easy and organized. Otherwise, a business is always reliant upon someone else’s timings.

In summary, the use of dedicated software is the best way to manage a stock inventory because the figures are always up-to-date, accurate, and can be viewed from several locations. To add to this, we should think about the order we have the stock coming and going out of the warehouse in, and how accessible the stock most in demand is. Then, plan so that we co-ordinate deliveries to our warehouse so that work is spread out evenly for staff. This is better achieved through having delivery vehicles that the business controls.

4 Effective Digital Marketing Strategies for Businesses

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Marketing, including web and brand design, SEO, and online reputation management in general has never been so important for businesses. Without it, it will be hard for people to know that you even exist, as well as the fact that you will never have the chance to grow your business. In most cases, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Simple, yet effective ideas like using email marketing platforms, as well as incorporating new strategies into your social media accounts are both great ways to market to other people.

The good news about digital marketing is that there are so many different strategies that can be implemented into your business that you are bound to find ideas that can drive your business forward. There are so many digital marketing companies, such as WebEnertia, who can help you execute these successfully. Without further ado, let’s see what they are.

Email Marketing

Due to the popularity of technology and online services, nearly everyone you come across is likely to have an email account. Some people decide to have both a personal and professional email in case they are required to have one for their career. Either way, they have an email address, and you can use this to your advantage. This strategy entails marketing or promoting your product or service through email. Simple, right? This could be in the form of newsletters, where you are kept up-to-date about different announcements within the business, as well as any other news that could persuade you to continue using their business. Even though it may not seem a lot, it is very effective, and it could be worth trying if you get the chance.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. Google uses a system that gathers a wide array of information that can be found on the internet. Once done, they use the search engine to build an index, and that can then be fed through an algorithm that matches all the data to your query. By ensuring that your website has relevant keywords and title tags, your business will likely appear in the search engines, thus allowing you to receive more customers as a result. It is a great way to market your business, and a good team of experts in the field can help you use the search engines to your advantage.

Social Media Marketing

This is probably the most popular choice of marketing in this day and age. With social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn having millions of users, it would be a bad mistake to not make the most of these platforms. By creating an account on several of these sites, and posting updates and announcements, and engaging with your followers daily, you can spread your message far and wide. Don’t forget about the share functions that these sites have, as if someone likes your post, they can share it with their followers and so forth. Before you know it, hundreds and maybe even thousands of people will know that your business exists, and this has the potential to help generate more sales and customers to your product and service. This could be a great way to ensure your success. So, if you haven’t already consulted digital marketing experts like the ones at NetSearch Digital Marketing, now might be a good time to think about it!

Video Marketing

Video marketing does what it says on the tin. It is a way of using video to promote or market your brand, product, or service. Not only is it a great way to engage with followers, but you can also use video to speak about client testimonials, explain how to use your product or service, as well as complete corporate training. Just like social media marketing, the options to what you can achieve through video marketing are unlimited. Sites like YouTube, and more recently Tik-Tok, could be a great starting point to help share your video with the wider community. You can even share details about your company website too, to drive traffic toward other areas of your business.

Without marketing, it will become increasingly harder to keep your customers loyal to your brand. Taking the time to work on your marketing strategy, and devoting time to it when you can, is all you need to make sure that you are doing everything you can to remain everyone’s number one business. As said above, it doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, as some of the simplest ideas can be enough to make sure that your business doesn’t go unnoticed. And that will be very important to how successful you are in the long run.

2 Main Kinds of Insurance – Protect Your Life, Get Insured

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Insurance is a method of protection from financial loss.

Kinds of Insurance

Insurance is a tricky thing to wrap your head around. Even people who are experts in selling life insurance and other products in this industry can have a hard time explaining insurance products to their friends and family. Insurance coverage comes in many forms, such as health, life, funeral (which you can go read about in this article), homeowner’s, auto, and disability. And each state has individual laws governing the types of policies you can buy. Given all these variables, it’s no surprise that insurance companies are always looking for new and creative ways to market and sell their products.

There are two main kinds of insurance you can get: liability and property.

