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You are here: Home / 2016 / Archives for December 2016

Archives for December 2016

4 Steps to Start Today

December 31, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


What do you want to be remembered for? The “legacy” question often arises at this particular time of year as we remember the great names — entertainment (Prince), science (game theorist Thomas Schnelling), sports (Muhammed Ali) and politics (John Glenn), who passed away in 2016.

And then there are the two big names added just last week: Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.

But, for those of us still living, how do we handle the legacy question?

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Dr. Priscilla Chan answered the legacy question with a pledge this year to celebrate their daughter’s birth. Saying they wanted to “advance human potential and promote equality for all children,” the couple announced that they would donate 99 percent of their Facebook stock, currently valued at $45 billion, to charity. 

Related: 9 Things Baby Zuckerberg Should Know About Her Famous Parents

Of course, Facebook is hardly a startup, and if you’re leading one, legacy might be the last thing on your mind. After all, there are sales to be made, markets to be won and teams to be built, right? And you may still be young, and vital.

But, by sowing the seeds of legacy now, you’re not only building a better world, you’re also catalyzing business growth. In a Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR study last year, 84 percent of global consumers surveyed said they seek out socially responsible products “whenever possible.”

So, it pays to plan your social impact. Since Zuckerberg and Chan announced their pledge, in fact, Facebook’s stock price has risen more than 18 percent.

What makes a legacy?

A legacy is not a quantifiable substance. Building one that lasts doesn’t involve following any single path or making a particular-sized pledge. But there are elements shared by every successful business leader who’s left a legacy.

One of those elements is a unique perspective. Gesche Haas, founder of Trailblazer Ventures, began the social network Dreamers/Doers out of her own need. Inspired by experiences she had had, Haas is building a community of women with the goal of supporting one another and maximizing their collective impact. 

But perspective is nothing without a plan to implement your vision. So, apply a business mindset to your legacy. You wouldn’t copy someone else’s business with your company, so why would you do such a thing with your philanthropy? Find a neglected niche. Then, be realistic and give strategically.

Related: 3 Ways Your Social Business Will Be Better Than a Charity

A lasting legacy also requires flexibility. While sticking to your social vision guides growth and builds company culture, it’s also important to shift in sync with the world. A high-impact donation today might not be as meaningful in five years, which is why Founders Pledge allows those pledging to change charitable priorities right up until their exit.

I began my mission to promote social entrepreneurship by supporting businesses already in the space. I quickly realized, though, that I could reverse-engineer the process to do more good. Now, we partner with successful entrepreneurs to promote charitable giving and help them embed “giving back” into their work.

Plan your legacy with purpose.

Legacies aren’t accidents. If your startup is to maximize its social impact, attract visionary employees and benefit from consumers’ penchant for socially responsible products, it needs a philanthropic vision from the start:

1. Be a problem solver. Architect your legacy with an entrepreneurial spirit. Identify a societal problem that’s bigger than the current philanthropic and government actors working to solve it, and add your voice to that chorus.

For example, Jeremy Coller, a U.K.-based private equity expert, set a clear, ambitious goal for his legacy: End factory farming within four decades. Although Coller is hardly the only philanthropist focused on animal rights, he’s in a unique position to solve the problem. By spotlighting the risks of factory farm investments, Coller convinces investors to redirect funds to ethical alternatives.

2. Align your company with your vision. Planning to solve a problem is important, but if employees and company stakeholders aren’t aware of your vision, they can’t help you achieve it. Communicate your philanthropic goal early and often to enable the team to pitch in.

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard doesn’t just give grants to organizations that are helping to save the planet; he’s made philanthropy an integral part of the company. Patagonia’s website contains page after page of stories spotlighting sustainability projects and policy initiatives, and its employees have donated more than 1,700 hours of labor cleaning beaches, planting trees, fighting invasive species and more.

3. Make concrete but agile plans. Your vision should be strong, but if it’s immutable, it’ll snap when business winds blow. Stay open to new ideas, and keep your vision flexible. Give stakeholders short-, medium- and long-term business plans, but be clear that those plans are subject to change.

When it comes to dynamic giving, Bill Gates sits atop the totem pole. The Microsoft giant, along with his wife, Melinda, has donated $27 billion to charity and created massive social change through their foundation. Whether solving educational crises, helping to alleviate urban poverty or providing emergency relief, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has proven itself capable of tackling emerging challenges wherever they crop up.

Related: 5 Life Lessons From Bill Gates, One of the Most Influential Philanthropists on Earth

4. Use business expertise to create social success. Business and philanthropy shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. Use your business acumen to make the most of your philanthropic endeavors. 

Nielsen, for instance, leverages its data for good through the Nielsen Cares initiative. For the past four years, Nielsen has given at least $10 million per year in pro bono and in-kind contributions. By donating proprietary data and leveraging employees’ expertise, Nielsen has collaborated with Feeding America to measure the food insecurity of U.S. counties. It’s also helped the Special Olympics measure the economic power of households whose members have intellectual disabilities.

Do you want your startup to be remembered for its inventive spirit? For its strides in alleviating world hunger? For how it helped fight climate change? Think carefully about the impact you want to make. Then, plan appropriately and give generously. When it comes time to look back at your legacy, you’ll be glad you did.


David Goldberg

David Goldberg is co-founder and CEO of Founders Pledge, a global initiative that helps tech founders and investors translate their commercial success into social good. A U.K.-registered charity and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the Un…

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Filed Under: Entrepreneur

Kayako’s CEO on building a bootstrapped business

December 31, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


Kayako isn’t a new company — the bootstrapped business has been around for 16 years — but it does have an interesting story. Kayako is a unified customer service platform, meaning that companies use their software to manage customer feedback and support across multiple platforms, including phone, email, Twitter and Facebook. With fewer than 100 employees (barely), Kayako has never taken outside funding. It has offices in three countries, is profitable and continues to grow. How, you may ask? TechCrunch visited their London headquarters to chat with founder and CEO Varun Shoor to hear about Kayako’s history and his unconventional path to success. You can read highlights from that conversation in the Q&A below.

TechCrunch: What are the biggest mistakes companies are making in the customer service space?

Kayako: Treating it as a transactional experience is what I would say the biggest mistake is. So companies are still in a situation where they use tickets, as a means of just solving that problem, rather than going beyond tickets and thinking about the entire customer experience. And thinking about what is next after that problem to make sure not only customers are satisfied but that you turn them into advocates and promoters.

TechCrunch: I know often a company just wants to hunker down and build in a vacuum and then that becomes the tendency. Does your platform help them do that?  

Kayako: It brings feedback from all platforms into one unified view and helps these companies who are hunkered down building their product really make sense of the entire interaction. You can literally go on to Twitter today and see customers complaining about how they keep having to repeat themselves. And that is a symptom of the problem, which is in the market right now. The reason they have to repeat themselves is all these organizations are using separate platforms for feedback and they don’t know what the problem is. The customer might have called before, they tweet, they may have emailed multiple times and they just don’t know. This is what Kayako solves. It brings all that information together in one stream of communication.  

TechCrunch: So it solves the problem that anytime you need customer support, you tell five representatives what is wrong, and you keep repeating yourself over and over again, and then get transferred to someone else and need to start your explanation all over again? In theory, this would connect all the information on all platforms and would prevent that… What are the most common integrations of your product?

Kayako: It depends on the industry. There was a time when this product was treated as an IT help desk. So you generally had IT teams in big companies using it to solve tickets. But now anyone with customers internal or external needs a product like this. Automotive companies are tying this up with their ERP systems. Online startups are integrating the product with invoicing systems. And we have traditional companies who use a CRM product using us to integrate with that. So it totally depends on the context, but the product integrates with close to 600 platforms.

TechCrunch: Can you tell me a little about scale, funding and where you guys are in terms of business?

Kayako: Yes. This is one of the most interesting aspects about this business. We’ve never raised any external venture capital. So as a company this has been bootstrapped for the last 16 years. I’ve never been to college. I’ve started this and dropped out of high school, skipped college, with no money. The name Kayako was something that I got when I was literally begging for domain names. I didn’t choose the domain name. The name chose me.

TechCrunch: Obviously, the company is doing fairly well. If you have this office, you must be profitable. Can you talk a little about where the company is currently?

Kayako: We have close to 80 employees across three different locations. The company’s main entity is in Singapore, and we have offices in India and in London, which is our operational entity. And we also have people working with us remotely in locations like Ukraine, Belgium and Canada. Our revenue is in the multi-million dollars and as a bootstrapped company you don’t have any choice but to be profitable. Otherwise, if you are not profitable, you can not survive.



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A Driven Profession – The Life Of A Chauffeur

December 31, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

Whether it’s corporate or private travel, professional chauffeurs are friendly, discrete and knowledgeable driving companions who will make sure your journey is both safe and comfortable, arriving at your destination feeling refreshed and relaxed.

The chauffeur profession calls for a unique blend of driving and social skills. And yes, there’s much more to being a professional chauffeur than simply being a good driver. All chauffeurs are also registered and inspected by the local authorities and should be fully licensed with a security check for your peace of mind. The vehicle owned by the chauffeur or luxury sedan company must be legally roadworthy and fully insured.