  1. Liability Insurance – Liability insurance is a special type of insurance that covers the cost of any legal action against you or your business as a result of harm to someone else. This covers you if you accidentally injure someone else or if you damage their property. This includes medical expenses, legal fees, and other costs that come with defending a civil or criminal case. You may associate the word ‘liability’ with civil cases, but it applies to both civil and criminal cases. Some liability insurance policies can even help with criminal cases.
  1. Property Insurance – Property insurance is a tricky subject. It’s not like life insurance, which we all need. It’s not like auto insurance, which we all probably need, but that we grumble about paying. It’s not like medical insurance, which we all want. It covers you if your property is damaged. Which is more important? It depends on your situation. For example, if you live in a flood plain, you need property insurance. However, if you own a very valuable car, you may want liability insurance as well. Property insurance is something that, if you can afford it, you are probably going to want to have, but you might not realize you need it, and you might not understand how it works. If you’re lucky, you might have a friend who will explain it to you in a way you can understand, but if you are like most people, you don’t.

Why Do We Need to Get These Insurances?

In this day and age, with reckless drivers and distracted pedestrians all around us, it’s important to make sure the right type of insurance covers you and your family. For example, let’s say you were driving to work one morning, and suddenly, a distracted pedestrian stumbled in front of your car. In a situation like that, it’s important to make sure enough liability insurance covers you to cover the cost of medical bills and/or any other damages that may occur as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Whether you’re new to the world of insurance or you just keep procrastinating on getting the coverage you need, liability insurance is a great way to protect yourself and your loved ones. Liability insurance is also sometimes called general liability, which covers a wide variety of damages you might cause to other people, including medical bills, legal fees, and other associated costs.

When you own property, you must insure it. If you don’t, you are putting yourself at risk of losing your property in the event of a fire, storm, burglary, or other disasters. Although it can be a hassle to pay your insurance premiums, the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are covered is worth every penny. If you do live somewhere that is more prone to wildfires, you may wish to invest in additional fire defense for your home to minimize damage as much as possible, should any fires hit your area.

After you have purchased a house, you need to do a lot of things to keep everything in order. Your house is an important purchase, and you want to be sure that you will be protected by insurance. You will want to get property insurance. You will want to be sure that your things are protected in the event of a fire, flood, and many other types of disasters.

For example, you might even need to have the old tree removed from your backyard, which could cause significant roof damage during the stormy weather. Having Tree Removal done at the beginning of the process can save your home from a lot of mishaps and extra costs that you might have to bear later on.

Getting Insured

Have you ever been thinking about the insurance you have for your houses, your car, and your life? You have to protect your properties from the undetermined but constantly present risk of damage or loss of the property. It is better to be prepared than to deal with the stress of losing your dream home. There are many reasons to buy insurance; therefore, you will be able to protect your family, your assets, and most importantly, your peace of mind.

Business Finance Source

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Funding new projects or navigating out of financial difficulty are two of many reasons a business might want to reassess finances and potentially acquire wealth. There are many sources of help when you are facing funding or financial difficulties. This article will explain many of those sources, each with its ups and downs. If you are ever unsure which is right for you, then it would be recommendable for you to find a financial advisor who can help you make an informed decision.

Without further ado, here are sources of financial help which your business could utilize for growth or stability.

Short Term Finance

Short-term finance is defined as financing needs lasting 1 year or less. This kind of finance is needed to fulfill the needs of a business. This may include payment of taxes, salaries, maintenance expenses, payment, and any types of business fees. The uneven flow of cash in a business needs this type of financing. Thus, they need to address certain issues by using short-term finance. Remember that financial problems arise because sales revenue and purchases are not always consistent. Please continue reading below.

  • Bill Discounting

Bill accounting is about future payables. Bills of exchange can be discounted at financial institutions like banks. The advance selling of a bill to an intermediary before it’s due to be paid is called Bill discounting. Interest rate and the fee are calculated on the risk of non-payment from the buyers.

  • Bill of Lading

Bill of lading is a legal document issued by a carrier to acknowledge the receipt of the cargo shipment. Bill of lading today can be used for the carriage of goods. These documents can be used as a guarantee when financial institutions are financing your business.

  • Bank Overdraft

Bank overdraft is the go-to option for a source of business finance. It’s easier for business owners to meet short-term unexpected expenses. A bank overdraft means that a financial institution like a bank allows clients or customers to borrow a certain amount of money. The interest rate is based on an overdraft, typically $30-35 dollars per overdraft.