Responsibilities for each professional chauffeur may very slightly. Some of the things a good chauffeur should know are etiquette skills, risk management, both personal and public safety awareness. Also, how to drive in a style that enhances passenger comfort, creates less stress for the driver, and reduces fuel consumption and vehicle wear. A typical chauffeur will cater most events, from large conferences to corporate road shows, from airport transfers to shopping trips and days out to weddings.

A professional chauffeur should also know advanced driving techniques, including the recognition and perception of hazards, such as coping with a wide range of road surfaces and weather conditions; as well as have an understanding of modern vehicle dynamics, including skid awareness and dynamic systems. He or she should also know how to plan a route for comfort, efficiency and safety.

Professional chauffeurs operate a variety of vehicles that include limousines or luxury sedans, vans, and private cars for limousine companies, private businesses, government agencies, and wealthy individuals. Chauffeur service differs from taxi service in that all trips are prearranged. Many chauffeurs transport customers in large vans between hotels and airports, as well as bus or train terminals. Others drive luxury automobiles, such as sedans or black cars, to business events, entertainment venues, and social events. Still others provide full-time personal transportation for wealthy families and private companies.

At the beginning of the workday, chauffeurs prepare their vehicles for use. They inspect the vehicle for cleanliness and, when needed, vacuum the interior and wash the exterior body, windows, and mirrors. They check fuel and oil levels, and make sure the lights, tires, brakes, and windshield wipers work. Chauffeurs may perform routine maintenance and make minor repairs, such as changing tires or adding oil and other fluids when needed. If a vehicle requires a more complicated repair, they take it to a professional mechanic.

Chauffeurs cater to passengers by providing attentive customer service and paying attention to detail. They help riders into the car by holding open doors, holding umbrellas when it is raining, and loading packages and luggage into the trunk of the car. Chauffeurs may perform errands for their employers such as delivering packages or picking up clients arriving at airports. To ensure a pleasurable ride in their limousines, many chauffeurs offer conveniences and luxuries such as newspapers, magazines, music, drinks, televisions, and telephones. More often these days, chauffeurs work as full-service executive assistants, acting simultaneously as driver, secretary and itinerary planner.

When it comes to licensing chauffeurs, some states require only a passenger endorsement on a driver’s license; other states require only that drivers be certified by their employer; while others require a Commercial Driver’s License with a passenger endorsement. While states set licensing requirements, local regulatory bodies usually set other terms and conditions. These often include requirements for training, which varies greatly.

Some localities require new drivers to enroll in training programs consisting of up to 80 hours of classroom instruction before they are allowed to work. To qualify through either an exam or a training program, applicants must know local geography, motor vehicle laws, safe driving practices, and relevant regulations and display some aptitude for customer service.

Other localities require an English proficiency test, usually in the form of listening comprehension; applicants who do not pass the English exam must take an English course in addition to any formal driving programs. Some classroom instruction includes route management, map reading, and service for passengers with disabilities.

Many luxury sedan or limo companies sponsor applicants, giving them a temporary permit that allows them to drive before they have finished the training program and passed the test. Some jurisdictions, such as New York City, have discontinued this practice and now require driver applicants to complete the licensing process before operating a taxi or limousine.

If you’re looking for a luxury sedan service that hires the courteous, most professional chauffeurs in the business, why not check out Checker Sedan, the luxury sedan company in the Detroit metropolitan area that provides excellent service from your driveway to the runway. It’s one of the fastest growing, most customer-focused, chauffeur-driven, licensed luxury sedan companies in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs. Established in March 2000, Checker Sedan is an affiliate of Soave Enterprises, a privately held management and investment company founded by Detroit businessman Anthony L. Soave. For more information, visit Checker Sedan at [http://www.checkersedan.com].



Source by Jordan Knapp

Filed Under: Customer Focus

Up and Coming U.S. Cities for Your Business (Infographic)

December 31, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


It’s not all about San Francisco and New York City — there’s a number of up and coming cities around the country for your new business venture. More affordable and feasible locations include Atlanta, Provo, Utah, and Des Moines, Iowa. From tax rates to financial programs, these smaller cities are great launching pads for new businesses.

Some well-known big businesses have set up offices in some of these cities as well, leading the way for smaller ones to follow — with Apple and Facebook in Austin, Dell and HP in Manchester, N.H., and Johnson & Johnson and J.P. Morgan in Jersey City, N.J.

Check out Colonial Life’s infographic below to scope some potential cities for your startup.


Rose Leadem

Rose Leadem

Rose Leadem is an online editorial assistant at Entrepreneur Media Inc. 

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Why So Many People Will Talk You Out of Online Marketing

December 31, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

In this modern society where almost everything is digital, it is hard to believe that there are still those who prefer traditional methods, such as in the field of advertising.

Online advertising has been a hit in the last decade. Internet marketing has taken over businesses by storm and doubled their revenue. However, some people still see the field as unnecessary and taxing so they try to convince others to veer away. Below are other reasons why some individuals dislike online marketing:

  • Inability to adapt with technology

A person may refuse the method because they may not be technology savvy. They are afraid that technology is hard to monitor or manipulate so they choose to stay manual.

  • Mastery of craft

A lot of traditional people spent years perfecting their craft, so they believe that their capabilities are sufficient. Online marketing is a threat to physical advertising because it minimizes the need for logistics, hence the repulsion.

  • Less Jobs

Some people think that digital work reduces employment opportunities due to computers replacing manual labor. Only a handful of people are necessary to make internet marketing work.

  • Information Breach

Putting everything on the internet is a risk for hacking or information leakage that’s why many are skeptical about it. Online marketing requires a substantial amount of data that can be easily stolen or erased.

  • Lack of Equipment

Many marketers don’t have reliable internet or computers to handle critical work. Manual advertising is easier to delegate and segregate, so smaller businesses prefer it.

  • Lack of Empathy

Advertisers believe that online marketing is not good for client relations because it promotes a more detached form of communication and a robotic response. Manual advertising is more personal so it is easier to convince people.

  • Lack of Authenticity

Marketers are wary of online advertising because people nowadays are harder to convince, especially in terms of the authenticity of a product. Since everything can be manipulated or edited, they would have to work more to attract clients.

  • Population of Non-internet users

A big percent of the population is still manual so it is impractical to promote online marketing in these areas. Online commercials only work with regular exposure but if the audience only uses the internet a few times then it is a wasted effort. Manual advertising is beneficial when people are more inclined to support physical efforts or are part of a community network.

  • Promotes Mediocrity

Senior marketers believe that online marketing encourages laziness in the younger advertisers because most materials can be recycled, edited or rehashed. Marketing is a skill developed from experience and virtual training may not be enough to develop and create a better breed of advertisers.

  • Technology is a waste

People believe that using gadgets and computers are harmful to the health of workers so they don’t encourage the employment related to such. Manual advertising promotes brain functions through practice and personal relationships development. It is important for some people to backlog technology to help the environment.

Despite the many reasons why people may talk you out of online marketing, it is still undeniable that this form of marketing has a lot of potential. Learn how you can maximize the web when it comes to marketing your products and services, so you can expand your reach.



Source by John Paul Richards

Filed Under: Supply Chain

First dog Sutter Brown dead at 13

December 31, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


Sutter Brown, the gubernatorial pooch who softened Gov. Jerry Brown’s image and brightened the California Capitol with his love for belly rubs and treats, has died.

“Sutter passed away peacefully this afternoon with the Governor and First Lady at his side and was laid to rest at the family ranch in Colusa County, where he loved to roam, sniff and play,” Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said in a statement Friday afternoon.

The 13-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi underwent emergency surgery in October, but a particularly aggressive form of cancer could not be entirely removed. News of his illness dismayed fans around California, who filled social media with expressions of support.

Sutter returned home, and to the governor’s office. He was outside the Governor’s Mansion to greet trick-or-treaters on Halloween, and accompanied the governor to vote on Election Day.

But his health had deteriorated rapidly in recent days, and Brown and his wife, Anne Gust Brown “made the decision that it was time to say goodbye,” Westrup said.

Gov. Brown adopted Sutter from his sister after winning the 2010 governor’s race. The dog charmed members of the media, becoming a recurring character in Sacramento Bee editorial cartoons, and cracked a rare window into the personal life of the governor and his wife Anne Gust Brown.

Images of the dog lounging in the office or at home went out to the thousands who followed Sutter on Twitter. In the days after Sutter fell ill, Gust Brown shared some aching images of the stricken animal, including a picture of Brown tenderly cradling the canine.

Sutter also inhabited his owners’ political sphere. He traveled around the state to help Brown promote a tax hike on top earners via Proposition 30. After being unleashed to pass new taxes Sutter became a watchdog of fiscal discipline, appearing on cards that were handed out during Brown’s 2014 State of the State speech and bore phrases like “Let’s keep new spending on a short leash.” The governor invoked Sutter’s desire to defile an unappealing ballot initiative.