  • Financial Institution

Financial institutions also help business owners with their business financial problems. They provide short-term loans with small amounts of interest depending on the amount you borrow.

Medium Term Finance

Medium-term finance is a finance source available for a midterm period, typically between 3-5 years, and is usually used for business expansion and purchasing large assets. This kind of loan is required to meet the mid-term requirements of a business. This finance is used for modernization and expansion. This helps the businessman to buy certain equipment and capital for their projects.

  • Commercial Banks

Commercial banks provide loans for different time scales, including mid-term loans. commercial banks are the major source of mid-term finance. You can avail of loans depending on the size of the business and its assets.

  • Financial Institution

Financial institutions also help business owners with their business financial problems. They provide short-term loans with small amounts of interest payable depending on the amount you borrow.

  • Insurance Companies

Insurance companies are one of many finance sources, and they have a large pool of funds contributed by policyholders. Any business owner can avail of their loan if they have the capabilities to pay the negotiated terms and interest.

Long Term Finance

Long-term finance is a financial instrument with a maturity exceeding 1 year or more. That instrument includes bank loans, bonds, leasing, and many more. This finance is often used in company expansion and long-term projects. Long-term finance is for those businesses with more than five years of tenure.

  • Leasing

Leasing is a source of long-term finance. It’s a contract between the lender and a leaser for the hire of new assets for a specific amount of time. Leasing can be beneficial to business owners who need new assets. They can get new assets without any heavy outlay of cash. Leasing is important for companies who are not able to buy outright at the moment. Lessors will need to make sure that their accounts are up-to-date and they are able to provide the correct financial documents, so they may have questions like – what is the ASC 842 deadline? Who do I contact to discuss my accounts? This can help them keep everything in line with what they are looking for.

  • Financial Institutions

Financial institutions can help business owners with their funding difficulties. Many financial institutions can provide mid-term to long-term loans. The interest rates vary depending on terms and conditions and the amount borrowed.

  • Equity Shares

Equity share is another source of business finance effective in the long term. It is an investable type of security used by a company to the public. Equity shares are sold to public “Shareholders” to generate the capital base of a big business. This kind of method is safe and secure, and favorable in the long term. Have a financial advisor like Lincoln Frost work with you to proceed with equity decisions. Determining which stocks might provide the best returns necessitates deep analysis. Before investing or purchasing stock in a company, buyers ideally should research the market value of equity, which is the estimated value of a company’s stock at any given time. You can click here to learn more about the market value of equity.
Conclusion

There are various sources to finance your business. Also, there are limitations. It depends on your business size and the capability to repay the loan you borrow with interest. Anyone who has the means to repay can borrow money from banks and financial institutions. The sample above explains some of the many financing sources available to individuals, private firms, businesses.

7 Digital Marketing Tips for Startups

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As a new business owner, you probably know that marketing your products or services online is the most effective strategy to promote your brand and attain growth. Taking into account companies such as Epsilon to assist with marketing necessities, as well as using your own resources you’ve picked up along the way. Digital marketing, if done right, can yield a glorious return on investment. However, it can be costly. To start your marketing, you need to build your business website. Platforms like WordPress and Wix allow you to create your website for free. It is user-friendly, so you do not have to learn complex coding. If you have the budget available to do so, you could hire the service of a company like SERP (https://serp.co/services/websites/chicago/) to help you design the perfect website.

Search Engine Optimization is another famous practice among digital marketers. It can attain different goals, like pushing your website to the top of the search engine page results so your customers will find it immediately. They can also do it to find new clients or boost your traffic. Various SEO guides for dummies are available online, and you can learn it yourself. But, if you want results, you can also choose to seek helpful advice from an SEO expert. You must pay for their expertise.

Whether you choose to hire an expert to help you with your digital marketing or do it yourself, here are seven digital marketing tips for start-ups.

  1. Focus on the user experience

An excellent website must offer effective communication channels, intuitive user experience, and content. To ensure your audience will have a great user experience, do the things right from the start. Make sure that your website loading speed is fast. Chatbots assisting communications, intuitive website menu navigation, and the tone, and simplicity of the content, can deliver a seamless user experience.

  1. Engage and interact with your audience

Digital marketing is not a venue where people just read and then move on. This online platform offers people a choice of satiating their queries and doubts. So, give them a chance to interact with your brand. Although your goal is to promote or market your product, it does not mean that you should only focus on posting business-centric materials. You might want to look into using machine translation services like can be found at https://lilt.com/machine-translation to make sure that any international users are able to effectively communicate with you.

To boost customer engagement, consider running unique contests with freebies and convey valuable information using video or infographics. You could also have a question-and-answer session, tag some relevant people in curated content, ask questions using creative graphics, etc. The important thing is you can create a connection between your audience and your brand. Make the audience feel like they are valuable members of your business.

  1. Update your social media accounts consistently

If you engage in digital marketing, the chances are that social media marketing will be a part of it. Billions of individuals are using social media platforms. It has become one of the efficient and lucrative ways to market a product or service. It will not only boost or grow your business but provide a suitable medium for customer service opportunities.

To make the most of your social media marketing effort, you must post content on a regular and consistent basis. Also, make sure that there is a unified identity to all your posts. But ensure not to stay away from the brand message you wish to convey.

  1. Remember that Great Content is the King

You probably would see this phrase included in most digital marketing articles. Many emphasize its importance, and when you start with your online marketing efforts, you will know why. It serves as the vehicle to convey your brand message to your audience. Audiences these days are getting savvier and wiser. They will probably look for and trust brands that offer valuable and great content.

Remember to make and share content that is timely, relevant, and of quality. To get ahead of the game and stand out from the crowd, also make creative content.

  1. Look at your competitors’ marketing strategies

You may not see things such as their conversion rate. But looking at what other businesses in your niche are doing can give you an insight into the marketing strategies they currently use. Look for companies of the same size when you compare. It is also worth looking for a digital marketing agency such as SheerID who can help you target a particular niche audience.

  1. Invest in the right tools

The right tools for marketing, growth hacking, analytics, and others can free you from repetitive and mundane tasks so you will have more time to focus on what matters most for your business.

There are free tools available on the web. But if you already have some funds to pay for the premium versions, it is much better if you invest some money in them. Paid tools work better than the free ones. If you are hesitant to pay for a tool yet, some software will be offered on a trial basis.

  1. Seek help from the experts

With the emergence of outsourcing companies, it is now easy to find experts who can handle your digital marketing at a price that will not break your bank. Outsourcing is also practical if you do not have sufficient funds to hire your digital marketing staff yet, but already want to make your digital marketing right.

If you hire someone who will handle your online marketing, consider an expert. Choose those who are good with all the digital channels such as digital PR, SEM, SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing.

Digital marketing will not be easy. You will have many competitors online. If you can get it right, it can help grow your startup business.

Famous Businesspeople Who Have Made It Against All the Odds

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When we talk about business people who have become successful against the odds, we are in the main talking about business people who have become self-made millionaires, as opposed to those that have inherited their wealth. Those that have had perhaps the worst school reports, with teachers practically writing them off, to become phoenixes out of the ashes. So, lets us explore a few examples to encourage those of us less fortunate never to give up no matter how tough it gets.

 

Sir Richard Branson

Branson expressed his hope of becoming an entrepreneur from quite a young age. He would first venture into business at the tender age of 16 when setting up a magazine called Student.

You could not say that he was born to a poor family, his father was a barrister, but he struggled with dyslexia, and so found it hard as a student trying to learn. He never gave up, though, and found his strengths outside of academia.

In 1970, Branson would set up a mail-order record business and then go on to open a chain of record stores, which later changed name from Virgin Records to Virgin Megastores in 1972. There was certainly something in this name that spelled success. During the 1980s, he started Virgin Atlantic airline while he was still expanding his Virgin Records music label.

In 2020, Richard Branson was reputed to have a net worth of something in the region of $4.1 billion, so that philosophy of never giving up and always trying something new or unconventional has certainly paid off.

 

Sir Alan Sugar

Sugar first started out in business selling car aerials and cigarette lighters. Everyone starts somewhere is the message here, and if you never start you will never achieve what might have been possible. As far as the symbolism of the car aerials goes, he was certainly in touch with what people wanted at that time.

As a successful businessman, he would make his first million after setting up his own electronics company, Amstrad. The company name stood for Alan Michael Sugar Trading. Set up in 1968, it was well poised in the 80s to take advantage of the computer boom. On 7 April 1986, the company bought the rights from rival Sinclair Research to sell and manufacture their existing Sinclair computers and accompanying products worldwide.