Helping to put a cuddly face on public programs, the @SutterBrown Twitter account would frequently pair adorable images with reminders about policies like a state Earned Income Tax Credit or water conservation rebates.

He also proved that, if nothing else, a cute pet can forge bipartisan consensus. Amid ferociously partisan efforts to manage a budget crisis, Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton spoke fondly of having “developed a relationship” with Sutter.

Sutter is survived by Colusa Lucy Brown, who joined the Browns as a puppy in 2015. The governor’s office said she would assume Sutter’s duties as first dog.

 



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Smart Questions to Ask Franchise Owners When Evaluating a Franchise Company #FranchiseBible

December 30, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


The following excerpt is from Rick Grossman’s book Franchise Bible. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The single most informative discovery tool at your disposal for investigating any franchise opportunity is interviewing current and former franchisees. Talking with them is a critical component of the prospective franchisee’s due diligence. In order to help you through what can sometimes be a nerve-wracking process, we’ve prepared a list of questions that will act as a starting point for such conversations.

Related: 8 Steps to Finding the Right Franchise

Begin this process by first finding the list of current and former franchisees that must be an exhibit to the FDD for the franchise(s) you’re considering. In statistics, one finds the greatest accuracy from the largest pool of contributors. The same holds true here. Your goal will be to contact as many franchisees — both current and past — as you can. In doing so, you’ll pick up on trends and be able to identify common threads throughout the comments you’re hearing from them. If there seem to be too many franchisees to manage, start with the franchisees who are closest to you geographically and move outward to the next city, state or region.

Call as many former franchisees as you can. Though many may not want to talk with you or may tell you only negative things, such conversations are valuable and, once again, may offer details that add to a common theme that will that will help you make your final business decision.

Related: Are You a Good Franchise Candidate?

Remember that franchisees are running a business. Don’t call and expect them to drop everything they’re doing to talk with you at that moment. Respect their time, as you would ask others to respect your time. If you can set up an appointment to talk on the phone, that would be the proper thing to do. If you can meet with them personally, that would be even better. Remember, in some cases, busy franchise owners may not be able to talk with you.

Be honest about the purpose of your call. And be honest in your responses. And remember: The purpose of the calls is to have a conversation, not an interrogation.

Related: Why You Should Buy a Franchise Instead of Starting Your Own

Consider asking the following questions:

  • How long have you owned your franchise?
  • Do you own more than one, or do you have plans to own more?
  • Did you use a franchise attorney or accountant to help you?
  • What was your professional background before you purchased your franchise?
  • Did your prior experience help or hinder your business operations?
  • Was the training what you expected it to be?
  • Were the manuals helpful? Do you still use them?
  • Did the franchisor do what they promised before you opened?
  • Did the franchisor do what they promised after you opened?
  • Has the franchisor been reasonably available to help with problems?
  • Are you working the hours you expected?
  • Are you earning the money that you expected?
  • What financial goal is realistic as a single-unit franchise owner?
  • Do you believe you can meet your financial goals in the future?
  • What can the franchisor do to better help you reach your goals? Do you believe they will?
  • What would you change about the business?
  • Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?
  • What advice would you give me?

This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means. And some of these questions may not be appropriate for some franchisees, whereas other questions may arise as a result of your conversations. Don’t be afraid to improvise or go off script. As with any conversation, what starts out going one direction will often end on a totally different path. Take comprehensive notes so you can compare and identify any reoccurring themes or patterns at a later time.


Rick Grossmann

Rick Grossman is a leading franchise industry expert with over 20 years of experience in helping both franchisors and franchisees grow their businesses. A successful franchisor himself, Rick developed a high tech/high touch franchise market…

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3 Inbound Marketing Best Practices to Steal for 2017

December 30, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


Is your inbound marketing program falling short of expectations? You’re not alone.

Related: 10 Ways to Quickly Generate Leads

In HubSpot’s Eighth Annual Report on the Future of Inbound Marketing and Sales, 65 percent of companies cited lead generation as their top marketing challenge,  As many as 80 percent of marketers reported that their lead generation efforts were only slightly or somewhat effective.

In fact, nearly a quarter of marketers didn’t know whether they’re efforts were even paying off — yikes!

Converting leads into sales has become increasingly difficult in the last five years; one reason may be that today’s digital landscape is fragmented and chaotic: Given their diversified channel preferences and ability to engage in instant communication, consumers are rapidly changing their behaviors and brand expectations.

Consumers report, for example, that display advertising is more intrusive today than it was two years ago: Four out of five people have abandoned a web page because of a pop-up or auto-playing video ad. Marketers rank outbound marketing tactics, like paid advertising, as the top waste of time and resources.