And you know that you have made it when you buy a football club such as Tottenham Hotspur. Sugar teamed up with Terry Venables in 1991 to buy it. Sugar is not alone in successful businesspeople buying football clubs. Sir Elton John bought Watford, and during the 70s and 80s they rose from the Fourth to the First Division. Chelsea is, of course, currently under the ownership of Chelsea FC plc, a parent company of Fordstam Ltd, where the controlling party is Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire.

In 2020, Alan Sugar was thought to be worth $1.66 billion from having started up in a small way as a sole trader selling car aerials from the back of an old van.

 

Bill Gates

Gates dropped out of college to start Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. That is the company who produced the software program that I am now writing this article on. The company is a global success, and that is down to skills that fall outside of education. In addition, a supportive family who would encourage their son’s interest in computers from an early age. So, there would seem to be something instilled within us from an early age that later results in success in business, if we choose to follow that path.

In 2020, Bill Gates was reported as having net worth of $120.3 billion, proving how much money there is to be made from computers and the hi-tech industry.

 

So, three names to conjure with who have worked their magic in business. There are many more examples to add to this growing list. Education is useful but not everything. It is equally possible to make your luck and fortune through personality, hidden intellect, and a lot of long hours and hard work.

 

How to Become a Well-Paid Freelancer

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About ten years ago, I had what is generally considered a very good job: a nice office, fixed salary, some perks, friendly colleagues, and three weeks off every year. But when the nine-to-six routine was starting to take its toll, I realized that there was little or no possibility of career advancement. I felt like I was a small cog in a big wheel.

 

I spent two hours every day commuting to my office and back and felt trapped in a life where a passive attitude was becoming the norm. I think that the main reason why I left my stable and secure job and jumped into a completely new and insecure freelancing adventure was that I wanted to be again on the steering wheel, even if that meant I had to start driving through a steep and winding road.

 

After about ten years in my new life, there’s no way I’m going back. I probably work harder than before, but I manage my own time and schedule and, most importantly, I finally do what I like and I do it on my own terms. I am a consultant in the entertainment industry. I help companies organize corporate events and parties, manage some bands and run a couple of websites related to the local music scene. My business has benefited from my current situation, even if my working week is sometimes about more than 50 hours long. In this article, I’d like to share with you the key factors which I reckon are crucial to becoming a well-paid freelancer.

 

Time Equals Money: the Fundamental Equation

Before I started my freelancing endeavors I made a simple consideration. It was only a year after that I realized how important that had been to kickstart my business. These were my initial thoughts: I wanted to earn a certain net amount of money at the end of the month. I divided the sum by the available working days in a month (approximately 22) and then divided it again by the hours I was willing to work each day. The result was my base hourly rate. There was no way I could accept projects that paid less than that, otherwise the business would have not just been worth the effort.

 

When I was asked to quote my first job, I was very careful and always kept this simple consideration in mind. Refusing a job is never easy, but you have to look at the big picture, and you don’t have to sell yourself out for a few bucks just because you need the job. Especially if you do everything by the book, which means paying your taxes and insurances, you may end up with very little money. Instead, you could have invested your time in finding another, and more profitable, collaboration opportunity.

 

The Importance of Networking

Freelancing may be a solitary experience. I’m not talking about loneliness but about the fact that I am often alone when a decision has to be made. When I find myself at a crossroad, I am the one who calls the shots and has to decide to go left instead of right.

 

Networking is not only crucial to get more work opportunities but also to confront me in an ever-changing labor market. Meeting people in my business industry is not merely a way to land my next collaboration, but it’s a great way to confront and share ideas that will allow me to be ready and competitive when an interesting opportunity arises.

 

Experience Counts (and Has to Be Paid)

Especially at the beginning, you are tempted to accept jobs with little or no payment at all, because you have to gain the necessary experience, just like an apprentice. But, once you have established yourself as a professional, you should abandon the status of an under-paid worker and start giving the right price to your expertise.

 

Funnily enough, when I realized the time was right to start raising the prize of my consultancy work up to industry standards, it felt as if I was doing something wrong! But, of course, it was because I was looking at the situation from a distorted outlook. In fact, I was probably doing something wrong before, when asking for very little money, as I was unfairly beating the competition.

Surprising Small Business Trends to Look Out for in 2021

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2020 was the year that changed everything.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to wreak havoc on a global scale and social and political unrest reaching unprecedented heights, the world has undergone some significant adjustments over the past 12 months.

For example, there has been a significant move to online shopping with many consumers being enticed by the convenience and the apparent safety of ordering goods online. Many consumers have also been shopping online using special offers in order to save money (see here for an example of some), as dispensable income for some households has lowered during the course of the pandemic.

Although the total impact of 2020 on the worldwide economy is yet to be revealed, small businesses have found new ways to thrive during these times of hardship and adversity.

For instance, did you know that according to Google, worldwide searches for ‘support small business’ doubled in comparison to 2019?

Whilst the factors that attract consumers to online shopping work well in the favor of large businesses. More consumers than ever before seem to be shunning large corporations in favor of supporting independent, locally run businesses.

Consequently, although human contact has been severely limited as a result of the coronavirus restrictions, a lot of people have felt compelled to support local organizations during these times of strife.

Moreover, with freedom of movement severely limited due to enforced lockdowns, most people have been left with no other option but to pay their local businesses a visit for essential goods and services.

So, with this in mind, let us discover some small business trends to keep an eye out for in 2021.

Health is Wealth – The Rise and Rise of the Health Industry

With almost everyone looking for new ways to boost their mind and body, it is not a surprise that some health-related businesses have seen a rise in demand as a result of the pandemic.

From vegan cafes and restaurants that have adapted to takeaway culture, to a boom in natural products such as CBD skincare, health-focused customers are increasingly judicious about where they choose to spend their money.


Customers are actively looking for goods that reflect a healthy lifestyle more than ever before, so businesses selling things like CBD products are becoming a lot more popular. Cannabis in general has boomed in the past few years, with many successful online businesses satisfying customers everyday. With websites that sell cannabis to tutorials on how to make honey oil – the industry has taken off. As marijuana is becoming more accepted worldwide, entrepreneurs are jumping on the band wagon to find their fortune in the next big thing. Perhaps more entrepreneurs should consider selling some CBD vape products as there is a huge market for these products. If this sounds ideal, you can look here to see some white label CBD options. This might be more effective for some businesses, so consider looking into that option.

Put simply, it is no secret that fighting off a deadly virus requires a strong immune system and therefore products that can boost overall health have soared in demand.

Home cooking and baking is well and truly back in business, with bloggers helping amateur chefs to finally get to grips with the culinary basics through tasty and nutritious recipes.

Additionally, in 2021 natural beauty products are going to experience a premium update, with consumers seeking out well-designed and affordable luxury skincare from small, natural brands.

More Businesses Will Use Social Media ‘Stories’ to Connect with Audiences

With almost the entire population spending more time at home and on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok, small businesses have had to adapt to an expanding digital audience. Services such as live streaming have been incredibly popular, especially when they incorporate the use of real time messaging to encourage live discussions and interactivity.

One other social media tool that small businesses will be using more of to promote their products and services in 2021 is stories.

Although originally introduced by the social media platform Snapchat in 2013, stories allow social media users to compile images and video content into a chronological story. As a result of their widespread success, stories are now a default feature on most social media platforms.

What makes a story unique from a newsfeed post or a direct message is that the content itself disappears after 24 hours. This in the moment approach makes them seem more authentic and connectable to an audience.

Correspondingly, if you want to convey your message, alongside live streaming, stories are a fantastic way to build an authentic voice and connect with followers. Simply posting images of products, how-to style tutorials, and a swipe up link to buy is all it might take to initiate sales.

That being said, due to their short and ephemeral nature, it is important that businesses use stories creatively to grab the attention of a viewer and stop them in their tracks before they move on to the next story.

Customer Service Will Become Increasingly Personalized and Will Embrace the Move to Online

In 2021, providing a customized customer experience is key.

However, with so many businesses only operating on a click and collect basis and in an online capacity, what can small business owners do to show customers that their custom is valued?

One way that online businesses can harness the potential of their website is through providing product suggestions that relate to previous purchases.

For example, if your business sells kitchenware, additional kitchenware items might be of interest to your customers.