It’s no surprise, then, that many small businesses feel more pressure than ever before to continually crank out a steady stream of leads via inbound marketing. After all, if fewer leads are converting, then the best way to hit sales goals is to increase the pool of leads, right?

Not necessarily!

Just ask the marketing team at Medjet Assist, the air medical transport and travel protection company, which recently oversaw a significant sales boost, using a re-tooled inbound marketing #strategy that brings fewer leads into its pipeline.

“Our inbound marketing has always generated a steady stream of leads, but not all of the leads were qualified,” Bill Miller, chief sales and marketing officer at Medjet Assist, told me. “Our sales team ended up investing valuable resources on leads who were never going to convert.

Related: How to Optimize Your Site for Lead Generation

“By taking the time to understand our target audience and testing different call-to-action messages, we honed our lead generation to focus on those most likely to convert. The result: more qualified leads and more sales. Less is more!”

In this way, an agile inbound marketing strategy is key to achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage in today’s fragmented digital marketplace. If your own inbound lead program is falling short of expectations, it’s time to reboot. Here’s what MedJet Assist did that your business should do, too:

1. Identify your ideal client.

Let’s be honest: We’ve all wasted precious time and resources running after a “dream client” that was never going to convert. In retrospect, the red flags are obvious. But, without sufficient perspective at that moment, it’s easy to get swept up in the exciting potential of closing a large client. Don’t make this mistake again.

If you have not done so already, analyze and determine your ideal client. Review your current client list: Which customers generate the greatest profit margin and are also the easiest to work with?

Looking back at your company’s history, which leads are most likely to hire your business, and which ones are going to opt for the competition, no matter what incentives or marketing tactic you use?

Now, look at your lead pipeline. How many leads fit your ideal client profile? How many are in the “unlikely-to-convert” category? Use your ideal client profile to weed out leads that simply aren’t worth your time, and focus your lead-nurturing program on those who are.

2. A/B test your call-to-action.

A/B testing is a tried and true tactic essential to ensuring that the right message is delivered to the right lead at the right moment. If you’ve never invested in A/B testing before, even running a few simple tests can result in a 5-to-20 percent increase to your bottom line, reports Kissmetrics. And, no, they aren’t talking about a random conversion rate — they’re talking about real improvements to revenue and customer base.

Why is A/B testing so important for inbound marketing? A/B testing gives you the “why” behind the “what.” For example, let’s say you have a ton of people clicking on your upgrade offer, but as soon as people see the actual offer, they disappear.

A/B testing, coupled with qualitative data surveys, can help you understand why customers aren’t converting and then test different strategies to find out which solution is the best fix for this conversion problem.

3. Get serious about lead nurturing.

Seven out of 10 leads generated from inbound marketing are not “sales ready.” That doesn’t mean they aren’t qualified. They just aren’t willing to make a purchase yet. 

An effective lead-nurturing program will keep you connected with your leads, so you’ll be top of mind when they are ready to buy. Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50 percent more sales-ready leads at 33 percent lower cost per lead, says Forrester Research.

For MedJet Assist, this means keeping in touch with leads via email marketing during the trip-planning process. Once leads are ready to book their travel, MedJet Assist is right there, ready to offer a comprehensive medical travel-insurance policy.

Related: A Straightforward Guide To Effective B2B Lead Generation

Bottom line

Improving inbound lead generation is an ongoing process, and you won’t see results overnight. But simple changes to your approach — refining your targeting strategy, A/B testing your calls to action and developing your lead nurturing program — will set your business up for success in 2017.


Brian Hughes

Brian Hughes is the founder and CEO of Integrity Marketing & Consulting, where he helps his clients build powerful brands through content marketing, social-media marketing, search-engine optimization, email marketing, pay-per-click…

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3 Changes Your Company Should Make to Performance Management in 2017

December 30, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


This may be the happiest season of the year, but for many managers and employees, things aren’t all that merry and bright.

Related: Should You Ditch Annual Performance Reviews? It Depends.

Many are stressing about whether they’ve put in enough face time with the boss or clocked enough hours at the office. Why the trepidation? Because they’re about to have their dreaded year-end performance review.

Things maybe different this year, however. Thirty-seven percent of people in the United States work from home an average two days per month, and we’ve seen the number of those telecommuting full-time swell by 103 percent over the past decade.

This fast-rising rate of remote workers, combined with the ever-present talent war, is forcing companies to reexamine not only their stance on staffing telecommuters, but also the ways in which they go about evaluating their performance.

Millennial employees now make up a significant part of the workforce — more than one in three, to be exact — and they are driving the biggest overhaul of performance-management standards in decades. Both millennials and Gen-Xers see work and life as closely intertwined; they tend to want a different kind of relationship with their managers, and more frequent feedback.