Smart personalization engines provide a tailored online shopping experience that reduces background noise and distractions and instead provides customers with everything that they could possibly need in one place.

Ultimately, although 2020 was an incredibly tough year for everyone, adaptation has proved to be crucial for small businesses.

Above all, to stand out from the crowd, clear communication between customers and employees is going to be vital.

With the majority of remote workforces showing no signs of returning to the workplace just yet, embracing the online environment will help small businesses to succeed in 2021 and beyond.

What other small business trends do you think are going to emerge in 2021? Get in touch and let us know your thoughts.

Three Reasons We Need SEO Marketing More Than Ever

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Search engines such as Google have recorded so much information about us. For instance, Google knows the physical locations we frequent the most and what commodities we are more likely to buy online. It means that there is a personalized data graph for each one of us who uses the internet. How search engines perceive value from online content means a lot for SEO in 2021. That is why we need to optimize the presence of our brands over the web which includes all digital channels and media uploads, using companies similar to this Denver seo marketing company to help us achieve this. How Google ranks our content could be the secret to our business success this year.

Today, it is not just about our website design. We have to be aware of everything we are putting out there about our business and should be using tools such as this link management software to make sure we are in control of everything our brand shares. It’s been shown that the web content and how it interacts with search engine result pages is what now matters the most. The biggest question we should be asking ourselves is, “are we telling a good story about our business online?” To become SEO professionals, we must understand the complexities behind titles, sub-titles, natural language processing, and how they relate to Google rankings. Keyword frequency aside, we can maximize on Google Natural Language and other similar SEO tools to improve our brands’ presence online. Here is why we cannot neglect search engine optimization this year.

1. We Have a Responsibility to Make the Internet Useful

As search engines get smarter, we need to think beyond keyword search. Let’s not get it twisted, though; keyword optimization is still necessary. But the most important thing is the relevance of the blog headings to the queries and intent of internet users. At Google Discover, keywords do not play a significant role. One of the best ways to optimize the visibility of content for Google Discover is to establish a brand identity in graph knowledge and its relation to the topic. We need to be tracking the performance of our brand in Google’s knowledge graph API. Then we can hone in on SEO strategies that go beyond publishing captivating content to drive traffic in the knowledge path. As we figure out our topics, let us plan how to connect the target audience with the right information. By doing this, Google will always direct more traffic to our websites.

2. AI is Moving at a Rapid Pace

We are on the verge of innovative technologies spearheaded by rapid processing powers and big data upsurge. Wireless capabilities have enabled more cloud computing, advanced algorithms, and mobility. No technology is going to be as disruptive as artificial intelligence in the next few decades. Marketing and sales departments are focusing on AI more than other areas of a business. But how can we leverage AI to produce relevant web content and optimize link building? Today, Google Maps and geolocation apps have become essential tools for travelers and shoppers.

Moreover, the rise of voice searches for ‘near me’ queries is closely connected to Google Maps results. Google utilizes AI that tends to be optimized using text annotation tools to produce accurate results when users search for local businesses in real-time. Cell phone users are mostly addicted to voice search technology. These are opportunities we need to leverage, so our companies are not left behind. When writing blogs, it is better off we use a conversational tone. When search engines process the users’ queries, they can predict the most relevant results to satisfy the user’s intention through machine learning and AI. Depending on the reaction of internet users, Google can improve on the results next time.

3. User Experience Has Taken Center Stage

When we mention user experience or UX, we are putting the consumer first. Currently, UX has a prominent effect on Google rankings. Search engines use real-life user-centered metrics to determine user experience. The metrics are known as Core Web Vitals and calculate the interactivity, website load times, and content stability while loading. User-centered metrics report to the search engine algorithms how our websites perform in terms of usability, load times, and accessibility via different devices and operating systems. If we can nail this, our business sites will be granted higher online visibility. Pop-ups, overwhelming graphics, and complex themes can adversely affect Core Web Vitals. These elements are not only intrusive but time-wasting for end users.

Businesses that are planning to thrive in 2021 must continue to focus on search engine optimization. Despite the global pandemic, this is a period of opportunities for our online businesses. We have a fantastic chance to expand revenue streams through digital platforms. Improving the odds of higher rankings on local searches is a must. Apart from traditional SEO tactics, let us not forget about the growing AI concept, Google’s knowledge graphs, and user experience (UX).