No trophy necessary

Never ones to accept the “that’s just the way it’s done” mentality, most millennials — or, more precisely, 62 percent of them — report staying with their employers longer if they feel like they can talk to their managers about anything, including non-work-related issues.

This new wave of workers craves employer-employee relationships based on growth, not rewards.

Related: Millennials Are Not the Only Ones Who Want Feedback

In the past, professionals wanted swanky corner offices, company cars and personal secretaries. Today, the focus is on work-life integration. People want the flexibility to move to a new city, state or country and pursue their passions while they’re still working for your company.

Throw remote workers into the mix, and you can really measure your team members’ productivity only by the quality of their output, not how many hours John put in or how long Jill came into the office for. As salespeople have long known, results are what truly matter.

Instead, focus on outcomes to evaluate productivity and determine opportunities for future improvements. The worst performance-management decision you can make is to reward employees who try but consistently fail to reach needed outcomes by working hard, not smart.

New performance standards

Performance evaluation often quantifies how much face time employees put in, not necessarily the quality or outcome of their work. The problem with this approach is that involvement and engagement are not one and the same. To ensure your team members feel supported and valued, measure output, not time spent.

Here are some tips we’ve implemented in our own remote organization that should become standard for any team.

1. Align employee expectations with company goals. 

This is key to engagement. By clearly defining our overarching goals, we clarify what accountability means and what each person’s top five responsibilities are; in this way, we help our team members align their activities with those expectations.

Systems such as the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS Traction) or Rockefeller Habits (Gazelles) can help in this regard.

Zoup! Systems, for example, was able to keep its staff focused on its vision after taking EOS companywide. Its leadership team now uses this system to track sales and the cost of goods and labor through a weekly scorecard, which last year helped the company chalk up $48 million in revenue.

You, too, should clarify how team members will be evaluated, and let them know how to win. If they don’t know the rules of the game, don’t know the goal or how to keep score, they’ll find it difficult to strategize their day-to-day efforts to achieve success.

2. Tie evaluations directly to core values. 

If team members don’t know what you value, how can they target their behaviors to meet expectations? Without clear core values, you’ll struggle to hire the right talent and to cultivate a strong, happy, productive culture in which people are accountable for their work with little to no oversight.

Evaluate fit as much as skills. If you’re hiring a remote worker, rather than just looking at what applicants can produce, look for experience working from home. Learn what traits your successful employees have in common and how to identify those qualities in your candidates. 

To keep our own company’s core values top of mind, we recognize people who embody those values with shout-outs on our biweekly company video calls. We also give out core-value awards at our annual summit.

After reading aloud what nominators said about them, we announce these winners’ names. Our team members strive — consciously and subconsciously — to receive this honor.

3. Provide constant feedback. 

Younger, remote workers want greater accessibility to leadership, and, as a result, an annual performance review just won’t cut it. In fact, 69 percent of workers ages 18 to 34 surveyed have said they find the “traditional” performance review to be flawed. They want a mentor, not a boss.

We take a proactive approach to feedback by sending out weekly surveys to staff and conducting quarterly check-ins. A number of effective strategies help us stay on top of employee sentiments and whether team members are on track for meeting their goals and objectives.

One #strategy is our rule to give feedback on something within 72 hours or let it go, as quarterly check-ins shouldn’t address issues that should have been discussed long ago. 

To do something similar, when you schedule your regular meetings — both one-on-one and all-staff meetings — take advantage of every opportunity to publicly recognize your team members’ performance.

You can even open the floor to team members and allow them to shower a little praise on their colleagues. Your team will feel good about themselves, and appreciated for their work.

Related: Five Steps for Giving Productive Feedback

A talent war is under way, and it’s becoming harder to find the people who are both a cultural fit and a skill fit for the job. Then, once you bring real talent on board, you must do everything in your power to keep them, and that likely means changing the way you evaluate employee performance.

If they don’t “feel the love,” chances are they’ll look for it elsewhere.


Bob Glazer

Robert Glazer, founder and managing director of Acceleration Partners, is a customer acquisition specialist with an exceptional track record in growing revenue and profits for fast-growing consumer products and services companies. His clien…

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10 Website Fails Your Business Is Making

December 30, 2016 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment


A website for your business is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. But, just because you invested in a website doesn’t mean that it’s effective in connecting with your customers and ultimately improving your sales. While there could be numerous reasons why your website isn’t effective, here are 10 of the most common explanations for website fails.

1. It’s not mobile friendly

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to most of us, but for the first time ever mobile and tablet usage surpassed desktop usage. As the mobile revolution continues to grow around the world, this trend toward “on the go digital,” will continue. In other words, internet consumption is moving away desktops and in to the portable devices territory. This means that your business’s website has to be optimized for mobile users.

Unfortunately, there are still lots of websites that aren’t mobile-friendly. This is just bad for business since it can lead to penalties from the Big G (Google), decrease conversation rates and deliver your customers a poor experience.

To make sure that your site is ready for mobile users, make sure that you use a responsive design, have large buttons and due your due-diligence on a/b testing, keep your layout simple and again, test it using tools like Google’s Search Console Mobile Friendly Test.

2. Contains too much jargon

I understand that you’re an expert in your field and that you want to demonstrate your knowledge and authority. But unless you’re talking to directly to your fellow industry experts, your average customer isn’t going to understand the technical language or industry jargon that you use to describe your business throughout your website.

Avoid the jargon and use simple and straight-forward language that your customers can easily understand.

3. Lacks content

Your customers have a problem. And they’re turning to your website to help them solve said-problem. That’s why your website needs to contain fresh and valuable content that answers real-life questions.

Remember, that doesn’t mean that they’re searching for your exact business. For example, our blog contains useful information for freelancers and #small business owners. If a person is searching for advice on invoicing and processing payments, they could also land on our site because that’s the type of content we’ve been producing, as well.

In short, start a blog and keep writing awesome content. This will also help boost your SEO and content marketing efforts.

4. Hides essential information

Besides looking for information that will make their lives better, if customers are looking for your specific business, they want to easily locate information like:

  • The address of your business. If you have a brick and mortar business, include a map link.
  • Contact information, specifically a phone number and email address.
  • Social media plugins.
  • Hours, pricing and an “about us” page.

You’d be surprised at how many businesses still don’t have this information on their websites. And, if you’re like me, you may tend to stay from those types of businesses over security or legitimate concerns.

And, there’s really no excuse for forgetting this information. These additions are easy-to-integrate onto your site and usually free as well.

5. Loads too slowly

Customers expect a website to load quickly. In fact, 47 percent of consumers expect a website to load in just 2 seconds or less. And, that’s important to remember because an astounding 79 percent of shoppers who don’t enjoy their website experience less likely to ever return to that site again, nor buy from that site again.

You can test the speed of your site using tools like Pingdom and GTmetrix. These tools provide insights and advice on how to speed your site-up too.

6. Doesn’t have clear calls-to-action

You don’t want to leave your visitors in the dark by making them guess what you want them to do next on your site. So, give them clear instructions by creating a call to action button or hyperlinked text that is front and center.

HubSpot has 31 call-to-action examples that you should review if you need some inspiration. For instance, Dropbox has a blue “Sign up for free,” call-to-action button that stands out from the rest of the page.

Remember, without these buttons, your potential customers won’t move forward with the services or resources that you’re offering. When that happens, you won’t get those all-important business conversions.

7. It’s outdated

Webpages that are maintained and have a current design build trust and credibility. That doesn’t mean that you need to update your site every month. But, if it’s been years since you’ve had a major website design overhaul, then it’s time to find something more contemporary. The last thing that you want is to have a site that looks like a Geocities page from the late 90s.

8. It’s annoying and cluttered

Believe it or not, that are still businesses that insist on having websites that have music or videos play automatically once your enter the site. Even worse, these sites are also full of banner ads, bright colors and flashy text. These sites are just plain annoying and end-up slowing the page down because it’s so cluttered.

So, how many people are going to ever click on that site again at work — or anywhere else?

Keep in mind that a bulk of your visitors are browsing your site on mobile devices too. This means that you’re site should be clean and organized. Keep information to a minimum and use sub-headings, bullet lists and graphic elements so that visitors can digest this info in smaller chunks.

9. Shopping cart or payment platform is broken

Unless you’re relying on a third party payment gateway or shopping cart, then it’s your responsibility to frequently check to make sure that everything is working properly. You won’t be able to make a sale or receive a payment if your cart or payment processor is busted.

10. You don’t guide users to different pages

A lot of businesses send all their traffic to their website’s homepage, as opposed to relevant links that their customers actually want to land-on. This could be because service pages and other pages of the site are just an afterthought when designing a website. But, the fact of the matter is that the home page isn’t as important to general web traffic and the overall design.

Instead, start creating specific landing pages for the various types of potential customers you encounter and where they are in the sales funnel.


Due

Due is a payments, eCash, online invoicing, time tracking, global payments and digital wallet solution for freelancers, small business owners and companies of all sizes.

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